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 Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:25 pm
The winged stallion found himself once more wandering through the darkened woodland. Such habits seemed to have become more frequent as the weeks went by. Ducking under a low branch, long mane trailing through the dry leaf-litter at his hooves, the white ghost-like figure pushed slowly and quietly through the shadowy undergrowth.
Pausing the solidly built male lifted his head, ears pricking forwards as the faint scent of woodsmoke filtered through the night air. What is that? Ehren wasn't the type to go charging around looking for trouble, but the scent of smoke was utterly out of place, and yet there was no glow of a forest fire, no utter panic as animals fled this way and that. Curious yes, the stallion would have ignored it if it hadn't been for his sence of responcibility.. if something strange was going on, he had to make sure it was safe. For they were not a million miles from where his family were sleeping.
After a moment solid hooves altered direction and the muscular stallion set off towards the origin of the faint scent. Strong limbs pushed through the forest growth, large wings tucked tightly against his sides. In the darkness the faint sheen of his mane and tail looked pitch black, the pendant that hung against his chest glittered in the silvery light of the crescent moon that hung high above.
Before the sliver of silver had moved within the velvet sky, Ehren drew close to the two-legger camp. The scent of wood smoke was strong here, masking the other scents that drifted round the trees, though the sharp musk of man was strong enough to be picked out, along with the mustiness of tanned leather and the strange sweet scent of their food.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:13 pm
 Tian Yi didn't cry.
It wasn't because she was particularly brave, or tough, or strong. Tian Yi knew she wasn't any of those things. She liked the look of sunlight falling between the leaves, and the heady scent of exotic flowers. She was used to soft beds, perfumed silks, and filtered jasmine water. If anyone should be in a mood to cry, it was most definitely her. She'd been deprived of all her luxuries, cast out into a strange land, and bound with horrid, rough ropes, that cut and chafed at her scales like nothing she'd ever felt before.
Weeping might be a relief, at this point. Her eyes already stung from the thick smoke given off by her captors' fire.
But Tian Yi didn't cry.
Instead she sat, and meditated, and tried not to think about the thick cord tying her to an old oak tree, or the ugly brand that the huntsmen were heating over their bonfire. Heaviness is the root of lightness. The Tao Te Ching said. Stillness is the master of movement.
So long as the teachings of her homeland were with her, she couldn't find any tears to shed.
Hours passed while the huntsmen celebrated the capture they'd made. Tian Yi couldn't make heads nor tails of their behavior - weren't two-leggers around to aid and comfort those such as her? - so she did her best to ignore their jeers. She might not have noticed the scuffing in the forest at all, had they not erupted into a drunken bought of laughter, and startled her out of her self-induced trance.
Was that the fall of hooves?
Tian Yi called out to the noise with a soft, warning whinny.
Don't come over here.. She thought to herself. Please don't come over here, whoever you are. You'll be in terrible danger!
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 4:17 pm
Pale ears pricked, the stallion growing cautious as he drew closer. The smoke started to make his eyes water, an uncomfortable sensation. Deciding that enough was enough, the pale shape paused, about to turn away when the faintest sound drifted to him, half-hidden under the crackling of the flames.
A whinny.
Startled Ehren paused, ears twitching. There, the faint scent of another, a soquili. The thread of fear in the voice he had caught convinced him that the other was not one of those soquili that lived with the two-legger.. for why would they be fearful with the man-beast around?
After a moment the stallion turned back and pushed his way slowly, carefully, through the brush, circling round the area until he was fairly certain he was closest to the soquili stranger. Then, with careful steps, he threaded his way forwards. For such a large stallion he was very quiet, but not silent. The faint crinkling of dried leafmatter under each hoof, the brief 'swish' as a branch bent against his flank.
Gradually he crept closer, then suddenly.. there.. a shape, definitely a soquili.. and not one he had ever seen before...
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:06 pm
The shuffling grew closer, and Tian Yi's breath caught in her throat. This had to be another Soquili. There was no more room for hope, or doubt! She could smell a light musk, beneath the haze of wood-smoke, and a pale form shifted behind the bushes.
"D- don't! Please, don't come any closer!" She looked away from the shape of her visitor, trying to communicate without alerting the men around the campfire. They might get suspicious if they saw her staring into the brush.
At home, a learned Kirin always emphasized her points with quotations from the wisdom of the Sage Laozi. But Tian Yi was too fearful to communicate like a civilized mare, right now, so her own unvarnished words would have to do.
"Those hunters have sharp metal and strong ropes. If they see you, you'll be in terrible danger! I wasn't careful enough and... well. Here I am."
Tian Yi didn't know how well the stranger could see her. Her scales reflected the muted firelight, but the tree she was tied to cast a heavy shadow. She could only hope that her fellow Soquili understood the situation well enough to run before it was too late.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:24 am
He could feel the other now, a vibrating presence on the breeze, the soft voice startling him despite its fearful urgency, for the tones were pure and lilting, like nothing he had ever heard. Pressing his chest against the thick shrub that hid him from the two-legger fire, the stallion inched forwards.
It was probably a good thing that the exotic mare didn't attempt to speak in her natural manner, for Ehren had never heard of the Sage Laozi and would have likely just been confused, drawing attention to them in his attempts to understand her.
Yet as it was he did, fully, and shifting to the side peered round the mare and towards the camp where the two leggers were sitting. She was wrong about one thing though, he would not leave. Not without her. For what kind of stallion would he be if he were such a coward? Ears pressing back nervously he considered the options even as he shifted back through the shadows towards her tree. A sudden sharp pain flared along his flank and he froze, before easing back off the deadly sharp thorn bush and round, needing to get closer to her.
Finally he crept up behind the tree, careful to keep the screen of brush between his pale form and the two-legs. "It's alright..... " Husky whisper floated from the shadows close to her. "The fire blinds them.. I'm... going to free you." The words slipped free as Ehren realised it was the only thing he could do. He wished to be a noble and just stallion, there was no other path than the one he tread at this moment. Eyeing the rope that was looped round the trunk of the tree between them, he noticed that though it had been looped round the tree's trunk and knotted securely, one section had been rubbed and frayed. Taking a breath and with a determined expression, he started to chew away at the rope. Strong jaws ment for grinding down tough foliage set about the handmade rope with determination.
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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:55 am
The sound of the stallion's voice came as a shock to Tian Yi's system. It had been so long since she'd spoken with another Soquili that his presence seemed unreal, like a dream or a mirage. Perhaps she'd breathed in too much of that smoke. Or the huntsmen were branding her, right now, and her mind was protecting her from the pain by showing her a kind illusion.
But no, that couldn't be. The night was cold. Hard gravel still bit into her knees, and the salty smell of blood was in the air. Tian Yi would never hallucinate something like this.
The Kirin cast a hurried glance at her would-be rescuer, before swallowing down her curiosity, and turning her gaze back to the campfire. Her heart felt like it was beating as quickly as the wings of a humming bird. Tian Yi didn't know if it could bear the strain of hoping he was good.
"Is- I-" Tian Yi searched desperately for the right words to say. Kawani wasn't her first language, and it was harder for her to speak when she was nervous. Her voice was thick with the slippery, fluid accent of her homeland, so different from the stallion's precise syllables.
"Is there a lake near here? Or a river?"
She hadn't had much time to take in the stallion's appearance, but she thought she'd seen feathers, and a comforting amount of bulk. She dearly hoped he was a Wind or an Alicorn. If they could both escape across a body of water, it was unlikely that the huntsmen could follow them, and then Tian Yi wouldn't have to bear the guilt of having caused bloodshed.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:57 am
Ears flicked as he worked diligently on the rope, monitoring the two-legs at the fire by their speech-noises and sounds of movement. The rough hemp of the rope chafed at the delicate skin of his mouth and soon enough a dark stain started to spread where blunt teeth had been chewing.
Pausing as the delicate vocals of the mare whispered from the other side of the tree, Ehren stretched aching jaw wide silently as he pondered the question before answering. "Yes.. a river, not far." He couldn't help but admire her voice, so unlike any he had heard before, and something that he wished to hear more off before they parted ways. Assuming this little rescue mission went off as planned. Though why she wanted a river, he wasn't entirely sure, but the massive sweeping flow of the Kawani River should be more than enough for whatever she had in mind.
Having answered her he turned back to the stubbornly thick rope before him, strong neck arching as the stallion put every drop of effort into his task. Iron-like muscles straining to hurry along the process. The two-leggers were beginning to stir, though he wasn't sure if they would come over or not.
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 7:41 pm
It was difficult not to look at the stallion while he worked. Minutes passed like hours. The rope chafed her neck in time with his movements, and Tian Yi wasn't certain how to move to make the shaking look more natural. They would be seen, and he would be caught, and it would be all her fault, just like-
No. She wasn't going to brood over the past at a time like this.
Tian Yi's bonds grew slack, and she finally whipped her head around to regard her would-be rescuer. She flinched when she caught sight of the dark patch near his lips. The salty, iron smell of blood told her all that she needed to know about the toll his efforts had taken upon his jaw.
"I- I am so, so sorry. This horn is perhaps not what you are thinking. I am not a unicorn, and I cannot heal-"
Her whispering was interrupted by the sound of loud, raucous conversation coming from the two-legger camp.
"The river! Please, we've got to go!"
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Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:04 pm
At last, the rope drooped, held up only by the tree's rough bark. Stepping back he swung his head to the side, looking for the mare. Realising she already knew he stepped back in order to let her slide round the tree to where he was.
"Come on... before they notice." Whispered reply was returned, leaving her comment about her horn for when they were safely away. He had possessed no intention of asking for help, regardless of her breed. He had chosen to stay, chosen the way he thought best to free her.. it was simply the result of his choices and he saw no reason why he should try and escape it.
Dark eyes flicked anxiously to the two-legger camp, hidden form him by the brush but the glow of their fire and the sounds they made were still clear. "Follow me..." Twisting round, heavy-set body hardly an advantage in the thick undergrowth, Ehren eased away from the camp, aware that his pale coat would show up far more then her more natural pelt.
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Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:54 am
Tian Yi watched the stallion's pale flank fade into the underbrush. She knew that she should follow him right away. The stallion looked like he could take care of himself, but the canopy above them was thick with branches, and he might not be able to take flight if the hunters gave chase. It would be awful if he were caught on her account.
She didn't doubt that those two-leggers could use their knives to clip his wings; just like the caretakers at home had trimmed the pinions off of song-birds, so that they were forced to sit in the garden and sing for her mistress all day long. Tian Yi had never thought about it that way before. She'd liked her pretty music.
What was this wild place doing to her?
No matter. The Kirin shuffled forward, to snatch her green silk scarf off of a nearby stump, and then hopped into the underbrush. Her cloven hooves were better suited to treading lightly than the stallion's -- in a meditative frame of mind, she could walk on grass without trampling the blades -- and she quickly reached his side.
If only her legs didn't feel so wobbly from disuse. She feared he was having to slow himself, for her.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you so much!" She breathed. "My name is Tian Yi. I come from, um- a far-away place, yes? I do not understand these two-leggers here. It's all very-" Her voice became a little smaller. A little sadder. "Very foreign, I am afraid."
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Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:55 am
She need not have worried, for the thickness of the brush and the need to keep as silent as possible prevented the stallion from making much speed. Creeping through the undergrowth carefully he blew out a puff of breath in relief when she joined him.
Pale ears flicked back as she settled at his side, his far heavier and larger body almost clearing the way through the forest as he kept his head low, ducking under branches, careful to avoid making the trees speak as he passed. Noting her weakened state, one he could easily forgive considering the circumstances and which truthfully didn't surprise him, he shifted a little closer, silently offering his strength for her to lean upon if she wished it.
Cocking an ear as she spoke he glanced back, long enough to offer her a reassuring smile. "Don't be.. I will protect you." After all, what was a Knight good for if not to protect others? His strength, given to him by the spirits, his wings, his very life was in existence to help others, to protect those that needed him. "I am Ehren Shibuya, and you have no need to thank me, Tian Yi. I could not leave you to those two-leggers.. " Lifting his head he glanced behind, ears pressing back then forwards, trying to work out if the creatures in question had realised their captive had escaped.
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2009 8:15 pm
The stallion's wordless offer of support was tempting. Tian Yi hadn't felt this graceless since she was a small foal, and her mother had made her practice walking over the koi ponds all day long. At least here she wasn't likely to tumble into any scented, ornamental water, and get a face full of fish-scales.
She... um. She wasn't used to touching other Soquili. Two-legger groomers were one thing, but an Imperial Kirin of the Celestial Kingdom mustn't horse around with other Soquili. It wasn't proper.
Desire for comfort warred with her natural skittishness. Tian Yi compromised by edging closer to her rescuer; close enough that she could feel the slight heat given off by his body, and smell the musk of his sweat.
She gave the stallion a grateful nod.
"I don't understand why those two-leggers were so crude. Where I come from, two-leggers shelter us, and fix our hair, and put lotus-petals in our water, and trim all the hedges into wonderful shapes, and are our friends, because bring luck and culture to their households. Yet I see nothing lucky or cultural in this land. Just- just look at this garden they've let grow over!" Tian Yi looked up at Ehren with wide, guile-less eyes. "Is there illness here? Is that it? A sickness of the mind?"
Yes. Yes, that must be it. Tian Yi didn't want to have to think ill of anyone.
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 4:43 am
Ehren didn't pressure her, the offer was there and he was content to let her choose whether or not she wanted to accept it. As she inched closer he had to resist the urge to stretch his wing out over her, to shield her further. Momentarily distracted from their situation by the strange feeling of need that filled him, he almost stepped on a fallen branch, catching himself just in time to lengthen his stride and pass over it safely.
Berating himself mentally he focused ahead of them, dark storm-hued eyes seeking the easiest and quietest path through the brush that surrounded them. It would not do to get them captured over his own foolishness and inability to control his thoughts.
One ear flicked back as she nodded, followed by a brief glance as she resumed speaking. Her voice was melodic and unusual, nearly distracting him from her words as he listened to the tones. Winds, he was mentally acting like some fool colt.. and this was certainly not the situation to allow such foolishness. Tilting his head he looked back at her as he carefully shouldered a thick branch out of the way.
The way she spoke, the things she spoke off.. and the view of the world that she held were so different to the ones he knew, she fascinated him, making him wonder what land she had come from. Redirecting his gaze forwards once again he considered her question carefully.
"There are different kinds of two-leggers here... Those you met are dangerous, though thankfully they are not a common breed. Most of the two-leggers that live here are peaceful. They live together in small pointed teepees. There are soquili that live with them, and seem happy."
Pausing as he ducked under a branch he glanced about, guessing by 'garden' she ment the forest they were currently passing through. Though, he did not know what a 'garden' was...
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Posted: Tue May 26, 2009 1:27 pm
Colored tents? So... they liked picnics? My, what fun! They'd had picnics at Court sometimes. The Emperor would take his Head Concubine -- Tian Yi's mistress -- out for an evening or two amongst the lotuses. Servants would follow along to fan away the heat and kill off any pesky insects that might disturb their ride.
Tian Yi did not know what these bad two-leggers had against picnicing or why they would want to capture her. She decided that they must all have been born insane. It was very unfortunate, how taint could run in bloodlines. If Tian Yi were a unicorn (and the two-leggers were less scary) she might have tried to heal them.
"The Old Master says, 'The world is a sacred object. Nothing is to be done to it. To do anything to it, is to damage it. To seize it is to lose it.'" She shied closer to the stallion's side, carefully stepping over a fallen log. "I feel sorry for these bad two-leggers, I think."
She glanced tentatively at Ehren. How admirable, that he could live as a civilized Soquili in such a rough place!
"Which is not to say I wished to stay with them. Thank you, kind stranger, for your help. I am not wise in the ways of-"
Tian Yi was interrupted by the sound of harsh two-legger bellowing, and the snapping of green new branches. Something streaked past her shoulder. An arrow?
Jade eyes widened.
"Oh no. Oh no! You have to fly. We have to run!!"
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