Manipulation & Story

Hello!

I made a manipulation for somebody on Howrse's contest, and wrote a mini story to go along with it. :)

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This manip took me a heck of an age, I'm sorry to say. I had a dilemna getting the horse onto the background without it going pixelated (Paint does that...) and the eye-recolour, which was one of my first tries at one, took me ages to get right. I'm quite pleased with the result, now, even though I say so myself!

The Story

This story takes place on a crisp, blowy day in early autumn. A group of fjord horses grazed peacefully on one side of the lake.

The breeze, carrying along the salty smell of the fjords, sent a thrilling pulse through a young filly named Vår. She shot a wary look at her mother, who was focussing on rooting up the dry, stubby grass roots with her teeth, and Vår took this as the coast-is-clear signal for her to trot off by herself.

There was something in the breeze which stirred up the young horse’s sense of adventure. She was sure there was something in store for her today, something special – a magical secret which she would discover.

Vår ventured up the rocky hill, her hooves sinking into the moss. The wind rustled her creamy-coloured mane as she clambered up, craning her neck around every now and then to admire the view behind her.

When she reached the top of the hill, Vår noticed something which she did not see from below, something which made her eyes – sparkling green – open wide with astonishment.

There was a doorway shimmering there in thin air, a glowing doorway leading into a leafy forest beyond.

Vår approached it and looked in. Then, without hesitation, she stepped forward, forward into an adventure just around the bend...

 

What do you think? How do you think they go together?

 ~Dawn