she loves me not. | SOCRATES

[BATMAN.]

Onyx hued eyes took in the scenery that surrounded her. There weren't too many trees, which allowed the summer sun's rays to beat down on her dappled gray frame. The mare took light steps, raising her hooves slightly higher than a normal equine would. The sounds of birds chirping and crickets were among her, her tail swished as the sensitive hairs among her bum felt a fly land. What exactly was the reason that she was there? Well, that was something she would know and her victim would not. A small, yet visible smirk grew upon her muzzle as she softly chuckled. She shook out her mane, ears perked to pick out any other sounds of another. The plot brewed in her mind, she couldn't help but feel excitement over it.

"Oh dear... I am so alone." She cooed seductively to the wind, lowering her head to the ground beneath her, taking in the scents.

[Toaster]

He’d been watching her for a while now. It was hard for anyone to sneak into the stallion’s territory without him knowing about it. Word from fellow herd members, scent, and sound all played against intruders. Though it probably helped that Socrates had been in the area when she’d crossed his borders. And although he had spotted the other horse quite a while ago, he’d skillfully kept his distance and silence. It was amazing how such a big brute could sneak around like a mouse in the midst of the thin trees. But he knew every inch of his territory. And he’d had to watch many an intruder before.

Socrates was rarely the type to let someone simply lope onto his land without consequence. This other horse, however, was lucky. He was much more open to letting mares onto his land than other stallions. Males always had some sort of drive to steal, which he never tolerated. But there was always a gain to having more mares around, especially ones as pretty as the one he’d been following.

The thought that perhaps Ayla had brought him yet another blessed horse entered his mind, though he quickly shoved it away. Lately, Socrates had been denying the great goddess’ existence. Doing such was one of the greatest sins, he’d been told. But how could he not? Once upon a time, he had been thought of as one of the greatest gifts ever bestowed upon this land. Yet, just a few years to the day, a certain older brother of his had made it quite clear that those were lies. Now Socrates was not sure what to think about all of it. You’re doing it again he thought You can’t let the past get to you this much.

Shaking his head and shoving it all to the back of his mind, the tall black brute decided he better do something about this mare. Striding forward in a trot, he raised his head high in dominance and snorted at the mare to get her attention. Whether she meant any harm to his lands or not, he wasn’t about to let her just strut onto his land so freely. “You there!” He called and slowed his pace as he neared the gray, eyes narrowed and focused in on the other. “What is it that brings you onto my land. Surely you don’t think that you are allowed to walk onto a king’s territory and expect nobody to notice”. Typical Socrates. Always suspicious of others intentions.

[BATMAN.]

It had been known that a certain set of eyes had been on her, however she had shown no hint of that knowledge. Her plan was to seduce, to manipulate, to over throw, to overcome. The master plan, it was a devious, deceiving one. One that only she thought could pull it off. With a sleek, desiring frame such as her own. Voltair danced in her mind, a small tingle branched throughout her body, a desire for him. With a swish of her tail, she shook him from her mind, it was all just business. Nothing more, nothing less. Or was it? That was one thing she knew, and everyone else was to find out. She had her own agenda among Voltair's, but she was not quite set with all the plans. It was definitely something she was building as she went, in all due time.

Ears flickered back at the voice of another, a smirk crawled upon her muzzle. Show time. A whisper went through her mind as she looked back, over her shoulder as a dark figure approach at a slow pace.

"What is it that brings you onto my land. Surely you don’t think that you are allowed to walk onto a king’s territory and expect nobody to notice."

"Oh... certainly not, handsome." She spoke in a soft tone, eyes peering into his own. She took a step toward the brute, ears perked forward. "I was hoping for one to notice, but none such as good looking as you." She added. As a habit of her own, she took it upon herself to make a circle around the male, taking in every scent that came with him. A female, she sneered to herself, but returned to her sweet, desirable appearance. Nothing that can't be changed. She quickly thought to herself. In a sly move, as she came around to the other side of him, she brush her tail against his shoulder.

[Toaster]

It seemed natural for the black stallion to be suspicious of others. Ever since the harassment and betrayal from his very own brother, he had found it hard to truly trust anyone. It was difficult to recover from everything Voltair had done to him. And even if he now realized that most of what the older horse had told him was false and only meant to destroy him, it somehow didn’t help his recovery from it all.

With his suspicions rising, the brute eyed the mare with caution as she spoke. It’s not that he was afraid of her lashing out at him, for the mare was quite smaller. However, he was worried about other possibilities such as an ambush. What if she were there to distract him while others snuck around to attack from behind and take him by surprise? As far fetched as that may of seemed, it was a true possibility. The enemies that the king had made over his six years of life were very much real. Any one of them could come for their revenge at any time. The one that he worried most about was Voltair. On the other hand, he could hardly imagine his vicious, older brother allying with some dainty little mare. If only he knew.

“Is there something I can help you with? Something you seek here, perhaps?” the male questioned, an ear focused in on her as she circled him. Rarely was he one to play along with someone’s flirting. And now, with his paranoia, was definitely not one of those rare times. “Or perhaps you lost your way?” he asked, the hairs of her tail tickling his shoulder. There was no reaction to this, however, except the brute taking a anxious glance around the thinned forest. Call him nervous, but Socrates could argue that it wise to constantly keep up his guard.

[BATMAN.]

Voltair had told her that her task would not be easy in the beginning, but she wouldn't let that get to her. Nor will she let Socrates' unwillingness bring her spirits down either. This was one task she will complete, with flying colors as well. She was not going to allow anything to mess it up for her. Ears perked up as he spoke, only giving a slight, hardly visible eye roll at the male's question. So he was going to hold true to his older brother's warning, how wonderful. "Indeed, there is a certain something... or rather, someone, I seek." She answered his first question, a twinkle in her eye. A gentle expression came over her, trying to give the insecure male all the comfort she possibly could. She remained near the brute's side, giving a soft nudge of her muzzle to his shoulder, hinting just what she was seeking. Sheena only hoped that he was only stubborn and not completely and utterly dumb and oblivious. That would definitely test her patience, probably far more than she could take.

The mare followed his gaze as she noticed him check his surroundings. A light chuckle escaped her lips as she shook her mane, "Paranoid one, aren't you?" She questioned, "Rest easy, stallion. You're safe with me." She joked, taking a few steps forward, away from his side. There was a slight part of her that felt rather bad for the male. Lord knows what damage Voltair had done to him, she could only imagine. She could tell he was messed up, just by one look into his eyes. However, she was not about to let that affect her intentions. The brute's second question brought her away from her thoughts, one ear flickered forward as the other laid relaxed. Eyes peered into his once more, her forelock laying dead center between them. "More like I found my way." She softly spoke, seduction dancing in her eyes. Her shoulder twitched, her tail swished along over her hindquarters.

Once more she stepped near the male, face to face this time, she ran her muzzle along his neck, slowly. She had not want to startle him or make him anymore wary as he already was. She wanted to give him comfort. Her lips ran so softly along the hide of his neck, air blew from her nostrils, moving the hairs on his neck slightly. The smell of another female was all over him, but she kept herself at bay. "Calm now, nothing here to hurt you." Her voice was nothing but a whisper, just loud enough for him to hear.

[Toaster]

“Paranoia is not entirely a bad thing. It’s better than being oblivious or careless to ones surroundings. Those kinds of horses don’t last a minute out here” he sounded rough and unfriendly towards this mare. Perhaps he was not an evil bastard such as his brother, but Socrates was no push over, either. He’d grown up quite a bit since his foal days. Heck, he’d grown up a lot in the last few years since his brother had left. If he ever did return, he hoped that the older black horse would be taken by surprise. Never again would he let Voltair push him around. And if he ever did come back, he’d be met with death. Socrates was determined of it. No, he did not usually support violence. But on the one he knew could do no good to his herd, he’d support it fully.

With a defiant snort, he turned his head away from the mare and took a few steps deeper into his territory. “I’m not afraid of being hurt. Pain I can tolerate just fine. The worry is that if I am attacked, something horrible will happen to my herd” he said, glancing over at the female with a serious expression taking hold. “And that is something I will not risk”.

His greatest goal in life was to do his father justice. It was the opinion of many that had known the great Core that his youngest heir would never live up to the task. Socrates knew it just as much as the next horse in Covell, but he was hard set on proving them wrong. And being so aware of what was around him could only help. This mare, though, did not seem like such a threat to him anymore. And it’s not as if he did not enjoy the mare’s affections. The nuzzling had relaxed him a little already. Yet, he’d rather not stick around his borders.

“So, you found your way is it? Are you coming then?” he asked, nodding his head in the direction he was heading; deeper into his kingdom. This mare here was certainly beautiful enough to be accepted into Covell, if she wanted it. And although any newcomer made the king suspicious, he’d be happy to accommodate such a lovely specimen. And sadly, it was probably to aid to his own pleasures rather than honor the great Ayla.

[BATMAN.]

A slight nod was made from his words, they were the truth. However she believed that it was more than just being cautious, this male was more paranoid than the normal equine she had came across in the past. Not that it matter much at all, it wouldn't affect her task too much. It was quite obvious that Voltair had done quite a number on his younger brother, but to what extent Sheena didn't think anyone really knew. Nor would anyone probably ever find out.

"Pain I can tolerate just fine. The worry is that if I am attacked, something horrible will happen to my herd. And that is something I will not risk."

So, being ambushed was what caused him to have a sense of paranoia. Ears perked at his words and she tilted her head to the side slightly, giving a light snort. "Well, I bring no danger, stallion." Her voice was soft as she spoke. If only he really knew... knew all the danger he was getting himself into, just by letting her into his kingdom. The small smirk that ached to show, was buried deep down. It had been obvious that her attempts to relax the brute had worked to an extent, but her task was no where near finished.

His invitation caused her ears to perk and her attention was brought upon him. She stepped toward him, looking into the direction that he nodded. "Only if you'd have me." She soothed, now moving toward him, her muzzle brushing against his hide once more as she passed. Sheena picked up her pace to a slow trot, swishing her tail. After becoming a few lengths ahead of him, she looked over her shoulder at him, nickering. "Lead the way handsome." She smiled, arching her neck as she waited.

[Toaster]

As the mare brushed her muzzle against him, he couldn’t help but prick his ears in interest. But his mind quickly swept to his queen, Shimri. Where was she? And how would she feel about this new mare coming in? It’s not as if this gray horse was the first female he’d showed any mind to or accepted in his life. And all of the ones that lived on these lands were required to be blessed with good looks. But, very rarely did one as stunning as this mare come along. Except, perhaps, Shimri herself. In his opinion, nothing was more beautiful than his white queen. This mare here seemed very flirty, however. And very eager for his attention. There was always the possibility of tension.

Walking towards the other that had stopped a small distance ahead of him, Socrates spoke as he went by. “What is your name?” he asked, turning his head to glance at her for a moment as he went by and expecting her to keep up with a quick walking pace. He also seemed very impatient to get the hell away from his borders. He’d been spending to much time along them as was, lately. The paranoia was getting to be to much for him, even if he’d not even found any real dangers for a long while

[BATMAN.]

"Sheena." The answer flowed smoothly from her lips as she picked up her pace once more. It wasn't difficult to keep up with the brute, however she remained beside him, not wanting to get ahead. She had absolutely no idea where she was going, but that was subject to change. The male had allowed her into his kingdom. Step one, complete. She thought to herself, a small smile grew on her lips. "Now, what name have the Gods' blessed a good looking brute such as yourself?" She questioned. Tail flickered over her haunches for a brief moment as she continued to follow him at his side. The warmth radiating from him was comforting, however her mind remained strict on the business matter. It was nothing more than just business. Every little thing she did, was only business. "And surely..." She trailed off, sending a false painful dramatic pause. "You don't rule these lands alone." She threw a disappointed expression upon her face to put on the finishing touches. "I could only be so blessed to have such an honor." She added softly, nothing more than a whisper.

[Toaster]

Sheena. He mulled over the name in his head. It was indeed a pretty, fitting name for the mare. He almost wanted to say it out loud, as if to taste it. But he did not want to appear odd to this newcomer. It was bad enough that much of his herd already thought he was crazy. He didn’t need another to join that party.

Ears pinned back all of a sudden. “Godess” he corrected her sharply. “We here on Covell believe in a Goddess by the name of Ayla. She has blessed us all here, including our lands, with great strength and beauty. I suppose you will see once we arrive at the chamber named in her honor”. Socrates wondered why he even bother with such nonsense anymore. Day by day he grew more and more disbelieving of Ayla. Yet there were things keeping him from completely slipping away from the beliefs. One reason was the fear that maybe she really did exist. And, if she did, she would strike him down if he dare fully deny it. Another was his mother and father’s honor and wishes that he had to maintain since their passing. The king knew that they would never want their herd to change.

“I do not rule alone, no. My queen, Shimri, is probably back in the caves right now” he answered her question without even a glance in her direction, finding it only a little odd that she would ask. It was probably lucky for her that he had not heard her words that she whispered, otherwise he would of grown increasingly suspicious that such a new member of his herd would be that forward. But, he remained oblivious to it.

[BATMAN.]

Taking a brief stop after he so rudely corrected her. She snorted quietly at that, she didn't enjoy being corrected. "Well, excuse me." She responded, a hint of sarcasm thrown in there. Sheena couldn't honestly believe what she was hearing come from this brute. A Goddess, seriously? Making sure he was not looking, she rolled her eyes at everything he spoke of this "Ayla". Yes, Voltair did warn her about this, but she had thought he was kidding. Apparently not. It went against what she believed completely. In her eyes, Lucifer was master. Lucifer was one that made all decisions. However, she didn't worship anyone but herself. "I suppose I will." She spoke softly, pretending to agree with him. The mare was worried about what exactly had she gotten herself into, but it didn't make her hesitate. There was nothing she couldn't handle.

Ears laid back as he spoke of his Queen. Shimri, eh? We'll see about that. Her tail swished over her haunches, keeping up to pace with him. "You never did mention your name." She observed, glancing in his direction.

[Toaster]

Ears dropped back slightly at her sarcastic tone, tail flicked to the side a little and eyes narrowed in slight irritation. But, the stallion said nothing about it and instead continued on his way, quickly maneuvering through the thin forest. He’d just noticed how hot it was today, and could feel some of his mane sticking to the side of his neck. It was an uncomfortable feeling and he couldn’t wait to get back to the shade of the caverns and be rid of the heat. Perhaps, to some horses, the temperature wouldn’t be to much. But for a horse who had preferred to spend most of his time underground, Socrates didn’t like it.

With an irritated shake of his head - mostly from the heat rather than the mare herself - he looked at her. “Socrates” he stated simply before focusing on what was ahead again. Perhaps she was noticing that he wasn’t exactly one for words. It was a trait that he shared with his brother. Though he could swear that even Voltair talked a little more than him. Though what came out of that bastards mouth was mostly domineering or degrading crap. Socrates enjoyed his silence, though. Yet, at the same time, he felt perhaps he was being a little to stand-offish towards the mare. After a few moments of silence on his part, he decided to try and make some sort of conversation. “Where are you from?”.

[BATMAN.]

Socrates. The mare thought about this for a little while, or she seemed to. Only, she had only known his name, just made a point that she "didn't" know it. "Well, Socrates. You have a very handsome name, to match such a handsome stallion." She smiled softly, a hint of flirt in her tone. Sheena went over once more in her mind on what her ultimate task was, and that was to defeat this brute. To help Voltair to regain his rightful place as king. A promised spot as Queen was promised to her for her assistance, however Sheena knew better than that. Far better. There was no Queen spot, not for her anyway, once Voltair was in, she knew he would either place her as an ordinary herd mare, or banish her all together. Which one was what she was not quite positive. That was exactly why she had her own master plan, one that she would not think of very much at all, as she had paranoia that ones could read her thoughts.

The question the brute next to her caught her slightly by surprise, as she had been content with the silence and into her own thoughts. "I traveled here from Baelquisani." It wasn't a specified answer, but it was an answer. It was obvious to her that he was just trying to make conversation, to make their walk together seem less awkward. With a soft smile along with a flirty chuckle, she sighed. "It's really too bad, ya know. You having a Queen and all..." She trailed off in a dramatic way, making it seem as if she was shy to say the rest of it.

[Toaster]

He simply sent her a small smile at the compliment. It seemed he had found himself a rather flirty mare, from what he could tell. If only the king knew her real plans, though. If only he knew she was working for his mortal enemy, his own brother. He had let her in though, and was rather confident she was just another mare seeking refuge and not the manipulative female that lay under the façade. But, as it was, he was oblivious. Completely oblivious and easily fooled. So much time he had spent trying to avoid such a thing, and here he was falling for it. If only he knew the truth.

Walking along, blissfully unaware of the other’s master plans, he briefly wondered if she’d ever come across Voltiar or even his half sister Mashka. Socrates had no idea where they even were. One he would be perfectly happy never seeing again. But the other, his sister, he missed. The last thing he had heard, she was off in Bealsiquani as well. Though that had been many months ago.

The next thing Sheena said caused the thoughts of his sister to swoop right out of his head and brought him back to the here and now. He wondered what she was getting at. With a glance at the mare, he spoke “And why is that?” he asked, ears pricked up in curiosity.

[BATMAN.]

What she was about to say next, she wasn't exactly sure if it was in her best interests, but she had a job to do. And she would do anything to get it done. With a flick of her tail, she brushed it along his back legs to emphasize her next sentence. "Well, I'm not all too familiar with the way a herd works, exactly." She started, giving another "helpless" sigh, she was really milking it. She lowered her head as she continued to walk next to the brute, in a way to show false submission, although Socrates didn't have to know that. "With having a Queen, a King cannot well, how to put this..." She trailed off, making it seem like she was in great thought. Lifting her head oh so slightly, she glanced at him through the corner of her eye. "Find companionship among other mares, now can he?" Indeed, Sheena was in season. Indeed she knew that this could be just pouring a gasoline tank among an already blazing fire. In her mind though, she found it as more of a reason that would bring her and Socrates closer. Which was exactly where she wanted him. Right underneath her, er well, hoof.

[Toaster]

The king could figure exactly what she was trying to say from the first words she spoke, and the swish of her tail brushing his legs helped him to understand what she was getting at. Eyes widened a little in realization to this. So that was what she wanted. Sure, he could clearly smell her scent -which he skillfully ignored - and had realized how much of a flirt she’d been since they had met, but he had thought that it was just a game for her and nothing more. He also wasn’t one to go throwing himself on top of a new mare. Well, not normally at least. It was no secret among his herd that he’d gone ahead and raped a few females that had pissed him off in the past, even if he never really talked about those sins. He also found it a little surprising that the mare had never been in a herd environment before. It made him curious as to what her past was like. But he threw that curiosity away for the time being.

Slowing his pace so he could lessen the risk of tripping over something while looking at her, he spoke. “I’m not entirely sure where you heard that from, but here in Covell it is irrelevant whether I have a queen or not when it comes to breeding. Shimri is indeed my second in command and my love, but I am allowed to see to any mare I please” he informed her, a little surprised at how submissive she seemed to have become.

[BATMAN.]

"I see." She spoke in response, nodding her head slowly as if taking in all the new information. She could not help but cringe slightly as he had called his Queen his "love." Oh please, get over yourself. She thought in her mind. She just could not understand the whole love thing, it was pathetic and weak. It only got in the way of things and it was a huge waste of time. Bringing herself back to the business in hand, she kept up in pace with him, her eyes on the ground in front of her. Sheena weighed her options. What the hell, she might as well get it over with. She was not quite sure what she'd do with the foal in the end of it all, probably ask Voltair to destroy the thing, or maybe even his buddy ol' pal, Alvaro. She swished her tail, causing more of her scent to pollute the air around them. However, if she kept him waiting, possibly getting even closer to the brute, there'd be an even greater chance to make sure everything falls into place. "And how would you feel about it?" She asked, honestly curious. She wanted to know how he'd feel, to sire her spawn.

[Toaster]

There was a long few minutes of silence, and Socrates found it difficult to think about much besides the subject matter that the mare had brought up. Nostrils were plagued by her scent that was difficult to ignore. Could anyone really blame him though? He was a stallion, after all. Instinct was always there, nagging at him. Sure, he could ignore it with much difficulty, but did he really want to? She had practically offered herself to him anyways. Perhaps he should wait till she really confirmed it, though? He had to remind himself that he had morals… kind of. Though one could probably judge that maybe the only reason he kept them was to remain better than his brother. One might call him the good brother, but even he knew that was bullshit. He’d done plenty of horrific things in his lifetime, and continued to. He could be vicious in his own right if the situation called for it as well. No, he was not the good sibling trying to survive the evil one. Perhaps he was fighting for a better reason than the other, but he had his sins and his flaws. One flaw may have been his self control. It could only hold for so long.

Rolling his eyes at himself, the king tried to focus on other things. Ears flicked back and around to listen for any danger that may be around. Instead, the sound of the mare’s voice floated to him and his attention was quickly brought back to her again. “If you want a foal that badly" - he figured that was the main thing she was after - "I‘d be more than happy to help” his tone almost sounded bored, his way of trying not to sound to eager at the prospect of breeding.

[BATMAN.]

“If you want a foal that badly, I‘d be more than happy to help."

Ha, bingo. Gotcha. A whisper echoed within her mind, she was sure that he'd be more than happy to help. She rolled her eyes slightly at his words, only because she predicted it. Males were all the same, there was no surprises with them. The dappled female knew them backwards and forwards before actually breaking them down. "It sounds like I'm not the only one who wants a foal that badly." Now, she knew all well that he was only after the pleasure. A foal was just the outcome, it was very possible the brute wanted it, but Sheena in fact declined that possibility. Picking up her head, the mare quickened her pace to a brisk trot to get ahead of the king, her tail brushing up against his shoulder as she passed him. She glanced over her shoulder at him before she came to a swift stop, blocking him from going any further, she snorted softly and whinnied seductively, as she "batted" her eye lashes. "I'm ready, big boy." She cooed, a soft smirk upon her muzzle, black eyes gazing deep into his own.

[Toaster]

Foals and passing down his genes were a plus, but Socrates - just like most males - was mainly after one thing and that was the pleasure of the act rather than the outcome. It wasn’t even that big of a secret, and he wasn’t ashamed of it either. Her words almost made him want to laugh a little bit. She was probably on to him by this point. Why would anyone of his status be worried about how many foals he gets out there, anyways.

Now, Socrates was not new to mares and mating, yet this one was most likely the most willing he’d ever come across. It shocked him a little. Most of the time he had to chase them a little bit, or put some kind of move on them, or simply initiate the mating. In fact, he enjoyed having to work for the prize sometimes. It gave him some kind of thrill. Though he was not about to complain or reject Sheena just because she was being so easy. If she was that desperate, he’d go along with it.

As she trotted ahead of him, his ears pricked forward in interest and he quickly moved forward to close the small space she had put between them. One could guess that the king was probably under the mare’s manipulative spell, and it had been less than an hour since he had found her. But how could he not be? She was lovely, gave him her undivided attention and adoration, and was completely willing to give herself to him. The latter was probably what hooked Socrates most at this point, and he didn’t hesitate to mount her as soon as he had reached where she stood.

NOTES: Skipity skip skip : P

[BATMAN.]

For a brief moment, her blood had began to boil with anger. The last thing she honestly wanted was some goddamn foal, however she calmed herself. Reminding herself it was only business, there was nothing permanent about it. She'd just have Voltair take care of the thing, possibly right in front of Socrates... Her thoughts trailed off, and a smirk sprawled out on her muzzle. The dappled mare held herself along with his weight, ears laid back slightly, she waited until he dismounted. Looking in the direction they had originally been heading, she glanced back at him, reaching out with her muzzle to touch his chest. "Why thank you, my king." Her words dripped from her tongue like thick syrup. With a playful, flirty nip, she bolted toward where they had been heading, however after getting a few paces from him, she slowed herself to a trot. Sheena looked back at him and stopped, turning her body sideways. "I won't keep you from your Queen any longer." She sneered, before continuing on her journey in a walk. Step two, complete.