|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 2:40 pm
Not a moment too soon... as the two mares skidded into the safety of the cave, the skies decided they could no longer hold the rain and opened up, grey sheets of water sweeping across the forest.
Embri took a welcome deep breath of the scents of home - drying herbs, freshly pulled grass and the limey tang of stone. "Be easy, we're safe enough here until the storm blows itself out. They tend to disappear just as fast as they come." The alicorn left the dusky mare to her own devices, knowing she could come to no harm in the lower portion of Embri's cave home. A thick mat of grass carpeted the dirt floor, hock deep. "Many a foal has made their way into the world here, when the weather was poor or the dam was known for having a hard time birthing. Give me a moment and I'll see about making things a bit more cheery."
Eyes adapted to the gloom at last, Embri moved towards the back of the cave and up a set of deeply set shelves or terraces, hooves clicking on the stone. At the very back was a shallow pit. With a clatter she nudged twigs, bits of bark and small branches from the ample pile nearby into the depression. Shavings of wood followed on top, before the mare set her sharp horn to her second most precious possession with practiced strokes. Bright embers flew from the spark-stone, catching in the shavings and filling the cave with a warm ruddy glow that matched its owner quite nicely.
"Welcome to Sanctuary, Liliah."
The fire slowly grew in size, revealing what the darkness had hidden before. A veritable treasure trove of strange bits and pieces filled every nook, cranny, and niche-pocked wall. Plants, yes, but also dried roots, stems, bark, stacks of rough-hewn bowls, fading flower petals, even moss chinked the seams in the rock walls. A tiny trickle of clear water ran down one particularly crazed corner, pooling below. Embri sat back on her haunches, studying the younger mare for her reaction to such a very unusual domicile.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:18 pm
Between the natural darkness of the cave and that caused by the storm, Liliah wasn't able to make out much of the shelter she found herself in. She shifted her weight from hoof to hoof as she tried to get her bearings. She didn't want to cause any trouble, and being a plains dweller, she'd never been inside a cave before and was slightly apprehensive about it. The feel of stone surrounding one completely, and the unfamiliar limey tang of stone, these were strange to her and so she took the time to take a few deep breaths to center herself. This was a safe place, Embri didn't seem like one who would lie about that, and though their aquaintence was very young and slight, Liliah felt like she could trust the other mare.
As she took a few breaths, she also caught the scent of grass and herbs and felt a pang of sadness at the familarity- her home on the plains carried much the same scent- but also a sense of comfort. Yes this was unfamilar, as much of her new life was, but there was also some comfort. This was a place of peace, and according to Embri, a place of life. She was safe here. Liliah let go of the stress she'd been carrying ever since she came to these lands and decided to just be.
All of a sudden a bright warm glow filled the cave and Lilah was able to get a good look at her surroundings. She gasped with wonder and childish delight as she looked around. This place was not a typical shelter as she was used to, and with all the healing paraphenalia, it might seem a little strange, but it also felt lived in. Like a home, something she never allowed herself to have, for as a herd of healer's they were often on the move called to wherever they were needed. Sanctuary, indeed.
Turning aqua eyes to the other mare, Liliah tried to express what she felt but all she was able to get out were a few choked words. "It's so... how did... where..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 9:20 pm
"This place..." How to sum up the here and now, when history lay as deep as the ocean depths, almost unfathomable. "This place is far older than I am, it is to me as the turtle is to the damselfly, who only lives a single season. I most certainly did not make it, though I have added a few small improvements, much as I expect those who came before me did." Satisfied that the fire was well and truly caught, Embri stood and carefully picked her way down the smooth limestone steps. Each one was scalloped, worn by countless hooves over the years.
"I know not what it was called before, or even who made it first, but it was undoubtably created for our kind." Indeed, the limestone shelves at the back were the perfect height for a standing equine, the wall pocked cavities rose no higher than one could stand on their hind legs. The steps that rose to the fire platform were deeper rather than wide, befitting a four legged creature.
"As for the how, that depends on which one you ask. How was it made?" The older mare shook her head slightly, joining Liliah on the cave floor. "That I do not know... the rock here is hard, and yet - in some places it almost seems like someone shaped the very stone like mud." Embri shook her head, that was patently impossible. "Probably many healers over many generations." She quirked an eyebrow. "And how, you ask, do I know this is a healer's place? It's written in the stones."
The crackling fire danced merrily in juxtaposition to the beating rain outside, throwing its warm rays across the pale limestone walls. Faint in most places, easily mistaken for natural variation in the rock at first glance were pictures. Thousands of pictures, symbols, and markings, some scratched into the rock, others painted in ochre or coal filled the walls from chest height to just above eye level.
"I can't read all of them," Embri admitted, with a sad sigh. "Only a small fraction, the pictorials of the plants are easy enough to decipher. I hope you don't mind, I'm going to be most unlady-like and sprawl out." The alicorn flopped down into the thick grass with a contented rumble. "Afraid I'm not nearly as young as I used to be. Sleeping upright is for those with more youthful joints than me!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 10:48 am
Hearing the history behind the place was fascinating, and Liliah felt almost bad for feeling even slightly uncomfortable in this place- used to the wide open spaces of the plains and scant shelter of the few stunted trees that grew there as she was. She looked around her once more, using the steadier light of the fire to get a real good look around. She noticed and paid closer attention to the features the mare pointed out.
The outcroppings and such were of only mild interest, as she had no idea what good they could be, but the pictures on the wall drew her like a moth to the flame. Absorbed in the murals and trying to decipher some sort of meaning, she flicked an ear towards Embri to show she was still listening. "This place is your home, so you needn't worry about the rules of decorum if you don't want to. And truly, I don't mind."
How could one make any sense of these squiggles and lines and dots. They just made no sense. But she truly believed the other mare when she said she could read them. This was a wonder to the young mare, and her respect for Embri went up another notch.
"These things actually have meaning? But how can you tell?" She was curious, but just then a tremendous yawn cracked her jaws and she became aware of just how tired she was. She looked around for a place she could be comfortable, somewhere near the fire and far away from the rain, and she gently folded her legs beneath her. "I'm tired. If you don't mind, I think I'll take a nap here."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2010 12:56 am
"Alas my herd-manners are rusty. I'm generally the stranger, not the host, and more often than not good graces give way to the urgency of the situation." It felt good to lay down, cradled in the thick mat of dry grass scented with lavender and mint. Occasionally mares heavy in foal came here when they had nowhere else to go, thus it was always kept at the ready. In the meantime, there was no good reason why they couldn't avail themselves of the comfort, rather than the cold limestone.
She chuckled softly as Liliah was drawn to the walls, like a moth to the flame. "I was much the same when I first saw them, spent every hour of daylight I could puzzling over all those marks until my eyes went crosswise. As for how I know they have meaning, well, that's something to be explained in the light of dawn, not by flickering firelight."
The rumbling thunder was fading, though the rain still fell with gloomy monotony, washing out the colours beyond the cave mouth. "I don't think this storm is likely to clear before dawn, so sleep makes good sense. Good night, Liliah, may your dreams be restful."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 10:10 am
((I hope you don't mind, but this'll be a bit of a timeskip))
Liliah floated gradually to conciousness, taking in the feel of the thick dried grasses beneath her body and the scent of herbs she'd come to consider as almost homelike. Rolling carefully to get her legs beneath her, she stood and prepared to begin her day. She had been learning a lot from Embri, and was almost appalled to look back and see just how naive she was at their first meeting.
She liked to believe that she'd grown since then and was slightly better prepared to stand on her own four hooves. As was her custom since the first morning she woke up in Sanctuary, she wandered over to the walls to look over the pictographs and see if she could recognise any of them yet. No luck. She was really starting to get discouraged. She learned fairly quickly and fairly well when dealing with the other subjects, so why was this one giving her such a difficult time?
Instead of letting herself become even more frustrated, Liliah decided to look and see if Embri was up yet. She wasn't. Taking a look at the stores of broken twigs and such, she realised they were running low, and one never knew when a fire would be needed.
She felt confident enough to leave the safety of the cave for a short time on her own to gather said twigs. And she would be staying quite close so there was little chance of her getting into trouble, and she could finally feel as if she'd done something for Embri.
That decided, she walked to the mouth of the cave before looking back for just a moment. And though she didn't think the sleeping mare would hear her, she decided to let the other mare know what she was doing anyway.
"I'm gonna go collect some twigs and such, I'll be back soon." Conscience eased, she turned around and went about her self-appointed task.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 12:26 am
Embri opened one eye half way, the barest tip of her head acknowledging Liliah's words. Her mind was elsewhere, though it was not something she'd likely tell the younger mare about. Out yet in, the alicorn was exercising her peculiar wild talent. Reaching out along the edges of the forest with invisible tendrils of thought, she felt the living web around her home, tasted it, measured and weighed the balance of forces that flowed like water all around her. All's quiet ... though restless., the mare finally decided, opening her eyes with a great shake of her pinion feathers.
Morning light streamed into the wide cave mouth, banishing the shadows of the night. The forest was newly washed, fresh dew clinging to the leaves and a silken spider web. The world is lucky, to be born anew each day. Rising at last, Embri trotted out of her home and into the sunshine, letting it warm her wings gratefully. She hesitated, debating the wisdom of following the dusky mare or leaving her to her own devices. She's well learned enough to be safe from the dangers of the forest, but a good sized branch or tree limb might be hard to drag back on her own. No shame in having help, she's had a good long head start. Pausing to grab a few mouthfuls of moist ferns, she set off after Liliah, following the delicate trail of hoofprints in the spongy ground.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 10:17 pm
Outside the mouth of the cave, Liliah shook her head once. It was a glorious morning, she thought, admiring the the way the sunlight glinted of the delicate drops of dew suspended on plants and strands of spider webs that would have been unseen, but for the jewel-like glint.
This was to be her first outing by herself since she'd come to Sanctuary, and though in her head she knew she was more than prepared to be out on her own for such a short and simple task. She could do this, and she could be useful.
She picked her way gently along a path from the cave that was barely visible, known to her only because Embri had shown it to her, trying to mark her surroundings to be sure she would remember the way back, even though she didn't plan to go very far.
Entering a small glade, she noticed a likely source of firewood.
It seemed that in the last storm, an old gnarled tree had fallen to the ground. She trotted over to it, and carefully circled it once, twice and a third time just for good measure. There were plenty of smaller branches and such that were knocked off before the tree fell. Those would probably be the easiest to gather, but the rest... it would last for a good long time, but the problem was how would she be able to drag it back to the cave all by herself.
She stood for a moment eyeing the tree and trying to come up with a solution, lost inside her head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 1:44 pm
Sure enough, Liliah had found not just some branches, but an entire tree. Embri chuckled to herself, ah, the impulsiveness of youth. She nickered a greeting and the alicorn moved into the new clearing.
"Too much of a good thing isn't much good at all. I think, perhaps, we might be able to make something more manageable." It was an old tree, rotted through the base and long dead. It had been only a matter of time before the elements tore it from the ground. Green wood was far too tough to break, but an old, dry tree, that was a different matter entirely.
Embri tilted her head towards the dusky coated mare, letting her work through the problem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 2:57 pm
Liliah whickered an absent-minded greeting, still trying to divine a solution to the problem presented to her. They really didn't need all that wood, and it would be a waste to try and collect it all. Eyes scanned the scene again and with a decisive nod of her head, the young mare made up her mind.
"First to collect the already broken twigs and branches," she murmured as she stepped forward, suiting actions to words. She gathered a small bunch, nosing them into a pile so she could easier pick them up.
Satisfied that she had an appropriately sized bundle- neither too large or too small- she turned to the older mare."With all the smaller pieces, how much of the tree do you think is needed?"
There were several points that were already extremely weakened and wouldn't even require that hard a kick in order to break down. But that all depended on their needs. "I think it wouldn't be that difficult to break this up into useful sized pieces. I could do that after bringing some of these smaller branches back?"
She phrased it as a question seeking both answers and approval. Trying to show that yes, she had learned a little something at least, and the she wasn't completely hopeless.
She gathered up her bundle and prepared to return to the cave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:47 pm
"One, maybe two of the bigger branches. I think that'd do just fine." Embri smiled, eyes twinkling. I will regret the day you leave not-so-little-one, but it's the nature of fledgelings to fly the nest, ready or not, and test their wings. That day may be sooner than I thought.
"Sticks are good for starting the fire, but a large branch is better for those long cold nights." Living in a cave had both advantages and disadvantages - while it was excellent shelter it tended to be cold, especially after a few overcast days prevented the sun from warming the rocks.
"I think it might time we went on a day trip, Liliah, if you're feeling up to it. I'm running short on yarrow, and it doesn't grow nearby - too much rain and groundwater. It'd be a long run." Leaving it at that, the alicorn gathered up a mouthful of sticks and branches and trotted back towards the cave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2010 8:15 pm
Liliah brightened at that.
She'd not yet done a whole lot of gathering of herbs and such, there was generally a good supply at the cave, and she did not yet know the proper way to identify and collect these precious supplies. This showed both that she was learning much (and well) and that the older mare was beginning to trust her.
That was a bittersweet feeling. It meant that she was becoming ready to take on the world, but she truly didn't quite want to leave the peace she'd found here. She wasn't ready to be on her own just yet. Perhaps she should try to delay the inevitable... she shook her mane to deny those thoughts. She would not risk losing the other mare's respect by trying to sabotage herself. Besides, she found she enjoyed learning and doing well, often being harder on herself even than Embri.
"That sounds fun." She said around the bundle of kindling in her mouth. She picked up her pace, wanting to get to the cave to relieve herself of the bundle and go on this journey.
She forced all heavy thoughts to the back of her mind. One day at a time.But first, she would have to do well today. Once they reached the cave, Liliah dropped her bundle just inside the mouth, and hurried out into the sunshine. If it was a long journey, it would be better that the attend to the twigs when they got back.
She waited, her muscles quivering with excitement, for Embri to show her the way.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2010 7:26 pm
The burden of wood was dropped inside the cave with a small snort and flexing her jaw muscles, the coolness of stone in sharp contrast to the morning heat. Though the sun was newly risen, already it beat down upon the forest with its bright glow.
"Heyla, slow down there a moment." The alicorn chuckled good-naturedly at Liliah's enthusiasm. "We'll be needing a few things before heading out." The strap of the battered satchel that was never far from Embri's posession went over her head, one wing absently shifting it back into a comfortable position. Where did I leave those gathering bags...
Bits and pieces of esoteric junk and other unidentifiable odds and ends went flying in all directions as inroads were made on one of the corners reserved for storage. Loathe to ever throw away a potentially useful object, Embri had acquired innumerable things over the years though she tried hard to keep the piles under control and confined. "Aha! There you are." Triumphantly the mare dragged a floppy roll of leather from under a stack of wooden bowls, seashells, pouches, carved bits of wood and a box of fabric scraps. Predictably the pile wobbled and cascaded around her hooves; with an exasperated sigh the mare shoved the mishmash back into some semblance of order and trotted over to her pupil, prize in teeth.
The bundle unfurled as it was dropped on the ground - two roughly round pieces of leather hide with cord woven through holes at the outer edges. "Gather bags," Embri explained, demonstrating how to tighten the flat hide into a crude bag by pulling on the knotted rope. She slung the first over her neck beside her medicine bag and offered Liliah the second.
"Ready for a run?" Head turned northwards, she glanced at the sky. Not a cloud in sight, it would be a fine day for an extended leave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat May 01, 2010 4:57 pm
Liliah watched curiously as the older mare dug through the piles of stuff -junk, to her mind- in the cave searching for only she knew what. There was obviously something important that was essential for this trip that she was trying to find, but Liliah was anxious. She wanted to go. The chance to stretch her legs and enjoy the day was too rare a treat to be passed up. She was able to hold the sigh in check at this delay, but she was unable to stop from shifting her weight from leg to leg. The longer the search took, the more Liliah feared that Embri would change her mind.
One brow raised questioningly when she saw the roll of leather that Embri dragged forth triumphantly from the mess. Before she could even form the question as to what in the world the objects were for, Embri had answered it. Liliah watched skeptically as she was shown how they were used, and the skepticism turned to wonder. They were really quite nifty. Now, they wouldn't have to worry about mistakenly crushing the herbs, or worry about how much they could safely carry.
Liliah gathered the bag that was offered and attempted to sling it over her neck the same way Embri had done, but not having the same grace as the other mare, or the practice, she only managed to get the strap tangled in her mane. Fussing with it for a moment, she managed to get it to settle into place, but it left her mane a mess, and she wasn't about to try to fix her appearance and potentially miss the trip.
"Finally," she murmured under her breath, taking care that her mentor not hear her disrespect. Louder she answered the question." Ready whenever you are."
And as the other mare took off, Liliah tried to match her pace.
It was truly a lovely day for a run.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri May 07, 2010 1:02 pm
Eyes half closed in pleasure, and more practically against the strands of wiry mane whipping about, the alicorn tucked her wings against her side and stretched out her neck relishing the run. The sound of hooves pounding the dirt made for a soothing tempo that was easy to fall into. Bands of light and dark alternated across their hides as the two mares ran between patches of shade and sunlight where the warm rays broke through the canopy. It was a beautiful day for a run indeed; nary a cloud in the sky, stretching up into seeming infinity.
It brought back a relatively recent memory, one of their first short forays out of the cave. The groundling mare had been surprised that her newly found mentor was going to walk rather than fly.
Most of the equines I treat cannot fly, even some of the winged ones - too belly heavy late in their terms, and while flying may be faster, you can't see much from the air as you can on the ground.
Even as they coursed along the familiar forest trails the healer easily picked out bittercap mushrooms nestled in the crook of a treestump, white willow by the shallow river - the forest was her partner, you had only to know how and what to reach for.
Nostrils flared, sucking in the thinning air to power heart and lungs. The trees were becoming more scarce and spread out as they climbed out of the valley floor, gentle hills becoming more and more steep. The sun had crossed most of the eastern sky and was approaching its zenith as their destination came into view. Tucked between two small peaks was a narrow finger of meadow, clear of everything bigger than a bush. A dusting of yellow flowers gave the impression of a pollen sprinkled leaf from this distance.
Embri slowed her pace but didn't stop, waiting for the cool mountain breeze to dry the sweat from her coat. Feeling a little weak in the knees, you're not as young as you used to be, try to keep that in mind. "How're you holding up?" The older mare turned to ask Liliah, taking deep breaths. "Air's a little thinner up here, takes longer to catch your breath. That's what we came for." She gestured towards the golden smudge across the pocket valley.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
