God she hopes they can help her.
She’s been running for days now, running away from everyone and everything she’s ever known.
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She’d been happy, with a home and herd to call her own. Then it had started to show up. Whatever it was.
It’d started small, just snowflakes when when she was in a bad mood. Then it had progressed. And … she doesn’t want to think about it. Not now.
She’d heard about Beqanna from a young age - a wonderful place where horses could come in any colour, and had a huge range of wondrous magical abilities. Her mother had told her about it when she’d been a kid - Narcolepsy had been born here, and her father had been from here too.
She hadn’t given it much thought since those days, considering it just a good story for kids. But then it had happened, and her options had run out. Her herd stallion and lead mare had run her out of the herd, making it very clear what would happen if she returned.
To top it off she can’t trust herself any more. What if she slipped up again? What if she hurt someone else?
Maybe someone here can help her, in this land of wild colours and abilities. Surely someone’s come across an ability like hers before.
She doesn’t know what she’ll do if she can’t find anyone to help.  EIRA nothing's only words, that's how hearts get hurt
 WEIR
Spring has sprung and Weir and Darwin mosey along to the Field. It’s a pleasant day, still cool but the world is noticeably thawing. The sun sets and amber glow to the still melting snow drifts, most now hardened to ice and trickling away without haste. What grass can poke through the crown of cold seems to whisper its presence as it makes its way to becoming lush again. The dawn chorus of birdsong washes through the trees and the odd pair laugh.
They laugh together because Weir sends two scurrying snow forms of weasels to frolic in the melting mounds, slender lithe bodies dancing over the drifts and rolling about. It’s a humorous sight to be sure, one to occupy their journey from the Dale, one to bring cheer to the new day.
Weir sometimes checks the Fields for new comers around this time, perhaps not as often as he should either if we are to be honest. Today is just such a day though, his amber eyes lifting from the spectacle of entertainment to sweep over the common lands. He smiles as he spots the bay, standing alone and looking unsure if he does say so. At Darwin he nudges, bumping a reddened leg into the tortoise’s great shell.
“Good Morning! Hallooo!” He calls cheerfully as they climb the sloping earth to reach her, the weasels sent well before them to toss over each other at her feet. “Wonderful day for Spring I say. My name’s Weir, this here is Darwin.” The male’s rusty head dips, to touch the tortoise lightly atop his head. “These are...well, they havn’t names, they’re just snow…for fun.” His amber eyes blink at the critters, sending them diving into each other before they burst into a million tiny flakes.
“Pleasure to meet you” Darwin adds, looking curiously towards the woman.
WINTER IS COMING
03-07-2016, 01:22 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-13-2016, 12:23 PM by Eira.)
As her last nerves fray, the temperature around her drops. “Ah!” She cries out as a tiny, lone snow flake slips past the end of her nose. She can’t lose control, not now, not here! She closes her eyes and breathes in and out, trying to slow the rapid beating of her heart. Maybe she’d been foolish to come. She doesn’t want to end up hurting someone else.
“Good Morning! Hallooo!” Her brown eyes fly open and alight upon the stranger that’s now walking towards her across the plain. “Oh uh … hello.” She panics, voice faltering - it’s too late now, there’s no time to run and hide.
She freezes as white suddenly flashes at the edge of her vision (oh no, not now!) but relaxes when she realizes that it’s a pair of little white weasels, wrestling in the melting snow. She lets out a short, startled laugh, then raises her head to look at the stranger (a roan stallion) as he draws near. “I’m Eira.” She jumps with a start when she notices the large tortoise plodding along at the stallion’s side. What on earth kind of place is this?!
Normally she’d be struck dumb by the knowledge that a tortoise is speaking, but the stallion has already caught her attention with something else. Weasels … made of snow? She lets out a little gasp as the creatures bowl into each other and explode into millions and millions of tiny snow flakes. “H … how?” Her eyes, wide and round, look up to the stallion’s face. “How did you do that?”
Maybe she hadn’t been so foolish after all.
EIRA nothing's only words, that's how hearts get hurt
WEIR
Weir had every intention of making a good impression, he does notice though her unease at the beginning of their meeting. Somehow he had made a misstep on their entrance, so instead he looks quite uncomfortable, his amber eyes roaming to find a new topic. Maybe she didn't like spring at all? Maybe Darwin was a bit much on a first day here.
The roan clears his throat, looking for something new to discuss, maybe her lovely coat? Maybe her past or her hopes and dreams for a new home? Oh dear, he felt he had fallen right into a pickle jar without a paddle.
"Terribly sorry madam, did we frighten you? No need to worry I can assure you we mean no ill will." He blinks with a soft smile on his reddened mouth, Darwin looking sincere with his own turtle grin.
Too true miss, I know it's not every day one sees a tortoise but its sort of a package deal. He laughs at his own little joke, though were the punch line was Weir himself was lost.
Finally she says her name though she still doesn't look entirely sure about the two, Weir can't blame her, he supposed he took some getting used to. "A beautiful name, I -oh, the weasels?" He snorts a bit as a twinkle sparkles deep in the depths of his eyes. "Well, they are snow..a gift of sorts we inherited from a difficult journey." He nods his rusty head, Darwin looks solemn but sure as he too agrees. That was once of the greatest adventures of their lifetime.
"It's just sort of within I suppose, kind of like Magic but it certainly isn't Magic. Ho-ho no I would know the difference." He winks, twirling some flurries around them with a grin. "Snow is a fine gift indeed, ice too, why- one can make anything their heart desires. Well for example.." Slowly roses bloom around them, a patch of delicate ice flowers sprouting from the fading snow bank, catching the rising sun like diamonds. Then he twists one delicately through her mane by her ear, a shy smile hiding itself quickly but he ears a shove from Darwin anyhow.
"There are many and more gifts here in Beqanna Eira, nothing to be afraid of. Well, mostly." He wasn't something she should fear but in truth their were darker gifts than his sprinkled throughout the land.
WINTER IS COMING
03-17-2016, 01:35 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-17-2016, 01:36 AM by Eira.)
She's not afraid though, not at all.
In fact, she’s in complete awe. Complete and utter awe at the fact that this stallion had managed to create weasels out of snow. Living (sort-of), moving creatures. Out of snow.
She can’t find the words to express how incredible that is to her. So she simply listens, dumb, as he explains.
Someone up there must be smiling down on her … abilities like this can’t be terribly common, and for her to walk in to one of the few horses that has them? It’s the kind of luck she hasn’t had in a long time.
She gasps again as beautiful ice roses sprout from the ground around them, rising up and blooming to catch the sun. Eira’s brown eyes dart about, full of surprise and wonder. It’s as if they’re surrounded by a ring of diamonds.
“You didn’t scare me. I … I just …” How can she explain?
But … why explain? When it’s so much easier to show …
Eira concentrates for a moment, letting her still present (though lessened) anxiety feed her abilities. It’s the first time she’s ever willingly tried to create snow and she finds that it’s surprisingly easy. A light flurry begins to fall around them, dusting Eira and Weir’s back in little white flakes. For the first time, she’s not afraid of losing control. Even if she did, with Weir’s abilities she’s sure he’d be able to control whatever she accidentally throws out.
Her eyes seek out his, feeling more hope that she’s felt in a very long time. “Would … could you teach me? I can’t control it. I don’t want to hurt anyone again.” Her eyes drop to the ground. She’s ashamed to admit her greatest sin, but if anyone can help her, he can. EIRA nothing's only words, that's how hearts get hurt
WEIR
you didn't scare me...
Well, that was a relief. Even with his subtle flirtations and shy smile he was sure he had messed up his greeting. Actually he was a bit surprised he hadn't, first time for everything right? Weir was always down for fun though, he just couldn't help it, it was in his nature you might say. Often he entertained himself and others with his gifts, seeking joy in them, from them. Life was too short to live in misery, to waste such beauty by bottling it up, hiding it from the world.
He hadn't though twice about sending the creatures scurrying up to her, perhaps he should have. Maybe he should start taking that into account in the future...nah.
His thoughts of what he should do and what he did do, do not last long. She has him enraptured, a chill tickling his back but surely he is not doing that. No, no, he was sure he wasn't. Well the that only meant, she-
"Oh! Oh ho-ho what fine luck my lady!" His rusty head inclines as he looks up into the falling flakes, closing his eyes and letting them drift peacefully down to blanket his back. "What a happy coincidence," he remarks, tilting his head back down to look at her. "So few here really," he freely sticks out his tongue, catching a few powder-white crystals, "even for this place."
can you teach me?...
Those, those are the magic words if there were ever any.
"Teach you? Why, I'd be delighted!" It is not mistake the inquiry makes him generally happy, he is thrilled. "Can't control it? Nonsense. we'll have you improving in no time, don't you worry, you wont hurt me." He promises because surly she could not harm him, how would she harm him with his own talents? That would just be silly. "A terrible thing to hurt others unintentionally, I quite understand, best to not let loose ones emotions."
Weir too had hurt others without intention. The War had caused his heart another great pain, taking from him not only one of his friends, but his best one- Warship. He doesn't know how many were lost to the cold and the ice, he didn't ask either, he didn't want to be weighted with that burden.
WINTER IS COMING
04-05-2016, 04:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 04-05-2016, 04:52 PM by Eira.)
She sees the relief on his face when she says he didn’t scare her and a little smile creeps into the corner of her mouth. He’s a kind soul, this Weir, and she can definitely feel herself warming up to him.
The tiny smile blossoms into a grin as he watches the snowflakes drifting down, and sticks his tongue out to catch them. “Yes, it’s quite the coincidence!” Eira’s never really believed in fate, but … again, for her to run into one of the few other horses with this ability on her first time here … someone up there must be looking out for her.
“Oh, oh! Thank you!” Tears well up in the corners of her eyes when he agrees to teach her. Maybe, finally, things are beginning to turn around for her. She’ll learn how to control her abilities, maybe even learn to help people, rather than hurt. “Thank you so much!”
She pauses, head drooping a little. She should be honest with him. If he’s to teach her he should know … he should know what she did. “Yes I … I …” It’s hard to get the words out. “A mare in my old herd was making fun of me and I … I lost control and …” Her voice drops to little more than a whisper. “I froze her ears off.” It sounds silly even as she says it. It’s not the worst case scenario of course, but still. She’d seriously hurt the mare - her hearing was never the same after. And as the other horses in her herd had said before casting her out … who knows how long it would take for her to snap again, and actually kill someone? “I don’t want something like that to happen again. Or worse.” Her head droops lower, eyes casting towards the ground. She doesn’t want to see the expression on his face. EIRA nothing's only words, that's how hearts get hurt
WEIR
Darwin knew from the moment talk had turned to instruction that the woman had easily snared Weir in her web. Whether or not that had been the intention of their meeting one could not be sure but when fate comes knocking it is a hard thing to ignore-especially for a gigantic tortoise soul like himself. He says nothing on that matter, unsure how to proceed in conversation of the cosmos and thus he would never find himself delving into that speech with any of them, man or beast alike.
'If anyone can teach you it's Weir.' Well, that was mostly true, surely there were others that had an inkling of their gifts but none that would be so enthusiastic about their schooling. Besides, Weir had been lonely for a long time now, he could use a friend in his life. Well, a friend besides himself because that sort of didn't count- shouldn't you be friends with yourself anyways?
Weir is silent, thinking on the past yet trying to send it to the back of his mind as well. Her gracious response is both flattering and saddening to him, especially the tears that threaten to break free from her tragically beautiful eyes. He would send them away another day, perhaps when they knew each other better but today it seemed imposing so he refrained from that boast of chivalry. Instead he nods, "Of course dear, my pleasure really. There now no tears, it is a most joyous occasion I should think."
Joyous indeed, aside from his lovely frost coated daughter he had had so few students. So few to share his never ending knowledge with and it left him pining for company, even when he didn't realize it had.
Her story is another thing, had she not been so terribly serious in the telling Weir would have rolled with laughter. It was quite funny, freezing someone's ears off but he managed to suppress the echo of humor that wanted so badly to burst forth. It was not as bad as she thought, not yet anyway, ears were one thing- taking life was another. He could see how it had worried her though, one step too far could send her over that edge and it was obvious she was terribly afraid to jump- anyone should be. It was a great thing to take life, ears could eventually be forgiven.
"I see," he can't help the amused smile that filters through but he tries his best to shove it away- he didn't want her to feel made fun of. "Well, it is nto so bad then Eira, we have time to get things under control with your powers. No I think we've found each other in just the nick of time, do you-I mean to say-have you somewhere to stay? WE have plenty of room in the Dale. That's where Darwin and I live and not too many horses there to worry about mishaps with." He meant to be encouraging and hoped he had succeeded at least a small bit in making her feel better.
WINTER IS COMING
The tortoise affirms Weir’s abilities, and Eira is finally struck by the oddness of the situation. It momentarily distracts her from her distress. “Um … forgive me. I don’t wish to seem rude, but … how can you talk?” She really doesn’t want to offend, but in all the stories she’s heard of Beqanna, none of them mentioned creatures that could speak to horses. It’s quite a wondrous thing to her, really. It would be marvellous if all the creatures here could communicate with one another. But is Darwin the norm, or out of the ordinary?
But really, it’s not the most important thing at the moment. Tears well up in earnest as Weir tries to comfort her and a few escape to trickle down her brown cheeks. “It’s just … it’s just so kind of you.” She hasn’t experienced much kindness of this sort in her life. The mares in her herd had always feared her, hated her. With good reason though, she supposes. She’s always been a time bomb. But now, with Weir’s offer of tutelage she has the possibility of a life.
She can sense his faint amusement at her story, and she smiles in spite of herself. As horrible as she still feels about the incident, it is, admittedly, a bit silly. And it really could have been so much worse. “I know, I know. Ears aren’t really so bad. I just worry that I could lose control and do worse.” And so had the mares in her herd.
But perhaps it had been fate. That little incident had led to her coming here and finding a teacher. And she has an inkling, the faintest inkling, that she will be far happier here than she’d ever been in her old home.
And then he offers to let her into his home and she’s simply overwhelmed. “Oh!” More tears flow down her cheeks, but she’s smiling through them, happy. She’s been so lonely and afraid for so long. And now there are just so many wonderful things happening at once. “I - I would love to join you and Darwin in the Dale.”
EIRA nothing's only words, that's how hearts get hurt
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