Rainee

Rainee was foaled in a comfortable green valley in the far north.

As the daughter of a celebrated war-mare, she was well cared-for but never loved until she was gifted, as a young mare, to the princess of a neighboring land.

She and the princess loved each other in the deeply special way that comes of being young and wild together and making mistakes and overcoming in grand and glorious ways.

They traveled the northern lands, winning accolades and acclaim for their speed and grace and beauty.

But as the princess grew, duties of the lands were heaped upon her. Responsibilities to the court and to the people kept her from the fields and Rainee languished, still loved but alone.

In time, the princess, her heart breaking, selflessly allowed Rainee to go south, to a harsh land of rock and sand and too much sun, yet to a family who already loved her.

They had known and loved her mother as an elderly mare and despaired over their failure to produce a filly. So when Rainee arrived, she was welcomed with open hearts, as one coming home after a long absence.

Morivanya

Her name means "Black Beauty" and she well-proved her inner strength and beauty shone as bright as her glistening coat and strong legs.

Description: Morivanya is a shining black mare with a pure white star on her forehead and a long snip of white that runs down between her nostrils. Although she’s tall enough for any rider but the tallest of Elfs, her proud beauty is such that a generous man will be compelled to gift her to his lady when he sees the sparkle in her eye and hears the catch in her breath as she reaches out her hand to stroke Mori's silken mane.

Training and experience: Morivanya is trained for battle. She’s light on her feet and has a nimble mind as well. It’s unusual to find such a strong battle spirit in a mare that has an otherwise kind and gentle nature, but the love of her rider, and their people, come through in her eagerness to charge into the fray. She’s quick to dart or lunge as needed to help her rider in the use of the lance and sword, but her eagerness and excitement make her less of a choice for an archer.

Although she’s an obedient mare, responsive to the touch of her rider’s leg and the lifting of the rein, she’s not recommended for a timid or new rider because her speed and great love of the chase typically put her to the fore of a charge. While she’s a fine choice for any experienced rider to race the wind for the sheer joy of the run, she needs a bold captain at the rein who can take full advantage for the kills when she brings him to the heat of the battle.


Mori's unstinting love and loyalty, unfailing courage and selfless nobility, in the end, became her downfall.

On a tragic moonless night raid, she burst up through the ranks, charged to the fore of the patrol and threw herself into an enemy trap, revealing a foul ambush, in order to save her companions. She suffered greatly yet without rancor as her sacrifice bought the escape of two young princesses and a matriarch of their house. Love of her fills our hearts and the pain of her loss is with us daily.

Anduril

Named after the famed sword of legend, her name means "Flame of the West" and is significant in that, as the sword was reforged from an ancient weapon, so she continues the line of war-mares brought out of the desert.



Description: Anduril is a pale dappled silver mare with large dark eyes and silky black mane and tail. Her coat is mirror shiny with dense, feather soft hair. Her black hooves are hard as stone. She had a white stripe down her face as a youngster, but it is fading into the silver grey of her face as she ages, leaving a bit of pink on her nose. Her large expressive eyes drink in her surroundings, with long eyelashes and elegant black markings around the eyes. When excited by the chase or scouting ahead of the main party, her wide nostrils open like flower petals. Her ears are mobile and delicately pointed, a mirror of her thoughts. Her legs are solid and strongly muscled, her back exceptionally strong and coupled with her huge hindquarters, she is easily enough mount for the heaviest armored knight. She moves with amazing economy of motion, never a wasted step at any speed, saving her remarkable strength for the coming battle.



Training and experience: Anduril is an accomplished war-mare. In the stable, she is as gentle as a lamb with her handlers, but turns instantly into a dragon of fierce rage if irritated by disrespect or denial of her needs. Anduril is not the mare to use on a scouting expedition unless you are sure you will see action at the end. Her best use is either on a raiding party, where her blood-thirsty ways will greatly enhance your chances of returning home with great honors, or on the front lines of the main formation, where her unconquerable spirit will be an inspiration of the lesser beasts.

Anduril demands a knight equal to her own talents in battle, and will become angry and hard to control under an incompetent rider. She loves children and will gently care for them in the ring or on the trail, and she can be ridden by lesser riders on long journeys, but her competitiveness must be carefully managed by the herd-master to insure she doesn't cause undue trouble in camp and on the trail.

Elbereth (Beri)

While she's fully trained in the arts of war, Beri was, unfortunately, 'pet-raised' by a family with young children who doted on her. As a result, she tends to exhibit a rather fallible sense of humor at inappropriate moments.

Most unfortunately, the children kept treats in their pockets and Beri will constantly nudge and sniff anyone (peasant or king) standing near, even to the point of lipping and tugging at their clothing. She's also prone to search any packs and bags left in her reach, either digging at them with her hoof until the contents are scattered or by nipping the bag in her teeth and tossing her head. She'll go quietly for an unsteady rider, and is unflappable in most cases, but woe betide the seasoned warrior who gives her a moment of inattention. She's accustomed to voicing her opinions on issues that are primarily the riders decision.

Of prime concern to her is the speed of travel, she much prefers a high rate. If forced to travel too slowly, she'll hang her lower lip, droop her ears to the sides, lower her eyelids as if sleepy and slow her steps, dragging her toes and working in the occasional stumble. Her preferred pace is the gallop and she embraces the wind with great exuberance, athleticism and the occasional hop and buck worked in between strides.

If the rider chances to choose the 'wrong' trail (according to her infinite wisdom), she'll show her displeasure by slowing and finally coming to a sullen and immoveable halt.

Beri is changeable, as mares are prone to be, and is known by different names according to her mood. We have AngelBeri and EvilBeri and on occasions when she's being more like herself than usual, we recognize that she's being VeryBeri.

Landroval

Landroval is a striking wild bay, with a glistening deep, red coat and the typical shining dark mane and tail, but without the high black socks most bay horses have. Instead, his legs are shaded, darker toward the hoof and only shadowed up toward the knee. He has an even more unusual trait - dusted up the front of his front cannons, a sprinkling of fawn colored hairs that shimmer golden when the light catches them. With his atypical coloring and splashy white face and socks, he wouldn't be a good choice for someone who needs to remain inconspicuous because he is definitely an attention-getter and easily recognizable.

Landroval is a very kind and loving young horse, but not very brave. He would be a better choice for a courier than a knight. He's fast and very athletic, as well as quick-thinking, and might serve well as a mount for an assassin, although he's elegant enough to be an excellent choice for a traveling minstrel or even a lord's daughter.

His worst habit is an affectionate nuzzle that proceeds a nip. His long-time companion has been a cantankerous donkey and so he sometimes exhibits a propensity to want to play rough. While he needs gentle understanding to nurture his generous nature, he is still young and needs a firm hand to guide him in remembering polite behavior.