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 Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:33 am
 Battered and bruised she lay still on the forest floor. There was a strange dampness below yet it was not raining. Images that she did not understand flashed in her mind, not recognising them she slowly opened her eyes, the sun shimmered with an unknown brilliance as its pale yellow flames licked the landscape like the tongues of a thousand snakes.
A wave of pain swept her body like a ravage animal, agony gripped her every muscle, her wings, and bones. Shifting her weight slightly in an attempt of movement she aimed to stand to her feet once more, to feel the breeze sweep over her body, it was a sensation that was locked deep within her memory, though she had no knowledge of where it came from. Every movement was difficult, laboured; near impossible due to her lack of energy and sheer exhaustion from whatever event had left her in such a state. A warm red liquid trickled below her body, seeping through the strands of grass to make a gentle trickling river that flowed gradually down the hill.
Her mind wandered, what had happened to her? Why was she here –in this point in time? What had been before? Who where her parents? Where was she from? Thinking it through she realised that she had no knowledge of anything up to this point, something terrible must have happened to her to leave her in such a sorry state. No answers lay in her mind, just images that she did not understand or recognise.
Words past through her mind like distant memories, yet she had no recollection of their true meaning. All that she knew to be real was the here and now, the pain and the trickling stream of red.
A fear she did not understand gripped her, telling her I was time to leave. Struggling desperately to he feet, she felt uneasy on her legs, the feathered contraptions on her back seemed stiff and unusable in their current condition. Standing her legs wobbled uneasily beneath her weight. Her heart raced. Thump, thump, deep within her chest. Faster and faster it beat. Leaves and twigs crackled below, she glanced to the ground to see the river of red continually flowing down the hill and she couldn’t help but wonder why she was here –what purpose had it served?
Wobbling forward she took her first uneasy step, it caused her to yelp in pain. A yelp that carried on the wind into the distance, a strange fear gripped her again, what if something out there heard it and came looking for her? She had obviously managed to escape it once, yet a second time seemed near impossible. Terrible images flashed in her mind again –the cold, rainy, mountains- yet she did not understand. Refocusing on the world around her, past the river of red she noticed that the trees in the distance appeared clouded. Unsure of her direction or intention she took yet another uncomfortable step, once again pain seize her body. But she did not stop there, another step, and another step; slowly she picked up an edgy pace towards the tree line. Each step was a chore, but eventually she past the end of the river of red, leaving now only droplets of a trail.
A wave of dizziness spread over her body and a sense of hopelessness shortly followed –what could she do? How long would she last in this condition? These where all questions that floated rapidly through her mind like a sudden change in the weather, clouds that formed into a storm of activity.
Only time and destiny would save her now.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 3:55 am
The wind streamed over glossy white feathers, the dark tips rippling faintly as the massive limbs beat in a slow apparently effortless rhythm, holding the stallion aloft. Storm-like gaze roamed lazily over the rolling hills below, taking in the view without seeking out details. This was one of the few times Ehren felt unrestricted by everything. Up here, with the massive emptiness of the skies surrounding him, he lost that feeling of awkwardness that he typically felt on the ground, with his heavy and tall build taken from his father. Though his body had grown to its full adult height, he still felt somewhat disjointed. But up here… with his admittedly impressively sized wings carrying him with ease, he felt relaxed, untroubled by his lack of grace and poise on the ground that the rest of his family had in abundance.
Letting one wing drop he soared in a lazy circle, riding the warm currents of air as easily as any bird of prey. Tilting his head he suddenly concentrated, gaze focusing on something far below. He had seen something.. something that didn’t belong in the rolling green and brown of the landscape. There it was again! A pale shape barely seeming to move, and yet it was.. with strange halting movements. Frowning he angled his wings and glided lower, circling round the open patch of grassland where the white shape was being so conspicuous..
By the time the stallion was low enough to make out details, the white figure finally reached the edge of the forest and vanished into the gloomy interior. Ehren landed, hoof beats a heavy thunder as he decelerated and finally settled fully on the ground. Flared wings stretched high over his back before both folded down and tucked at his sides, ruffling automatically before settling as the stallion lowered his head, sniffing at the trampled and blood-splattered ground around him.
Something had certainly happened here…. Pale ears flicked as he half-lifted his head and stared into the shadowy, misty gloom of the trees in front of him. Should he go and take a look? What ever it was, was bleeding badly… but if it was hostile he could just be getting himself into trouble.. Snorting Ehren shook his head suddenly, a wave of anger sweeping over him.
“And you think yourself Yuuri’s son?” He growled at himself. There was no way his father would ever leave when he knew someone was hurt.. no matter who that someone was. With a sigh Ehren tossed his head, sending his irritating braid over his back and out the way before starting into the forest.
His far taller-than-average height and heavy build ment forests were not often his favourite places.. at least the overgrown ones.. Wincing as his tail got caught on a thorny bush he pressed forwards, ignoring the tiny flashes of pain as branches and bushes caught his body in their sharp spidery grip. Eyes half closed against the vengeful reaching foliage, he followed the scent of blood mostly with his nose. Suddenly he almost stumbled over something large and gleaming pale in the shadows, pulling back at the last moment with a startled snort.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:25 am
As the wave of dizziness spread through out every muscle in her weakened form she felt herself stumbled towards the ground, as she impacted it a rumbled called through the forest like the beating on a drum. Landing clumsily upon her wing she winced in pain, gazing at the wound she noted that the blood had started to form clots, showing evidence that she was starting to heal, yet that did not dismiss the pain that wriggled uncontrollably through her body.
Her eyes starts to close with a damp heavy feeling, struggling she opened them every now and them, listening intently to her surroundings, scared and feeling the cold start to set in she began to shiver, the light seemed to dim although she suspected that was in her imagination due to her condition. Hopelessness sunk into her mind, as she tried desperately to remember the event or events that lead her to this point in time.
Suddenly she became aware of a life form behind her, yet she had no knowledge of how far away the creature was. With no energy to stand, talk or communicate she attempted to move her head ever so slightly, perhaps she could catch their attention. Her prayers wandered to the hope that whatever was close by meant her no harm.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:30 am
Backing up few steps he stared at the collapsed form, momentarily stunned at the sight. Nostrils flared, ears flicking back and forth, scanning for what ever had done this to the heap of what he could only assume was a living soquili, since it seemed to be moving.. just. Feeling nothing else other than the regular forest creatures close by, the stallion gingerly stepped round the pale bleeding figure, hot breath ghosting over bits of the coat, trying to work out who it was and what had happened.
Shimmering white wings, with their dark green-black tipped feathers, flared out over the stallion’s back briefly cutting out what light fell to the forest floor. The blue pendant round his neck swung slowly with his movements. Who ever it was, was in a right state and needed help. Yet he was no unicorn, nor could he risk moving the stranger with the amount of blood that was around. He might just hurt them more. Lifting his head he looked around, an unease prickling down his spine. They were in the middle of an area where he saw very few soquili on his flights. Though that ment that kalona and skinwalkers were less likely to populate the forest.. wolves and other smaller predators would be somewhere..
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 7:36 am
Still listening intently to her surroundings Misti tried to streatch her legs in a dismal attempt to stand up once more. It failed. Whincing slightly she lowered her head once more, her best chance of survival now was simply to rest and allow her wounds time to heal. Yet the cold breeze swept over her like an icy blanket, gripping at her fragile essance of life, dragging her to the very point of death. Panic set in softly as he mindset tried to concentration on the concept of rest and healing, yet there was no comfort in the world, just noises, and loneliness. A loneliness that felt some how alien to her, as if this was the first time she had ever felt alone, yet having no recollection of her past she was unsure how she could be certain of these emotions. The presence was still there, although she still could not tell if it was a friend or foe she felt that it was her only hope to try and communicate with it, her throat felt sore and she was unsure if she would be able to atriculate at all.
"Sit …with me." Her shivers increased, the wind continued to blow with a higher ferocity and the fear delved deeper into her heart. "its….so….cold." Her words where laboured and painful. And with that she left her life in fates hands once more, without heat she would die and her faint healing powers would not have enough time to complete their long task.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:02 am
The soft, failing voice of what was definitely a female reached his straining ears, drawing his attention back to the wounded soquili in front of him. “I won’t hurt you.” he replied without conscious thought, velvet voice a low rumble. Glancing round again he frowned at the forest, yet he knew he could not leave her. Shifting slightly he studied the mare, the strange wings (at least that’s what he assumed they were) looked awkward, one bent at a most peculiar angle. He was fairly sure they weren’t supposed to do that… which ment curling up at her back like he and his brothers did on cold nights was out of the question.
Stepping closer he lowered his head, long mane slithering forwards to trail across the ground, though for once he ignored it, as he blew warm breath over the mare’s muzzle, reassuring her. Carefully, he folded his front legs under his heavy bulk, then lowered himself down alongside her. Gently he extended one large feathered wing, slowly shifting it till it arched right over the mare’s pale body. Letting the limb dip he settled it over her like some feathery living blanket. Twisting his neck he sniffed along her own, muzzle brushing over her coat in a soothing, reassuring manner. “Rest. I’ll protect you.” He murmured, voice soft but firm. He couldn’t allow her to die now that he was there.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:35 am
Laying still as the stranger approached she felt her heart begin to race, it would be in this instant that she would be informed if her risk was well received or about to end her lonely excuse of life. The wind blew over he body like an icy blanket, chilling her even more until she began to shake uncontrollably. Closing her eyes once more she listened to the faint treks made the nearby creature.
Opening her eyes she felt the warmth of its breath on her face, it was almost comforting to her, yet she could not help but feel the chill from the breeze capture her body in an unwanted grip. Her body started to feel numb from the cold, fear gripped her, and she desperately attempted to move her wings but failed miserably. It was no use; she was too badly injured to move a muscle. Wincing she gave up, she needed to conserve her energy to heal herself. Her ears focuses as the gentle aura from her new companion swept a blanket of warmth over her, the words sounded almost defiantly masculine, they where strong and purposeful. Although she wanted to express her thanks she could not, no energy was left in her and she found herself drifting into a deep sleep.
In the distances she could make out the faint footsteps of several small creatures, there was obviously something lurking among the trees her there was no space in her mind to contemplate such terrors. It was now time to heal and recover so she could fight another day.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:42 am
The stallion lifted his head, dark eyes watching the shadowy forest all around them. With his one wing extended over the fallen mare, his other remained tucked close at his side. The chill didn’t bother him, for he was healthy and uninjured. The things that the mare had heard were not figments of her imagination, but were in fact the very predators Ehren had thought about upon finding the fallen soquili. The pale stallion kept his head up, ears flicking back and forth, dark eyes alert. He knew his pure white coat would glow like a pale beacon in the moonlight, and the mare at his side was hardly any darker coloured than he. And being down like they were.. it was a veritable invitation to the wolves in the area. Scowling the young stallion flicked his long tail across the ground, never once taking his gaze from the shifting shadows around them.
Slowly, as the night wore on, the small clearing seemed to take on an almost ominous presence. The intense level of concentration the stallion maintained could almost be felt on the air. As exhaustion from his vigil slowly drained away his cognitive thoughts, something else slipped upwards from the depths. The stallion’s stormy gaze darkened to almost an ebony hue. The white shimmering body shifted, revealing no sense of stiffness from the long hours of laying on the cold, hard ground. The sapphire pendant that hung against his chest seemed to glint with an unusual inner light in time with the stallion’s slight movements.
A wolf crept to the very edge of the shadows, muzzle wrinkling at the strong scent of blood. Head whipping round, the stallion bared his teeth, his folded wing flashing out, filling the small clearing with an eerie pale glow, the feathers almost shimmering in the silvered moonlight. Dark eyes fixed on the wolf, the burning gaze hard and determined.
Without a sound the wolf gazed back for a moment then melted away, flowing back into the forest from whence it came. A stallion ready to attack was more than it wanted to deal with.
As the hours ticked by, the wind stallion never once dropped his vigil. Steely gaze monitoring the forest around them, his body and wing providing warmth for the fallen mare, and the stallion had plenty to spare, for he seemed almost unusually warm in the chill night air.
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Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:54 am
Misti dreamed of images that did not make sence, it was if a part of the past was trying to surface deep within her consciousness. Mountains, snow, and the feeling of utter loneliness repeated in many different forms. It was as if she had been searching for something, it had been a long time since the beginning of her journey perhaps that explained why she struggled to remember the original purpose of the jouney. Yet the niggling notion lingered at the back of her mind, perhaps it was possible that her mind was conjuring these concepts in a desperate attempt to give her meaning. The truth was she had no memory or recollection of her exsistance before this point.
Disjointed images continued to flash their meaningless explanations in her mind, as the warmth of the sun started to caress her injured flesh through gaps in the canopy above. Her gentle healing powers had taken effect, most of her wounds had sealed, yet she remained tender and venerable in this state. Yawning lazily her eyes opened and began to focus on the bright world around her; in a moment of forgetfulness she looked surprised at her ‘protectors’ presence. Yet the warmth she felt being emitted from him was almost comforting, so much so that she felt herself gently inching nearer to him as if to get closer to his warmth. Resisting the urge to move even closer her protector she let her eyes wander beyond her current scope, the mist had settled deeply around them, the trees seemed opaque in her line of sight, almost as if she was still in her dream upon the mountaintop, where the mist was merely the remains of snowflakes long fallen to the ground.
Her mouth was dry and the faint flavour of blood lingered upon her tongue and lips. Unsure what to make of her situation she attempted to clamber to her feet, softly moving his wing from sheltering her any longer, her legs felt weakened but able to stand under the weight of her body.
Not talking she turned to face her companion. He must be tired, how long had they sat there on the cold hard now bloody ground. The breeze continued to blow, it seemed familiar to her; its icy touch brushed her fur and hair in every direction. Shaking her head once as if to force herself to focus on the large stallion that stood before her. Now that her eyes where clearly focused upon his face, it became instantaneously obvious that he had a gentle and handsome expression. Her lips curled into a gentle smile that lit up her face like the morning sun lit up the horizon.
She opened her mouth briefly as if to attempt to say something, yet the words escaped her so she simply closed her mouth once more and resumed smiling, she wanted to thank him. Yet words seemed too simple an action to thank him for his valiant deeds. She bowed her head low, still smiling and remaining silent. Her back hurt still but she suppressed the reaction to wince out in pain, she was determined to remain like this until she felt it was sufficient.
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