[PRP] Song By The Sea (Lotan The Revenant & Ars Antiqua)

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

&

Latonia Teepee & Darken Teepee

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

The crash of waves were a nearby roar, thunder and whisper rolled into a single element. Lotan delighted in each crash and sigh, danced in the glittering waves and kicked at the clouds of foam with cloven hooves. This was a strange kind of homecoming for him, a place he hailed from without ever having been. His family told him he was special, strange in a way that all of his siblings were and yet unique to himself. This place was joy to him, where the sea roared up on the land. He loved the ocean, felt free as he danced beside the mighty blue and fought to retain every detail.

Strands of seaweed and kelp washed up on the delicate grains, fragments of shell and deep sea stone; he marveled at every one. The more interesting bits were scooped up and set aside, gathered in a tiny pile where he could peruse them later. Delighting in his growing collection, Lotan sprinted over sand and through wave like a sandpiper, humming and crooning to himself at each new discovery.

Some time later the colt collapsed into the warm embrace of the sand, paying no mind to how delicate white and gold grains clung to his sea-slicked coat. His tentacle tail flicked lazily, smoothing a swath of sand in a half-circle with easy passes. Exhausted from his frolicking, the colt let his red eyes drift closed, shaded by the lazy twists of the tentacles that formed his mane. The scent of the sea and the heat of the sun surrounded him, dancing over his senses. Lotan gave a low giggle of joy, rolling against the white grains of sand and kicking his hooves high over his head.

This was the life.
***
Fresh from a visit with the sea, his coat still glittering with drops of salt water, the blue Cerynei colt frisked through a newfound meadow. His seaborne trinkets were tucked in a small carry pouch he wore about his neck, jingling softly as he trotted along. Soon enough he’d be back home where he could tuck them away, settling them in nooks on a fallen tree to admire before going to sleep each night. Still, as he was in no rush to return home just yet Lotan let his hooves lead him where they might, bounding through the forest after a trailing butterfly or chasing a swirl of leaves on the spring wind.

It was some time later that he drew to a halt near a spring, drinking deeply to quench his thirst. When the colt lifted his head, he realized he didn’t recognize any of his surroundings… And the woods looked dark and ominous in nearly every direction.

“Um… Oops?” He muttered, red eyes glancing about. “I… Oh dear…”

It appeared he’d gone and gotten himself lost.

 

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Ars had been wandering for a while now. Wandering alone, away from her family. After her final confrontation, though she had a nagging feeling that it wasn't as final as she hoped it would be, with her father, she'd been wandering through woods that called to her. No destination in mind, no purpose to her actions. Without that, though, she found herself drawn into darker and darker places, seeking... Something. She wasn't sure yet. Maybe it was the song in her blood, or just that the places she felt most comfortable.

But, whatever the reason, she found herself in dark places where she was most likely to encounter... bad things. The thought made her smile a bit, flexing her wings, wanting a good fight. She hadn't had one since her last training session with her father, and sometimes she just ached for a good spar, even. Maybe that was why she kept slipping into places were she might encounter.... a foal?

The bright blue foal made her stop in her tracks, a bit confused at why someone so young and bright would wander into these particular woods. They were dark, rife with the feeling of threats and evil. The colt looked like he was lost on his way home from the sea, if the salt in his coat was any indication. And...

She blinked and moved closer, trying to get a better look at him. No, her eyes hadn't decieved her. The colt had what looked to be tentacles for mane and tail. How interesting. It was something that she'd never seen before, something she imagined was not very common elsewhere in the world either. It ticked something in the back of her mind, trying to figure out of someone like him would even be welcome in most places. Ars could see him being tormented for his looks, and it made her... angry. Yes, that was the word. Even if the colt was not being mistreated, the idea of it made her relate. Her father had treated her differently from the get go, because she was strong and had the traits desired in a soldier. He didn't mistreat her in anyway, but he singled her out because of how she looked. And she had hated it. Hated not feeling like she belonged in her own family because her father treated her different than her siblings.

So, the strange little foal caught her attention, and she wondered.

It only took a second for her to make the decision to introduce herself and step out of the shadows, wings folded tightly to her back, walking softly to avoid startling him, but not silently so she wouldn't scare him.

"Child, are you lost?" Ars said softly, tilting her head to the side, her golden eyes shining.  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Unfamiliar with his surroundings, Lotan idly snatched up a mouth of sweet grass and began to chew contemplatively. It wasn’t to the point that he felt like panicking yet, but he was somewhat bewildered. After all, he was pretty sure he'd passed through woods like this on his way to the ocean, but he hadn't been paying the keenest attention this morning. Had there been a glade there? And the trees seemed awfully dark, a little on the foreboding side. Looking at them made a shiver creep up his spine, and if he had passed them this morning it had been at a run, when he was too distracted to notice. He had been too excited about going to the sea, about swimming in the bitter water and rolling in the white sand.

Even now, hours later, there was a strand of kelp caught around one foot like a bracelet. Another testament to his adventure: sections of his coat were beginning to dry into salt-stiff spikes. Whorls of saltwater and white grains of sand tattooed his shoulders, mottling the darker blues of his spots and the striping on his haunches. The green grass felt too soft under his hooves, already used to the tall, crisp salt grasses from his time on the dunes. While they weren’t the best snack, he missed how they swayed like golden waves as he approached the crashing blue of the water.

But this trip to the ocean was over, for the moment. Now he was standing in the middle of a glade wondering exactly how to find his path back home. Snatching up another mouthful of grass, the colt glanced around again, his red eyes narrowing as the tentacles that formed his mane began twisting and twining restlessly. The sound of brush whispering under arriving hooves made him spin about, legs splayed wide and tentacles standing up in alarm.

A Kalona mare was stepping out of the woods, sunlight glinting on her sky colored horns. Even at this distance he could see her fangs, see the calculation in her golden eyes. Her wings were large and menacing and her spaded tail made him think she was a pure blood, or close enough to pass for one. She seemed dangerous from nose to tail, and for whatever reason she was talking to him.

Because he didn't want to be rude, Lotan quickly swallowed his mouthful of grass and nodded cautiously. Deciding using his manners wouldn’t be a bad idea, he cleared his throat and spoke in a clear, polite tone. "Umm, yes ma'am... It seems like I am. I was at the beach, and now I'm trying to head home."

He grinned shyly, a tentacle scratching behind one of his ears as he looked at her. “I don’t suppose you know how to get out of the forest without being eaten by a Skinwalker?”

Word Count: 478  

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Ars wondered at the foal in front of her. It was obvious he recognized her breed, if not her as an individual, so either he'd had previous encounters with a Kalona or just was told of one. She let her tail wave back and forth behind her slowly, the spade on the end flicking out at the end of each wave. It always reminded her of a snake, when she did that. Waiting for the perfect time to strike. Not that she had any intention of harming the foal. It was just something she did when she wanted to think.

And she did want to think about how best to approach this encounter, now that she knew he knew what she was. Ars had no way of knowing what he thought of Kalona, or what tales he'd be told, but she was going to at least try not to scare him without reason.

So, Ars curled her tail around of her back legs to keep from moving it, and loosened her stance, letting her wings hang a little. Trying to look less.... battle ready, more open and inviting. She had no idea if she succeeded at this, but at least she tied.

The 'ma'am' brought out a quick flash of a grin. Ma'am indeed.

"Ah. Many have lost their way journeying to the sea, or from it. Some lost it at sea, but that is of little importance." She waved her wing slightly, dismissing that as irrelvant and therefore not worth expanding upon.

She watched with interest as his 'hair' scratched behind his ear. It made one wonder what it would really be like to have tenacles for hair. Or tentacles at all, honestly, espeically since his apparenly moved of their own volition in response to the foal's emotions.

"As a fact, I do." Ars smiled softly. "Though, I suppose that depends on the way you want to go. I have no knowledge of your home, only of these woods and the path I have traveled to arrive here." Her smile dimmed a little at the thought of why she was there, and how she had come to be. But she wasn't planning on letting her past control her present.

"I have known no Skinwalkers to wander this area." Ars doubted she would be there if a 'walker called these woods home. Or whatever it was they called where they stayed. 'Home' seemed like too much of an emotional word for one of those creatures. "And even if they did, I would protect you until we can find our way out, little one." She winked at him. "I think that any skinwalker would have it's handful trying to take on the two of us."

Ars was joking, of course. She would be much more likely to spirit the foal away rather than try to face a skinwalker with him at her side.

"My name is Ars Antiqua." She left off her family name as a matter of pride. "What shall I call you while we journey together, little one?  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Trying to seem nonchalant in the face of a predator -wasn't that what you were supposed to do, if it was too late to pretend you didn't see them while carefully walking away?- the colt snatched another mouthful of grass and chewed it thoughtfully. The extra moment still didn't help him remember the path he had taken or the path he should take, so he swallowed carefully. He tried not to stare at the slow flick and weave of her tail, menacing like a snake and probably just as dangerous as her horns or teeth. She seemed like she knew how to be scary with only a feather, so he didn't really want to try her patience. So far things were going well, so that was good, right?

When she stilled it he couldn't help but tense, momentarily afraid she'd chosen to pounce, to strike, rather than speak to him after all. He wanted to close his eyes so he wouldn't see her bearing down on him, wouldn't see the yawn of a mouth revealing fangs or the slice of a bright horn arcing down toward his throat. Wanted to, but couldn't quite make himself do it unless she moved toward him, because maybe being polite was working. When her stance relaxed and her wings loosened, he relaxed too, trying out a shy smile.

"I didn't get lost at the sea, but I could have." He admitted softly. "I loved it, it was wonderful. If I could have stayed, I would have done that too.. But my family would worry, and my brothers are a bit hopeless, so..."

The colt trailed off with a shrug and a grin and an airy wave of one red tentacle, as if to say 'what can you do?'. It seemed like her eyes moved when his strange mane did, which wasn't all that surprising. For a moment he wanted to leap forward and explain that one of his brothers was all over strange, not like their parents or anything. And the other? HA! The other made his mane and tail seem practically dull, he did! But Lotan didn't say anything, just watched her watching him, and gave a shy wave of a tentacle or two just to try the gesture on for size.

He had to admit she had a point when she said his path depended on where he wanted to go, but of course she'd not know his home anymore than he could know this place. "We live in the woods, but not far from the mountains. Not close enough to be able to climb them every day, but I almost would like it if we were? Not as much as the sea, but then I could see the sea from home and that'd be good!"

He couldn't help his huge sigh at her mentioning she didn't think Skinwalkers were around, and her offer to protect him made him grin widely at her. "I'd try to help too! I can throw rocks and stuff!"

One of his tentacles curled up to demonstrate the gesture, as if to prove his words were true. "But I'm still glad we don't have to fight them off... That would be scary."

When she introduced herself he actually thwapped himself with a tentacle, right across the forehead like he deserved. "Oh! I should have told you! I'm sorry I didn't. That was rude, and dumb. Sorry Miss Antiqua, Ma'am. I'm Lotan, pleasure to meet you."

Word Count: 578  

[DarkenWoodWolf]

Ars was amused that the colt seem to have some survival instincts, which was good. It would keep him alive when he eventually ran into someone who did want to do him harm. The thought of him being harmed, though, didn't sit well with her. Would someone make the attempt just because he was different? Because he wasn't yet big or strong, or because he seemed kind? Her knowledge of what others would do was limited, but she could see him being singled out because he was different. She was different, too. Not in the same way, but still different all the same.

"I have yet to see the sea, is it truly as wonderful as to be able to lose yourself there? I know it is large..." She wondered about it, one of the many things that she hadn't let herself think about while she was obeying.

"One day, perhaps, you will find your home near the sea, or the mountains, or the place where the mountains meet the sea, and your family will still worry, but not overly much. You just have to be willing to carve out a place for yourself." She spoke softly, trying to orient herself. Near the mountains, hmm? At least that was a decent landmark to find his way, though not too close to the mountains that he could climb them every day. Plenty of space to get lost in. Especially if the sea called to his heart, and he kept going there. If he was hers, she would make sure there was a way for him to go to the sea and return without getting lost and possibly running into... well, others like her. Just without her disposition.

Her face quirked in a grin when he waved his tentacles at her, so she waved one wing back at him, paying it no more notice than he did. His smile made her smile. His statement made her laugh.

"While throwing rocks from a distance may be the best way for you to help, a fight with a skinwalker would be close and fast, and you would have as good a chance to hit me as the other." She tilted her head, smiling so that he knew that she wasn't reprimanding him to shooting down his ideas. "Perhaps if you could throw something sharper... with a bit of practice. Hmm. That's an idea. And it would be worth gaining a skinwalkers attention, but only if you were not alone. And but not alone, I mean any time without me. If you ever see a skinwalker, you run. Use your size to your advantage, get low and under cover and don't stop moving, because they won't. They are vicious and unrelenting, so yes, scary is a good term for an encounter with one." She flicked a wing, knowing that was her best bet for getting away from a skinwalker, unless they had wings. But it would be no good for the colt. So, she would seek out her Aunt, in this case, and see if she had any ideas of what could be small and sharp and hard and light, that could be thrown with accuracy. Maybe something he could carry around his neck, or even up in his mane if he felt like it. It wouldn't stop someone from hurting him if they really wanted too, but it would deter some of the less confident things.

Ars tilted her head at his gesture, moving a step closer and snagging the tentacle he had used to hit himself, with the claw on the tip of her wing. Not cutting or harming, just holding it away from his face, for a moment.

"It was neither rude nor dumb, you mustn't say that. It is smart to figure out who you are talking to before you let them know who you are. What if you introduced yourself to someone who later used that information to track you down, to harm you? No, best to be cautious with that information." Carefully, she hooked the tentacle around his ear and withdrew her wing, looking down at him.

"You may call me Ars, Lotan, or Miss Ars, if you feel like you must." Ars hedged for a second, before fixing him with a stern gaze. "You must never strike yourself. Even something so simple as hitting yourself when you feel silly sets a bad precedence." She let her features soften. "Know that you are worth more than a moment's mistake, and that there is nothing in the world that you can do that should ever make you feel like you should strike yourself, even so slightly. Okay?"

Ars took a few causal steps back, and smiled at him, not wanting to crowd him too much. "And the pleasure is mine, Lotan. I am truly glad to have met you."

Word count: 809

~Latonia de la Courtel~