This Aint Nothin To Die For

[toruk]

Have you ever felt like someone was watching you behind your back? Waiting to pounce upon you, to tell you some terrible news, or do some inexplicable things to you? Then when that's about to happen, you gather up some hidden strength and defeat the horror? Yeah, this wasn't one of those days or times. This is just a simple mare, with a simple thought process, with no real reason to be here today.

Her hooves sank into the sand, the rough particles digging under her coat to her skin. Her bi-colored oculars surveyed the land. This was one of few places to not get snow during winter. Hey, it was a beach. With a shake of the head, she picked up a trot. Her muscles under her coat rippled and danced with every movement. Soft muffled thuds from her hooves danced in time with the tides.

The clear blue water put on quite a show as she approached it. She refused to let any part of her get wet in this season, but she still enjoyed hearing the slapping of the water onto the drenched sand, the wind blowing about, the seagulls cries as they looked for food, and the occasional splash of water as a dolphin or other sea critter came up for air.

So this was what a beach looked like? The one in her home didn't look like it, then again, it was a lake, not a tremendously huge ocean. With a shake of the head she lowered her muzzle to the sand. The sand stuck to her velvety hairs that lined her muzzle and she snorted to get most of them off. When her head was level with her withers, she looked around, inhaling deeply and then exhaling heavily.

A lazy yawn forced its way out of her mouth. Why was she out of her home land today? Why did she come here? Well, she was feeling adventurous and had always wanted to see an actual beach. She had never seen one before now. It was pretty. The sun was at its highest peak at the moment, and it would be a long time before night fall. She was sure her king wouldn't mind her being away til then.

As long as she is safe. Granted, she didn't come here to work or do anything positive for the land. But she felt like a day to herself for once. Give, give, give. That's all she ever did. Did she ever really get anything back? No. The mare had never really pampered herself. Despite how much she felt she deserved it. If her king had a problem with her taking a day to herself then he can find a new mare to do her job, because she wouldn't take that bull crap.

Her audits danced on her head as she looked around. Endless sand. That's what she saw. Lots and lots of sand. Little crabs crawled about, here and there, with work to do. She smiled as she watched them, then watched two fight with each other. With a chuckle, she watched one admit defeat and the victorious one went off with another, a smaller, one. She guessed it was a fight for love.

Love. What a tender topic. What was love? What did it bring? Happiness? Endless bliss? Pain? Misery? With a sigh, she looked to the horizon of the water, where it was nothing but water and sky. She had never experienced real love, nor any type of love except familial. She had wondered what a 'true' love would feel like, and if it even existed. She shook her head to clear those thoughts.

The day drew lazily on, like molasses in the sky, the sun slowly crawled. She glared at the sand, sudden hatred towards herself apparent. She thrust her head up, then reared and propelled herself forward, surging at a fast gallop across the land. Her muscles strained as her feet fought to keep traction in the loose sand, so she veered off, towards the wet sand, where it was harder and easier to move.

Forget the cold, she wanted to run. Water exploded by her legs, splattering onto her columns and sometimes up onto her body. Her hooves dug into the sand, only to throw it up as she kept moving. Her mane and tail were whipped out behind her. Her stride lengthened as she was determined to run from her mind. Tears stung her oculars as she gritted her teeth, her ears pinned back to hide.

Her vision came back into focus and she saw the raised formation of a rocky wall. With sudden realization of just how far she ran from her original place, she put on the brakes. She slid a few feet, then tripped and fell to her side, causing her to get soaked from the wet sand she had fell upon. When she finally came to a complete stop, she laid there, breathing hard and heavily. She pushed herself up to lay on her legs as they folded underneath her. With a groan as her side exploded in pain, she fell to the earth again.

Oh what did I do... her lyrics rang out strained as she lay there, waiting for the right time to get up, at least so the pain wouldn't be so unbearable. Why did she have to act like an idiot? Why did she have to be so stupid as to leave without telling anyone where she was going? In a couple hours, it'd be night, and the cold would freeze her to death, and Death himself would grasp her with cold, dead arms, whispering sweet nothings as she left the world.




Word count: 939
Muse: Quite decent
Tagged: Open
Misc: Yeah, I got a bit carried away with the whole thing XD

[syx]

His heart thumped along with the beat of his hooves, a drum beating in a steady rhythm. The oceans pulsated, smashing against the shores like that of a kettle drum... and the wind played along like that of a solemn flute. Hissing out its soft sounds. Birds twittered their lovely songs, and the trees they perched upon rattled they xylophone tunes somewhere off the beaten path.

Sand churned beneath him, breath huffing along with this soft, forbidden tune. Golden murky brown eyes barely viewing that which passed him. Did it honestly matter what was beyond the horizon? Did it matter what stood in his path? For the massive Shire, there was nary a thing to worry about, even here in a strange land, upon stranger beaches, owned by some other ruler. A black shape loomed in the distance, drawing near as his form barreled across the distance like a tank engine. Less there was a hole carved by the tides through the black mass, he knew that it would be his cut off point. Even a great Shire could not run headlong into a cliff and expect to overcharge it.

Closer, closer, the shape grew sharper, and... Something caught his eye upon the sun bleached sands... Something... it had to be fresh really. The tides often swept away any memory of those that had been on the beaches, and the churned sand, only meant one thing. He slowed as if he had just found his opponent, and found it much, much larger than him. Dropping his hindquarters, he slammed his back hooves beneath him. His front end fighting to keep him in balance.

When his bodice was safely stilled, he gathered himself back up, eyes searching wearily. His head dropped, nostrils flaring as he took in the prints pushed deep within the sands. What he smelled, was the salt on the breeze, nothing more. Could one even scent another through prints? Well, all he knew was that whom ever these prints belonged too, was running fast. As if a predator had been nipping at their flanks... yet there was not a print in sight so say that this was a plausible possibility.

Shaking his head, he traveled on wearily. Following the dashing prints right to its source. A small lass lay in the sands, her breath ragged, and the tides rising to greet her flesh. injured most likely... Not likely a horse would be resting after a jaunt upon its side... Their lungs could collapse from their own weight.

Snorting as he began traveling up he shores, he rose his head and surveyed the horizon for any sign of a predator, or another that may have done this too the Mare sprawled in the sands. When he was about parallel, only then did he drop his cranium, after a quick survey of the clean sands around her. No other hoof prints, no other paw prints... What could have done this to her? "Hello Miss..." he spoke gently, his nostrils flaring to take in her scent. Thaentos, not often did he run across Equines from his own land, and this was absolutely... odd that he would find one outside of Thaentos. He supposed he was just in the right place at the right time. "May I help a young lass to her hooves? Then question upon how you got in such a messy situation?" another kind question, spoken gently as not to give the poor dear a the fright of her life. Hell, if he had too, he would carry her upon his back... although that would be a trick he had yet seen pulled off. Yes he could carry her, however he was not quite sure how the hell he would get her on his back... or how well she would do perched upon it. An Equine was definitely not designed for laying upon one another.