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 Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:23 pm
 At first when he had begun to feel that ever infamous tug to his instincts, he thought his wandering soul had come back with a vengence. Quickly it had become overpowering, nearly rousing the blood bay Jala into an eager step at once from the sheer power behind it. However, it was something much more than just his wandering spirit, a feeling he had before, a temptation he could not pass up. He hadn't even been able to explain it very well, but there was no sense in leaving without Cressida when they were both headed in the same place, and in a time like this he wouldn't want to leave her side for the life of him.
Yes. That's what it was. That tug, the calling to come forward and to find what it was that so held his very temptation so firmly.
After the time spent on the beach, after the days and nights with his love and his son- gods above his son! He loved the boy, but he shot up like a weed and Aitumn could hardly believe the size of that boy now. With a hearty snort of amusement the blood bay nearly danced in his step, his exhileration and reckless spirit showing itself in vibrant colors during the entire trip here. Was it wrong for him to be excited? Zak was out of the picture, he was with his golden-imp of a mate, and he actually had some idea as to what to expect now.
They had been walking in Shiral for some time now, and that pull had just gotten stronger. Were they close? Could he see it now? Was it about to pop into his sights out of nowhere and suddenly he'd realize it was theres? The normally controlled stallion could hardly keep himself from the alert swings of his head, the high proud arch of his neck, and the well-placed steps of his hooves. His body, as it had been before being battered and restrained, was healed and in top condition once more. The lively Aitumn was once more the sleek, firm stallion as fit as ever. Hollow dark eyes glanced back to check on his new-found mate. Perhaps she would have more luck in finding the tree then he did. "Do ya see it Love? Can you feel it?"
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:27 pm
But she did know where, and thankfully Aitumn felt it, too. Of course he did, he'd felt it the first time. It still worried her a bit; she'd heard that some stallions didn't feel the pull as others did. The mares felt it the most, she'd been told, and that was understandable somehow.
It had taken them a matter of perhaps a day or two, she hadn't kept track, to arrive in the outskirts of Shrilal. She'd taken the liberty of grazing a bit more on the luscious valley grass than usual -- not too much, of course -- and eating any elppas or other goodies they'd found. She knew where they were going, and the extra sustenance now would do good for her later, she figured. It wasn't a sure fact, but it was a nice thought.
The hundreds of thousands of fruit trees were in sight then, and it seemed each year it took that much longer to walk around the outskirts, as the newest trees kept popping up all around the outer edges. An indescribable excitement filled her then, seeing the numerous birth places of all of them, and the strange feeling nearly made her dance in place beside her mate. Bright emerald eyes flitted to the blood bay and she grinned, all the anticipation and apprehension swiftly leaving her body, being replaced just as quickly by a delight and happiness that she hadn't felt in a long while. It didn't matter that they had since been walking through Shrilal for a while, it had not had any negative effect on her spirits nor enthusiasm and excitement. "Not yet -- shall we take a run, then?" She quizzed and, not waiting for an answer, a light laugh escaped her as she bolted around a grouping of smaller trees, and galloped along the outer edge of the fruit-bearing miracles.
She now knew that she didn't need to see the tree to know where it was; she could feel it, the pull -- it was not from the area of Shrilal, but it came from each individual tree, each parent inevitably pulled towards what they had, intentional or not, created.
And then she felt it. The pull became insatiable, willing her to gallop faster and faster as she curved around the vaguely round-shaped outer edges. Her emerald eyes settled on something she could barely see, a tiny thing colored brown mixed with gold, not too far off, and it was partially behind another fairly new tree. With renewed excitement and vigor, the gilded mare pushed herself to the limit, feeling quite the opposite about this tree as she had her first. Then again, this one was expected, Tucker's was not. This one was with her love, her mate, and she knew exactly what to do. Tucker's was with someone she didn't know then, and hadn't any idea what on earth to do. She knew she'd love this foal -- foals? -- just as much as Tucker, expected or not.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:07 pm
Did she honestly have to ask? "Of course", the blood bay had replied, chuckling as he watched her take off without his answer. There was no reason for a race, he didn't desire to get there first or quickly, he simply wanted to make the trip, to feel the pull, to arrive with his mate. Aitumn willed his firm legs into a gallop after the golden streak of a mare, his lengthy tail held high in his eager spirits as he head was tossed every once in awhile, leading his sleek body around the sapplings and trees with sheer ease. It had been a long while since his hooves had felt the firm ground underneath them, and it couldn't have been more welcomed despite how well he had adjusted to the sands of Quirne. He didn't need to comphensate his movements here, or shift his weight in odd way, he simply had to dig heels in and run, allowing his muscles to move naturally and as they had in many years before.
He galloped in line behind Cressida, adjusting his speed as she did and always keeping a look out for what might be calling them. The tree. The little miracles that, like Tucker, he could only have believed to be true in fantasy before he met his golden imp of a Reya. Truely he had been wandering soul, going where he wanted, when he wanted, and musing about what he did. Always fantasy though. Always. How could he have ever dared to think that the joy of foals would once be his? It was unthinkable then.
But not now. He knew they'd be there, he'd love them as he did Tucker, and they'd bring love to his life once more. Up ahead he too spotted the small tree of brown and gold, a soft whicker leaving his throat as if in greeting. Why? He didn't know, and he didn't care, it had come out and he wouldn't regret the sentiment. Following the motion he came to a quick stop in front of it, ears pricked Aitumn was silent. What could he say to explain the way he was feeling now? His excitement, his joy, sharing this moment with his love and heart's desire- there were no words suitable for the occasion.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:26 pm
Unlike her mate, the pull felt like an insatiable desire, a need she could not possibly have any hope of fulfilling, and it worked to push her to a full gallop. The run did her good, it managed to run off a bit of the thrilling pull, and it had all but stopped the instant she came to a near-screeching halt at the tree. It seemed spending so much time with her mate had given her a bit of recklessness she didn't previously have.
She merely stared down at the saplings; one white, she could see now, with a golden sheen, and the other a beautiful blood bay, mixed with a bit of black here and there. All she could do was gaze unbelievingly at the tiny twin trees, not yet intertwining, her mouth slightly agape in awe. There were no words to express for the feelings that flooded her being at that moment, the ones she'd only felt once before, and she hadn't words to express then either. Although, she felt a bit differently this time. This time, she was with her love, her mate, and she was ready for this, ready to have more brilliant, beautiful children.
She could still hardly believe this, her happiness, her life now; she was with her love - it still seemed so foreign a thing to her, when just a year, maybe more, previously she'd been utterly alone. She had her mother, a son, her mate - she could hardly believe any of it, and yet there it was, and she would not trade her new life for anything in the world.
She leaned over and nipped at the winged stallion's flank with a broad grin before she settled herself down, laying curled around the tiny space the saplings occupied, and very, very gently nudged a thin branch with her soft muzzle. "How many do you think this time?" She wondered aloud, her bright emerald eyes still set on the miracle before them.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 10:54 pm
It was a delicate thing, he observed and didn't think had sunk in from the sight of Tucker's tree that first thing. Tiny and flimsy as if the slightest touch would have it bending over backwards and breaking at the middle. All the more reason to settle himself and quiet the recklessness in him, despite the slight amusement he found in Cressida's quick stop. Perhaps he was a bad influence, but the blood bay didn't much mind that at all. His dull dark eyes traced the curves of the thin branches, hoping to spot the slightest hint of the bud or buds that would grow into their children. Again it baffled the Jala stallion to think Tucker had once been like this, their son was, well their son was much larger than that now. A fine stallion he had grown into and Aitumn couldn't be prouder, but it still had a wonderful feel behind it. As if it were all but a dream.
Dull, dark eyes shifted just in time to watch Cressida as she moved to lay down by the tree, the n** to his flank having drawn him from his thoughts. An easy smile drifted on his lips as he dipped his head nudge his nose into her mane, taking a few strands into his teeth and pulling lightly in a n**. "This time, I think there's going to be three", he mused, although it was nothing but a guess from the blood bay stallion as he stayed standing over his love and their growing family, perfectly comfortable.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:04 pm
"Mmm.." She pondered on the number for a bit, tilting her head to the side, then snorted at the tug of her mane. "The stars seem to think otherwise," she teased, reaching up to n** at his shoulder. She didn't mind him standing while she laid down, in fact it made her more comfortable. Even though Zak was no longer a threat to them and their new tiny little tree, a small hint of that fear and apprehension lingered, as if some new nequus would appear out of no where and attempt to trample their new children.
Children. It was still hard for her to think of a tiny little tree as her next few children - child? Children, she hoped, but there was every possibility of a single child again. She really hoped not, although she wasn't sure why she did. She just... wanted more than one, that would be wonderful. She'd be perfectly happy with one, but after Tucker, the gilded mare felt she would be able to care for more. She had at least some idea what to do this time around.
"So, you say three, I say more," she beamed up at her mate, snaking a muscular tail out to snap at one of his fetlocks. "Think we should at least ponder over name possibilities now, or wait?" It would probably be better to wait, she decided; they might think of one or two names and end up needing six, or vice versa. It didn't really matter; the whole thing still felt like a dream to her, a dream she never wanted to awaken from.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:27 pm
He couldn't help but chuckle light-heartedly at that little joke, apparently his more whimsical jokes about the clouds had become a sort of inside joke for them. Which was absolutely amusing and entertaining to the blood bay stallion who only wished to join in. "The stars? Heavens above, I've forgotten about them." The clouds, the sun, the stars, the moon, and the wind. Those were the elements that frequently played in his fantastical mind lately, composing themselves into characters of their own choosing, interacting and playing out scenes of delight or fancy as the beginings of a story had started to etch itself into his mind once more. The blood bay could do nothing but entertain his still thirsting mind when it came to composing such tales of fantasy.
Aitumn danced slightly on his hooves as the tail snaked out to snap at him, leaving a smirk plastered in place as he lowered his head once more to push his nose into her cheek. "Well let's go with yours then, the stars seem like a very reliable source after all", he teased right back, musing slightly at the very thought of such a thing. How many children would they be blessed with this time? How many to share his love and his life with? Of course Aitumn would be happy with just about any number at all, but there was no harm in hoping high. "It might better to wait on the names."
Flicking his gaze back to the sappling momentarily, he decided to indulge in his little muse. After all, he didn't think he told Cressida a story directly. He returned his gaze once more to Cress, grinning slightly. "Would you like to hear a story? Its been playing around in my head for awhile." Really it was a request for an audience, but maybe he could bring Cressida some entertainment as well.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:41 pm
The gilded mare couldn't help but offer the blood bay a face of mock surprise and alarm. "You'd forgotten? How in the world would they even let you forget them? I can understand remembering the clouds, but the stars, good heavens. They'll all tell their friend the moon, and then what would happen?" She honestly had no idea, but she loved to play with her mate with games as much as with words. "And yes," she agreed with a bob of her head as she turned to gaze at the saplings, "best not to count your fruits before they've grown." It was a strange expression that popped into her head just then, something she'd heard long ago. She'd forgotten from where.
"A story?" The emerald-eyed mare repeated, turning her slender head to look up at her love. He hadn't ever told her a story before. Stories, to her, seemed like the type of things you created or remembered to tell foals before sleep. But still, she couldn't ignore the eager expression on his face, so she tossed her golden-tipped mane to the other side of her neck, offering the stallion a smile. "I'd love to hear a story, mimaira."
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Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:44 am
The sleek stallion chuckled, a teasing sort of thing as he listened through her show of mock surprise. 'I'd imagine they'd all start rumors of their own to plot against me, the moon especially has subtle ways of placing misfortune at one's hooves. Why, I once tripped on an ill-placed stone when I was out of the moon's favor!" he spoke in an exasperated excitement, as if to perhaps push the point that it had actually happened. Although, such a thing to him was laughable, he was a Nequus who believed in one thing, that the Gods and Goddesses had indeed been part of the past, but no longer held as much influence as in the begining. Thusly, he made his own destiny through actions he took; as did all Nequus. Such was the mindset of the grounded wanderer, whose mind enjoyed the fantasy of creation through his works of oral-narrative.
No, he supposed he hadn't told her a story yet, which surprised him slightly. "I'm glad", he murmured, lowering his muzzle to briefly nudge at her cheek as he remained standing, settling his weight onto his forehooves and cocking a hind to relax it. "I'm in need of practice for when the tree gives us our foals, shamefully I haven't practiced my art in far too long", he explained, breifly flitting his gaze in the sappling's direction before returning it to Cressida, his sleek features softened as he began his story-telling ritual. "Have you ever heard the myth of how the stars came into the night sky?" Of course she hadn't, he made it up, but it was all a part of the illusion of his art, the begining of his ritual.
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Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:58 pm
The gilded mare offered the stallion a languid smile, leaning over to rest more on her side rather than her stomach. She curled her muscular tails around her hindlegs, and, once comfortable, snorted a bit at the blood bay. "Well, whatever you did to fall out of the moon's favor, I hope you don't do it again! You could trip on a stick next time, and how would that be?" It wouldn't matter, considering his size, but if it was a giant magical stick, then, well, that would be a different story entirely.
Speaking of stories...
"No, I haven't heard that one before," she replied with a smile and amusement in her voice. Of course she hadn't, but she didn't need to say it like that, it would be a touch rude, and she didn't want to upset her mate. Mate. She could still hardly believe it, and the thought put a bright smile on her muzzle once more, sending a flurry of metaphorical butterflies fluttering through her insides.
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Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 10:38 am
Dipping his muzzle as a light chuckle shook his chest, Aitumn's lengthy midnight mane bounced against his neck, its sheen sending a wave of light through the darkness of the strands as he did so. Obviously he was in much better health than their earlier meetings, seeing as how he was constantly needing to recover from encounters with Zak, nor was his mind wracked with tension. "I'd certainly hope not, s'not fun to have the moon as a foe," he mused, piecing together the last bit of the tale he would weave for his beloved.
After a short interval of preperation, he began. "Far off into the past of Urin, the world was a much different plance that it is now. Nequus roamed the land of course, much to the standards we do today, but after the sunlight had worn itself out and the land once more bathed itself in darkness everything seemed to come to an end. There was but one thing to cast a pale onto the earth, the Moon, but the sight was as boring as watching the burning sun drift across the sky during the day.
Tired of not having her beauty recognised and very lonely up in the sky all by her self, the moon began to fade night after night. At first only a sliver of her was gone, but after many more days it was apparent that large portions of the moon had disappeared, leaving the land below darker than it had ever been before.
The nequus of Urin were not oblivious to this fact, and panic began to spread throughout the ancient herds like wildfire. Many believed the land was cursed and had been forsaken by the great powers that wielded them in favor, each respectfully having their own ideas on such faiths. Unable to choperate with each other or agree with one idea, the Nequus fought against each other in terrible worry and frantic panic, attempting to find some ways to appease what ever Gods or Goddesses they had angered.
Then one night, when the moon had completely disappeared the realm was cast into complete black oblivion, as if the nequus simply lived in a void that had never once seen the light of day. There was one stallion amongst a group of once peaceful Nequus who in his desperation cast his head up to the sky and begged for the moon to return. He praised her beauty and her wisdom for the entire night, bellowing his love of her 'guiding light' until his voice was hoarse and cracked with every word that left his lips. Finally, when he could muster nothing more than a raspy whisper he promised, "I will gather fruit for you if you are hungry, I will praise you every night, and I will keep you from being lonely if only you bring light back to this Urin!"
When night went to day, and once more day ensued into night, the stallion who had pledged his faith to the moon vanished from the land, and when the Nequus looked to the night sky they saw that a sliver of the moon shown bright against the black void, and by its side glimmered a small pointed dot, that come to be known as a star. Named after the forehead markings some Nequus sport.
From that day on, the moon continued its cycle of disappearing and reappering, and so it did not get lonely it took with it the departed souls of Nequus past, offering them a safe haven away from the loneliness she once felt. However, she has never taken another living soul from its place on the land, for the bond between her and the stallion was a special one, whom she held in favor above all else. The Nequus who had changed her heart to care for the Nequus below." Finished with his story, Aitumn couldn't help but take a small yawn, as the run over had tired him considerablly, and perhaps a tale about the night hadn't been the best of ideas at the moment.
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Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:31 am
She made an amused noise at his comment before the story, then listened with a smile. She hadn't really heard a story before, really; perhaps her ute had told her some when she was quite small, but she couldn't remember if she had or not, and if she did, then she certainly didn't remember any specific stories.
She reached up to nudge his neck, flicking the tip of a tail or two. "That was lovely," she murmured with a smile. Indeed it was; she could understand how the moon would feel, and the stars. But that's silly, sympathizing with a made-up character, wasn't it? No one ever did that.
She flicked an ear, smirking a bit at his yawn. "I think the story affected you as well, but in a different way. Care for a nap, then?" Inquired the gilded mare, indicating the spot beside her with a leathery wing. She was tired as well, their trip to Shrilal wasn't a short one, and a nap sounded like a wonderful idea to her.
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:25 am
The sleek Jala allowed a smaller flicker of a smile to appear on his features as he felt the nudge, quite pleased with the makings of his own tale. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Mimaira", the stallion rumbled happily, stiffling yet another yawn that threatened to overtake his previous smile. Then again it was always enjoyable to spend time with Cressida and their little family, Aitumn had even grown fond of Rhea's company, over time of course. And now with another sapling on the way his heart was on track to swell in both pride and love for how ever many foals it would produce. Certain wonderful, delightful, life had never tasted so good. Not even the wanderings he had proceeded to take in what seemed to be a life before could compare with the joy he had found in this Reya mare and their little family.
"Indeed it did", Aitumn chuckled as his nostrils flared to allow the rushing of breath from his lungs in what would have been another yawn had he opened his mouth to do so. Easily the blood bay sank from his hooves to rest his barrel onto the ground below, taking up the spot her leatherly wing had indicated. "A nap is just what we need, and when we wake I'll be sure to gather the finest fruits for you." That meant another trip to the humans at some point, but he had traveled the route many times before and could easily transverse the way back again.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 11:08 am
The gilded mare smiled as the blood bay settled down beside her, and she leaned against him before nudging his cheek, always careful not to hurt him with her horn. "It was wonderful, Aitumn," she murmured with a bit of a yawn, unable to stifle all of it. Yes, a nap would be a very good idea. Despite the excitement that filled her at the thought of having more children - how many this time? More than one, hopefully - she knew it wouldn't be too hard to sleep. Already she could feel the pull, the slow draining of her energy to support the tree. That aspect always was strange, but it didn't matter much. Well, it would if they were having many children this time around. It would drain her more, and Aitumn would need to make more trips to the two-legs.
"I don't expect anything less," she teased, nipping playfully at his lengthy midnight mane. Cressida couldn't help but yawn again, and settled her head down with a dreamy smile. "How many do you think we'll have this time? I'm thinking.. three."
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Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 6:20 pm
Despite his physical fitness, Aitumn was quite tired from the run over, having been driven by the same excitement that had washed over Cressida. To think, they were given the chance to be parents once more, and after his experiance with Tucker Aitumn was more than pleased with the aspect. After all, he could not for the life of him remember his own childhood, so he'd do what he could to give their foals a happy time filled with good memories. Of course, that meant staying away from the Katilenuck herd by all costs, but that was of little consequence to the blood bay. For he had no dwindling desire to visit their herdlands, despite what all he had been told by 'Ka' the red and white Jala stallion he had met so long ago. Since that day he had learned much of the 'nucks from other Nequus, and was convinced that there's was a race best left undiscovered. As Aitumn considered it, their beach home with Rhea should be far enough away from trouble, and it was unlikely to meet any members of the brindled herd there. b*****d Jala. A threat to his children and his love just as Zaknafein had proved to be.
These thoughts striken up by the tired stallion were interrupted by the teasing n**, to which he couldn't help to retaliate to with a soft bump from his velvet nose to her neck. "Certainly I'd have it no other way, my queen", he partly chuckled while trying to keep a straight expression. Didn't quite work out that way. Though it was a little, private shot at those tear-marked bastards. A Reya queen with her Jala mate, surely that defiled their belief system, even if it was just jokingly.
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