[FIN] One Fall Night (Kagehoshi x Atieno)

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

This is a private RP between my two Soquili, Kagehoshi and Atieno. Please DO NOT post without permission!





Kaya Wolf Moon's Teepee

 

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

The forest was silent on this autumnal night. Its residents found themselves tucked warmly away in their abodes, warding off the crisp air of the Fall season. Not even the clamoring of deadened leaves could be heard in their descent to the rutted ground. Truly a serene moment. A moment with seemingly only one witness to it.

In a little clearing, quite a way from his home, laid a large black stallion. His vibrant green eyes stared unblinkingly at the stars twinkling overhead. They studied the heavens, lingering on each star before moving on to the next. Words poured from his soul. A torrent of pent-up emotions and thoughts spilling forth. Such had been the routine for hours. Kagehoshi didn’t register this, however. His mind was elsewhere in the past, as it had been since he left his home earlier that evening.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Andromeda asked for what felt like the hundredth time. “I really think I should...” “I will be fine, Romy.” Kagehoshi waved off her concerns with a tight smile. He didn’t wish to hurt her feelings, but he really desired some time to himself. It was the anniversary of his herd’s demise and he didn’t feel like being around others. The large stallion hoped for privacy so that he might organize his thoughts and express his feelings in private. It took everything within him to attempt an explanation to his sister. And, although he failed spectacularly at it, gentle Aiyana instantly understood. After a few more words to his bonded, Kagehoshi had found himself alone at last.

He allowed his mind to wander as he traveled. The subjects he pondered varied drastically, but they always returned to his family- both past and present. Soon it became too much for him to contemplate and so he withdrew from his reverie. Hoshi started slightly at the distance he traversed without being aware of it. The black stallion stood in the midst of a clearing which he knew to be a good journey from his herd. He took but a moment to think on his location before coming to a decision. Dropping his large form into the grass, Kagehoshi settled within the field and began his starry vigil.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

“No, this isn’t the way either.” Brows furrowed anxiously at the uttered words. Another path to be marked incorrect. All around her were the vibrant golds, reds, and browns of leaves that had been kissed by autumn. While a usually beautiful sight to behold, the young mare was distracted away from it by her current dilemma.

It was a day like any other, with the brisk Fall wind wafting across her face as she flew. Atieno had been on her way to her home from meeting a friend. They were having a grand time when she realized she would need to depart soon, having promised her parents and bonded that she would reach home before nightfall. The young mare bade farewell and set off for home. She wasn’t worried about breaking her promise. Her friend lived on the other side of the mountain range- a short distance by flight. What Atieno didn’t consider was the unnatural windstorm that kicked up as she flew close to the mountains. So fierce was the wind that it lashed at her wings, making it difficult to stay her course.

The young mare was no match for the sudden maelstrom. Try as she might, it overpowered her and whisked her away. She tumbled about, at the mercy of the wind for what felt like hours before it finally calmed itself. Atieno took the opportunity to quickly flutter to the ground to regain her composure. It didn’t take long for her to understand the brevity of her situation. The wind had pushed her so far off her traveled path that she didn’t recognize a single land mark. And so, determined to make it home, she reasoned out which direction to move toward. North sounded good. Mountain ranges typically lay to the north, right? Two hours later and Atieno grew increasingly disparaged. No matter which direction she chose, it felt like it was the wrong way. For all she knew, she could be walking around in one giant circle. To make matters worse, night had long since fallen. Atieno had broken her promise.

The once welcoming sights and sounds of nature now seemed to hold sinister intentions. It was as if it wanted to keep her separated from her family, forever alone and doomed to wander the darkened forest. Atieno shook her head. “No, I can’t think like that. It was simply a momentary gale. Nothing diabolical. I just need to keep moving. I’m sure I’ll come across someo—“ Her words caught in her throat. Was that a--? Muttering could be heard just ahead. The words were indistinguishable but Atieno was certain that she could hear someone speaking. Hesitating, she wondered if she should approach the person. “Perhaps they can help me.” Then again, they might not be friendly. “Surely they wouldn’t mind.” But I might be intruding on something private. She waged this debate for a few minutes before finally deciding to chance it.

Cautiously, she inched forward until she could see the confines of the forest thin. A clearing sat nestled in the center. And in that clearing sat a dark yet large stallion. Atieno paused at the edge of the forest, her golden eyes fixating on the other. A plume of feathers adorned his head and tail, colored with lustrous blues and greens. His solitary set of wings, painted in similar shades with markings like the stars, stood out against the deep blackness of his body. It was as if he had been touched by the heavens themselves. Atieno’s breath hitched at the beauty of him, but it was his words that she could clearly hear for the first time which drew her in even more.

WC: 608  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

“I do not know if I am what you wished me to be.” Kagehoshi uttered to the heavens. His gaze remained as unyielding as the stars above. “I am not the leader of some great herd. I have neither a mate nor children to call my own. In fact, I prefer to remain unattached most of the time.” A quiet huff accentuated his words. “Perhaps I am afraid of caring for another as deeply as I did our family. I do not honestly know. But I am trying to be what you desired. What you were raising me to become.”

A small hitch could be heard in his voice when he spoke. This was the hardest night of the year for him. It was the night that the accursed plague had taken everything from him. Had it not been for his uncle and cousin, Kagehoshi would’ve certainly lost his sanity. As it stood, he never allowed himself to ponder too deeply the events of that night. He locked his emotions away, burying them into the darkest recesses of his heart. Only on this night would he allow himself to speak of it at any length. Over the years, what had once been ranting and raving had morphed into a sort of conversation with the heavens. Kagehoshi would speak to his deceased parents, envisioning them as the twinkling stars which dotted the night sky. They would always be with him, but this was the single night he could bring himself to address them directly. A night to divulge his fears, his hopes and dreams, to celebrate his achievements, and to freely mourn his losses.

Kagehoshi had his reasons for hiding such things throughout the year. Above all else, however, he wished to see others happy. His greatest concern was letting his emotions cloud his mind. To do so would mean to potentially place another in jeopardy or to detract from their own happiness. Thus, he prevented that by remaining detached from everyone. Or so he had attempted. Andromeda partially foiled that by becoming his bonded. Then he met gentle Aiyana. Now he was helping to form a herd with his promised sister and her beloved. Would his parents be proud?

Tears clouded his vision at the question. “I wish you were here. I wish I could know that you are proud of what I am doing. To hear you say it and to impart your wisdom.” Closing his eyes, Kagehoshi bowed his head and let the tears fall freely, unaware that he held an audience.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Atieno stood rooted to her spot. The stallion’s words were so pure in their form, so filled with emotions. Never had she heard such deep mourning. Despite having never met him, the young mare felt her heart go out to him. He is alone in this world... The thought flitted across her mind, bringing a frown to her features. Such musings never occurred to her before. Her life was rich with happiness and joy. It made her wonder. What must it be like to bear sorrow as he did?

Drawing in a steadying breath, the young mare stepped from her sheltered location and slowly approached. “You speak with a deep sadness.” She said when she was close enough for him to hear. Her tone held a reverence as if sensing she was intruding upon some private moment. “But your words have bewitched the night it seems.”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

The galaxy-touched stallion's head whipped around at her words. Vibrant green eyes grew wide in shock. “P-Pardon?” He stammered for something, anything to say. Kagehoshi hadn’t expected an audience. He believed himself to be as far removed from any living soul as was possible. To have such an intrusion…

Hoshi snorted derisively, shaking his head. Even in a distant forest I cannot find the peace which I seek so desperately. With a deep weary sigh, Hoshi arose from his position and turned more fully to the trespasser of his privacy to better confront them. “I was not aware that I had an audience.”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

“Forgive me the intrusion.” Atieno saw the mixture of discomfort and annoyance in the stallion’s stance. She didn’t mean to interlope in this way. It had been an accident, truthfully, but his yearning had grasped at her soul. Even while she stood there, the night as silent as ever, she could still hear the echo of his words over the forest. “It was not intentional. You see, I’ve become lost in these woods. I was wandering about when I heard your voice.” The young mare bowed her head in shame, a blush creeping upon her cheeks. “Your words were so fervent that I couldn’t bear to interrupt.” She fell silent and waited for him to speak.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Kagehoshi remained still and quiet. His ears pricked forward while he listened and observed. Before him was a youthful mare. Her body was black as the midnight sky with brilliant markings of blue and green. Golden stars adorned her mane and tail whilst a gold and black tabard with silver moons draped across her body. Triple wings of black and green rested close to her form. Of all these things, her eyes are what drew him most. They were a radiant yellow-gold that gleamed brightly, like twin harvest moons. There lay a softness in them that he rarely encountered. No judgement. No disdain insincerity. No unbearable pity. But a kindness and willfulness.

For the third time since the loss of his herd, something stirred within the Kirigryphgeni mix. “You are very kind.” He found himself saying, surprising even himself at the gentle tone. Normally he would’ve lashed out before racing off to find seclusion again. It had always been his way. Yet he held steady, green orbs catching golden. “How long have you been lost in these woods?”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

“Well—I…” Her cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. It was simply embarrassing to think how long she had been lost in the woods. Even taking flight, to gain a higher vantage point, had not helped to determine the correct way. She felt certain that she would be able to find the way. And yet, here she stood speaking with a stranger about the circumstances. Of course, I did intrude upon a private moment. It is only fair to answer. Atieno drew in a steadying breath. “It has been for a few hours at the least. I was flying homeward when a sudden windstorm forced me from my course. Now I have no clue where I am. Even taking flight once more has done me little service.” She fluffed her wings in mild annoyance at that fact, but settled herself quickly. “After I failed to find my way by flying, I attempted the same by walking. That was an even worse idea, if I do say so myself. I’ve become even more turned around in this forest than while soaring on the wind.”

Atieno closed her eyes as the feeling of dread threatened to take hold. She couldn’t lose control of her emotions right there. Not in front of the stallion. What would he think if she were to break down crying? “It is…” She tried to say but couldn’t quite find the words. “It is that,” she tried again. “I promised my family that I would be home before dark. Because of that silly storm I have now broken that promise.”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

His lips quirked downwards in a deep frown. The distress underlying the mare’s voice was plain to his ears. Kagehoshi could tell that she battling herself, preventing herself from crying for the circumstances. He was markedly impressed by this. It took a strong sense of self and immense willpower to hold back such emotions. However, Kagehoshi disliked that she seemed to be beating herself up for something beyond her control. “Tell me. Are you able to control the weather?” He asked flatly, green eyes boring into her.

Golden-yellow eyes flew open, peering back at the stallion. “Can I control the weather?” She repeated the question with an uncertain tone. Atieno had no idea what the stallion might be getting at. The question itself was an absurd one to ask. Obviously she didn’t control the weather. Nobody but the heavens could do that. “N—no. Of course, I can’t do such a thing. Even those of the Ulun’Suti heritage can’t control the weather.” Her face scrunched in a confused manner. “I’m not sure what that has to do with my predicament.” Was he trying to imply that someone had caused her to be blown off course? That made absolutely no sense. Surely there was another point he was trying to make.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Kagehoshi bobbed his head as she spoke. “I see.” He shifted his stance so that his body was at right angles to her, his head tilted to keep eye contact while he slowly began to move. “So then you are not able to create great gales of winds, correct? Nor are you capable of calming a storm should it arise?” His questions were rhetorical, of course. He knew that she would be unable to do these things because she was not a god of the heavens. Still though, Kagehoshi waited for her to answer him, hopeful that she might understand his meaning behind such questions.

The young mare shook her head in uncertainty. “I—well—no.” She fumbled for the proper words. Such powers of the elements were foreign to her. Of course, in her travels, Atieno had heard tales of the gods and goddesses that ruled the heavens. Their propensity for creating wondrous sights and marvelous sounds had always thrilled her as a child. It was they who could control the winds and the storms. They who could stir snow or sand into a frenzy, and they who could make the air and trees as still as death. Yet Atieno couldn’t quite comprehend what all of this had to do with how she had broken her promise. No matter how she looked at it, her word no longer held merit and the night taunted her with it. She told the stallion as much. “Perhaps it is my incapability to control the weather that has gotten me in this situation. If I were blessed in such a way, then I could have corrected my path and been home by now. And yet I am not. My word is my bond you see. For it to be broken means that I am no longer trustworthy.”

“Ahhh.” The stallion grinned wisely, green eyes alighting with kindness. “Then perhaps you are viewing this in the wrong light.” He took a small step forward so as not to alarm her. Kagehoshi didn’t want to frighten her away. There was something about her that made him feel comfortable with speaking in such a manner. He felt himself being drawn in by her, yet he was not concerned by it. Slowly but surely, the galaxy touched stallion was finding himself wanting to see her smile, to bolster her spirits. “You understand that you have no powers over the heavens. Only that the spirits do. Yet still you reprimand yourself about breaking your promise. Allow me to tell you a secret.” Kagehoshi lowered his voice to a whisper, a conspiratorial look upon his face. “It is our inability to do certain things that provide us with the greatest opportunities. You have been brought here by the heavens for one reason or another. The spirits do as they please, but that holds no bearing on your character. Mayhaps you should examine the situation from a different viewpoint.”

Atieno’s brows furrowed deeply. “A different viewpoint?” Kagehoshi inclined his head in the affirmative, remaining silent as she pondered his words. The mare’s gaze fell to the ground. If the spirits intended to bring me here, then what could have been the purpose? Am I to meet someone here or learn something? She chewed on her lower lip. And how does that not bear on my character? My word is broken… No, he said examine this from a different viewpoint. But whose? On and on, the questions flowed with her mind bouncing back and forth between all avenues. Atieno attempted to come at her plight from the angle of the spirits, but that proved too complex. For the way of the spirits wasn’t known to any mortal. So then she shifted to his viewpoint. That attempt didn’t pan out either, though it was much easier to study. “I—I’m just not sure.” She huffed in exasperation at herself. Why couldn’t she come up with the answers!? “No matter how I turn it over in my mind, I still come up with myself being a failure.”

“And your parents? They would call you a failure as well?” Atieno froze. Her gleaming yellow eyes shot up to meet his vibrant orbs. “They would never say such a thing! Mother and father believe in me. They would know that something is wrong if I haven’t shown up when I stated I would.” As she said the words, realization began to dawn on her. The very point that the stallion had been trying to make. It was that she could only be held accountable for those actions under her control. If she had chosen to change course, resulting in her arriving after dark, then that would be her breaking her word. However, weather patterns are a beast all their own. No mortal could plan for a sudden squall such as the one she encountered, and they certainly couldn’t have fared much better. A faint smile ghosted across her features. “I think I understand now.”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

The Kirigryphgeni’s lips twitched with a knowing grin. So it seems that she has finally caught on. He thought to himself before inclining his head. “No mortal can control the heavens. We are only capable of controlling ourselves. I am certain that your family will understand should you return at a later time than planned.” Kagehoshi glimpsed up at the night sky. The weather had cleared considerably, but there would be little chance of the mare making it home. Winds were still too harsh. “If I may though…I think it might be best if you were to seek shelter for the night. These winds are going to cause you nothing but more trouble and time. Would you trust me if I were to make a suggestion?” From his own experiences, some were not so trusting when meeting strangers while others were far too naïve. He wished to give the mare the option of listening to him so that he would not seem like he held ill intentions.

Atieno nodded her head in agreement with the stallion’s assessment. Her parents would understand about the weather. They may not wish her to travel so far in the future, but they would not hold it against her. That mere thought put her greatly at ease. It was as if the world had been somewhat lifted from her shoulders, though a small piece of it remained. How long shall I wait before I try to fly home again? She absently chewed on her lip while she pondered the question. Surely I cannot wait until daybreak… Her attention was pulled from her inner diatribe when the stallion proffered his own suggestion.

With a heavy sigh, Atieno admitted to the wisdom of his words. The winds had already blown her far off course. If she attempted to fly again, or to even walk, there would be no telling where she might end up. And the odds of her finding another helpful stranger, well, she didn’t even care to think of them. “I suppose you have a point on the matter. I have garnered enough adventure for the night as it is. I do not wish to press my luck further.” The mare then peered up at him, golden yellow orbs staring curiously into his green ones. “Trust you?” She echoed after him. To be certain, her trust was not given lightly. She strove to be self-aware, to never give in to the charms of others for fear of it backfiring. But the stallion that stood before her didn’t desire anything from her. Quite the opposite, in fact. He appeared to be speaking as forthright as possible. It would be only fair for her to be the same. “I would normally decline such.” Atieno stated with a hint of reluctance in her tone. “However, I believe in my instincts enough to trust that you do not wish to harm me or mislead me. So, please, what is your suggestion?”

Kagehoshi waited patiently for the mare’s response. He didn’t know if she would accept his proposal or if she might decline, but he would give it nonetheless. It would be unseemly for him to simply dismiss her plight. Fortunately, his demeanor set the mare at ease enough for her to agree to listen to him. Dipping his head in acknowledgement, the stallion explained his idea. “My herd does not live far from here. Just on the other side of the rise to be precise. I would consider it an honor if you would contemplate staying the night there. My sister, Aiyana, would happily welcome you and I can show you a suitable place to sleep. At first light, I will gladly assist in finding the way back to your family.”

The star-touched mare studied the stallion. His voice was smooth and unhindered, the words not faltering in any fashion. His mannerisms bespoke of the truth in his speech, leading her to believe him to be good-natured and genuine. “The honor—would be mine. As you say, I cannot possibly make it home tonight and I do not know of anyone else in the area. If your herd would have a visitor for the night, then I graciously accept.” Her head inclined slightly in acceptance of the invitation. “All that I ask is that I first speak with your sister. I do not wish to impose, after all.” Kagehoshi chuckled dryly. “I assure you, it is no imposition. Our herd is meant to be a place for those who have lost their way. A place where they can form bonds and have somewhere to call home. Visitors are always welcome.” Atieno’s lips pulled back in warm smile. His herd sounded like a lovely place to be. “Yours is a rarity indeed. I am grateful to have the chance to experience it before I depart.” Her gleaming yellow eyes softened as she continued to look at him. “You have been a blessing on this night. How am I ever to repay you?”

The stallion stood silently for a moment, his tail flicking pensively before he cleared his throat to ask, “Well, to begin with, I believe I have yet to hear your name…” This revelation brought a blush to Atieno’s cheeks. Had she really failed to introduce herself? Pondering over the conversation, she supposed it had slipped her mind in her frantic worry over breaking a promise. Her cheeks flushed even more as her furtive gaze danced between the ground and his form. “It is Atieno. And yours?” Now it was Kagehoshi’s turn to blush in embarrassment. How could I have forgotten such a thing? “My name is Kagehoshi, Advisor and Head Protector of the Odakota Herd. Allow me to officially welcome to our lands as an honored guest.” As he spoke, he shifted his stance so that his body was perpendicular to the mare’s. His head craned over his shoulder so that he could peer back at her. “This way, please.” Atieno giggled to herself upon seeing the flushed appearance creep onto the stallion’s face. Kagehoshi is it? A fluttering sensation filled her chest as his name rolled around her mind. Though she paid little heed to it at first. Taking a bow, she cheerfully accepted his invitation once more, trotting over to his side and grinning up at him. The two then proceeding to the inner portion of the herd’s territory where the promise of a good night’s rest and a new day awaited.

Little did either know what that night would truly mean for them…




WC for Atieno: 607