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~!~ Long mane snarled, tangled in brambles, you struggle through the thick forest, having lost your way, stepped off the path of security and everything real and safe to this frightening, dark path. The hot breath of the summer afternoon is suffocating within the thick, tropical trees, the twigs tearing violently at you, and you speed up, travelling at a angled canter, trying to get away from the clutches of each bush. And suddenly, without warning, your frightened efforts reward you: you burst out into a cove, large, filled with bright, crystalline sand. The tangled jungle behind you forgotten with this utter beauty scattered at your hooves, amazing, salty air thick with the rush of love around you. Hooves pillowed with air and buoyant sand, a paradise all for you, you glide smoothly towards the low tide, leaning down to admire the rocking, briny waters at your feet, the soft rush of each wave smoothing and calm. Utterly relaxed, you find yourself suddenly curious as to where you have stayed to, who calls this beautiful place home. Waves barely moving, so flat and still below you, you twist your neck sideways, left, right, behind you. And yet no one meets your eye. Distracted by the gentle breath of the sea, reflection of a nearby cliff startlingly clear in the salty water, you shift your gaze, noting the reflection of something more atop the cliff in the water. Craning your neck skyward, twisted to see what might be atop the jutting stone, your eyes discover a painted stud, cherry coat patterned with white, figure stark against the opaque glow of the sky revolving above him. So there was life here... but who was it? ~!~

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~ Herd Members ~

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