The meadow they were in at the moment was big and bright. The grass was a stunning emerald green. In the very middle of the meadow there was a decent sized, shimmering blue lake that seemed to sparkle like diamonds in the sun. There was a bright blue sky out, and it was a nice temperature- warm and breezy.

In the very middle of it all, a tall, handsome, muscular stallion stood, his head lifted high. He was parked on the top of a small, rolling hill, looking down at a small, quaint herd of 7 mares. Each one was grazing, completely relaxed, their different pelt's shining in the bright rays of golden light.

The stallion had a glossy pelt, and he looked healthy as ever. His name was Riptide, but he was known in the herd as Ripp. He had been taking care of the herd for 2 years now, ever since he was fully mature. Well, even before he was mature. He had left to get away from the one horse he could never seem to deal with. His grey pelt seemed to shine, but the dark spots were deeper, darker, as if his pelt reflected his layers of personality.

Ripp lifted his nose to the wind, his nostrils flaring. He perked his ears to the wind, his dark brown gaze observing the landscape. Nothing so far as he could see- but there was a strange, weirdly familiar scent on the wind.

I'm not known for my strong beginnings, so forgive me if it seems a bit choppy. I promise I'll her better 😂)

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The mare walked in silence but her brain screamed at her in panic. There were no memories. No thoughts. Noda had awakened in a field six days ago, drenched in sweat and without breath. A haunting nightmare was the only thing she was able to recall which visited her each night. She had no idea where she was or what had happened to her. At this point, she was just following her natural instincts, walking in one direction all day, every day. She had no idea what she was looking for or when she would stop.

Today’s trek had brought her closer to the shoreline she could smell some ways off in the distance, but she would not quite get their today. Right now, she was greeted with a small woodland area placed between her and that salty sea. The wind beat hard against her pelt out in the open, whipping her plumage around in a mad frenzy. Noda gritted her teeth as the sheering tingles overcame her body. The mare lowered her head down to her chest and began to turn away from the assaulting gusts and retreated for the cover of the trees. As she walked deeper in, she realized that there had only been a thin layer of timber that actually opened up into a meadow where the wind was blocked from blowing too harshly. A faint smile appeared across her muzzle as she sighed taking a look around. Everything was quiet but with the wind blowing away from her, she ability to filter out the scents around her was hindered and she was nervous to the fact she had no idea if she really truly was alone, here. After a few moments, Noda decided to take this time to graze a little bit before she laid down to rest her aching hooves underneath the cover of an angel oak. If she had planned to make it any further today, she was going to have to rest.

(I'm sorry for my short beginning! I tried, and it honestly took longer than I thought it did so I thought it was longer lol. They'll get better! And don't worry lol)

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As the morning arched forever onward and the bright ball of fire climbed higher in the sky, it blazed down upon the meadow and slowly warmed up each horse, from their core out. With Riptide's lighter coat he was spared from most of the heat, but the darker mares were not, and waded into the lake to cool off. After a quick decision and another glance around, the muscular stallion paced down the small incline, his eyes flitting every which direction before he stopped beside the shimmering water and lowered his cranium to suck up the cool liquid. His ears swiveled non-stop, never resting, picking up every little noise and shift. His mane, falling lower than his neck, thick and glossy, was another sight to behold, really completing the handsome picture of this stallion. The mares under his quiet reign knew they were lucky to have found him, as he was not controlling, kind, strong enough to protect them, and thoughtful. Yet another peaceful day was passing by, and they didn't have to worry about food, water, or shelter.

After Riptide was done guzzling the clear water, he decided to stretch his legs a little, knowing the mares would be fine for a couple minutes. Turning towards the north, he started to head towards the coast, one of his favorite places to get away. Just a little ways past the thin treeline was an endless, crashing, rolling ocean that always provided spectacular sunsets. Of course, it being midday, there'd be no sunset at the moment, but it was always a beautiful sight to behold. He stretched his long strides out into a ground-covering Trot, his ears still perked and eyes alert. Nothing seemed to get past him anymore. After only a couple scents, the strange scent hit his nostrils again, stronger this time. Tucking his hind end slightly as he halted, Ripp carefully sniffed the air, mildly confused. If he had to guess, he'd say it smelled like a horse, but it was much different. There was a disgusting, sharp, tangy, burnt smell, and if it was a horse, it was either dead or very unhealthy. Concerned for his herd, Riptide moved forward again, more attentive than before, his eyes scanning every inch of ground, trees, and sky. Something quickly caught his attention, a dark shape on the ground, mostly a charred blackish brown with red hints showing through. He halted again and stood there for a second before deciding to continue, slowly yet boldly. As he drew closer, he realized- it was a horse. Ripp could make out a matted mane and tail under the dark, rank smelling soot, and the red peering through the burnt coat was obviously the horse's true color. Something prodded at the back of his mind, yet he didn't pay it much attention at the moment, as he was rather focused on this strange horse and why it was here, in his territory, at least for now. Riptide lengthened his strides slightly again, letting out a low, trumpeting cry to announce his presence, yet not a threatening one. From what he could scent, through the crisp, smoky smell, the horse was a mare, but he couldn't confirm it yet. Until he could, he'd be careful, yet not scared. Riptide was not scared of anything. When he was within 15 feet of the horse he halted again, head raised, ears pricked, eyes alert, waiting for it to react or speak.

I feel like this wasn’t my best but, I’m hoping as I settle into this character, things are gonna flow better. I’m waaayy more rusty than I thought I would be after 2 1/2 years! 😂))

The shade of the low hanging branches of the angel sheltered the crunchy pelt of the equine from feeling the effects of the sun continuing to rise higher and warmer up into the sky. Despite having fought so hard to resist the urge to sleep, the quiet lull of the nearby body of moving water drifted so calmly into the audits of the mare. She hadn’t even realized that she was dozing off. Her chest rose and fell calmly at first and her tired body didn’t stir a single muscle, that’s is, until her subconscious became like a trap, imprisoning her to endure a nightmare, once again.

The mare’s eyes were wide open, but all she could see was pitch black darkness. There was a monotone hum underneath her hooves that vibrated the hard, cool floor beneath her. With an occasional bump, she felt like she was somehow moving while standing in place. Heavy breathing and the rapid, quivering heartbeats of those around her were the only other sounds to break the silent air. Her nostrils were flooded with the thick smell of smoke. She reached out her muzzle in the darkness but despite being able to hear the movement of others, she only found a hard wall that was warm to the touch.

There was a small window just above her head, illuminating an orange glow that was nearly too bright to look at directly. Smoke billowed in through the opening and made it hard for the mare to breathe as time went on. Suddenly, the ground beneath her began to jerk and throw her somewhat hard against the sides of this cell she had found herself in. She steadied her stance the best she could but when she thought the worst would be over, it felt as though whatever contained her had hit something else and she was sent toppling over. The mare was thrown in all directions for several seconds before everything seemed to abruptly stop and go silent. The horses she had once heard before now cried out in pain as they all seemed to fall in this manner. Within minutes, everything started to heat up. Her hooves began to feel as though they would melt into the hard floor as it simmered. The walls were just as hot, burning her each time her skin would touch them while she tried to steady herself back on her feet and find a way out.

Screams began to erupt around her and the stench of burning skin was all she could smell and taste on her tongue. She began to panic, as she struggled to find a way out, throwing herself in any direction, hoping that the walls that held her trapped would break away under her weight, only they never did and only resulted in her receiving an excruciating burn to her body. She was just barely able to catch a glimpse of that orange glow she had seen earlier from the small window as the smoke now hung heavy in the air. Now, it seemed to come from a much larger source. With nothing to lose, the mare pulled herself to her hooves and scrambled towards the light, hoping it would lead her away from this hell.

The rapid flutter of her closed eyelids were the only indication of movement by the sleeping mare until she was finally able to wake herself. She must have been holding her breath while she dreamed as she gasped for air the second her eyes opened. Her body shivered in adrenaline that had been provoked by the haunting dream. Though her pelt was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her skin still felt as though it was on fire. She sat there silently, trying to bring herself out of that place that made her fear every time she had to sleep. She almost missed the low cry that rang out some distance behind her, barely registering in her ears. It wasn’t until the sound of hoof beats right behind her did the mare nearly jump out of her skin. Her blood ran cold as she caught sight of a large horse, just 15 feet away. Noda brought her aching frame back up onto all fours and submissively stepped back with her broad head down. It had only now just dawned on her that she was more than likely trespassing and she was about to pay the consequences for her misstep.

“Please, I … I didn’t mean to come on your territory.” Her voice trembled as she averted her gaze from that of the horse she could easily determine to be a stallion. She clenched her teeth, fighting her instinctual urge to run off in the opposite direction, knowing her wounded body would not allow her to escape from this horse if he went after her.

(Pfft, I've been roleplaying for over a year now and I don't hold a candle to your posts! If this is your rusty, I'm ashamed to see your warmed up posts XD)

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The muscular stallion flared his nostrils as he tried to take in every scent of this strange mare. Through the tangy burnt smell, he could distinguish a weirdly familiar scent that almost sent his head reeling. It was certainly something he had been near before, but he couldn't place it. Did he know this mare from somewhere? His brown gaze flicked to her face as her eyes twitched, then she gasped and staggered upright. Riptide could tell she was seriously injured, and moving obviously hurt. He locked his eyes on her when she backed up, and instead of running or becoming defensive like he would've thought, she lowered her head submissively. Ripp wouldn't have expected this, as she seemed more scared than angry. Most mares that were startled in this way would've leapt back and ran away as quickly as possible. He determined that the most likely reason she did not take this course of action was because she couldn't run. Obviously in pain, running would only heighten that and possibly lead to a blackout, which would be worse than facing him as she would be at his mercy.

As her stuttering words started, Ripp's ears swiveled slightly, catching every word and shake in her frail voice. Something deep down jarred his memories, a wave of blinding pain and darkness swimming in front of his dazed eyes as the voice clicked in his mind and the pieces slid together. His vision went dark for a second when a memory exploded into his brain, one he had been trying to bury for the entirety of his existence as lead stallion in this herd, the whole reason he had left in the first place.

It was years ago when Riptide had fallen deep in love with a filly in his herd, a beautiful red female with a strong stance and independent gaze. He was nervous right now, mostly since, after almost 4 months of not saying anything, he was going to go confess that he liked this horse. His steps tentative and rather hesitant, he walked up to where she was grazing. "Noda?" Ripp asked quietly, watching as she lifted her head. "I've been.. well, thinking, and I.. um.. I wanted to say.. I think you're really pretty ... and .. I like you." He said quietly, his head ducked in embarrassment. The mare paused for a second before a smile curled across her face. "Aw Riptide, of course. I like you too." She said sweetly, and at that moment Ripp missed the evil gleam in her eyes.

Skipping forward almost a month, after 23 days of Riptide slowly falling into the trap.

The young version of himself faced off against another horse about his size. Her ears were pinned and her gaze was fierce and angry. "Riptide. How did you even get that name? I'd assume it'd be for someone much stronger than you. You're a weakling. You really don't deserve to be in this herd. No, wait, scratch that- you don't deserve to be ALIVE. How could you ever think I would like YOU, of ALL horses? You're an idiot! I tricked you for almost a MONTH, and with how niave you are, you didn't sense a thing! I would NEVER want to be anywhere near you." She sneered, stomping a hoof. Riptide's eyes were wide, his body trembling. "But... but you said you did! You lied! Why?" He asked, his voice breaking. "Oh stop being such a BABY. A fool." She growled. "I've always hated you. You were always the golden boy. Don't you realize? The herd has always loved you! Your mother treats you like a piece of paper that might get ripped if anything touches it! Meanwhile, the better one, ME, the stronger one, the smarter one, gets thrown to the side! No one loves me or pays attention to me! Because your so special!" The mare screeched, lunging at Riptide and viciously biting his shoulder. "You don't deserve any of that! I do!" She kept kicking at him, refusing to stop. Riptide just stood in shock, his whole body showing the pain and hurt and betrayal. Numb, he barely even felt anything, but finally managed to stumble away.

2 months later he was still in the herd, but Noda's emotional and physical abuse had gotten much worse. He couldn't do anything about it, and the herd never realized.

Another day of Noda going at him again, but this time she seemed even more determined to just end him. Ripp tried to turn and leave, to run, since that was what he always did, but she blocked him and drove him back. "You don't deserve to live, weakling." She spat, over and over. "You can't even fight back." More words. Ripp's brain was slowly getting foggy with the pain. So much pain. His pelt was shaggy now, ripped, covered in bites, scars, and other things. Suddenly a burst of pain shot through his ribs, and he had a considerably loud crack. The pain was mind-numbing. He couldn't move. Think. Feel. A second later, ignoring everything, he bolted, his eyes shut tightly, as fast as he could, the pain ripping through his body with every stride. He just ran, not knowing where he was going or when he was going to stop. He only knew he had to leave.

Back in the present, the haunting nightmare finally finished, Riptide's eyes flew up as he sucked in a breath and stumbled back, his chest heaving. This.. this was Noda. Right there. In front of him. Hurt. Burnt. Why didn't she recognize him? "Noda, what- what are you doing here?" His voice hoarse at first, it grew angry. "You can't be here. Get away from me!" Riptide snapped, his body shaking as he glared at the burnt mare in front of him, his ears pinned and teeth bared.