It had been raining for days now, a torrential downpour that just wouldn't stop. The awful November weather, however; still wasn't enough to stop Taylor from taking a look at the recently discovered new Teddy Cob herd. The park ranger had tipped the blonde of that there was a mare among them she'd definitely be interested in. So, curious and intrigued, the young woman was once again standing on the ridge overlooking the wild cob range, her hand raised to shield her eyes from the rain. Although the weather was disgustingly cold and wet, the land patched with wildflowers and threaded with winding animal trails was still pretty enough to take her breath away. And she knew that somehwere down in that living forest moved the fluffy shapes she had come to see; the wild ponies that hid among the grass and bush like they had something to hide. Taylor exhaled in anticipation, her duo-colored eyes scanning the landscape for any movement.

A gentle nicker caught her attention, and it was at that moment that she noticed the mare far in the distance, just cresting a hill and standing half-shadowed by the breeze-blown grass... a pony unlike any taylor had ever seen in the wild. A fucking red dun. In the flesh. HERE. The mare's coat was a warm, dusky blend of bronze and brick, touched with rich red undertones that caught the light like ember-glow with the soft zebra barring around her legs, and stark white patches cutting through her barrel and legs like scattered clouds. Her mane blew in thick, layered waves, and her short tail attempted to flick  at the flies. And Taylor squealed. "Oh my GOD!!!!",  she gasped, her voice pitching high with excitement, "A red dun. A liver red dun... tobiano too... oh my god and a mare! She's perfect!"  The woman didn't even think.

Before logic or caution could catch up to her body, Taylor was already moving, her thick boots slapping against the wet earth, her jacket flapping behind her as she launched into a half-run down the hill. "Wait- wait!!", she shouted, as if the mare would somehow stop just because she asked nicely. The mare, however; didn't wait, and instead turned and bolted. Of course she did. Who wouldn't bolt if they had a stranger yell at them? With a flash of her tiny tail and a powerful stretch of hind legs, the red dun mare launched into motion, galloping over the wild terrain with the kind of effortless speed only a true child of the land could possess. Taylor stumbled to a halt halfway down the slope, her heart pounding with her breath caught in her throat. The mare was already fifty yards away and widening the gap with every step, but she couldn't look away. She was breathtaking.

The sunlight suddenly cut through the thick, grey clouds; just enough to cast soft highlights over her coat, igniting the red tones and making the darker liver streaks shimmer like polished wood. The white across her flanks and shoulder caught glints of silver, and her mane streamed like silk behind her as she galloped. Taylor stood frozen, her hand now over her chest. "Okay-", she whispered to herself, "I might be in love." In the distance, the mare slowed, just slightly, her ears swiveling back, alert. She didn't really stop, but she turned her head, just enough to glance over her shoulder. Her eyes were dark, watchful, framed by the deep contrast of her tobiano markings. Gosh, she was beautiful.

Taylor took a cautious step forward, but the mare immediately surged ahead again. "Okay, okay!", Taylor threw her hands up "Too soon. Got it." Red duns had always been her weakness; something about that soft fire tone, the primal beauty of the dun genetics, the earthy, rare feel of it all. She had dreamt of finding one in the wild, but never really expected it. The woman dropped to a crouch, her cheeks flushed and heart still racing. The clouds drifted above her, lazy and scattered, the wind tugging playfully at her collar, Taylor only able to think: What do I need to do to make you come home with me?