Zela

[indi]

-Zela-

Link

-What You Want to Know-

Gender: Mare
Alliance: Neutral
Age: 19
Breed: Arabian

-What You Can See-

Adult Height: 15 hh
Coat Color: Bay
Mane and Tail Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Hoof Color: Black
Markings: A fair collection of scars; a star and four white socks

-What You Can’t See-

Personality: Zela can be very sweet-tempered when she wishes to be -- "when she wishes to be" being the operative phrase. She has a very strong stubborn streak and an independent nature that can put her at odds with many that she meets. She is, for the most part, the epitome of stallion-hater, though in recent years she has eased up a little. She's a little less swift to automatically judge after living with Quinley and helping raise Tyrell. This little lady is not afraid of anything, especially in defense of those she cares for and willingly would lay her life on the line for those who have her loyalty.


History: Zela was born at a famous breeding stable, where many champions had been born and bred. She was sold as a two-year-old and spent a year on the race-track. Her owners went broke, however, after investing money badly and they were forced to sell her. She was then sold to a stud farm and soon came under the iron hoof of Creaser. Here it was that the bay flicka's independent spirit got her in much trouble, for she did not always submit to all Creaser's wishes immediately. In time, she learned to hide her insubordination, but there were times when that stubborn independent streak still got her in trouble. Fortunately, she was able to escape one day and fled without a backward glance.

From there, she came to the lands known as Wild Equines. She drifted for a time, until she met Layili. Becoming a member of Paradise Lost was the most important thing ever to happen to her. There it was that her untrained rebellion against the brutality of stallions was honed into skills that she could use to defend herself. No longer a helpless flicka, Zela threw herself into learning everything that her mentor could teach her. She was finally happy and felt sure nothing bad could ever happen again.

Things had first started to go wrong when Daring Betrayal had arrived. Oh, at first everything was normal. Yet the warning signs had begun to crop up. To top it all of, Layili was suddenly stolen. Confused and upset, Zela had taken wandering for several months, only to have a brute try and corner her in the hopes of forcing himself on her. He had beaten her within an inch of her life, but he'd been unable to force her. When she had finally made her slow, painful way home, it was to discover that Layili had made it safely back. Her relief had known no bounds, but it seemed that Layili's return was only the beginning of the end.

No more were all stallions considered the enemy, for the great stallion-hater herself had fallen for one of that gender. It had been a baffling time for Zela, trying to adjust to this new way of life. She had learned to tolerate Daring Betrayal, but never anything more than that. And her only reason for even tolerating him was that Layili had loved him. Her loyalty for her mentor and leader was undeniably strong, and probably the only thing keeping her from feeling rebellious at the change in order. It got worse, however, for after the birth of Layili's daughter, Darla, it was not too terribly long afterward that the powerful mare had died, though the cause was still unknown to Zela. Utterly shocked by this, unbelieving that so strong a mare could be taken down by anything -- even death -- she had found it difficult to attend to her duties as Beta.

It did not matter, for shortly thereafter -- with the death of Daring Betrayal -- the herd began to break up. Darla had disappeared to who knew where, while the other mares had gone on with their lives elsewhere. Zela did not know what to do with herself; her life had been so wrapped up in Paradise Lost for so long, but eventually she had taken again to wandering. She was more wary, however, and at least this time she had a goal. The latter being to find Darla, for her loyalty now was to Layili's daughter and nothing was going to stand in her way.

Quinley had learned that the hard way, when she had come upon his lands, scenting Darla on the breeze, but not spotting her right away. The fellow had borne the audacity to mockingly imply that he held Darla as a slave. It was a mistake he would probably never make again, for Zela had rapidly -- and brutally -- taken him down. She was not averse to fighting dirty when there was a need and she had done what she felt she had to do. Seeing him curled on his side, breathless from her harsh blow to his stallionhood, she had searched with her eyes for any sign of a cell where Darla might be. Said mare had come barrelling out of nowhere almost immediately after Quinley was down, however, almost attacking Zela before the young Draft recognized her.

There was no denying how baffled -- and not to mention annoyed -- big Q had been to find that she and Darla knew one another. If not for the big draft mare, Zela probably would have been immediately banished from the lands for what she had done. Zela was not afraid of him -- never had been and never would be -- but fortunately there had been no further need for altercation. Not that he would have been up for it so soon... Like Daring Betrayal, Zela had tolerated Quinley, nothing more.

However, she had been forced to do some serious evaluations when disaster had struck. Darla was stolen away by a brute, forbidding Quinley from fighting for her and commanding Zela to look after young Danya, who was the daughter of Quinley and Darla. Though her inward debate had raged for months, she had been forced to acquiesce. Much as she wanted to go after her friend, her sense of responsibility had forbade her. And so she had stayed, raising Danya as her own, just barely tolerating Quinley at first -- angry as she was with him for letting Darla get stolen in the first place. Still, watching as he cared for the many orphan foals that had suddenly come into his care -- for apparently other tragedies had struck as well, taking the lives of several of his siblings and relatives -- Zela had grudgingly come to respect the big baron. In time, it was not even grudging anymore, but a sincere respect for what he had accomplished, despite the many hurdles in his way.

It was with great relief that Zela had finally welcomed Darla home, after she had gotten free of the beast who had stolen her -- for apparently the creature had died, or so it seemed at the time. With her, however, was a colt born of a forced union between the beast and Darla. Like any other male, the Arab had tolerated the boy, but nothing more. Her interest was mainly in Danya, whom she felt was just as much hers as anyone elses'. That fact made Danya's death all the harder for her to bear. It was lucky for Necromancy, the walking corpse responsible for her death -- or at least, Zela blamed him, for he had simply stood by while the wolves tore Danya to pieces -- that she did not know where he was. The moment she saw him or even heard where he was, it was certain that swift and terrible vengeance would be brought upon him.

It did not stop there, however. It only got worse. For hard on the heels of Danya's death, came Darla's disappearance. Zela had been wild with fear -- not to mention utterly furious, ready to hunt down Necromancy and flay him alive before killing him -- wondering what had happened to Layili's daughter. It had only gotten worse from there, when Quinley called a herd meeting. It was there that the news was given to all that Danya was dead and there that Zela learned that Darla had returned to the very beast who had stolen her before. Big Q apparently believed Darla had gone willingly, but the Arab had refused to believe it. She simply could not believe that such could possibly be true. Her efforts to insist that there had to be another explanation had been in vain, however. The heartbroken Quinley, faced with raising his son without the mother of said foal, had been implacable. Zela's own heart broke when he had proclaimed that from thenceforth Darla and all her blood -- except for Tyrell -- were banished from Negrizaria. Why had it come to this?

Sorrowing as she was, however, Zela was given little time to think. Quinley had stepped down from the throne, appointing Sky temporary king. At the same time, he had appointed Zela as Beta. Much as she wished to track Darla down and find out what had really happened, again her sense of responsibilty raised itself. She had a duty to take care of and, after all, Layili's grandson was without a mother and would need some feminine guidance in his life. At least it had given her an opportunity to have a hand -- errr... hoof, that is -- in raising the young heir of Negrizaria. Especially in that she could influence him to be the sort of stallion that there seemed to be too few of. And to make sure he did not come to hate mares, since his father was probably a negative influence in that regard -- excluding herself. There was certainly irony in their situation; here she was, a mare that hated stallions and yet was a good friend to one. At the same time, there was a stallion who had been deeply betrayed by a mare and was probably tempted to hate mares, and yet considered her a good friend -- practically family.

Things were far from as simple as they had been -- especially when Sky had been temporary king. Of course, there was another stallion who had proved that he was more than a hormone-driven half wit of the sort Zela hated most. At any rate, time had passed and she had kept busy with her duties as Beta, and helping to raise Tyrell. One day, however, she and the young baron had been out walking near Iosis Lake, when a frozen bulk had caught her attention. Hurrying over to see, Zela had been shocked to recognize Darla, coated in ice from a fall in the Lake. She had went immediately to work, helping her friend and hoping that Ty would not recognize his mother. She knew that he harbored bitterness toward the mare who had abandoned him as a little colt and knew that it would not be good if he recognized her. A confrontation would happen, at the very least.

At first, things had been fine. Ty had not recognized the mare they were aiding, throwing in playfully mocking comments, but still doing more than enough to help the downed draft. They had even gotten to a semblence of shelter before the light of recognition had dawned in his eyes. Then had been the explosion. Zela closed her eyes at the memory, wishing it had never had to happen. True, there had been some sort of a beginning of reconciliation, but it would have been far better if the reconciliation had not been necessary in the first place.

At least Darla had not abandoned them willingly, Zela had learned. It had been a hope she had clung to for a little under two years, but it had nearly died as time passed with no news at all. She had hoped that her friend would find a way to contact them, to let them know the truth of what had happened. Yet it had never come; or at least, had not come until that day. At least there was relief in knowing that it had not been betrayal. It did not stop Zela with being utterly furious with that beast, Reverend, who had taken her. It was lucky for him that he was dead, for she would not have rested until he was a rotting corpse, never to trouble her family ever again.

There was something else most prominently on her mind now, however. And it was making her life even more complicated than it had ever been before. It would mean a choice between two loyalties and she was not sure she was ready for such a step. She had become an integral part of the Negrizaria family, without even meaning to. She could not leave that all behind, could she? Even if it was out of loyalty to Darla. In the end, however, she did not have to make such a choice. Darla perished, bringing into the world a daughter, Dayili. Still as determined as ever to protect and aid those who were of Layili's blood, Zela took the filly under her wing and raised Dayili as her own -- along with a son, Zeus, who was forced upon her when she was attacked by a brute called Lazarus. Unfortunately, before Dayili could truly step into the legacy of Layili, the young mare died.

Grievious as the news was, it only got worse. Quinley perished not long after due to a heart condition. And on top of that, Tyrell, unable to cope with his father's death, ran off. Left alone, Zela now not only has her own son to attend to, but the motherless foal from Tyrell and Mary. No longer as young as she once was, the Arab does not feel capable of holding the herd land herself and has moved on, seeking shelter from old allies of the Negrizaria family. They have settled in relatively well, with Derek eventually making his own way in the world, while Zela keeps a tight leash upon her only son, hoping to keep him out of trouble.

It was Derek who landed into trouble, however, when the Underworld itself struck out, kidnapping his friends.  To complicate matters, on the very day the Misfit Twins were captured, he slept with a mare, which was to cause trouble later on for him.  They all searched long and hard, until finally Derek found the twins.  How precisely this was achieved Zela is not sure, but she has a bad feeling about it.  Nonetheless, the important thing was that the girls were safe.  Even if Madame Misfit tried to kill Derek after she found out about what she perceived as a terrible betrayal of her sister.  Zela herself has been none too pleased by his sleeping around in such a fashion and no doubt he got quite the tongue-lashing from her.

Shockingly enough, Tyrell returned from whereever it was he had vanished to and though he grieved for Mary's death, he seemed ready at last to take on the responsibility he had fled.  He took on a subherd called Verloria and it is there Zela lives now, with Zeus.  Tragedy has struck once more, however, with the death of Derek.  The news came from Valentina Misfit, the poor, grieving young femme swollen with Derek's offspring.

-Some Fickle Details-

Herd and Home: Verloria
Rank: Herd mare
Loyal to: Tyrell
Mate: None
Foals: Zeus
Grand-Foals: None
Sire: Arab stud (bay)
Dam: Arab broodmare (chestnut)
Siblings: Unknown
Friends: Tyrell, Turve Amour, Valentina Misfit, Madame Misfit
Friends who have passed on: Layili, Darla, Quinley, Danya, Dayili, Eyeless Marionette, Derek, Lateralus
Enemies: Lazarus; Most stallions; Reverend Murderotica Plague


This Code was modified for indi of Wild Equines 2 and is copyrighted (©) to treetracer of Wild Equines 2. Use without permission will result in unpleasant consequences.