|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:18 am
Whilst she was out and about at her mother's behest she didn't think on her situation overly..well not as much, and she'd had the good fortune to make two new acquintances on her journey back from the last errand. Of course, whether she saw them again was another story, but she might, and it would be a thing to look forward to.
She was bid this day to go seek out another of Ardia's friends, an exotic looking mare called Aishwarya that her mother had been a midwife for a while ago. Ardia herself was visiting another friend, and so had sent her eldest daughter off to see Aish. Meena was taking her time, the mare in question had settled in woods near the Lake after having her children, and so Meena was unlikely to have problems finding her.
The expanse of water that was the Lake came into view shortly, and she veered off course, heading down towards the bank, figuring that she would paddle her hooves in the shallows before carrying on. She felt a little like she was being a naughty filly for doing so and it was with a chuckle that she cantered down and into the water, splashing as she went.
She waded along the bank, feeling the cool mud sucking at her hooves, and stood like that for a while, head hanging in a relaxed posture.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:28 pm
 Abiron stood motionless at the water's edge, letting the cool breeze lift his burdened mane and tail and soothe his aching muscles. His eyes were closed, his nostrils opened wide and savoring the summer scents that had long escaped him. The light tide washed bits of lakeweeds and other plants up to his hooves, making him sink further into the warm, soft sand.
All was peaceful. He had just spent the last few days journeying endlessly, through rain and wind, night and day, to find this very lake. A few times, he wondered if it was even worth it, a simple lake that had the contents of every other lake in all the Soquili lands. But once he arrived, he knew his journey was not without great reward; the lake was beautiful, clear and shimmering in the high summer sun, just cool enough to refresh, just warm enough not to shock. The perfect lake. It was all worth it.
Abiron shook out his mane, stretching his exhausted legs and neck. Holding up a deerskull had never bothered him before, but after days of uninterrupted walking, everything was a burden.
It was then that he heard a gentle splash on the other side of the lake, and opening his eyes slowly, he spotted a mare along the opposite shore, playing in the water, then falling into the same sort of lull that he was in. Maybe she was on a journey as well...? Oh, what a coincidence! He couldn't contain himself.
He began the slow, almost painful walk over to her, every muscle in his body screaming for him to stop. But he soldiered on, trying to mask his aches and pains with a wide grin. At last, he reached a suitable position in which to call to her, but not to frighten her. He stopped, much to his own relief.
"Hello over there!" he called out warmly, his deep voice echoing against the banks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:36 pm
Meena must have fallen into a doze, for when the greeting sounded she started rather badly, spraying water around as she kicked her legs out, trying to keep her balance in the river mud under hoof. Her heart hammered in her chest, shaking water from her eyes she looked to see who had called out and given her a fright.
'Hello?' she ventured, her voice coming out far more shakily than she would like, but she was still calming down, and she couldn't say that the strangers appearance was reassuring her very much. The horns, the bones and all the other adornments made him look very imposing.
Of course it may all be for show, but still. She rearranged her features into a slightly nervous smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:45 pm
Abiron stepped back when the mare was startled, trying not to frighten her any further. This seemed to happen any time he said hi to someone; they saw him, they freaked, they remained freaked until he told them that they shouldn't be. He was not an intimidating stallion by any means... but his appearance threw others off.
"Sorry for scaring you!" he said, his ears falling back in a sort of sad, submissive way. "I didn't mean to."
He took another step back. This always happened to him. It wasn't his fault he looked so scary... it was all his brother Nero's fault. Nero was the one who had given him the beads and deerskull. Nero was the one who told him to never take them off. Sure, the Head Shaman had picked him out of the crowd to be taught because of his appearance... but the rest of the world didn't quite understand that.
"I really am sorry for scaring you," he repeated, head low.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:53 pm
'That's okay.' Meena replied, looking at how his face fell at her reaction. Well now, she felt bad! Of course, it wasn't right of her to make a judgment on appearances - she knew that well enough - but she'd been caught dozing, and you made snap judgments when you were startled.
She took a step forward, showing that she was fine with him being there, and a proper smile appeared on her face, tinged with guilt. He looked outwardly to be unnerving, but from his demeanour this had happened before, and it didn't sit well with him.
'Honestly, you mostly just startled me, I think I fell asleep there,' she confessed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:11 pm
Abiron looked up at the mare, his vision blocked by the deerskull until he lifted his head further. He allowed himself to smile apologetically.
"It's easy to fall asleep here," he said quietly, shifting his weight slightly so his screaming muscles would stop twitching. He needed sleep, he needed rest, he needed a hot spring to sit in for a while. Ugh, he needed to stop thinking about it, or his muscles would hurt even worse.
"My name is Abiron," he added after a moment, bowing his head in the polite greeting he had been taught. Most of his life functioned that way; he had been taught how to hold a conversation, how to eat, how and when to sleep. He had been taught to follow his instincts. He had been taught that, should he have a vision or a dream of a place, he was supposed to go there at all costs.
Which had led him to his very lake at this very moment. But he didn't dare tell this mare that; not many understood the life of a Shaman. Most shunned him for his constantly changing lifestyle, never staying in one place for very long. This had caused him great strife... he was getting old, and he still hadn't fulfilled his greatest dream; raising a family.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 12:30 am
She looked again at all that he was wearing; out of curiosity mostly now. She couldn't really imagine walking around, carrying all that, the heaviest thing she wore were the beads in her braids!
'Is that stuff heavy, make you hot?' she asked, hoping he wouldn't think it was a rude question.
'Why do you wear it?'
She smiled sheepishly. She was actually being a little rude; all those questions and she'd not introduced herself.
'Sorry,' she added with a grin.
'Meena, is me. I'm pleased to meet you Abiron.'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2009 12:28 pm
Abiron shifted his weight slightly, looking down at his beads and back at the bones along his back. He thought for a moment, "They only get heavy when I'm tired," he replied slowly, measuring every word. "Which isn't often."
Usually he'd answer with a resounding no, but today was different; wow, was he tired. The muscles in his front legs twitched uncomfortably, and the muscles in his back legs ached and throbbed. Never before had he walked that far... hopefully, never again.
"It's a pleasure, Meena," he said politely. "And I wear all this stuff because I am a Shaman. I was raised that way; my brothers and sister are also Shamans, as well, but I was taught by the head Shaman... and therefore, must carry the most burden." He smiled, somewhat sadly, as he thought about growing up while learning the ways of being a Shaman. Oh, how he missed his family...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2009 8:04 am
'Are you tired right now?' Meena asked, looking at him in a searching and shrewd manner. If she was stopping him from resting it would be a bad thing, but her curiosity was piqued by his words and his appearance.
'We could sit somewhere in the shade if you'd like?' she ventured.
'You can rest, and tell me about what a Shaman is, I've not ever heard of that term before.' she smiled.
'If you don't mind of course?'
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
