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 Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:47 pm
"You'll understand someday..." he said as if he didn't want to speak of it anymore. Deep down his heart ached, he truly hoped this little one wouldn't ever learn of the horror's he'd felt but he knew hopes and dreams were only wishful thinking. He figured eventually she'd grow up and either be tortured herself or... join the sickening crowd. Something screamed at him to save her while she was still young and hopefully innocent but the big stallion didn't know how. His mind no longer processed things like they once had, he couldn't plan or plot, he felt dark, confused and ever so alone...
Ears twitched and Andor stepped back quickly as he noticed the tree move in the breeze, the little one had noticed it too so it worried him. Did she really have an army ready to attack him? Was she really innocent or just very good at acting? He took a deep breath and held it as she wiggled to her feet and looked up to him as if she needed help. Then, she said his name as if she felt bad, like she needed his help but couldn't ask. The stallion let out his breath and peered at her quietly, blue eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't quite sort out.
Then the tears again, oh how they made his heart ache and he didn't even understand why. He'd never felt this way before, at least that he could remember, nobody had ever needed his help... Without realizing what he was doing, the big stallion nudged the filly with his nose and made cooing sounds, hoping to cheer her up. "We'll figure it out... don't fret... little one..." Andor spoke softly.
He couldn't remember the last time he'd allowed anyone or anything to get close to him and here he was coddling a filly. It certainly brought new emotions into the picture... ones he couldn't quite figure out.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:03 pm
She looked at him with questioning eyes but she realized that she wasn't going to get an answer today. She had more important things to worry about. Linnea had no idea about these 'bad' and 'good' things. She was too young to understand the world yet. Though, she understood more then she realized. She really didn't want to be a bother to him. The last thing she expected was to meet anybody while she was looking at the flowers.
"I'm s-sorry--" She looked up quickly as she felt something warm against her body. When she saw Andor, she was so surprised. He really didn't seem like the one that liked physical contact... or contact at all actually. As intimidating as he looked, Linnea began to relax and felt her legs steady as she stood up. She still felt bad that she was putting him through all of this trouble. Linnea sniffed unhappily as she looked around trying to remember where she came from.
She attempted to finish up her sentence after composing herself, "I'm sorry... for bothering you. You don't have to help me." Linnea was about to move but she hesitated since she still didn't know which way to go.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:37 pm
"Shh... you're not bothering me, little one.." Andor spoke softly, more surprised at himself than Linnea was at him. He'd never felt the urge to comfort another before and he'd certainly never wanted to help them. He wasn't really sure what was wrong with him but he figured helping her would do her no harm. That was... if this all wasn't some act to get him captured again...
Putting his head down, his long, black, hair dragged in the grass and he cooed softly to the filly once again, "Let me think for a moment..." Of course, she probably thought he meant he'd think of a way how to get her home but... he was trying to sort out his emotions. This little filly was driving him crazy, every time she got a worried look on her face or her little eyes welled up with tears he melted like an ice block in the summer. He didn't understand... he never felt like this, why couldn't he push her away before he got himself into trouble? Andor's lion-like tail flicked behind him anxiously as he looked at the ground frustrated, what was wrong with him? Golden ears twitched and he quickly looked up, scanning the area... he just knew something was going to jump out at him at any moment.
Getting her home... how was he going to get her home and quickly...? His blue eyes quickly scanned the area and he spotted a flower. Flowers! She said she'd been looking at them... Taking a deep breath, Andor decided he could sort his feelings out later, for now he had to get this filly home. Then, when his head was cleared... he could figure the rest out.
"Flowers... you said you were looking at flowers... do you remember which ones?" he questioned, thinking if they back tracked, maybe she'd remember.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:52 pm
He was still surprising him. She didn't know what she was going to do now... Hopefully he was more resourceful then she was. Linnea looked around at the clearing trying to remember what she where she was before she saw Andor. But her thoughts were all jumbled up and confusing. The little foal took deep breaths as she tried to compose herself once more. Strangely, Linnea didn't feel the need to find her parents. She would have felt better if she hadn't been crying so much but she knew that they would be worried about her.
"Oh, flowers!" It hit her. She turned her head and looked at the patch of flowers that she was looking at. "Over there." She nodded her head in that direction and began to walk towards it hoping that she could remember which way she had come from. Linnea still felt incredibly guilty about putting Andor through all of this trouble. She looked at the ground, her eyes full of guilt and remorse. The little filly hadn't learned how to not wear her heart on her sleeve. Then again, she might not ever learn how to do that.
Turning to look at Andor while she walked, Linnea asked him, "Do you have any family Andor?" She tilted her head curiously trying to make conversation so that she could forget the guilt that was clouding her thoughts.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:12 pm
Andor stared at the filly before glancing around the clearing once again, surely they would have jumped out by now...? He wasn't sure, his feelings were all jumbled and his head wasn't working properly... what was wrong with him? Looking down at the little one once again he shook his head and took a deep breath, he was going to help her home and then he'd get out of here as quickly as possible.
Hearing the little one's voice, Andor looked toward where her tiny head was pointed and blinked. Well, it was a start, if she could remember the flowers, maybe she could remember her way home. Doubtful, but they could try. Nodding slowly, the big stallion walked along side the little foal, making sure to take tiny steps so she could keep up. Flowers were so dull and pointless in Andor's opinion, he didn't see why she'd been looking at them anyways. Then again, the stallion didn't find joy in much anymore, the world was cold and dark for him with very little pleasure. Perhaps that was why this encounter was so strange and confusing, it almost felt like he had something warm and fuzzy inside him. A distant but almost familiar feeling...
Her question snapped him out of his thoughts and he replied with a quick and stern, "No." He didn't have family, he didn't want family, well if he'd had it at some point he didn't remember them. He figured they'd probably abandoned him, and if they cared for him why weren't they around now? Quickly pushing the thought out of his mind, his eyes darkened and he looked at the flower she'd pointed out. "This one?" he questioned softly, "Remember anymore..?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:21 pm
Linnea felt strange as she walked towards the familiar flowers. She looked at them and she smiled softly. She went up to a small daisy and smelled it. Her smile got even bigger as she went from flower to flower, enjoying each of their different smells. Gazing at them fondly, the foal looked up and surveyed their surroundings trying to remember which way she came from. Her brow furrowed unhappily as all of the trees seemed to look exactly the same.
Frowning slightly at his stern answer, Linnea looked down at the ground and pawed at the dirt nervously. She always felt like she was doing something wrong... A sad feeling filled her heart. She was just a burden wasn't she?
She shook her head. "Everything looks the same..." Linnea spoke very softly as she felt her apprehensiveness kick in. What if she never got home? She could wander off by herself... but she was scared. There were so many things out there that could hurt her. She grew quiet and looked at the ground once more unsure of what to say.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:01 pm
The stallion watched the small foal sniff through the flowers and wander around slowly. He was incredibly confused, what did sniffing a flower do for her? It just looked incredibly strange... He couldn't really say anything because he was sure at some point in his life he'd done something that looked incredibly stupid. So, after shaking his head and sighing, he scanned the area around the clearing, once again making sure everything was safe. Every time a bush or patch of grass moved in the wind his ears pricked forward and his body tensed. At ease? He most certainly was not.
Hearing the stomp, Andor looked down at the filly and felt something bubble in his throat. He wasn't really sure what it was but it didn't feel unpleasant in any way. Not wanting to have to worry about it, he pushed the feeling away and looked down at the little foal, confused. He wasn't a stallion that was often found socializing so he no longer knew how to read emotions, it was difficult for the big stallion to understand the small foal when he couldn't even read her small face. It seemed the only way to figure anything out was to ask so that's just what he did. "Something wrong, little one?" Andor questioned, shaking his head to get parts of his mane out of his face.
So, the flower tactic wasn't working, he was unsure now... how was he ever going to get the little one home to her parents? He didn't really want to go exploring... what if the ambush expected him to do that...? Sighing, he took a moment to think, flicking his tail as he did so. Finally, he quietly questioned, "Do you remember what your home looks like?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:15 pm
Looking around, Linnea yawned tiredly as she racked her brains on what she could possibly do. But her mind was racing even though she was physically getting tired. What if she couldn't get home? Would her parents ever find her? What if they didn't even notice she was gone? Would she just wander around forever, by herself?
Pausing, Linnea wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him if there was something wrong or not. She didn't want to bother him anymore. She didn't even want him to take her home. She just wanted him to go back to what he was doing and act like she had never approached him. Linnea sighed; all of this was too much for such a young foal to handle. She would collapse soon if she didn't stop stressing herself out.
"It's... just a teepee. Like, some skins wrapped together, held up with poles." Linnea began walking in a direction. She just had to take guesses now since she couldn't seem to remember. She hoped that he wouldn't follow her. Her energy had left her and she felt so tired. Linnea couldn't help but yawn again. She wasn't used to going for so long without taking a nap and especially not used to burning so much energy at once. She wanted an adventure but nothing like this...
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:48 pm
Yawning.. he saw her yawning... oh no, she was tired. He couldn't let her take a nap, she might end up sleeping all night and then what would happen? Taking care of her all night would be just too much, he didn't know what she ate or what to do with her... he wasn't a flutter for crying out loud and he didn't even know how to take care of a uni foal! Seeing her strained face and the yawns just kept coming was what made him finally give in. She needed to sleep and he'd do the best he could to make sure she was comfortable and well cared for while she did so.
"Linnea," he cooed softly, calling her back. He had to plan quickly because he figured she wouldn't sleep just because she was tired. So, with his old man charm, the stallion let out a huge fake yawn and looked to Linnea slowly. "I think.. I'm getting a little sleepy... do you think you could maybe... take a nap with me? I wouldn't want to be alone..." the big stallion lied. Had she known just how much he liked to be alone she would have called him a liar in an instant but... he hoped she wouldn't be able to tell he was bluffing. If all went well they'd be able to nap, well Linnea would, and they'd find her teepee, as she called it, when she was woken up and refreshed.
He still couldn't figure his own feelings out, why was he sticking around? Did he want to meet his death today? Why was the little one suddenly so important and why did he feel he had to help her in any way he could? The stallion sighed softly, he was unable to sort out his own feelings and it bothered him. What was going on...? Two hours ago he would have loathed any sort of company but now he was running around acting as if the little foal was his only concern... Strange, considering he'd only known her for very short time.
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Posted: Sat Apr 12, 2008 11:59 pm
She couldn't help it. Her small body couldn't handle much as it was. Linnea stopped and turned to look at him when he said her name. She walked back and looked up at him questioningly. "Don't you want to get me back to my teepee so that you can go off by yourself again?" She was naive but she wasn't foolish. Tilting her head, Linnea was confused again. Didn't... Andor dislike company in any shape or form? Why was he asking her to stay with him? It didn't make any sense. But she was too tired to really say anything about his lie. "But... I guess you're right." She yawned once more knowing that she wouldn't last for very much longer. The foal didn't say another word.
This was... the strangest day of her very short life. How did she meet this soquili and was there a reason for it? She now knew that she wasn't the only apprehensive soquili out there. Andor took that to the extreme. Even though she had only known Andor for a short while, she wanted to understand why he seemed so paranoid about the world. There must be a good reason for all of that. But today was not the day that would get answered. Maybe someday in the future.
Her tired eyes looked around for a good place to rest. She went back to the tree they were they had met. Immediately, her small legs collapsed underneath her and she fell to the ground. Lowering her head, Linnea looked up at Andor. It didn't take long for her to begin to feel herself slipping away. She could feel her eyelids drooping as her vision blurred. Dreamily, she spoke to him before she fell unconscious, "Thanks Andor..." Her voice trailed off and the little foal dozed off underneath the tree.
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:53 pm
He didn't think she'd catch on to him so quickly, so he hadn't judged her right, she was smarter than she looked. Deep down he admired the little foal, although he didn't really know it, he had too many other things to think about. At first he didn't know how to reply to little Linnea, instead he stared blankly, unsure of where she'd gotten the idea that he wanted to be alone. The stare didn't last long, for as soon afterwards the foal began yawning once again and agreed with Andor. This too confused the stallion, he'd never had anything agree with him before... it seemed the world was just out to get him. His blue eyes followed Linnea as she wandered back over to the tree he'd first met her at before quickly following.
He had to smile slightly, not a noticeable one, more an inward smile, as he watched the filly drop down by the tree, lids starting to close. For that single moment he forgot about being ambushed and watched the little foal. She was truly innocent and unable to hurt anyone, and unlike the rest of the world... she didn't want to hurt him. Hearing Linnea thank him caused an emotion he'd long since buried, it was warm and made him feel that he was needed at that very moment. As the foal fell asleep, the emotion quickly died off and was replaced with fear. He was alone in an open meadow with a little one and things could attack at any moment.
Once again, something inside him ached... He bowed his head and looked at the little innocent filly sleeping before he sighed. They'd only known each other for a short while and yet... he'd grown almost... attached.
Knowing this whole ordeal wasn't going to end well, Andor settled down on the ground next to Linnea, keeping a close watch while she slept. He kept telling himself he was only next to her to keep her from waking up and saying he'd never meant to sleep at all... but deep down he knew it was something else. Perhaps it was the heart warming feeling he got from looking down at her, or maybe he felt it was his job to keep her safe. The only thing he was really sure of was that she wasn't like everybody else. She was young and innocent, full of the things he thought the world had forgotten. So, for that reason he had to protect her with what little strength he had left.
He just hoped she wouldn't turn out like the rest of the world... and grow cold and dark over time...
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:44 pm
Resting peacefully, Linnea didn't wake up until the sun's warming rays hit her eyes. Blinking, the little foal momentarily wondered where she was. She couldn't tell where she was. She saw... trees and grass... Linnea blinked once more and lifted her head. Oh... Then it hit her. So everything that had happened the day before... had really happened? She wasn't in the teepee obviously and her family was nowhere to be seen. Turning slightly, Linnea noticed Andor's form. He actually stayed?
Linnea looked around, the light was beginning to get brighter and she began to stand up. She felt the need to stretch her legs so she got up and began walking around in a circle. Even though her legs weren't that long... it felt good to be standing up.
She wondered if Andor was asleep or not but she didn't want to bother him just in case he was. Pausing, Linnea turned to look at him curiously. This soquili... He was such an enigma to her. Everything he did was something that she had never experienced before in her life. Her family was so... different. They always seemed so... happy especially her mother. And those that lived in the teepee with her were very optimistic and generally happy too. Life... didn't seem so bad. She just wanted to understand why Andor was the way he was. But, she didn't have to figure out now. At an early age, Linnea had learned that patience was definitely a good thing.
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:24 pm
The stallion hadn't slept a wink, he was exhausted physically and mentally as well. This made him glad he didn't have any kids of his own, but quickly dismissed the thought, wondering where it had even come from. He kept his lids firmly closed to make the filly think he'd slept with her all night but knew that act wasn't going to work much longer. Closing his eyes only made him feel even more tired and he figured if he kept that up for long he'd quickly fall asleep. So, slowly blinking his bloodshot eyes open he looked around for Linnea and quickly rose to his feet, chains jingling as he moved.
Andor had stayed up the entire night, watching for the ambush as well as doing whatever he could to watch over the foal. He'd never been known to be protective, he'd never been known to care... and yet he'd risked everything to make sure a little one could sleep safely. One good thing did come from all of this, he'd decided there was no ambush and Linnea truly was lost. This was a big accomplishment for Andor rarely felt safe from anything, including himself. The stallion felt as if he was going soft in his old age, he'd never felt this strongly toward anything. It was strange to have the dark, cold, confusion replaced with warm, fuzzy feelings of belonging.
After looking around and spotting the little filly, Andor called to her softly, "Linnea...?" He hoped that she still wasn't afraid of him and wasn't going to break down crying. When she cried she looked so innocent... so vulnerable... he just didn't know how to deal with his own feelings when she looked so... sad... Sighing, the big stallion tried to speak softly to her, "Did you sleep well...? Did you get enough even..?" He couldn't remember the last time he'd cared about anything and this encounter kept getting stranger and stranger.
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Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:15 pm
She had a good nights rest but she always did. Being a young one, she didn't have much to plague her thoughts so she always slept with an easy conscious. As she looked up at Andor, Linnea frowned unhappily as she noticed his red eyes. He looked tired... How did he sleep at night if he was always so worried about things? Again, she was surprised that he had stayed. She thought that he was going to leave the moment she fell asleep.
Walking back to him, Linnea gazed up with curious eyes. A cheerful smile appeared on her face. "Of course Andor. Don't worry about me. I'm fine." She smiled once more and closed her eyes while looking up at the sky. She loved the feeling of the warm sun caressing her. For some a lost foal, she seemed unusually... content with the world. "So Andor, let's go find my teepee, okay?" Smiling up at Andor, Linnea seemed a little sad. She concealed it very well though. She kind of didn't want to leave Andor since she seemed to have gotten attached to him.
Standing, Linnea looked around at the surrounding forest. Now, she felt that she could wander around and look for her teepee without collapsing from exhaustion. "Let's gooo, Andor." She began to walk into the forest and she looked back at him with a huge grin on her face.
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:48 am
Something pained him and ached at him but he wouldn't let the feelings surface and truly wash over him, he hid them. Why he was feeling this way, he didn't quite understand. Just because he didn't understand his own feelings didn't mean it wasn't easy to see. It was obvious what was going on, that Andor cared for the little foal who'd done nothing to him and was eventually going to be poisoned by her parents. He couldn't keep her though, he wanted to but she would have been scared and he barely knew how to care for himself nowadays. At least now they'd both go back to where they belonged... Linnea would be safe at home and Andor would travel again, emotionless and lost...
"I'm glad," he replied, tired and exhausted from lack of sleep when he normally slept 10+ hours a day. Slowly pulling himself to his feet, chains jingled against his golden body and his hair blew in a gust of wind making him look more menacing than usual. He sighed softly and nodded his head to Linnea, flicking his tail behind him as he tried to get rid of the slight dizziness he was experiencing. It soon disappeared and his golden ears flicked as he gazed about quickly, making sure all was safe. "Lead the way, Little one..." the stallion said softly, his worn out vocals showing just how tired he really was.
He made sure to keep himself awake, falling asleep now was out of the question, he had to make sure Linnea got home safely. Helping her was strange in his mind, he didn't understand why he was doing it... When she got home she'd eventually turn out like every other living beast in the world but if she stayed... she probably wouldn't make it. Tilting his head slightly he stared at the foal, sadness he was unable to control washing over him. It was then he decided she was better off alive than dead so making it home to her... teepee... was important.
More important than anything had been in a long time...
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