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 Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 5:31 pm
 Oh my, my, my was it nice to be out in the cool crisp of the night! Then again, every night was a cool and crisp one as long as it wasn't the freezing cold of winter. Thankfully the the frost was thawing now, and the grass was begining to get more plentiful. And it always tasted so sweet while in the splash of moonlight. To the Reya mare, there was absolutely nothing as splendid as the night time, especially since it marked the begining of dinner time and only mere hours till bedtime. Sleep was wonderful too, she concluded, especially with the dreams of the night and spectacular fruits that she could only wonder and marvel at what kind of taste they would have. Nequus fruit? Heavens no! No one should even begin to wonder what a nequus fruit would taste like, the poor heathens!
Raising her head from cropping at the grass, her lavish curly mane slipping from its place on her neck, she couldn't help but gasp at the unruly strands. "My heavens!" Her voice, as usual, was slow and rose and fell with every new word that left her lips. Such a troubling thing! No problem though, a quick shake of her neck had it put back in its place, a contented sigh heaving from her chest. Much better.
Now what to do, what to do? She could run, but even for a Reya that was a dangerious thing to do at night. Or at least, it was for Dailondra; no doubt the moonlight would get her distracted. Heh, she had enough incidents as a foal to realize that she could not break the spell of such a pale glow. So silver, so wonderful, so cool! With a contented unfurling of her wings she gave them a single flap before settling into a steady moonlit walk back towards the beach. It was nice living on the border between grass and sand, for she simply loved the change of terrains.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:35 pm
 He hadn't been loping along the beach for very long, just enough to keep an eye on the border for the most part, but long enough for the twilight to change into the darkness of night. It was best that he had kept it to a relative lope, for his eyes weren't exactly accustomed to the night scene, and the last thing he wanted to do was run into something. Or possibly someone.
In the time he was on his own, and allowed to fully play out his thoughts, the seething anger that had risen out from the depths of his being had subsided into a cold silence. Darkness in the night, silence all the way up the beach, and seeing nothing but the greyscaled shadows of the terrain. It was perhaps better for him to swallow down his anger, for like what had happened earlier, there was no telling who he might run into out here. Zaknafein? Slim to none, but maybe something who had seen the Aeri brute would be about and willing to give the information? He hoped so, Aitumn could use the insight if Zak happened to be in the area, and it would be good for once to warn his family about it. At which, he would immediatly turn around and charge back to tell them.
With a flick of the stallion's lengthy tail, he slowed his pace down to meger trot. He still thought the slower pace would be best in the darkness of the night. However, as he strode upon the sands, he did happen to spot a dark figure in the darkness. Humm.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:40 pm
Oh golly, the transition between grass and sand always seemed to slip her up every once in awhile. Slippery little devils, those grains of sands were, no doubt! For the darkly patterened Reya mare, the only visable part of her would likely have been the bright orange pumpkin on her side, and the tiny jackolantern smile on her forehead; but normally she allowed her long forelock to cover up the smile, and her leathery wings to hide the pumpkins on her sides. It wouldn't do to be spotted by one of those fierce stallions you always hear about from the girls in D'ob, oh heavens no!
A lady, like Dailondra, shaln't be forced into a fight over meger things, that was a stallion's duty, and his alone. Despite a lady's own skill in fighting, one such as herself shouldn't at all be allowed to dirty her hooves with blood and the like. The horn! Oh don't get her started on the horn. With a prideful toss of her dark head she allowed herself to feel the weight of the weapon upon her forehead. Such a beautiful thing as her horn, and all Reya mare horns, should be marveled at for their potential, but never awe'd over for their blood stains. It just wouldn't do!
With a self-indulgent stride, the Reya mare walked into the rest of the sands, simply delighting in how it squished and shifted under her hooves. Not like the slippery stuff that mixed in with the grasses, no not quite like that. It was much more pleasant, and Dailondra easily set out at an easy pace. The night was hers, the cool silence of the darkness only hers to delight in on such a beach as this.
That is, until her gaze spotted that dark figure from up ahead off to the left a bit. Stopping in her tracks, and giving a bit of a huffy sigh, she watched as it began to approach. One of those stallions looking for fights no doubt. "I dare say! Can't a lady get any peace on this beach without being bugged on by angst?" Again her voice retained its slow curve, rising and falling with nearly every word.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:02 pm
Despite hardly being able to see out in the darkness, it really didn’t mess with his sense of hearing. As such, he pricked his ears at the seemingly displeased sigh of the figure ahead of him; and luckily it was the voice of a mare that reached his ears rather than that of Zak. Lucky, for Aitumn was at a disadvantage, hardly ever being out at night, and quite assured that a run in with the big green brute wouldn’t have done him too much good at the moment. Especially since Zaknafein was intent on fighting. Always fighting, never talking or explaining.
That itself posed a problem for the blood bay, he needed information from the Aeri, but getting it would prove to be very difficult indeed. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it though, Aitumn was still on the first leg of his adventure, and was in need of the Aeri’s location first. ”Didn’t mean to bother”, he replied to the dark figure ahead of him, slowing to a slow walk as he did, so as not to give any reason for ill-intention. Really, he didn’t need to be getting into physical fights after just recovering from an injury.
He was certain she was a fair amount smaller than himself, but quite more muscular. Almost Aeri like, but she would have been terribly small for an Aeri. Reya than? More then likely that was it, but he’d ponder over such things when he had the time and the luxary to do so. ”Would I be able to inquire a question or two?” Best ask that first, no need to be rude or sound desperate; no matter how desperate he was.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:29 pm
At first he did seem fairly polite about appearing out of nowhere, and thusly bothering her sight of the pale moonlit sands. The bugger. But, the figure was, after all, a stallion as she thought he had been. Stallions usually weren’t to be trusted in politeness, they were fighters as her father and brother had been, and as they were suppose to be. As such there was no reason to believe that this one wasn’t either. Well then, best to make it known that she herself was a lady, and would have much to do of nothing when it came to challenges and battles. ”Beg’pardon sir, but I shall say this up front. I, obviously, am a lady, and I would much prefer not to be dragged into one of your petty clashes of hooves and teeth. Such barbaric practice, to even think myself to join in on it!” That ought to set him straight.
Fully supported by her small figure, around 14h “2 hands she would have guessed, but any little give and take was probably necissary for the correct number, she certainly wasn’t fit to battle stallions. This one though, now that he came closer and she got a good look at him, was much thinner than her brave Reya men. As long as she didn’t participate in their battles, they were a fine thing to watch! Indeed, taking pleasure in the ideals of stallions and their brutishness towards each other, often times she would even venture out a flirtatious branch to the victor. As said before though, this fellow was not Reya, and so she stayed practiced to the idea that there was particularly nothing to worry about.
And so, the darkly colored Reya gave him an inquisitive look as she stepped closer to close the gap between them, and discovered that he was in fact of the Jala breed. Hum, well, Jala weren’t all that bad. Not at all. Certainly better than Ichsa or Bae, as for Aeri... well that depended. Aeri were a strong sort, and she often times took pleasure in watching the strong.
”Sure, Sug. Any question that I may be able to answer.” It wasn’t bad to help every once in awhile, was it? And oh dear, how she enjoyed helping!
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 5:51 pm
”Noted.” He had no intentions of bringing her into a fight, but the fact she had brought that up in such an accusing manner sort of irked the blood bay stallion. Had he no business to attend to this certainly would have been an issue to address, and no doubt an argument between the stubborn. If you could call it an argument, Aitumn really didn’t like such conflict as that. Either speak calmly, or resolve your issues through a good brawl. One way or another, it was right down to business for the Jala stallion, and that’s how he whole-heartedly thought on the issue. Especially not right now. He needed his information, then he needed to get out of here either in search of the green devil or to head back to Cressida, Rhea, and Tucker to sleep for the rest of the night. He certainly didn’t want to miss the little play date with Mecriana, surely it would be a good sight to see.
To her other inquirement, he gave a bob of his sleek head and pricked his ears in her direction. ”I am searching for a fairly large Aeri stallion by the name of Zaknafein. Green with swirls, and as far as I can tell a poor temper. If you have possibly seen him around, it would be a great help to me if you said so.” No, there would be no forcing of the information from anyone he happened to meet on such journies as this. However, if she had no desire to speak to him about it, than there was no reason to keep the encounter going for much longer. Aitumn would not waste time, not with so very little he had at his dispossal.
Still, he had to hope she had seen at least something of Zak, anything that could possibly help him out a bit. And if she did know of Zak? Would he be near the beach? Headed towards his family? The thought that the brute might already be headed in that direction sent a shutter down the Jala stallion’s spine. He didn’t like that thought one bit, not one little bit. If that was the case, if the Reya mare happened to disclose such bad news, there was no doubt that Aitumn would go tearing off in that direction; ignoring all safety in the sand and the possible injury that might ensue from galloping off into the hoof-sucking substance.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:13 pm
That was all he had to say to that? Did he even take her seriously on the account. Well then, her dark ears swiveled back a little bit as her head tossed proudly once again; thoroughly loosening the grip her mane had on her neck and leaving it in an unruly manner. Bother! A quick shake of her head had it set to the correct place once again, and hte Reya mare returned her attention to the Jala boy. The unnamed Jala boy, she realized. Such an ungreatful little-
And there he went on to state his question or whatever it was he wanted to inquire about. She half expected him to challenge her just for the fact she possessed the horn of the Reya; since you know 'all Reya love to fight'. Pfft. Ladies did not fight, and they did not dirty their horns with another's blood. It was simply off-setting and horrible to think about.
So, he was looking for a green aeri? A large Aeri. Not like you didn't see a bunch of those lying around, right? A roll of her eyes, for luckily it was night and she suspected he could not see very well in such darkness, and she half felt like turning and leaving right there. Nope. That wasn't her though. She needed to give some sort of explanation. "Deary-boy, sorry to say I've seen no one of that describtion here on this part of the beach. Not a single green aeri, despite how common the color. I did perhaps see a green beetle, and a bird. Don't suppose those interest you?" Yes, she was poking fun at the poor thing, but only because he seemed to be one those stallions that would take it and leave her alone afterwards. Humph. The nerve of such a fellow, Jala even, and he didn't bother to inquire about her name, or of a lady's status, or how her day went, or-
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:40 pm
And that was where the stallion stopped her, simply with a harsh quirk of his muzzle and raising of his head in her direction, sharply flicking his ears back for but a moment before fully perking them in her direction again. It was a way of demanding without words, for Aitumn had fully embraced such forms of communication during his life. You see, he preferred not to speak most of the time, and he had learned quite efficently to use his body for other Nequus; whether or not they understood it he would do it. Luckily, she seemed to get the idea.
"I have no time to waste, and I would prefer not to dwindle into petty arguments and witty returns." That was all. He had nothing against Reya, heck he seemed to love a certain golden one, but this mare had chosen the wrong day and the wrong nerve to jump on to. Without further degree of aggitation, however set into a poor mood after that, the blood bay Jala promptly stepped the rest of the way forward with full intentions of leaving her where she was. With his family in the balance, Aitumn would take no guff.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:32 pm
Oh dear, she'd said too much. Dailondra, though it was her intention to be sarcastic, didn't quite expect such a serious reaction from the Jala stallion. Normally a witty rebuttle would have been suitable, if not an emotional snap back- for stallions were very quick to anger she had noticed- but not such unspoken words as that. She imagined it would have been something to the effect of what he said, although much more harshly than the stallion's actual words. Which she was thankful for, as her ears were already twisted back in a sort of horror or shock.
Leave her company? With no other chances of conversation or even a show of strength to woe? At least in a fliratious manner! Well, she didn't like this one bit, not at all, and as such she quickly trotted out to block the Jala's path, voice quickened slightly in a sort of false concern; however she knew it would have been difficult to detect due to her slow accent. "Oh I didn't mean anything by it, hun. Jus mare talk is all." And indeed it was mare talk, for she had expected some sort of reaction from him. At least a little one.
Thinking quickly she continued onward, "I may not know of such a creature, however I can take you to someone who does. Oh but he's a nasty thing, vile and ugly too. I doubt he'll willing help." The more she talked the more she began to weave an intrict web of ideas. She had known of another Jala stallion that walked the beaches of Quirne, and had seen him several times from a distance. Ugly Jala, terrible and foul in his looks. Feathers on his neck, beak on his muzzle, and very strange forehooves that had looked cracked at a distance. Perhas... just perhaps, she could get this blood bay to be ridden of him for her.
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:11 am
He would have done well to remind her of his need to waste no time, but surely enough she seemed to explain things quicker than he could push them away. 'Mare talk' as it was called, could very likely cause him to be later on his errand than he already was in the first place, stopping to talk to her. Though that was the chance you took for talking to strangers, they may or may not have any information at all, but its always good to come out and ask them just in case the opposite was in effect. How lucky he would have been if that was indeed so. Unfortunatly, it just wasn't.
And then his ears twisted forwards once more as she spoke again. No, it wasn't her who knew something, but someone else she knew off? However, Aitumn didn't quite like the tone of voice, nor did he particuliarly care for the words themselves. "If the information will not be given willingly, than it is not my job to pry it out." And that was exactly what the blood bay felt about it. Oh no, it was not his job to pry any information out of strangers, and quite frankly he sort of doubted the Reya mare's trustworthiness.
As it was so, the blood bay Jala stallion moved off to the side once more with full intentions of leaving her once again. However this time it was a thought at the back of his mind that got him stop, rather than the darkly colored creature before him. Whatever this 'someone' knew exactly where Zaknafein was? What if it knew, or rather had seen, Zak traveling the beach earlier to get to some remote part, or rather towards Cressida and Tucker? He bothered him, quite a bit, if he would leave one stone unturned in his search for information, when that very stone could likely hold the answer. Slowly, he craned his wary gaze back over to the dark Reya. "Perhaps he would cooperate..."
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 4:25 am
Oh, darn it all, he wasn't taking any of the bait she laid out before him. She knew from her life watching and dealing with stallions, that an intice to a fight would have certainly grabbed their attention. Yet, this was a Jala stallion, not a Reya, and perhaps they were different somehow. Pity. She didn't quite like that thought right there and so she modified it slightly: perhaps this one stallion was different. A freak, a softie, and therefore not worthy of the title. She might have asked him about it, but she was happy with her little thoughts right there. Little pansy, unworthy stallion, not fit for battle and surely never tried in it. It made her head raise all the more in pride. She was Reya, she could fight and fight well, but she wouldn't. There was a difference.
About to walk off herself, he happened to say something else, giving her a wary gaze as he did so. Humph, trying to hide his desire to fight for it, poor little twit. Well, she'd was sure the moment she saw the ugly Jala he'd feel the same way, and as such she'd still be rid of it. Such a sight, just downgraded the quality of the beach, complerely and and utterly ruined the sights of her moonlit walks. She had seen him, several times during the evening when she first awoke, that the ugly fellow actually ate fish. Disgusting!
"I'm sure if you're persuasive enough he will. Just positive", she told him, the still nameless stallion. Ugh, she had no problem calling him boy or Sug, or Hun, but that was not proper, and someone needed to teach him some manners. "By the way, I'm Dailondra. It would be the proper thing to exchange names", as she spoke her muzzle tipped itself upwards and towards the side a bit. Heh, let that sink in.
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:37 pm
He honestly had difficultly believing anything she said to him, whether it be sheer mistrust of the individual, or if it was the way her voice was so slow and curving. Whatever it was, Aitumn got a feeling of being misled, and it would not do to whole-heartedly take in what she said. That, and it was still night out, and he was unable to judge her features as he would have liked to do. She seemed to need such treatment after all. Dark figures in the night often did he supposed. Or perhaps that was a bit too biased for the blood bay, who did not often travel under the veil of eternal shadows.
And then her name echoed into his concious, and quite frankly he had to swallow down a severe tongue that would have spat its opinion of 'properness' in a time like this. Aitumn was not a rude nequus, and he would not begin now despite how sorely Dailondra seemed to deserve it. He needed her right now, to show him the way to the other nequus so he may at least ask his question. That was all however, Aitumn still would not force it out of another individual. "Aitumn. If you would please, I would like to be shone the way."
Despite himself he couldn't withould a sort of dark charm to his voice, that came from withholding and swallowing his venomous words. Let her take it as she willed, he doubted she'd notice the difference between genuine pleasantness and a false one.
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 1:45 pm
"Now you see, that wasn't so hard now was it, Sug?" he didn't seem about ready to strike her strike her down or anything, luckily. He had been so serious before, it was good to know the stallion was finally settling into a more pleasant atmosphere. Although she still thought him a panzy compared to all the other stallions she had goaded into doing her whims. Slow brutes they were, not worthy of a single thought beyond flirtations. No intellegence in their little minds, no conversation worth having. Silly little twits, too bad this one wasn't even good for a show of strength.
"Now Darlin', before be off on our way I simply must take a stroll on the beach. Surely you have nothing of more importance to do other than find that silly... oh whatever it was. Walk with me-" before she was even allowed to finish her thoughts a glance at the stallion Jala had her frozen in place. "O-or we could leave now. Yes, that's a good idea as well." Without another look back, the pumpkin Reya was moving off at a quick trot to show him the way to the ugly Jala stallion she needed him to be rid of.
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:15 pm
Oh Aitumn hardly knew the words to respond to such mockery, a feature he despised most among meetings with other nequus. Words, after all, escaped him most of the time so it was a natural thing to do to react in the ways of the body. Most nequus, he noticed, paid attention to their ears and eyes the most; but that hardly summed up the body language they were capable of. The body language Aitumn learned to use almost as fully as others did words.
A tyranical, for it literally demanded the other's attention with such a swift and unforseen movement, thrust of his chin towards his chest, and neck no longer arched on on a graceful curve, but rather with authority. He would not be talked down to, he would not allow himself to be treated as a lesser importance; and that was just the begining of his communications. Ears did not pin themselves in the manner of threat or driving away, but perked forward in open challenge to said authority. Nostrils flared silently in the darkness, a lengthy tail flicked in resistance, and feathered wings partially unfurled themselves against his sides. he did not like Dailondra, could barely stand to be near her, but as she moved off at a trot along the beach to show him the way, Aitumn followed after with strides that struck the sands.
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 2:24 pm
The very nerve of this blood bay, this Jala, this Aitumn! She wouldn't have allowed herself to be moved from her plans, but she was a lady. With her authority ripped away and thrust out in the open to be challenged against; it was insane! It was asine! She could have snatched it away, easily she could have accepted such a challenge, but it was not proper for one such as her. No, she manipulated, flirted, and coaxed with firm decisions to get what she wanted. Frivolous tom-boys broke the code of the Lady, becoming as stupid and idiotic as stallions. The whim to fight was a horrible one and not suitable for those of proper breeding.
It crossed her mind she should have led him around in a cricle, several long time-consuming circles, before she brought him to the resting place of the ugly Jala freak. Then the stricking hooves behind her caught her attention, and she knew Mr. Serious had returned again. bugger. Whatever it was he had been looking fore, since she forgot such worthless information, it must have been important to him. Silly thing, importanace. One simply needed 'the now' to survive and be happy. When more people realized this the better.
As it was, the dark Reya simply strode on in silence, muscular tails wriggling around each other in a nervous manner. "Not too far now, Sug." Hopefully, anyway. The quicker she got rid of the both of them the better.
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