Looking for father

Stelaria entered the meadows with her colt Arduro by her side. She had mated with Sweet Pea dn he was a great mate till he up and left her and Arduro. Ever since then she has been looking for a stallion to be her mate so that her colt had a father to look up to and to be taught the ways of fighting, something she couldn't teach him. They grazed near a cherry tree that had sweet grass and Stel kept a close eye for any movement.

Bosch wandered in. He had come to a new land and now he wanted to explore every square inch of it before moving on. He would start with the Fields of Romance because they were the closest to him. He started walking around in circles, creating a spiral so he missed nothing and finally came to a small stream. He stopped to take a drink.

Stelaria had heard some footsteps and stopped grazing and stood there ears perked in different directions. She heard them again and nudged Arduro. "Come sweetheart follow me and stay close." She started towards the direction and stayed behind the brush. When she saw the stallion drinking from the stream calmed down a bit. Arduro had been a bit frightened at his mother"s new attitude and soon followed her gaze to the mare. "Mommy why are we hiding?" Stelaria looked at her son then the stallion. "I don't want him to hurt you." The colt nodded then started to back up behind his mother's legs.

((My keyboard is acting up so I"ll be back in a minute after I restart my computer))

Bosch heard voices behind him. He turned his ears and then turned. He saw nothing but he felt the presence of another thing. "Who's there? Come out, I don't bite."

Stelaria slowly came out and kept Arduro behind her. "It's only me and my colt, I was afraid you would hurt him."

"Me? Oh, Har. I never hurt anything unless it really asks for it or it starts first. I'm a peace loving guy." Bosch turned fully around and started to walk toward the mare. "My name's Bosch. Who are you guys?"

Stelaria calmed down and walked out out of the brush. "Im stelaria and this is Arduro my son." Arduro came out slightly from behind his mother but was still mostly behind her. "He...hello."

"Oh hey little guy. How's life?" Bosch said at Arduro. He then turned to Stelaria. "Do you have a nickname? What about your son? Do you just call him Arduro all the time? Or something like Ar, or Ard, or Ardy? By the way, where's his dad? Shouldn't the dad be close to you guys or something? Gosh, I'm asking so many questions. Hope I'm not making you intimidated."

Arduro forced a smile and stepped a bit closer curious of the stallion. "You can call me Stel and he doesn't have a nickname. As for his father...well he left a few months ago after Arduro was born and I was left to raise him, though I can't teach him fighting or courting as well as a father could. That's why I was so cautious earlier." She sighed at the memory of Sweet Pea leaving the week after Arduro was born, a tear left her eye. "I miss being loved." She practically whispered. Arduro saw his mother and nuzzled her.

"Well Stel, don't cry. The past is not worth your tears. As for your colt, maybe you could take him to Diablo to train. Are you nuetral, light, or dark? Besides, a mother can teach everything. One of my long friends, Ammy, well she's practically stalion. She had foals a long time ago with a stallion that she hated and she left him and taught the foals to get along in the word. Then, she left them after they knew to get by. No warning, no goodbye, she just left."

Arduro nudged against his mother. "You won't leave me will you mamma?" Stelaria looked down and smiled at her colt. "No I would never leave you." She then looked back at Bosch. "I am a neutral and so is Arduro. I want a father figure for my son." SHe then looked around and saw a creek and a meadow. "Go play Arduro."

Bosch wathced Arduro walk away. "Do you have friends? He needs a playmate. That is the first step in teaching him how to fight. If he play-fights with other foals, even fillies, he can learn a lot that will help him. Anyway, I have to go now. I just cam to this new land recently and still have so much to explore before I leave again." Bosch turned and walked away slowly.

Stelaria looked down when he said he was going to leave. ~Well so much for him.~ She walked over to the river not saying anything, glancing at Arduro every so often. Arduro walked over to Bosch and nuzzled his leg. "Daddy?" He was still young and hardly knew his father.

"What, oh hey little fella." Wait, Bosch though, did he just call me Daddy. "Um, I'm not your Daddy little guy. Sorry."

Arduro looked confused then walked over to a patch of grass, sadly. Stelaria saw his disappointment and went over to him. "I'm sorry sweety, but your father isn't coming back." She laid down next to Arduro, her mane falling over his neck slightly, and laid her head next to his. "We'll find someone some day, but till then we'll just have be more careful." Arduro cuddled against his mother and sighed. "I know momma. I just want a father, someone to look up and want to be like. Just like all the other colts in the forest."

Bosch looked on as Arduro left him and as he lay down with Stel. He sighed deeply and then turned and walked over to the stream. He liked the little foal but he also kney that with fatherhood came responsobility. Bosch did not have that at all. And, he was a nomad. He would be constantly on the move and that was no life for a foal. But what if Bosch finally setteled down? But with who? And where? He hardly even knew this land, hence the Field of Romance. What would happen?

As Arduro fell asleep Stelaria got up slowly and carefully trying not to wake him. She walked over to the stream her head held high as well as her tail. She wouldn't let her current life's position let her down. She took a drink from the ice cold water then walked a little ways away where she could still see Arduro. She glanced at him but then continued up a hill till she was at the top of it. She looked around at the gorgeous fields and smiled. "I would love to live here." She spoke softly to herself then closed her eyes feeling the wind blow on her.

Bosch immidiatley lifted his head at the sound. He turned and saw a cougar walking toward the stream. As soon as it got here, it started drinking water but Bosch knew that it was a matter of time before it discovered Arduro. "Hey guys! Stel, Arduro, watch out! There's a cougar here!" At the sound of his neigh, the cat lifted it's head and stared staright at him in the eyes. But it then noticed Arduro sitting by himself. It started running toward him but Bosch was faster and got in front of Arduro just as the cat jumped.

Stelaria looked over just quick enough to see the cat running at Arduro. She ran down the hill but when she got there the cat had jumped on Bosch instead of her son. " She went over to Arduro and nudged him up. When he stood she ran over to a patch of trees. "Stay here!" She then ran back and looked for any possible way of helping Bosch in his fight.

The cougar sank it's claws into Bosch's chest but he barely felt it. He fell to the ground and rolled oevr because he could not reach the cat with his hooves. The cat lay on the ground but Bosch knew that it was playing dead. He struck it with his front hooves and then backed away. The cat did not move, at all.

Stelaria couldn't find a time to assist Bosch so all she could do was watch in horror at them fighting. When he had killed the mountain lion she looked at the predator then at Bosch. "Th...Thank you Bosch for saving my son." She walked up to him and noticing his wound she nuzzled it. "Are you okay?" She walked up next to him and looked at his wound then him. "It doesn't look too bad."

"Eh, you're welcome. I help out other things that need help. And don't mind my wound. I don't even notice it." Bosch turned and started to go to the river. "Well, if I can be in more service to you, let me know." Bosch reached the river and began to lap up thirstily and noisyly.

Stelaria watched as he went to the river and started to drink. She had forgotten how it was to have a stallion around, feeling safe. She walked over to Arduro and nuzzled the top of his head. "Are you alright Ardy?" He looked up at his mother from his laying position and nodded. "Thanks to da...Bosch." He was trying to not call the stallion 'dad' but he found it rather hard. "Momma?" Stel glanced from Bosch back to her son. "Yes sweetie?" The colt stood up and looked at his mother. "What happened to daddy? You never told me." Stel closed her eyes for a minute then looked back at Arduro. "He...left us when you were...only 4 months old." She sighed and laid down under the shade and laid her head on the ground. The colt walked over to his mother and laid down next to her. He laid his head next to hers and started to drift off to sleep. Stelaria on the other hand laid there and sighed as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Bosch still lapped up water like a dehydrated dog but out of the corner of his eyes, he was Stel lay down with Arduro. The little foal drifted off to sleep soon but Stel was laying there, silently crying. Too bad, thought Bosch. I wish I could help them.

After a few hours of rest Stelaria stood up and sighed as she looked around. Bosch was still near them and Arduro was still silently sleeping. She walked slowly over to the river and dipped her head to take a sip, her mane falling over her face. After replenishing her thirst she walked over to Arduro and nudged him. "Wake up sweety we need to get going if were ever gonna find a place to stay." He opened his sleepy eyes and yawned as he stood up. "But momma, why can't we stay here?" Stel playfully blew on his nose and then stood straight. "I need to find a stallion or herd that can protect you, I can't keep an eye on you at all times." She looked around then started to walk off. As she passed Bosch she smiled. "It was nice meeting you. Thank you again for what you did earlier." Arduro nickered to Bosch. "Oh yea, later could you teach me some of those moves? You were awesome!" Stel chuckled as her son took a liking to Bosch. ~He would be a great father, but doesn't seem interested.~ She then looked around one last time before beginning to walk away from the prairie.