"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
All things are possible, even the worst of things.
She is kind, sympathizing with his grief, his loss, and for that he is grateful. He had not realized how much he missed having the comfort of another in his grief. Val is gone, nowhere to be found. She should have been there, just as he had. He can only believe that something terrible had happened to her. She would never have left, disappeared, the way she did, not unless something had happened. But that is a worry for another time, another place. There are others who could help him with that. Camrynn, perhaps (little does he know).
As the grin eases back onto his lips, he tips his head in the direction of the Deserts. Turning, he waits until she comes alongside him before beginning the (fortunately short) journey back to his (and now hopefully her) desert homeland. As they walk, his dark eyes sparkle with humor.
You can’t possibly be worse than me?
His tone is filled with humor as he speaks. A small, affected frown touches his lips to emphasize his next point.
I seem to have a really terrible habit of running into horses. You’re lucky I haven’t managed to bowl you over yet.
He finds it very difficult to hold that false frown when what he really would like to do is laugh. And so he does. He has never been very good a restraint. When she continues, assigning him a rather embarrassing new nickname, he cannot help the deep guffaw that escapes his lips.
King Prancealot?!
Extending his neck, he nudges her shoulder teasingly.
I’m certain I am not the king of prancing. Call me that again, I dare you.
He chuckles, offering her a conspiratorial wink as he teases her. Their conversation consumes there trip to the Deserts, and before he knows it, the sand dunes of his home begin to take shape before him. He gazes out of the vast expanse for a long moment before turning his chocolate brown gaze to the small mare beside him.
He is probably the most civil stallion she has come across, then again she has only came in contact with two in her life time, her own father who was a mean man and the unknown stallion who terrorized her herd, so she is shocked to actually met a decent stallion. She watches the smile ease on to his lips like it does every time she says something humorous she couldn't help but smile back as she made her way to his side. "Oh, my gracefulness isn't up to par, but I'm probably not as bad as you are" she said a soft smile on her lips as she looked at the horizon. "Oh I imagine it will come in time Shah" she said intimating his frown but slightly pooching out her bottom lip before grinning brightly her soft hazel eyes meeting his sparkling with humor.
Hoku smiled as he laughed at her new nickname for him, she threw her head closing her eyes slightly. "What don't you like your nickname?" she asked ever so innocently and she nipped at his shoulder playfully "What you don't want me to call you..... King Prancealot?" she said narrowing her eyes at him with a sly grin on her face as she took his dare. "I am certain that you ARE the king of prancing Prancealot" she said intimating his walk by prancing slightly picking up her feet high and arching her neck like a stallions. The smile fell off her face as the trip comes to a close when she spotted the tall hills (She doesn't know what they are called) of the tan dirt that is supposedly called sand. Her hazel eyes are wide and full of awe and wonder as she took in the scene before her. It was beautiful, she closed her eyes slightly as a warm breeze enveloped her body making her hum in contentment.
She felt his gaze on her as he welcomed her to his home "Oh Shah, it's beautiful" she said her voice soft and her expression of that of pure wonder.
All things are possible, even the worst of things.
The dunes of sand stretch out before them, golden and resplendent in the afternoon sunlight. It is warm here, just as he had promised. Winter is a good time in the Deserts, a time when things bloom. While other kingdoms suffer under the weight of snow and ice, the Deserts receive their yearly rains, causing the sparse vegetation to spring up wildly and bloom in a ferocious frenzy of new life.
He leads her across the shifting sands, careful to show her the best ways through the sometimes hazardous terrain. When the oasis unfolds before them, it is just as lovely as he had remembered (granted, he hadn’t left here all that long ago, and he is certainly not old enough yet to have his memory fail him that badly).
Her remark on his clumsiness makes him laugh. Stretching his neck, he nudges her withers teasingly as they walk.
You know me so well already.
She continues, ribbing him as easily as he had teased her. It gladdens his heart to see her so carefree and open. She is already so very different from the terrified, defensive mare he had first approached in the field. It is wonderful to see the changes that can be wrought just by a few words of kindness. And as she imitates his (supposed) walk, another laugh escapes his lips.
Oh come now, that is nothing.
Having said that, he proceeds to arch his neck as she had demonstrated, lifting his legs higher than their usual scuffling movement. The proud march rather suits him, with his baroque build and elegant frame (despite his missing tail). He’s quite certain he looks rather silly though.
Now that is a prance.
His humor fades slowly into a lingering grin as she pauses, turning to admire the lovely view stretched before them. It is quite an awe-inspiring sight, especially to first time visitors. Shahrizai is still new enough that he can easily appreciate the sight laid out before them.
As they walked across the border to the Deserts she felt the sand underneath her hoofs for the first time, she looked ridiculous she picked up her feet high following the stallion she has grown quiet attached to so quickly. She tripped once or twice when she found some deeper parts on the sand, but she got right back up giggling softly at her self "If you are more clumsy then I am. Then you are King Graceful Prancealot" she said throwing her head slightly as she picked up her hooves higher as the hill became steeper.
"Oh come on I though it was a good imitation of your walk Shah" She said rolling her hazel eyes the happy smile never leaving her lips, she feels like a love sick filly. Wait love sick? Nope she will not fall in love that easy. The happy smile that was once on her lips fades and her mind overthinks the concept of love and what it meant to her, and could she really love this stallion even if they had only just met not long ago.
"You are right you look good prancing" She said her voice far off as her mind was not where she was now her hazel eyes fixed on the horizon before her.
All things are possible, even the worst of things.
They have come so far since their initial meeting, developing a camaraderie that he had not felt with another in far too long. He is delighted by the changes wrought in her in just a few short hours, in the level of comfort she has fallen into around him. It is satisfying and heartening all at once. He can feel the bonds of friendship forming between them as he grins at her, offering her a teasing nudge.
He can only hope that the fate that seems befall all of those he cares for does not befall her as well.
The thought gives him a moment of pause, but he brushes it off, unwilling to look too closely upon it. He has already suffered enough grief lately. He does not need to add more.
As her words register, he turns, an abrupt laugh escaping his lips before that grin settles easily back onto his features. He winks at her, sharing his humor.
It’s only because I’m trying. Just wait until you catch me in a candid moment. I promise you, I won’t seem nearly as graceful.
He is oblivious, really, to any growing feeling that she might have for him. He has never been terribly good at discerning such things. With Val it had been so easy. She had practically clobbered him over the head to get his attention. Demanding and impertinent, and altogether completely Val. And unfortunately he is not an empath, nor is he nearly as observant as he should be, so these things are otherwise rather a mystery to him.
He is, however, observant enough to notice she has become quite suddenly distant. As she continues, her eyes are fixed upon the horizon, her voice sounding absently into the air. He reaches out with his dark muzzle, brushing her shoulder gently so that he might bring her back to the present.
They continue to stand on the dune that shadows the oasis, and the small mare continued to stare absentmindedly at the crystal clear water that pooled in the middle. It was the warm voice of Shahrizai that broke her out of the trance she was in. She shook her head seemingly clearing her thoughts, "Oh Shahrizai, I don't think anything you do can be anything but graceful" She said a small smile gracing her lips as she swung her head towards him her black mane fluttering in the warm balmy breeze of the deserts. But it wasn't long until she fell back into the trance of thinking about her developing feelings for the tailless stallion. Then his voice wormed through her thoughts again, it took her a moment to come out of the thoughts but her cheeks warmed as he asked if something was on her mind. Yes there was definitely something on her mind, it is burdening her with the thought of rejection and or humiliation. What if the stallion didn't feel the same? She would make a huge fool of herself in front of this handsome stallion she has become quite attached to. She didn't want to scare him away, not when she needed him most.
She decided to answer actually telling him how she felt, she took a deep breath and looked into his deep dark pools with her own light ones. "Shah.. I have become quite... attached to you... And I have never felt this feeling towards anyone, stallions for that matter. All I have ever known was hardheartedness and hatred.. But you... Oh you Shah have made me such a better person... I can actually be myself around you. I don't feel scared anymore but only that when I am with you.. Only you Shah... What I am trying to say, pardon me if I'm bad at confessing my feelings but I think I might.. Love you Shah." She said setting her nose on his neck and breathing in his scent and closing her eyes for a moment. Then she stepped back looking into his eyes looking for any hesitation or rejection hoping she doesn't find any. "I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable in anyway Shah, I figured I should be straight forward with you" She said looking down at the sand and the way it blew in the breeze, the grains tumbling over one another.
All things are possible, even the worst of things.
As it turns out, he is really, truly terrible at these things. The feelings thing, that is. Accepting and expressing love (at least when it comes to women who are not his mother). And so, it comes to this little mare, telling him plainly of how she feels, blindsiding him with her words.
The last thing he expects when he asks her what is wrong is for her to confess her belief that she might be in love with him. His warm brown eyes rest steadily upon her as she begins her halting speech, silently encouraging and supportive. That is, until about halfway through when he realizes exactly where her confession is headed.
For a long moment, he can only blink at her in surprise. Until reality sinks in and his heart slowly sinks into the pit of his stomach. Hoku has already experienced so much pain in her life. The last thing he wants to do is give her more. He briefly considers lying, but almost before the thought has crossed his mind, he discards it. Not only is he a terrible liar, but neither of them deserve that heartache. But how does he tell her that he is already in love with another?
True, he hasn’t seen the object of his affections in years, has done a piss-poor job in his attempts to locate her. Nevertheless, his heart belongs to her (or so he believes, so he has always told himself, and so, it is).
He had let the moment lapse for too long, he realizes, allowed the silence to stretch for longer than he had meant to. But still he isn’t quite sure what to say to her.
Hoku…
He starts, but pauses as he considers what to say. There is nothing he could say. Nothing that he feared wouldn’t sever the fragile bond of trust and friendship they had already established.
Hoku, you’re a wonderful and beautiful mare, and you honor me more than I can say. You could never make me uncomfortable. Pause. But I… I wish I could return your affections. I value your friendship and wish that it might remain so, but I have already given my heart to another.
He opens his mouth as though to say more, but quickly snaps it shut again. With the regret showing clearly in his brown eyes, he extends his neck to brush a brief touch against her shoulder, as though to say I’m sorry. The next words that come out of his mouth are ones he would no doubt come to regret.
I think that, perhaps, we have allowed our friendship grow too quickly. Pause. I will give you some space, let you explore and get to know the land a bit. I won’t be far if you need me.
He turns and leaves then, the shame of his actions immediately coming up to choke him. For he knows without a doubt that he is running way from her, like a whipped dog with his tail between his legs (if he had a tail, that is).
shahrizai
hestoni x scorch
So I figured I would end this here since so much has happened to them since. We can pick it up again with post-quest Shah and post-baby Hoku, if you want.
