[PRP] The missing. (see inside)

[lysia_nyteblade]

He'd settled some.. Was beginning to feel at ease and like he no longer had to look over his shoulder for his hunters. He walked a little ways south of the cave his father and him now shared.. the bachelor's cave as his father seemed to find amusing. Shaking his head, He continued to walk till he met the stream. It still had a light layer of ice over it. Breaking it with a hoof, he began to sip the cool clear water down, willing himself to wake up a little further.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

The snow as heavy, and her breath came out in little huffs of clouds. Her clawed feet barely left a print on the snow with her light walking. They had left the Flock, found their own way. Her mother had made the decision with a heavy heart. She had argued with her, tried to change her mother's mind to no avail. Her mother was leaving and her mate. She wanted Yvaine to come too.

She wanted her to forsake her vows. She was born to serve the Flock, to guard them against danger, and to give her life for them. Her mother wanted her to leave that. She understood in part. Her uncle had been of a similar age, her friend.

Her mother had mourned his absence and so had she. It was that decision that they would find him that had helped her make the decision. She had left with her mother, forsook her vows because she could not lose them both. But at the last, it had not come down to outright leaving the Flock but rather working outside of the Flock while still staying allegiant to them. It still seemed strange.

She knew there was more to her mother's reasoning, but her mother had not spoke of that.

But her she was, leaving her mother behind for a few days to scout, to try to find news of her uncle Tharsirion.  

[lysia_nyteblade]

Nyx Queen of Darkness

For once, he'd stopped looking over his shoulder to see if anyone had been sent to hunt them down. By now it was seeming highly unlikely that they'd send anyone after them. Even his mother had likely disowned him by now along with his sister and two brothers. It was something he'd have to accept. His only family as he now knew it left was his father.. and that blue... peacock was feeling the oats of his freedom all too clearly with the way he was wandering off to see what mare he could dig up and schmooze.

Tharsirion gave a sigh and a roll of his eyes at this thought. It wasn't that he didn't like mares or want to tell them how pretty they were if they were... It was just that he didn't see the point in throwing himself at every single mare that walked by; not that he'd had any real troubles with mares scouting him out back home. Only one had seemed to take interest.. and even that seemed a bit.. short lived with since he'd been 'stolen' away in the night.

Fugitive... He snorted at his own stupidity. Well at least if they weren't being hunted, he wasn't going to have to worry about if his mother or sister would be the ones sent to do the dirty work. Shaking the thought from his mind further, he looked up from the stream.

His stomach gave that slight empty rumble to remind him that he hadn't been eating well these past few days. The difference in providing for yourself rather than having huntresses bring you food was widely different and his omnivorous diet could only sustain him. If he was going to survive out here, he'd have to learn to hunt. Hopping over the stream, he hissed as his hind clawed foot slipped and landed in the icy water before pushing himself on. He'd dry off after all. What he needed now was to start on small game.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

For the past few days she'd used all of her tracking, she had even a few times interacted with others--though stiffly. She was not used to making friends outside of the Flock, it was wrong of her but she felt almost a bit superior. It would be something she had to work on, because she was not better than them. She was a oathbreaker, a vow forsaker. She was less than them in some ways. But was it right to make those vows against family?

It felt that way even though they could go back, even though they were officially still aligned with the Flock. They would never live there again, not for long peroids. It would not be home.

She couldn't debate it, she'd just make herself sick with it and worry. Yvaine followed along the riverbed looking for any signs of the blue stallions that were said to have been in the area. This was her only lead along with a few days old claw mark her or there.

She had to find something.  

[lysia_nyteblade]

Nyx Queen of Darkness

A rustle ahead of him caught his attention. Stalling, he crept closer, looking, waiting for what the bush would deliver. As her drew nearer, a rabbit darted out and started running. Setting off with a rather loud clatter of a chase, he tried to catch up with the frantic hare. Just as he's thought he'd catch up, the hare had lead him to a familiar sight. One he hadn't thought he'd see ever again. It was is niece, daughter to his half sister. Sliding to stop, he started to slip and stumble while he turned around and tried to make his get away. So... they'd sent his niece to hunt him.. then he had been lulled into a false security after all.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

But it was not for her Uncle that she had ultimately left, though she loved him like a brother--though she missed him dearly. It was for her sister that she grieved. Long months had passed since her sister's journey, and she had waited and waited for her to come home.

Being gone so long was not like her. Not at all. Her heart had been heavy for months as she thought of her and wondered what had happening or was still happening? Her sister could be ash and bones. Eirene's body could be buried anywhere or she could be alive hoping she would rescue her.

She had spoke with her mother about raising a search group, but her mother had been wary. What if her sister had found someone outside the Flock to love? What would the Sisters then say of her vows? What punishment would befall her?

When her mother had decided to leave, she had only to say her fear that Eirene was out there still somewhere alive and that she feared something had happened to keep her from home.

Yvaine had warred what to do. If she went and found her sister, if she saved her--her sister might still return to the Flock and she would have to choose to live there without her mother or stay out as an emissary. If she left the Flock for good, Yvaine could never go back. Never

But if her sister was out there, she might have left on purpose. She might flee from her thinking she would drag her back...or she might be dead. Then Yvaine would be lost. She would not know what to do or how to go on..

But leaving, she could at least find her Uncle. And she would find her sister, whatever happened to her. If there needed to be vengeance she would give it. Even if she had to lose her sister again, and take her home to the Flock to never see her again she would if it meant she was alive.

She loved her so much.

Yvaine came out of her reverie and listened intently. The sounds of footsteps grew closer. She heard what sounded like a voice, a familiar one. Could it be him? Could it be her Uncle Tharision?

He almost bounded into her. For a moment, she thought his look was joy--that he was happy to see her. But it was terror. His whole face was a mask of it, of pain and terror.

He was running from her. Her heart hurt at that, but then she thought of it how it must look...how he must fear the Flock was come to get him. She bounded after him, running as fast as she could. "Tharision! Wait! I've left the Flock! We've come to find you, mother and I!"

lysia_nyteblade

 

[lysia_nyteblade]

Nyx Queen of Darkness

His eyes widened at the words he heard from his niece. Still he ran, willing himself to go faster. This was a trap.. it had to be right? A clever plan to lure him in before the death blows would commence.. But then... her mother was here? His half sister? Large yellow orbs scanned the area frantically. If she was here.. she could be anywhere.. a clever trap indeed. How heartless the flock was. Sending his own flesh and blood after him. Or maybe.. they were doing this to show their own loyalties?

Too late, his thoughts had been distracted for far too long and he missed a branch that stuck out at the wrong level. He collided with the branch, catching it with his throat and the sheer force of his own escape now halted knocked him on his rump, dazed and utterly confused. "Please! just let me go and tell them you've done me in.. Have mercy for we are flesh and blood." His yellow eyes closed, waiting for the blow to come. He was winded, out of breath. The jarring limb had knocked the wind and the fight from him in one fell swoop. "Better by your claws than that she demon's stomach and hunger.."  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

lysia_nyteblade

Yvaine rushed after him. His fear made him quick, he believed he was running for his life. So he ran wild and she ran after him, yelling for him to stop, to listen to her--to believe her. But it was only the branch that hit him in the throat that stopped him.

He crumpled to the ground as she panted standing over him. Still he begged for his life, and she felt her heart ache. "Do you think so little of me then Uncle Tharsion? You are my flesh and blood, the same blood runs in my veins as yours."

She closed her eyes a moment trying to think how this must seem to him. He'd think it was a trap, to be dragged back and dealt with. How could she blame him for thinking that? At the same time, it hurt badly. All she felt now as pain and a great, heavy tiredness.

"Tharision, mother and I have left the Flock. We may go back if we want, but we will never live there again. Officially, we're of the Flock and being scouts--but we came to find you. We came to make sure that you were okay, to help you and to keep you safe. You are our blood and we will not turn our back on you. We will not take you back there. But we want you to join us. No one will hurt you, I promise."

She looked around to see if Finian was there. He had been a father figure to her mother, who's own father had escaped the Flock while her mother was pregnant. "Where is Finian? And have you seen Eeirenne? She is missing too and we have come to find you all to be a family again. I know you don't believe me, but I speak the truth."

How could she prove it to him though? How could she explain to him that she was a part of the Flock but not? An outlier, a guard against dangers without but not someone who would take him back? She tried to figure out what to say to him to make him believe her.

"Go," her voice was hoarse and said. "Go if that's what you want, go and be free from us. I will not take you back and you will not believe me, so go. Be free and live your life how you want. When you--if you come to believe me, you can find us at a cave a few days from here. I hope you come to believe me, I hope you can see I speak the truth. I miss you Uncle and mother misses you too. So if that's what it takes, go--so that one day, maybe we can be a family again."  

[lysia_nyteblade]

Nyx Queen of Darkness

He lay there wheezing as he tried to catch his bearings. Still he could hear her own pleas. The tone of her voice.. the ... Pain? Opening his eyes, he stared at her long and hard in disbelief. "Then.. they didn't send you to kill us?" He was confused.. trying to piece it all together.  

[Nyx Queen of Darkness]

Yvaine Vaire looked down into her uncle's golden eyes. He had been closer an age to her, more like a brother than uncle. Her heart hurt at the frightened look on his face. Did he really think that she could kill him?

"No, they didn't. Even if they had. I would not. Tharision. Don't you know that we love you? We never saw you as something to hate for leaving. I understand why. It was my home, I loved it there. But it wasn't your home. You and my sister, it's why I left. Because it wasn't home for you. You are my blood, my friend, my confidant. If you are not there than I could not stay."

The hot blurr of tears in her eyes, made her pause. "I don't know how things are supposed to be out here. I know they are different. But it is love that brought my mother and I out here to find you. We will not let anyone hurt you or take you back. We are your family."

"Your family," the tears fell without her permission. They did not feel like weakness though. These were tears of love, of hope and understanding. "Say-say-say." She took a deep steadying breath. "Say you believe me. Come with us and make a home with us."

That was all there really was to say, the rest was waiting to see what he thought and felt. She knew how deeply he had grown to mistrust the Flock and be afraid. She could understand that to an extent, but she had never thoguht that he would think that of her. Not her.

But was she not one of them? Why would he expected different of her when he had never seen different? Maybe it was her that had been the foolish one. That was how he had been raised.

Would she want her one days sons raised like that? No, her mother was right to ask her to leave with her. But changing wouldnt' happen overnight. It would take much longer than that.

"I'm going to change Tharsion, I promise. You can trust me. I will fight for you, I would die for you."

Family. And out there, somewhere, was her sister. She might be injured or captured, or merely like Tharsion thinking that this life was not for her. Had she fled thinking that their mother or that she would hate her? Before now, before seeing the fear on Tharsion's eyes...would she have?

Her mother's plans of working for the Flock but nto living there made more sense each and every moment. Why not hve the best of both worlds? See the family that remained in the flock and those that had fled or left it.

lysia_nyteblade

Sorry it took so long

 

[lysia_nyteblade]

He stood there staring at his niece in disbelief. It was almost too good to be true that they'd have left the flock not long after he had been smuggled out by his father to save him from one mare who'd gone crazy. "I don't.." He allowed his voice to trail off for a moment before finally taking a deep breath and easing out of the rush of panic and nerves. "I didn't know you all had left too.. Did mother?" He thought he knew she hadn't, but then.. had things not unfolded the way they had he'd still be among the flock as well.

As her questioned rolled over the air, he listened his world still twisting and turning about him as surely as he'd expected the grass to be rolled out from under him. Slowly, he clambered to his hooves and looked more on a level with Yvaine. "Blood calls to blood." He nodded and it made him feel a little less like he had broken some great taboo and more like he was truly seeing for the first time a chance to rekindle kinship he'd been almost suppressed from in a way. Brought up together yet apart due to how their society viewed his status. It was what they'd always known and worked for many a year so why change it now?

Seeing his niece who was almost more like a sibling than his own sister was in age crying softened him and the same soft foal like smile he'd shared often with her returned. "Shhhh it's ok.. If you said you did not then I believe you." He spoke his tone soothing a deep with the baritone velvet like quality it seemed to have.

"These lands outside of the ones we know are hostile.. dangerous things creep and lurk waiting for things..." He gave an involuntary shiver as if he were cold. In a way he was, but not in the way a warm huddle could help. "She wanted to eat me Yvaine..." It was almost as if he was trying to some how explain why they'd abandoned all he'd known till not too long ago.

It made sense to him to just call the mare 'she' rather than by name. after all who else had gone so deranged as to offer such a horrible threat? "Father wandered off.." He frowned as he spoke. " We set up a home just North of here." Again he paused long and hard. His face seemed to almost strain under the weight of his thoughts." Can you... teach me to be stronger?"

His gaze held a weight that was less than childish if a grown stallion could ever truly be childish. There was much his father had risked to keep him from harm and he couldn't so much as fight for his own life as keep anyone else safe if he had to. Hell, he could barely hunt small game for himself.


WC: 492

Nyx Queen of Darkness

no worries i'm just as bad >.<