Western Treasures (Anan)

[<3Kodi]

Merci

Ok, in all honesty Merci knew she wasn't supposed to do it but, being an heiress meant something right? She could bend the rules a little so long as she got back to the downs by nightfall and there was plenty of time until then. Her dad was nearby, scouting for any herd-hopefuls near the lake which meant Merci was free to explore and the little filly took that to heart. She had full faith Fantom wouldn't let anything or anyone hurt her, so she could have fun. Maybe she'd find some friends like Shamrock and Stetson? Probably not, they were two-in-a-million colts, but Merci was always up for new friends.

Standing on the bank of the lake, Merci stared at the crystals glinting in the sunlight at the bottom of the lake. Her pelt was once flat black but was now starting to shine as she got older and turn a deeper, richer black. Like Fantom she had a flaxen mane and tail, starting to grow out from the newborn-fluff it had once been. Her legs were still long and a bit awkward but promised she'd have the height of her parents. Her body structure was complete with powerful legs, low withers and a well formed neck with an elegant head. Merci studied the own eyes in the water, admiring how one was dark garnet like Fantom's and the other lighter red like Banshee's. She couldn't help but smile. It was nice to look like both of her parents.

Lowering her head, the long-limbed filly, drank from the lake before raising her head again and looked up and down the lake's beach. There weren't any other equines around that she could see which was disappointing but promised no one except Fantom would get a chance to scold her if she did something she wasn't supposed to. Neat hooves danced in the sand as Merci deliberated on what to do with her current free time outside of the Cutberry Downs. She couldn't play with Papercut or Knives out here because Squalin would probably never let them leave even with Fantom. For whatever reason, Squalin didn't seem to trust Fantom, or any stallion which Merci found weird but often shrugged it off. If Squalin didn't like males then maybe Knives would help her get over it when he wasn't a colt anymore, but was a fully mature stallion.

Snorting at the idea of silly Knives being a mature stallion like her dad, Merci shook her head but froze when the wind shifted direction slightly, bringing her the scent of another horse. Turning to look away from the lake, Merci flicked up her ears curiously. "Dad?" she called curiously. It didn't smell like him but maybe he'd been with other horses? Maybe he was bringing another horse to come pick her up?

[Sky Eyes*]

White legs perched on tan hooves flowed down the hillside as Anan picked her path easily. Long meadow grasses danced around her legs tickling the very underneath of her stomach as she went. Destination water hole. Stopping as she picked her way down the hillside, Anan lifted her nose to the wind to catch the scents that drifted on each wave. Ears perched high on her head they swiveled to catch any sounds. Hearing nothing but the grass waving in the wind, Anan relied on her nose.

The scent of another horse drifted her way and the skin covering her shoulder shivered. Swinging her head she let her brown eyes scan the terrain before her. The shimmering lake glistened in the sun as she looked upon the shores. She sniffed the air again, the horse scent was strong, it wasn't from a passing horse, it was from a horse that was there. But where was it?

Shifting hesitantly on her white legs, Anan took another step forward still searching the land before her. Hooves striking level ground, she stood still, her thick neck holding her head high in the air. At last she found the horse whom had been eluding her eyesight but not her nose. The young black horse was looking around, obviously her nose had led her to Anan, as Anan's nose had led her to the filly. Normally, Anan would have turned away from another horse and waited until they were gone to go drink, avoiding any kind of conversation possible, but thirst drove her forward towards the blue lake.

Dark grey forelock falling over dark brown eyes, Anan moved forward, watching the young horse with both curiosity and wariness. Anan decided it was more curiosity than weariness that drove her to watch the horse. Normally, she would have been as far away from another than possible, but this wasn't normal. Maybe it was that the filly wasn't a grown horse yet, and it wasn't a stallion either. Anan took more quickly to younger horses, they seemed curious at best, but not quite as nosy.

The footing beneath changed as Anan neared the waters edge. Tan hooves landed in water, splashing up and making the feathers around her pastern. Staring at her reflection in the water, Anan looked at the roaning pattern that covered her back, sides, and chest. Every time she saw her reflection, she understood why the humans had called her moon. Her coloring looked like the moons face when visible. At the thought of the humans, Anan's skin shivered again at the thought of her time spent in captivity.

Looking at the filly once again, she remembered the day the humans had captured her. She had been in a place not unlike this one. Her herd had been at the watering hole, while she had wandered away which led to her being captured. Lowering her muzzle into the cool water she took a long drink. Lifting her dripping muzzle from the water she let her eyes wander back to the filly. Only one question came to mind and she had to ask it. "Do you have a herd?"

[<3Kodi]

Angling her head curiously, Merci swerved her ears forward as she heard the thud of hooves of a slowly approaching horse. Now that it was closer she could scent that it was a mare but not her mother and didn't smell like anyone that had been around her father. They didn't have the strange water-like scent that Fantom often had. So, the gem-eyed filly watched with quiet curiosity as a mare came toward her looking weary. Why the mare was weary of little ol' her, Merci wasn't sure. She looked to the left, to the right and then behind her. Nothing but them and the lake. Not even Fantom was around, so Merci wasn't sure what the mare's weariness was about but shrugged it off as a strange adult problem. It seemed Squalin was like that but never had Merci seen Banshee or Fantom act that way. Maybe it made a difference being a royal?

Shifting slightly, Merci blew through her nostrils softly and watched the mare. She was a pretty mare with a sturdy body but lovely markings. To Merci she looked like one of the pearly grey-blue clouds that covered the sky before a spring rain. Merci was familiar with pretty strange colorings considering one of her friends was green but Merci had yet to see a horse that looked quite like the weary-eyed mare. It made her curious.

Her ears twitched when the mare spoke to her, making Merci smiled and swish her still slightly fluffy tail. She nodded a yes to the mare's question and ambled closer, curiously intrigued by the mare's appearance. "It's not my herd though" Merci informed the mare. "It's my mom and dad's, it won't be mine until I'm older or it won't be mine at all if I have a brother."

Yes, Fantom had explained such things to such a young filly. Why? She was his heiress and she had asked the right question. Fantom didn't bother with lies, believing them to be too time consuming and bothersome so he had just given her a straight answer. He hadn't mentioned that if she got a mate then the herd would be hers regardless but, she didn't need to know that. Merci leaned forward slightly, studying the mare's roan spots and how the blue-grey faded to white.

"You're pretty" she complimented, looking up at the mare with a sunny expression in her ruby and garnet eyes.

[Sky Eyes*]

Showing the percheron side of her ancestry, Anan's thick and sturdy body reflected in the water at her side. Tail lashed side to side not in annoyance but more in boredom. The bushy tail she sported flicked in excitement it seemed as the young horse nodded in agreement. A breathe left Anan's nose loudly, relieved. Anan watched the filly closely as she advanced a few steps towards Anan as if taking a better look at her. Yet, Anan didn't move off, she just mearly lowered her head down to the fillies level.

"I see" She said. The little black filly in front of her was a heiress for a herd. It took her a moment to think it through, but once she had, Anan was sure that the herd must be close. Lifted her head away from the ground, her eyes scanned the terrain for any other horses, but nothing, nor from sight of smell came to her nose. Calming down and gracing her head back to the fillies level, Anan looked at her curious eyes. She wanted to tell the filly it was dangerous to be out here without her herd alone, but she couldn't form the words in her mouth. Besides, what was it to her?

Anan snorted in disagreement when the filly complemented her. Anan was long past taking compliments, but it was the fact that young horses were so bold that amused her and drew them to her the most. "Your quite stunning yourself if I do say so"And that was no lie. The fillies coat seemed to gleam in the mid days sun and her eyes radiated with curiosity. Anan looked up again, glancing around, always alert it seemed making sure there was no danger approaching. At last, yet again, there was none so she again faced the filly.

The fillies eyes still gleamed from the compliment she had given, and it made Anan feel happy. "So if your part of a herd, why aren't you with them?" The question finally slipped out from between her lips.

[<3Kodi]

Merci blushed under her dark coat at Anan's compliments, flicking her ears and looking overall adorable. She liked the thought of looking like her mother, Banshee had no markings but was still gorgeous. Sadly most of her looks came from her father because she had the flaxen mane and tail plus a heart on her forehead between her eyes. Her mother had always said having two hearts meant she could love twice as much as normal horses but Merci didn't know if that was true. Still, at least one of her eyes was like her mother's because it was a lighter red then Fantom's. Still, Merci was glad the mare didn't think she looked ridiculously young or anything.

Black harks perked up at Anan's question and she giggled a little. "Because dad is looking for somebody. I don't know who but he said I could wait here, so I am. Momma's busy and Squalin doesn't particularly like me." Merci flipped her ears and frowned slightly at the thought of Knives' and Papercut's mother. She didn't mind Squalin but maybe it was just because the mare had twins already she didn't like Merci hanging around? Oh well. Looking back at Anan, Merci smiled and swished her tail. "We don't live all together all the time, Squalin doesn't like it so we don't see her a lot. I don't think she likes stallions or something." Merci shrugged. "Dad is a good stallion though, he just doesn't talk a lot."

Still, even if Fantom didn't talk a lot, Merci and Banshee both understood him perfectly. Merci's mother was normal and talked to others so Merci wasn't sure how her mother came to adapt to Fantom. Maybe it was just because they were meant to be together? Merci liked the idea of there being a stallion out there for her somewhere that would know her like Banshee knew Fantom. His mere actions were enough for Banshee to read more then Merci would ever know. Then again, maybe that was every filly's wish?