Tribe Of The Hidden Vale

You started out on the first trail leading from the turnpike,
Owl follows only a step behind you.
At some point the trees start to thin out, soon the trail opens into a large meadow.
A Loud Whinny Pieces the air, Hooves Fly. A Young Stallion Rears,
Another Red Stallion Rises to meet him.
so the fight starts, Hooves and Teeth fly. the younger Stallion Gives the Older a Hard Kick.
The Older stallion falls, hitting the ground hard. all is still, Owl doesn't move.
The Young Stallion Whinnies triumply,
There is a Flash of Red Light and The Older Stallion is up!
he ducked and weaved like a snake. he came in low and bites the younger stallion,
Then he Wheeled around kicked the younger stallion hard in the ribs.
Defeated, the younger stallion falls back. The Older Stallion Whinnies his victory.
He wheels around and looks at you and Owl, no.. not at you, passed you.

"Looks like Flann has Driven off another colt." A Strange voice says, you whip around.
A Tall Muscular Stallion Stands at the forest edge, he grins and moves forward.
his coat is cloudy Blue/white, he flicks his lion's tail. pink/blue fey wings flutter.
His Deep Blue Mane curls around his neck, The stones and jewels in his Armor Shimmer.
he is graceful and beautiful, an air of power about him.



"showing a Visitor around are you Owl?" he asks, Owl nods and snorts.
'You are you? and who is Flann?' you ask, The Stallion answered. "I am Lunar Blade,
Lead Stallion of The Tribe of the Hidden Vale, That Other stallion was Flann. My Second."
he smiles kindly, "if you find my name long, I'm also known as Kero.
My Element Is Moon." some thing hits you, you turn to ask but Owl answers,
"I have no Element, I am of one of the four houses. you shall learn of that later." she says.

There is a Snort, you whip around and see the Red Stallion from earlier watching you,
you say nothing. the stallion holds you in his gaze, like a frightened animal.
slowly you look the stallion over, taking in every detail.
his Black mane is held back to his neck by a blue ribbon,
he doesn't have a normally horse tail - But fox's Tail!
it is even tipped the same black as his mane. his coat is a shiny red,
with fox markings - Black legs and muzzle, black tipped ears, even a splash of white that
goes from his chin down his neck and onto his belly.



Finely trained muscles ripple under his sleek velvet coat,
he lifts his head and whinnies. The spell is broken.
Flann bows his head to Kero, some thing was odd about him.. and it hits you.. the horn!
Flann had no horn!
Owl, as if again picking up on your thoughts, shoots you a Warning Look.
as Flann reports to Kero about the invader, Owl Mindspeaks to you.
Flann was a Warrior in the Mage Wars not that long ago, he lost his horn to a Demon.
The demon lost it's life, so did many of it's kin. Flann is one of the most powerful Fire ever.
Not surprising as he in the son of the Fire Mage Falloren; who died in the war.
he doesn't like talking about it... he doesn't talk much at all - least of all to strangers.
I believe there is a story about him In the Writings. maybe you should read it some time.
Flann bows his head again "I understand." he wheels around on his back legs
and disappears into the Trees. Moving with out a Sound.

"Kero? Kero are you here? a Strange, Sunny voice calls outs, Kero Answers "I am Here."
there is a Flash of Golden yellow in the trees and a Mare steps out,
her pink/white mane falls on both sides of her arched neck. she steps gracefuly.
she has a Lion's Tail and Armor much like Kero's, her face hidden in a face mask.
"Good, I... " she stops short, "oh, a Visitor!" she brightens, "Hello!"



"I'm SunStar, Lead Mare." she smiles, "do not be Scarred of me, I will not harm you.
it is the likes of Flann you should be weary of." she chuckles.
"mine is of the sun Element, kind of fitting isn't it? Sun and Moon." she grins.
"i do hope your enjoying your visit to our home. but I must take Kero away for a moment.
Owl will show you around for a bit more I think." she grins again and shakes her mane,
"There is news from the Inner Vale Kero, i came to get you."
Kero ears shoots upward and his head swings around, "what? News from the Inner Vale?"
"That's what I said, Come on!" in the blink of an eye She disappears into the forest,
Kero turns follows, "I'm sorry visitor, but news from the inner vale in always important,
please tell the others when you see them will you Owl?" he Disappears after SunStar.
you look at owl, she shrugs. "follow me then, the others are near." she moves away.

you follow her back though the trees, after awhile the grounds starts to tilt upward.
you catch bits of bird song on the warm summer air, there is a jingle of bells,
that last sound puzzles you, bells in a forest? Owl speaks, "there is a plant that grows here,
it's called the Glory Bell, it looks some thing like earth's Bluebell Flower.
that's what's making the sound." you catch sight of the flower then,
it really does look like the bluebell, only the flowers are colored Silver or Gold,
it is much larger too. a little breeze blows at the flower and the 'bells' move,
making a ringing sound like real bells! you lean down to sniff one of the flowers,
the smell is kind of metallic, but still really nice.
looking up you see... was it really there? it was gone so fast..
up ahead Owl has stopped, she was looking around.. had she seen it too?
Owl motions to you to come up next to her, "I think I know who it is." she says.
there is a moment of silence then a brightly colored mare steps onto the path.
she is Grey with rainbow colored markings, and white-rainbow tipped mane and tail.



she bows her head in greeting, you remember her.. she was one of the mares in the cave.
she smiles, "I see you remember me... I'm Gracefire of The Rainbow Element."
she nods at the Glory Bell plant, "that's good for Cuts and Fevers.. few other things too,
I'm the Tribe's Herbalist, but Elata is the healer.." she shrugs, "most of the time
the jobs are one in the same, but I happen to know more other plants, flowers and such."
she Looks at Owl, "do you.. want some thing?" she asks, Owl nods. "news,
from the Inner Vale, Kero wants you." Gracefire nods, "I hate to cut short our Chat Visitor,
but I'm needed, maybe one of my Tribe sisters will have some thing more to say."
she nods a good bye and trots away down the path, the same way Kero and Sunstar went.

"where is Gracefire off to?" a Voice asks, you turn around and see a mare standing there.
her coat is gray with yellow markings, part of her silky teal-ish green mane is braided,
held in place by a red bead and two silver feathers. a red ribbon holds back her mane.
she has a red anklet set with a silver stone like the feathers, unlike the other Unicorns
she has no Feathering on her legs, why was that?
she grins, "a Visitor! how nice, it is good to know that outsiders wish to know of our kind.



"I'm Elata, the Tribe's Healer. Star Element." she flicks an ear, "I was just looking for
Gracefire, I need her help on some thing. I find her and she runs off again! what's about?"
Owl tells her of the news, Elata nods. "I wonder what's up, oh well. I shall find out in a bit.
I hope you like our home, it's even more beautiful farther in." she grins,
"well I guess I have to go... I'll see you around Traveler, Safe travels!" Elata trots away.
"She's Nice." you comment to Owl, Owl just flicks an ear, saying nothing.

Owl leads you up the Path again, after a few minutes the trees start to thin out,
and the ground becomes more rocky. "we should Find Kazen up here." owl says,
at once every thing gives way onto a cliff, looking over the edge it must be more then
a hundred feet down! down at the bottom is a small lake, forests to one side and
open meadow to the other. the wind is strong up here.. but not to strong.
there is a whinnie, you look up and see a winged shape above you. it slowly wings down,
with a Soft thump a Blue mare lands, she folds her dark blue wings and smiles,
her mane and tail the same silky misty coloring as Elata's.. only a little lighter.
her hooves were odd, they had bolts in them like they weren't real. or had metal plating.
the mare arches her neck and grins. Ear prick, tail and head held one.
she was one who got the most out of life.



"Greetings Visitor! I am Kazen, The Tribe's Scout. my element is that of The Wind."
she grins and shakes her mane, "i have heard the news Owl, nothing to be to worried about.
no bigs armys or any thing!" she chuckles. "how do you like The Vale so far Traveler?
it is big and hard to get around in, but no one's ever bothered to make a map.
i don't think there is any one alive who has seen all of it." she sighs,
"it will be years before there is another... maybe next time we'll make a map!" she ^^'s
you look out over the vale and see, far off and away,
at what must be the middle of the vale, a large bright dome made of light that flicked
and Weaved. the Trees and meadow Lands seemed to Spwirl right up to it.
buildings of stone, like temples, appeared here and there around the outside of it.
pointing you ask 'what is that?' Kazen and Owl don't say a word,
But a Strange look passess between them, Owl nods to Kazen then looks at you hard,
as if trying to read you for some thing... she nods again to Kazen.
at last Kazen Speaks, "That is the Inner Vale... or at least the protective dome.
we can see though it, all you should see is a Dome of bright Light that protect the
Inner Vale From outsiders.

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