"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
04-15-2016, 05:20 PM (This post was last modified: 04-15-2016, 05:21 PM by Nitika.)
(Well, looks like my last post got abandoned. Here's a fresh one)
Seriously, why did stallions have to be such jerks? Nitika let out a snort of anger before lifting her tender leg off of the ground again. A short while ago, a stallion had approached her in the field to try and claim her, but given that she didn't like him within the first minute of meeting him, she had refused. He'd tried to be nice, so that was a plus, but she could tell that he only viewed her one way.
She hated being thought of as that. Nitika knew that it was how the wild worked; mares were the 'property' of stallions. She could care less, but if a horse even tried to call her that, she would blow up at them. That had been the case with the stallion. Showing him her teeth and hooves, she'd made a move to run, but he'd caught up and decided to show her what happened when he was refused.
The medicine hat mare turned her head, looking at the hoof marks on her shoulder, and and bite mark on her lower leg she'd received when she'd tried to hit him with her front hooves. His teeth had been close enough to leave their mark.
None of her wounds were severe, but they were enough to sting and make her leg feel tender. Keeping it off the ground, the mare continued to limp toward the trees she could see by the waterfall.
Once she'd reached its safe haven, the mare allowed her leg to hang on the ground in a limp fashion. Her other three legs locked themselves in place as she settled in for a rest, hoping that the pain in her leg would start to go away.
(Nitika is free to be claimed by a herd stallion or approached by a kingdom)
It was a smell that Anahi hated. It filled her nose and made her sick. Well, she'd smelled it before, but it was different in that case. This time, she knew it was not natural. Someone had been hurt...
It was the smell of blood.
Having left the Falls to return to the Field that day, Anahi had done some grazing that morning before wandering among the mares to see if any of them would have been interested in joining the kingdom. Sadly, still caring for their foals from last season, and preparing for the new breeding season, many did not wish to leave.
For whatever reason, Anahi didn't understand, but she knew she couldn't force them to come. Archam would be needed for that.
When she'd picked up the smell of blood, the champagne mare immediately started following it. Eventually, she arrived at the waterfall. She looked around carefully to see if she could spot the source. Then, looking at the trees, the mare noticed a white object hiding in the shadows.
Making her way over, Anahi saw that it was a horse, a mare by the looks of it. She called out quietly, "Are you all right? Have you been hurt?"
Nitika was starting to believe that everyone was right. She seemed to be encountering nothing but bad luck lately. First the stallion earlier today, and now a mare when Nitika herself wasn't in the mood to talk to anybody.
The medicine hat mare had been resting peacefully in the shade, wishing that the pain would go away. It wasn't severe pain, but the wound had happened only an hour ago, so it still hurt. Then, she'd heard the sound of a horse approaching, and tried to conceal herself in the shadows.
Turns out that having a white pelt and moving against a dark backdrop when someone is looking for you makes it quite easy to spot.
Turning her head so she would not have to look at the champagne mare, Nitika mumbled her response, "I'm fine."
If there was one thing that Anahi prided herself in, it was being able to detect when someone was just plain bs'ing. This mare was saying that she was fine, but there was obviously more to it. She gave that off quite clear in her body language.
The medicine paint hat mare tried to give off a vibe that she did not care, but her stance was rigid, wary, as if she was expecting for Anahi to suddenly lash out and attack her for no reason. Even though her sclera were naturally white, there was also a wild look to them. She was frightened, whether it was a predator animal hunting her down, or a few horses that had decided to show her the power of group strength.
Anahi hated when horses did that. More than likely, it was based on how this mare looked. Anahi herself had never seen a medicine paint hat mare, but she'd heard of them. Among some, they were said to bring good luck. Others viewed them as a bad omen. That was probably the case here. But Anahi herself didn't; she just saw this mare that had a nasty run-in with a stallion and wasn't having a good day.
Hopefully her offer would make it a little bit better.
Anahi spoke softly to the other mare, "Look, I know you have had a rough day and don't feel like dealing with anything you might define as bs. However, if you want to get away from these stallions, have some time to recover and get your bearings, I can take you to the kingdom where I live. You can choose to live in a herd or join one of the two Castes, as a warrior or diplomat. You can relax there; it's a peaceful place and no one would hurt you."
Plenty of children - both hers and Vanquish’s, and their various descendants - scamper amidst the Desert’s dunes, and she is content. The tension of war is gone, and the ever-maternal mare can return to her family. The golden mare’s days are filled with laughter, while her nights are spent at her lover’s side. Their eyes turn to the heavens and then to each other, and she knows only bliss. Day in and day out, they live in their little bubble, until it seems as if the rest of the world has forgotten about them. Yael knows it can’t be the truth, but for once, she chooses to do nothing except enjoy the fact that they are safe; they are safe with their hoard of misfits and miscreants, protected by the inhospitable land itself, and by her powers.
Even bliss, however, can stagnate after too long and grow itchy under the right conditions. Which is why one day, the magician decides to see for herself (versus that magical far-sight) what the rest of B’kanna is up to. The Field is a fine place to start - not only because they needed some un-related members of the Kingdom, but because it was the place to see other recruiters and listen in on how their Kingdoms were doing. Plenty of foreigners (like herself) flooded in these days, so Yael might actually have some success, no?
The gilt-winged mare touches down to the ground with a casual grace born from decades of running in shifting sands. Warm, cinnamon-brown eyes scan the crowd for a smaller group, and light upon two mares in the back, at the edge of the Field. One is projecting a bit of pain, which causes her lips to purse together into a tight frown. Well that simply will not do. There were far more herd stallions around these days - and call her biased, but none of them were the equivalent of her Van. Not that she would ever share, she muses as she tucks her wings into her sides and walks towards the duo - but simply that they were uppity and possessive and it made her want to literally zip their mouth shut. Because she can do that, you know. And what a funny sight that would be!
Yael’s small form (not so small, once you consider her large, rather fluffy wings) draws up alongside the champagne mare and catches the tail end of her offer. She offers both mares gentle smiles and says simply, “I, too, xaf a lovely xome, eef you vould like to xear about eet.” Nvermind that she could also heal the mare's abrasions if she wanted... but that show of power was often too much for some. So she stifles her natural inclination, and instead, gives the painted mare space to make her own decision. Then, she turns her attention to the champagne mare again, to ask a question. “You smell of ze Falls. Kreios ees King t’ere, yes? Tell me, xow ees xe?” The spotted stallion may not be hers, and he may not particularly like Yael either, given the history between herself and his mother, but he was of Van’s blood, and so he was important to her.
Nitika stared at the champagne mare, surprised by the openness of her offer. Most horses she'd met always said that approval was needed before a new member joined a herd, or whatever they called it. And usually, she was kicked out before that even happened.
But this mare, here she was, offering for her to join a kingdom, to have a home where she wouldn't have to worry about stallions constantly harassing her. She'd have time to nurse her wounds in peace, and she would not be forced to join a herd. She could just exist within the kingdom, put in some time, and then maybe one day, decide if she wanted to move on to another, or perhaps go live in a herd within the kingdom, and, maybe, just maybe, have a foal of her own.
The thought of that was very pleasing to Nitika. However, she still didn't know for sure if she wished to accept the mare's offer right away. Was it really genuine? Would she have to pass some sort of test? Would the stallion be a pompous arrogant being that shoved her away simply because many other horses viewed her markings as bad luck?
Well, then again, if she accepted the mare's offer, she could ask those questions on the way to the kingdom while also getting away from the stallions that lived here. Two birds with one stone, as the saying went. Nitika didn't know if she'd like this... kingdom... for sure yet, but there was only one way to find out.
She lifted her head and looked at the champagne mare, prepared to give an answer, but before she could, the wind blew another scent right toward her. The medicine hat mare's eyes widened as she saw another horse coming toward them, a mare, a little on the small side, unless you counted-
Wait, were those wings?! As in bird wings?! What in the name?!
Nitika could only stare in open shock as the mare approached, not really processing her words at first. She could only look at those wings; what in the hell were bird wings doing on the back of a horse?! That was seriously not right! What was going on here?!
She vaguely heard the mare speak to her, as well as the champagne mare. Apparently, the kingdom she came from was known as the Falls, and it was ruled by a stallion named Kreios. Unusual name, but with her markings and name, who was Nitika to talk?
Deciding she shouldn't keep the mare waiting for long, the medicine hat mare offered a stuttered reply, "Uh... s-sure... I don't really... I don't really care where I go... I just... I just want to get away... from these stallions..."
Anahi was a tiny bit surprised at the sudden arrival of the new mare, but not so much about her wings. Even with the small time she'd spent in Beqanna, she'd seen stranger; heck, the leader of her kingdom had powers himself, so wings weren't a big deal to her.
Though the champagne mare was a bit peeved that this mare had come and was now offering to tell the medicine hat paint mare of her home, and possibly tempt her into going with her, she did not let it show. Anahi was a diplomat; she had to maintain a calm, reserved, and friendly air about her.
Anger did not suit that.
When the mare questioned of Anahi's home and of the king, the champagne mare nodded in reply, "Yes, I do come from the Falls Kingdom. Kreios is doing just fine; he has been working on establishing peace between the Falls and some of the other kingdoms as of late. He wishes for such a thing since the war ended; no one really wants to see any blood spilled."
Even though the two mares had not been talking for that long, and seemed absorbed in their own conversation about some place, Nitika was getting more nervous. She really didn't want to be here anymore; she knew the stallion would eventually find her again, possibly with a few of his friends to really leave a mark on the medicine hat mare.
She did not want to be here for that. Even if Yael's home was nice, at this point, Nitika just wanted to leave the Field and find someplace safe. If she didn't like Anahi's home, she would eventually leave, after she'd had a chance to lick her wounds.
Nitika gave the champagne mare an anxious glance, "L-look... l-l-like I s-said, I-I-I don't w-want t-t-t-to b-be he-here anymore. C-can we j-j-just go t-to y-y-your h-home?" she frantically asked.
Anahi could clearly hear the nervousness building within the paint mare's voice. She gave her a nod before saying her farewell to the other mare. She did not wish to leave so soon, figuring it would be rude, but it was quite obvious that the medicine hat mare was quite troubled and nervous, if not straight up scared.
"Come on, follow me. I will take you to the lands where I live so that you can rest and heal."
Anahi turned and trotted off, glancing back to make sure that the mare would follow her.
OOC: I'll go write a new post in the Falls for you.
