[PRP] The Next Big Adventure (Tirla and Vatsa)

[CitrusCupcake]

Vatsa was pretty hardy, but even he had to admit the weather was pretty crummy that day. Rain or snow wasn't too bad, but sleet was a horrible, slushy medium that could leave one feeling chilled to the bone if you stayed out too long, so he was looking for one of the caves he knew he was nearby.

'Where's that tree?' he mused out loud, looking for the old, twisted and burnt remant of a tree that had been struck by lightning during summer storms and now served as a handy landmark. Not far from it was a cave that hidden by thick bushes, and so was not easy to stumble on (unless of course one knew where it was).

He shook his sopping wet mane from out of his eyes and looking around thought he caught sight of something thin, black and pointing skywards, and headed towards it, hooves sloshing on the wet ground.  

[CitrusCupcake]

Vatsa was a little startled, well more than a little as he'd only been paying attention on getting to the cave but he recovered quickly and tried to act as if he hadn't jumped at all. He peered into the gloom, trying to see where and who the voice had come from.

'Hello?' he said, before locating the mare, and shaking his wet mane from his face again he added;
'I was just heading to a cave I know of, it should be near..' he looked about again, and saw the ruined tree.

'This tree. Follow me.' he said, turning and walking off as he did so.

He would be polite and offer his name in return when they were out of the foul weather, for now he headed past the dead tree, pushing his way through thick bushes and getting wetter in the process, but a few minutes later he stood at the cave entrance, turning towards the mare and stepping aside so she could go in first.  

[CitrusCupcake]

Vatsa shook himself in the entrance of the cave like a great, purple dog and then walked in properly, looking at the dripping mare.

'I'd have a bit of a shake if I were you, get the excess off.' he suggested, with a little nod.

'Oh yes, I did catch your name, it's very lovely, as are you.' Vatsa smiled, a fine compliment at the moment, for he wagered she was feeling anything but lovely.
'I hope you forgive me for not answering straight away with my own, but I thought it best to get out of the weather first. I am Vatsa, and I am pleased to meet you, pity it's not under better circumstances.'  

[CitrusCupcake]

'Oh no, it's just my name. Silly thing, had it since I was a colt.' Vatsa grinned, walking right up to the mare and giving the strange thing on her head a poke.

'Never seen that before, what's it for?' he asked, before taking a short step back so he wasn't crowding the mare before he thought of answering her questions.

'The weather? Well it's winter, cold, squally wet weather is to be expected, and I'm afraid I've not seen to many lovely ladies like yourself recently needing to be assisted. But, I'm always happy to oblige a pretty face.'  

[CitrusCupcake]

'Goggles.' Vatsa repeated the unfamiliar word, trying it out. It was kind of a funny sounding word, but he supposed the object itself was fairly useful, well, weather permitting.

'Where did you get them from? If you don't mind my asking, I've never seen anyone with gog-gles before.'

Vatsa was always free with compliments, but he always meant them as well, they were never throw away, or said just for lack of something better to say. Tirla was beautiful, despite how she might feel or how the weather had made her look. He admired her warm hued pelt and her striking pale eyes.
He nodded at her words;
'I have a few little bolt holes like this, dotted here and there on my well travelled routes. Very handy for when the weather turns foul. I don't stay in them beyond that though, I am okay travelling all year round.'

He didn't have anyone to go home to either; he was single and his family was mostly scattered.  

[CitrusCupcake]

'It's not possible to never travel through a place you already know, world is only so big.'

Vatsa pointed out politely, giving a faint shiver as water from his mane ran down his neck. He was going to take a while to dry out, and it looked like he and probably she were to be there the whole night.

'Do you not have somewhere you call home? My family might not be what could be termed 'close' but I try to visit every now and then in case anyone has felt like doing the same. I might add as well, you have a distinct advantage in ways of travelling over me.' he smiled.

'I just have my hooves. Your lovely wings can take you new places alot faster than my hooves ever could.'  

[CitrusCupcake]

'I am very sorry for your loss.'

Vatsa looked most contrite; firstly for bringing up (albeit quite without meaning to) a painful subject, and secondly for speaking about his family in what might be seemed as an ungrateful manner when this mare had lost one parent, and barely knew the other.

'I apologise, I did not want to offend or cause upset.' he said, his usual carefree manner making way for solemn contriteness.

'Do not think that I bemoan not having wings, I haveseen much on my old hooves.' he said, grasping onto the change of subject.

'I can see that it would be wondrous, and freeing. I get the lonely as well, I think my wandering ways would definately be curtailed by a lovely face, and the promise of little hooves and a place to call my own home.' he smiled at that thought, though he felt a little surprise at her admission that she had no one of that sort.

'No one has swept you off your hooves then?'