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 Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:21 am
Undine smiled slightly to herself as she cropped at the grass underhoof. First there were the ever-present challenges of her job, and of staying on top of all the other tacticians wherever she could, then there had been the unexpected arrival of her two young daughters and seemingly no sooner had she got settled back into her routine, Dahak went and reveal to all and sundry that he was a Shaman. Well, she was glad of that she supposed; certainly explained why the boy had always kept to himself so much, she did recall telling him when he was very small never to reveal an unfinished plan.
Chuckling to herself, the blue and white mare took another step forward and nibbled at a new patch of grass. Life never seemed to get dull these days, in fact she didn’t think she’d had one or two boring moments since her encounter with that dead Reya had thrown her together with Xla and resulted in her first three children. Yes, life had definitely changed for the better. She would never have taken the time out form her work to find a mate of her own accord, and even if she had she wouldn’t have found Xla. Not only did she love him, but being mated to him had also brought great advantage in life for her children and even for herself.
It did however, as she had noted many a time, make her very busy. Suddenly, everybody seemed to want a moment of her time for something or other.
Still, here and now she was enjoying a rare moment of peace. Perhaps she might even go and seek out one of her children or Xla for some casual talk, goodness knew if she didn’t somebody would turn up needing her to do something for them in the not too distant future.
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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:24 am
Xerris was surprised to find her mother grazing alone instead of surrounded by nequus, all talking and vying for her attention. But the brindled-blue filly wasn't about to waste the chance to spend some time with her mother, the brilliant tactician of the Katilenuck and mate of the royal advisor to the Queen.
Starry-eyed with admiration, and a deeply buried desire to surpass the mare, Xerris trotted up to the older female, her smiling face hiding what was going on in her mind.
"Hullo ute," she greeted warmly, stopping in front of Undine, flexing her wings and then setting them back to her sides with an audible snap.
"No crises to avert today?" the filly added cheekily. She would never consider following in her mother's hoofprints; Jala knew she didn't have the brains for being a tactician. Dahak's way seemed more her style but she couldn't very well just copy him. No, Xerris would make a name for herself. It was just the how of it that needed to be worked out...
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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:03 am
Undine looked up as her daughter approached, her smile broadening to a grin as she took in the rich blue coat and the red-tipped mane. Cheeky.
“Not just now, Xerris mimila. How are you today?” So, she didn’t have to go ff hunting for one of other of her family after all; that was good. Sometimes they could be remarkably difficult to locate, and usually when she wanted to speak with one of them urgently.
Still today fortune really was being kind to her.
As Xerris had said, the world didn’t seem to be coming down around their ears, the weather was pleasant, the grass good, and the very thing she had been about to go and look for had come to her, namely conversation.
Ever a mild skeptic, Undine wondered how and when she would pay for this run of luck, or if perhaps she already had with some terrible day or other, but the yellow-eyed mare decided not to let these wonderings bother her. For now, things were good and she might as well make the most of that.
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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:09 pm
At first Xerris was so involved in her own inner ramblings that her mother's question didn't quite register. But then it finally clicked, making the filly smile again.
"I'm just fine, thank you. Very nice day; good for thinking," she replied casually then dipped her head for a moment to snatch up a mouthful of grass. Politely, she finished chewing and swallowed before she spoke again.
"I was doing just that when I saw you out here all by yourself. Odd to see you without all the hangers-on but a 'nice surprise' sort of odd," Xerris continued, looking up into Undine's yellow eyes. Then she sobered some and tilted her head ever so slightly to the left.
"What's it like to be so important a herd member? You know, besides all the pressure and such."
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 10:05 am
Undine nodded to her daughter’s words about her usual state of busyness and had been about to make some comment on the matter when Xerris spoke again.
The blue and white mare frowned thoughtfully at the question. What was it like? She’d never really stopped to think about it too much before, been too busy doing it. “Well, as you say there’s the pressure of course,” the tall mare said with a nod, “but it’s...” the tactician paused again for a moment before making eye-contact with her daughter once more. “I am proud to do what I do,” she said eventually, “to make a difference to the herd, to serve our Queen and to direct the soldiers into protecting these lands and all those who live here... Why do you ask, Xerris?”
Was she ambitious? Goodness knew she wouldn’t mind another ambitious child; she seemed to have so few. There was Zara, following in her hoofprints, Dahak with his magic.. but that was it, really. Perhaps Xerris too would wish to become a tactician; though she was no genius the filly was brighter than average and back that up with good common sense, she could do well... Or perhaps she would be a teacher, or become a doctor and assist her brother. Still, doubtless she would soon find out, unless Xerris planned to be secretive about it all.
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:34 pm
Xerris thought briefly about spilling her secrets to her mother and revealing her desire to make her name one every Katilenuck would know. But hadn't Undine said before that it was unwise to reveal a plan before its completion?
"Just curiosity, I suppose," she answered evasively, casually, even though she knew her mother would see through the ruse. Undine had not become tactician by being dense.
"It sounds wonderful despite the pressures. I wish to be like you and trie someday, ute. I want to serve the Queen to the best of my ability and make a difference, mean something to the herd," she said passionately, the sparks behind her eyes flaring into burning flames. Xerris was most definitely ambitious..
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:35 pm
So. Another secret keeper, eh? She herself didn’t mind too much, though the lack of trust was a shade insulting she understood the desire to keep your plans quiet until they were ready and indeed a large part of her approved of that way of thinking. Her mate, however, she knew, would not be impressed in the least.
He’d taken Dahak’s secrecy over his Shamanism hard enough, having another child keep ambitions hidden from him would make the Advisor excessively displeased. Still, it was not her place to tell her daughter that. If Xerris couldn’t work it out for herself and decide that maybe she wanted to share after all, Undine wasn’t going to let her know that she might be earning her sire’s eternal contempt by her actions.
“I see,” the yellow-eyed mare said after a moment with a sight smile, “curiosity, of course, is always a good thing... And I’m sure that when you’re grown you will find your way of serving herd and Queen... whatever that way may be.”
There, she knew Xerris was keeping something back, and Xerries ought to now know that she knew. If not, well, she’d have overestimated her daughter was all. Hoping that this was not the case, the paint mare stretched her wings luxuriantly before settling them back by her flanks.
“So,” she looked down at her blue-coated child and smiled, “has anything interesting happened to you today mimila?” If she wasn’t going to find out the filly’s secret plan or plans, she might at least find out how life was treating her child in general.
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Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:11 pm
Xerris raised an eyebrow at her mother's promptings then she smiled and caved slightly, moving to butt her face up against her mother's strong neck. It couldn't hurt to share a sliver of the truth..
"I'm not sure what that way is yet," she told Undine honestly, giving the mare a sheepish look. Sure, she talked big. But could she accomplish her goals if she didn't know what exactly they were?
"I'd like to talk with Dahak about his abilities. If I'm capable of it, I think I'd serve best if I could cultivate some sort of magic talent. But it'd be just as satisfying to teach the young or assist Dahak in healing," she trailed off then stretched her wings in the nequus equivalent of a shrug.
"As for that last bit.. well, talking with you is interesting," she informed her mother brightly, lifting and twitching her ears.
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Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:00 am
...Yep, Xal was going to burst a blood-vessel. More children interested in magic. The blue and white mare quirked a smile at Xerris and nudged her back. “Well, I’m sure he’ll be happy to tell you anything he can; he’s probably be up in that herb-patch he’s having made up to his liking... I could take you there, if you like. I’m not doing much else right now as you see and while a bit of peace and quiet is nice, before long I don’t know what to do with myself.”
Though Xla might disapprove of magic, the tall tactician had no such qualms. If it served the herd, it was almost certainly a good thing in her amber-brown eyes. Besides, so far as she knew from the little her son had said to her on the matter magic was something that either showed itself in you or didn’t. Her taking Xerris to speak to the tri-coloured young stallion wouldn’t make her any more or less likely to develop such talents, but if she ever did she might well be better equipped to deal with them.
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:04 am
"Oh yes, thank you ute. I would like that very much," Xerris confirmed, suddenly excited. Talking with her brother would definitely be a big help to her. And, even if he couldn't help her find her magic, he could still teach her herblore..
But her eager thoughts ground to a halt. She knew how her father felt about the whole magic business and that he didn't approve of secret keeping. She might not be the brightest star in the sky but she wasn't blind nor was her father particularly difficult to read.
"Ute, I'd also like to go speak with trie," she said, prefering to use the more formal title even around family members. He was the Royal Advisor and deserved, like her mother, the utmost respect.
"I'd like to discuss my ideas with him, too. I don't want to make hasty decisions. They generally lead to mistakes."
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Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:34 am
Undine nodded her approval of this sentiment, clearly she’d taught her daughter at least something, and set off at a walk that Xerris’ small legs would easily be able to match. “That sounds like a good plan,” she said after a moment, “your father will appreciate it, I’m sure.”
Well, she wasn’t actually, but he’d be decidedly less infuriated if she was honest and open rather than shut in as Dahak had been. Still. A second one into magic... and one going looking for it what was more.
Oh dear.
Well, nothing she could do about it really, but perhaps she would warn Xerris before she spoke to Xla or something.
Shaking her head internally, Undine headed on towards her magic-using son’s herd patch; it wasn’t too far now and indeed a stray gust of wind carried the scent of blossom to the tacticians nostrils. So, he’d got a few plants in already had he? Efficient, she had to admit.
It was only a moment or two after she had caught the scent that the slight shape of Dahak came into view. There was less muscle on that boy than there was on her, and she was far from the most built Jala ever. Sometimes she thought that boy got so caught up in his work that he forgot to eat... But she wouldn’t ask him if he was; he was a grown stallion now and wouldn’t welcome the coddling. He could take care of himself.
A short distance from the as yet mostly bare earth, Undine halted and watched her son watch a fluffy patch of cloud overhead. It wasn’t her meeting after all, and Xerris was by far old enough to speak up for herself, especially to one of her own siblings.
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Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:13 pm
Xerris didn't need any warnings; she knew that she'd most likely meet with her father's disapproval. But it was a risk she had to take. Sometimes without risk there is no success.
While she thought these things, she walked alongside her mother, comfortable in the silence; comfortable just being near the older female. The tactician was a solid rock, a foundation, and Xerris intended to use her confidence to bolster her own. But she wouldn't depend on her or her status to make it in the world. She'd be a legend, her name would be known by every Katilenuck and perhaps whispered about among the Reya...
Caught up in thinking, she hardly noticed the passage of time but, unconsciously, she'd noticed her mother stop and came to a halt herself. Snapping back to reality, she scanned her surroundings.
There, there was her brother. Taking the hint that she was supposed to go on alone, Xerris bowed to her mother and thanked the mare for her help before she turned around and took off running toward her sibling, taking leaping bounds and then gliding for short distances.
"Dahak-waru!" she called, alerting him to her presence well before she reached his side. Sneaking up on others was not her way.
"Lovely day, isn't it? And your herb garden is coming along quite nicely," she observed, trotting the last few feet to the stallion. Normally, she wouldn't bother with such small talk. Instead, she would get straight to the point. But, for once in her as yet fairly short life, she felt..nervous. What if he thought she was a fool for wanting to learn about magic?
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:28 am
Exchanging a brief smile with her son, Undine moved a little way away from the patch of flourishing plants. Interesting as she suspected the conversation would be, she wasn’t really a part of it and had no desire to intrude upon it. Still, the paint mare came to a halt at a still visible spot with a decent view, she might as well remain nearby. That way if she was needed, she could be called to. Oh, and then there was the fact that she’d also picked a visible spot, so if the world started falling apart whoever was looking for her to tell her to fix it would be able to spot her with ease. Until either the pair were done, or until she was called away, the Jala mare was content to just stand in the sun and doze.
The Shaman turned around at the familiar voice and gave a smile first to his mother and then to his sister. “Xerris waru,” he acknowledged with a nod, moving a little closer to the filly and bending his head down to nudge at her shoulder. “It certainly is a nice day,” he went on, raising his head once more to look above himself at the blue sky, “and thank you, I’m rather pleased with it myself.” Smiling to himself, the tall Nequus lowered his gaze to inspect his collection of useful plants. He was rather pleased with them himself, and it was always good to hear that others approved of his efforts too.
“Now,” the tall Jala made eye-contact with his sibling once more, “what can I do for you today, waru?” Very seldom did one of his family seek him out while he was working, though that might just be a habit left over from the days when he made himself un-findable in order to practice his magic in peace... Still, whatever the reason for their habit of letting him to himself until he considered his day’s work done, Xerris and indeed his mother had broken that habit, but the tactician had not remain within earshot. It must be his sister, therefore, that wanted or needed something from him... And what could she possibly want that she couldn’t ask of another?... Interesting.
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Posted: Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:18 pm
"Well," Xerris began uncertainly, not precisely sure how to broach the subject. And by now her nervousness was just about to explode into full-blown panic. But as that thought occurred to her, her naturally confident personality reasserted itself.
Straightening, she faced her brother squarely, her blue eyes on his. He looked different now. It wasn't that he had filled out. Far from it. He was still rather skinny and feminine, almost petite. But there was an impressive quality about him all the same.
"Dahak-waru," she began again then paused and smiled, an expression both contrite and mischievous.
"Shaman Dahak, will you please tell me about your gift?" she finally asked, thinking as the last word left her mouth that it was a very apt description of his powers. Surely his shamanism was a gift from Jala herself.
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Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:00 am
The tall stallion raised his brows, more than a little surprised by the question. Until now, he had believed that most of his family was either indifferent to his powers, cared only that he had them and used them right, or actually disliked them. Still, it was a nice surprise he had to say.
“Certainly,” Dahak said with a smile and a nod to his sibling, “what is it you want to know? Anything in particular?” Gods knew if she didn’t at least give him a place to start he’d end up rambling on about things she hadn’t come to find out about; Xerris probably wouldn’t appreciated too much useless information at least at first.
Perhaps once he’d answered any specific question she had as best he could he could go on about general things for a while but, at first, it was definitely best to be clued into her area of interest... And her motivation for asking at all come to that.
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