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 Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:23 am
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:51 am
The black and gold mare laughed as she flew close to the ground. Her wingtips just brushed the tops of the tall grasses with each beat. Nothing could compare to racing your own shadow! With a wild neigh, she swooped upwards and caught a thermal, gaining enough altitude to be able to see the whole area. A familiar figure at the edge of the forest caught her attention and she descended again with a goal in mind.
The sound of wingbeats was his only warning. Before he fully registered that it was the sound of feathered wings and not leathery ones, the stallion went into full attack mode. He reared, his rainbow mane whipping around his head blocking his vision for just a moment. Screaming a challenge he struck out blindly. He felt his hoof graze his opponent - and a mare's neigh of pain shocked him out of his battle rage. Dancer shook his head as if to clear it of the memory he had been locked in and truly looked at who he was facing for the first time.
His scream had been just enough warning for Wambli to pull up her flight. His striking hoof had just grazed her hindquarter, luckily her wings had been out of the way! She landed with a small grunt of pain, relieved when the leg held her weight.
"Sorry about startling you, Dancer," she said. "I saw you down here and just wanted to say hello!" It was her own fault she supposed - she knew how skittish her friend was sometimes!
The appaloosa stallion stood in silence, watching the trickle of blood wend its way down the windmare's golden coat.
"No...no...no... the fault is all mine..." he stammered out. "I should have been more careful. I should have known it wasn't one of them." How could he have been so foolish! His first and best friend here - and look what he did to her!
"Dancer, it is ok! I'm not hurt badly and you pulled the attack when you knew it wasn't a kalona you faced." She walked over to him, trying not to wince as the movement pained her. "Really, don't beat yourself up over this" She reached out and nudged him with one wing. "Maybe you can show me some of those moves though! You were amazing!"
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 7:16 am
It was such a glorious day, Ayita had decided to go for a walk. The air was fresh and sented lightly with green things growing all around. Most of all the painted mare enjoyed the quiet stillness of the forest compaired to the noise and activity of her grandchildren. That one daughter especially was going to give Vivena some trouble, and that was certian.
Ayita was shaking her head as she considered the young filly's cold behaviour towards her siblings and parents when she was startled by the piercing cry of battle and the softer sound of someone calling out in pain.
Lifting her head she scanned the area quickly though narrowed eyes. The confrontation was happening not to far from where she was. Perhaps she could lend some aid if she was swift enough.
Launching herself Ayita flew through the forest, winding around trees and deadfall with the ease of much practice. when she came out from the wood into the open she paused, the altercation if that is what it was seemed to be over already. For both Wambli and the unknown stallion she spoke to were talking quietly together.
Still on alert Ayita came closer, though she made no effort to hide her presence. Her ears flattened a bit at the scent of blood and she followed the scent to her good friend. Wickering to annouce her presence as well as to give welcome to Wambli the painted mare came up to the darker mare.
"Greetings, Is everything all right here?" She asked looking towards the stallion and then back at her friend once more.
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:40 am
Wambli whickered a greeting to her dear friend.
"Yes, we are ok. It was just a misunderstanding of sorts. I surprised Dancer when I cam flying in!" She nodded at the stallion as she spoke. "It was an accident on his part. I'll be as good as new in a few days!" She was careful to keep her voice light as she spoke. She knew Dancer was blaming himself for what was not fully his fault.
Dancer had tensed up when he heard the approach of the other soquili, relaxing only when he saw the painted mare clear the forest. He looked from one to the other - it was obvious that they knew each other well.
"I cannot let her take the blame for my actions," he said at last. "I was the one who struck out. It is my fault."
Wambli sighed at his words. Honestly, some soquili could just be so stubborn! "Nevermind who is at fault here. Dancer, I would like for you to meet my friend, Ayita. Ayita, this is Dancer, the wild stallion I found when I was gathering some stones from the Rainbow Place."
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 12:23 pm
The painted mare's stance relaxed as she listened to the bird like mare's explination. "Ah I see." She laughed lightly. "You really need to remember to announce your presence when you come flying in, dearheart."
Giving Dancer a grin she shook her mane. "You have no idea how many times she has surprised the daylights out of me doing the very same thing. Be at peace, Dancer. No great harm was given. Wambli is a warrior in her own right. I imagain you only marked her because she was startled. If she had been expecting an attack you wouldn't have been able to score a hit. I can assure you. She is an exellent flyer. So do not worry over blame. In this world where there are enough burdens as it is. Borroing more than what you already shoulder will only weigh down your heart. It's a plesure to make your aquantance, Dancer. "Ayita said before looking back at her friend.
"Your right, I doubt the injury is anything serious, though you probably should go see Foalen about it anyway. His salves can be thick and are often strange smelling but they do speed healing.
((Hopefully this didn't come off sounding too preachy. Let me know if you want to change it.))
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 3:55 pm
"You are probably right about going to see Foalen. Besides, he always gives a good treat when the medicine is done!" She smacked her lips together loudly, already anticipating the bit of apple or sweetbread she was sure to get.
"But I am not so sure of my fighting skills, Ayita. I may have been able to hold off that wolf from the foals, but Dancer here is amazing!" She wasn't sure why she was touting the stallion's abilities like that - perhaps it was her insticts jumping in...
"I am sure you are a formidable warrior, Wambli," Dancer spoke up. "But I would be happy to teach you, or you as well, Ayita, if you would like to see what I learned fighting the kalona." He paused for a moment, "Once you are healed, of course. I am sure the... humans... will be able to care for you. I do know where there are some herbs in the forest you can use if you would rather not trust yourself to one of them though."
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Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 9:52 pm
"Interesting, I would deffinatly like to hear more about your stragagies in defeating the kalona. There has been such flood of darkness of late that much fear has come to dwell within the herds. And where there is great fear there is great foolishness." The painted mare sighed at the thought of what young frightened soquili could do to themselves and others caught up in blind panic.
"Besides it never hurts to be prepared for the worst." Ayita nodded decisively. "Yes I think I would like you to teach me what you can. Once we see to Wambli that is."
Lifting her head the mare look up at Dancer. "From your tone I take it you do not trust humans." Her voice was soft carrying no hint of anger or agitation. Some soquili had good reason to mistrust the twoleggers. Ayita had met some of the more unsavory specimens herself and was not at all looking forward to meeting more.
"I have to admit that not all the humans that I have met have been worthy of trust. But the shaman I walk with is diffrent. He raised me. I lived alongside him as I grew and learned many things from him. Foalen is wise and gentle caring about all things be they great or small. He walks the path between the world of men and that of the spirit and dwells in harmony with both. I think if you were to meet him he might surprise you. In fact, Wambli's human friend is the same. Though she has taken the warrior's path rather than that of the winged ones she is also good hearted and kind to all around her. But then meeting them would probably prove the truth of my words more than the words themselves. What do you think? Would you be willing to meet these two legged friends of ours?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 6:27 am
The spotted stallion shifted his hindquarters uneasily. He would like to spend some more time with them... but humans?
"You are right in that, my lady," he said to Ayita. "I have seen how some of the humans treat the wilds - the paler ones that live down the beach from here seem particularly uncouth. I know it is not fair to judge all by the few I have met, but just the thought makes my skin crawl." He gave a shiver of his dark coat to empasize his words.
"Why don't you at least come with us to the forest's edge by the village. You can watch the shaman from there and not be too close. If he seems threatening, just don't come out where he can see you." Wambli spoke up. "Not all the humans are like those pale ones. My Talker is very nice to me. Even my Jewel will let her come close to him, and he is the most careful of the unicorns I know!" She looked at Dancer entreatingly. Perhaps with Ayita's help she could finally get him to know some of the joys of human companions.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 11:15 am
"That's an exellent idea, Wambli!" Ayita nodded briskly concering with her friend. "That way the meeting would be enterly on Dander's terms." The painted mare smiled warmly at the stallion completely understanding his reluctance to get so close to human kind if not his reasoning behind it.
"And you wouldn't have to meet him at all, if you decide that is the best path. Though it would be good to get that wound seen too."
The painted mare motioned at the wound with her nose. "While herbs are helpful, Foalen does something to them that refines them and makes them more potent. Cureing the herbs, I think he called it."
The mare shook her head as she spoke. "I'm not sure how or why that happens dispite having watched him work over the years, but his ointments and slaves seem to work more quickly than the herbs alone. or so I've noticed. We'd probably be able to start our training sooner if we can get the Shaman to help us. But in the end the decision is up to you. Wambli will heal either way and I wouldn't want to ask you to do something that is going to make you too uncomfortable."
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:59 pm
Dancer looked from Wambli to Ayita and back again. He sighed then nodded his head to agree. He had forgotten how stubborn mares could be!
"I'll go... but only to the edge of the forest. I'm not saying I won't come out to meet this shaman of yours, but I am not saying that I will either." He walked over to Wambli so that he stood at her injured side. "And I will be here if you need me to lean on for the journey. It is the least I can do after what I did to you."
Wambli turned and gave Ayita a quick wink. It looked like they were getting through to him! Normally she would have flown to the village, especially since her hip was hurting her somewhat when she moved. If walking meant for sure than Dancer would get to see the kinder side of humanity though, she would walk!
"Thank you, Dancer. Shall we go then?" she said to him in all seriousness. She began to slowly make her way to the trail, the spotted stallion walking close beside.
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Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 2:35 pm
"Yes, let's go. The sooner we start the sooner we will be finished." Ayita agreed returning Wambli's wink with with a knowing look the painted mare fell in beside her friend and the three soquili cautiously started down the trail.
"The edge of the forest is not very far from here thankfully." The mare said more for Dancer's sake than Wambli's. "The shaman has made his home close to the edge of the of the forest so we should be able to get there fairly quickly dispite the fact that we are travling through the wood."
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 8:37 am
So far, so good, Wambli thought as they moved through the quiet of the forest. If only Dancer would relax a little and learn to trust some more! She watched him from the side, turning her head just a little in hopes he wouldn't see. He was half a pace behind her, his side next to her wounded hip ready to support her if she should need it. And he really is a handsome one, Wambli thoughts continued. I am sure that there are several mares that would love to get to know him better if he would just let them! She chuckled at herself - she never pictured herself as a matchmaker! She really just wanted to see her friend find some peace with himself.
Dancer walked in silence, ever alert and watchful of the area they traveled though. His dark ears moved back and forth to capture every sound. The break in the shadows ahead heralded the edge of the short trail they had taken. He knew there was a human's teepee there - he could smell the smoke from the fire and the sharp scent of herbs.
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Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 2:58 pm
Foalen sat under the boughs of a magestic old pine giving the appearace that he had fallen asleep. But things are not always as they seem and the shaman who rested beneath the protective branches of the great tree communed with the spirits who enhabted the tree and forest nearby. The tiny life spirits of the grass and flowers though not as deep or wise as the grand old tree spirit were ebulent and loved to impart information. So when news of the three soquili coming down the path reached them they couldn't wait to tell him. Smiling at the small spirits Foalen gave them his thanks.
It wasn't long before he sensed a welcome presence and opened his eyes to see the painted mare he had helped to raise. Her good friend Wambli was with her along with another soquili he did not recognize.
The unknown soquili seemed to have a waryness about him so Foalen stayed motionless waiting for the soquili to approch him first. He had no clue as to what could have made the stallion so guarded, but he would take his lead from the soquili he knew. Ayita would have already picked up on his presence. If he was to meet this newcomer it was Ayita or Wambli who would start the interaction.
Ayita's ears perked as they neared the place where Foalen's teepee was set up though it wasn't her sense of hearing that had alerted her to the whereabouts of her human friend. Casting her head about looking both within and without as the shaman had taught her she found her friend not too far away sitting beneath a large pine tree. Lifting her head she bobbed it in the direction of the tree. "I beleve we've arrived."
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 6:02 pm
Dancer froze as the scent of the human came to him. His ears flattened instinctively. Drat these mares and their persuasiveness!!
"Can you make it from here?" he asked Wambli. He hoped her answer would free him from the rest of the journey.
The oriole colored mare knew quite well where the question came from and was not letting him off that easily. "Perhaps," she said with a sigh. "There is only one patch of loose scree before we get to his tent." She shifted her weight as if in pain, a movement which wasn't all feigned.
The appaloosa eyed her warily then shook his head. "I'll go with you the rest of the way then." His honor would allow him no less.
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Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:44 pm
The shaman sensed the stallion's awareness of him and watched closely for Dancer's reaction to his presence. 'Not fond of human company then, not that I'm surprised by that,' Foalen thought to himself as he tried to decide how to defuse the situation. It was during this contemplation that Foalen felt a growing fog of pain and exhaustion waft over him. Looking up at the sorce he stood up, thoughts about how to win over the stallion forgotten in the need to ease an old friend's pain.
Reaching into his ever present leather pouch the gift of Wambli's human friend, the shaman withdrew a treat he had made for just such an occasion. Striding purposefully up to the trio, Foalen bowed reverently holding up his offering in an open hand. "Forgive me. I should have sensed your pain earlier. Here take this for energy and strength, Wind lady." He said slowly and painstakingly in the soquili language. "It will help you feel better. And then I shall tend your wounds if you will permit me to do so."
He wasn't entirely sure he had said it correctly until a glance at Ayita showed the elder soquili nodding approvingly.
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