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 Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 11:38 pm
 He couldn't believe it, how long has it been? A few minutes past too long, that for certain! He hadn't liked being seperated from Tucker and his mother for very long, but he supposed that they must eat, and it would be better for him to go and get the fruit rather than Cress. Why? Well for one the blood bay had visited the two-leggers before, and knew quite well how to get the fruit in an effective manner, however he supposed he had seemed rather impatient this time around. That was understandable though, and he didn't figure them to be a grudge holding species, so no harm no foul in the hollow eyes of the Jala stallion.
With a basket hanging tightly between his teeth and hanging over the sides of his muzzle he took to quick, percise, and steady strides that seemed eat up the ground below them. He had always been able to keep his balance no matter the terrain, retain speed to a slippery surface, and ease his body into the gentlest of paces, so he found this to be a rather easy task. Though only Aitumn had to worry about at the moment was the rather unsteady bobbing of his head as he speed walked-half jogged back into the lands of Shiral and onto the path of his son's tree.
Thump-da-thump-de-thump-da-thump his flat but quick hooves struck the ground with the mildest of jolts, but that wasn't what he should have been looking out for at a time like this. Oh no, with so many trees around he should have been checking the ground for any obsticles, but even then that would have been a threat to the basket if he tipped his head too much. Thump-da-thump-de-krrrrrwaaaaamp! this tip of a forehoof caught what could have either been a rock or part of a root from a dead tree, he wasn't quite sure which at the moment for he had to catch him with relative quickness before he paid the price.
Even than he was too late, even if he himself didn't go tumbling down, several of the basket's precious cargo went tumbling from the side to roll off in various directions, however none too far away. "... Wonderful", the Jala groaned between his teeth, eyeing a piece of brightly colored orange fruit to the side, the nearest to him.
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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 11:59 pm
She continued to weave around trees, her ears perked forward, when a single word caught her attention. She froze in mid-step, and her eyes flitted to the piece of fruit beneath her hoof. It was a good thing that Aitumn had said something, whether he noticed her or not, otherwise one of the numerous pieces of precious cargo would have been squashed.
Rhea set her hoof down near the fruit and looked at Aitumn closely, flicking an ear to the side. Now, here was a Jala stallion; obviously a father or soon-to-be one, but if he was Cressie's she didn't know, and there was but one way to find out. She offered him a warm smile, ears perked forward. "Greetings," she began, tilting her head to the side a bit. "If you can help me with merely a bit of information, I'll help you pick the rest of these goodies up." She lowered her head and, very gently, picked up the fruit and took a few steps forward to set it down before him. "All I ask is if you happen to know where a certain white and gold mare named Cressida is. I've heard that she's somewhere in Shrilal, though I've no idea where."
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:18 am
Now, how to get these back into the basket in a timely manner without missing a single piece of fruit? He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to do it, but he figured it best to first put down the basket and pick up fruit as he went along. More then likely he'd have them all back into their little crib of whicker before he even came up with a plan. That solution set his mind at ease, and as he lowered his head to place the bastket back and do just that, a voice caught him off-guard. He wasn't a jumpy soul as far as he knew, that didn't stop a shudder from going down his spine and emerging as a ruffle to his feathered wings, for he had honestly not noticed anyone around before.
With basket firmly in place on the ground he raised his sleek head once more to look upon a fully white Reya mare, her coat snowy in color. Snowy, for Aitumn did not quite enjoy the bland word of white. "'Evening," he returned in a greeting all his own, raising his head the rest of the way and pricking interested ears at the mare's proposal. Now, he really wanted to get back to Cress and Tucker, but he couldn't quite demand to be left alone now could he? No, it wasn't in his nature, and so he flicked a smile of acceptance to the trade and picked up the fruit she had brought over to put into his basekt.
He hadn't quite expected to hear what he had, and even when it did register he had to give her a thorough look down before even thinking of answering that question. After Zak's little threat to their son's life, he couldn't very well be off-guard all at once, now could he? Determining that, through body posture and various other signs he had noticed from the Aeri, that there was no immidate danger. How could she know Cress? Well obviously she had a past, possibly some friends, and why wouldn't some of those friends be Reya?
Once more his demeanor changed back into what it had been before the breif examination, relaxed if not hurried all at once. "Acutally I can take you to Cress right now, but I really must get the rest of the fruit into the basket before we leave. Wouldn't quite do to leave it here after traveling all the way to Ryuten to get it, now would it?" Offering another quick smile, the stallion bent down to snatch up another piece of fruit between practiced lips.
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:38 am
"It certainly would not do at all," she agreed with a smile. The mare nearly danced with delight at his offer to take her to the gilded mare. She offered him a grin, then did as she had offered and carefully picked up another fruit and placed it into the basket. She perked her ears forward, walking to the side a few steps to quickly and gently grab another piece to place into the woven piece of whicker from the two-legs. She lifted her head a bit, watching Aitumn carefully. "I apologize for not introducing myself before," she said before carefully grasping another bit of fruit and placing it with the rest. "My name's Rhea. You see, Cressida's my daughter, we've been separated for quite some time. I heard recently that she was here with a Jala stallion and a crossbreed tree."
With that she paused and picked up another fruit, putting it gently within the basket. She felt the need to explain herself, even though he'd agreed to take her to Cressie, though he did seem to want to leave as soon as possible. She didn't think it would do to offer to help then stand there and talk the entire time. Those lucky two-legs had, what did they call them? Hands? They could gather things and talk to each other at the same time. "Just a guess, but, would you happen to be that very stallion?"
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Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:08 am
This mare was just full of surprises it seemed, for he stopped midway into picking up a rather juicy and rounded fruit to peer quizzically at this Rhea. Had he heard correct? No doubt, no doubt at all that is what he heard! Despite himself a grin folded against the fruit he held in his mouth, and stayed plastered there until he let it drop softly back into the basket with the others, nearly filled to the brim once more with the sweet treats he had brough back for his little family. If you could call it that, he wasn't quite sure what he and Cress were, but friends for certain, if not more. However that was merely Aitumn's side of it, he hadn't a clue how the golden mare felt about their ordeal or him, so he left the issue be in peace and without worry.
Once more he raised his sleek head to the snowy Reya and offered an open pricking of his ears to her direction. It would at least certainly explain how his son had turned out to be almost completely white! "That I am. Please call me Aitumn, its wonderful to meet you Rhea", for a stallion of usually few words to speak, he had found that lately his voice seemed more eager to jump out at him than ever. "I'm not sure if Cress has mentioned a mother to me before, but I'm sure if you two were seperated that she would be more than happy to see you again."
That's how it worked, right? Maybe not all the time, he wasn't sure if it was the case for him, but surely Cress would be pleased to see her mother? He hoped so anyway, lest he just invited a whole flank full of trouble back to the tree unknowingly.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 1:42 pm
"Aitumn," she echoed, trying the name out for herself with a smile. "Lovely name. It's certainly a pleasure to meet you too, Aitumn." Her muscular tails twisted and curled around themselves continuously, the only thing that could betray how inwardly excited she was. Finally! She was about to see her daughter again! The day she'd been waiting for since that fateful hour she agreed to let her out of her sight. A quick flicker of a thought crossed her mind again, to never let her daughter out of her sight for an instant once they were re-united, but she decided against it. Cressida was fully grown now, with a little family of her own; she no longer needed her own mother's protection and constant watchful eye.
"How has Cressie been, and please tell me about your new child. Has it hatched yet?" She quizzed eagerly, ears perked towards Aitumn as she awaited his answer. The fact that it was a cross child mattered not; it was Cressie's child, and therefore her grandchild, and such a thought excited the snowy mare. She felt a bit old to now call herself not only a mother but a grandmother, but it didn't bother her too much.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 11:44 am
Dipping his muzzle down for the last time, practiced lips gathered the round edge of a single fruit into their grasp, careful not to clip the skin with a piercing insisor that all stallions had, and with a slight grip lifted the maroon colored treat from its place on the ground back into the basket with the others. His chore was done, the fruit was gathered, he had picked up Cress's long-lost mother on the way back, and he was going to see his son once again. That wonderful son of his, more so than any beautiful terrain he had seen on the face of Urin. Yes, Tucker, that crossbreed foal, had brought more joy and pride to his sire than any story or fathom of the mind every could. Aitumn could do little to keep his hollow dark eyes from their dull expanse, no matter how much he felt on the inside; they were lost to the past he did not remember.
He regarded Rhea's questions before he picked up the basket once more, his head between a dip and an arch at the chest as he had been about to set off once more. His calm expression was then betrayed by a flash of a grin. He would have loved to boast about their son, about how wonderful he was, but the stallion simply must keep himself contained in the presence of someone he supposed he should be trying to impress. He wasn't quite sure how these things went, meeting a lover's parent and all. That's what he and Cress were, right? Their relationship he would leave up to, for he had no quarrels with whatever life she choose; one with him or one without. They had made something beautiful together, and Aitumn wasn't about to shun it off with a light shrug of 'oh well'.
"Its been fairly lax throughout the entire thing, aside from a setback", whose name is Zak, he added mentally and with some malice to his inward tone. "But our son has hatched, and you, forgive me, would be the explantion to his white coat." Even though he had worded it like he had, there was a hint of a chuckle behind it, betraying his attempt at a 'scornful' tone. "Come now, they should be excited to see you." Without further explanation, the blood bay stallion picked up his basket between his teeth and continued on his way; that light, quick, and ground pace of a walk-jog returning to his step.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:42 pm
She bobbed her head, flicking her ears forward as she took her place walking beside him. "A setback?" She echoed, wondering what he meant. Had they had an unexpected and/or unwelcome visitor, perhaps? That was the only thing she could think of for the moment. However, at his comment about their son being white, she couldn't help but chuckle. "I apologize for that, then. As well, if that's the case, I'm sure he's gorgeous," she said jokingly, intending to sound like 'well if he's mostly my color then of course he'd be lovely.' She tossed her head, sending her curly mane to the other side of her neck as her muscular tails curled and twisted with excitement. "I'm sure he's adorable no matter what color he is," she added honestly with a contented smile. All foals were adorable, but this colt would be moreso because he was her grandson. Grandson! She could still hardly believe it.
"Mama it!" Tucker beamed, wriggling his stubby tail as he trotted a high-stepping, energetic trot around his mother.
"Not for long!" She said, chuckling and grinning before setting off at a trot after the energetic, snowy little colt who immediately squealed and raced to the other side of the tree, giggling.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 1:58 pm
He couldn't very well talk with the basket hanging from his mouth and clentched between his teeth, but he did well to lightly bob his head, very carefully of course, to that last part. Tucker was a wonderful little thing, and he was certain he would love him at any color... even if that meant green with swirls. For all that meant to the blood bay, he was certain he'd love his son despite the resemblance to the brutely b*****d.
Speak of the devil, Zaknafein had taken to a sullen, sulky hatred of the blood bay that bubbled and burned even more so than it had before. He had found the sonofanag, but he had been unable to fullfill what he had been craving for ever since he was a foal! Surrly idiot! Damned jackass of a backwater weed! It had taken awhile for his old injury to heal back up from their last encounter and that wretch of a reya mare, but it finally had.
As of now, round, flat, and thick hooves crushed into the ground of Shiral, hoping- no, mentally demanding that the crossbreed wretch was still around at the tree. It was foal, only a filthy, suck-stallion mother would take it away from its birthplace so quickly. He stopped to think at that one, crimson eyes growing cruel with amusement. Then again, that wretch would be a filthy suck-stallion mother, now wouldn't she? Oh there was no doubt of that. Figures, only a mare like that would ever dream of laying with Aitumn, that sickly beast of an excuse for a nequus.
He had been careful to approach the likely spot of the tree far out of range, despite the cold that bit at him and the need to move much much faster and further than he was now. Slowly, surely, he would be careful to approach and careful to conceal his bulking mass by the denseness of the trees. He was close now, so close he could hear the stupid giggle of a idiotic crossbreed foal. If that wasn't the lowest of the low for Aitumn, he wasn't sure what was.
He would wait where he was, watch the silly frolicing, and hope for it wander over. As of now, he did not see Aitumn, and it made him giddy to think what he would do when he came back and saw the bloody body of his crossbreed son struggling underneath his hooves.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:29 pm
Cress easily caught up to the snowy foal, giving him a gentle tap on the flank with her muzzle and grinning. "You're it!" She laughed, then trotted off to the side a bit.
With a squeal, Tucker raced off near Zak's hiding place and tripped over an offensive tree root. Toppling head over hoof, the sprawled colt shook off his head before perking up his ears and looking around, wriggling his stubby tail. He jumped up and shook off again, nearly dancing in place, and spied some strange green swirls through the trees. He tilted his head and trotted around in a half-circle before letting out an amused whinny. He quickly turned on his heel and dashed off towards Cress, not out of fear or confusion; he simply grew bored with the bland colors and wished to continue their game.
The mare trotted around the tree in a circle and arched her slender neck, twisting her muscular tails with the occasional snap. She grinned at the little colt, trying to stay close to him but also just out of his reach.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:41 pm
This was almost too easy, an insult even the green beast as the little foal actually trotted close enough to him to reach out and grab with a sharp bite. But where was the fun in that? Oh he wanted the little thing to scream and suffer and hopefully call Aitumn back to the place so he could witness the whole scene, the whole heartbreaking scene. Well, for Aitumn, Zak didn't much care for the little filthy creature.
There was however another issue at hoof, the golden mare and her horn. He supposed he'd have to get to the foal before her, get in a good blow with the little one, and then take care of her. Even if she managed to drive him off again there was a chance the little thing wouldn't make it. That would be enough for Zak, until he was able to get the puny Aitumn all alone again; even if it caused him a sore stick in the side with that horn again. Carefully, warily, he watched for any openings as the white foal went dashing back, and saw one as the golden wretch made her circle around the tree. Her vision would be blocked momentarily, and very shortly, but he hoped that would be long enough.
Without single bellowing word of announcement the big brute of an Aeri with a height hands above either of the two, broke from his hiding spot with a jerky turn to the side and a thrundering thud of his round hooves as he too dashed off for the foal. He couldn't help himself however, couldn't help the blood curtling squeal of a gutteral voice that laced his tongue and escaped his throat. With ears pinned to the sides of his skull, and strides that promised to eat up the little figure if it had the chance; Zak plowed forward with no intention of pushing the kid out of the way first.
Oh no, he'd go right through him.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:57 pm
Before she could see him, the mare was on the alert the moment she heard something come crashing through the trees. She didn't need to see who it was, she already knew. There was only one creature who would come barreling into their part of Shrilal. She pinned her ears back and bolted towards the sound, spying Zak a split second later. Tucker was beside the tree, she knew, and she quickly raced forward. Though, she galloped in a half-circle and headed straight for Zak's side. Inwardly she hoped Tucker would have the sense to run, run as fast as his legs could carry him towards where Aitumn was.
And he did. The child had seen his father leave and come back in the same direction and span of trees enough times to know if his daddy wasn't here, he was there, so there he would go. With a frightened whinny the colt danced about in place before bolting away from the frightful scene as fast as his hooves could carry him. Luckily for him, Cress had placed herself smack in between Zak and himself on purpose. If he had stayed, she would have been off to the side, and Zak would have had a clear shot for him. His mother had known he would run, so she had formed a half-circle knowing that Zak would have to go through her first before he would have a chance at reaching Tucker. Neither mother nor son knew when Aitumn would get back, though.
The small colt ruffled his feathered wings, ears pinned back, and he tried his best to avoid any and all objects that would trip him. If he fell, he wouldn't get away as fast. A sudden thought struck him though, so he sucked in a large breath of air before yelling as loud as he possibly could, a cry filled with fear, confusion, and a single shred of hope. "DADDY!!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:13 pm
s**t! He could tell by the length of land between him and the colt he knew he wouldn't make it in time, at least not before feeling a sickly hot p***k of horn into his side. And even than the stupid crossbreed was running in the opposite direction. So, he'd have to deal with the golden wretch first, have to go through her before he could get to Aitumn and the foal. Luckily, he hadn't fought anything before her like last time, for out of the two adults, he saw the Reya as the biggest issue. Aitumn he could knock over with hard blows, since the Jala didn't have a horn to protect him.
"Stupid b*tch!" Cursing as he felt the wind of the blow on his hip and the tip strike his shoulder as his hind quarters flung themselves to the side and towards her charging body. He may have gotten stuck with a horn, but he couldn't imagine having such a large body crash into you was very pleasant either.
The Jala's blood had run cold the moment he heard such a blood-curtling cry carry through the trees, his posture stiffening instantly. There was a chance it was a nothing, but he also knew there was equal chance it was an attack from the green creature. He knew it had to be, for it had come in the direction of his son's tree. In a singular moment that he didn't seem to register at all, his head dropped down to place the basket at his hooves and shot up in mid-stride of walk-jog; which easily turned into a whalloping streak of an earth-eating, sprinting stride as the voice of Tucker echoed soon after the first one. "Set backs," he called to the Reya mare, it was the only thing his mind could think to say in any sort of explanation at a time like this. They were still fairly far away from the tree, but that would mean little to the blood bay streak of a stallion in his practiced sprint; for there was little need to worry about fallen objects with balance such as his.
He didn't have time to look back and see if Rhea was coming or not, didn't check the basket of fruit to make sure it was still where he had put it, just focused his hollow eyes on a white figure ahead of him at a distance; one he could only guess to be Tucker.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:34 pm
The gilded mare knew he would try something with that bulk of his, though she wasn't prepared for actually being knocked into. Despite her efforts she was sent sprawling onto her side, but though she was down, she certainly wasn't out. By the time her head whipped around to notice she'd gotten him across the shoulder again, her muscular tails had shot out, quickly trying to snake around his legs to trip him and hold him back. She heard her son yell for Aitumn and he sounded farther away, which hinted that he was still running, which meant that he was getting as far from here as possible. A sickening, terrible thought crossed her mind that Aitumn might not be there at all, that he might not hear Tucker, and the brute would catch up to the colt before anyone could save him, but she decided that such a thing wouldn't happen, and she bared her teeth and rolled over to try and get up, her tails still trying to wrap themselves tightly around whatever they could get of the brute.
Rhea's ears twitched as she heard the first cry, wondering what in the world it was. She noticed Aitumn put the basket down and her brows furrowed in confusion for a split second before she realized he must have known that voice. Her blood ran cold for a moment as she heard Tucker's voice; she didn't recognize it but as Aitumn went bolting, she assumed it must have been his son and her grandchild. Without a second thought she bolted after him, ears pinned, determined to help with whatever was going on. Speaking of which... "What kind of setbacks are we talking about? What's happened?"
As Tucker rounded a group of trees he spotted a familiar bay figure not too terribly far away, and he lengthened his strides to get there as fast as possible. "Daddy!!" He called, sounding desperate and frightened. His concentration on other things, he didn't notice things on the ground until it was too late, and he was sent sprawling onto the ground. With a frightened squeal he struggled to stand, bolting for Aitumn once more. He didn't know who the white mare beside his father was, but all he knew was his daddy was here and he'd make everything okay. "Daddy help mama!" He shouted when he got closer, ruffling his feathered wings. "Green green thing with mama!" He attempted to explain as he jumped simply in fright-filled excitement, not having a single clue as to what was going on. Why was that green stallion so angry and frightening?
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:55 pm
Had he the vocals for it the stallion would have growled like an threatened Rit, but he had to settle for a shuttering snort from his flared nostrils as not only was one of his legs tripped up by something but he came close to tripping on his own forehooves. It was difficult to move such a body as his, difficult to keep it under control in combat situations, for when you moved hard in one way, it wanted to keep going that way no matter how much you wanted to stop. And even then hooves got tangeled into one another, unable to keep up with the lack of balance and the extreme momentum. At first he stumbled, catching himself on a foreknee as his hind end squirmed and squabled with each other to keep upright. It was all he could do to keep from getting into a desperate situation, where he was down and she was up, and attempted to have his flank fall on her instead of in the other direction. Either way though, the large Aeri was coming down and coming down hard.
It was Tucker. The thought quickly jumped out at him when the poor colt went tumbling down, and even then Aitumn had to slow himself from his suicide speed to keep from running into or passing by the frightened foal. In an instant he was beside his son, an arched neck quickly checking over the little foal as he spoke of green things. He didn't want to leave Tucker, but he didn't want to leave Cress with Zak either. He hadn't bothered to explain to Rhea before, but now that he had stopped assumed she was within hearing range right now. Droppin a thick and feathed wing over the body of Tucker he attempted to calm the boy down as he explained to the other adult.
"A large Aeri setback. To make things short, he holds grudges, attempted to harm me several times before, and has threatened to attack our son while he was still in his fruit. I assume Cress is with him now, and things are not going well", his muscles jostled one another under his taunt blood bay hide. He didn't feel right about leaving Tucker with a relative stranger while he helped Cress, and yet he didn't feel right about asking Rhea to do it herself. In unison his neck arched as a forehoof struck violently out at the ground before him in frustration.
"I hate to ask, but I need you to watch Tucker and keep him safe. Its out of the question to bring him near the Aeri, and if I fail to do so on my end, I'd rather have a horn here to protect him." He said no more to Rhea, but turned a stern but gentle gaze to his son. "Stay with this nice mare until I get back, okay?"
Even then he was pulling his feathered wing away to go stampeding back to the tree with his suicidal strides.
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