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 Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 12:13 pm
 Catching her reflection in the water's surface, Ayelen paused, realizing that she had gone from the forest to the unfamiliar side of a large, glistening lake. It stretched for some distance, surrounded by a thick, pine forest that she had previously been wandering thorough. It seemed that she did a lot of that lately; her children had grown and moved out on their own, and she had no one now to shade under her wings and protect when night fell.
Lowering her nose to the cool, clear surface, the wind mare took several long draws from the lake, the water soothing as it rolled down her throat. Lifting her cranium once more, her eyes gazed about her, searching for something, anything to catch and hold her interest. Something... something familiar would be nice, though.
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Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:53 pm
 Gethin had been late in rising this morning, luxuriating in how he could actually sleep as late as he wanted these days. The three boisterous foals who would tackle him and stuff things in his meticulously kept braids (Hmph! The very idea!) were out in the world, and life had certainly slowed to a more reasonable level. There was a time he'd have been happy to see the last of them. But now...
It was quiet. Too quiet. Obviously this was because the little wretches were planning something devious, and at any moment they'd leap out from the bushes and jump him- Except... they weren't here. They'd grown up and gone, hadn't they? But the stallion couldn't help his unexpected feelings of unease.
Ayelen would know was the matter with him. Of course. So reassured and with a little of his jaunty confidence returned, he set off to find her.
Of course, aside from a vague memory of half-waking up to find his mate slipping through the trees in a different direction from normal, he didn't really know where she was... Half an hour of blundering about in the forest ensued, until quite suddenly the trees fell away- and the ground, too. He was in the water, thrashing mightily and sending up great gouts of water from his flailing hooves.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:06 am
Lost in her own thoughts for the moment, Ayelen nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sudden splash of water, feathered wings splaying out defensively as she surveyed what had appeared. Recognizing the dark-hued stallion thrashing about, her muscles relaxed, a softly amused expression falling across her face.
"Gethin, dear," she crooned to him, hopefully loud enough that he would hear over the sound of water, "What on earth are you doing?" She had left him sleeping when the idea to go and wander a bit had hit her, and hadn't even thought that he would wake and follow her himself. She smiled softly, somewhat glad at the moment that the foals they had once been busy shepherding about were grown and off on their own. For at this moment, for the first time in a while, she realized that she could relax.
Well, partially. The stallion was still flailing about, sending more than a few rushes of water onto her, soaking her to the bone. Shying away from the lakeside, she ruffled her feathers, now beginning to stick to her sides and each other.
It seemed to her that he was the biggest child of all sometimes. Not that she minded, of course; she wouldn't have him any other way. The thought itself made her snort softly, ears pricked towards him as she waited for him to pull himself from what had, previously, been quiet, placid waters.
Oh, what a morning.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:54 am
Gethin did indeed catch the voice, or at least enough of it to look over and recognize the very mare he had been looking for standing on the shore. "Help me!" he whinnied, still trying to stay afloat. "I can't sw-! Oh."
He stood up. The water didn't quite reach his withers. "Erm... Hello, Ayelen." The stallion tried a suave grin, which was somewhat diminished by the fact that his braids were in total disarray and water still streamed off his muzzle. "Nice day, isn't it? Fancy meeting you here." He sauntered oh-so-casually back onto the bank, shooting glares at the water when he thought she wouldn't notice. Undoubtedly he'd have an apoplectic fit when he finally did notice the greenish-brown mud that streaked his legs and tail, and the pond weed that had somehow gotten tangled in his dreamcatcher. Even now, when he was more-or-less permanently attached to a certain beauty, Gethin was still a bit vain about his appearance.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 11:34 am
Ayelen let out a soft laugh, a content smile crossing her lips as Gethin pulled himself from the water. Yes, he was the child. Spreading her wet wings out a bit, she stepped over closer to him, reaching out her muzzle to gently nose at his dripping cheek. "Indeed," she replied, "It's about time you finally woke up, isn't it?" She herself would never be able to understand just how he had managed to sleep in as long as he did; perhaps the exhaustion that the three little foals had brought upon him finally had hit.
Pushing some of his braids back into place, the wind mare giggled softly, pulling out a few pieces of seaweed from his mane. She couldn't care how messy he looked; she knew telling him that wouldn't help, he was just going to be the way he was. "Yes quite a nice day," she added, "Some would say that it's a great day for a swim, but it looks like you've already figured that out." Smiling lightly, she looked up at him, her won version of a suave expression crossing her face.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:09 pm
Well, he supposed it was very nearly worthwhile, to have made Ayelen laugh. He never got tired of that sound, or of the sight of her pale wings spread, water droplets catching the light... Hah. There he was again. Gethin used to laugh to himself whenever he caught some idiot stallion behaving like that. But by now he'd long since given up any self-delusions of not being in love, for better or for worse. Or most of them, anyway.
The dark stallion circled around her, nibbling at her long dark mane affectionately. "Hmph. I just thought I'd give you a head start, that's all. Speaking of which, since when has there been a lake here?" He frowned at the surrounding woods and sky as if expecting some industrious lake-makers to be hiding just out of sight.
"Now you're making fun of me again." Gethin mock-pouted at her, beads clicking as he shook his head. "I was just testing the water for you, my dear. And I think..." She was between him and the lake now. Suddenly he grinned mischievously and shoved, hoping to knock her into the water with his larger bulk. "...It's just the right temperature."
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 2:51 pm
Shaking her mane lightly in a play-attempt to get the stallion off of it, Ayelen let out a soft laugh, ears moving to listen as he circled her. Those were the moments she loved; the ones when he let down his stubborn guard and showed a softer side, if only for a moment. "It's always been here, dear," she answered, amused at his antics, "We just usually don't travel in this direction." True, true; this was probably the first time they had come this way.
She listened to his talk of the water, eyes suddenly going wide. Before she could move, he collided against her, sending her lighter body quite easily into the water. Struggling for a minute, she brought herself back to her feet, pushing her way closer to the shoreline where it was easier to stand.
"Gethin!" she called, blowing water from her nose, "What was that for?" she flapped her wings the best she could, the once soft and dry feathers now heavy with water. Her mane and tail drifted about like strange, tendril like weeds, floating atop the water around her.
"You better come in here, you," she stated, narrowing her eyes, "You're wet already, it won't do you any harm. That is, unless you're afraid~"
Ohhh... still a child at heart; the both of them.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:59 pm
"Well, a lake's got no business being here where innocent Soquili can fall into it," he muttered, a jaunty flick of his tail betraying that he wasn't entirely serious.
With eminent satisfaction, the stallion saw his tactics had succeeded. "Because I love you?" he chuckled, then stopped, slightly taken aback. He wasn't entirely sure that he had admitted that out loud before. She knew it, he knew it, so why bother? Anyway... "Afraid? Me? I am Gethin the mighty and powerful!" said mighty-and-powerful being declaimed, puffing out his chest dramatically. "I fear not man nor beast, and certainly not getting a little wet!" But he remained on the shore, grinning like the tease he was.
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Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:48 pm
Pulling herself a bit farther, Ayelen managed to get herself on shore, shaking out her wings in a spray of water.
"Oh?" she inquired, stepping back over to him. She reached out her wet muzzle gently latching on to one of his dripping braids. "That's good to know." She smiled amusedly and tugged on the thing, a playful attempt to drag him back into the water. The mare hadn't expected him to outrightly say it; but either way, she knew it was true.
She laughed at his proclamation, shimmering pelt glistening as it shifted. "Mighty and powerful? Then get in the water!" She nosed at his neck, pushing him teasingly. "You have to prove yourself if you're going to run around saying things like that, silly."
Not that he needed to; she knew herself that he was everything he said. Whether or not he was showing off and exaggerating, well; that was another story. Either way, she loved him all the same.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 12:49 pm
"You should've known it already. Do I have to spell everything out for you?" But the words came out softer than he'd expected, and he had to cough loudly to clear his throat all of a sudden. Why did she still do that to him, after all this time? It wasn't fair - he was supposed to be the one doing that! Caught off guard for the moment, he answered without thinking. "Okay then, I will." Before he had a chance to regret doing so, he was in the water yet again and contemplating the vast shining expanse before him.
"Hmph." He took a step. "Afraid." Another step. "The very idea!" The water lapped around his knees now, his hooves sinking deep into the clinging mud beneath its surface. He just didn't like getting wet in front of women, that was all; it completely ruined his image to be spluttering and dripping like a drowned rat. He was wet already, though, and so was Ayelen, and it was Ayelen who was challenging him now, not just his flirt of the moment. She wouldn't be easy to distract.
"See!" He stopped where his belly was just brushing the surface, turned to look back at her with his red eyes glinting teasingly. "Now, if the winged Lady would be so kind as to join me, I will show her how we mighty and powerful beasts handle things."
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:52 pm
"Of course not," she laughed in response, "You don't have to prove anything to me at all." Ayelen smiled lightly, content even though she was beginning to get cold from her wet pelt. She began to step after him as he moved towards the lake, tail lifted in the air to let it air itself out a bit.
She paused, a broad grin plastered on her face as he actually began to make his way into the water. She had won him over? The thought made her want to giggle, but she was sure that would distract Gethin from proving his fearlessness to her; he was so... so stubborn, but that itself made him even more lovable. Lifting a hoof from the now thoroughly wet lakeside, her ears pricked as he spoke again.
"I would be happy to join you," she stated, flashing back a charming, softly alluring expression in his direction, "So long as the mighty beast does not disappoint." Stepping carefully down the sloped shore, she delicately made her way into the water, coming up alongside the stallion as she did so. While the water was only up to his belly, it was several inches higher on her; too much of a current and the wind mare's light frame would be pushed off balance. Not that she wasn't wet already, though.
"What a pretty picture we must paint, Gethin," she crooned softly, arching her neck to playfully n** at his withers, "Two soaked soquili standing in a lake; now that must be a sight to see." She was only teasing, but the ridiculousness of the situation was true, in an oddly satisfying sort of way. Did she care? Not really, who else was here but this big brute?
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:33 am
Gethin felt suddenly reckless and happy, in a way that he hadn't known in... was it months now? Probably. With the kids around, he'd never felt quite comfortable enough to just let go - there was always that niggling feeling that said he was supposed to act like a role model. Or something. This was taking him back to how they'd been before Ayelen found out she was pregnant, before life got unreasonably complicated, and he was enjoying himself so much that the stallion had completely forgotten his reason for seeking her out in the first place.
He sidestepped out of reach of her muzzle, though a little less elegantly than he could have hoped due to the splash it made. "Who said anything about standing?" With a snort he dipped his muzzle into the water and flipped the spray back up at her, then grinned mischievously and pranced away through the water. His movements were exaggerated, as show-offy as ever, with hooves kicking high and head bobbing almost comically.
"Catch me if you ca- " Then his front hoof met nothing but cold current where there should've been the lake bed, he slipped, and suddenly he was swimming, chest almost completely submerged so that just his dark head and withers were visible. He hadn't done this since he was a colt, and Gethin was more than a little surprised that he remembered how. But maybe things like this didn't fade so quickly.
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Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:23 pm
The water he splashed in her direction startled her, and a fairly surprised squeal came from her in response. Her eyes snapped shut to avoid getting water in them, and by the time she had opened then, Gethin was already trouncing away from her, his words teasing and playful. Stretching out her neck and bit, she moved after him, making her way through the mud and the water as gracefully as she could manage; which wasn't that graceful at all, really.
A sharp intake of air met her lungs as the stallion suddenly plunged farther under the water than he had probably intended, breath hitching a moment in her chest before she realized that he was... swimming? When did he learn to swim? Her cerulean eyes darted towards her own feet, but she found that the now murky water was good camouflage for her dark fur. Not wanting to fall, she crept forward carefully, suddenly realizing why he had fallen so suddenly under; the ground just dropped. Flailing a bit, the mare managed to quickly remember herself how exactly to swim, paddling with a bit more effort than Gethin was, but staying afloat nonetheless.
It was like being young again- well. Not that the two adults weren't young, but before they had gone through the harrowing time of parenthood. Not that she didn't adore her own children, but so much of her time had been dedicated to them without a second thought, without taking any time for herself. The only times she hadn't been right with her offspring were the times when she had been tired and unwell, a bit too sick to properly keep the boisterous little ones in check.
Yes, this moment right here was a nice reminder of just how good her life really was. As a whole, not just this one moment of bliss. No matter what happened, she wouldn't trade any of it for the world. Ayelen choked out a laugh, attempting not to get water in her nose and mouth. Yep, two wet Soquili in a lake; what a pretty picture.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 6:34 am
Laughing like a colt himself, Gethin forged ahead. "Race you to that rock!" he shouted over his shoulder, tossing his head in its direction. Up ahead where the bank curved out of sight, a shallow-sloped boulder dark with moss and bands of sediment jutted out into the lake. Normally in any sort of race the wind mare would easily fly circles around him, and the idea that they might be more evenly matched for once was enough to keep away any thoughts of fatigue, at least for the moment. Though it had been a long time since the last time he'd swam, and it seemed to use different muscles than running.
No need to be responsible, no need to flirt, no need for anything except to feel the cool water lapping against his flanks and listen to Ayelen's laughter behind him. This was the life, it was.
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Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 5:18 pm
"But you have a head start!" Ayelen called back, paddling furiously to keep up with him. This would be one of those moments were her lighter frame and lean body wouldn't necessarily be better for her; Gethin had more muscle and could likely paddle much faster than her.
She laughed aloud; it was a game, what was she getting so worried about? Her cerulean eyes looked to the smooth boulder he had referred to, snorting a bit of water from her nose. He had her now, though- she'd rather follow him to that rock then paddle back up on this shore and watch him when he reached the place. Her tail gracefully trailed at the surface of the water behind her, ink black against the murky depths below. She was catching up, at least, moving to match his pace the best she could.
The wind mare was quiet for a moment, save for the soft huff of her breath as her muscles worked tirelessly to keep up with him, to trail just behind him. It wasn't much different from their daily routine, anyway, save for the water. Wherever he would go, she was sure to follow.
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