Tomorrow is a Long Time (open)

[Hud Levine]

Scaling the Boondocks' moorlands was not a feat for the ill-equipped. Luckily, the phrase did not apply to this stallion.

He was a male of intimidating size with the best adaptations for his chosen climate. Well, he supposed it could be that the very best place for him was in the mountains, but he'd been born here and had no desire to leave. His mother had named him "Dufresne", though he found his name to be far more intricate than he himself was. He was a loner. Always would be.

The heavily-horned stallion stood tall today, watching his homeland before him from the highest "peak" of the Boondocks. Not all of the moorlands were high, but at least this small stretch was - the stretch his family had always called home. His cloven hooves splayed beneath him as a stone shifted, Dufresne instinctively shifting his own weight to counteract the movement below. A few pebbles fell as Dufresne lowered his line of sight and descended from the peak slowly and carefully. He could speed up if he wanted to, but there was no rush today. His stomach was full and the moorlands looked safe. He'd heard of the new king and he had a mind to give him a piece of his own. It would all come in time. For now, he would rest in preparation for battle.

[skibbereenfarms]

She was used to climbing mountains, but the ones she had grown up with were not quite as rocky as these. There was no doubt that Florence had the endurance and strength to climb them, but it was just the feeling of the ground beneath her hooves that occasionally threw her off. Florence would occasionally stumble, but her balance was good enough to keep her upright. The mare constantly kept her head pointed toward the sky, the place where she hoped to someday become a part of. The idea could sound a bit dark, but Florence admired the skies, especially at night when she could glow just like the stars. It was because of this she knew that she was destined for the sky, though she would never reach it in this life. She could easily accept this fact, however, because being alive was just so much fun! An obvious example of this being so was the feeling of excitement, which was the exact emotion with in her at that moment. With a grin, she pushed herself into a steady canter, pushing her limits a bit with anticipation of reaching the very top. It was the idea of being close to the sky once again that kept her going; after all, it would be a great spot to view a sunset from.

During her ascent, Florence quickly realized she wasn't the only one exploring the lands today. It was a bit surprising, though the mare knew that there were many daring creatures out there. This one, however, could certainly catch anyone's attention, even from a distance. Atop the blue beast's head was a massive pair of horns, and the sudden jolt of intimidation made the mare stop immediately, though her legs were still a bit unstable on this ground and she managed to slip, landing on the ground with a thud. She was fortunate enough to land on a grassy patch, so only a sore pain remained when she scrambled to stand. Once she did so, she stared at the stranger from a distance, an expression of awe across her face. "How...how fascinating," she whispered under her breath. She tilted her head to the side, attempting to get another view of the strange one from where she was. She wasn't sure what she'd do if he spotted her.

[Hud Levine]

Dufresne's leisurely descent was not without its thrills. The stallion clambered safely down a rather large gap, sure not to pick the wrong route that might trap him on his way down. His focus was on his footing, not the mare below.

He didn't see her until he heard the impact of her side on the grassy patch below. Dufresne stopped at a safe spot, not bothering to stifle his laugh at her expense. He stood precariously for anyone else, but comfortably for him. His front and back hooves were close, all four directly beneath his blue, speckled barrel as he teetered on a boulder just big enough to support him. Clearly she had not been as careful as she should've been, though there was a great deal of distance between him and her. She stood quickly, not too worse for wear. Dufresne made his way a bit farther down quickly, stopping on a large, flat stone. Stupid girl, thinks she's ready for the big rocks.

His head turned back to her, his body facing the other way. He looked over his shoulder, deciding not to approach her for conversation. He had bigger things to worry about. Besides, she didn't seem to be in any distress...

[skibbereenfarms]

To be honest, she was a bit shocked at his reaction. She wasn't always demanding attention from others, but the fact that he had seen her yet did nothing to see if she was alright made Florence frustrated. "Utterly rude," the mare said under her breath. If it were him that had fallen, at least she would have tried to be kind, even if he was intimidating. Lack of respect for others was not tolerable, and now this stallion had unknowingly made an enemy. Pinning her ears, she gave a "hmph!" as she turned her attention back to reaching the peak of the moorlands, deciding that this stallion wasn't even deserving of her time.

Even while attempting to salvage what was left of her pride, climbing upward was just as difficult as it had been. She felt a bit uneasy attempting to scale the rocks, and she got stuck whenever the fresh grass ended and stone began. Florence would attempt to go around as much as she could, though she tried to keep in mind that the jerk could be watching. She wasn't absolutely sure, though she would occasionally glance back to see if he was still there. He better hope that their eyes never meet.

ooc; her personality's getting there, so bare with me :'D

[Hud Levine]

He watched her for a few minutes, his own stance glued in place. His eyes were narrow as he watched her throw her little tantrum at him, deciding to have another go at the rocky terrain. It was not made for her kind, but she didn't seem to care. He admired her tenacity, but perhaps there was more to her movements now than just for pure entertainment.

Had Dufresne caused such determination? The russet-hued mare periodically looked back in his direction as she trekked up as far as she could. The stallion couldn't keep his light eyes off of her as he shook his head a little at her behavior. This girl was crazy! She was going to hurt herself before too long. No sense in that. The great horned beast turned to face her and approached her slowly, his head turned up for the best view.

"Whuddya think you're doin'? You're gonna kill yourself!" His voice was loud - booming as he called up to her. It held a good amount of rage in it, as he knew the situation could've been avoided if she'd just stayed put and not let her legs get ahead of her brains. It was the first rule in climbing. Dufresne had always masked his caring nature very well with harsh words and violent actions, but let no one mistake him for one without compassion.

[skibbereenfarms]

She could her him yelling to her. Well, she saw it as yelling at her. So, stubborn as she was, Florence ignored the brute for a bit, deciding that he didn't deserve the satisfaction of her attention. Giving one last glance at him over her shoulder, she continued on up the side of the dangerous hill, starting to get the hang of the terrain now that she had practically made a fool of herself on it. A bit higher up now, she could see that she was a bit above this big-horned stranger, so she found a nice and sturdy spot on the hill and turned herself around completely to face him. "I'm perfectly fine on my own, thank you very much!" She gave him a smug look as she tossed her head, brushing her mane out of her eyes. In doing so she nearly slipped on the rock beneath her hooves; she didn't fall, but the stumble was quite noticeable. She gave a frustrated snort, turning herself back around. She was absolutely certain she'd be mocked out for the little slip, and she didn't want to see his face when he did. He was wasting her time anyway.

There was something bugging her, and as much as she hated to speak to him again, she was somewhat compelled to do so. Turning her head to the side so one of her green eyes could spy the goat once more, she called out to him bitterly. "Why do you care, anyway?" He had ignored her at first, and now that she was 'gonna kill herself,' he suddenly cared. Hey, if she fell, she fell. Then she'd learn something and avoid getting yelled at even more by some goat.

[Hud Levine]

Dufresne was not about to let the mare continue on her path to trouble. After her question, he knew he couldn't lie dormant beneath her for any longer. "Shit..." he muttered so she wouldn't hear. The stallion leapt upon the nearest boulder, making a bee-line for her. He used a route he couldn't suggest to many, but because he was raised here, he had no trouble executing such a perilous feat.

His cloven hooves were godsends. They splayed upon each impact with rock as he snorted and bounded toward her. His teeth gritted as Dufresne caught himself up to the roan mare, taking his place in front of her. He stood on a rock about a foot above her withers, unwilling to let her go any farther. The black and blue mongrel lowered his visage to get a better look at hers. "You're tryin' my patience; you think I want to clean your guts up when you fall on your ass?" His voice was not commanding at that moment. It was quieter than before, but with just as much enthusiasm. He wanted her to know the dangers of a horse continuing such a trek.

OOC: Excuse the language. He's a little... unrefined. xDD

[skibbereenfarms]

Florence wanted to get away from this stallion, but it appeared that she couldn't quite climb up the next ledge. She glanced down to the lower part of the hill, deciding that getting down and going around would be a challenge as well. So needless to say, Florence was stuck in place. However, the goat seemed to be able to get up to her level with little struggle at an alarmingly speedy pace. Oh, and then he decided to get on her case even more. Florence gave a snort and rolled her eyes; why was this guy so persistent? Florence stared right back at the goat with no trace of the intimidation she had experienced before. Now that she was angry with him, it was easier to look past his stupid horns. "Did I ask you to come after me when I fall? NO!" She attempted to move over a bit to glance behind him, her goal likely to be just a bit past where he was currently standing. She couldn't really tell though, considering his huge damn horns were in the way.

She took a step back (well, as much as a step back as she could on this tiny ledge) and watched the stallion, an expression of pure annoyance on her face. "What does it matter if another horse lives or dies? Maybe that's just how this world works. Horses die." The thought wasn't dark at all for Florence; she thought about it all the time, a prime example being the death of her mother when she was younger. But she and her father had learned to move on, teaching Florence that not everyone really mattered. "So are you going to move out of my way, or should I just step off the ledge now and leave a big mess behind?" She kept a straight face, trying to hide all signs of her bluff. If she had been on sturdier ground, she probably would have kicked him by now.

[Hud Levine]

Dufresne remained silent now, silenced by the mare's outburst of emotion. He listened to her words whole-heartedly, though on his face remained a furrowed brow and a frown characteristic of his expression when he first laid eyes on her. With her final request of him to get out of her way, the stallion took a leap to the side. It was a small one, but it was enough to get out of her easiest path up the rocks. She's persistent, if nothing else.

His eyes remained stern as his mind tried to decide what to say in response, if anything. Her words struck him more powerfully than he would've anticipated. A moment before, he had simply been worried for her safety because he valued life. Now, she had him thinking. He'd lost someone rather recently. The way she spoke, he could only assume that she had too. Like, such a passion had lain dormant until just now when it was all let out at the first stranger who would listen. At least, that's how he saw it. He could be completely wrong. Perhaps this mare was just strange.

He'd already moved out of her way - he had to say something so she wouldn't walk all over him for being a softie. "Be my guest," he said neutrally as he turned his gaze away from her. He took a few more steps away from her, as if he'd lost interest. He hadn't. Not yet.

[skibbereenfarms]

Success. Something she had said managed to reach to him, and at the moment she didn't really care about what it was that made him move. Now all that mattered was reaching the top of the hill once again, and this time she knew for a fact that he wouldn't be stopping her any longer. With a smug grin, she watched as the goat began to walk away, satisfied with the fact that she had basically won. Attention now turned to the ledge in front of her, all she had to be concerned about was actually getting up there without falling. She took a few steps back, leaving her hind hooves right near the ledge. With all of the speed she could muster, Florence ran forward and attempted to jump upward, actually aiming for one side of the ledge that seemed closer to where she had been standing. When she landed, she actually got most of her body on the upper ledge, though she nearly tripped and fell. The mare scrambled to her hooves while trying to find sturdier ground. Once she accomplished this, she turned her attention back to the ledge she had just jumped off of. Success once again, though she had nearly fallen off of the ledge. With pride, she glanced to the goat once again, who was now wandering away from her. Boy, did she wish she could rub it in his face right now.

But watching as he walked away, Florence began to feel a bit of guilt. Even though he did so in a rude manner, all he was really trying to do was keep her from hurting herself. She gave a sigh, realizing that she did come off as a jerk toward him, though most of the time she wasn't actually like that. She wanted to say something to apologize, but what? She couldn't thank him for his concerns or say she was sorry for her attitude; that would make her appear foolish, and she certainly didn't want to embarrass herself now. "Hey!" she called out to him, almost demanding his attention. "Do a lot of horses lose their lives up here?" It was a pretty dumb question that Florence didn't really care about, but it was the only thing she could think of that wouldn't make her sound foolish.

[Hud Levine]

He stood away from her now, perched on his precarious ledge with ease and without fear. He was born for the rocks and she was not. Perhaps he was not the one responsible for showing her that.

Dufrense's ice blue gaze surveyed the Boondocks that he could see, keen to each rock and stone. He'd lived here all his life and knew all the twists and turns of the terrain. His insight was not to be underestimated, but she could do what she wanted with it now. It was clear enough to him that she wasn't worth saving if she was that headstrong. Thinning out the herd was a blessing now and again, not that he was of the "official" Boondocks herd. No, he knew in his heart he owned this land; he didn't need any titles to be sure of that.

Dufresne had nearly forgotten the red mare before his ears reminded him. Her voice was different now, not as offensive and angry as before. Now it was calm and casual, like nothing of before had transgressed. He turned his head over his shoulder to look at back at her. Turning one's whole frame on the ledges just in order to look more polite while speaking was almost never an option. Safety before manners. Dufresne had to admit (silently to himself), she'd scaled higher than he'd expected with little trouble.

"Most have the sense to stay closer to the ground..." he yelled over his shoulder from his position, his annoyance still ringing clear. His eyes did not strain to see her any longer. They turned back to look forward as he thought of any he'd seen fall to their demises. "But when it comes to the real daredevils... A good percentage get bloodied up somethin' fierce. A few've made it down alright though." With his last words, he looked back to her, his brows raised as if he was waiting to see which party she'd be a part of. "Gettin' up s'not the trick," he warned.