Here I was in the claiming grounds, to try and find my next bride. I had recently taken over the Ancient Canyons, soon after my father had left me and my mother. I was getting tired of my mother being the only herd member there, along with insisting to stay the alphess until I could find a replacement Queen. Well, my mother isn't the only member there anymore. I took a young mare, still just a filly, just under the age of a mare, back earlier. I had made the decision to choose my Queen from a selection of brides, but I needed a few more brides first.

I hadn't traveled long before a figure was heard well before seen. Thundering gallops were heard before a fiesty mare was seen. I flicked my black tassle against my roan appaloosa flank, watching her with interest. She should be quite interesting, rather attractive, energetic, and by the looks of it she wouldn't give a damn about what I thought of her or not. I waited for her to slow down before approaching her, having no reason in simply chasing down a mare that may run off anyways. Striped legs but a slightly stocky build told me she was a mixed breed, just as I was. Her attitude caught my interest, I think I'll be rather pleased with this mare. "Greetings miss, I am Zarek. Emporer to the Ancient Canyons."

Muscles of my thick pillars screamed in protest at the sudden stop, through my sides heaved as breath came hard and in sharp breaths. I had a cheeky grin on my charred maw, as I watched the stud with dancing emerald occuli. Oddly colored and decorated, a brow arched slightly as my dancing hues watched him as I listened politely.

Striped pillars shifted my stocky frame, moving the distribution of my weight, as dark golden audda caught every word. Emperor, eh? They definitely had some strange dubbances for rulers here...Had I gone that far East?
"A pleasure, Emperor Zarek," I reply, bowing my darker golden tiara slightly, though dancing emerald hues remained fixed on him. The Southern drawl ran clear in my soft voice, as did the tinge of French I'd received from my Ma. "I am Louisiana Dixie, or in simpler terms, Lulu."

I inwardly frowned. Not bother with formalities? I'd been raised to always use formalities, no matter where a being stood. I guess I did wander far from home.
"Certainly, Zarek."

I listened intently as I watched him, noting his comments. Rare to find my "accent" here? Odd, I coulda swore I heard it on my way here...
"I suppose I did wander a littler further from home than I intended," came my joking response, with a teasing grin. "Though that's nothin' new. Though I bet this place must be better than home, in a sense."

My muscled, charred pillars shifted my weight uncomfortably. I typically ran off because of the War that was going on between the Southerners and the Northerners where I used to live. I couldn't stand the War because that's what everyone talked about. Losses of the War, won battles, the incrasing numbers of orphans and War Widows. It was driving me "up the wall of insanity", in a sense. I had to get away.

Black rimmed audda caught his words, as my mind processed them carefully. Claiming grounds? That's another new thing, something that seemed usual for this easternly land. At home there were courtships, not claimings of a mare. If the mare thought you worthy enough, she'd become your bride. Lots of patience involved, and alot of negotiation between the Suitor and the Father of the bride. That's one thing my heart missed; all the attention I got from other studs who thought they might get me.
"Really, now? What are the other places like?" I ask, almost excitedly, especially since I thought this place was rather nice. Atleast, it was much better than the War-ruined hills of home.

Hm, a good question by the interesting maiden. Now, how to answer that...Considering I have been to every land yet, only knew of a few with each alliance. "Well, first it's broken into alliances. Dark, Light, and Nuetral. I own a nuetral land, and though the canyons are torture for some, I quite like it. There is a light beach, a nuetral lake, and dark caves. Each land is different, with different...personalities, I suppose you could say, depending on how the leader rules the lands. I have yet to see all of the lands, but I hear every one is different from another somehow, be it good or bad."

I suddenly felt very idiotic, standing here going on and on about something I hardly knew about myself. "But, like I said, I don't know all of the lands or anything. To, uh, change the subject...What's it like where your from?" I did not just go 'uh...'. No. I did not. You can't prove it. I will deny it every bit, it never happened...

"Home? What I saw of it before the War broke out, it's made of rolling green hills and white-water rivers with red clay beaches. The trees, weeping willows, oaks and such, have been the only thing to really record how long my family and the other families had been living there, at Cladagen," I reply, the pride of the rolling hills and red clay shores of the rivers was obvious through emerald hued occuli, as they stare whistfully at something beyond Zarek briefly. I shake my head softly, sending wild sable curls everywhere, before my emerald gaze returns to him. It's soft from the memories, before I continue with a wicked grin:
"Though we often ran into Humans. We gave 'em a run for their wits, though, in the woods. They could never find us as soon as we hit the treeline."

I chuckled at her human comment, shaking my head as I thought back to my own home for a moment. "I'll bet. No humans, even bother with my lands. Once or twice I've seen them looking at the canyons, but they don't risk climbing down the ledge walls to chase us."

I noticed the look upon Lulu's face, how her eyes had softened just breifly. "You miss your lands, don't you? Before the war started at least..."

I hesitated, briefly, debting if I really did miss home. I did, in a sense, but I found so much joy in travelling I couldn't stay in one place at Cladagen, no matter what. I enjoyed challenges, in the least bit.

Emerald hued occuli remained in the stud as my mind debated, before I answered, "Yes, and no. Yes, I miss them and their glandor; but no, because I don't miss the War that's ravaging the land as we speak. But leaving a bit behind is worth it to venture out and explore the world a little bit before I settle down, I 'spose."

Listening to her, I nodded. She made sense, somehow...The conversation had barely started to die terribly before I spoke again, taking a chance with this trully free mare. "Well, since you like to travel so much, would you like to come to my lands? Take a look around and such, and if it's to your liking, your welcome to stay as a member of the herd."

Black rimmed audda flickered back at the inquiry, but my mind remained focus on deciding with my heart. Atleast he was giving me a choice; if I liked the place, I could stay. And if I didn't? Well, I'd just have to ask him later if I didn't. But by the way he described it, the Canyons where he lived, I doubted I would find the place terribly boring. I was sure I'd find something to do to entertain me in the least.

With abrief, warm smile and a nod of my darker gold tiara, I replied, "Certainly. It'd be a pleasure."