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Description
  Ajax's little herd had held up in an evergreen grove after leaving the mountains slopes. There they had discovered a peaceful little haven near a creek. The trees sheltered them from the late fall rains and the early winter snow, allowing them easy grazing despite the season. Ajax did have to send off a hungry herd of deer, but other than that his herd had the area to themselves. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

  Just as the herd was starting to think that they would be staying in their hideaway until the foals were born, the winter that had been fairly mild decided to turn the snow-maker up to max. For days and days all it did was snow, and it seemed like it was never going to stop. The ankle deep snow they'd been dealing up until then was now brushing the swollen bellies of the mares. Damon was grateful for the growth spurt he'd had at the start of winter, as otherwise he would have been swimming through the snow as he tried to keep up with the herd.

  It soon became obvious to Ajax that he had to find a better place for his herd. The snow was too deep to dig for food, and it would make running from predators nearly impossible. Most importantly, his mares needed somewhere safe to give birth. He had hoped that spring would come before then, but, looking at Myrtle and Estraya, he doubted that would happen. It worried him greatly to be bringing foals into the world in such a harsh season, so he would have to be extra careful about where they decided to go.

  After talking it over with Estraya, Ajax decided to bring the herd down to the edge of valley where the forest gave way to plains. The snow was unlikely to be as deep there. It was a risky venture, as it would require days of travel with two very pregnant mares. It also meant that they would be closer to the human settlements, and to other herds. Ajax's leadership was sure to be challenged by others, and at a time when it was critically important that he kept them all together.

  The first day of traveling was the worst. Even more snow was falling and the wind was blowing, throwing the snow up into the air and making everything blindingly white. The chilly air bit at them, despite their thick winter coats. Ajax quickly realized that he'd waited too long to move his herd and he felt guilty for putting them through this hardship. It was another reminder that he still had a lot to learn when it came to being a lead stallion.

  Ajax took the lead for the herd and used his large body to carve a path through the snow. It was exhausting work, and by the end of the day his legs quivered and threatened to buckle under him. He tried not to show weakness in front of the others, as he didn't want them worrying about him. But, as always, it did not go unnoticed.

  It was Damon who confronted the stallion the next day, surprising him with an offer to take turns with him. Although it was a tempting offer, Ajax declined. While Damon was now as tall as Myrtle, he lacked the bulk and the stamina for the job. Had Estraya not been pregnant, Ajax would have asked her to take lead whenever he needed a break. Still, Damon was insistent, and eventually Ajax gave in to his persistence and allowed him to break trail for a while.

  Damon gave it his all, but he didn't even make it half the day before having to call it quits. To his credit, the snow was not only belly deep but packed from drifting. Ajax was quite proud of the kid, and told him such. It was not an easy job to do, and the fact that he stepped up showed a lot of heart – At the end of the day that was what really counted.

Stallion: Ajax (#82)
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In response to: N/A

Art features:
Ajax (#82) , Mrytle , Damon , Estraya
Story features:
Ajax (#82) , Mrytle , Damon , Estraya
Word Count: 682

Aging: Damon (2/3)

Other notes: No main event rolls please (._. I have a lot to get through, thank you very much. So many mares x.x)

Artist Notes:
I had the idea for this image flash into my mind while driving home and looking at all the snow in my neighbor's field. I thought “I wonder how wild horses handle deep snow?” and immediately imagined Ajax breaking trail for his preggie girls whose bellies were dragging in the snow. While this image is not anywhere near the one I originally pictured, I like this one better as the scene is far more dynamic. I do believe this is probably my best work so far, at least where composition is concerned. I do wish I'd done more detailed lines/horses to go along with it.

So, I finally made Damon grow xD Lets all assume he was slowly growing and that I was not just being lazy, kay? K. So now he's about the same height as Myrtle, and honestly he probably isn't going to get a whole lot taller but I can totally see him as this kinda short but bulky stud in the future.

Originally this was going to be the girls' final preg image, but then they both got a boost from a roll. I guess it's just an extra image. A bit of fluff. And good background practice for me.

Art (c) DaSassy

Description
  Ajax's little herd had held up in an evergreen grove after leaving the mountains slopes. There they had discovered a peaceful little haven near a creek. The trees sheltered them from the late fall rains and the early winter snow, allowing them easy grazing despite the season. Ajax did have to send off a hungry herd of deer, but other than that his herd had the area to themselves. Alas, all good things must come to an end.

  Just as the herd was starting to think that they would be staying in their hideaway until the foals were born, the winter that had been fairly mild decided to turn the snow-maker up to max. For days and days all it did was snow, and it seemed like it was never going to stop. The ankle deep snow they'd been dealing up until then was now brushing the swollen bellies of the mares. Damon was grateful for the growth spurt he'd had at the start of winter, as otherwise he would have been swimming through the snow as he tried to keep up with the herd.

  It soon became obvious to Ajax that he had to find a better place for his herd. The snow was too deep to dig for food, and it would make running from predators nearly impossible. Most importantly, his mares needed somewhere safe to give birth. He had hoped that spring would come before then, but, looking at Myrtle and Estraya, he doubted that would happen. It worried him greatly to be bringing foals into the world in such a harsh season, so he would have to be extra careful about where they decided to go.

  After talking it over with Estraya, Ajax decided to bring the herd down to the edge of valley where the forest gave way to plains. The snow was unlikely to be as deep there. It was a risky venture, as it would require days of travel with two very pregnant mares. It also meant that they would be closer to the human settlements, and to other herds. Ajax's leadership was sure to be challenged by others, and at a time when it was critically important that he kept them all together.

  The first day of traveling was the worst. Even more snow was falling and the wind was blowing, throwing the snow up into the air and making everything blindingly white. The chilly air bit at them, despite their thick winter coats. Ajax quickly realized that he'd waited too long to move his herd and he felt guilty for putting them through this hardship. It was another reminder that he still had a lot to learn when it came to being a lead stallion.

  Ajax took the lead for the herd and used his large body to carve a path through the snow. It was exhausting work, and by the end of the day his legs quivered and threatened to buckle under him. He tried not to show weakness in front of the others, as he didn't want them worrying about him. But, as always, it did not go unnoticed.

  It was Damon who confronted the stallion the next day, surprising him with an offer to take turns with him. Although it was a tempting offer, Ajax declined. While Damon was now as tall as Myrtle, he lacked the bulk and the stamina for the job. Had Estraya not been pregnant, Ajax would have asked her to take lead whenever he needed a break. Still, Damon was insistent, and eventually Ajax gave in to his persistence and allowed him to break trail for a while.

  Damon gave it his all, but he didn't even make it half the day before having to call it quits. To his credit, the snow was not only belly deep but packed from drifting. Ajax was quite proud of the kid, and told him such. It was not an easy job to do, and the fact that he stepped up showed a lot of heart – At the end of the day that was what really counted.

Stallion: Ajax (#82)
|<< Previous | Next >>|

In response to: N/A

Art features:
Ajax (#82) , Mrytle , Damon , Estraya
Story features:
Ajax (#82) , Mrytle , Damon , Estraya
Word Count: 682

Aging: Damon (2/3)

Other notes: No main event rolls please (._. I have a lot to get through, thank you very much. So many mares x.x)

Artist Notes:
I had the idea for this image flash into my mind while driving home and looking at all the snow in my neighbor's field. I thought “I wonder how wild horses handle deep snow?” and immediately imagined Ajax breaking trail for his preggie girls whose bellies were dragging in the snow. While this image is not anywhere near the one I originally pictured, I like this one better as the scene is far more dynamic. I do believe this is probably my best work so far, at least where composition is concerned. I do wish I'd done more detailed lines/horses to go along with it.

So, I finally made Damon grow xD Lets all assume he was slowly growing and that I was not just being lazy, kay? K. So now he's about the same height as Myrtle, and honestly he probably isn't going to get a whole lot taller but I can totally see him as this kinda short but bulky stud in the future.

Originally this was going to be the girls' final preg image, but then they both got a boost from a roll. I guess it's just an extra image. A bit of fluff. And good background practice for me.

Art (c) DaSassy