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 Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 7:59 pm
Some days had passed since Olathe had ended their relationship, and Helaku's pain had failed to diminish. If anything, it felt like his heart ached more with each step, each breath, each bite of grass and drink of water. Alongside the ache was a burning resentment and a dark distrust of anything female, save for Mai and those directly related to him. All others had hurt him, would hurt him again if he gave them the chance.
He would not give them that chance. So he lurked within the woods near his teepee, foraging off of the little foliage that grew within the dense trees. He looked like a wild ragged thing, but he had the solitude that he thought he craved.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:00 pm
It had been a straaange few days. Bella had been more social than she ever could have remembered! Not that that was much of a problem, but it was . . . different. The hyperactive young foal had matured in to a gentle natured mare. . . . perhaps a little too gentle.
In her naiveee, her optimism and goodness had become a wall from which she looked out from. It touched everything she saw, she heard, she witnessed - there was no taint in her eyes, there was no such thing as pure evil or cruelty. Those that did such things were in possession of a saving grace somewhere . . . . or so her gentle heart believed!
She was stubborn in her ways and had begun to see it as her task to preach such love. Was it so wrong to be happy? Was it so wrong to wish for the best and to wish love and hope and happiness upon others? Why did so many succumb to depression and darkness, why dod so many write pitifully under a LACK of love?
Bella refused to let any suffer. Of all the malignancies that lurked the land - famine, dehydration, heat stroke, or corruption of the soul - Bella refused to allow one to suffer because of a lack of kindness or love.
In her ignorance was her own paradise. . . and sometimes, more often than not, she was an utter FOOL for believing it. It would be the end of her, someday, but as long as she had breath Bella refused to see life in any other hue.
Stepping away from the plains, away from the gentle call of the lakeside where her own teepee resided, the free spirited mare allowed her hooves to roam. Enjoying the last of the afternoon sunshine, Bella wandered in and out of the edges of the woods. She paused, lifting her head now and then to graze on a few wild grasses and leaves, but didn't truly lift her head until she caught scent - and sight - of a passing ghost.
He was a ways ahead of her, focused on the foliage, but he looked broken and wild. Black mane and a ghostly coat, Bella considered turning away and leaving the stallion to his lonesome. But, then again. . . . why would she do such a thing?
Stomping her foot gently, she paused in her advance to allow the male to know he wasn't alone. Her head was slightly lowered, not in defense but almost a sort of submission as she awaited him to pass judgment. As she'd discovered, strangers would attack or flee at this point. . . .
Was he friend or foe? She'd find out soon enough.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:18 pm
Helaku froze at the crunch and snap of twigs beneath a hoof that wasn't his. A few leaves and pine needles rustled loose from his mane as he slowly turned, nostrils flaring wide. What he saw next made his ears flatten as his muscles tensed. A mare. Yet another of that kind that seemed to cause him nothing but hurt. His gold eyes regarded the mare suspiciously, but there was a ghostly echo of the pain that lay underneath. He simply stood there, staring, silent.
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:34 pm
Oh dear. . . not again! Amber eyes regarded Helaku, their calm light dimming slightly at such an obvious negative reaction! With his ears pinned and his tensed muscles, Bella could only lower her head further to the ground. Her nose practically touched the fallen leaves, pale tail swishing delicately behind her.
"Forgive my intrusion," she apologized, already regretting upsetting the stallion. It was obvious he didn't want to be bothered, it was apparant there was something . . . . wrong. SHE upset him, that much was true. . .
But whatever transgression she had caused Bella hadn't a clue. The land was free, was it not? Perhaps he was overprotective of his territory. . . Perhaps he was anti-social and agressive. Strange how she seemed to upset the males that ran in to her life.
Would that bad habit ever end?
"I . . . I didn't mean to offend." It was the only thing she could think about saying! Helaku was upset and mistrustful. . . shame on her for approaching him so!
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:39 pm
Breath blew out his nostrils softly as he simply eyed the cream and white mare distrustfully, unsure of what to do next. Normally he might have introduced himself...but now he was highly tempted to flee into the forest. But if he did that, she might trail him back to his teepee...and he did not want his sanctuary disturbed. She seemed upset and apologetic, though how far could he trust the actions of her kind? It could all be a sham, an act. "...Why are you here?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:58 pm
Bella kept her head lowered, tail swishing gently behind her. The ghost male, painted in blacks and whites still seemed . . . hostile? No, perhaps that was too strong a word. What about defensive perhaps, territorial? The honey touched female dropped her gaze, somewhat surprised by his question.
Why was she here?
"I. . . I was out for as stroll, admiring the woods. . ." It began to sound ridiculous to the mare. She had no real good reason on why she'd chosen that path today, why she'd chosen that particular spot of woods to trail . She just . . . had. The colors of summer had called to her and the female had followed.
"Again, I. . I never meant to disturb you."
That was about the only thing she was good at lately it seemed - ruining the native stallions afternoon.
((Sorry for the short post! D: I'll get something longer out next time. ))
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 9:23 pm
Now Helaku was starting to feel horribly guilty for causing this obviously young mare distress, but he steeled himself. She'd just grow to become another betrayer, a heartbreaker like the rest of her kind. "Not much in these woods to admire anymore," he said shortly. "Whether you meant to disturb me or not, what's done is done."
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:04 pm
As the silver stallion spoke, the golden touched lady allowed her head to rise every so slowly. Just enough so she didn't have to look so awkwardly up at the boy. Perhaps. . . Perhaps like Azumoth there was more to the male than the defenses and barriers he lay claim to? No animal went through the world unscarred and unscathed. . . .
Bella had understood that the soquili of the woods could be as sensitive to strangers as she was to negativity! Perhaps he was just shy and only understood how to be . . . standoffish? Whatever the case, the pale mare decided to tiptoe lightly around him and be as friendly and kind as possible.
A little bit of goodness went a long way.
The mare's honey touched eyes sparkled a bit brighter, her earlier apologetic gleam melting away to form something brighter, something curious. She glanced from Helaku to the surrounding woods and back again, tail swishing. "There's beauty in everything," she countered gently, "It's just a matter of finding it."
The woods looked serene enough with its gentle leaves and flowered petals. Summer was in full bloom and the very edges of fall were beginning to show. . .
Bella wanted to appreciate the warmth and beauty of the world now while she still could! Shaking out her coat, the female made sure to keep her body language soft and gentle - no harsh or sudden movements, nothing to startle the stallion or push him further away.
She'd done enough pushing this week. . . .
It was time for something simpler.
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:03 pm
Helaku shook his head emphatically. "The beauty in these woods left with my mate, after she broke the trust I had in her. Tell me, miss, how in the world should I find beauty in this world when everything is dull to me?" He stared at her with questioning golden eyes, challenging her to find an acceptable answer. "How do you love life when love has been lost?" Snorting, he tossed his head. "Then again...you are female...a betrayer like the rest of your kind. You may not mean to, but you hurt us all in the end."
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:12 pm
Bella felt physically hurt by the silver male's sudden attack. What was with all the anti-female stallions running around nowadays? It was just her luck that the one thing insulting the males was her gender, which was the one thing she absolutely, positively couldn't change! Unlike Azumoth, the shadowed male of the woods, Helaku's words were more a direct attack.
Where the shadow had been polite and kind, the silver one seemed borderline agressive! Swallowing hard, her ears pinned back in horror and she visibly flinched. Retreating a step, the cream femme hadn't any idea how to defend herself or his words.
His mate had hurt him and hurt him bad.
Heaving a heavy sight, golden eyes dark as she dropped her gaze from the male, Bella was almost speechless. His hurt was poignant and suffocating. . . . She could almost taste his bitterness on her tongue!
Not daring to meet the gaze of the stranger, her words were soft and gentle. To best approach this was in honesty and kindness, regardless of how standoffish Helaku appeared!
"Love is never lost completely," she announced slowly, knowing full well that his response might very well be negative. "I believe that it comes in waves, in cycles. . . and there are a variety of different loves all present! Do you have no friends. . .?" The love of friendship, though unlike a lover, could be just as powerful. More than ever the silver one needed to be in such kind company, needed the support that dear ones offered. "No other loved ones to turn to?"
Turning her head away, Bella wondered if she should ease Helaku's pain by dismissing herself from his presence. "I . . . I can't understand your pain, I'll admit," No matter how hard she could empathize and sympathize, Bella had yet to be touched by that elusive and often terrorizing emotion called love. "But please . . . don't let the hurt and hate consume you."
He'd hurt himself much more in the end if he did.
There was a fine line between love and hate. . . . Helaku's hate could easily transition in to eternal loathing and that could very well hurt him more in the end. Not all females hurt. . . .
. . . . though one might doubt after speaking to the males she'd met as of recent!
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 10:06 pm
"One daughter left with her," Helaku replied shortly. "The other...has a life of her own to live, and I know not where my son wanders. As for friends...would it not be a cruelty to burden them with watching a family fall apart around me?" He sighed. "And all because of a mare. Tell me again, why should I trust your kind?"
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Posted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 11:12 pm
The life Helaku had stumbled upon seemed a nightmare. Not only the love of his life abandoned him, but a daughter too? For shame! She regretted questioning family, but some lived in herds and had other relatives nearby. So it seemed he was a lone spirit, similar to herself. . . . but he ran now on a much darker, more bitter path.
Wincing at his words, she allowed her honey gaze to drop down to her hooves. What did she say to one such as him? She was young - very young - and had little real-world experience. As a foal her days were carefree and full of sunshine and happiness. . . With age, only now did the shadows begin to mold and take form.
"Because . . . because your kind is just as guilty as mine when it comes to such cruelties." And wasn't that true? How could he hate her kind when his peers and contemporaries were just as guilty? It wasn't like the stranger was the first to have a heart-broken and shattered.
"The hurt must be unbearable, I know," she murmured, head still lowered as she tried to be as gentle as possible. "But you must someday learn to trust again. . . . else risk doing more harm to yourself than good. Not all females are . . . are evil or cruel. Though pain resides fully in your world, please, please try to remember that good is out there too. "
She wanted to argue for his sake, on his behalf. She truly wished that his hurt could be lessened swiftly and quickly, but Bella wasn't stupid - she couldn't imagine what it might be like to lose a loved one. The worst feeling in the world. . . .
"If you have any true friends than they'll be there for you no matter what! Friends are there for the good and the bad, for the joyous times as well as the hardships, else they aren't really friends at all."
And that was that. Bella was almost vehement in her belief of friendship - though she herself had but one friend, if that, didn't mean she couldn't hold tight to the ideal of forever.
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Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 1:18 pm
"That's a hard thing to believe sometimes." Helaku tossed his head, eyes liquid with pain. Hard to believe when everything reminded him of Olathe. His heart ached for her loss, and for that of his daughter. He wished Akila happiness with her stallion...he didn't want everything to be for naught. And the last thing he wanted was for her to be hurt as he had.
He would tear that stallion apart if he hurt her like Helaku himself had been hurt.
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