Ya Better Come Home Wi’ Me, Bucko! // Snapper #2

A splash of water, a surprised yell from someone lounging on the beach, the clatter of hooves on the stone roads. A young mare had made her arrival, and little did she know, she was someone’s mission. Little did they know, she was also someone’s else’s mission.

Keto Raequir, the Captain of The Orca’s Eyes, who had so far had a very unusual meeting with a little sooty bay gelding on his supposedly relaxing day off.

Kaida Rayne Maris, a young nobleman who has been sailing the seas ever since he could walk, who was as ambitious with ponies as he was with the water.

The description for the mare had been as such;

‘Snapper.

The tallest of many Teddy Cobs around, this mare has always been bold and stubborn, but beautiful and elegant. She’s got both the brains and the brawn; fit for anything. But look out, she got her name for a reason.’

It says a lot about a person when they are lured towards such a challengingly beautiful horse, and even more when two people that loathe each other are enticed closer to the same victory. One’s attempts out of languid curiosity, and one of undeniably ironic enthusiasm.

˗ˋˏ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⋆⋅ 𓇼 ⋅⋆ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖  ˎˊ-

Kaida slammed the door of the house shut and dashed down the driveway - the sun was barely shining, a soft orange merging to the blue as it began to rise. The young man had received word late last night from a rather unpleasantly familiar face that he would have more competition in claiming a pretty Teddy Cob than he had imagined. Sure, anonymously putting a bell on while a couple of strangers and their kids tries was the regular, but hearing that his least favourite person over the whole sides of the seas was trying for her? Desperation gnawed at him, biting and clawing at his mind. No, not desperation: anticipation for his triumph. Triumph indeed, and triumph shall he have.

‘Hey, Solix! Off to get you a sister; you coming?’ Kaida called as he approached the seaside stables, barn shaped like a delicate shell. The black splash gelding with pretty blue eyes snickered at him gently, his constant enthusiasm having grown compared to his original scepticism. The Star-Spangled Man, as Kaida had called him, was a small pony of courage that overfilled his little hooves, and coincidentally, he matched the face marking of the mare they were about to go and meet. Her name is Snapper, a belted liver chestnut splash with white markings that went all the way up to the bottom of her shoulders. She was on the taller side of her breed, and noticeably so. She was, in short, rather perfect.

Kaida grabbed the bitless bridle from the tack room and a blue-and-black bareback pad, putting them on the stable door before doing into the stall and brushing the little cob off. He munched on his hay and glanced out of the window occasionally, standing perfectly still whilst the man tacked him up. ‘Good boy, hey?’

Solix snuffled up a treat as he was lead out of his stable, stood neatly by the mounting block when Kaida got on, and he began to walk with enthusiasm when encouraged.

‘Got an adventure today. Off to see a pony that matches you. Shes called Snapper, so you’d better be friendly, or she won’t want to come home.’ Kaida could almost feel Solix swishing his tail, as though he were saying ‘I’m always friendly.’ … yeah, sure you are, Sol. Sure you are.

˗ˋˏ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⋆⋅ 𓇼 ⋅⋆ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖  ˎˊ-

‘Captain Raequir, sir?’ A booming voice sounded through the little wooden door as Keto sat, slumped in a chair, dark room briefly lit with delicate orange flames of the candles on the table. A derelict compass lay in front of him, brass cogs, surfaces and chain in a heap on the desk. ‘Captain? Are you awake, sir?’

‘Yes, yes, yes, I’m awake.’ Keto dragged a hand down his face, grabbing a wooden mug of some sort of liquid and sipping it, before his expression contorted with disgust. He ran a hand through his hair, standing up and shoving the chair back under the table. He opened the door to his room, tired and irritated. ‘What is it?’

‘Aye, sir, sorry fa’ wakin’ ya, but ain’t’cha mean’a be goin’ ‘o see them wild ‘orses today? Some’ing ‘bout that Maris boy.’ The man replied awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.

Dangit.

He was confused for a moment, before a sudden brush of realisation dawned on him - Kaida Maris, the loser of a pirate from down at Seasalt, had been consistently challenging Keto about a mare they both wanted to take home with them. Mildly drunk, as they had been in The Cat and the Canoe of course, but it had fuelled Keto with more irritation than Kaida usually brought him - which was shocking, because he was consistently annoyed by his presence, no matter where or why.

‘Right as always, Hallen, right as always. Yep, grab my hat for me, hey? I’ll go and get Dreadnought ready,’ Keto pushed past the man and patted his shoulder, making his way towards the stable block with a veiled rush.

‘Aye aye, Cap’n.’

The sooty bay gelding with deep brown eyes was too busy staring out at the water to pay attention to Keto’s arrival. His curly mane hung low around the top of his legs, occasionally reaching down to his knees when he had his neck lower. He was gorgeous - he was a cheeky little thing, too, but he’s gorgeous.

‘Hey. Dread. We’re gonna go challenge Kaida,’ Keto whistled as he ducked under the rope that contained Dreadnought in the space. The gelding snorted and shook his head slightly, resting one foot as he continued to ignore him. ‘Please? Cmon. Hes annoying. Theres a pretty pony involved. And if I fail I’ll leave you alone allll evening. Sound good?’

It was almost embarrassing how quickly Dreadnought stepped over.

˗ˋˏ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖ ⋆⋅ 𓇼 ⋅⋆ ⊹ ࣪ ﹏﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖  ˎˊ-

The sun was up, ready and waiting. Ponies in both black and brown stood at either side of the grasslands, watching with mild curiosity. The crowds were gathered around various other semi-feral Teddies, subtly wondering what was going on. A couple of locals who recognised Kaida went up to pet Solix, but most people who saw Dreadnought and Keto were certain to not get too close.

They both began to walk their cobs down to a tie-up point outside of the town, baiting each other to say something. Solix and Dreadnought sniffed each other quietly, and Dreadnought silently snatched a mouthful of the hay from Solix’s side of the bale. Surprisingly, the little black gelding didn’t seem to mind much, and he also didn’t notice when the belted mare, around two inches or so taller than him, began to eat a bright green apple that had been left on the ground beside him. The two men beside the ponies, however, did.

‘Wh- isn’t that-?’ Kaida spluttered, stood in the narrow gap between Snapper and his own little gelding.

‘Shut up, moron, or you’ll scare her off.’ Keto muttered, tilting his black hat up to glare at the blue-eyed man a bit clearer. ‘Can’t believe you had the guts to show up. Y’know the last time you decided to pit yourself against me?’

‘Yeah, and I beat your ass? I remember that. Oh, I’m glad you mentioned that, actually. I’ve been thinking-‘ Kaida continued to rant as he sneakily slid closer to Snapper, beginning to braid a pretty blue ribbon into her mane. He clasped his hand over the bell to attempt to stop it from making any noise. ‘So, that’d be something to think about for next time.’

‘Oh, you absolute- bring her over here.’

‘Nope.’

‘C’mon!’

“No, come and walk the five steps over here yourself, loser.’

‘I cannot stand you.’