You have my Attention [Anahi]

[Archam]

all of us have a hero and a villain in us

It was nightfall and the black sky was lit with stars. The night was beautiful and Archam had just finished a border patrol. He wondered around the kingdom finding his mares ensuring there safety. Anahi was the last on his rounds, when he found her she was still awake. The light from the stars complimented her champage pelt and she looked beautiful in the night sky. He gave a nicker and made his way over to her "Hello Anahi, how was your day?" The stallion flicked his tail, Anahi was surely the mare with the most secrets. He was good at reading body language and she had pain she kept to herself. 

archam

@[Anahi]

[Anahi]

Country to what Archam might have been thinking, Anahi was in the middle of dozing. While the herd didn't have a safe place to live yet, a place to call their own, they sometimes congregated so that they could sleep peacefully and have one look out for them.

Tonight, everyone seemed to want to keep to themselves, which was fine with Anahi. The champagne mare had found a nice place by the river by a large grouping of trees; perfectly safe for her to be there alone. She was a light sleeper anyways, so if any animal did try to wake her up, the forest would alert her in time, and she could run to safety.

A familiar nicker, Archam's, woke the mare from her dozing state. She gave her head a shake as the stallion approached her, flicking his tail as he inquired to how her day went.

Anahi sighed, "It was quiet, peaceful, like usual. I spent some time with some of the kingdom's diplomats, getting to know how it all works around here. I went to graze by the river with some of the other mares before we all went out separate ways for the night, and I found this place to sleep. I was resting before you showed up."

She turned to look at Archam, "And your day?"

[Archam]

all of us have a hero and a villain in us

The stallion stopped a couple paces from the mare, he noticed the mare was infact asleep and gave an apology for waking her. He listened as she explained her day, it sounded stresless which was good to hear. Anahi was new to the kingdom so he was pleased to hear she wasnt having issues fitting in.  She asked about his day in which he replied "just did some border patrol, nothing to exciting" he was curious to the mares past. She seemed to hold back her emotions, he didnt want to pry but it was important he knew anything of importance. 

"What made you leave your last herd?" The stallion pondered the question, he cocked his left rear leg relaxing as the night breeze offered relief from the morning heat. 

archam

[Anahi]

Anahi, pleased that Archam's day hadn't involved anything horrendous, lowered her head, blowing some air from her nose before she heard a question directed at her. The mare lifted her head, giving the stallion a pained look, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

At the same time though, Archam was showing that he was caring enough to at least try to ask. Every other horse that had remotely showed interest lost in within the first few sentences as she explained what had happened. She didn't know why, and she didn't care. But it astounded her that Archam cared enough to try and listen.

The champagne mare let out a small sigh before turning her attention to Archam, "Long story short, stallion was a complete jerk who made me lose the one thing I cared about at the time. After he did that, I left because I wanted nothing more to do with him or any of those horses. Found my way here after a few years of being alone."

[Archam]

all of us have a hero and a villain in us

The stallion closed his eyes relaxed in he moonlight. He listened as the mare began to speak opening his eyes to view hers, she didn't tell him all of her pain. He wouldn't pry as there was a reason she kept it from him. Although Archam generally didn't get along with other horses he cared for all of his mares and tried to put forth the effort so they felt cared for. He was curious to what the one thing that meant the most was. A horse she was in love with? a parent? a foal? there was many possibilities and he hoped in time she would tell him. "I see, I hope to offer a life better than that" he spoke wholeheartedly. The two didn't know each other very well, but Archam hoped in time they would, and the pain of her past life wouldn't be an issue.

archam

[Anahi]

"You already have given me a better life," Anahi stated. "You brought me here when you didn't have to, and offered me a home even though I'd done nothing to repay you or ask for you to take me in. That's more than any other herd I've been in has done, and I thank you for it."

She reached over, stretching her neck, brushing her muzzle against Archam's neck. A sad sigh escaped her as she looked down at his hooves.

"The stallion who's herd I lived with before... I thought he was nice. He had a temper, but held it under control pretty well. I was due to deliver his foal in the spring, but one day, he got really mad... and..."

Anahi's gaze traveled to her stomach, still remembering all the pain she's gone through when she lost the foal. She could only pray to every god she knew that it wouldn't happen again.

[Archam]

all of us have a hero and a villain in us

Archam grew a smile as the mare spoke highly of Archam and his herd. He was proud to be able to offer safety and joy to the mares he has courted. He didnt feel the need to expand the herd for the time being, and was able to protect the five had claimed. The stallion returned the mares nuzzle with one of his own, stopping to gaze in her eyes and a sad sigh escaped. She went on to explain why she didnt like the stallion, she said she had a foal but stopped before explaining what happened to the said foal. He was able to figure out the outcome as the mare was still young and arrived without a young. Hw pressed his head against her shoulder raising his head to speak again "im sorry you had to endure that, I wont pressure you to have a foal until you are ready" the stallion obvioisly wanred a foal with Anahi, but could manage a season or two before he grew impatient. He never lost a foal so he didnt know the pain, but he almost wondered if having one would ease the pain of the loss. 

archam

[Anahi]

Anahi, feeling Archam offer her comfort by placing his head against her shoulder, offered him a small smile. She was hurting inside, but having him here, listening to her, was helping.

"It's not that I'm not ready to have another. I'm just scared that it will happen again... I don't want another little one to lose its life before having the chance to experience the world," she explained, looking at him.

"Have you ever sired any young?"

[Archam]

all of us have a hero and a villain in us

The stallion gave a nod of understanding, he didnt know the pain of losing one, but he knew the attachment a mare grew almost instantly. She had asked if he had any kin which made him winse with irritation thinking of that night. "I had a herd far from here, I claimed about seven mares over a multiple seasons. I was young, two or so when I started. we all had one foaling season, before a bachelor herd came. I was only one stallion" he paused the anger was flaming inside him as he relived that horrible night. "I couldnt battle all of them, I lost my herd, I never met my kin" he didnt know what happend to any of his mares, any of his kin. They could have murdered every last one, or claimed the herd killing his foal. His pelt twitched with anger and pain. Anahi was the first equine he shared his secret with, she share hers so it felt right to share his. "I was young than, I can protect the five of you now" he said to ensure she didnt fear the same ending as his previous herd. 

archam

[Anahi]

Hearing Archam tell of the night he lost his former herd, as well as any foals he might have sired, Anahi immediately felt two things: foolishness for thinking her secret could've been the worst thing, and angry at the stallions who had taken Archam's herd from him.

She'd been in enough herds to know what a new stallion did once it took over a band of mares, but she would not say anything to Archam. He did not need to feel the pain of losing foals he sired but had never met.

So, instead, Anahi stepped closer to the bay roan stallion, gently nuzzling the underside of his neck to show she would support him. She gazed into his eyes as she spoke, "I would never fear anything like that happening. I know you can protect the mares you brought here to the Falls; we all do. And I know you'll have some fine foals come spring time."