winter - pot of cream (and others?)

[Njenyi]

The winter is growing long, but the high cliffs shield them from the truly deep snow. Still, Njenyi loathes this season more than he’d ever imagined he could. Spring cannot come soon enough.
 
His harem is growing, both in number and in width, and the striped stallion knows that with the spring will also come his children. He has a few on the savanna, but they are proper foals, black and white like their mothers (and his own). Perhaps these will be as wildly colorful as their dams – he will protect them regardless.
 
Pot of Cream has not had an easy time of her pregnancy, so the spotted horse begins to look for her one sunny winter afternoon. He whickers loudly, calling her, but trudges through the snow in case she is some distance away as well.

[Pot Of Cream]

She has found winter hard too,the whistling winds hurt her little ears.She stood on three legs,one relaxed.She wanted to be relaxed.Her belly was getting bigger,she felt like having her foal now but she couldn't she wasn't ready.Her stomach started hurting again,she looked around for Njenyi but didn't see him.She looked for a mare but there weren't any around.

[Njenyi]

He finds the cremello mare resting nearby. She looks as displeased by the cold as Njenyi feels, and he sidles up to her to block the cold. He cannot get as close as he once could; her growing barrel makes it difficult. Still, he knows the burden that she carries inside her, and he is immensely proud.

Is there anything better that a mare can do than give birth?

surely that must be what they all aspire to. Njenyi wouldn't know, being a stallion. He has only ever wanted to lead a band of his own, to watch over and protect his mares and children. He is living his dream, even if he is very cold while doing it.

"Spring's coming soon," he tells her, the words reassuring himself as much as they attempt to cheer her up.

[Pot Of Cream]

"I know,then little foals can play and gallop around."she would be glad to have this foal.She couldn't roll in the snow anymore,she couldn't do much but sit there.Along with her friendly and protective stallion.

[Njenyi]

He nods, pleased she had understood. Bearing children was difficult on a mare. He had been his dam's sixth foal (a goodly number in a land where lions and hyenas were plentiful). He was the last by his sire though, birthing a foal as large as young Njenyi had been was not easy on a body. He hopes his mother is happy, wherever she is. She's probably lead mare of a herd, with her childbearing years behind her she has time to look out for the rest of her herd.

"Did you name it?" He asks curiously. Usually it is the father's choice, but he wonders if perhaps things are different here in Beqanna.

[Pot Of Cream]

"I have named the little filly,Sunlite."she smiled at him.She tried to get up and walk about but couldn't,again.She leant on Njenyi and stood up,she nuzzled him.She hoped her mother and father were happy with her and her sister.

[Njenyi]

Sunlite is a good name for a filly. He nods, pleased that it will be a girl.

He stands quietly as she leans on him, more than willing to offer her all the support he can. As the mother of his foal she is a valuatble asset, and he wants her to be as comfortable as possible. He wonders where her sister is - Custard seems to be having a much easier time of pregancy than Cream is.

[Pot Of Custard]

Custard saw her sister,she wanted to make sure her sister was ok.She whinnied for her."You ok?"she asked.Her belly wasn't much bigger than before.

[Pot Of Cream]

She was thinking the same as Njenyi.Her sister was having an easier time.She looked at her sister,"Yeah,just little trouble standing."she told her kind sister.

[Njenyi]

He glances up at the sound of a whinny. He's not surprised to see that it is Custard; the two sisters are close. He wonders, every now and again, if their closeness is what is preventing them from making friends with the other mares in the herd. Njenyi has done his best to build a herd full of women that are easy to get along with (and to look at) but cannot help but feel as though the two sisters do not quite get along.

Wondering is all he does though; it is not a stallion's place to get involved in the issues of mares.

"Soon," he reassured Cream with a gentle nibble at her shoulder. He presses his muzzle to her wide barrel, knowing that the foal must be kicking heavily by now. She's only got a few more days until the child is due. The striped horse takes a few steps closer to Custard to repeat the motion, nosing gently at the foal held safely within her. He is quite happy that the two mares were so fertile - they will give him many sons and daughters over the years.