Cihiru's Teepee

[Cihiru]

04.01 From a Kind Individual:

Harperking

Anpo quietly approached the lone teepee by the river's edge. The area was neat, not at all surprising to the Sioux based on her observations of the inhabitants. There were several sets of hoofprints leading to and from the nearby pasture, and one set of human prints as well. Looking closer, Anpo saw that there was no one at home. Holding a small leather wrapped bundle, she looked around for a good place to leave her gift. Ever since the enigmatic loner Hiabi had gifted her with the precious basket, she had thought on some way of thanking the woman. Today her gift was finished, and she only hoped it would be accepted. A moment later, she was on her way back to the forest edge where she lived, and the bundle was hanging from a low branch where it was sure to be seen.

Hiabi rarely returned home unsatisfied. It was admitting defeat; an unacceptable gesture in nearly every circumstance, including this one. She would rather persue her quarry for days at a time than retrace her footprints empty-handed, though there was almost never any need. Alas, even she was not quite perfect (much to her disdain), and there were times she was forced to concede. This was one of those times; made apparent by a heavy, disappointed sigh and the way she swung her bow over her shoulder in disheartened gesture as she cleared the forest's edge and strode toward her dwelling. Kourin's absence furthered her sour temper; she had rather been looking forward to greeting the mare, at least, but the Soquili left little more than hoofprints as presence.

It was as she scoured the ground for mental notes she noticed the tracks of human feet - a pair other than her own. The observation piqued her curiosity; it was unusual for others to approach here. She picked up her gaze to look for something out of place, jade eyes falling fairly effortlessly on a leather parcel she certainly hadn't left there. Hiabi lifted the bundle with one hand, dislodging it from the branch with the other and drawing it closer to herself. The bag fell open easily, exposing a carefully fashioned belt that stretched out across her palm, displaying more completely its craftsmanship. She had to take a moment to absorb it; both the belt itself and the note packaged with it... It was a gift? Why? She hadn't received anything in this fashion in... well, she couldn't remember. People didn't show gratitude, and she didn't provide anything worthy of it; it just worked well that way. There was a deliberate blink as she tried to reason the change, as all actions had reasons, and her mind procured only one probable answer - the basket. At least there was a reason; if not, the situation could have proved very perplexing. Hiabi seemed satisfied with this explanation, for she tucked the bundle into her palm and disappeared behind the flap to her teepee; a faint, genuine smile gracing her expression in her own version of thanks, albeit wordless.
 

[Cihiru]

04.02 Mutual Curiosity: Kourin, Hiabi, Niyol & Colonel


Cihiru

"There..." And Hiabi draped the garment over the petite mare's form, stepping back to admire her handiwork. It fit rather nicely, she had to confess. Better than she'd anticipated, as she had no experience whatsoever in equine sizes. The hide ran smoothly along her back, reaching down just past her barrel and and tying in the front with a durable thong. Fur lined the inside, visible at the edges in the way it poked past the sides. The blanket was not a decorated one, as was her fashion, but it was precise, and hardy, she hoped. It was the best she could do; the woman never had been handy with weaving.

Kourin flicked an ear as the blanket settled on her back, and shifted her weight to crane her neck and sniff at it as best she could. The break in the wind was a welcome one; her still-short coat appreciated the substitute warmth. Especially with the declining temperatures, she couldn't say no to that. It was kind of Hiabi to provide it, and she thanked the woman with a nudge against her shoulder and a nuzzle in her hand... which Hiabi returned with a pat on her velvety muzzle.

"I am glad you like it," she whispered, smiling knowingly and rubbing her hand along the mare's neck.

Natural.Flaw

Niyol walked into the village, with a new cloak over his shoulders. He had finally gotten some sense and took the time to make one for himself, since the temperature had begun to drop. He leaned heavily on his walking stick, the cold was begining to cause him pain in his leg, as well as all the work to begin building the teepee for himself and his new Soquili companion.

Colonel followed behind his two legger friend, he looked about for other signs of life, of the Soquili or even the two legger kind. He was begining to feel the cold a little, but it wasn't as bad for him just yet. These two legger types, it seemed to him, got cold rather quickly, probably because they were practically hairless.

Cihiru

Kourin was hesitant to pull away from the patting, but it was rare for them to venture so close to the village, and she was thirsting with a curiosity that couldn't be satisfied with just listening. Planting one last nuzzle, Kourin turned her head away from her companion and peered out over the establishment, soaking up the various bustling lifeforms and looking for something that might pique her interest. A child or two there, a woman working outside her home, and a man trekking through the village with a pile of logs balanced over his shoulder. They were all relatively typical sights, and she felt her attention wavering in disappointment. There was, however... The mare peered more closely for verification, then nodded to herself and looked back over her shoulder to Hiabi. It was a two-foot and a Soquili, she was sure. - Worthy of further investigation, indeed!

Hiabi watched Kourin's inspection fairly apathetically; it was an ordinary day with ordinary schedules, and ordinary people. The gaze Kourin fixed her with begged to differ, though. The woman gave her a slightly exasperated sigh, but the mare had already taken off down the foot of the hill, pausing once she'd reached the bottom to wait for her to catch up. Obviously defeated, and lacking a reason to object anyway, the woman followed relunctantly.

Natural.Flaw

Colonel spotted the mare coming before Niyol did. He whinned and nudged the two foot to get his attention.

Niyol gripped his walking stick tighter when the large soquili nudged him. "What is it?" Then he caught sight of the two figures coming down the hill. A villager with a soquili. He knew it wasn't Foalen or Anpo..he wondered who it was?

Cihiru

She had anticipated the greeting, and was relieved to actually hear it. Approaching someone that knew you were coming, and welcoming you, was a lot easier than saying hello to someone you'd taken entirely by surprise and didn't really want to talk with you anyway. Slowing just a notch as she approached, Kourin neighed a hello.

Hiabi was far less enthusiastic, and couldn't help but brace herself when she realized the mare was not approaching just a soquili, but an individual as well. Social interaction rarely went well, and she found herself pulling her buckskin coat tighter around her figure, perhaps a subtle apprehensive motion.

Natural.Flaw

"Hello.." Colonel attempted to speak the other Soquili, hoping he used the right words. He had been mostly just watching and practicing the right way to speak here, but it's a little difficult to see if you've gotten any better without someone else to practice with.

Niyol shifted his stance and waved to the villager accompanying the other Soquili. "Hello." He nodded politely to her, then shifted his stance again. He'd much prefer to be at least sitting somewhere at the moment.

Cihiru

"Hi..." She grinned warmly, ears tilting forward in curiosity. "I'm Kourin." The mare nodded to the other, trying not to study him too blatantly in an effort not to offend him. After all, she had met so few Soquili, it was impossible for her to judge who was new and who seemed new just because she was isolated. "You are?..."

Hiabi's response to the wave was a mere nod, but perhaps it was better than nothing. "Hello." His uncomfortable shifting made her mentally quirk a brow, and drew her attention to the walking stick he was clutching. The woman noted it, but vowed not to bother herself with whys. It wasn't any of her buisness, and she shouldn't care anyway. "Perhaps you should rest?"

Natural.Flaw

"Co-lon-el..." He seemed to have used the write woards, because the other Soquili understood him. That cheered him up a bit, his ears turned a bit and he studied her too, she was certainly different.

"I'll be fine." Niyol murmured and winced slightly before reaching up to brush hair away from his eyes.

Cihiru

"Nice to meet you, Colonel." She had been a little puzzled by the way he split his name into syllables, but it was easy to overlook and she didn't dwell on it long. It didn't matter anyhow. She blinked at his inspecting though, tilting her head a little as she wondered what he was thinking. "Something wrong?"

I find that difficult to believe. Hiabi bit her tongue, for once, and declined the notion to blurt whatever was on her mind. His aim was a respectable one; she could grant that. "If you insist." The woman shrugged idly, tugging again at her coat as she did so. "Hiabi, by the by." It felt awkward to offer her name first, as she almost never did, but the silence was gnawing at her and she was grasping at straws for conversation.

Natural.Flaw

"Niyol..." He felt awkward on his own with a stranger, he'd much rather have Foalen or Anpo around as well..it would make things easier for him. He could observe more and converse a little less.

Colonel looked away for a moment, toward something he thought he saw move, then back toward Kourin. "Nothing wrong."

Cihiru

She could feel the nervousness; it was even more pressuring than uncomfortable silence, and made her painfully aware her effort had, once again, fallen flat on its face. She was yet again reminded why she'd stopped trying... She was a failure when it came to social interaction. Hiabi sighed inwardly, her expression sobering a bit. "Glad to meet you, Niyol." Still stinging from her failed attempt to ease the discomfort, she took an opportunity to straighten the longbow draped over her shoulders. A weak attempt at distraction, probably, but it gave her something to do besides fidget senselessly and stare into the distance.

Kourin did not seem to share the sentiment. On the contrary, she was rather intrigued, and would have been entirely carefree if not for the feelings infecting her from Hiabi's displeasure. Shifting her weight, she turned her attention from one human to the other, until at last she settled her gaze on the stranger. He seemed alright; she wasn't particularly sure what it was bothering Hiabi. Pursuing further investigation, the mare took a step toward him and bent her neck to sniff at his hand.

 

[Cihiru]

04.03 Oops. Pay Attention Next Time: Kali, Sora, Alona, Cyrus & Zephyr


Takakun

The gray soquili, now grown and graceful, gently grazed through the grass, taking large nips as his ears twitch for oncoming sounds.
The wind was frosty, the long cold was coming, so they must do their best to keep warm. His long flowing mane fluttered in the air....

hanging gallow

Alona trotted down to the meadow leaving Lilly, her keeper, knowing that she wouldn't roll herself out of the teepee until half past morning, Alona shivered a little when the frosty air hit her, but she shook it off. She loved winter, just as much as she enjoyed the fall. When she had reached the meadow she noticed a grey soquili and stopped for a moment. She had never met a grey soquili before, she knickered to see if it was alright for her to come any further.

Takakun

Hearing a soft knicker, Sora lifted his head, revealing bright green eyes framed by his long silvery grey mane.
He sees a brown mare with flowing oaken mane and tail, and whinnied a greeting to her. "Hello there...."
Now grown, he was less frisky, but nonetheless enjoys playing with the other soquilis.

hanging gallow

Alona was glad that he would have her company. She trotted over closer to him, she noticed his large bright green eyes that still seemed to glitter witha look of an exicted foal who just found another new playmate.
"Hello my name is Alona, I don't think I have met you before" she said in a cheery voice.

Draculas Babe

Cyrus had been walking around aimlessly as he wind nipped at his ears. He had been walking for awhile getting lost in the trees. He then heard a familiar nicker. He walked towards it finding the coffee colored mare Alona. He neighed to her and then looked at who she was looking at it. It was a silver colored stallion. He watched him, sort of eager to meet him.

hanging gallow

Alona's ears perked when she heard a neigh from someone familiar, she turned and and saw Cyrus. She neighed back for Cyrus to come met the new stallion(or at least to her a new stallion) and that she was happy to see him.

Takakun

Sora gave his usual horsy grin, and nuzzled her in greeting.
She was soft and warm, and had that musty scent of a soquili from the village.
"I'm Sora...and well..." he flicked his mane, "been some changes since the time of the falling leaves. good changes" he smiled shyly at her.
"perhaps you would care to graze with me?"
Moving slightly aside, he lowered his head and started nibbling again, showing his ease of comfort.

Draculas Babe

Cyrus walked over to Alona silently, he didn't have a good feeling for some reason. Something wasn't right. "Hello, Alona." He then looked at the new Soquili. "Hi. I'm Cyrus." he said rather lowly. His ears flickered back and forth uneasily.

hanging gallow

She nuzzled sora back in greeting and could feel the coolness on his fur with the a deep warmth hiddne underneath. Alona smiled back at Sora, "Where you a foal here then" Alona asking after thinking about what he said.

Takakun

Out of the corner of his eyes, Sora watched a large black soquili approached.
He recognised him, from the descriptions of Resi and lifted his head from the grass eagerly, "Ho, Cyrus!"

hanging gallow

"Hello Cyrus" Alona said cheefully, if anything was wrong Alona didn't notice, or at least didn't show if she had any attention to it whats so ever. However, Alona did notice Sora's long mane and wondered where on earth was the young filly Resi, she would have a ball with this stallions long mane.

Draculas Babe

"Do I know you?" he asked wearily and a bit confused. He hadn't thought he had met him before. Is memory was running in circles now trying to figure it out. His emerald eyes glanced at the ground for a moment then back up yo Sora's and Alona's.

Cihiru

It was a good time to romp, she felt. So good, she took little hesitation in flinging herself at the browning grasses, kicking her limbs up to the sky and rolling from side to side, reveling in the brush of dry grasses against her hide. Satisfied, she righted herself, giving her short mane an energetic shake before she realized leaves were clinging to her winter coat. Kali snorted indignantly, giving her ears a backward tilt and briefly beating her short wings against the wind. Once the reflex had worn off, the filly tucked them against her side, and shook frantically to rid herself of offenders. Watching them fly through the air and drift lazily to the ground left her content with this too, and without pondering it further, the foal shot through the thick of the forest like a bolt. Her limbs pumped effortlessly, and allowing herself to get caught up in the thrill of the run, they propelled her into a field before it occurred to her just what was going on. - A populated one. It caught her off guard at first, and she skidded to a stop before pushing herself back a step. The apprehension didn't last long though; once she'd observed the inhabitants and confirmed them all Soquilis, she whinnied a meager greeting. "Um, oops. Excuse me... Hi! I'm Kali." And she let her bicolored gaze shift between the three of them.

Takakun

He trotted up to Cyrus and whickered. "yeah, Resi talks about you alot. Pleased to meet you, I'm Sora. Care to come grazing with me and Alona?"
He was really happy to finally meet Cyrus. According to his friend, the older soquili was fun.

hanging gallow

Alona was a little starteled at the filly that had just stumbled up, however she recovered from it. Giving Sora and Cyrus time to figure out where they had met each other and was glad to have a small break from a new forming tension, Alona greeted the filly with a smile. "Hello Kali my name is Alona" Alona said with a smile, however she noticed something on the filly much unlike what she had seen on any other soquili, this filly had small feather things on her body. Alona cocked her head to oneside as if in puzzlement and asked, "are those wings, i have never met a soquili with wings before" Alona turned her head to Sora at a mention of a name she knew"You know Resi" she said with a smile.

Draculas Babe

He smiled remembering Resi. He hadn't seen the filly in awhile. She always tried to get at his mane but unfirtunatly it was far to short for her to reach. "She is a very unique girl herself." he smiled. He listened to his words, "If your going to go grazing I should leave you to alone." he smiled, but it was fake. He looked down to see another Soquili. He looked at the filly, she had wings. "Good evening, Kali. I'm Cyrus." he gave the filly a warm smile with a look of confusion on his face.

Takakun

His head turned from one soquili to the other. Easily distracted, his instinct was to rush from the new winged soquili then back to Alona, however, Sora slowed himself and breathed. "hello winged one.....I've met your kind before as cousins. and yes, Resi is one of my best friends."
He smiled his gentle grin again, and winked to the winged soquili.

Cihiru

"Nice to meet you, Alona, and Cyrus," she beamed. After a moment though, the smile gave way to an expression with an arched brow. She'd never seen a winged Soquili before? That was... different. "Yup." The filly outstretched one and craned her neck to take a look at it herself. She turned back to the mare before speaking again though. "Really? That's kind of weird. My whole herd is winged. Well, except Loki. But he's weird too..." Kali's gaze fell quickly at this, and her expression sobered. She shouldn't have mentioned it; the foal picked up her eyes and bowed her head in apology. "Well, not weird. I think I mean.. different. Yeah, different."

hanging gallow

"I wonder how Resi is doing" she said half to herself and half out loud as if thinking and speaking as Sora responded to her, "I wonder why I havne't met you before Sora" Alona said smiling. Alona looked at Cyrus when he refused to graze with them and could see his fake smile, however she didn't say anything about it but smiled back as if she hadn't noticed. She wondered what was wrong with Cyrus it seemed unsual for him not to wanting to stick around and he seemed much more serious then what he had been when she had frist met him.

chemicalstar

Zephyr twitched his tail nervously... Was that a bee? Yes definitely.. it was a bee.. what other winged and yellow-black striped creatures were there on this earth that made that annoying buzzing sound... probably many, but he only knew about bees... so that was a bee and he would better watch out. He never liked those creatures, their sting was far too painful to endure. and this particular one was resting on the single apple that fell from the tree--in other words, his lunch.
He reared to scare the bee away but it didn't budge. he kicked the apple, but the bee simply flew a few inches up and then settled again on the crack on the red and delicious looking fruit, where the juice droplets could be seen. Zephyr gulped. He was hungry, though he now understood that he had too look for some toehr souce of food.
He turned away and started to walk, and after a few minutes of walking, he heard some other noises.... soquili? he twitched his ears and trotted in their direction.

hanging gallow

Alona was slightly shocked at Kali response. A whole herd of winged soquili's, and she hadn't met even one yet, and who was Loki, and why was he different from the other winged soquilis, she was all amazed with this new soquili. "May I ask" Alona said "Why is Loki different" she said with puzzlement.

Takakun

"I was surprised myself when I saw our winged cousins....but Wambli was a good friend, and fun to be with." He looked down upon Kali, half self reflecting on how much he had grown. thus he didn't notice the uneasiness of Cyrus.
He looked back to Alona, "This past fall my bonded little playmate wanted to keep me within the village, I wonder perhaps because big brother isn't with us. I haven't seen Resi much too...but I've heard she is grown now...like me." Sora gave a wistful smile, his missing of his friend clearly upon the silvery face.

The scent drew nearer..so familiar.........
"Zephy!" The gray soquili half reared and raced to his long time friend, knocking their heads together. His childhood playfulness returned, and he nipped at Zepypher in jest. "Long time old buddy! how have you been!....wow...were you this small the last time?" Sora sniffed and grinned widely.

chemicalstar

Zephyr thought he heard a familiar voice.. was it.... Sora?? but he couldn't have been... he was a foal last time they talked... but now in front of him was a handsome fully gorwn stallion... "Sora?" the foal asked in shock "Is that you?"
and the was another soquili there too though he doubted he knew her...

Cihiru

"Oh, um..." She gulped; figuratively caught against the wall. "Loki's my brother." Baby steps. Might as well get the easy part out of the way first. "But uh, Loki doesn't have wings." Kali cast her gaze to the ground a moment, her brows furrowing. She did manage to right her expression a little, but there was still sadness apparent on her face. "I'm sure you'll see her again soon." The filly's ears rolled forward observantly, and she cocked her head to the side, jumping on the opportunity to change the conversation's direction.

hanging gallow

"Wambli" she as puzzled, she hadn't met Wambli before either. "Well that does make sense on why I have not seen you before" Alona said smiling at Sora "Resi has grown too" Alona said excitedly "She may have a chance now at getting Cyrus's short mane" she said laughing a little as she imagined Resi and Cyrus battling over Cyrus's mane.

Takakun

Sora trotted around, whisking his long mane and tail. "Maybe it's little playmate's long hold on me during the time of falling leaves. Yeah it's me! C'mon, let me show you the others...that's Kali, one of our winged cousin, and this is Cyrus, you know the one Resi talks about, and Alona. I met her awhile ago too."
He smiled at Zephy through the corners of his eyes.

hanging gallow

Alona wondered how having no wings was different. She didn't have any wings she was a little puzzled at this but seeing the filly had rather not talk about it she decided to let it go. "Can you fly with your wings" Alona asked smiling, she wondered how it was to be able to soar into the sky.
Alona noticed a young foal that she had met before, "Hello Zephyr" she said watching to two meet each other and Zephyr having a shocked face of noticing his playmate looked different.

chemicalstar

Zephyr giggled at Sora "Wow you have grown!" thinking how fast he grew and then bowed to everyone whose names were called out "of course I know Cyrus! He is my biiiigg broo!" Zephyr smiled, but realized the black soquili was no longer with them. "I should probably go and annoy him sometime, I missed him so much!" he smiled.
"Alona!" he said... he was rather taken aback...he didnt remember ho pretty she was "How are you? "

Cihiru

Noting the mare's confusion, Kali dared to better explain herself; even though she wasn't particularly sure what the puzzling part was. She'd just have to tiptoe around the sensitive spots. "Well... our dad has wings. And our mom had.. er, has wings. And their moms and dads have wings! But Loki doesn't, so he's not quite like the rest of the family, right? He doesn't stop being my brother, but he's not the same. That's not mean, is it?" She blinked questioningly, then glanced over to the colt. "I guess you're Zephyr? Hello!" Kali gave a quick nod before looking back to Alona. "Sort of. I can't fly very far at all... they're still sort of small." She snorted her disdain, but it went otherwise unexpressed.

Takakun

"Hey you know each other? That's nice. I seem to just meet other soquilis. Perhaps been too long in the village."
Sora leaped to Alona, taking care to not trip on his mane. That would be embarrasing to say the least. "Where did Cyrus go? Doesn't he want to come graze with us?"

chemicalstar

Zephyr smiled at the other black colt "Yes I am Zephyr and it is nice to meet you! may i learn your name?" he asked to the winged soquili. These wings were very nice, he wished he had a pair but they would probably be burned to a crust in the accident... that happened a long time ago... he shivered and looked up.

Takakun

He peered curiously at Kali, somewhat surprised at her noticeable discomfort.
Feeling sorry for the small one, he leaned over and nudged her with his nose. "Come play. Zephy and I used to play alot.."

hanging gallow

"I'm fine Zephyr" she said smiling at his enthusiam "and what no good have you gotten yourself into lately Zehpyr" she said laughing a little as she looked a the young mischevious colt. Alona turned to Kalie "Of course thats not mean, it just means that he unique to your family" she said smiling " and that makes your family unique as well, and you know, the best families are the unique ones" she said to Kali to cheer her up a little, "You wait and see, I bet one day that you wings will grow large and beautiful as you are and you will reach the sky, and when that happens I would love to watch" Alona said smiling at her.

Alona then turned to Sora as he leaped over to her. "I don't know where Cyrus went," She said with a little bit of a troulbed look on her face. "Its not like him not to enjoy the company of others" she said.She smiled "but i'm sure that he didn't mean to leave in such a hurry, i'm sure that he had something important he hadn't realize he had to do" she cheerful trying to cover up her concern about Cyrus's odd disapperance. "I agree you have been coped up too long in the village it is about time you met other soquilis," she said simling.

Cihiru

"Sorry, I thought Sora introduced me. My name is Kali." The filly was taken aback by Zephyr's sudden discomfort, but decided it best not to mention and pretended not to notice. She butted her nose against the stallion's shoulder instead. "But what do you want to play?" She reared and propelled herself in a quick circle around the group, but slowed after a single lap and turned to Alona again. "I hope so..." In truth, she was finding it difficult to be a family with just Loki. Or at least, what she thought a family should be. And it wasn't because she didn't try. But where were the guardians? The watchful father and helpful mother? No, she knew where. Mentally, Kali chided herself. "If that happens, I'll be sure to show you!" The filly smiled proudly, giving the mare a quick and playful nuzzle before dancing in a small circle.

chemicalstar

Zephyr giggled at Sora and Alona "Well well well... i dont k now what to say... I was an angel lately" and he gave an evilish grin, feeling hyper to meet his old friends again. "Play? whee that sound slike fun! what are we playing?" he asked and the turned to Kali "Sorry, yes Sora did introduce you.. I must have missed your name, feeling so happy to meet new and old friends again! Will you forgive me?" he sincerely asked the black one.

hanging gallow

Alona was glad the the filly was cheered up. She enjoyed the Kali's enthasuim. "Oh, I'm sure it will happen one day, when you least expect it" she said laughing as Kali danced in small circle."Now what shall we play," Alona said looking at Sora.

 

[Cihiru]

04.04 Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice: Loki, Alona & Cyrus


Cihiru

"Wait!..." The colt whinnied as he closed the distance between himself and the object of his attention, his small hooves crunching grasses with his stride. The being paid no heed, however, and took to the air with a rustle of feathers and a quick push against the wind. He reeled himself to a halt where the bird had been settled, following its ascent with a glowing gaze as he craned his neck with its path. When, at last, it escaped his view, fading to a mere dot on the horizon until it disappeared entirely, he heaved a listless sigh and cast his sky orbs to study the extra-ordinary ground. "Or don't." Loki snorted his discontent at it, giving his head a shake for good measure.

hanging gallow

Alona stood out in the meadow near the woods. She never seemed to want to stay near the village. She prefered the quiet area with its pleasents scenes out in the meadows or just anywhere but in the village. She was enjoying the sharp cold breeze when she heard a voice and saw a small grey soquili chasing after a bird. This foal was a new one to her also and she was interested in meeting the little one.

Cihiru

Begrudgingly, Loki picked up his gaze and threw a look at his surroundings. It was later than he'd realized; the sun was nearing its peak in the sky, and he became aware of just how nice the warmth really was with the onset of the winter season. He could feel the difference even through his increasingly scruffy coat. The colt would have taken off in a quick run of appreciation, but his eyes fell on on a figure in the distance that made him freeze in surprise. He thought he'd been alone... Mentally, Loki shook himself, and tilted his head at the stranger. After a moment, he took a few bounds toward her, and gave a small whinny in greeting.

hanging gallow

Alona neighed back to Loki in greeting, and that she would be pleased to met him. She watched the young grey colt bound playfull through the meadow. Alona looked up into the sky and watch the small white puffs of cloads float on by and hoped that maybe sometime before chirstmas it would snow. She loved the snow. However she turned her attention to the young colt that was standing in the meadow

Cihiru

Hi!" The colt had paused his approach a fair distance away, but he shortened it now with a careful stride. "I'm Loki." He nodded his assurance at her, and tilted his head again. She was wingless, like him. So he wasn't the only one! Giving his short tail an anxious flick, he dared to take another step closer, and peered at the mare with bewildered eyes.

hanging gallow

Alona watched his expression of bewilderment on his face. "Hi Loki, my name is Alona," she said cheerfully "she cocked her head to one side and said "is there something wrong, is there a bug crawling on me some where" Alona said quizicaly as she walked around in a circle trying to see if there was a bug on her.

Cihiru

Her inquiry caught him off guard, and he blinked, scolding himself for being so obvious. No wonder Kali always knew everything he was thinking. And he snorted at this. "Huh? Oh..." The colt's initial reaction was to say yes, and play some overly elaborate dialogue that ended in at least a laugh for himself, if not both of them. But he decided not to, for some reason he couldn't pinpoint and didn't really care to puzzle over anyway. "Not that I can see." He stuck his tongue out at her briefly. "I just haven't seen another ground soquili... in a while," he lied, hoping she wouldn't be able to see that, too. "Sorry I worried you."

hanging gallow

"Oh, well thats good, I'm not very fond of bugs, especially ones that sting" Alona said gleefully that no bugs where there to harm her. However she noticed that Loki had said that she was a ground soquili, a ground soquili? Alona had never been called that before and wondered exactly what it meant, however she could tell it was something he wished not to bring up at the moment, so she would wait and ask when he was less nervous and uncomfortable. Alona had to think of what to say to the young colt..."do you like snow Loki?" she asked looking at the sky again.

Cihiru

"Bugs are okay, I think. Especially the fuzzy ones. Caterpillars. The ones with big wings are kinda nice too. They're pretty sometimes." He 'hmm'ed contemplatively, tilting his head again when she asked about snow. He knew what it was by mention, but... Well, he'd never actually seen snow before. "I hear it's pretty and fun and nice. So I guess I like snow. But I heard it's really cold too; I'm not too sure about that part. Do you?"

hanging gallow

"Of course it is really cold, but when it all melts it turns to water, oh and it is soo much fun to chase after snowflakes trying to eat them, oh! you will have a great surprise when the snow comes," Alona said joyfully. Alona loved the snow, she loved how it created a big white blanket on the ground, and she loved how when you ate a snowflake falling from the sky that it would turn to water in her mouth, she couldn't wait for the snow.

Cihiru

"I'll take your word for it..." He liked cold and all, but freezing cold was another issue entirely, and he had a hard time getting past that. He'd have to wait and see though, he told himself, if only for Alona's enthusiasm. It couldn't be too bad, right? "What else do you like?" Loki's ears flicked foward curiously.

hanging gallow

"Oh! I like alot of things, I like the fall because then you can play in the piles of leaves, and I like the wind because it feels wonderfully, i love the night with the moon and stars, oh! and I love to play games" she said enthusiactically. "What do you like Loki?" she said to him giving him a cheerful smile.

Cihiru

"Um..." The colt tilted his head again, actually thinking hard this time. While there weren't a lot of things he actively disliked, he hadn't really thought about things he actually liked either. "I like... spring, with the rain and the animals coming out of hiding after winter. And the sky, and running," and flying, he mused. Yes, he was sure he'd love flying. "And flowers, too." Loki blushed beneath his fur, knowing flowers were kind of a silly thing for a colt like him to appreciate. But they were pretty and peaceful, and many smelled so wonderfully. Some even tasted good!

hanging gallow

"Oh! yes flowers are wonderful too, but some of them aren't very tasty" Alona made a silly yuckie face as she thought about eating certain flowers, "oh! and running and racing is so much fun, even if you don't win it so much being able to run with the earth under you hooves dancing across the meadow, now that is fun" Alona said similing at the young colt, she was glad that he was cheeful.

Cihiru

Loki almost mirrored her expression, his overly active imagination and faithful memory reminding him just how badly some flowers did taste. "Yeah..." Leaving thoughts of bitter flowers behind, he rolled his ears forward and looked again at Alona. "Don't think of it like racing. Winning and losing. It's just running with someone else! And trying to keep up with eachother makes it more fun. Gives you a reason to run faster and try harder." He nodded thoughtfully, giving a soft, almost wistful sigh.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed when Loki mirrored her face. "Your right Loki, I never thought of it that way before" Alona said looking at the young colt "you know what, one day you going to be a very wise stallion" she said cheefully while smiling at him. She was amazed at how deep Loki was, and how he didn't fail at noticing every little detail of life. He amazed her of how bright he was, even though he was so young.

Cihiru

He winced mentally at her laugh; not that he blamed her, but his gaze drifted away for a moment. And he dragged it back when her words met his ears. "Thank you. I hope so." The colt smiled broadly for a moment, proud and appreciative of the praise. He hadn't heard anything remotely like it since... Well, since their mother died. How long had it been, now? His expression dampened, but he was still hoping not to be too obvious. He hated troubling others, even though he made it sound like he didn't want Kali to care when she tried to help out. He just wanted to take care of himself; be self sufficient and not have to bother anyone.

hanging gallow

"You are an interesting foal, Loki, but I enjoy your company," Alona said as she sat down in the grass. Her thoughts wandered as she looked at the sky. Troubling thoughts came but she shook them away, she tried not to think of the past too much, she wasn't very fond of it, however she was glad that she wasn't alone any more. She had lived a very lonely childhood, no parents, no other soquilis, no one but her, but she was happy it was gone,it was nice being able to talk to others about things that they liked or even just to play games, change was good.

Cihiru

"I'm glad 'interesting' isn't a bad thing." His nose wrinkled at that. Yes, interesting was better than different. He didn't think he liked being different. People looked at you funny for being different. Sometimes they made fun of you. Others treated you poorly or ignored you entirely. They wanted everyone to be similar enough to be the same. Or maybe it was just wind soquilis. He'd spent so much time wishing he had wings, he'd forgotten just how poorly some of them had acted. They looked down on the 'ground' soquilis, but why? He didn't want to look down on anyone. He wanted everyone to be happy, even though he didn't always show it. "Alona? What are you looking at?..." Loki blinked curiously and tried to follow her gaze to the sky, understanding she was probably daydreaming but wanting to avoid asking what she was thinking about.

hanging gallow

Alona shook herself from her thoughts, "Oh! i was watching the clouds, i'm trying to figure out if that one cloud looks like a heart or a moon" she said smiling to Loki. She didn't want to bother him with the thoughts of her childhood or make the mood depressing. "Interesting is always a good thing, I like things that are interesting, they give life more flavor that way" she said nodding her in agreement with it.

Cihiru

He double-checked the sky, trying to spot the particular cloud she was referring to. "I think..." The colt squinted and craned his head to the side. "It's a moon." Actually, he thought it looked a bit like a mushroom, but didn't want to correct her or sound disagreeable. "And that one's a star," he offered instead, looking back at the mare once he was satisfied. "Interesting is good, to a point." He wrinkled his nose as more exotic things came to mind. "After that, it's just weird. Like spiders, or those bugs that leave their skins behind. I guess it could be interesting, but I don't think they're very likable." Loki stuck his tongue out again. "Or how about a soquili that eats meat. Is that interesting?" Disgusting, if you asked him.

hanging gallow

"Your right that one does look like a star, i agree i think it looks closer to a moon than a heart" she said nodding her head. She agreed about the bugs and listened to him and nodded her head in agreement. "A soquili that eats meat?" Alona wrinkled her nose in disgust "now that, is just pure evil if you ask me, but then again...... maybe we would seem werid to them for just eatting grass, i always wonder how it is being a different point of view, and watch us to see what they see, I wonder how they would feel about us," she said half in thought and half speaking out. "Do you ever think of what it is like in another point of view Loki" she asked when she looked at him.

Cihiru

He was slightly taken aback by that, and it took him a moment to piece together an answer. On one hand, he did sometimes wonder what others were thinking. But on the other, he didn't really care at times. It didn't matter to him that someone else may not agree - it was still what he thought, and knowing what someone else thought didn't alter his opinion. "Sometimes, but," his ears tilted backward as he continued. "In the end, it doesn't always matter. It won't change my opinion."

hanging gallow

Alona giggled a little at Loki,"seeing a different view doesn't mean you need to change your opinion, but it is always a good thing to know about," Alona said looking at him "being stubborn is a good thing at times, it keeps you from having people push you around too much and it allows you to stand up for yourself, however sometimes being stubborn can be bad, if you don't watch you may end up hurting the people you love" Alona said looking off into the distance.

Draculas Babe

Cyrus had been playing with a buckskin ball filled with leaves at his teepee. He kicked it around, usually Lily joined him but she wasn't their. He then started walking around with it. He left it as he heard a specific voice. Alona. He also heard a new one. He had felt bad for leaving her earlier with Sora. The ebony stallion walked towards her voice.

As he approached she was giggling and laughing. Then she started getting really serious. He cantered a little ways. He didn't want to intrude so he stopped and nickered to her and the little colt as he observed.

hanging gallow

Alona's ears perked up at the sound of Cyrus's nicker, she was still wondering if he was alright from yesturday he had left so quickly that it had her worried. She nickered back that he could come. She knew that Cyrus, if anyone, could cheer up the colt and give him advice.

Draculas Babe

Cyrus trotted over to the two. "Hello, Alona." he beamed. He looked at the colts. "Good evening. I'm Cyrus," he said in a soft tone. "Who might you be?" he asked rather curiously. It almost seemed everyday he was out he met someone knew which made his day great. He loved meeting new Soquilis. He watched the colt interested in his answer.

Cihiru

"Right." Loki didn't put much weight in 'hurting those he loved.' Kali got on his nerves all the time, how else was he supposed to stay sane? He didn't have much time to dwell on it though; an unfamiliar voice demanded his attention. He adverted his gaze to observe the new soquili, noting the stallion knew Alona already. "Loki," he stated simply, nodding greeting at the other. "Glad to meet you."

 

[Cihiru]

04.05 Soquili + Mountain Lion = Pain: Loki & Kaga


Twiddle

A butterfly landed on Kaga's head as he slept, the small orange bug settling down on his forehead. He opened one eye as he felt it, trying to see it he crossed said eye, looking rather goofy as he did. He lifted up his head, still watching the butterfly. The bug ahd thought it was on rock of some kind, so when it started to move, it was a bit scary. It flew off his head and over towards a flower, hoping this usually nice object wouldn't start moving out of the blue. Kaga watched it for a moment, and yawned, shaking his head, his mane flying about around him. Looking around, he wondered if any other horses were around, since he hadn't seen any for quite some time.

Cihiru

Loki occupied himself with a lengthy run; an opportunity to stretch his new-found limbs and accustom himself to a form that had at first seemed cumbersome. It didn't take long to convince himself this was a good change, though. He leaped easily over obstacles he'd had trouble with before, his hooves gliding with ample clearance as he made impressive jumps, kicking up dirt and trampled leaves in his wake. He could feel muscles propelling him faster, too, as the wind pushed past him quicker than before. Yes, this was a good change. Satisfied, Loki slowed his stride, settling finally into a casual trot just fast enough to make his no-longer-short tail stream behind him.

Twiddle

Kaga's ear spun around as he heard the familiar sound of hooves pounding the earth. He looked around, following the sound, until he spotted the shape of another stallion, a white one. He stood up, shaking himself off, before letting out a whinny to make his presence known. He strode over towards the other horse, his skin twitching as he felt a fly land on his side. He looked over the young stallion curiously, wondering who this new male was. "Hello," He said, with a slight smile, knowing it would get him nowhere to be rude.

Cihiru

He had almost expected someone to 'interrupt.' He'd been bumping into others a lot recently, for some reason or another. Not that he minded, it was just an observation. And it didn't particularly take him by surprise when a whinny broke the relative silence. Loki's ears twitched at it, swiveling curiously toward the stranger as he halted his pace. "'Afternoon." The stallion bowed his head politely, giving himself a moment to observe the other once he'd righted it. He couldn't help himself; his first thought was another wingless... Shaking his head as a sort of reminder, he warned himself to worry about it less. Kali had met several ground soquilis a few days before. Something told him he'd be seeing too many more to take note of it. Oh, right. "I'm Loki. You are?..."

Twiddle

Kaga noticed the other eyed him for a moment, though he couldn't help but do the same. The stallions tail was what intrigued him most, how very long it was! He shook the thought off as he heard the other speak. "I'm Kaga Kohaku, Kaga for short." He said with a nod. "Nice to meet you." He smiled a little, a bit lost for words. It seemed his recent non-exposure to the other horses had left him a bit dumbstruck at what to say, even though he was one of thier kind he was used to not talking, being with his human companion most of the time.

Cihiru

"Well then. Glad to meet you, Kaga." Loki added an earnest smile, and gave his tail an idle flick. "Am I boring you already?" The stallion tilted his head at the other, giving a teasing, questioning expression. "That's a record, I think. Usually, I at least manage to get past introductions!" he snorted, more at himself than anything, and only in jest anyway. "And to help myself recover - What do you do to pass the time, Mister Kaga?" He hoped at least one line would strike the other as interesting enough to spark conversation. If not, he wasn't sure what else he'd be able to come up with.

Twiddle

Kaga smiled, chuckling a little at Loki, though it was more of an odd nicker. "Well, I haven't really seen many others around lately, excuse my lack of conversation." He said, smiling a bit sheepishly. "And I do what everyone else does for fun; run, swim, eat." He grinned, "That last one is one of my favorites." He chuckled at himself and looked over to Loki again. "And what about you? You look like you had been running." He noted the other stallion had been breathing heavy when they first were introduced, and could see his muscles still flexing with adrenalin of the run.

Cihiru

Loki shook his head. "If anyone should apologize, it's me. For being boring, of course. But I don't much think it's worth worrying over either way." He gave a sort of equine shrug; tilted his head and bowed it in an 'oh well' motion. "Eating for fun? That's a new one." Ears leaning forward curiously, he raised a brow. "Guess I'll try that sometime. And ah, that..." The stallion's gaze strayed for a moment, but he returned it quickly thereafter. "Just trying to stretch a bit. Kali called me fat just last night!" Actually, he knew she'd been joking, but it felt right to reference it anyway. Anyone with functional eyes could see he was well muscled at best, and at least athletic at worst. "Thought I might go run off some of that excess weight. And hey, I think it worked." Loki paced in a small circle, displaying himself for scrutinizing.

Twiddle

Kaga laughed, nodding. "Well, Kali was it? certaintly was wrong when she called you fat. Now me," He did the same, walking in a circle to show off himself, "I'm fat." He chuckled, knowing it wasn't true. He wasn't quite as muscled as Loki, but he was nowhere near fat either. He did have a few excess pounds however, "I think I'd be up for a run, if you'd like to join me." He said, cocking his head to one side slightly, ears perked forward curiously. He hadn't had a really good run in a while, and hey, maybe he really could shed some of those excess pounds.

Cihiru

"Alas..." He gave an exaggerated sigh, ears even drooping slightly. "I don't think I can take you up on that. These tired limbs might object if I tried to make them haul me around at racing speeds much longer." Loki lifted a hoof as he referred to them. "Maybe some other time though, when I'm not feeling fat, lazy, and tired. Besides..." He lifted his nose to the wind, sniffing blatantly, his velvety nostrils flaring. "When lunch calls, you answer!" The decidedly sweet scent was taunting his senses, and didn't show any signs of fading, despite the gentle breeze carrying it away.

Twiddle

Kaga chuckled and nodded. "Alright then," He sniffed the air, catching a faint whiff of what Loki smelled. "Ah, now, that's a passtime I'm the master of." He grinned, trotting towards the smell, following his eager nose, and his even more eager stomach. He had eaten not long ago, but he was always up for another round. He glanced up, and spotted a few rather plump apples sitting in the tree tops, taunting him with thier scent and sight. He backed away from the tree, then lined up one back hoof with the trunk, and hit it hard; leaving a hoof mark in the bark. A few apples fell, and Kaga trotted out of the way, barely escaping one that would have hit him directly on the noggin. He grinned to Loki and picked one up, chomping it away in a few bites.

Cihiru

Loki, on the other hand, hadn't eaten in so long he couldn't remember if it was just (many) hours ago, or the previous day. It all sort of blurred together... All he cared was that it smelled delicious, and was relieved to find it 'ripe for the picking' rather than someone else's afternoon meal. At least, it was a comfort until one of them hit him square on the head. He didn't notice until after, Kaga was dodging incoming fruit assailants. "Should have seen that one coming." He shook off the initial sting, wondering briefly if it hit him hard enough to leave a knot later. Rather than dwelling on it though, he launched an attack of his own against the offender, snapping off a large hunk of fruit.

Twiddle

Kaga laughed, smiling at him apologetically. "I didn't think you were in the line of attack, sorry." He said, chuckling a bit still. He took another apple, eating it a bit slower than the first, though it was still gone in a matter of a couple minutes. "I love the apples this tree has," Kaga explained, and he nodded his head to show Loki the trees trunk. Along with the fresh hoof mark, there was a series of other ones alongside it. "I come here pretty often as you can see." He chuckled and finished off the last of his apple, smacking his lips together as he always did after a good meal.

Cihiru

"No harm done. I don't think, anyway." The apple tasted good enough he wasn't too worried about it, and he too grabbed seconds after finishing off the first. "I can tell," he commented between bites. Apples were something of a treat for him; there weren't any trees near the vicinity he inhabited. At least, not fruit trees like this one, and it was rare for him to happen accross one. Loki made a note to try and remember where they were though; the meal was definately worth the travel.

Twiddle

Kaga smiled, and his ear picked up a sound he'd heard before. He looked around, and spotted a large mountain lion, approaching them quietly. His ears flattened back against his skull, and he snorted, pawing the ground with one hoof. "Loki," He said, keeping his eyes on the predator, "stand back." He watched as the cat came running at him, the feline knew he'd been spotted, so he jumped and tried to wrap his large paws around Kaga's neck. Kaga wouldn't let it happen though; he turned as the cat flew through the air, and bucked him in the jaw.

Cihiru

He wasn't sure if the faint rustle of moving wildlife or the way Kaga peered around alerted him more, but he took no hesitation in doing the same. Loki's eyes must have fallen on the creature about the same time as the other's, because his ears pinned too, and he lowered his head aggressively. Kaga's words fell on mostly deaf ears though; he didn't care to listen. Stand back? Not likely. This was an animal for which he felt no remorse. The sight of it sparked a fire in his eyes; it had been a while. The stallion pushed himself up into a rear, hovering briefly before his forelegs came crashing against the ground. He barreled toward the fallen feline then, warning it to run before he had opportunity to trample it.

Twiddle

Kaga was a bit surprised by the other's actions. He hadn't expected Loki to challenge the cat, as he was used to most other Soquili being afraid of the predators. He pushed the thoughts aside, looking at the cat, which, like Loki, didn't want to back down. "Not likely, horse." The cat growled at him, running to meet Loki head on. He jumped, trying to avoid the horses hooves, his jaw pounding with pain from Kaga's hoof.

Cihiru

It spoke to him? His disgust made him slide to a stop, pulling his haunches beneath him to center his balance. He failed to anticipate the leap though, and found the cat launching at him before he could react.

Twiddle

Kaga spotted the cat pouncing, and they all knew he had an opening as Loki stopped. Kaga was swift; but not swift enough. He managed to knock the beast off course as he ran at it, but it still got a hold of Loki's neck and back. Kaga snorted at it, but didn't try to kick or rear at it, he knew he'd end up hitting Loki instead. He watched, helpless, hoping Loki could help himself.

Cihiru

It was okay, he knew it would get ahold of him when he saw it jump. Telling himself it was going to happen made it a little easier to say it didn't hurt. He could deal with the sting, and had a better time keeping a cool head and the voice of reason. He had to stay calm. Loki reared again, lashing at the air with his forelegs. To his disappointment, the feline's grip didn't loosen. Rather, what he was sure was a pair of jaws clamped a muscle in his neck. Well, maybe it wasn't jaws, but this was pain he wasn't prepared for. He whinnied involuntarily, and tried to chase away his desperation. Think. Blood was beginning to stream down his leg... Think, think! Ah, yes. The stallion sidestepped quickly, throwing his weight against a tree and, hopefully, the cat too.

Twiddle

Kaga cringed and walked frantically from side to side, wishing he could help. He watched as the cat sunk it's jaws into his new friend, and he snorted and reared, though stayed where he was. His ears perked up though, as he watched Loki smash the cat into the tree. From the weight of the two together, the tree shook violently, and a bunch of apples fell from the tree tops. A few hit the cat on the head, making him lossen his iron grip on the stallion. He fell off the horse, and ran as fast as he could from the two horses and thier tree. Kaga reared in voctory, and trotted over to Loki, "Are you alright??" He asked, looking over his new friend.

Cihiru

Loki gave a heavy sigh as the cat took off for the hills, not daring to look back. "I've been better." He hadn't realized he was breathing so heavily; his sides heaved, and he could have sworn he heard his heart pounding around somewhere. "Been worse too though." The stallion managed a small smile, but he bent his neck the best he could to... well, observe the weight of the destruction. The claw holes weren't too bad, he was pleased to see. Just punctures with small tears; no gaping holes or anything. It was the bite on his neck that was producing the stream of blood spiraling down his leg. Oh, and causing that burning stiffness in his muscles. He could walk just fine though, and that was a definite bonus. "Could probably use a bath or something though. I smell positively disgusting." Blood had a horrible scent.

Twiddle

Kaga nodded a little. "Well at least you're alright, for the most part." He motoned Loki to follow him, and he walked in the direction he knew had a lake near it. "There's a lkae not too far, you can get cleaned up then. The smell of blood is just going to atrract more predators, so we should hurry." He said with a slight nod, not wanting to go through that ordeal again.

Cihiru

Loki was having a hard time deciding if he was satisfied with the outcome. Part of him was fairly certain he would have killed it, and maybe even wanted to kill it. Another part was far more compassionate, and minuscule though it was, it did make him wonder. "Lead the way." He didn't much want to fuss with talking about the potential of other predators arriving, nor did he feel it an appropriate opportunity for casual conversation. He just wanted to follow quietly and have the tension end.

Twiddle

Kaga nodded a little, glancing back to Loki. He knew the stallion was still young, and it had shaken him pretty badly. He wasn't sure if he had ever been in contact with a cougar before, but even if he hadn't, Kaga hoped neither of them would again. After a few minutes of silent walking, Kaga turned and stopp, motioning with his head to where the lake was. "Right through here." He said, walking through the last patch of trees and brush, coming out to a large lake, the sun glistening off the waters surface.

Cihiru

He had seen a mountain lion once before. Well, he hadn't seen it so much as he remembered it. It was hard to forget, actually. The creature had killed his mother, and he wasn't likely to forget that any time soon. He tried not to think about it though; Loki found dwelling on it made him guilty, and feeling guilty made him irritable. Even more so than usual. He wasn't fond of that. "Thank you." The lake seemed a little surreal; so calm and undisturbed. He didn't worry about marring a picture perfect scene though, and walked straight into the pool instead. Water was comforting against his coat, and soothed muscles that were beginning to tighten in protest.

Twiddle

Kaga nodded and watched him for a moment, though he wanted to leave Loki in peace for a bit. He had an idea, "I'm gonna go grab some of those apples that fell. No use putting them to waste." He said with a grin, and trotted off back towards the tree. He didn't eat any apples though, and he remained by the marred tree for a while before returning with the fruit, hoping to give Loki some privacy.

 

[Cihiru]

04.06 Not So Minor Annoyances: Loki, Alona & Sora


hanging gallow

Alona left Lilly alone sleeping in the teepee as she took off for her morning walk. She never really stayed in the village very long and wandered off to the meadow. She stood on the small hill that overlooked the valley, in which was a her favorite spot, and watched the birds flutter from tree to tree as the sun rose taking the frost from the gound.

Takakun

Sora shook his head, muttering about two legged humans and breakfast. In truth he was grumbling about how his bonded humans keep trying to keep him in the teepee during the season of long cold, but the gray soquili wanted to be in the forest and in the air that he loves. So he had took off and now was wandering the grounds outside the village, half sorry about leaving the boy back home...........
He caught scent of another soquili and looked up.."Alona! Hi...." he called out and trotted to her.

Cihiru

'Hmm'ing softly to himself, Loki quietly enjoyed the morning chorus as he debated his daily plans. At times, it was a relief to be free from major responsibilities. He didn't have anything to do except worry about his own well-being and happiness. And therein lay a problem - He wasn't overly difficult to keep happy, often leaving him bored and at a loss for what to do. Times like this, he set himself into motion, and did his best to let his hooves do the walking. Instead, he occupied himself with... other things. Whatever came to mind.

And the immediate concern was the sudden realization that bodies really weren't designed to absorb physical abuse, and healing generally meant something had gone wrong to begin with. And he ached. The sores had closed relatively well, but he couldn't pretend the bite and claw marks didn't hurt at least a little. The stallion mentally noted to consider consequences in the future, as he didn't particularly enjoy injury. Not to mention the way he had to narrate everything once Kali laid eyes on him and gave a panicked 'what happened?!' Sighing, Loki dropped the thoughts from his mind and cast a glance at his surroundings, as he hadn't really been paying attention. This field was familiar...

hanging gallow

Alona head perked her head up at the sound of a familar voice. "Hey Sora, enjoying the morning view" she said looking at the sun that had just reach the over the tip of the trees.

Takakun

He grinned, flicking his flowing tail. "Whatcha looking at?" he said, peering around her, "anything interesting? lemme see leeme see...."
He blew little wisps of ice breathe as circled her, his silvery hooves crunching on the grass beneath.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed "I'm watching the sun rise sora" she said smiling, She noticed another soquili out in the field, however she didn't recongize who it was. It was a large grey soquili, but the only large grey soquili that Alona knew was standing beside her. She wondered who it was, and if he or she had notice them standing there.

Takakun

"The sun rise?" His ears twitched and he stared for a moment, "It does look nice...all goldish........do you..." he got distracted, and turned his head, "hey who's that....?"

Cihiru

Voices? Loki's ears perked and swiveled curiously, quickly pinpointing their origin. One, too, seemed familiar... He trotted lazily in their direction, hoping to satiate his suspicions, and at least provide himself with company if nothing else. He could tell they were soquilis, anyway.

"Good morning," he called as he approached, spotting a figure he believed was Alona, and a stranger. Closing the distance confirmed this, and he nodded to himself. Yes, this was good. He liked the mare, and was learning to appreciate making friends. "Alona." Loki greeted her with a small bow of his head, catching out of the corner of his eye a look he believed meant she didn't quite recognize him. This made him smile broadly, a hint of mischief sparkling in his expression as he straightened his posture and looked to them both.

Takakun

Sora stamped his feet in greeting, bobbing his head, "hello. I'm Sora. " He grinned widely, seeing almost a complete double fo himself. The new soquili seemed slightly sleepy though, common in the time of long cold, so Sora swung his head, indicating to the ground, " care for some breakfast?"

hanging gallow

Alona tilted her head to one side, which in most ocassions when she was confused or thinking greatly about something, in which she was. She thought who could this be, and how does he know my name... thoughts reminded her of a colt that she had once meant named Loki, she had enjoyed his company and counted him as a friend to her, even for a colt he was quite thoughtful and interesting. She looked at the fine grey soquili and asked "Loki, is that you, my you have grown, i almost didn't recongize you at all" she said with a look of surprise and happiness on her face.

Cihiru

"Hello, Sora." It was customary for one to follow an introduction with his name; and usually, he did. His mind was toying with ideas though, and giving away his identity just yet didn't seem much fun. I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else. Loki is a friend of mine, he mused. He speaks well of you though; I was hoping it was you... The stallion nodded; he couldn't bring himself to jest with the genuine and kind mare. "Maybe." He grinned jokingly instead. "It's alright, I don't think I'd recognize me either if I had to look at myself." Loki glanced to Sora briefly, shaking his head apologetically. "Thank you, but I've already eaten. I wouldn't mind tagging along though, if either of you are hungry?..."

Takakun

The soquili seemed to have paused for thought. Usually speaking everything on his mind, Sora wonders what the other could be thinking. But he seemed friendly enough, so he gave a happy neigh back. "How bout you alona? what do you want to do?"

hanging gallow

Alona laughed as she said "oh! thats good..it is you i wasn't even sure if i was right myself, your name came to mind so i made a guess..." Alona was relieved that it was Loki, when she had met him she wasn't quite sure if it was him or if she had mistaken him for someone else. "I'm not quite hunger either, I sort of took and apple from my keepers basket this morning" she smiling "she normals leaves it outside for any passing soquili to munch on"

Cihiru

"Your keeper?" This was a new word to him, and though he was accustomed to picking up words from context, he couldn't figure out what she could possibly mean. What would leave an apple out for a passing soquili? Thoroughly puzzled, Loki caught himself tilting his head with a furrowed brow. He must have looked dumbfounded. Scoffing at himself, he righted his posture and hoped his embarrassment didn't show too blatantly.

Takakun

Sora noticed the puzzled look on Loki and laughed, "I hear my big brother says the word bond. Our bonded two leggeds who lives with us. For us we live in the village. Where do you usually roam? I haven't seen you around before....."
He swung over to Loki and smiled again, hoping the two would run with him.

hanging gallow

Alona looked at Loki oddly "yes my keeper, or the human i'm bonded to, i call her keeper just for short, ....don't you have one?" Alona asked. She thought all soquilis were bonded to a human, but maybe it was just a few, or some that weren't. She watched as he looked confused but straighten himself up to keep himself looking dumbfounded, she laughed to herself. Even now he kept his appearance of pride, but it didn't bother her, he was thoughtful, and he thought differently from other soquilis and at time he could be wise. She enjoyed his company and friendship either way.

Cihiru

Bonds? Humans? Village? The latter, at least, was a word he recognized... even if he didn't know where the village they apparently lived was. "... No?" He could feel heat rising in his cheeks, though he was proud of himself for staying mostly composed this time. Was everyone supposed to have a human? "I wander wherever seems right at the time..." And realizing that wasn't overly helpful, he added "Usually the forest, though." He must have loved the middle of nowhere, because he was fairly certain he'd never even seen a 'human' before.

hanging gallow

Alona watched Loki's expression. He apparently had never met a human before and it seemed to trouble him. "Well, not every soquili is bonded with human" Alona said hopeing to keep him from feeling embarresed or bothered "I didn't get to be bonded with a human until this fall, I use to wander around everywhere, however I was alone in doing so, ", she said turning her head to look at the trees. Her past wasn't something she didn't want to drag out in the open at the moment.

Takakun

"c'mon you two. the day is too young to waste away. let's run!"
With a turn, the gray soquili dashed away, his strong long legs taking him far in a matter of seconds.
His long mane and tail streaming in the wind, blood pumping, Sora gave a victorious neigh as he enjoyed the icy wind across his face.

Cihiru

Considering he wasn't 'bonded', that much was obvious. And not the least bit comforting. The following comment was consoling though, and he told himself not to let it get to him. Just shrug it off; no human hadn't mattered thus far.

Sora's impatience caused him to frown lightly. This wasn't wasting the day away... Since when was conversing and enjoying the company of others a bad thing? He didn't think you had to be running or eating or doing something productive all the time to make good use of a day. And as such, he was reluctant to follow the other's dash toward the horizon, and instead looked at Alona to see what she would do.

hanging gallow

She smiled at Loki and said "you'll have to excuse sora, he means well, he is just very playful and at time he tends to act much like a colt, but he is kind, but he is not fond of conversations." Alona gave Loki a small nuzzled him slightly on his shoulder and said " come on we best not keep him waiting, besides I remember you once said that you enjoyed running, and you told me it wasn't racing, so come on you couldn't have grown out of running yet" she stood looking at Loki to see if he would follow her down slope.

Cihiru

Frowns didn't suit him. He nodded his understanding, adding a smile for comfort. "Fair enough, but..." He took a few steps to get started. "I still don't think we were being wasteful. And of course I still like running." The stallion took off at a canter, pacing himself until he could tell Alona was nearby. Now, where had Sora gone?... He hadn't cared enough to pay attention at the time.

hanging gallow

Alona followed just a hair bit behind Loki smiling, she didn't want to go at full speed until they had found Sora but was glad that Loki still enjoyed running. She had agreed with Loki, they weren't wasting their time at all, infact Alona enjoyed having conversations with Loki, however she knew that Sora found it quite tedious at times, but she didn't want to hurt anyone feelings by completely ingoring them or being mean so she would wait to continue having a conversation with Loki when Sora either ran out of breath, or had to go home. However she hoped that Loki didn't mind. She realized that she was thinking far too much and not concentrating on looking for Sora who had dashed away first. She wondered where he had dashed off to.

Takakun

Having left them behind, Sora had forgotten to watch if Alona and Loki had followed. He had now reached the edge of the forest, and slowed to a trot. Glancing back, he was surprised to not see the two and paused. where are they... he wondered, half aware that sometimes in the excitement of the moment he tended to lose track of other soquilis. Chiding himself slightly, he wandered around the edge, half heartedly biting at any berry bushes. He had liked spending time with the brown mare, finding her warm and he wished they could atleast spend a day together.
He sighed....and stamped his foot.

Cihiru

He picked up his pace a bit once Alona neared, figuring it was best to find Sora as soon as possible without losing each-other in the process. And with that thought in mind, he sniffed questioningly at the air. Despite having far from a tracker's sense of smell, he hoped to find some clue of the other's whereabouts... Especially since the mare didn't seem to know where he wandered either. "Any ideas?" he called to her, still searching as he did so. Alona had known Sora a while, right? Maybe she'd have some clue as to where he went, because he sure didn't know. In the meantime, he took a stab at a guess and directed his path toward the forest.

hanging gallow

Alona realized that Loki didn't know where Sora was either. She looked around...hmmm...alona thought...if i was Sora where would i go... Alona pondered and notice Loki take off walking in the direction of the forest.. ah ha! ...Alona thought that would be the best place to look first... "My guess would be the same as yours" Alona replied, "He may have headed towards the forest, knowing him he is probably nipping on some berries" she said smiling as she got up beside Loki.

Cihiru

"About time something came up I could help with." Forest berries he could manage! Loki knew most of the area well, and from that point it was just a matter of time to get there. Not a very difficult task at all; there were plenty of bushes bordering the forest boundary, which was pulling into sight by now. As they neared it, he cast a glance around, and sniffed again. "Sora?" Ears perked, he listened for a response, or even the sound of movement in the distance. Surely he was around here somewhere... The stallion wasn't keen on wandering around all day looking for someone that just had to wander off.

Takakun

He was turning around in circles trying to n** at his tail. It was a silly sight, a grown soquili turning around and around, with silvery gray mane and tail whipping about. Sora laughed, a high neighing sound. Then he spotted to familiar soquilis and half reared. "there you are! where have you been!" He ran to them and started nuzzling Alona.

hanging gallow

Alona nuzzled sora back. "We have been looking for you silly" Alona said smiling at sora. "You took off without a warning chance for us to keep up with you" Alona laughed.

Cihiru

Movement caught his attention - he turned to look, but Sora was already racing toward them. And then awkwardness struck him like a load of bricks. Loki cast his gaze away and studied the trees instead, making a step or two to distance himself. He felt like an outsider, intruding on them but unsure how to dismiss himself without appearing even ruder than he did already. So he settled for admiring the landscape and doing his best to listen to the birds' cheerful chorus instead of eavesdropping.

Takakun

"I'm sorry....."but the look of delight on his face showed how he felt and he bopped his head, "come come....I found berries! Isn't the forest great..............there so much nice food...............I've missed coming here" a wistful look came onto his face.

hanging gallow

"Well on the bright side, I can always count on you to find food Sora, you have been couped up way to long for your own good" she said laughing at his enthusaim. Alona noticed Loki's attempt to make himself look less noticable. She walked over to him and said "come on, if you feel as if your intruding your not, I promise," she shook her head in agreement and followed Sora.

Cihiru

He really did try, but he couldn't ignore the entirety of their conversation. Mention of food made him wince; he still wasn't hungry, and having it presented in this manner didn't sound the least bit appetizing. "Easy for you to say." The stallion looked to Alona, flashing an understanding smile in an attempt not to spread his discomfort. "If you insist." Loki did turn and follow, but trailed a bit behind, not entirely sold on the 'you're not intruding' comment. Sora acted as though he wasn't even there; if that wasn't intruding, he wasn't sure what was.

 

[Cihiru]

04.07 A Lesson in Educated Guesses: Loki & Sanuye


Lauren de Vampyre

The gentle rays of the sun slowly crept above the horizon as the morning presented itself to the world. A lone figure stood among the many miniature rolling hills, among the lengthy grass that swayed to and fro with every breath of wind, and watched silently as the sun presented itself to the world. The figure only moved slightly, a twitch of an ear, when the warmpth of those rays cascaded over her dark-colored body and over the mariad of designs that covered her coat. Cold bursts of mist eminated from the figures nostrils as she continued to breathe gently, her hot air mixing with the cold morning's.
Finally, after a few more minutes of waiting silently the sun had fully risen and the day had once more begun. It was only then that the lone creature moved and walked down the hill she had been standing on. With the light of the sun shining brightly, it was clear to any onlooker that the figure had always been that of a horse. An extraordinary horse. Instead of the natural colors that were bestowed upon every horse, this coat was adorned with a deep burnt red coloring. Upon that coloring was markings unlike those previously seen by any being, be it animals or the two-legged humans....until recently.

Sanuye lifted her head and let out a playful whinny and reared up with her front hooves scratching at air. Only the sunrise made her feel so alive. For that was what she was; a sunrise Spirited mare.

Finally free of her voluntary morning ritual, Sanuye began to canter down the grassland and over the various small hills that were spread out for miles. As she moved her gaze shifted to what she knew lay ahead; the human village. The mare had always been wary around humans and still had a general distrust for the two-legged animals. She had seen many of her own kind there, however, and wondered what it would be like. She had ventured into the villiage only once before and it had secured her suspicions about the nature of those humans. A human had dared try and mount her, and the results had been most humorous for any who had been there to witness it. Let us just say that the Indian who tried to mount her did not sit comfortable for a week.

It felt like it had been ages since the acursed event took place, and Sanuye was growing restless again. She had become accustomed to the rolling hillside that had been her home for as long as she could remember but there was something inside of her that was driving her to now seek the company of others, whether it be animal or human.

When Sanuye next lifted her head she snorted in suprise and came to a halt, realizing that she had gone further than she had intended. The village was only a few yards before her and she could hear the toiling of all the inhabitants, and even some whickers from her fellow horses. Her right hoof pawed at the ground, rustling up the dirt and the leaves which were fortunately not loud enough to alert anyone to her pressence.

All her senses told her that there were too many of the humans about, and that she should flee while she still had the chance. And yet another part of her urged her to stay, to continue watching.....

Cihiru

Always the late riser. Kali had given up on changing his ways some time ago, but still, he knew she would have groaned if she could see him now. But she couldn't - much to his relief, as she was off doing whatever it was annoying sisters did when they weren't being annoying. He gave a large yawn, throwing back his head and stretching finely muscled limbs, ending it all in a sigh that made his broad chest heave. When, finally, he convinced his eyes to open, they did so only slightly, cursing him with an I-just-woke-up expression as he cast his gaze around.

The sun was high enough now to throw its rays into his forest home, filtering beams through the thick canopy and spotting the leafy ground beneath it. He smiled slightly, appreciative of the knowledge that this morning... was not the morning he woke because the light was burning through his lids. Nor because Kali just had to yell in his ear. Nor because the nightmares that plagued him thought this time was a good time to make a visit. No, this was going to be a good day. It had to be, and he nodded assuredly.

Comforted with resolve, the stallion coiled muscles beneath him and sprang forward with full force, tearing through the woods at a gallop. His ivory colored hooves carried him easily, navigating with the experience only one who was raised here could possess. It was easy to get carried away - he'd go out of his way to leap over a fallen log, and weave his path through tightly spaced trees, giving a spirited buck every now and then. And he was out of forest before he realized it; he broke through the border without a thought, and pulled himself to a halt in the field on the other side. Loki threw a glance over his shoulder, at the forest line, then at the rolling hills ahead. May as well push ahead, he figured, and shrugged the unintentional detour away. But where to now?...

He observed his surroundings more carefully, sky blue orbs soaking up the countryside as he tried to settle on a new destination. Or, he could do things the old fashioned way and just go. Taking off without a plan never did hurt anything, right? Right. At least, not that he knew of; that would do. So, away he went again, limbs carrying him at a slightly more relaxed canter as he pushed through the swaying grasses, trying not to tell himself not that way as he crossed the countryside. He did a decent job of it too, wandering aimlessly, until he crested a hill with something in its valley that snagged his attention: the human village. Or the Kawani village, more specifically. At least, that's what he thought he heard Kali call it. She snooped around a lot more than he did, for one reason or another. Why was that, anyway? How interesting could a gathering of these... 'humans' really be? Loki snorted then, realizing he had no idea what humans were, and thus could hardly be a reliable judge on how interesting their settlements might be. They must not be too bad though, if Soquilis would willingly choose to accompany them.

Now was as good a time as any to find out! Surprised as his spontaneity, the youthful adult urged himself down the hill, pressing toward the village. Sounds quickly met his ears, so diverse in their variety it was nearly overwhelming. He had a hard time discerning where one ended and another began; it was all a mess of clanking and murmurs of what he blatantly assumed were voices. There were Soquilis too - or at least, what he thought were Soquilis. He could hear sparse whinnies, and as he neared, could smell them too. This was interesting, indeed. His curiosity piqued, Loki's reservations melted away, knowing too little to be worried and not enough to be satisfied.

Lauren de Vampyre

Sanuye's tail flicked idly as various insects sought to make her rump their perch, and listened to all the noises eminating from the village. There were strange noises, kinds that she had never heard before even in her brief interlude with the inhabitants. But that was to be expected, seeing as how she left in such a hurry last time. Shaking her head a little and tossing about her mane, she made herself forget about the past and concentrated instead on the sounds that were familiar to her; the sounds of her own kind. She listened, silently, for what seemed like minutes before coming to the conclusion that the sounds were not from Soquili that had been battered and broken by these humans, but they did indeed sound.......happy.

Her right foreleg pumped as her hoof pawed at the ground, and the chill morning air came out as puffs of smoke from her nostrills as she snorted. Torn between the two warring forces in her - that of curiosity and fear - she was just about to take a few steps foreward when another sound caught her attention. Swinging her head around to first the right, then the left, her eyes widened slightly as she spotted a white stallion Soquili who was also approaching the village (and by the looks of it with the same amount of trepidation she carried within her). Sanuye looked to the villiage, then back at him and decided the human village could and would wait. She called out a greeting whinny to announce her pressence, since sneaking up on another being could be unfortunate in many ways. She shook out her mane and happily made her way towards him.

Cihiru

One step, two steps, pause. Loki'd tilt his muzzle to the wind, velvet nostrils flaring as he took in the foreign smells, and flick his tail every now and then. There was the heavy tint of smoke, mixed with a sweet layer of lunch and the faintest hint of horses. He cocked his head skeptically when he caught sign of something he wasn't quite sure of, then shake it off and press forward. He continued in this manner to the village edge, where he pulled to a stop and planted his hooves, fixing his gaze on the Kawani inhabitants as they bustled to and fro along the streets. So these were 'humans'? Two-leggers? Bonds, even... The stallion could have watched them for what seemed like eternity, if not for the call that broke his transfixion. His head snapped to look toward its origin, his ears folding in the process. - An apprehensive reaction instinctive to one who'd been caught in the middle of something he thought he was doing unobserved. When his eyes landed on the Soquili, he bowed apologetically, and managed an embarrassed smile. "Er, 'morning!" Well then. That was graceful.

Lauryn de Vampyre

Sanuye continued to walk slowly towards the other Soquili and watched with interest as his face seemed to form the expression of a horse that had gotten its muzzle caught in another horse's feed. Oh yes, now she was interested. The sunrise mare quickened her pace now that her pressence had been acknowledge and she soon came a few feet away from the stallion, before stopping and whinnying another greeting.

"Aye, that it is. A bonny one at that." Sanuye looked from the stallion, to the villiage, and back to the stallion before finally asking, "Are ye from the dwelling o' the humans?" If he was, he would be able to answer a few questions that had been plaguing her mind most recently.

Cihiru

There, that wasn't so bad. Or at least, it hadn't been... until she spoke. Just as he thought he was going to manage a savvy recovery, her introduction pulled the rug out from under his feet and set his mind tumbling in surprise yet again. Her unusual coloring, he could handle. The accent was a slightly different matter - where was she from, exactly? And he thought he was an odd one. Oh well, not that it mattered. Loki shook his head, tossing forelocks from his crystaline eyes. "Afraid not..." He followed the mare's gaze to the village before fixing her with another look of apology. "But if you'd like to ask me something, I'll do my best to answer it with my complete and total lack of knowledge and ability." Much better; he managed to flash his characteristic lighthearted smile. "I bet I could make it sound like I know what I'm talking about."

The stallion looked back to the village then, and flicked his lengthy tail as he did his best not to get too absorbed by curiosities. Wouldn't want to get caught off-guard, again. He couldn't help but wonder though, what was it she was going to inquire about? Granted, he had plenty of interests of his own, but nothing really came to mind in regards to something he wanted to ask another. A question for a Soquili with more experience than he. "My name's Loki, by the way..." Maybe she'd enlighten him anyway. Or maybe she wouldn't. He shrugged mentally; time would tell.

Lauryn de Vampyre

At the first two words uttered, Sanuye's ears wilted in disapointment but then couldn't help but uplift as she choked back laughter that started to simmer in her stomach. The only physical sign of her supressed laughter was the glittering in her eye and the deep intake of breath. Oh, what the hell....the mare let out a whinny that was clearly laughter this time and did not care that it seemed a few seconds too late. Let him think what he wants. The sun had risen ever so slightly along the horizon and more of the Sun's rays began to filter in through the sparce tree's leaves and littered the ground with light. "Och, that be fine. I'm sure ye ken a wee more than I do anyhow."

Sanuye pawed at the ground lightly with her left hoof as she gnawed on the thoughts that were swimming through her conciousness, trying to choose a question that the other Soquili might know. "Well, about the humans then. Have they always been there? Do the humans treat the Soquilis fairly? I ken there are some in the villiage, for I just now heard them. Why would a Soquili want to live with the two-legged creatures anyway? What purpose do the humans serve, or what do they do?" She had meant to only ask one or two questions, but once her maw opened the others just came tumbling out as well. "Loki.." she mumbled, as if trying the name on her tongue. "Aye, a good name. I'm ken as Sanuye."

Cihiru

For a moment, he'd worried he might have said something to upset her - though he hadn't the faintest idea what that might have been; it was anybody's guess. His concerns were quickly soothed away though, by a laugh that might have been just a little too late. He didn't have much time to ponder it; deciphering this accent felt a bit like... Well, running through an unfamiliar forest. One where he had to keep contstant watch from the corner of his eye, for fear a branch or hole might catch him unsuspecting. So, what exactly was 'ken'? Something told him 'can' didn't make any sense, despite the phonetic similarity. He did, however, do a decent job of maintaining his composure (in spite of his confusion), and noted this to his satisfaction.

"Hold on a second." So, maybe he bit off a little more than he could chew. This 'sound like I know what I'm talking about' buisness just got a little more difficult; he was only moderately sure of one or two answers from a whole pile of questions. Loki chose to cautiously overlook the first and jump right to the second, as it was an inquiry he was most uncertain of and one of the hardest to make up. "Some do... some don't. Can't peg 'em all; no two Soquilis are the same, right? Why should humans be any different?" Yes, that sounded plausible; the stallion nodded to himself. 'I ken there are some in the village...' Oh! Know. 'I'm sure you know more than I do.' Okay, it made sense now. He would have nodded at this too, if not for redundancy. "Free food, shelter, protection - what more could a Soquili want? In all honesty though, I think it has more to do with companionship, or something of the sort." Not like he'd know anything about that. "I suppose they try to get by, just like the rest of us. What is there to do but try to make a living?"

He hoped his blatant improvisation would meet her approval. If not, it was a rather difficult conversation to change course; something he generally accelled at. So much weight on the current topic at hand left him in a bit of a figurative corner with no hallways to escape to. But rather than fretting over worst case scenerioes, he wished for the best and went instead with the tried and true: "pleased to meet you, Sanuye."

Lauryn de Vampyre

Sanuye listened attentively even though her tail idly flicked behind her to swat away pesky insects. A mutlitakser, she was. She could listen to a multitude of things at a time, for example the explinations from Loki as well as the song of the wind blowing through the ever so many leaves, which is also why she noticed his slight pause as he began to gather up all the knowledge he possessed about those two-legged creatures. Inwardly she smiled and rolled her eyes, but let none of that show upon her physically. She did not notice, however, that he had purposefully skipped the first question - though she would come to realize this later in the conversation.

Free food. That part did seem to catch her attention, so much so that her ears even perked foreward in curiosity. If what the stallion said was true, all the Soquili who housed themselves with these humans would be fed all the time and would never need worry about the cold months! She mulled over this fact while she still listened to the rest of Loki's explinations, although only have listening now. Grass was rampant but she was growing weary of eating mostly grass and whatever else she could find that was edible. If she could convince these two-leggers to give her food....
"Ye just mentioned protection. Are there many animals we need be worried about in these parts then?" Just because she had not yet had a violent encounter with a native animal didn't mean she wouldn't in the future.

Companionship. She hadn't thought about that word for such a long time it almost seemed alien to her. When she tried to scour her memory for any sign of a being that she knew, or knew her, she came out empty-hooved. Her past was a mystery to her as well to anyone who inquired it of her. The sunrise mare's ears continued to flick foreward as she mulled over the thoughts of what becoming a Soquili in a villliage would be like. If she DID ever deign to live among them, she would choose a special human to look after her. She didn't want the kind that had tried to mount her so many moons ago. Sanuye almost snorted in distast, but remembered she was with company and swallowed it.

Knowing she'd already asked another question, she continued foreward, "Have ye traveled into the villiage afore?"

Cihiru

The stallion had been studying her closely, paying particular heed to slight changes in expression or vague adjustments in posture. If she was going to call him out over something, he wanted to be aware of it as far in advance as possible; all the better to prepare for it! To his surprise, however... she appeared to have bought it. All of it. He could feel a brow arch involunatrily, cracking his feigned seriousness. Either he was a damn good guesser, or she had even less of a clue than he - Loki supposed either was probable, if he did say so himself.

Likewise, it came to his attention when she took exceptional interest in food, of the free and effortless variety. He nodded his conformation, for this he was certain of, and perked his ears forward at her followup. "Only half a dozen types or so," he added, leaning back his neck and shuffling his forequarters a bit to the side. "This is what it looks like when you meet a mountain lion unfortunate enough to let you live to tell about it." Loki's change in positioning had exposed a good deal of his chest and shoulders - and the healing, scarred wounds that marred them. An unusually deep and conspicuous bite gave a decent guess to the beast's size, particularly when paired with the long scratches down his side. "I've seen bears and wolves around too, though I suspect there isn't much else to be concerned about."

Past that, he was fairly satisfied with his current situation. He was free to roam whever he pleased, knew all the trees and bushes to satiate whatever particular craving, had shelter to block the biting winter chill, and could seek company whenever he desired it. Protection was the only blatant benefit he could see to living in the village - and Loki prided himself on being a capable, independant individual, so even that wasn't much of a benefit. So, why was it his mother sought so dearly to keep him away?

Less guarded than Sanuye, he snorted at this. "Not even once. I don't live with the humans." Loki fixed her with a sideways stare, too careless to hide his suspicion. He wasn't too keen on the direction this was heading, and his gut knew she wanted more. There had to be a catch. He just wasn't sure what, yet.

Lauryn de Vampyre

Sanuye may not have been the best judge of character, but she was well able to read the physical signs the stallion was sending towards her. For example, everytime she asked a question he seemed to take his time thinking on the answer, or thinking UP the answer is what she was now more inclined to consider. She also noticed that he seemed to be waiting for her to notice a failure to communicate his 'answers' well enough for them to be believed. The mare saw it in Loki's eyes when he relaxed after she had accepted his explaination, which made her snort softly with laughter. She could have tried to have hidden her emotions, but...after all...she was a very passionate soul and not used to shutting away her emotions and feelings.

The glittering amusement drifted from her eyes, however, when Loki bared his grusome scars and wounds which littered around his beautiful coat. She studied these and indeed concluded the size of the creature it would have to be in order to make such marks on a Soquili. The predator would have had to have been a jumper to be able to mark a horse so high. That, or it was a giant...but Sanuye was inclined to believe the former of the two theories. "A mountain lion, ye say. Och, but they do look aye painful. They mun hurt ye all the time!" She exclaimed in ernest. She only half listened to the stallion mentioning bears and wolves, but definatly took note of it and was amazed to find out that she had been in the most generous of luck not to run into any trouble herself.

Realizing she had taken personal liberty and had gotten rather close to Loki while she was inspecting his wounds (but they WERE presented to her), she took a few steps back and shook her tail to clear off a few flies that had come to roost there. She figuratively chewed on the information she had provided to him and looked over her shoulder back towards the villiage with a newfound view of the two-legged creatures. Perhaps she would be wise to find shelter against such beasts, since it was abvious they were abounds.

When her head turned back to Loki she nearly whinnied in mischeivous pleasure. His eyes were a lit with suspicion as he had guessed the intentions of her questions correctly. Now taking up the few steps she had retreated, she inched closer to Loki. "Would it not be fun to roam a wee bit closer to the villiage? Just to catch a peek, ye mun ken." If she had to, Sanuye would pull out the one play card she had left. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to besmirching his pride.

Cihiru

Her amusement went unacknowledged, but not unnoticed. It was a mere whisper in his ears; a notion that made him smile in simple satisfaction. Accomplishing his aim to please was worth the sacrifice of his dignity... sometimes, at least. For now, he was content to swallow his pride for the sake of Sanuye's laughter. He really wasn't losing anything; the trade was a worthwhile one. It could have been worse, too. At least she didn't openly insult his intentions. Not that she really had any room to; after all, he had never claimed to know anything. Loki didn't think it came much more blatant than 'I don't have a clue what I'm talking about, but feel free to ask me anyway.'

"I wouldn't go so far as to say all the time," he commented. It was unusual for him to make corrections (he didn't have much of an argumentative demeanor), but glorifying aging wounds didn't suit him either. It was nothing worth exaggerating. "They don't feel so bad now; it's been a while." And wow, he was actually starting to understand her um, interesting dialect. Loki was relieved this realization did not surface, however. Surely she would have noticed, considering her now relatively close proximity. The stallion really hadn't thought much of it until she distanced herself; at that point he became aware of it. He allowed himself a bemused smile, and wondered for a moment if she'd been bothered. Oh well, no matter.

More importantly, it was a relief to have her aim presented. He found it much easier to dismiss his reservations now that she was up-front with him. Seemingly, anyway. At least that nagging there's a catch was gone. "For you, maybe," he replied noncommittally. Loki knew that look in her eye; he allowed himself the opportunity to fix her with a jesting sideways stare. There was no need for goading. "Though I don't see why not. We are here." He was agreeable enough, most of the time.

Lauryn de Vampyre

Her dark colored mane blew gently in the soft breeze that caressed the area, making the leaves upon the trees swish and move which then in turn made the ground dance in a display of shadows and lights. Her eyes still sparkled with some left over laughter but she had recomposed herself, although now her customary pressence of mind was back upon her. Sanuye was generally a good-spirited Soquili and almost always had a 'happy' air about her. After seeing those scars on Loki's hide she couldn't help but feel her respect for the stallion increase. Any being who could escape such a predator demanded respect. How those scars must have hurt him in the beginning...

"All the time, ye say. Does that mean they hurt ye some o' the time then?" she asked with a worried tone. His demeanor certainly gave no hint that he was in any way disabled so she was prepared to let the subject go as soon as he dismissed it one more time, but the subject was soon brought back to the idea of traveling to the human villiage. Sanuye almost trotted in place with the excitement that filled her veins at the thought of such an adventure. It was strange to think that one who was 'abused' in her previous excurtion into the two-leggers place of dwelling would cause such an excited state for a second visit. However, now that she had a companion to go along with her most of the fears were pushed away by reason. Surely not ALL the human creatures were like the ones that tried to mount her. Right?

The spirited mare snorted in anticipation and began to slowly walk, with a jump in her step, towards the villiage. She didn't stop but turned her head and looked back at Loki to be sure that he was following.

Cihiru

Really, they weren't worth worrying over. It had been... what, weeks now? Honestly, it was hard to keep track for his kind. He had little to discern one day from another; each day was very much like the last, and time itself was mostly irrelevant anyway. "No, it means I'd rather forgotten they were there 'til it came up." He added a reassuring smile for emphasis; she did sound more concerned than he had anticipated. If he had realized she'd be so bothered, he might not have mentioned it in the first place... save them both some trouble. But he did, and she was. Soothing her worries was the least he could do, and he tried. "Thank you, nonetheless."

Sanuye's excitement all but caught him by surprise; he could see this too in her eyes. The expression was so vibrant he nearly felt her urge to trot and bounce and express it. Good thing he didn't decline her notion; he didn't doubt there would have been fury on the other side. You didn't stand in the way of one's deepest desires, it often had dangerous consequences. "I have to ask though... why so anxious?" Sure, he was curious. This would, after all, be his first official encounter with the human kind. There was much to learn and see. However, it didn't inspire particular overwhelming anticipation within him. Maybe there was something he was missing. It was possible, he supposed, she knew something he didn't. Considering her earlier unload of questions though, he was doubtful.

But doubt wasn't a worthy hindrance. Loki bobbed his head complacently when she turned to glance at him, and lifted his hooves to follow. His gait was a casual one; surprisingly relaxed and blatant in his contentment to let her lead. She seemed eager enough to do so; perhaps there was something she really wanted to see. He really wasn't bothered, regardless. It wasn't like he knew where he was going anyway.

 

[Cihiru]

04.08 The Fox and the... Bunny?: Loki & Alona


Cihiru

It was an unusually breezy morning; the wind blew crisp from the north, carrying a decidedly nippy chill and dislodging drying leaves from their branches. Birds lazily flapped their wings in its current, while a Soquili ran with its pace. His hooves thundered against the blanketed earth, fueled easily by muscled limbs and a figure that seemed quite accustomed to the exercise. The stallion appeared determined to keep up with its unforgiving momentum, for he took in great gulps of air, and urged himself faster, until his nostrils flared and his sides heaved with exhaustion.

Satisfied (not defeated), Loki slowed his pace to a comfortable lope, and shook out his unruly mane to throw an observant gaze along the horizon. He'd cleared the forest quite a ways now, and was actually quite near the Kawani village, if he didn't miss his guess. Closer than he liked to admit; he'd been wandering nearer more frequently lately. Something kept him coming back. Whether it was the curious myriad of smells drifting from the settlements, or the way he seemed to bump into others just around this area, he couldn't deny he often found his runs passing here. Maybe it was his friendly neighborhood concience telling him he needed to be more social. Get out and talk sometimes... Loki snorted to himself; he was plenty social!

hanging gallow

Alona decided to go further into the deep forest. She had never been but to the outskirts of it. As she was trotting throught she noticed a path, a path that had been run by a soquili. Alona, as cuorious as she was, decided that maybe she would follow it. It was a beautiful winter day, well at least in Alona's opinion. Not paying much attention to where she was going she almost ran into Loki. She stopped abruptly before running him over. "Oh! Hello Loki I didn't see you there" Alona said smiling with a little blush for being a little bit of a clutz at times.

Cihiru

Attentive ears twitched at the sound of footsteps... hooves, more specifically. Loki peered over his shoulder as they neared, and sidestepped when he saw Alona pacing somewhat absently - at first, he wasn't sure she was going to stop; better safe than sorry. "That's alright. I almost blend right in." He grinned warmly, oblivious to her embarrassment. Or at least, he pretended he was. "Enjoying the snow, I trust?" The stallion shuffled a hoof through a drift as he recalled her fondness for it, and his vow to wait and see how it was for himself. As it turned out, snow wasn't too bad after all. Cold, yes. But also rather beautiful and calm in its own right. The way the sun glistened off it cast a new sort of perspective on his surroundings, and he couldn't help but appreciate that.

hanging gallow

"Oh! yes the snow is wonderful, it is so beautiful and cold" Alona said smiling. "Are you enjoying, if I remember you said you had never seen snow before have you," she asked him wondering if he was having fun like she was.

Cihiru

"Nope, I hadn't." He took the opportunity to glance up at the sky, as if expecting more flakes to fall from its abyss. "Now, I'm not sure I enjoy it quite as much as you - but it's alright. I don't mind it. Kind of a nice change of pace after all the brown." Loki flicked his tail idly and lowered his gaze to settle on Alona. "Can't say I'm fond of the um... winter coat, though." The stallion arched a brow and glanced over his shoulder at his own pelt. "Scruffy doesn't really suit me, if I may say so myself."

hanging gallow

Alona laughed. "I think you winter coat suites you just fine" she said smiling at him. "But i can't blame you, I really am not fond of my winter coat either" Alona said looking at her own winter coat that had started to curl just slightly.

Cihiru

"Are you implying I'm scruffy?" He adverted his gaze from his coat to the mare, and painted his expression with the faintest of pouting frowns. "And here I thought I was being gentlemanly, just like my mother taught me!" This sobered his expression, despite the obvious joking overtones. His mother really wasn't something to laugh about; why did he still have such a hard time selecting his words? "In that case, I think you're fluffy." Loki poked out his tongue and wrinkled his nose at her.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed. "I don't think you are scruffy silly I think it looks good on you" Alona said smiling "besides I know I'm fluffy" Alona pranced around in a circle "fluffy like a cute bunny" Alona said playfully. She knew that her fluffy coat had looked silly on her, but it was better pretending to like it and appreicate it worked better then insulting someone back.

Cihiru

"I agree - fluffy like a bunny, that is." He never said fluffy was a bad thing, after all. And could he have heard her thoughts, he would have disagreed. It wasn't silly at all. Certainly a far sight better than his own, in all sorts of disarray. But then, it was all a matter of perspective. Loki decided to leave it at that, and hoped she wouldn't take his idle teasings as insults. "And thank you, I think..." He fixed her with a sideways stare. "Bunny and Mutt is it, then?"

hanging gallow

"Mutt? Your no mutt Loki, you look more like a fox, winter fox" she said smiling. "And you are welcome" she said having her eyes gaze around the forest. "What were you doing all the way out here Loki" she said looking at a small tree that was leaning slightly to onside by the weight of the snow.

Cihiru

Loki wasn't too certain he'd ever seen these winter fox things, but it sounded decidedly like a compliment anyway, and he couldn't hide his embarrassed smile. "All the way out here?" His ears perked forward as he looked out across the horizon. "I kind of live somewhere around here, most of the time. You bonded Soquilis live all the way out there to me." He gave a sort of joking, knowing grin. It really was all about perspective, wasn't it? "I find it's fairly nice here. Quiet, calm, and scenic! Not sure how much more you could want. I think I was wandering though, now that you mention it." Again, he shuffled a hoof through the blanket of snow, and made an absent, almost thoughtful 'hmm.'

hanging gallow

"Oh! You live way out here, no wonder why I never see you around village, now that you mentioned it I remember you had never seen a two legger around much" she said "and your right we do live way out from where you do" she replied looking around. "I don't think I have been this way before though, however you are right it is lovely here, beautiful, scenic, quiet and calm" she said looking up at the sky and back at Loki.

Cihiru

He laughed at what seemed like her epiphany, and wasn't about to correct her on the note that he had never seen a human at the time; there was no 'much' to it. "Yup, I suppose you could say that. I didn't make it down to the valleys very often until recently. Not much reason to go there, really. Just boredom, sometimes." Loki nodded, glad she too appreciated this place he called home. Part of him wanted to ask what made her want to live with people, but it wasn't his business to bother, and he vaguely recalled some sensitivity in regards to the subject anyway. He couldn't quite remember what, but it was enough to deter him. "You keep making it sound like it's the middle of nowhere - is it really that bad?"

hanging gallow

"Oh! no in the middle of nowhere is a great place, it ususallyis, for me it means, a place that i am not acustomed to, a place that I have never really been before. A place that I have yet to explore. What else is around here Loki. And how could you get bored enough to go to near the village, there is almost nothing new to see there" Alona said looking around to see if there was anything else to spot new that she had never discovered before.

Cihiru

"Well, that's a loaded comment and question all in one." He tilted his head thoughtfully and glanced to the afternoon sky. "You've opened a bit of a can of worms, I'm afraid." Loki turned back to her, his expression slightly more grounded than usual. "The unknown is always new and interesting, isn't it? Humans are completely foreign to me. Our mother - she mostly raised Kali and me - was very adamant about keeping us secluded. I'd actually never even seen another ground Soquili until I met you. You can imagine how badly she must have wanted to keep us away from people. I don't suppose I'll ever understand why, though..." The stallion closed his eyes briefly and paused to let Alona gather whatever thoughts she might have. "Anyway, curiosity compels me. As to what there is around here..." He glanced over his shoulder. "Trees. Lots of trees. Maybe a cave or two, and some fruit that's probably not very good this time of season. Mountain lions, bears, and all kinds of other critters you may or may not have heard about."

hanging gallow

Alona was a little surprised at what Loki said. He had again called her a ground soquili, in which this puzzled her greatly. His mother.... Kali..... thoughts all arose to Alona. Kali.....that named seemed familiar...Kali... Kali......wait....Kali was the filly with feathered wings, black and white, she had mentioned.... that she had a brother....a brother whom she said was interesting, different, unique in a way that her family wasn't.... Kali's brother...Kali's brother was Loki, she had said his name was Loki. Alona looked at the ground thinking, all of it was hitting her, her eyes widen as she remembered Kali's words. She had been so busy worrying about Cyrus that she didn't remember Kali. When he mentioned wild creatues she shivered slightly and closed her eyes. She shook her head and opened her eyes as soon as the noise in her head died down. She remained looking at the ground, "I'm sure you mother did it out of love Loki," she said camly she didn't want to mention that she had met Kali to him or seemed stressed. "However I'm confused, why do you call me a ground soquili" she said looking up at him.

Cihiru

He had anticipated a similar reaction, though not quite to that degree. He didn't think he said anything that horrible. "I don't mean it as a bad thing... I'm a ground Soquili too." Loki smiled reassuringly. "I just mean we can't fly. Unless you're hiding something; and if that's the case, I just mean I can't fly." He glanced back to the sky for a moment, and gave his tail another idle flick. "I'll stop saying it if it bothers you though. I'm just used to it, I guess." He could understand how it could be taken as derogatory, now that he actually stood back and thought about it - but he still couldn't really tell himself it was supposed to bother him. He'd put too much effort into making himself stop caring.

hanging gallow

"Oh no that doesn't bother me, I was just curious about what it meant and no I don't think I can fly either, which really doesnt' bother me too much, I'm not a big fan of heights." Alona said in a cheerfull manner to keep him from being bothered by what she had said earlier. "You mentioned Kali, she is your sister, isn't she" Alona said looking down at the ground "I've met her, when she was a filly, she mentioned she had a brother but I didn't realize it was you Loki."

Cihiru

"I wish I could say the same. I think I'd rather like flying." And that was more than enough information; he wasn't about to divulge he'd been having nightmares about flying and falling for as long as he could remember. "Ah, yes... The loud-mouthed, overbearing sister. It's unfortunate to say she is indeed mine; though I'm relieved you didn't realize until just now. It's always good news to hear we have little to no resemblance!" Loki grinned a little in an attempt to keep their conversation from drifting into the realm of the depressing.

 

[Cihiru]

04.09 Making Acquaintances: Loki, Hania, Alona, Mahiri & Settia


PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

He snorted as he trotted into the area, and looked about, wondering if he'd get to meet a few new friends, fewer stallions than mares, hopefully. "Now, where was I off to again?" He muttered to himself, and scented the air to find his direction.

hanging gallow

Alona trotted her way to her favorite spot in the valley. She was enjoying the morning air as always and eyeing the sun rise that was reaching the trees. She wondered if any other soquii would be up and around so early in the morning. She took in a deep breath of cold air and snorted and watch the steam of her breath float on.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania scented the air again, and this time he swore he smelled the scent of a mare. Trotting toward the scent, he continued to admire the morning. He loved the morning; it was always so beautiful, and the grass was always fresh and wet and tasty, so it was best to eat in the morning as well. As he moved, he came upon a beautiful mare, watching the sunrise. "Hello," he greeted quietly, so that he didn't startle her. He'd seen a lot of mares, and this one was just as beautiful as the others he'd seen... actually, he'd seen so many beautiful mares lately, he couldn't decide on a favorite.

Cihiru

Loki had departed from his forest dwelling quite early in the day - well before sunrise, which was more than a little unusual for him. (Kali would often groan her disdain when he woke in the younger hours of noon) But he'd been restless, and couldn't keep himself from wandering. It was one of those times where he was itching to do something, and his limbs ached at inactivity. So, he'd gone with the obvious, and set himself into motion... And found himself here, at the valley of what he'd come to recognize as Alona's favored field. He rooted himself once he realized he was here, and looked absently to the glowing morning sky. It was probably his subconsciousness wishing Alona would happen by, and he didn't care enough to object.

hanging gallow

Alona's ears perked up at the another voice of a soquili. She hadn't expected to meet anyone out this early except Loki, but that would be alright, she didn't mind the extra company. Her eyes scanned the area, she had halfed hoped she would met Loki again, but not seeing him she greeted the other soquili.

"Hello, I don't think I have met you before, my name is Alona" she smiling as cheerful as her mood would let her.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania noticed that the mare was only half-heartedly greeting him. He backed away, saying gently, "I'm sorry if I interrupted you. I'm new, Alona, and it seems I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Hania," with his name, he bowed. He was a gentlehorse (gentleman?), after all. "I'm sorry I have disrupted your quiet pleasure," he repeated softly, watching her. That is, until he scented another stallion. Whipping up his head, he looked over to a hilltop and spotted a white stallion, watching the sunrise.

hanging gallow

"Oh! no your not disrupted my quiet pleasure, not at all, I was just hoping a friend of mine would be here, please forgive me if i seemed rude, I didn't mean to, i..." she shook her head to keep from furstrating herself. She didn't mean to seem rude and offense to the new comer. She started to blush out of aggrevation with herself. "It is a pleasure to met you Hania" Alona said with the a cheeful smile hoping to cast all doubt of her frist greeting away.

Cihiru

'Hello'? The stallion's ears twitched at the sound; he'd thought he was alone, and idly wondered why he hadn't smelled anyone until then. And then the introduction was echoed, by another - his ears swiveled more fully at this, and his head turned to follow it. One was Alona, he was certain. Loki spotted the pair easily once he'd heard them, and trotted toward them without giving it much thought. "Good morning!" Once he'd neared, he neighed a greeting, and gave them both what he thought was a pleasant grin. "Sorry to interrupt - I'm Loki."

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"If you're sure," Hania replied, slowly and gently, still watching the white stallion. "Of course, I suppose HE isn't the friend you're waiting for?" Hania said, turning to look at Alona then looking back to the other stallion. "Are you friends?" Hania asked. He was emotionless at the moment. Other stallions, for some reason, always made him tense. He couldn't figure out why, but he always felt competitive around them for some reason... which was why he lived alone, as a matter of fact.

hanging gallow

"Loki! Your here" Alona said cheerfully she was happy to see him. "Yes he was the friend I was hopeing would be here Hania, I must have missed seeing him" Alona said blushing a little. She had a tendancy to miss seeing other soquili's alot, she wasn't use to seeing them at all.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania nodded and said, "I see." Smiling a little at Alona's blush, and shaking his head in silent laughter, he greeted the newcomer (well, to him the stallion was a newcomer). "Greetings. I see that you and Alona are friends. I'm Hania," he tried to keep it friendly, but with his nature, all stallions were rivals, be they friends or foes. He was a naturally free-feeling horse, after all.

Cihiru

The stallion's standoffish lack of greeting caught him off-guard, and he blinked, slightly taken aback. "That I am!" he offered to Alona instead, smiling broadly... Though he could feel hints of a blush beneath his fur. One of these days, he'd learn to accept compliments gracefully, he vowed. Some day. But not this one; his awkward smile remained. "Hello to you too, then, Hania" He glanced briefly to the other, one brow arched in question and one ear tilted backward in the faintest signs of apprehension.

hanging gallow

Alona returned Loki's smile, she was happy he was here. However, Alona could sense a rising apprehension between the two stallions. She didn't want an arguement to break out so she tried to remain as cheeful as possible. "So...How is everyone doing this morning" Alona said with a hint of a cheesy grin on her face trying to keep the uneasiness away.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania blinked as he watched signs of apprehension come off Loki. "You will not tell me your name?" Hania asked, chuckling. He was slightly amused. Yes, he'd heard the stallion's name from Alona, but he liked the actual horse to introduce him or herself, because their name was their name, unless they allowed their friends to introduce them instead. "I'm sorry I came off as tense," he added, hoping to ease the rising tension that he felt. He couldn't help it sometimes, and he knew it. Since there was a mare, he decided to be civil; after all, he was here to make friends, was he not? "This morning is a fine one for me," he said, answering Alona's question.

Cihiru

The ear was, in fact, the only way the apprehension was expressed. As far as he was aware, anyway. "I really just hadn't gotten that far yet," he lied. His name was one of the first things he offered; it wasn't his fault the other didn't care to pay attention. "I'm sorry, I'm Loki." He sighed inwardly, but made a conscious effort not to let that surface too. "It's too early, as far as I'm concerned. But otherwise, just grand." The stallion gave an exaggerated yawn, and another smile.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed as Loki yawned and gave him a slight nudge. "Its not early at all sleepy" she said giving him a large smile. She was still excited to see that he was here. She enjoyed meeting him in the morning and having a conversation with him. "And I'm glad the morning is going good for you Hania, do you normally enjoy being out the early" Alona said hoping to get a conversation started without any more hostility entering.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania blinked again, then remembered that Loki did introduce his name. "I apologize. It probably is far too early in the morning, but I now remember that you did tell me your name." Hania managed to make himself look calm, although competitiveness and apprehension was slowly boiling up inside him. "I enjoy the morning quite a bit. Alona, what do you like about the morning?" he tried to start another conversation to ease up the tension he hadn't meant to start. "I came out early to see if I could make friends," he said quietly, moving away to the right, slightly, so that he was standing fairly close to the place he'd come from. He lived alone, so making friends was new to him a bit.

Cihiru

"It's plenty early!" Loki stuck his tongue out at her and returned the nudge with a light tap of his own. After righting his expression, he turned back to Hania, and offered yet another smile. "It's fine, never hurts to repeat an introduction anyway." He had been content to eat the blame and let no one be the wiser, but the apology smoothed his bristles a bit. At least he was willing to admit that much. He didn't leap headfirst into their conversation though, and settled on standing back and listening quietly instead. It was a bit unlike him; he wasn't particularly sure why. Just wasn't much to say, he supposed.

hanging gallow

Alona returned Loki's playfulness with a smile. "Oh! I just enjoy the mornings always, maybe it because I like the sun just rising" Alona said cheefully. She was happy that the tension had eased off a bit. She looked up as the sun had rose over the tree tops. She sighed slightly but smiled in doing so.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania chuckled at the how the two friends playfully teased each other. I suppose that's what friends are like, he mused to himself. "No, it doesn't," Hania agreed. "So, I shall repeat mine while we're on the topic. It's a pleasure to meet you, Loki. I am Hania," he finished with a soft laugh. He didn't know why, but it amused him when he said that. He noticed that Alona was getting a little worried about the tension, but he felt that it was easing down to a more normal, friendly feeling. He smiled suddenly. The competitiveness and apprehension in him was beginning to disappear. Good, he thought. His stomach rumbled, and he sighed. "I must take my leave. I have yet to eat breakfast, and I'm sure you two would like to catch up with each other. We will see each other again soon, I hope," he added, and off he went, back to his home.

Cihiru

"Glad to meet you too, Hania." Loki's smile gave way to more of an amused grin. Yes, this was a better start; it definitely beat the unfriendly impression he'd received at first. "I think it's because..." the stallion paused only briefly, and peered at Alona from the corner of his eye. "You're a bunny. And bunnies like to nibble on the dewy grasses!" He wrinkled his nose a little and gave her another playful nudge.

hanging gallow

"Bye Hania" she said cheerfully. Alona noticed Loki eyeing her and couldn't help but laugh as what he had said. "Ha! so I like to nibble on dewy grass, and what about you mr. sleepy fox" she said playfully to him. She nudged him back and pranced around him playfully.

Cihiru

Hania's sudden departure caused him to tilt his head questioningly, but he didn't give it much more attention than that. It was becoming increasingly common for others to leave unexpectedly, and he was growing accustomed. "And what about me, hmm?" Loki turned back to Alona, still arching a brow. "So what if I like to hibernate... every day!?" He snorted dismissively and watched the mare prance about like a foal. "Doesn't sound like a problem to me. Or maybe you had something else in mind?" The stallion glanced to her again, his head moving slightly as he followed her path.

hanging gallow

Alona stopped prancing to nudge Loki in the shoulder. "Aw, hibernations aren't any fun, then you miss out on the morning, which happens to be the best part of the day, because i'm here nibbling on dewy grass like a bunny" she said cheefully giving Loki a large smile. She was feeling silly today, like a young foal. She didn't know what was making her feel so cheeful, giddy, or even excited but she was enjoying herself at least and hoped that Loki was having fun too.

Cihiru

"But hibernating is lots of fun!" Loki gave her a pouting expression. "The only thing better than sleep is lots of sleep, and um..." He paused again, tilting his head slightly as he did so. "Nights are fairly nice too, I must admit." Well, his secret was out. The stallion slept far into the mornings because he didn't sleep much at nights; he was far too fond of running beneath the twinkling stars and admiring the glowing medallion of a moon.

hanging gallow

"Oh! so you like to be outside at night" Alona said smiling softly. "I agree the mornings are nice, but the night sky is far better" she said thinking of the moon at night and how often Lilly would be outside. "So that explains why you are so sleepy in the morning" she playful nudging him.

Cihiru

"Maaaybe." Loki smiled genuinely, but playful mischief still twinkled in his eyes. "I wouldn't say it's better. They're just different." He leaned over to whisper in her ear. "I do think nights are much better though - just don't tell anyone!" The stallion had pulled away as his statement came to a close, and he finished somewhat loudly. "Does it? Maybe I'm just sleepy 'cause mornings have that affect on me," he commented, wrinkling his nose.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed as she nipped at his mane like Resi did when she was younger. "No one will know Loki," gving him a wink" besides I think mornings make me a little sleepy too, but no one notices because I usually have an apple to wake me up, either that or a splash of cold water" she said smiling at him. "My bonded human spends most of her time awake during the night, and sleeps most of the day, so I spend most of my time awake then sleeping, however it can be a bit tiring" she said giving a small yawn, she hadn't slept much that night. In a manner of speaking she hadn't slept for the last few weeks, Lilly had been up up for most of the nights and Alona hated to sleep all during the day too so she just slept for a few wee hours a night to keep up with it all.

Cihiru

Loki blinked at the nips, and shook out his somewhat unruly mane. "Are you sure you don't want to get more sleep?" His joking overtone had faded, for the moment at least. "Forcing yourself awake doesn't sound like a great way to start a morning to me. Besides, sleep is goood. Nothing can compete with waking up in the mornings feeling well-rested." He nodded certainly and gave a little smile. That had worried him a bit; it wasn't healthy to run day after day on small hints of sleep here and there. It just got too taxing. "Bunnies need their beauty rest!"

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania bellowed/neighed triumph happily as he ran and ran, feeling free as the wind pushed and jostled his mane and his body. Now this is more like it!! He strained his body to move faster; he didn't even care anymore that he'd been racing. As he ran, he noticed that he was running in the direction where Loki and Alona were.

Remove

Being as playful as she was she didn't notice that they were racing towards anyone. She loved to run, the air whizzing past her, oh the feeling was great, she bucked a couple of times while galloping as fast as she could, always trying to push herself more then she could actually do.

She suddenly slowed down as she saw two others, instead of coming to a stop, to slow down she turned and circled around a bit before slowing into a trot to follow Hania upto them. She had no idea who they were, he might do.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania, too slowed to a stop and trotted forward to meet the Loki and Alona. "Hello!" he called out to get their attention. The two horses were very close, muttering or speaking softly to each other, he saw. "Mahiri, those two over there are a few other friends of mine. The stallion's name is Loki, and the mare's name is Alona."

hanging gallow

"Well this bunny is hopeing to remain awake for most of the day, I'll catch a nap sometimes later on, don't worry about me Loki, Ill be fine" she nudging him giving him a ressuring smile. She did feel tired...actually more like exhausted, but she didn't want him to worry about her, so she kept her self wake and tired to be as cheeful as possible.

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Mahiri looked at the other two before letting out a load snort like sound, "Well come on, lets go and play with them!" She nipped his neck before trotting towards the two of them. Loki and Alona? Interesting names! She nickered happily to herself, turning to see if Hania was actually following!

Cihiru

"Suit yourself. I just hope I don't have to start calling you Sleepy." Loki sighed audibly, but left it at that. Stubborn though he was, this wasn't a point worth pursuing. It was unlikely he'd be able to change her mind. "Hello again!" he called suddenly, ears perking forward at the newcomers. He had recognized one initially, but the other... The other was a stranger, and he smiled softly at this. Making new acquaintances was always a bit of a surprise; something he couldn't help but look forward to.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania blinked as the playful mare nipped him. "I hope that was more flirting than playing," he teased as he trotted after her. He was only teasing, but he wondered what Mahiri's reaction would be. "Are you ever serious?" he said, laughing as she flew ahead of him. He galloped after to her so that he kept pace.

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After hearing the words about flirting she just turned to him with a huge smile on her face, "You never know with me!" She then bucked again and ran towards the others, slowing down as she reached them she bowed her head and smiled, "I am Mahiri!" She looked to the stallion and then the mare. "It is nice to meet you both!"

hanging gallow

Alona sighed slightly she had hoped she didn't annoy Loki. Her ears perked at the sound of a voice. It was Hania back again, and this time with a new soquili. A new acquaintence was always good to see. She smiled and responded "hello mahiri, I'm Alona" greeting the mare happily feeling as if she wasn't the only one "Hello again Hania. "

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania rolled his eyes mockingly and chuckled, walking up to Alona and Loki. "Hey, Alona," he greeted. "That playful mare over there... if she would slow down with the energy a little she could introduce herself." He tossed his head so that his mane flipped to the other side of his neck and he chased after Mahiri, trying to get her to stop. "Never know with you? Now that's the first true thing I've heard in a while!!" Hania laughed. He'd never felt this playful before.

Cihiru

He doubted it was possible for Alona to annoy him. Though he did not possess unwavering patience, he was a fairly forgiving soul, and the mare was far from trying (although he could think of those that were). "And I'm Loki." The stallion smiled again, his expression sobering a little at the sight before him. He did consider himself a lighthearted creature, but the two of them running around like yearlings uncovered a sort of peacefulness inside of him. Contentment; his smile broadened at the realization.

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She nickered at Hania and chuckled, "It is nice to meet you both, Loki and Alona." She had a smile on her face and it was somewhat obvious by the way she spoke and acted that she was a hyper creature. She had so much energy in her and felt somewhat awkward just standing with the other three, she wanted to run and move.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Loki!" Hania greeted. "Ha!" He felt the urge to n** at Mahiri, and so he did. "Tag! Hey, Mahiri's it--everyone, RUN!!" Hania shouted and took off around the field. "You can't catch me, Mahiri!!" He knew that the mare wanted to run and play; her voice even had the feeling that she didn't want to just be standing still, and so he decided (on impulse!?) to n** and play tag, just like when he was a young foal playing will all his other... friends... Hania slowed slightly, memory taking over him before he shook himself to continued trying to get away from Mahiri.

hanging gallow

Alona gave Loki one more smile as she darted from Mahiri. She took of quickly feeling the thrill of excitement shiver over her. However slowed down a bit to see if she was being followed.

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Mahiri nickered happily as she nipped at Loki before darting off aswell. This was great, a game, fun!!! "Loki is on!!"

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania neighed and laughed. "Oh no! Loki's it!! Run hard!!" Hania cried out. He pulled up, pawing at the air and then ran hard, coming up beside Mahiri. "Smart move, Hiri..." Hania quickly added, "I mean, Mahiri. Forgive me." He hadn't meant to add the nickname, it just came to him as they played.

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Mahiri had laughed a little when he gave her a nicename, "dont matter!" She laughed as she turned away to him, she would be runing, of course but she also wanted to talk to the other mare. Alona was pretty and could make a good friend? Yeah course she would!

Cihiru

Loki knew that sound - it was the same sort of tone Sora had; the voice of one who wasn't content to sit still. And he had never been fond of Sora. "Huh?" The stallion blinked deliberately as he took in what exactly just happened, and the conversation he absently wrote to memory, despite unintentionally overlooking it. Tag? Okay, that was a game he knew. He tried to tell himself it would be fun, despite the somewhat ungraceful method he'd been thrown into it. No harm done, right? "You'd better run hard!" he trumpeted, just barely catching the comment as Hania darted away. Loki took off after him, his limbs pumping comfortably beneath him.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania blinked as Loki started chasing after him. "Oh no!" he cried out, and began to run hard. Stallions were powerful, and since he was one, he knew. And so, the chase began. "Catch me if you can!" Hania called. He had only started the game because of Mahiri, but he also wanted to let Loki run to draw out the tension in his body. Hania could tell the stallion was dignified, so the entire thing was probably irritating somewhat to Loki.

hanging gallow

Alona slowed to a slow pace and watched the two stallions run across the field. Loki seemed slightly annoyed with the game, but he seemed to enjoy himself. She laughed slightly watching them compete in speed. She spotted Mahiri and smiled, she had rarely got the chance to chat with other mares. She would like to meet Mahiri and chat with her, not to mention she had the same markings as a fox, one of her favorite creatures.

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Mahiri watched Loki go off and as she reached Alona she had a slightly worried but still playful look on her face, "You think I annoyed him somewhat?" She couldn't help but give out a chuckle. He would probably at some point head towards the two mares but it was amusing watching the two stallions running around for now.

Cihiru

"Keep me from catching you, if you can." Loki couldn't hide his devious grin; this was his element. He thrived on competition, especially running. He'd spent hours upon hours running as a colt; it was his release, and something he loved even now. He had little trouble forgetting his frustration once he'd taken his first few strides, and ran with all his heart once he started. 'The chase,' as it were, was exhilarating, and his nostrils flared at the activity, while his muscles flexed with his stride. He'd all but forgotten the mares - one ear flicked toward them as he caught mere whispers of their conversation, but he was otherwise focused on Hania.

hanging gallow

"Oh! I wouldn't worry too much about him, he was probably annoyed at frist but he seems to be enjoying himself now Mahiri" Alona said giving the mare a cheerful smile. "Besides he is giving us a small rest chasing after Hania" she said laughing "I wonder who will win this one"

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Mahiri chuckled, "True, gives us time to store our energy when he remembers we exist!" She nickered happily and turned back to Alona, "Have you known Loki and Hania long?" She was curious so for a little bit she would keepy her hyper playful self at bay to get some information. She needed to some things anyway!

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania, too, ran and ran when he was younger, but he could tell that he was tiring, since he had raced against Mahiri earlier, and Loki was fresh. C'mon, Hania, this is no time to be acting like a colt, he thought to himself. He began to push and pump his legs, loving the feeling of being able to run as fast as he could make himself run. "Keep you from catching me, indeed," he called with a huff. He'd forgotten about the mares for the moment; it was exhilirating to compete speed for speed with another stallion.

Cihiru

"What, flustered already?" He laughed lightheartedly, mischief returning to his eyes with a sparkle. Loki smelled the opposition; it was a unique sort of thing he found difficult to describe - something that fueled his adrenaline and made him want to run faster still. The stallion willed his stride to pick up pace, to close the distance between them, and started this change in rhythm with a lofty sort of bounding buck. He was just getting started. "Don't think you're in the clear yet!" he called to the mares in warning.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Flustered? Unlike you, I've been running since early this morning!! Hiri tired me out," called the the tiring stallion. He began to make an arch, where he skirted just the edges of the field and began to run toward the mares. "If you guys are standing there thinking you get to rest, think again!!" he neighed, and with a last burst of his energy, reared up, jumped forward. He was breaking into a sweat now, panting hard.

hanging gallow

Alona eyes widen as she noticed Hania heading towards them. "Uh oh we have been spotted "Alona said to Mahiri as she took of in another direction. She could feel the adrenaline rush through her body as she gained speed. As long as I stay in front of Hania I should be fine, unless he is tagged next Alona thought.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania grinned as he watched both mares get ready to flee he was beginning to slow down, however, and he knew that Loki would soon catch up with him and tag him. This... isn't good, he chuckled to himself. "Ready, girls? Here I come!!" he called, but he noticed that his legs were getting ready to give out; he was so tired.

SummerRaven

The mare chuckled again as she spotted Hania, happy she was going to run again. "Yes, it appears that we have!" She said, and took off running as fast as she could. Mahiri wanted to run faster, but she stayed running next to Alona, keeping an eye on both of the stallions. "You can't catch me!" She yelled to the two of them.

Cihiru

"What? That's hardly my fault." Loki grinned broadly, despite his deep gasps for breath. "Tag was your idea, remember!" He noted Hania's tiring stride though, and bridled his pace, although his thirst for competition would not allow him to slack to the extent of losing. He just didn't want the other to... Well, lose too badly (for his ego told him Hania would lose). "You haven't been tagged just yet," the stallion called with an arched brow as he neared. For a moment, he considered giving up on the stallion and instead going for the mares... but it was a brief moment, and he tapped Hania as he came astride behind him. "But now you have."

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania huffed as he slowly came to a stop. He needed a quick break with water thrown in for the extra help. He was quite thirsty. "Might as well let Loki catch me," he muttered to himself. "I am tired; I have been running since early morning." He had to grin to himself. He looked around quickly to see if he could spot some water, a stream or a river, even a small pool would do. Seeing one, he immediately, somehow, raised enough energy to turn and run in the direction of water.

hanging gallow

"Hey you don't antgonize them to come catch us" Alona said laughing while running. She slowed her pace up a bit when Hania was tagged. Seeing the stallion head in the direction of water she chuckled to herself more and slow down a bit. There was no reason to tire out so quickly when they weren't being chased.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Good, at least now it's my turn. Alona has yet to be tagged, so I'll go after her." Hania said, grinning. He'd knew he'd lose. "Well, at least you play it right, eh, Loki?" He was beginning to enjoy the stallion's company. "Well, start running, because after this drink, I'll be ready to run hard... and I'll be chasing hard." Hania stooped to take a drink from the small pool he'd discovered, taking a long drink of the refreshingly cold water. "Better," he said, once he finished. Looking up, he grinned. "Ready or not, here I come!!" He reared up, pawing at the air, and began the time honored chase.

SummerRaven

"Sorry." Mahiri said, turning to look back at the two stallions. "Yay! Now Hania's it!" She yelled, and was going to run faster until she saw him head towards the water instead of chasing them. "Aw, why doesn't he want to play anymore Alona?" She asked the mare, and stopped running to watch him leave.

Cihiru

"At least now it's your turn? Don't say it that way, it sucks away the blood of victory!" Loki's expression was an exaggerated, pouting frown as he checked his pace further still, until his casual trot slowed to a full stop. He was relieved to see Hania take a much-needed (and deserved) drink - particularly since it gave him a moment of rest before continuing. He enjoyed every second of it, taking the opportunity to suck in great gulps of air and shake out his mane and tail. "Always ready!" Loki coiled his haunches beneath him and took off like a racehorse from a gate, though he really only made a large loop around the area at a comfortable canter; he felt he was in the clear, for the moment.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania grinned and started to chase after the mares. Loki was free for now... but just for now. "Alona, Hiri! Here I come!!" he called out. He pounded the ground hard with his hooves as he shot off like an arrow toward the mares who had stopped when they saw him go to take a drink. "You shouldn't have stopped!" he called out gleefully. He was closing in on them.

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Mahiri snickered as she bolted away from Alona and towards Loki. She was in some sense running straight at Hania but she then turned off at a random angle away from him. She had a huge smile on her face and her endless energy was helping her bound around happily.

hanging gallow

"Mahiri I don't think he quite done yet" Alona said dashing off from Hania. She decided she wouldn't quite all her speed yet, she would toy with him first, she knew if she waited until he tired out she could add in her last burst of speed to get away. She was built to race and was enjoying herself every moment as she galloped across the field. The wind whipped her curly mane and tail around as her hooves pounded the ground. She wouldn't let Hania catch her too easily. She eyed Loki who seemed quite happy not being the target and thought maybe she should lead Hania in a loop back toward Loki.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Alona, you better be racing with all your might, otherwise I'll tag you!" Hania laughed aloud, and pumped his legs a little harder. He began to move as fast as Loki had before. He raced across the soft grassy terrain, slowly managing to close the gap between him and Alona. "I'll get you after if I miss out on Alona, Hiri!!" he called to the fox-colored mare.

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Mahiri laughed a little as he called out to her. She liked the nickname he had given her, maybe she would adopt it. For now though she would keep out the way, nickering and chuckling to herself. She never took hjer brown eyes off his slender body, he moved fast so it would be best to keep her energy, though if he came after her, she would just play around with him. That would be more fun!

Cihiru

Loki had allowed his stride to slack at some point, and he moved around at a lazy trot now. Happy? Probably; who wouldn't be? He eyed the three of them suspiciously though... prepared to bolt at any moment, for he was very aware he was by far the most likely target in the group. He'd want to tag him if he were them. But he wasn't, so he merely stood back, skirting around the action and darting a cautious gaze between them.

hanging gallow

Alona watched as he started to close the gap in between them. She waited he was close enough and decided it was time to step it up a notach. She put on her full burst of speed. Her ears laid flatten by her skull as the wind whipped even more around her body. She had wished she had a shorter mane and tail, they were catching too much wind, but never matter. She kept going, gaining more speed at the moment pulling away from Hania. She eyed Loki again and headed straight in his direction.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Watching as Alona pulled into a burst of speed just as he closed in on her, Hania stopped and pawed the ground, then turned around and began the chase once more. He was going to try and cut her off by circling around, and maybe he'd catch Hiri on the way. He just as he reached the edge of the field, he began to turn at the odd angle and headed straight fo Alona, ready to tag her.

Skylar14

Settia walked through the crisp winter air as she strolled to where ever her feet took her. It wasn't too long before she came upon four other Soquili playing some sort of game. She watched them curiously for a bit before deciding to go meet them.

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Mahiri made sure she was out of the way and ready to move if need be, her eyes didn't leave Hania as he turned and made his way at Alona. Soon she would have to run, run and run fast. From what she had seen Alona wasn't a slow runner and if she was on then it would mean that Mahiri would need to put on a burst of speed to get anywhere! She was fast but didn't seem to be that fast!

hanging gallow

Alona saw what Hania did, however she wasn't quite ready for it. She quickly turned on a prepedicular angle from Hania and continue going on an angle heading more toward Hiri. Alona knew she had to keep building up her speed if she was going to keep him off her tail. She continued to put more energy into her gallop. Faster she thought faster she was pushing herself, more and more, however she didn't how much more longer she could last pushing herself as she was, but she would quit now.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Alona!!" Hania called, grinning. "I'm about to catch you!!" He veered off his odd run, turned and headed straight for Mahiri. "Hm... where's all that energy now, Hiri?" He called, laughing. Alona had made an odd turn when she was running toward Loki, and now she, too, was heading for Mahiri.

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Mahiri took a while to notice the newcomer as Alona was heading towards her. "Hey stop!" She giggled as she dashed from Alona upto the newcommer. "Hello I am Mahiri!" She nickered happily with her tail swishing behind her. "We are all playing would you like to join in? Then again we may rest soon!" She chuckled happily.

Skylar14

Settia watched as the Soquili chased each other round and round. She wasn't sure as to what this game was but it looked fun. She wanted to join in this strange game and so she walked over to the other Soquili to see if they would let her play.

As she walked towards them one of the Soquili rushed upto her. "Hello, my name is Settia and yes, I would like to join you in your game."

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

Hania noticed that, yet again, another beautiful mare had just entered the area. He only noticed her, however, when he saw Mahiri go to greet her. "Ha! Alona!!" Alona wasn't too far away from him now, and he was beginning to catch up. He charged, getting his legs to move and pound the ground harder and harder as he thought, Faster! Faster even than the wind!

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She chuckled, "Great come on then!" She started to trot back towards the others, "Hania, Alona this is Settia and she is joining in our game!!" She yelled towards them before galloping off in the opposite direction to them both.

Skylar14

"Wait! What game are you playing?" She asked as she trotted after Mahiri. She was so confused and didn't know what to do.

hanging gallow

Alona noticed that Hania was keeping up to her and knew she was going to need more speed. All right she thought more speed, well here goes nothing. Alona put all of her energy that she had left in her body for the last run. She eyed Mahiri who took off from the new comer. "Hey, I'm Alona can't talk, must run" she said for a moment as she passed Settia. She seemed pretty and she hoped she was pretty enough for Hania to be distracted a bit.

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Mahiri laughed and turned quickly, "Run and dont get caught! If you are tagged you have to get someone else. The male is on at the moment, avoid him!!" She laughed as she bucked, she was ever so playful!

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Hm?" Hania stopped his chasing to greet the pretty mare. "A pleasure, Settia. I am Hania. Do you wish to play tag?" He nipped her gently then burst off away from her. "You have to tag someone else!!" he called, laughing as he raced away. "When someone tags you, you have to chase all the others! That's why you're 'it', Settia," Hania called as he ran away from her. "By the way, you're very beautiful, Settia!" he called out a compliment, hoping that would distract her so that he could rest for a moment.

Cihiru

"And um, I'm Loki..." he added clumsily, somewhat dumbfounded as to why he was excluded entirely. He smiled nonetheless, and nodded to the stranger he thought he heard was Settia. "Just... run! Stay away from the big oaf." The ashy stallion continued his slow lap around the field, grinning broadly as he avoided being the target of attention. "Or... watch as everyone tries to stay away from you!" Loki took off at this, pushing himself back to a gallop, albeit a relaxed one.

PhoenixGuardianMikazuki

"Too bad I'm not an oaf, Loki! She's already been tagged!!" Hania called out.

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Mahiri suddenly turned, she had forgotten about Loki because all her concentration had been on the other two. She ran over to him quickly, "Sorry, I forgot about you, I was too wrapped up in not getting caught. Sorry.." She smiled a little sheepishly watching the new femme. Was a little unfair tagging her but oh well!

hanging gallow

Whew Alona thought as Seitta was tagged, she was tired. She headed toward Loki. And stopped to catch her breath. A sharp pain shot up from her knee and made her wince a little. She shook her head and ingored it. She kept her eye on Seitta just in case she needed to take off again. She hoped that Seitta would follow Mahiri instead of her for the moment.

Cihiru

"Taking advantage of the unsuspecting doesn't mean you're not an oaf!" Loki called after him, then turned briefly to Mahiri. "It's fine, really," and he smiled reassuringly. Not a big deal at all. Rather than worry about it, the stallion eyed Settia curiously, waiting for her to define a course so he could set one of his own. He suspected they'd break soon, though. Alona, at least, was tiring. - Or that's what it looked like to him, anyway.

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Mahiri shook her head and smiled at Loki, "Thanks!" She looked at the sky and then looked to the others. She snorted and stamped her feet, "Sorry guys, I have to get going!" She smiled at them all before running off, still so full of energy she ran off at a stupid speed and out of the field to go home.

hanging gallow

Alona was extremely tired. She wanted water and her knee was bothering her. She tried to ingore it all and headed toward the stream. To take a deep glup of water. There she thought "thats better" she said cantering slowly around in a circle. "Bye Mahiri" she said as Mahiri left. That just leaves me and Loki out here and she knew Loki wasn't tired but she was and she knew if Seitta came her way she wouldn't get far before getting tagged.

 

[Cihiru]

04.10 Making Acquaintances Part 2: Loki, Alona & Ceylona


Cihiru

Loki watched their company depart, one by one... until only Alona and himself remained. "Well then." He snorted absently and turned to the mare as she refreshed herself at a stream. "How's your leg treating you?" he questioned as he approached to join her. The stallion had noticed Alona favoring one foot while he was circling around doing nothing, and hoped she was feeling better now.

hanging gallow

Alona ears perked up when she heard Loki. She noticed that everyone else was gone and was slightly happy she didn't have to play tag any more. "Meh, my leg could be doing a little better but this is normal" she said looking at her knee "I injured when I was younger and it has never been the same since, it sort of disappoints me because I love to race" she said looking up at Loki. She was glad that she was able to have run so long today, but she knew she would pay for it tomorrow. Her knee was so troubling and she hated it, much like she was aggrevated with herself from the lack of sleep she had.

Cihiru

"Normal?" He frowned lightly at this news, but it was faint and didn't last long. "Well, take care of yourself. I don't want to see you all bandaged up next time we meet!" And he sort of sighed at himself, realizing that was the second comment along that line today - At this rate, she was going to think him nagging soon. After all, it wasn't his job to bother her about such things. "Not that it's any of my buisness," he apologized suddenly, and dropped his muzzle to the nearby stream for a distracting drink.

hanging gallow

Alona watched him. She saw his concern and it made her feel better. "Hey don't worry, I need someone to remind me that I need to take of myself, I do a terrible job at times" she said smiling faintly hoping him to feel a little better. The truth was she was always willing to push herself as much as she could, and at times it could unhealthy for her. But she wanted to do so much for others and she had a habit of putting herself in harms way just to do so. She didn't feel that Loki was nagging at her, but she felt better, she knew that he cared at least she hoped that he did when he said that. She wasn't use to having people caring about her, but it felt good to at times.

Cihiru

"Someone, maybe - but not me," he commented from between swallows. Loki snorted again, to dislodge stray droplets from his whiskers, and hovered over the water even after he'd finished. He watched his rippling reflection for a brief while, just kind of staring himself in the eye. There was a time this disconcerted him; he was not comfortable in his own skin and was far from fond of his mirror image. That time had passed, however... He was content now, and it was a satisfying sort of feeling, though he wasn't sure what tempted him to think of it. "It's not my aim to trouble or nag you," Loki said suddenly, finally raising his head as he did so. "Leave that to those with less charm than me." And he grinned goofily, poking his tongue out in jest.

hanging gallow

She stopped for a moment staring out into space. "Loki, you don't trouble me at all, not one bit, and as for nagging, I suggest you leave that for someone else, I have a constant deaf ear to it, which is bad but it doesn't bother me, but no worry my knee gives me enough nagging when I push it too much" she said looking at it. She wished that she hadn't ruined so long ago, but it would be alright in the end or at least she hoped. She wouldn't let it destroy her love of running. She watched as he noticed his reflection in the water. She looked up to the sky avoiding hers. But turned her head to him when he spoke again. "Haha so I see, the fox has too much charm for the bunny now does he," she said playfully nudge him.

Cihiru

"Far too much for nagging," he confirmed, glancing to her from over his shoulder with a grin. Her troubled tone concerned him, but her posture warned him it was something she didn't want to discuss... So mentally, he stayed where he was, just sitting on the fence of uncertainty. Part of him did want to question and reassure her; to ask what exactly was bothering her. It was something he'd become aware of shortly after they met, but the way Alona tried so hard to be cheerful filled him with apprehension in regards to it. You couldn't just walk up to someone and tell them the job they've been working so hard to fulfill wasn't such a great job after all. It didn't work that way. "It's not becoming!" Loki wrinkled his nose and butted her shoulder with it, then made a short leap and trotted a quick circle around her.

hanging gallow

"Hahaha well it is a good thing that the fox is far to charming for nagging because I don't know how well the bunny likes nagging" she said cheeful as he trotted a quick circle around her. She was glad he didn't ask what was wrong with her, but half of her wanted to tell him. She rarely ever spoke of it, however she trusted Loki a great deal. The other half of her didn't even want to think about it. She shook the thoughts out of her head. "No it isn't very becoming at all, I agree" she said pushing thoughts far from her mind.

Cihiru

"Of course. That's why he's too charming for it." Loki fixed her with a sideways stare, his eyes smiling almost as much as his muzzle. She would tell him when she thought the time appropriate, and until then, he tried not to allow himself to be bothered. Trust was earned, not gifted, and he couldn't force it from anyone. "The morning's gone and left us, I think." The stallion glanced to the sky then, and peered at it with a squinted gaze. The sun was high in the sky, either nearing its peak or just coming off it. - He couldn't really tell which, as he hadn't really been paying attention.

hanging gallow

Alona chuckled at his response and returned his smile. She enjoyed watching Loki smile especially when it showed in his eyes, it made her feel better, or at least more cheeful. She would wait to tell him what had happen, later, when she felt right about discussing it, but at this moment it was pleasent and she didn't want to destroy that. She looked up at the sky after Loki mentioned it wasn't morning. "I believe you are right, the morning has left" she said in agreement.

Cihiru

"And you know what that means!..." Loki turned back to her, simply beaming. Whether or not it was genuine was debatable, but he did a decent job of pretending if it wasn't. "Night is coming." He pranced in place momentarily, lifting his ivory hooves high before placing them back on the grassy earth. "You can sleep, and I can... do whatever it is I do at nightfall." He grinned deviously, and glanced off into the distance.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed. "Thats right, the night will come soon, won't it" she said looking up at the sky. She knew Lilly was probably awake now or soon and she would be planning to go out during the night to wonder the area and knowing her she would have to follow Lilly to keep an eye on her. "And soon this bunny will need her beauty rest" she responding to Loki's devious grin.

Cihiru

Loki gave an audible sigh; one full of satisfaction, concern, and a little of something that was hard to place a finger on. Whatever it was, it didn't discourage his smile as he turned away from the gradient sky. "You're up long into the nights too, aren't you? - Doing what?" he inquired with an arched brow. The stallion hoped this wouldn't be a sensitive topic of conversation; it wasn't something he'd noticed bothering her, so he thought it was safe ground to tread upon. But then, one cold never be entirely sure. He'd stuck his foot in his mouth a time or two, and was sure there was more to come. "If you don't mind my asking," he added as an afterthought, and made a small (but joking) bow for good measure.

hanging gallow

"Oh! I am usually up during the nights following Lilly, my bonded human, at night, she never seems to like the day as much as the night, she is much like you Loki, she is always sleeping in the morning and staying up late at night" she said giving him a cheerful smile. "I enjoy being outside at night espcially when there is a full moon around and snow on the ground it causes the whole place to be lit up" she said joyfully. Alona felt comfortable again, she didn't mind talking about what her and Lilly did at night.

Cihiru

"I keep hearing bonds... humans mentioned in passing." Loki paused thoughtfully, and flicked his ears in absent motion. "Would you let me meet Lilly someday?" This was one thing he had genuine curiosity for; humans were something he could never quite grasp. He never had a chance to interact with them as a foal, and didn't really feel comfortable venturing into the human village now. It was a foreboding sort of place, despite his thirst to learn more of the two-leggers. "Night is always beautiful, I think. Kali says I'm weird though, and that evenings are for holing yourself up to protect you from the scary things lurking in the darkness." Loki rolled his eyes jokingly, and gave his tail an idle flick.

hanging gallow

"I'm sure Lilly would love to met you, she has a tendancy to prefer talking to other creatures then humans" she said pleasingly. Alona knew Lilly loved to meet any new creature, however she some odd reason seemed to avoid meeting other humans alot. She also avoided anything with large crowds. Alona laughed at what Loki said "I agree the nights sky is beautiful, but there are some scary things lurking in the shadows like...bunnies" Alona said playfully as she did a small hop. "I think every time of the day is to be outside and not to be wasted" she said thoughtfully.

Cihiru

"Bunnies are pretty scary!" Loki faked a start at her hop and dashed a short distance away - Really only a stride or two, but it did put some distance between them, which he closed now at a leisurely walk. "How do you waste a day?" This really did puzzle him; he couldn't think of an activity that was truly wasteful. "And how about... now? I really don't have much better to do," he offered.

hanging gallow

"Good point" Alona laughing as he dodge from her. "What I mean by wasting is not taken advantage of the time you have to do things that you want to do, if you just sit there and don't do anything...well then your wasting time" Alona responded hoping it made some sense. To her wasting time was more of spending long hours sleeping, but then again to some it wasn't as wasteful.

Cihiru

"What if I want to sit there and do nothing?" Loki grinned defiantly, but his train of thought trailed off, and it gave way to a lazy yawn. "It can be relaxing sometimes. Sometimes too relaxing," and there was another yawn. If he didn't go and do something in the near future, he had a sneaking suspicion he'd accidentally drift asleep right here. Too relaxing, indeed. He was far too comfortable, and it was easy to let his mind wander. "I'd still like to meet Lilly," he nagged half-heartedly.

hanging gallow

Alona chuckled a little and gave Loki a nudge. "Don't you fall asleep on me sleepy" she said amusingly. She yawned and looked at Loki. "See you making me sleepy with you" she said trying to keep herself from yawning again. "Oh! I'm sure you will meet Lilly, probably during the night when we are out" she said yawning as she leaned on Loki playfully as if she was holding herself up from sleeping on him.

Cihiru

"Why not?" Loki blinked lazily, and yawned again for emphasis. "You should be sleepy! Sleep is good." And he merely smiled as she leaned against him, bracing himself for additional weight in the event she were to actually lean on him. "Well, if not sleep, then what would you prefer to do?" For a moment, he wondered why he hadn't crossed paths with Lilly already. If she was truly a 'creature of the night', as he was, he would have thought otherwise. After all, he did wander quite a lot after nightfall, and in the desolate late hours, it wasn't hard to recognize when one had company around.

hanging gallow

Alona sat up off of Loki. "Hmm what to do, what to do... tell you the truth Loki, I really don't know what to do" she said struggling not to yawn again. "But I know if we keep standing here we will both fall asleep" she said playfully nipping at his mane again trying to wake herself up.

Cihiru

"Couldn't help you there. I sleep when I don't know what to do." Yes, this probably fell into the 'wasting time' category, but it was his personal preference nonetheless. Something about being bored shut his mind down completely, and before he realized it, he'd find himself yawning and struggling to keep his eyes open. Currently, however, he hadn't drifted quite that far. - Though it was quickly approaching. "Part of me wants to push you into the river, but my better half says it's a little cold for that." Loki wrinkled his nose a little, and shook his mane as he'd done earlier.

hanging gallow

Alona yawned again with Loki. "Hmm pushing into the river sounds like a good way to wake up even if it was cold" she said with a half mumur of falling asleep. She hadn't slept much in days and she was getting sleepy fast. Her mind kept yelling at her Wake up wake up this is no time to sleep, but Alona's eyes kept drifting further down. "must stay awake" she mumurred quielty.

Cihiru

"Careful what you wish for." Loki leaned against her jokingly, feigning as though he was going to send her tumbling into the streaming waters. He was careful not to push too hard though, and straightened himself after only a moment. "Any time is a good time to sleep," he goaded, ending in a soft 'hrm.' The river seemed pretty inviting, actually. He considered it briefly before stepping onto the shallow banks, and smiled at the water rushing over his hooves and threatening to carry away his streaming tail.

Talencia

Ceylona trotted through the winter landscape, her ears pricked and her long mane and tail flowing gracefully. The brisk winter wind had brought to her intriguing sounds of merriment. She had lived her life wild and free, but also somewhat lonely. She hadn't met many of her own kind, and she could swear that among the many mingled scents brought to her on the breeze, that of other soquili was one.

The red-brown mare continued through the near-silent forest, avoiding the snow-laden trees carefully. Her mind was all awhirl with what these sounds and smells could be, what they could mean. She was full of curiousity, but not so much so that she meant to lose her dignity. Thus she did not charge heedlessly, but trotted purposefully towards the sounds and smells.

hanging gallow

Alona woke up slightly when Loki leaned against her. "Of course any time may be a good time to sleep" Alona said half sleeping. She looked at the river and watched Loki place his hooves in it. Alona wanted to wake up and she knew how. She followed Loki into the river, however she continued until the water had reached her knees. It was cold, but refreshing and and slowly she was waking up.

Cihiru

"What? I go to all this effort to restrain myself and you go and dive right in anyway?" he complained mockingly. "In that case..." Loki charged a few strides into the river, creating a small wake with his force that arched up and came crashing down at Alona. It probably wouldn't drench her from head to toe, but it was a respectable splash nonetheless. It was also freezing cold; something he hadn't become fully aware of (though he knew it already, somewhere in the back of his mind) until he soaked himself to the bottom of his barrel.

Talencia

Ceylona slowed as she heard splashing ahead of her. Alarmed that there was a creature stuck in the freezing waters, she began lunging through the snowbanks. She topped a hill and gazed down at the river... and two playing Soquili? Puzzled, she stopped and watched, her breath curling in fairy swirls about her head.

Why would these silly bests go and douse themselves in this manner? They had no way to get dry without freezing their coats into a layer of ice! Confused, she snorted and stomped a hoof, tossing her long mane. Had they gone mad?

hanging gallow

Alona laughed at Loki when he realized what she had done. Loki sent a wave crashing at he causing Alona to laugh even even harder. She was awake now and the water was a cold shock to her but she didn't mind. "Oh yea!" she said after the waved had pass "watch this one" she said as she moved as quickly as she could toward Loki taking a small current, that formed into a small wave with her. Making sure it wasn't too much Alona stopped letting the wave crash into Loki.

Alona continued to laugh until she heard a noise. Her ears perked up and she looked in the direction of it. There stood a mocha colored mare staring at them as if they were crazy.Alona blushed a little and said "Hello there, my name is Alona, would you like to join us" she said adding a cheeful grin to resure her that she was only kidding

Cihiru

He was sure he'd gone insane some time ago, and would have freely admitted it to anyone who asked. Fortunately, for him, they never did. Perhaps it was already so apparent they didn't have to. "I'm watching!" he teased, ducking his head away from her as he did so, to shield his eyes from the brunt of the attack. Once he felt it collide with his side and wash over his back, he peered at her. "You can do better!" Loki reared back on his haunches, and came crashing down with another large splash. "You do realize..." the stallion fixed her with the most serious expression he could manage, which really wasn't very serious at all. "It's extremely cold. And we're going to be even colder back on land." He stopped abruptly, and traced Alona's gaze with his own. "Ah, oops. Evening! I'm Loki." Not the most graceful introduction ever, but it would have to do. There wasn't exactly much he could do to hide his dripping coat or slight shiver.

Talencia

She blinked for a moment at the other mare. Was she serious? Join them in freezing themselves? She was assuming they were wild, without means of caring for their coats or drying themselves... ignorant of humans and their role in domesticated soquili life. She eyed them with frank confusion. "I am Ceylona... and WHAT are you DOING?" Her incredulty came through clearing in her voice.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed "Oh! I know I can do better" she said as she turned to keep Loki's splash from her face. She felt the cold water sweep across her back and around her neck. It felt refreshing and very cold. She turned to look at Loki again "Oh I know it will get colder on land, but it will be alright as soon as it dries off" she said smiling "or at least I hope we will dry off eventually until it may get a little chiller" she said mockingly. The cold never really bothered her too much. She looked up at the Ceylona, she didn't seem very pleasent at first, but Alona decided that she would keep her patients and remain pleasent as possible. "We are waking ourselves up" she respond smiling as cheerfully as she could to the mare.

Cihiru

"I hope foxes make good icicles." Loki gave himself an inglorious shake, freeing droplets from his upper body at least, though he still remained planted in the river. "Well - She might have been waking herself up, but I was just playing. That hasn't turned into a crime since noon, has it?" He eyed the new mare absently, and made sorts of mental notes to himself. She crossed him as the dignified sort, initially... Too regal to partake in activities of his kind. Hopefully not too regal to socialize, though, and he reserved final judgments for later. First impressions weren't everything, after all.

Talencia

She frowned in thought. Waking up? Playing? As for playing, she hadn't had much time for that herself, having to forage and keep wary for stalking predators. She was curious, but not sure about the idea of dousing herself in winter in order to try such a strange thing out. She approached the water, stepping daintily through the snow. She was on the opposite as they, and mentally hoped beyond splash range.

"Were you too exhausted to stay awake?" she asked Alona. Again, her tone spoke volumes, showing bafflement and concern. It just might be that the other mare needed to be protected from the lurking predators. She tossed her head up and scented the air for wolves and the like, but could smell little other than the strange smells beyond the river.

hanging gallow

"Oh! no foxes don't make very good icicles at all, they make better as fur coats" she said playfully while trying to avoid Loki's droplets shaking off from him. The mare seemed well reserved, or at least very regal but at least concerned and she couldn't be all bad, she was at least daring to get close to the water. "Oh! no I wasn't to exhausted to stay awake" she said covering up her tone of making an excuse for falling asleep as she headed toward Loki, "we had just gotten bored and sleepy fox over here started with the yawning which got me started" she said nudging Loki giving him a playful eye.

Cihiru

"I'm plenty good as a fur coat for myself, thank you." He snorted indignantly, though the teasing never really left his tone. "Sure, blame me." Loki yawned deliberately at the mention, but he couldn't hide his joking smile. "It might be my fault I'm boring, but it's hardly my fault you can't stay awake." Through all his lightheartedness, he observed Ceylona quietly. For a moment, he couldn't quite tell if she was going to brave the icy waters, but as she neared the bank, he became fairly certain she wouldn't; his playfulness sank a notch at this. She was so alert and overly cautious, too... He scarcely considered it a bad thing, but wondered briefly if she had much room left for enjoyment. What was life without play?

Talencia

Ceylona watched curiously at their strange, carefree manner. Very strange indeed. Then it occurred to her what the explination might be. She went upsream from them a bit and found a bit more solid ice to mince onto, then leaped across the running middle, landing solidly on the ice on the other side and moving quickly off it as it cracked. Once more on solid land, she walked slowly over to where they were.

"Are both of you part of a herd then?" She nickered in a bit more friendly manner, realizing she probably was sounding rather cold. Briefly she wondered if she could blame it on the weather. Returning her thoughts to her two new acquaintances, she nodded to herself. A herd could explain it. They wouldn't have to worry as much about predators or food if there was a lead stallion and mare looking after them. This led her to wonder if she was trespassing. Cocking one hind hoof sedately, she watched and listened to them.

hanging gallow

Alona laughed "I have to admit you got me there Loki it is my fault for sleeping" she said "of course your a wonderful fur coat for youself, that is what i was meaning," she lightly as she yawned after Loki. "Oh! when ever someone yawns it makes me want to yawn with them" she said in frustation after yawning again. She watched the mare.

She seemed very cautious at every movement she made, sensing everything around her. Alona recoginzed everything she did, she had done it before, before she came here that is. Alona felt the playfulness leave a little. She wasn't as cautious as she used to be but she was having much more fun then what life had been before. "No, I am not part of any herd, I live here with my bonded human Lilly, however she normally sleeps for most of the day, so I continue to spend my time here" she said feeling a little ashamed. She had never belong to a herd before, never. When she was younger she was accepted into herds because of her parents, so Alona avoided heards with a great deal of effort.

Talencia

Ceylona's ears flickered at the new word. "Human? Bonded human?" She snorted at her own ignorance. "What is a bonded human?" She pawed a hole in the snow, revealing the dried and browned grass beneath. Absently she bent and snagged a mouthful and raised her head again, considering the two as she chewed. So no herd... but a human. Hmm.... her tail switched thoughtfully, raising a small flurry of loose snow. This might bear further investigation.

Cihiru

"My herd outcasted me because I was born without wings. So... I think it's safe to say no." Loki smiled a reassuring smile - it was a softer expression than his myriad of joking grins, and lacked the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. After that, he never really felt a compelling urge to try to find another 'family.' He had everything he needed already, and valued his independence above most other things he possessed. "In fact, I don't live here at all." The stallion wrinkled his nose, at Alona specifically, and nudged her in a 'cheer up' manner.

hanging gallow

Alona thought of how she could explain being bonded to a human was... "A human that has a strong bond to you, a human that won't leave your side and well...you won't leave theres.... like a deep friend" she said trying to think of any other way to explain it. She wasn't good with explaining the whole bonding thing. It was like Lilly depended on her as she did the same back. Both looked out for each other and treated each other as a close friend.

Alona returned a smile back to Loki she was glad he was there to cheer her up. She really wasn't comfortable talking about this herd thing. She had rough time as a filly with herds and didn't take well in wanting to talk about it.

Talencia

Cey whickered softly at Loki in sympathy for his past, then bobbed her head at Alona's words to show she was paying attention. "But what IS a human?" she asked in dignified curiousity. Her head stretched forward a bit and her head cocked to the side. Strangely, this gesture made her appear quite foal-like, despite her gravity and soberity. "Is a human a sort of horse? A new kind of soquili?" She shook her mane at her lack of understanding, then glanced upwards. Though not visible yet, she could sense the snow coming. Flakes would fall thickly soon, and she was as yet unsure if this was a safe place to take shelter. She turned her gaze back to the other two, ears perked in full attention.

hanging gallow

Alona was all lossed for words. She couldn't even think of how to describe a human. "No they are not other soquilis...they are a different tyep of creature...creatures who only walk on two legs, and they are smart, and they have things they call hands that they are able to touch stuff with and pick them up..and well..they are quite hard to describe" Alona said with a little bit of fustrations of not being able to discribe them.

Talencia

Apparently the mocha-cinnamon mare had a very stronge curious streak. "Are these humans good creatures, then?" Her ears twitched and she took a couple of interested steps forward, not noticing how close to the water and the splashers this brought her. "Are they far from here?" Part of her inwardly cringed at all the questions her ignorance was forcing her to ask. She usually was a rather reserved mare. Still, these two were being kind to her as a stranger with all these questions.

hanging gallow

"Oh! they are very kind, Lilly leaves a basket of apples out for any passing soquili, and other humans do other kind things too. They are extremely caring, or at least the ones that have bonds to soquilis." she said nodding with approval "They are not too far away from here at all, it just just a short distance out of these woods and across the field up on the slope, there is a village" she said nodding slightly as responding. She didn't mind the Ceylona curosity at all. She was acutally quite please with it.

Talencia

Ceylona blew through her nostrils in thought. Humans certainly sounded like good creatures to know. Perhaps she should meet them. Her ears swiveled uncertainly. She had better ask another question. "Do these humans like newcomers? Strange soquili?" She shifted her weight from hoof to hoof uncertainly. She wasn't used to being so off kilter this way.

hanging gallow

"They don't mind them at all, they greet them very cheerfully and pleasently" she said nodding in agreement.

Alona looked up toward the sky and noticed the sun was starting to set. She knew Lilly would be waiting for her to go on their night stroll.

"I am afriad that I am going to have to get going now Ceylona" she said softly. "Maybe one day I will get you to met Lilly" she said adding cheefully. She was enjoying Ceylona's company but could tell she was very complex in all thoughts. She would have to get use to it.

As for Loki, Alona hated to say good bye to him, she was enjoying his company greatly. She trotted over to Loki nudging and whispered to him out of Ceylona range. "Have fun wandering the night Loki, I'll see you again" giving one more nudge as she trotted her way out of the river. She quickly made her way back to village to keep herself from getting any colder.

 

[Cihiru]

04.11 Something's Not Quite Right: Kali, Kanti & Izusa


Cihiru

It was odd, the way Kali set herself into motion and time after time, found herself standing here... In the valley just outside the Kawani village. She could see the inhabitants from here, hurrying to and fro between their shelters. She could smell them too; the drifting scent of smoldering wood and a whole myriad of other things. The part that interested her most, though, was the occasional whinny she could hear leaving the settlement. The smells were too faint to discern, but the sound of Soquilis was unmistakable. Now, she'd heard of Soquilis choosing to live with humans before, but it was still a curiosity. So there she stood, gazing at the villagers and mulling over what compelled the Soquilis to stay with them.

Kanashimii

Kanti's leather boots made the ground crick under her to each of her steps as she walked out of the village. The weather wasn't so cold today, not like it had been around the holidays. But she still had her cloth around her shoulders, covering her bare arms from the chilly wind. The clouds covered the sky, but today was not a stormy day, therefore she thought she could go out and search for some herbs. As the young human walked out of the village, she noticed a dark colored soquili, standing near by a tree, watching the villagers going by doing their normal day routine. She smiled lightly, wondering what it was doing there. She hesitated for a moment, but decided to go in it's direction, see if it would be scared or not...

Sayuri_Nitta

Izusa moved on light hoof steps, slipping between teepees, noting that the villagers cast looks at her as she went past them. It was good that they were wary of her, she smirked to herself, her wings rustling on her back. She gazed around, eyes landing on a black, feathered winged Soquili. The mares scent drifted to her, and she headed towards it, ignoring the human that was also drifting near to the mare with a toss of her head. Human's werent worth her time..

Cihiru

The mare was far too curious to be alarmed; she had her ears perked to notice just this sort of thing. As soon as the sound of footsteps met her hearing, she turned her head to observe their source, and let out a low, welcoming nicker. It wasn't until after she'd greeted the human Kali took a moment to wonder what she was doing, but by then it was a bit late to do anything. Oh well, it didn't matter. The woman didn't look threatening or anything... Besides, no amount of curiosity could overcome instinct; if she was dangerous, her gut would have told her so, right?

Kanashimii

Kanti's golden eyes glanced at the horse. It seemed to have wings. She blinked, could this be a wind soquili? Never did she meet a wind soquili before. They were rare around here and very few humans had seen them to tell. She slowed her pace not to scare the beautiful creature and smiled lightly when she heard the horse nicker lightly. It seemed to welcome her. Kanti noticed that it was a female with black and white skin, along with elegant wings. As she stepped closer, Kanti moved her left hand into the basket she was holding and grabbed a few barries. She extended her hand and offered the juicy berries to the soquili.

Cihiru

This was a little unexpected (in more ways than one). A second approach caused her gaze to flicker toward it, but once it fell on the other, she could feel her curiosity pique. Kali wasn't much of a judgmental sort, and didn't think anything of the filly's appearance, but she would have had to be blind not to realize the other surely looked different. It was awkward to admit to herself she'd never seen another Soquili of the sort.

She was torn, now. Part of her wanted to approach the human and investigate the offering in the woman's hand, but the filly demanded her attention and she found it a little difficult to peel her eyes away. She settled instead for greeting the filly with a friendly, gentle whinny and approaching the woman with no signs of apprehension. Kali stood a step or two off for a moment, then nosed at her hand and sniffed the berries. It took only a second to recognize the sweet smell, to which the mare replied by lipping them up appreciatively. After devouring them, she nuzzled the woman's hand in thanks, and took a moment to steal a glance at the filly over her shoulder.

Sayuri_Nitta

Izusa tilted her head, watching the human go right up to the Soquili as though she owned it! Her tail flickered, the tendrils catching the damp ground and her wings rustled again, but in irritation. She wanted to see what this Soquili was like, but as she watched, the mare just greeted her before eating the human's offering.
She grumped inwardly; another 'good' Soquili...how boring. But well, maybe some fun could be had anyway. She walked right past the human, ignoring her again and pressing her nose against the mares flank in greeting.

Kanashimii

Kanti smiled to the mare's action. She liked the berries very much that was for sure. She let her hand pet the soquili's head for a moment, until she noticed another one had approached. It was different from any soquilies she had seen before. It had strange tattoos and colors, and it didn't look so friendly either. Well at least it didn't seem to care for Kanti's presence. She decided to stay silent and observe, instead of approaching this one this time.

Cihiru

She suspected it was agitation she sensed drifting off the filly, but her better half demanded benefit of the doubt, and thought perhaps it was apprehension instead. Maybe it was nothing at all; she pushed both thoughts aside at the somewhat forward greeting, and offered an earnest (albeit small) smile. "Afternoon." Kali sniffed softly, taking in the other's scent in a more equine welcome. Yes, that was definitely agitation. Her good will couldn't deny it. "I'm Kali; how is the day treating you?"

Sayuri_Nitta

'I'm Izusa,' she replied, not answering the polite question directed at her. She stepped away from Kali a little, walking around to see the mare better.
'You don't have wings like me either,' she commented. Were there no other's like her around here?

Cihiru

"Or you don't have wings like me," she replied. "Is that a bad thing?" Kali glanced to her with a quirked brow, not particularly returning her scrutinizing. The mare learned at a young age appearances could be deceiving, beauty was only skin deep, and all that good stuff. Her mother had been adamant about that sort of thing, and would have been ashamed to find she was doing otherwise now. "I never found it to matter much one way or the other."

Sayuri_Nitta

Izusa spread her wings out as far as they would go, the membranes stretched. She arched her neck and tilted her head to look at them, before folding them down again and looking at Kali.
'I've seen others around the Village with wings like yours. I've not seen any other's like me. Do you not think that's odd?' she inquired.

Cihiru

The mare noted the observation; she recalled making similar actions some time ago. "Nope, I don't." Maybe it was because she'd spent so much time reassuring Loki when their herd had shunned them, but it really didn't seem so odd to her at all. "Do you want to look like everybody else?" It was good to be different! "I know I don't." Kali took the opportunity to peer at the human then, and fixed her with what seemed like an apologetic gaze before looking back to the filly.

Kanashimii

Kanti sat on a near by rock and put her basket on her knees. She took out a few things and started working on a new jewel she had already started. She didn't want to bother the soquilies, they seemed to be having a conversation, but she didn't really feel like going back to the village. So she sat there, working with the cords and beads she had brought with her, along with a few feathers. Once in a while, she would take a glance at the soquilies to see what they were up to, observing them in silent.

Sayuri_Nitta

'No I don't,' Izusa seemed pensive for a bit, kicking the ground with the tip of a small hoof. For a moment she seemed to look lost, and small, like the foal she was. Then she shook it off, shaking her head.
'Everyone stares at me. I see them looking away when I look at them,' she commented.

Cihiru

"Why does it bother you? It doesn't matter what they think." Kali looked to the distance for a moment, hoping not to intrude on Izusa's contemplation. "The people that are afraid of difference are the same ones that are afraid of change. Rejecting change is denying improvement, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to be stuck the way I am forever either. I want to be smarter, stronger, faster..." She paused thoughtfully and turned back to the filly, anxious for her reaction, but careful not to look expectant.

Sayuri_Nitta

Izusa blinked at the little speech; maybe she had judged this one too soon? It sounded like she was talking about power - and the filly certainly liked the sound of that!
'I will be strong...' she said, shaking herself all over, her tail flicking the air this time.
'When I'm big like you,' she radiated an air of sweetness, hoping that this wise mare would like her enough to teach her strength...she could bear to tolerate someone if they helped her be powerful.

Cihiru

Ignorance was bliss, for both of them perhaps. Kali would not have approved of this thirst for power, but what she didn't know couldn't hurt her. "With an attitude like that, I don't doubt you will." She might have been taken aback by this new aura of... fallacy, but she was rather absorbed by the filly's determination. Ambition was among the first stepping stones to success. It was fortunate for her she did not know what Izusa hoped the path would lead to. "Will counts for a lot."

Sayuri_Nitta

'What are you doing up here?' Izusa asked, her voice polite for once, her eyes looking around where they stood, glancing at the seated human for a moment.
'Oh I have much will for the things I want,' she spoke decisively.

Cihiru

"Looking around, I suppose. I don't often see the humans... I live in the forest." Kali added the last bit for clarity. "You live here?" Izusa's final comment made her ears twitch uncertainly, but she dismissed it as nothing, despite her common sense. She really did want to see the best in others. Even if it meant blinding herself to the full picture from time to time. After all, if nobody was willing to believe in it... maybe the individual wasn't either. She liked to believe she could inspire change. Unrealistic, maybe, but Kali was always the idealist.

Sayuri_Nitta

'You don't have a human..'companion' then?' Izusa asked. That stallion who had fallen for her 'tales of woe' had made it sound like it was odd not to be with a human.
'In the Village is the one who I sort of stay with.' she said.
'What's it like to live out there?'

Cihiru

"I don't." She too was familiar with this mentality; the one that deemed it odd to live away from the humans. In fact, she had met only one other who lived wild, like she. "Much like living here, I suspect. With a lot less... population. It's quiet. It must be nice to have treats when you want them, and shelter when you need it though. You learn to watch your back, too. There are many more predators in the forest than here. I don't expect you have much to worry about, with a human to stay with?"

Sayuri_Nitta

Izusa snorted;
'You think I'm pampered and closely looked after? She is scared of me.' Izusa stated. It wasnt completely true, but Kaliska had learned to be guarded with the filly.
'I stay around here because...' she fumbled for the words.
'Because there is much fun to be had around here. I get food with my wiles, not because I'm pretty to look at it.'

Cihiru

"I implied neither. Don't be so defensive with me," she said simply. "Rather that a human whom you choose to live with must do something to provide for you, or you would have no reason to stay. Most humans seem... inclined to be kind to Soquilis anyway, so I'm doubtful yours is different if you would willingly return." Kali noticed she was at a loss for reasons she stuck around, but didn't know what to make of it. "I don't much care how you acquire your food, so long as you're fed at the end of the day." It was unusual for her to react in this way, but the foal's presentation of this as bragging rights struck her in the wrong manner.

Sayuri_Nitta

'They let me have food because of my age I think,' Izusa said, not really addressing Kali.
'When I am older, I will move away from the Village I am sure,' she stretched, having gotten tired of standing in one place, and she walked a little, flexing her wings as well.
'Besides...I'm not like the others. I told a stallion about my situation, and he acted like it was the worst thing not to be with a human.'

Cihiru

"What is the likelihood he knew what he was talking about? What made you think he did?" Kali tilted her head at the filly, a mix of bemusement and curiosity. "And why should I care?" She was quite satisfied with her situation, and thought she was doing reasonably well for herself. Why should it matter what some random stallion's thoughts on living wild were? "Move away if you want. Be warned the lifestyles are more than likely different, and it's doubtful one is more beneficial than the other."

Sayuri_Nitta

'Did I say I agreed with him?' Izusa thought that the mare had fog between her ears.
'Besides which you give your thoughts very decidedly for someone who says she doesnt care.' she trotted away from the mare a little, her concentration span at its limit for this conversation. Not only that, her stomach was feeling empty and she felt like nosying around to see what she could snatch up.

 

[Cihiru]

04.12 Flattery Doesn't Get You Anywhere with Bears: Kali & Kestal


Twiddle

Kestal lay beneath a tree, though he hated the dirt he was sleepy and didn't want his lovely coat to be marred by the suns rays. Yawning he stood after his three hour nap and stretched, walking over towards the small lake nearby. He was never too far from that lake, as he loved to gaze upon his beauty in the watery depths.

Walking over to it, he shook the dirt from himself and made a 'tsk tsk' noise, wading into the cool water to get clean again. He didn't get his lovely mane wet, though he did wash his tail off.

As he finished he walked out and shook off, letting the sun dry his coat and tail. He wondered if there were any mares around, he felt like letting someone be amazed by his beauty.

Cihiru

Boredom led to strange things, and even Kali was susceptible, though she generally thought herself a purposeful and resourceful mare. There were only so many ways for one to spend her time, after all. She didn't have much control over that. So, there were days like this one... Where she took off adventuring like a yearling, hunting for hidden treasures and whatever else she may find buried in lands undiscovered to her. She enjoyed it too, though she may have been hesitant to answer someone's inquiries about her activities. The simple joy in happening across an untouched apple tree, or the adrenaline coaxed by suspense in wandering through a darkness-laden cave were somewhat difficult not to appreciate.

It was, however, also a little hard to enjoy simple fields like this one. Average in virtually every way... Trees here and there, a pond or maybe a garden of boulders. What was there to be excited about? Except company; that was always refreshing. Kali's ears perked forward when her gaze fell on the form of another, and she approached with little reservation. The mare paused a short distance off, offering a soft whinny and a friendly smile. Then gave her tail a deliberate, almost thoughtful flick before speaking. "Hi! I'm Kali." A little forward, maybe. Risky, probably. But the mare had never been accused of shyness.

Twiddle

Kestal looked up, and he blinked as he saw the beautiful, winged mare. He had never seen anyone as lovely as she, perhaps even, more beautiful than himself! He shook himself from his thoughts, and gave her his charming smile, trotting over towards her. "Why hello, lovely maiden of the winds." He bowed his head to her, and as he straightened he smiled. "I am called Kestal, it is a fine pleasure to meet you."

Cihiru

The stallion's antics drew a laugh - perhaps more inward than outward; her smile broadened and a hint of amusement glittered in her eyes. This was refreshing, indeed. She'd yet to meet someone quite like he. Whether or not this was a good thing had yet to be determined, but it was humorous for the moment, and she allowed herself to play along. "Just Kali suits me fine, thank you, sir." The mare returned his bow with a courteous nod. "Pleasure is mine, Kestal. What possesses you to grace this field with your presence?" The mare could see his ego in his posture and word choice, and for a moment wondered what made her dare to encourage him. Hopefully it wouldn't harm anything; he seemed innocent enough. In an I-love-myself manner, that is.

Twiddle

Kestal's smile widened as she spoke, and he flicked his golden locks from his eyes gracefully. "I have yet to venture far from here," He said, his posture proud and strong, "I like being near the lake, and having an abundant supply of apples at my call." He motioned with his strong, good looking muzzle towards the apple tree he had been under not long ago. "Would the lovely maiden Kali like an apple?" He asked, smiling at her and hoping to show off.

Cihiru

She wasn't sure how much longer 'lovely maiden Kali' would be a tolerable title, but it was alright for now. Maybe he'd drop it once the novelty wore off; she wasn't much in the mood to call him out over it just yet. "But don't you tire of the same scenery day after day? You don't thirst to see something more?" The field wasn't much to brag about, after all. Her initial impression remained - it was average in essentially every way. Average was all well and good from time to time, but it wasn't enough to satisfy her. "Maybe one wouldn't hurt; I ate recently though."

Twiddle

Kestal was full of himself and pig-headed, but he knew when to cool it. At least a bit. "Ah, I do long for the thrill of adventure, that is actually why have travelled here." He spoke true, he had left his herd a while back, in search to make one of his own. Or perhaps just to find a companion. "And these apples are quite delicious." He trotted towards the tree, and pushed himself off the ground, lightly grabbing an apple in his jaw before landing gracefully once more. He strode back over towards her and held it out to her, a grin on his face.

Cihiru

"But there's no adventure in settling in one place, never venturing from its boundaries... That's a little contradictory, don't you think?" She made an honest effort to sound conversational rather than contradictory; it was hard sometimes to judge this sort of thing. "I don't doubt that." Apples generally were, after all, but she opted not to voice that part. Smart-aleck though she was, she didn't want to go pushing buttons yet. She took the apple instead, resisting the urge to put her wings to use and pluck an apple from the tree's higher branches. While 'out-doing' him might have been fun, she doubted it would be well-received. "Thank you kindly." The mare had placed the fruit on the ground to speak and give her head a small bow, but she looked back to it now and took a modest bite.

Twiddle

Kestal smiled as she bit into the apple, "I've only been here for about two days, actually." He said nodding, looking around, "I has yet to be boring, especially after meeting someone like you." He grinned, he loved flirting. Shaking his golden locks from his eyes, he spoke again, "So, what brings you here to this quaint little field, Kali?"

Cihiru

"Two days? That's not long at all. You are enjoying the area, then?" She had managed this before he continued; his following comment almost made her wish she could withdraw it. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the compliment (nor that she minded), but having a brother as your only real social interaction didn't exactly teach one to react gracefully. She was accustomed to joking around and horseplay, not this. A simple 'thank you' wasn't really appropriate, and ignoring it wasn't polite. "You mean to say 'it has yet to be interesting' surely, for no one in their right mind would say that about me." She had intended this to discourage further comments, not goad them, but in retrospect she worried it might have been taken otherwise.

"Wanderlust, you could say. I was hoping for a cave or an orphaned foal or something, not a field, but I suppose I haven't been disappointed." She had taken opportunities during her pondering to steal bites here and there, and as she saw further opportunity, finished the remainder of the apple. Kali risked an unladylike lick to free stray bits from her whiskers, and flashed an embarrassed smile.

Twiddle

Kestal was not discouraged, nor hurt or perturbed in any way by her comment. He could see she was not used to being complimented, which honestly surprised him greatly. "Well if that's the case, I lost my mind a long time ago." He smiled at her, chuckling a bit at her embarrassed look. "We could wander together, if you don't mind the company. I would love to explore here, and being with someone..." He was going to compliment her again, but thought better of it and corrected himself, "who is kind, will make it all the more exciting." He smiled once more and waited her respose, ears titled forward and tail flicking with anticipation.

Cihiru

"Me too, I suppose." Few hadn't 'lost their minds,' come to think of it. Everyone had their own quirks and oddities; the variety was interesting and almost necessary. She couldn't imagine a world full of 'sanity' and normality. How boring. "Wouldn't have it any other way." She sighed inwardly, in relief and appreciation. He couldn't have made her awkwardness more painless. Kali noticed his effort not to repeat the experience too, and she smiled softly. "If you'd like, though I should warn the surrounding areas aren't much to brag about. You've likely found the prettiest spot nearby." Maybe she could show him the river a ways off. Unlike the one flowing near the village, it boasted a waterfall cascading into a deep pool. It was nice to look at and listen to, if nothing else, she thought.

Twiddle

Kestal smiled to her, and nodded. He held back yet another easy attempt at telling her how pretty she was, "Lead the way." He said with a smile. He wasn't really that interested in the area, but he was interested in her. He wanted to get to know her better, which was rather odd for him, since normally he'd much rather tlk about himself. Pushing the thoughts aside, he followed her as they went. "So, Kali," He said, looking over to her, "Do you have a mate?" He asked blatantly, hoping it sounded like a regular conversation starter, hiding his eagerness for her answer.

Cihiru

"That's a mistake I hope you won't regret later." Letting her lead, that is. Like her brother, she had a nose for trouble. Or it a nose for her. Either way, she often found herself in situations a little stickier than average. Granted, it kept life interesting, but she hoped it wasn't something that would catch up with her. But she swallowed her thoughts and pushed ahead, pausing momentarily to glance at Kestal and make sure he was in-tow (though she knew he was without checking). "No..." It wasn't something she'd really considered; she didn't need someone to look after her and wasn't really thirsting for companionship. Actually, she was too busy reflecting on the realization to think it an odd question. "Do you?" She doubted, considering his conspicuous and rather shameless flirting, but one could never be sure.

Twiddle

Kestal shook his head sadly. "Afraid not." For a moment his ego fell, and it was obvious that he longed for a companion and mate. Quickly he brought up his superficial exterior again though, flashing a grin in her direction. "But you never know what's around the corner in life." He smiled a little, and hoepd to change the subject by asking, "Do you have any relatives? Or are you part of a herd maybe?" He hadn't asked about her wings just yet, he didn't want to offend her in any way, though his eyes continued to drift down and gaze at the feathered body parts.

Cihiru

Afraid not? She hardly considered independence a bad thing, but given her impression of his opinion on the issue, she thought it best not to mention. Some just didn't like being alone. For Kestal, perhaps it was more of a pride issue, but she didn't dare to question that either. "My brother and I live as wanderers; we haven't been part of a herd since we were little." Little was an understatement, but who was telling. For the moment, he didn't need to know the only reason she knew she ever had a herd was her mother's recollections of it, and the stories she shared with them. "It seems a lot of Soquilis live with the humans though, in a village across the horizon." She did notice the way something distracted him - it was only natural to assume he was glancing to her wings, considering the way his gaze kept flickering. Kali wasn't sure what to say about them though; it was impossible to judge what was on his mind otherwise.

Twiddle

Kestal nodded a little, "I was in a herd for a while, but I left after my mother passed away. There was really no point in staying after that, and I wanted to travel anyway." He smiled a little, "I dont really care much for humans. They haven't been the most kind things I've met." His eyes flashed with anger for a moment, but it was gone as quick as it ahd come. He found himself glancing to her wings again, and quickly looked back up to her face, an apologetic smile on his own.

Cihiru

"I'm sorry." She was familiar with the tragedy, and knew there wasn't much she could say to comfort him. Kali guessed her death may have been recent too, and didn't want to risk resurfacing dark emotions. "I guess it's not really worth hiding... Our herd outcasted our family when my brother was born without wings, so our mother took us to a forest and cared for us herself." The mare chose to leave out the 'she parted when we were young' part, it wasn't really relevant. "Is that so? I haven't had many encounters with humans. The one woman I met seemed kind though. You can't go wrong with sugar cubes, if I may say so myself." She offered this to soothe the discomfort she thought she felt from him, but it disappeared quickly and she chose not to pay it further mind. "What, do they make me look fat?" Kali grinned jokingly, and stretched her wings to their somewhat impressive span, exposing the trim figure that had been previously obstructed.

Twiddle

Kestal nodded a bit, "I'm sorry." He said in response to her tale of being outcasted. "The only ones I've met were very... well, nevermind. I'm sure not all of them are bad, I'd just prefer to not be around them." He smiled a little, as she spread out her wings. He was obviously in awe off the sight, and watched gazed at her openly. "Wow..." He smiled, "What's it like to fly?"

Cihiru

She simply nodded, declining the notion to respond to his sympathy. "Fair enough," she replied instead. It was a bit like... well, every other dislike, she supposed. Hard to explain, but there nonetheless. You couldn't really force yourself to start liking something or stop disliking another. "Describing flying is a bit like describing running. It's fairly impossible to capture the sensation in words." Kali gave a reassuring smile, mindful of his awe but unphased by it. "Think of it kind of like running, but wings do the work and you don't get to feel the pound of earth beneath your feet. Not for those afraid of heights!"

Twiddle

Kestal chuckled at her comments, and nodded. "I would love to fly. You're very lucky." He smiled at her, and continued forward. "So, miss tourguide, where are you taking me anyway?" He looked around, he had yet to venture this far.

Cihiru

"I've heard that a time or two, but don't believe it. It's not as great as it sounds - it's just natural to want what we can't have. So much easier to romanticize something we can't try for ourselves." She nodded thoughtfully, gazing to the sky for a moment before looking back to him. "But it wouldn't be any fun if I told you! Surprises aren't surprises if you give them away beforehand." Kali grinned broadly and picked up her pace, pushing it to an easy canter. There weren't any roses to stop and smell anyway; she doubted he'd regret spending a little less time passing through an un-amazing field.

Twiddle

Kestal loved her sense of humor and her spirit, and he smiled, picking up his own pace to match hers. "Very true, you're very smart." He loved the feeling of the wind flowing thorugh his golden locks, and he let out a happy whinny without thinking about it. He was a bit embarrassed, but didn't show it in the last, his pride not letting him do so. "Well wherever it is, I hope it's somewhere interesting."

Cihiru

The mare was at a loss, and found herself unable to do anything but smile... an almost shy smile? An unusual notion for her, but it suited her features. "Of course! I wouldn't lead you from one quaint field to another quaint field. Not on purpose, anyway." Kali grinned at the thought, but a faint sound met her ears and chased away any suspicion. Flowing waters could be heard from here, colliding with rocks at the base of the fall, though the river was just pulling into view. "I hope you're a fan of swimming. Or that you like water, at least." She took off at a gallop, pounding toward the river.

Twiddle

Kestal blinked as she smiled almost sheepishly, he thought maybe it was his imigination. Shaking it off as she suddenly sped ahead of him, he grinned and took off at full speed ahead after her. He quickly caught up, his muscled body pulling ahead. He backed off though, and made it seem like he was struggling, letting her get the upper hand and go ahead to win.

Cihiru

She laughed as she saw him near, and knew at the speed he pursued, he could have passed her. But he didn't, and that amused her. It was an odd place for chivalry. "Don't be silly." Kali nipped playfully at his shoulder and pushed ahead, quickening her pace, but not testing herself. She wasn't racing; she had something else in mind. As the mare came up on the banks, she propelled herself across the wide stream, spanning her wings and taking advantage of their aid. It was a long jump - even with the gliding extension, her hind hooves landed in shallow waters with a splash. The mare rounded up on the other side, completing a wide, running circle before slowing to a stop on the opposing bank. "I think we're here!" she called across the river, over the lulling crash of the waterfall.

Twiddle

Kestal grinned as she nipped him, she had figured it out. Though it was rather obvious. As she soared through the sky, he skidded to a stop and watched in awe. She really was beautiful. As she called to him from the ther side, he laughed a little, "And where exactly IS here?" he called back to her, his voice barely overpowering the rush of the water.

Cihiru

Kali grinned broadly, though it was unlikely he was able to see her. "Isn't it obvious?" She pushed herself off the ground, kicking off her haunches at full force and flying more blatantly back over the river. It was an arched, soaring motion, and even she had to admit to herself she did a pretty decent job of making it look graceful. "A waterfall, of course." She gathered her limbs beneath her and landed easily on the other side, striding a short distance to slow herself. "It's the only one I know of within a day's traveling distance."

Twiddle

Kestal chuckled, though couldn't help but be awed once more by her show of graceful flight. "Well I can see that," He said smirking, "But why are we here? It's rather beautiful, though I've had the pleasure of much more beautiful company recently." He gave her a slight wink, and strode into the water, lapping at it.

Cihiru

"Why shouldn't we be here? It's a fair sight more interesting than a field, I think." Kali could feel a flush in her cheeks, but her dark coat saved her further embarrassment. It wasn't like compliments (yes, even flirting) should make her uncomfortable anyway; she couldn't quite place why that had bothered her. "Besides, it would seem one of us is thirsty," she commented. The mare considered her options momentarily, then opted to follow suit and entered the coursing flow. She did not drink immediately as he did, but she enjoyed the feel of the water and the serenity of the area... and company that made her smile softly to herself.

Twiddle

Kestel grinned as he looked back up at her, "I'm not saying I don't like it." He said with a smile, "I just figured we were gonna go somewhere a bit more... exciting." He smiled and lapped up the water a few more times before walking out, and shaking off. Sometimes he hated having a long tail, it always got wet when he wanted to get a drink, and then it would drag in the dirt and get all dirty and gross. He flciked it a few times, hoping teh sun would dry it off before they headed out again.

Cihiru

"If you're looking for danger, you're going to have to look someplace else." Kali gave him a sideways stare, but didn't try to hide the amusement in her eyes. "I'm a bit too fond of my skin to donate it to somebody else, and I like my bones in-tact." She stretched her wings again, giving them a flapping shake before returning them to their comfortable rests at her sides. "Not sure what other brand of excitement you could be looking for." The mare dipped her nose to drink from the rushing waters, and took her time in doing so. The cool waters and gentle spray were too relaxing to rush, and she didn't see much reason to hurry anyway.

Twiddle

Kestal smiled a bit at her, catching the amusement in her gaze. "Well, are there no areas you have yet to explore?" He asked, hoping to get a bit of adventure out of this place. And he also loved having the chance to show off in front of Kali. "And nowhere dangerous, just... different."

Cihiru

"Um..." She feigned an act of pondering, but ended it quickly. "Nope. Not really." Kali gave an ornery grin, flashing rare mischief in her eyes. It wasn't that she was mean-spirited, she just enjoyed throwing rocks on the road on occasion. "... There is a cave though, that I might have forgotten to mention." The mare pulled herself out of the water and shook unceremoniously, flinging droplets this way and that. Her forelock hung disheveled in her eyes, but she didn't care enough to dislodge it. "Follow me," she called as she started off. Kali followed the sloping banks to the base of the fall, where there was a shelf of rocks spreading the width of the river. "Mind your step." The slick surfaces did not lend themselves well to hoof-hold, but she made her way across in what looked like effortless fashion. The ebony mare paused mid-way, just short of the waterfall, then disappeared behind its cascading curtain.

Twiddle

Kestal grinned as she spoke, and he followed behind her. He couldn't help but admire her the entire time he followed. As they amde thier way across the rocks, he slipped more than a few times, but kept his balance and walked after her into the waterfalls cave. "Now this," He said looking around, hearing his own voice echo abck to him, "Is fun." He grinned to her.

Cihiru

"Excited already?" she nearly whispered, as she wasn't fond of echoes. "We just got here." It was obvious the light faded quickly, and if they continued forward, they'd soon find themselves in darkness. And not just nighttime type darkness, either. Total lack of light; pitch black. It would be difficult to see their own noses, let alone eachother and where they were going. "I don't suppose you need reminding, but stay close," she teased. "I want to show you something before you go wandering." Kali gave a soft snort, testing the damp cave air before heading fully inside.

Twiddle

Kestal could tell by her soft voice she didn't like the echo, and he lowered his own as he spoke, "Another surprise eh?" He grinned, "I quite like the idea of being totally along in the dark with you." He grinned teasingly, his tail swishing against her playfully. As they ventured further in her became aware of the fact he was going blind slowly.

Cihiru

"I had a feeling," she replied, brushing against him as she pressed forward. Kali walked slowly, taking her stride almost a step at a time. While she could see her path for a while, it wasn't long before the darkness veiled them, and she had to rely on hearing and memory alone. Fortunately (for both of them?), the journey was not a long one, and she soon found herself where she had intended. Ahead of them, there were several tall columns - Kali was aware of this because she had the misfortune of finding them there by touch. One of them, however, was only about chest high to them, with a bowl-shaped hollow in its tip. "Come here," she urged, ushering him forward with her muzzle. As they approached, a light source became visible... Just barely glowing from the short pedestal. Kali looked down at it, and smiled in simple satisfaction. There was a small pool of water there, and inside it, there was a (likewise) small school of fish. Glowing fish. Each sported a sort of transparent skin, exposing their inner skeleton and organs, allowing them to emit a surreal sort of dim light that illuminated the pool's surface. "Look."

Twiddle

Kestal walked forward, his eyes adjusting easilly to the dim light. As he heard her spoke, he looked down into the pool and blinked a few times, his eyes widenening. "Whoa.." He breathed, watching the small fish circling inside the water. "This is.. amazing." He said, gazing up at her. The soft glow of lightplayed across her features, and he found himself staring openly at her, finding her sensational in the light.

Cihiru

"I think so too," she said simply. "Makes me wonder how they got there, and how they survive. And why..." Kali caught his gaze in their reflections, and it pushed her to peel her eyes away mid-thought and look at him. "... do you look like you've never seen me before?" This was not how she had intended to finish the comment, but it sounded natural, and she added a goofy, almost innocent smile. "The stunned look doesn't suit you." She leaned forward and gave his shoulder a nudge.

Twiddle

Kestal blinked, and he felt his cheeks flush slightly. It had been the first time he ahd ever felt embarrassment, and it was an odd feeling to him. "Heh, sorry. You just... look really lovely in the light.." He smiled almost sheepishly, his compliment very true this time. As she nudged him he smiled, "Let's exaplore further in." He said with a mischivious grin.

Cihiru

Her expression faltered, if only for a moment. She hadn't intended to cause him embarrassment. "Don't apologize." Kali reinforced her smile, and worried for a moment that might not have been enough to reassure him. So she nuzzled him just to be sure. "It's just, eh... Nobody's looked at me that way before." This too was difficult to admit, and she mirrored his sheepish expression, though only briefly. "If it suits you, but I haven't gone much further than this. Finding the way out can get troublesome, so I never really bothered."

Twiddle

He smiled a little at her nuzzle, and as she looked sheepish he nuzzled her back. "I'm surprised." He said honestly at her comment, he really was surprised no one had looked at her like that, or at least never told her how lovely she is. "And I think we'll be okay. I have an idea." He looked over to the little fish, and then left the cave briefly. "Be right back," He said with a grin. He came back a few minutes later, with a small, battered bucket. "I saw it while we were walking." He set it down on the ground, and carefullt placed some of the glowing fish inside it, along with some water. Looking inside he grinned as he saw they continued to glow. "Now we have a light." He lifted his head, proud.

Cihiru

An idea? Not that a light in this literal darkness was a bad thing, but it seemed so... random. And unlikely. And "where in the world did that come from?" She laughed softly, mindful of the echo, but amused by the unexpectedness of it all. "I suppose we do." Kali nodded at him, and stole a glance in the bucket, just to reassure herself it really was there and the fish really were inside and she wasn't just imagining it all. It still seemed so strange. But no stranger than a pool of glowing fish in the middle of a hidden cave, she supposed. "Would you care to lead the way? I don't really know where I'm going either."

Twiddle

Lifting the bucket in his mouth, Kestal nodded and smiled, flicking his tail a bit. "If you can't see, you can hold onto my tail or walk right next to me." He said, though his words were slightly muffled by the bucket. He was careful not to spill any of the water, nor any of the fish, as they ventured further into the cave. The light provided a good enough source, and he was able to stop before slamming into wall or corner. Soon, they came into a large, open cavern. Looking about, Kestal noticed that there were now two other pathways. He set the bucket down, walked over to the entrance they ahd just come out of, and slammed his powerful hooves into the stone. A loud clapping noise was heard, followed by the echo of it, and finally the sounds of sliding stone to the floor. "So we know which way we came from." He smiled. "You pick." He said, motioning towards the two paths.

Cihiru

"I'll be fine." There was a hint of teasing in her tone, but she did follow right at his side - close enough he was within reach if she became really desperate. She couldn't help but eye him with some reservation as he kicked the wall though. "That's kind of dangerous, you know..." Kali gave the newly created pile of rocks a sideways stare, as though daring them to move. "What would you have done if they all caved in?" she teased, half hoping he had a silly remark for this too. "Um..." The mare studied both paths expectantly, trying to find some distinguishing feature to discern one from the other. Unfortunately, they looked remarkably alike. "Left, I guess."

Twiddle

Shrugging a little, hiding the fact he hadn't actually thought of that, Kestal smiled a little to her. "Don't worry. I'll save you if anything happens!" He went into a dramtic, hero pose for a few moments. "Ah, left it is then! The way of rebels!" He chuckled and scooped up the light bucket again, heading into that area. He warned her to stay close, even though he knew she would anyway.

Cihiru

Kali grinned defiantly, and laughed a little at his jesting. "I'm sorry, but I think the cave-in would win." When he resumed his journey, she followed in-tow, consciously keeping him near as they progressed. "Ah, yes. Rebels against absolutely nothing. How heroic." She cast a curious gaze around, absorbing what she could see inside the light's small radius, and guessing the rest with the way their steps echoed off the stone tunnels.

Twiddle

Kestal grinned and chuckled, "Too true." He looked around them as they went, and he stopped short suddenly. "Wait, shh.." He said softly, his ears perked forward. "I think I heard something."

Cihiru

"What?" She paused abruptly, and tucked her wings tighter yet in apprehension. Even now though, as she stood statue still, Kali wasn't sure what it was he was listening to. Maybe she wasn't paying enough attention... The mare scolded herself mentally and vowed to try harder. She even tried to hold her breath for a moment, and strained her ears against the silence, flicking them tentatively. Still nothing; she exhaled softly and drew in a deeper-than-average breath. "I don't hear anything..." Kali gave her tail an absent flick while her gaze darted back and forth.

Twiddle

Kestal listened for a few moments, and didn't hear the sound again. "Odd... oh well. Let's keep going. Probably my imagination." He felt as thought something was watching them as they ventured further in, though he didn't tell Kali, not wanting to worry her.

Cihiru

"I don't know. Stay alert." She didn't doubt there was something lurking here, hiding in the cover of the darkness. After all, it was unlikely the fish had the entire cave to themselves. She was not, however, sure what else could have been there. It was a little much for her imagination to fathom; what would call a damp hole like this home? Especially one such as this, tucked away behind a waterfall? Kali realized then she could no longer hear the rush of the crashing waves outside, and she wondered just how far inside they'd wandered.

Twiddle

Kestal nodded a little as they ventured even further inside. Looking around, he noticed they had entered a verylarge cavern. A soft, hot breeze played against thier legs and he wondered how there was any breeze inside the cave. He didn't see any openings or holes anywhere... Hmm. "This is strange," He found himself talking very softly, almost inaudible. "I feel a breeze, but there's not holes or entries."

Cihiru

She too had become aware of the wind; at one point it pushed her to make a full stop and reassess her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary though; at least, nothing she could see. No patches of light, no glowing eyes, no... Ok, there was a thin carpet of mist around their hooves. She may not have noticed it, but it rippled in little wakes when the breeze caressed it. "Um..." Kali took an apprehensive step backward, and gave her ears a nervous twitch. Was that breathing? No, it must have been something else. "Kestal?" she whispered. The mare had become so absorbed in her thoughts and concerns, she lost track of him for a moment, and had to reassure herself he was still there.

Twiddle

Kestal stepped back and touched her flank gently with his own. "I'm here," He could hear the fright in her voice, and even his own heart had started pounding hard. "Let's just get out of he-" he was cut off by a sudden movement to thier right, the area where the wind was coming from. Kestal held the light out towards it, and his eyes widened as he saw a huge, black bear standing before them. "Kali, run!" He yelled to her, backing into her, hoping to distract the bear and let her get out.

Cihiru

The reminder of his presence comforted her, but did not slow her heart. She was in a maze of a cave, surrounded by figurative walls and without the faintest idea of which way was out; nothing about the situation struck her as reassuring. "I don't know which way to go." It pained her to admit she was lost, but it was hardly top on her list of concerns at the moment. More importantly, how were they going to get out? Fortunately, for all of them, the bear was just standing there, looking imposing and not really doing much of anything for the moment. It was a shame she doubted it would last long.

Twiddle

Kestal backed into her once more, "Here," He shoved the bucket into her mouth, as the bear started to realize there were two horses invading his home. He let out a manacing growl, and started forward at them. "Go through the entrance with my hoof mark on it, go!" He ran away from her into the darkness, distracting the bear and making it follow him further into the cave.

Cihiru

Kali braced her weight against him, stubbornly refusing to budge. This was, perhaps, another quality she shared with her brother. "Kestal! Stop." She had some difficulty managing the words around the bucket she now found herself wielding, but she hoped they were comprehensive at least. I'm sorry, friends. The mare took a deep breath to bolster her confidence, and without further contemplation, tossed the bucket at the bear... water, fish, and all. "Come on!" Kali couldn't afford to wait more than a moment for the stallion to follow; she turned as soon as she heard the bucket collide with a crash and the bear gave a disgruntled roar. Please, give me guidance. She could do this; she could remember the way out. She had to.

Twiddle

Kestal glanced back bnehind him, and spotted the glowing fish flapping on the bear. He galloped after Kali, running up behind her. He almost slammed into her, and would have if he hadn't heard her hoof beats on the ground. "Are you alright?!" he asked as they ran in the darkness.

Cihiru

"I'm fine, but step lightly and listen carefully." She didn't have time to make sure he was not injured; if he could run, he was well enough, and they needed to move. Kali took off without further ado, her hooves making hollow claps against the stone with surprising confidence. Her memory was better than she gave it credit for; without panic clouding her judgment, it was fairly easy to guide their path to the exit... despite the fading sound of paw-steps behind them. As they entered the area she was dually familiar with, and light began to leak into the inky abyss, the mare allowed her pace to slow and attempted to still her heavy breathing. For the moment, she could no longer hear pursuit behind them, and doubted her legs could stand much more torment anyway. "Kestal, are you well?"

Twiddle

Breathing hard beside her, Kestal stopped and nodded, his body covered in sweat. "I'm fine, a bit out of breath but inunjured. You?" He checked her over quickly, hoping she was okay. "Well, I think that's the last time I venture into a dark cave." He grinned weakly, his legs shaking a little from overuse.

Cihiru

"Fine, just..." Kali paused, still breathing heavily. It took her a moment to collect herself enough to continue. "Tired." The mare could have sworn she heard paw-steps resume in the distance, but she dismissed it as nerves and instead made her way to the cave's exit. Not trusting herself to make her way across the rocky bridge, she leaped over it, and landed in the pool beneath with a splash. Had she not been so exhausted, she would have taken a moment to refresh herself and play in the crystalline waters, but her limbs begged for relief. Rather than linger, Kali swam to the shallow banks and pulled herself free from the miniature lake. Once she landed safely on the outside, she allowed herself to collapse, and rested on the sandy grass.

Twiddle

Kestal followed after her, also not wanting to see if the bear pursued them. He leapt gracefully off the side as well, landing with a rather messy splash in the cool water. He floated for a few moments, lapping up the cool water, loving the feeling of it washing away his sweat and cooling his aching muscles. As he swam towards the bank, he walked onto it and shook off, making sure not to slash her. He then walked over and laid beside her, his head not inches from hers. "Are you sure you're alright?" His eyes contained concern in their depths.

Cihiru

"Reasonably sure." It was easier to speak now that her breathing had calmed, and she managed a comforting smile. "I'm fine, really. Don't worry." Kali gave another smile; a more solid, confidant one. The concern she saw in him reassured her all the more, though she couldn't have explained why. "Are you sure you're alright, Mr. Self-Sacrificial?" She heaved a tired sigh and leaned against him, propping her head against his neck as she forced herself to relax.

Twiddle

Kestal blinked as she leaned against him, and he smiled a little, resting his head over her neck. "I'm very good." He said softly, watching her for a moment before his eyes slowly closed, sending him into the land of dreams, where no doubt Kali would be there to join him.

Cihiru

"I'm glad," she managed, though it was hardly above a whisper. Despite her blatant struggle against sleep, this was a sentiment she actually comprehended. She really did hear him reassure her, and she really did take comfort in this. It just might not have been overly obvious; sleep was winning the brief battle. It wasn't long before she felt her breathing steady, and her lids droop, until she gave up on trying to remain conscious. Kali gave a soft snort in surrender and allowed herself to be carried away by dreams.

 

[Cihiru]

04.13 All's Fair in Love and War: Kali & Kestal


Cihiru

Ah, to be a foal again. She pranced jovially, a bounce in her step and a grin on her maw, headed to noplace in particular. Which was good, because she really wasn't making much progress in distance at all, especially given the energy she put into maintaining the over-elaborate gait. Not that it mattered; Kali was having far too much fun to mind. The way the sweeping flowers tickled her limbs as she pushed through them made her throw back her head in joy, and she trumpeted a euphoric, laughing whinny. When the edge of the energy had worn off, she slowed her pace, and settled for trotting eights in the waving grasses.

Twiddle

Kestal was acting the exact same way more or less; prancing around like a yearling with a crush. He bodded his spotted head up and down a few times, wondering if Kali was anywhere nearby. Though he ahd been wondering that all day. His ears flickered forward as the sound of a whinny carried on the cool, gentle breeze caught his attention. Kali! He reared, pounding the air with his powerful hooves, and let out a long, loud response, hoping she'd hear.

Cihiru

Someone had heard her. Kali's initial reaction was to withdraw from sheer embarrassment; her ears folded apprehensively and she felt herself take an involuntary step back. Only a moment passed before she realized though, that her audience was not an unwelcome one. "Kestal!" she called, almost laughing blatantly as she galloped toward him. "What are you doing here?" This too was lighthearted, though not quite so overt. She offered it as he pulled into sight and she slowed her pace to trot a circle around him.

Twiddle

Kestal smiled brightly at her, "I've actually been looking for you for quite a while." He said chuckling, "Though it sounds like you've had quite the good time without me." He grinned teasingly and stepped in front of her, blocking her trot. He quickly nuzzled her, hoping he wasn't too forward, he just couldn't control it. "How are you?" He asked, smiling, his eyes lit up when she was around.

Cihiru

"Quite a while?" she teased. "You mean ever since we last met, ages ago?" The mare's grin was hard to miss; she was amused and content and bursting with joy all at once. "Good times, maybe, but there's room for improvement." Kali pulled herself to a stop (not that she had much choice in the matter), and received the nuzzle with a still-beaming smile. "I could not be better... Now that you're here," she admitted. Maybe she was getting the hang of this flirting thing. Or maybe Kestal was just rubbing off on her. "And how is the day treating you?" She stole the moment to plant a nuzzle of her own.

Twiddle

Kestal chuckled at her comment, she was right! It hadn't been that long ago at all since they had last met. But even still, it felt as though it had been ages. He raised a brow at her comment about him, and he grinned happilly. "That's good to know. At least I'm wanted, as much as you are." He gave her a wink nd smiled, almost sheepishly, as she nuzzled him. "I'm wonderful, now." He answered, still smiling, gazing at her.

Cihiru

She could relate, actually, though she wasn't about to come right out and say it. He could assume it if it suited him, and if it didn't, she'd opt to ignore it. It was one of those things she could afford to let go unnoticed. After all, she didn't need to mirror his every notion. "I don't know if I'd go that far..." Part of this was jest, though there was some truth in it. She could see the adoration in his eyes, and part of her wondered if she'd be able to rival it. The rest of her just wanted to pounce the opportunity to poke fun. "Well then, Wonderful, what would you like to do with your day?"

Twiddle

Kestal chuckled lightly and shrugged. "Care for a race?" He said, eyes shining with mischief. He nipped her shoulder lightly and took off at a gallop, running towards nowhere in particular. "Come on slowpoke!" he called back at her, his golden locks flowing in the wind as he glanced over his shoulder to her. He grinned and his pace quickened even more, his feet pounding hard against the earth, boosting his body along.

Cihiru

"Any time!" she called after him, pushing herself into a gallop. This was, in fact, not her strong suit, but she'd never admit it. It was a sacrifice children of the wind had no choice but to pay... Wings just weren't aerodynamic, there was nothing she could do about it but buck up and try harder, ignoring the extra wind resistance strapped permanently to her sides. "I'll 'slowpoke' you!" Kali threatened, though the laugh in her tone belied her intentions. But she did push a bit harder, edging nearer to the end of the tether that was her physical limitations.

Twiddle

Kestal grinned a little, and his pace did indeed quicken. He waited though, so that she was almost neck and neck with him. He then sprinted forward, his hooves digging into the earth below them. He flashed a grin in her direction as he gained about a foot ahead of her.

Cihiru

She had been expecting this, so it didn't take her by surprise, nor did it bother her when he pulled ahead... Just as she'd been within reach of the lead, too. "But I bet you can't catch me." It was an ironic statement, considering he now had a healthy reign. But she had an idea, and though it was edging pretty closely on the boundaries of 'unfair', it was all in fun, and she'd voted to go along with it. So she spread her wings, and with vigorous flaps, used their leverage to propel her gallop and lift her hooves in a gliding stride.

Twiddle

Kestal looked up as she did this and he smiled. He picked up his pace even more, his legs propelling him forward even faster. He kept his eye on her, and took a flying leap into the air, pushing himself off the ground and using the extra momentum of the run to go even higher. He lightly, playfully nipped her side and landed with a thud on the ground once more, his run picking up again. He grinned up at her.

Cihiru

His speed actually surprised her; it was a fair sight quicker than she ever could have hoped to reach on foot. "Don't hurt yourself." It wasn't that she was flying particularly high; her hooves brushed the tips of the swaying grasses. Just that one wrong step could have resulted in a sprained leg, or worse, and a lame horse didn't have much of a future to look forward to. And it wasn't that the circumstances weren't always true, either. - The pace at which they were running, and the height he propelled himself just worsened the risks. Despite her concerns though, she still had laughter in her eyes and jest in her tone. "Wouldn't want you breaking a leg or something."

Twiddle

Kestal smiled at her, he could tell she really was concerned under her jesting, "Don't worry about me." He said smiling, racing alongside her. His breath came quick and sharp, and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep the pace much longer. He started to slow down, going from a canter, to a gallop, to a trot, and finally to a slow, steady walk. "Okay okay, you win." He said between taking deep breaths, smiling. "Too quick for me. Fair maiden of the skies! You have bested me!" He made a swooning noise, and fell on his side to the ground, grinning all the while.

Cihiru

Kali pulled ahead as the stallion's pace slowed, until she decided to make her landing. Her descent was a quick one; she propelled into a gallop as her hooves met the grassy earth, but halted with little effort... It was a gliding transition between gaits, until she made her way back to him at a leisurely trot (as she'd gone quite far ahead by then). "This fair maiden you speak of has surely cheated, like the crook she really is." She laughed again at his antics, and peered down at him with a questioning stare. "I hope you won't require assistance..."

Twiddle

Kestal opened one eye to look up at her, and smiled. Hopping to his feet he shook the dirt off his coat, looking at it with dissapointment. He really hated getting dirty. Oh well. Looking back over to Kali he smiled, "So now M'Lady, where shall we venture to?" He grinned, cocking his spotted head to one side. "Perhaps we can explore somewhere a bit less dark than yesterdays venture." He chuckled, though the thought of the large ebar still shook him a bit.

Cihiru

She quirked a brow at his expression, but thought it best not to inquire. Actually, that gave her an idea. Kali plopped on the ground and made a quick roll, taking care to disturb as much dirt as possible before picking herself up. Once she rose, she did not shake herself as he did. Instead, she let the earthy brown blanket her otherwise raven coat. "You could decide, maybe..." She gave him a goading grin. "You know, once every now and then." The mare walked another circle around him, sharing the dirt by brushing his side as she passed.

Twiddle

Kestal blinked and quickly shook the dirt off his coat as she passed. "Now now," He said with a grin, "No need for that." He thought for a little while, and smiled. "I haven't been near the mountains yet. Anything interesting up there? I am after all, a guest here. You should be showing me around." He grinned teasingly.

Cihiru

Kali grinned anew. He really was particular about that, wasn't he? For a moment, she wondered why it bothered him, but rather than dwell on it, she distanced herself and shook the clinging dirt from her pelt. "Mountains are mountains. Once you've seen one, you've seen them all." The mare took a few steps in his direction then. "Guest nothing. You said yourself you left to wander, and once a wanderer, you live wherever you stand." She returned his grin by wrinkling her nose at him.

Twiddle

Kestal smirked and laughed. "Ah, you are too smart for that miss." He smiled and nuzzled her wrinkled up nose. "Well then..." He said, looking around, his long tail flicking about. "I suppose we could just travel around then? Perhaps somewhere neither of us has been." He cocked his head to one side at her, smiling.

Cihiru

This made her shrug mentally; she wasn't much sure what to say. Kali had never really thought of herself as a particularly intelligent individual, she just had practical knowledge. "Or maybe you just need to touch up your wit." Despite her teasing, her tone was not an offensive one. "Lead the way." It would be a pleasant surprise if they happened across something she'd yet to explore, and maybe if her feet weren't the ones making the path, they'd be less inclined to travel old roads. There was no excitement in that. "Maybe surprises await you," she added.

Twiddle

Kestal looked over to her, an adoration in his eyes. "I've been pleasantly surprised so far." He smiled and broke into a light trot, winding down towards a patch of forest, with a mountain beyond it. As he felt the wind blowing his curly locks around he smiled and closed his eyes, his legs automatically picking up thier pace, his trot turning into a gallop.

Cihiru

"As have I," she commented, giving him a nuzzle before he trotted off. Kali passed a look at their surroundings and bid it a farwell before following. It was a nice place for an ordinary little field, but undoubtedly bigger sights awaited them. "Any clue where we're going?" She followed almost absently, the inquiry the only indication she was paying attention at all. It was just too easy to get absorbed in such scenic surroundings. The landscape looked nearly too surreal to be tangible, with the misty mountain and towering forest. She was not so distracted she failed to notice his change in pace though, and mirrored it instinctively.

Twiddle

Kestal glanced over to her and chuckled. "Not a one!" He answered her destination question with a laugh. As they traveresed further through the forest, his pace slowed, only because of the trees becoming denser, bigger and closer together. Soon he was walking once more. "Ever been here before?" He asked Kali as he looked around, the air a bit chillier with the foreboding mountain ahead of them.

Cihiru

She looked to him just in time to give an amused grin. "Good to know." It didn't matter anyway; it wasn't like they were going to get lost. "Hmm..." Kali peered around as he voiced his question and more carefully observed their surroundings. "Nope, I have no idea where we are." She wasn't too fond of forests though; she never did understand how Loki could love them so. Perhaps it was because he didn't have wings, and didn't need to see the open sky above his head. Or maybe it was because he was just weird, and different in virtually every way. "Do you know what you're looking for then?"

Twiddle

Kestal smiled and shook his head. "That's the fun of adventuring." He said with a wink. As they went further in, the forest cleared and the terrain began to slant up, they were atthe base of the mountain now. Kestal looked around. "I wonder what's on the other side of this.." He pondered aloud, climbing higher.

Cihiru

"The other side probably looks a lot like this one," she answered, her smart-aleck nature shining through. Kali really didn't have much experience with mountains though - there weren't any at all near the forest she resided in, and a short travel brought only fields, fields, and more fields. Oh, with a few hills here and there. It was entirely possible there was something here she was missing; logic couldn't teach one everything, after all. "Seems like a big pile of rocks to me though."

Twiddle

Kestal looked over to her with a grin. "You never know what could be around the corner. Or in this case, over a mountain." He chuckled and headed further up, the slope getting more steep as they went. As they finaly neared the top, Kestral gazed out below them, blinking a few times. "Bet you weren't expecting this!" He called to Kali with a grin. As they looked down, they could see a large herd of reindeer grazing. Beyond them was a very large body of water, it almost looked like an ocean it was so big. Kestal breathed in deeply as the cool win played through his mane and tail.

 

[Cihiru]

04.14 Obvious is Her Middle Name: Loki & Rikka


KasaiLoki

Swooping down from her home in the mountains, the snowbird soquili glided through the burnt forest from the fire that had been put out just a day before. Small woodland creatures had lost their homes, but nothing was unable to be repaired. Things would be restored sooner or later as times came and went.

Rikka glanced from the slowly greening grass towards the sky. She wondered how many she would see today (refering to the equine creatures.) Yesterday must have been a record! There were tons huddled as the news of the flames swarmed the valley.

Cihiru

Fire was merciless; it did not spare all but the small forest creatures. Loki's home was among the destruction too, casting him into the nearby fields, which he roamed aimlessly now. He couldn't help but feel a little displaced, though he did think to be grateful for his safety. And yes, Kali's too; not that she was ever around long enough to come to know the forest as a true home. To her, it was just a dwelling. She wasn't even there to see anything but the aftermath. Still, he was caught up in 'what now?'s. That pile of ash and rubble had been his sanctuary since he met the outside world; where was there to go now? He had no human to stay with. The surrounding fields were not satisfying. He would have to travel, he supposed... Surely there were other forests in the distance, even if they didn't house his lingering memories. He could form new ones. Maybe even come back once the trees had opportunity to regrow. As these thoughts swarmed him, the stallion cast his verdant gaze to the afternoon sky.

KasaiLoki

The only way the Kiger Mustang stallion could do, was move on. You can't really do much for the past, it's been done, it's unchangeable. But the future, that could be changed. It wasn't one of those things set in time where you just grasp what is going to happen to you. Choose your own destiny, live it the way you wanted!

As the stallion moved, Rikka picked up his scent, blowing softly through her nose. The air still tasted of ash and small bits of debris still floated from the tops of the burnt and livid trees. She nickered to him a short greet; she wanted to catch his attention. It wasn't everyday one gets lost in thought and wanders these parts, right? Or maybe that was just a land soquili thing? The snowbird was from the mountains; as a result, actions of the ground soquilis a bit clueless. Though, there wasn't much of a difference between the two breeds, for the fact one had wings and the other didn't.

Cihiru

And move on he would... In time, but not yet. One could not just cast away his emotional attachments; he was not one to ignore that sort of thing. They mattered. His memories and his family mattered. Once he'd convinced himself it was alright to depart from the area attached to them, he would, but not before then. All things in time.

A call pulled him from his contemplations; he perked his ears attentively and forced his eyes to stop staring and focus. Loki became aware then he'd actually been looking at the individual already. Wings did not give one the resemblance of a bird, and he gave an embarrassed grin at his mistake. What a clumsy error. He had plenty of interaction with winged Soquilis to know by now. In fact, he was a wind Soquili by blood; ground by birth. It seemed to come up in one way or another every time he made a new acquaintance. "Hello," he called, pausing in his absent pacing.

KasaiLoki

Standing as still as a statue, the light blue ears perked towards the stallion again. "Hello," she greeted him, walking towards the off white male, so not to shout out their conversation if one should have arised. "You seem to be lost in thought," Well that was the most obvious of answers Rikka could have given. "Were you near the fire yesterday?" Maybe he lived in the burnt portion of the forest. He did live in the not charred area, but the snowbird didn't know that. She pawed the ground lightly, causing bits of dust and water spritz to fly elsewhere.

"My name is Rikka." She introduced herself. She liked knowing others' names. It was better than calling them by 'Hey you!' or 'One with the white skin!' Her preferences, of course.

Cihiru

"Never lost!" he assured, a joking grin curling his maw. More like 'never serious.' "Yes, though not long. Came back in time to see the flames turn to smolders, but that's about it." Loki hoped this topic wouldn't linger; he didn't want to get involved in a discussion about the loss of lives and habitats. It was conversational though, so he wasn't going to object. There were, after all, worse things to talk about. 'Nothing at all' came to mind, and something was better than nothing. Even if it was one of the less favorable things that came to mind, at least she didn't seem bothered.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Loki." Oops, he hadn't meant to wait so long to introduce himself. He'd just forgotten as she dived right into conversation. Hopefully she would not take offense. "Pleased to meet you," he added with a smile.

KasaiLoki

The subject on the fire would soon be dropped. Though, another topic for a conversation would be needed. This one was more for the recent news, but a good old 'How are you today?' or even 'What have you been up to today?' were always a few good fillers to begin another conversation. She nodded as he spoke. At least he didn't get to see the brute force of the impact, but he did seem to see just enough to keep his mind drifting from thoughts to reality.

"Pleasure to meet you, as well," She bobbed her head in a nod, showing no offense had been taken. She should have done a greeting before swooping right into a small conversation, but eh, can't do much about it now can you? She gave him a small smile as one of the questions from earlier seemed to be brought in. "How are you?" So she just met they guy? It was just like saying 'What's up?' so a random stranger on the street. Most common in everyday life nowadays.

Cihiru

He hadn't particularly expected her to be upset by the delayed introduction, but was relieved nonetheless. There were those that may have been, he was sure. Loki returned the nod, a subtle way of showing his thanks. "I've been worse," he answered. It wasn't the most exciting response in the world, but it was an honest one. Better than a dishonest one, right? "Just trying to decide where to go, as I can't very well live in a pile of ash and burnt lumber." This was more satisfactory, he supposed, though it wasn't exactly conversational either. "But I can walk, and hunger is satisfied, so I'd say it's a good day."

The stallion paused briefly to glance at the brooding sky, though he turned back to her before inquiring "and yourself?" He anticipated an equally uninteresting response, but perhaps something would be provided... Something that allowed him to propel their conversation into the realm of memorable, or at least drag it from the pit of dullness.

KasaiLoki

She blinked as he answered her question. "You mean...? You lived here?" So much for dropping the topic for the moment, but her curiousity was picking at her at the moment. "Are you alright?" Obviously that was so, seeing he was standing in front of her seeming unhurt, free of any scratches or scars flames could have elicted on him. "What about your family?" That probably was a better question to ask the stallion.

"As for myself," she waited to say after he answered those few questions, "I'm just exploring the ground lands, learning how to race the wind, but not be apart of it." For a brief moment the day before, Rikka had spoken with the paint mare Ayita. She told her how it would be wonders to race the invisible component, but with her wings pasted on her back, it was a bit hard to get the right speed to fly on the ground.

Cihiru

"I suppose that's what I mean," he replied with a simple nod. Master of the obvious, was she. This thought made him draw a small, amused smile. "I'm fine... we're fine. Kali wasn't around; I doubt she's had a chance to realize there's not much left." For a moment, he'd considered telling her 'I'm fine, my sister is fine, and there's not much family besides that to worry about,' but he thought better of it. Bitter didn't suit him, and he wasn't in the business of concerning others anyway. He'd done enough of that already.

"And how is your progress?" Loki gave his tail an idle flick, and pawed absently at the grassy earth. This was something he had, perhaps, taken for granted. It was true, one naturally wanted what he couldn't have. He was no exception; he spent so much effort wishing he could fly, he'd forgotten it was something his wind siblings might struggle with (Kali never was as fast as he). That wasn't to say he didn't love running though; he did, with every inch of his being.

KasaiLoki

"Kali...? You're...sister?" Or perhaps his mate? She didn't know, and assumptions were sometimes bad to take. Though, this Kali could also be a brother, but Rikka had never heard of a colt with a name anything near that. Oh, how embarrassing that would be if the she really happened to be a he. The blue mare would just turn bright red, and stay that way for days on end.

She made a disgusted sign as her wings shuffled. "Horrid! Absolutely horrible!" It was true. She couldn't keep the extra limbs tight enough clasped to her back so air couldn't pick up her body. Everytime she would get even close, a feather would shuffle and the wings would extend to a gliding formation. "These stupid things won't stay put." She refered to the blue feathers.

Cihiru

To this, he nodded again. "Annoying sister, you mean." One would think a Soquili of his age would be over simple sibling rivalry... But it wasn't so simple as that. Kali persisted to bother him, even now, and he wasn't going to just get over it because he was 'supposed to.' Who cared about normality? He certainly couldn't care less. Or perhaps he was just clinging to his stubborn streak.

"Well, I'm very sorry to hear that." Loki had to stifle a laugh, but it didn't surface as more than the grin he'd been wearing since she landed. Actually, this was a problem Kali complained of as well. "I'd suggest you take that one up with Kali, but I'm not too sure where she is. Anyway, I'm sure she'd be able to relate." He shook his mane randomly, tossing unruly forelocks from his eyes. "However, as I'm sure you can guess, I cannot... Not really sure what to tell you but to keep trying. You're careful to keep the fronts tilted down?"

 

[Cihiru]

04.15 From the Ashes: Kourin & Kaga


Twiddle

Looking over the willow tree Kaga loved so much, he let out a heavy sigh. It hadn't escaped the flames as he'd hoped. Shaking his head he wandered over towrds the cool river that bordered the now burnt tree. He walked into the depths and cringed a little as the cool waters flowed aginst his charred legs and belly. But soon it felt mgnificent, and he smiled gratefully. He glanced over to the small muskrat family he had carried here, and smiled apologeticlly to them. They were across the river, on an untouched side of the valley. They started to rebuild their home, and Kaga smiled.

Cihiru

The fire certainly had thrown a kink into everyday routine. Even though Kourin was more or less tangibly unaffected, she could discern the ripples that drifted through her lifestyle. Hiabi seemed all but pleased; after the thankfulness for the mare's safety wore off, she had stalked into the forest, and Kourin had not seen her since. Surely she would return days later, her hands empty and her clothing laden thick with ash. Her morning strolls had to be altered too; she couldn't stand to follow the river through the charred vales. It was an insignificant price to pay though, especially when compared to the larger picture. She had her home, her safety, and her 'family.' Some were not so fortunate.

Was Kaga as fortunate as she? Kourin had been struck with worry when word of fire met her ears, but in the pandemonium that unfolded at the time, she was unable to act on it. She was more free to do... something now, once the chaos was calmed. It was just a shame she wasn't quite sure what 'something' was. The situation could have been likened to needles and haystacks, and that discouraged her. She had an idea though! It came to her as she gazed at the afternoon sky, and the quickly fading sensation of helplessness made her want to leap for joy. The mare refrained only because in her mind, she had no time to spare. - She took off at an outright gallop, dainty hooves flying over brittle grasses.

As she ran, she couldn't help but wonder what took her so long?! It was so simple. So obvious. Checking his favorite haunt should have been her instinct, and her failure to realize this made her blush sheepishly beneath her fur. The sentiment did not have time to linger though; it crumbled and gave way to apprehension as the verdant, untouched fauna was replaced by flame-cursed stumps and rubble. It was so stricken by tragedy, she doubted she would have been able to find her way if not for the steadfast river to guide her. Kourin thanked it with a placid smile, and with its aid, carried herself to what she'd come to know as Kaga's favorite tree.

Twiddle

Ears flickering around as the sound of pounding hooves caught his attention, Kaga opened his eyes and looked along the edge of the river. Normally the lush green trees would have obscured his view until the other was merely a few feet from him, but the lush trees were now more or less burnt sticks and he got a clear veiw. He smiled widely as he spotted the familiar shape of Kourin. He let out a long, happy and welcoming whinny to her. He didn't leave his spot in the river though, heknew she'd be worried if he revealed his burns to ehr to soon.

Cihiru

She was met with a mix of sadness and relief as she progressed; the flames had indeed spared patches of life, but others were lost beyond recognition, and ash still lingered in the air. The way the stung and caked her nostrils disconcerted her, but she had larger problems on her mind.

Well, not problems so much. The sight that pulled into view alerted her instantly, she'd been spared from the deepest of grief. Kourin smiled earnestly; a bright expression that graced her elegant muzzle. "Kaga!" she called so loudly she was sure half the world could hear, and she didn't care. Joy forbade self-consciousness; it didn't matter how she looked to anyone but him.

He did not run to greet her though, as she did him... And as he'd done time and time before. "Are you okay?" she questioned as she neared. The mare approached him until her hooves were planted in the cool waters, and she stretched her neck to gaze at him without risking further pain if he was injured. "Is there something wrong?" Kourin's concern was genuine, and it showed in both her posture and tone.

Twiddle

Kaga smiled over to her, a rather apologetic smile. He walked out of the water, knowing he couldn't hide it fromher, no matter how he wanted to spare her the worry. "Just a bit of a singe." He said, making the burns along his belly and legs seem a lot less worse than they were. "It's nothing. Are you alright?" He asked, looking her over with worry in his eyes. As he noticed she was alright, he smiled with relief and gve her an affectionate nuzzle.

Cihiru

She could feel her worry reinforced itself as he pulled out of the water; it struck her expression with a sadness, and she frowned blatantly, despite his smile. "Just a singe?" Kourin knew he was only trying to protect her, but her panic didn't appreciate the consideration. "Nothing! That looks like a lot of something to me." She fixed him with a warning stare, though it still belied her kindness. "You should see Aiyana, at least. Ignoring them isn't going to make them go away..." She repaid his worry with a calming smile, and returned the nuzzle with the gentlest one she could manage. "I really am fine. But I'd be better if you got a little fixed up."

Twiddle

Kaga smiled at her, he loved everything about her, and he hated arguing with her. "Alrght alright, I'll go see Aiyana." He said, nuzzling her once more. "Let me just soak for a few minutes more." He said grinning, walking back into the river, loving the cool waters travling over his burnt skin. After a little while he relutantly walked out, and nudged her gently. "You want to come along?" He asked, knowing she would, though he thought it polite to ask anyway.

Cihiru

That was easy; she knew it would be. It was only a woman's way to use her leverage to her advantage, after all. "I'm very glad to hear it." Her frown was replaced by her more characteristic soft smile as she observed. She chose not to follow him into the deeper waters, but she did watch attentively; fondly, even. "Of course I do." Kourin followed his path out of the river with a brief nod. "Are you sure you don't want to wait here? I could go find someone... It looks like it hurts to walk." The worry was back to tinge her expression; she couldn't hide it.

Twiddle

Kaga smiled to her, thankful for her kind eyes and attentiveness. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Aiyana's teepee isn't far from here." He said with a slight nod as he started to walk slowly, judging if he could make it or not. It seemed as though the cooling water helped, though he knew it wouldn't last very long. He cringed a little as they walked, and hoped she hadn't noticed.

Cihiru

"Don't worry?..." There was a touch of 'are you serious?' in her tone, but it was difficult to hear through her mild nature. "I will try." Futile though it was. Kourin was a worrier; sheer force of will wasn't going to change that. She vowed she really would try though. "Alright then, off we go." The mare paced herself, taking one careful step after another, to be sure Kaga would not struggle to keep up. But how could she not notice he was struggling? He was the center of attention; she wanted to be aware of everything.

Twiddle

Kaga glanced over to her with a smile. "Yes, don't worry." He nuzzled her for a moment and continued to walk, his steps heavy and filled with pain in each. He hid it the best he could, and after about ten minutes, though it seemed like ten days to him, they reached Aiyana's teepee. She was currently rebuilding the small home, as it had been burnt down by the fire as well. Kaga looked over to her with a sad look in his eyes, he had hoped she hadn't been affected by the flames. With a soft whinny he walked over towards her. Lookingup, Aiyana gasped as she saw Kaga, and ran over, wrapoping her arms around him in a tight hug. "Thank the Gods!" she exclaimed happily, looking him over. Her smile faded and turned to a look of owrry as she saw his burns. "Oh my.." She muttered, and ran over to her pack, grabbing the salve she had made for the animals she found burned. Kneeling down, she began to place the concoction on his burns gently, and he sighed as the cooling stuff was put there. He looked over to Kourin with a smile.