11-19-2019, 08:46 PM
Spring was late in coming, but at long last the ice was thawing. Everywhere the midnight stallion set foot, mud squelched. It was everywhere, and the melting snow fed it endlessly. For all that he knew mud clung to every surface, Tyr still managed to feel a brightening within him. It had been a hard winter, even within the bounds of the territory.
There was no muscle tone beneath the dark skin, all in all he was a sorry looking fellow. Still, the grass was growing, the plants broke the frosted surface of the land, and life returned to the world. He ate what he found, and slowly the weeks-long hunger eased in favour of satisfaction. Warmth seeped into his spine again, loosened the overwrought muscles of his body and dried the mud so that it flaked away.
He could breath again. Deep breathes and shallow ones and they all felt wonderful. The fresh crush of new grass beneath his feet was intoxicating. One morning it mingled with something new. New, but familiar. Lilies were blooming near the creek he'd come to rest by. They were a rich counterpoint to the burbling water, sweet and heady. Beautiful. His nostrils flared and trembled, intent on this new target. A few steps forward, the creek singing so close by his side. Then, victory! Velvet petals bumped into his nose, the scent filled him like a strong drink.
He knew what to do with these.
A delicate snip, a fumbling on the ground until the stems came beneath his lips. He hoped the blooms did not get too bruised in the pick up. One two three, and his mouth was full of flowers. Vivid orange, if he could have seen them. He knew exactly where they had to go.
It wasn't easy, fording the creek, climbing the bank on the other side. He held the stems high when his feet slipped, focused on keeping them safe. And he made it, a little damper than usual, but intact. The scent of the lilies was thick in his nose, and he had to pause to sort through and let other odors in. Other horses, other animals, they passed through here frequently. Water drew them in. But there, he caught it. It was faint, but there. A trail he could follow.
The earth was uneven. Puddles of water interspersed the rough roots and stones, but the trail was getting easier to follow. The path opened up, and he breathed a sigh of relief to feel the ground flatten. The light wind brought the scent he was looking for near, and strong.
He cleared his throat, suddenly uncertain. It had been a simple plan, nothing extravagant. But there were doubts. He hadn't seen her since winter set in, but it was too late now. If she hadn't seen him as he approached, she likely would have by now. His head dropped low, to place the flowers carefully down, to give him a moment to breath.
"I found these. They... well, they made me think of you. Thought you should have them. Lilies for Lilli." He grinned, then lifted his head to exhaled on a laugh. "Sorry, that was stupid... But I hope you like them. How have you been?" He asked, head casting around to try and find where she stood.
@[lilliana]
There was no muscle tone beneath the dark skin, all in all he was a sorry looking fellow. Still, the grass was growing, the plants broke the frosted surface of the land, and life returned to the world. He ate what he found, and slowly the weeks-long hunger eased in favour of satisfaction. Warmth seeped into his spine again, loosened the overwrought muscles of his body and dried the mud so that it flaked away.
He could breath again. Deep breathes and shallow ones and they all felt wonderful. The fresh crush of new grass beneath his feet was intoxicating. One morning it mingled with something new. New, but familiar. Lilies were blooming near the creek he'd come to rest by. They were a rich counterpoint to the burbling water, sweet and heady. Beautiful. His nostrils flared and trembled, intent on this new target. A few steps forward, the creek singing so close by his side. Then, victory! Velvet petals bumped into his nose, the scent filled him like a strong drink.
He knew what to do with these.
A delicate snip, a fumbling on the ground until the stems came beneath his lips. He hoped the blooms did not get too bruised in the pick up. One two three, and his mouth was full of flowers. Vivid orange, if he could have seen them. He knew exactly where they had to go.
It wasn't easy, fording the creek, climbing the bank on the other side. He held the stems high when his feet slipped, focused on keeping them safe. And he made it, a little damper than usual, but intact. The scent of the lilies was thick in his nose, and he had to pause to sort through and let other odors in. Other horses, other animals, they passed through here frequently. Water drew them in. But there, he caught it. It was faint, but there. A trail he could follow.
The earth was uneven. Puddles of water interspersed the rough roots and stones, but the trail was getting easier to follow. The path opened up, and he breathed a sigh of relief to feel the ground flatten. The light wind brought the scent he was looking for near, and strong.
He cleared his throat, suddenly uncertain. It had been a simple plan, nothing extravagant. But there were doubts. He hadn't seen her since winter set in, but it was too late now. If she hadn't seen him as he approached, she likely would have by now. His head dropped low, to place the flowers carefully down, to give him a moment to breath.
"I found these. They... well, they made me think of you. Thought you should have them. Lilies for Lilli." He grinned, then lifted his head to exhaled on a laugh. "Sorry, that was stupid... But I hope you like them. How have you been?" He asked, head casting around to try and find where she stood.
@[lilliana]