for shame [mardy]

[xx.shuffle]

FOX

She was still fuming over her meeting with the other mare. She knew she wasn't truly wanted within the borders, and she was seriously considering vacating them. Zilla, of course, didn't want her around. She couldn't figure out the mare. One minute, Zilla was ready to bite her head off, then the next, she was tearing into Mardy. And Mardy. She hadn't thought herself capable of being so disappointed in someone. Not only had she been treated like a newborn foal, but she wasn't trusted to be left alone.

She could practically feel steam rolling from her pinned auds. She couldn't believe the mess she had gotten herself into, just by accepting his offer of a place to live. Of course, she had known all along that she was a means to an end, and she had long accepted the fact that she wouldn't truly be loved by the massive brute. That was okay. She could live with that. But the fact that he thought he was so much better than she was, that he knew more than she did, that tore her up. She had never been so angry in her life. Not even when she was forced from her homelands.

He had a way of pushing her buttons, and she feared that meant she actually cared what he thought of her. That would mean that she had grown fond of him, and she didn't want that. She didn't want to care about what he said to, or about, her. That always ended in pain, and she had had more than enough of that to last her a life time.

So that was why she was pacing where she was, with the scent of Mardy alerting her to where his territory stopped and another land began. She wasn't sure if she was willing to leave, or if she wanted to stay. He had enough to take care of, dealing with Zilla. He had gotten his lands, so he didn't need her any longer. That would give him more time to focus on what he wanted, and she could focus on herself. That just about made up her mind, and she moved closer to the border. She knew, if she crossed that line, there wouldn't be any coming back.

She wasn't sure what she was waiting on. It definitely wasn't Mardy. After all, it was the season for copulating, and she was sure he was spending as much time with Zilla in the breeding lands as possible. From the way she saw it, they seemed to have a lot of making up to do. And what better way to do it, than attempts to make a little them. No, he definitely didn't need her.

[saetta]

Marauder knew that he done wroing with how he treated Fox, she really didn't do nothing to deserve what Marauder done to her. He really didn't like it when any of his mares wanted to fight, he just could not stand it. The large sorrel roan Belgian was now trying his best to track down Fox and so apologize and hope she would accept it. One thing was for sure he was done with Zilla, she had a choice she either come on board and so be a part of the herd or she could pack up and move out. He was now going to make sure that the plateau was going to be one of the best herds in all that was the Galloping Free lands around. But in order for that to happen he needed to track down Fox and to make sure she didn't go and flee from him before he could speak to her.

He raised his head and sniffed the wind so as to try and get a bearing on just which way the Appalossa mare had went. He was trying his best to back track Fox down and it seemed that she really was trying to head towards the border and then out of his territory. He did notice that the closer he got the stronger her scent was. If she wanted to flee she would of kept going but it seemed she stop short right on the border. This slightly baffled the Belgian on why she even did this, but one thing was for sure and that was this was his only chance in confronting the smaller mare. He held his head down almost to the ground when he showed himself to Fox. Then in a low almost defeated voice he spoke to the mare.

" Fox, I would not blame you if you wanted to leave. I only ask that you give me a chance to speak to you and so hear me out. I'm sorry for the pain that I might of caused you over all of this."

Mardy really was hoping that Fox would give him just this one chance to explain himself.

[xx.shuffle]

FOX

She was surprised when Mardy burst into the clearing that she stood. She hadn't expected him to show, in all honesty. She had figured on him being way too busy to even notice that she wasn't in any of the places she usually stayed. So, with him showing his face to her, she wasn't sure what she was going to do now. Her confidence was wavering with him actually there for her to look at. She had walked away from him once, but she wasn't sure =if she could do it again. After all, he had all but saved her from a fate she didn't care to think of now, and given her a place to stay. Though he had forced her to interact with a mare that blamed her for things she knew nothing about.

But then he was talking, and asking her to let him explain himself. Her anger came back in full force when she remembered the things he had said to her, and she wondered if she could ever forgive him for the way he had done her. He had a lot of groveling to do, that was for sure. She wasn't going to roll over and give in to whatever he wanted her to do. After the things he had said, and the way he had treated her, she wasn't the least bit happy with him. She would hear him out, and give him a chance to redeem himself before she made any final decisions, though.

So, she faced him with a head held high, and auds flicked away from him. She showed her clear displeasure, but she didn't walk away. No, this was his chance to change her mind, and it was his only chance.

[saetta]

Marauder just stood there and took everything the smaller mare wanted to dish out towards him, as he deserved it. Mardy deep down really did like Fox and wanted nothing but the best for her no matter what that might be. He just kept his head down expecting her to let loose on him without any mercy what so ever. He waited for a few minutes, but nothing was happening when he looked up, Fox was standing before him and waiting. He was a little shocked about this but it quickly passed as he knew she was waiting for him to either act or explain. He gathered himself up and then slowly started to talk.

" I admit it was all my fault and that I had no right in treating you like I did Fox. You deserve much better than that, if I didn't care about you then I wouldn't be here. But one thing is for sure Zilla has a choice she either is no board fully on this herd thing to work or she can just go. She has blamed me and criticized me for our two sons death, now it is time to move on. Again Fox I want to never again put you through this, and so ask for your forgiveness."

He then still held his head down in a defeated pose not moving an inch. He knew that he was totally wrong in what had happen when it came to Fox. Now it was time to eat crow and to do exactly what Fox said and to do it without question. He just hoped that his words was at least having an effect on the small young mare. He wanted to get to know Fox well instead of the distant and icy relationship they was having now.

[xx.shuffle]

FOX

She waited, not so patiently, for him to speak. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear what he had to say, but she wasn't ready to walk away yet. There was a lot invested in him. He was the first one she had met on her arrival in the lands, and the only one that had been nice to her. The odds didn't seem to be in her favor in gaining friends.

He didn't waste much time before he launched into an explanation. Of course, he brought up Zilla. He couldn't go long without bringing her up. She knew, without a doubt, that he was head over heels or the hateful mare. Frankly, she didn't really care. He could spend as much time with her as he wanted, and she would gladly do her own thing. He spoke about moving on, but she knew if Zilla were to turn up at any time in the future, he would take her back without a second thought, and she would be pushed to the sidelines again.

The stag's head hung low, in a look that signified the equivalent of rolling over. She wasn't sure if she was ready to accept his words. He claimed to care for her, but yet he couldn't hold a conversation with her without bringing up Zilla. If she had to go the rest of her life listening to him fawn over the big mare, she would lose what was left of her sanity. But the mare had lost the same thing that she had, so she could understand her reluctance to be around the stag. He couldn't seriously be angry with Zilla because she blamed him. She blamed so many others when she lost her young one. It was a very difficult thing to process, and there was no way he could understand the loss a mare felt when their young died before they did.

She advanced slightly, auds pinned against her head. Anger was flaring, making her body burn. "You know, Mardy, I have lost a foal, too. I don't blame her for blaming you. Its the hardest thing a mare can face, to watch their young perish with nothing they can do. I blame so, so many for my loss, and it will never fade." She anted her words to express how she felt. He might feel empty with the death of the colts, but it was magnified for the mother. "You will never understand what its like to carry a foal for so long just to lose it. And for you to accuse me of acting like a foal that you have to put in it's place is a disgrace. Its humiliating, its insulting, and I expected better from you. So, no, I don't forgive you. Not yet."

[saetta]

Marauder wanted nothing more than to have this whole episode pass, and to never have it return. He wanted nothing more than to have his territory and mares all happy and running without any hitches. He seen how Fox didn't like how he mentioned Zilla, the only reason he even done it was that he was hoping to reconnect with probably his very first mare he had taken in. Now he was past this and wanted only to find out exactly what he has gotten with Fox. So he kept his defeated look and stance not moving or caring what the smaller Mustang mare was to do to him. In his mind he deserved it all and would not object to it at the least.

That is when she started to talk and he found out that she was like Zilla in certain ways, in that she also lost a foal. That was one thing that she really should of let the large Belgian know so he would of done things a little different. She then went on that he would never understand how a mare felt when they lost foals. He just pinned his ears after this as he was hurting and with no way of ever getting rid of it no matter what he did or tried. Fox finally finished by saying he had no right calling the mare a foal herself and that she didn't appreciate it, not one bit. That is when Mardy in an apologetic tone spoke.

" I'm sorry Fox, and you are right I had no buisness saying what I did towards you."

That is when he slightly picked up his head so as to look at the smaller mare better, he now wanted to put this whole walking on eggshells the two have been doing ever since coming here at an end. He then in a more serious tone spoke to Fox.

" And now I want you to come and spend the night with me Fox, and I will not take no for an answer. You either be at my cave by nightfall, or by the next morning I'll find you and then have you by my side for the rest of the day. I want to know you Fox and going and staying away from each other is not the way to go in order to find out."

He was serious and like he said he was not going to take no for an answer. He wanted to get to know Fox and so he was determined to go and actually listen to what she had to say or ask about him. He was going to answer what ever questions she had and would not hide anything from the appalossa mare.

[xx.shuffle]

FOX

She was completely taken aback by his forwardness. To think, he thought he could force her to do anything. It was no wonder Zilla had stepped out on him, and left him like she had. She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she could find her words. How dare he demand such things from her! He couldn't make her do anything that she didn't want to do. He had absolutely no right to be making such demands. She had half a mind to just turn and walk away from him now.

"How dare you, you blockheaded stag. I will not be spending tonight with you, I will not be spending tomorrow with you. You should be ashamed for trying to force me to spend time with you when I clearly do not want to." She advanced on him, her auds pinned against her skull, eyes flashing steel. Every muscle in her body was tense, ready to make a getaway if need be. "If you so much as come after me after sunrise with intentions to keep me by your side all day, I'll be gone from these lands before you can blink. This is not how you get mares to stick around, Marauder." She snapped her teeth in his direction, missing all skin by miles. But it was the threat she was going for.

Too bad for him, he would be taking no for an answer. She wasn't going to roll over and play helpless-mare. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, and she would not hesitate to enforce that. She would be more than happy to drill the fact into his thick head. Her hooves moved again, as she back away from him. Though she had a spitfire temper, he was much larger than she was. It didn't escape her notice that he could squish her like a bug, but she wasn't afraid to speak her mind to him. He had offered her a home, that was it. He had never said anything about forcing her to share things about herself, or even mingle with others.

He spoke of wanting to know her, but he had already gone about it all wrong. She didn't want to share anything about herself, and she definitely didn't want to know anything about him. As far as she was concerned, she already knew more than enough about him.

[saetta]

Marauder has went and pretty much alienated every mare that he had. He watched and seen how Fox did not know quite what to say until he was done. Once Mardy was done that is when the small spitfire of a mare let him have it with no mercy. First she told him that she was not going to spend the night with him or the next couple for that matter. Then she added that if he even thought of forcing her to stay by his side then she would be gone. That was when he just snorted loudly stamped his left front hoof, before turning around and started to trot off towards his cave.

The large Belgian just had enough of mares for a good while. He would just spend his time in his cave and could care less what happen from now on. If some other stallion even did come here he would welcome them to carve out his heart or bash his skull in. Fox pretty much have hurt him far worse with her threats of leaving and not wanting to spend any time with him. If that was the way she wanted to play then he could also be total jerk. Before he left though he sent one last parting shot to the small appaloosa Mustang.

" Fine, if some stag comes around just send him to my cave so that he can kill me. Now I bid you good night and will never bother you again."

The sorrel roan stallion was hurting and would not even care if another stallion came and challenge him. Marauder would welcome being killed and so end the hurting he was feeling now. He was now heading away from Fox and wanted just to be by himself for a while.