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 Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:59 pm
The wind howled wildly through the barren trees and Ostara couldn't help but shiver. It sounded unbelievably frightful, as if some one or some thing lay trapped forever in the gaping gorge. The thought wasn't logical, just an idea produced from one's doubts and fears, but knowing that didn't bring her much comfort. The day had turned from a pleasant outing, noting the local flora, to a disastrous and cold problem. The problem was that astute little 'Stara was lost. She had been far too enamored with her surroundings to remember which path she had taken to get up there.
Oh yes, the view had been breath-taking. But now she was silently cursing herself as she tripped over the jutting rock face and loose gravel. The gorge became an echoing fortress cowled in shadows, and the little usdia was now stuck on one of its ledges unwilling to move closer to the wall.
Desperate for help, she raised her head high and called out hoping her voice would carry above the wind.
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:17 pm
 Flannghaile had been having a peaceful walk among the crags of her homeland as the wind howled when she heard the desperate cry on the wind of an Usdia mare in trouble. It sounded like it was just ahead of her. Perhaps someone from the Lowlands had come up for a walk and gotten stuck. She sighed. This was not the first time she'd run into a Lowlander who'd gotten stuck on one of the mountain trails, partially by panicking.
Flann started walking faster up the slope behind the mare. Flann's cave was up ahead, and the mare would just have to stay there until she could relax and Flann could safely take her back to her home. It was unsafe with the storm brewing to try to guide a panicky Lowland Usdia along any trail, even a gentle one.
It took a few moments to find the one who'd called for help. She peered at the rosy mare with a snowy mane and tail, before saying, "Weel, weel, weel, ye're stuck, aren't ye, lass?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:32 pm
Ostara spun around at the sound of a local's voice. "Oh thank goodness," she sighed and slowly moved towards what she hoped to be her rescuer. The mare was about as tall as she was, but her coloring was dark and patterned like nothing she had seen before. It was obvious she lived in this rugged terrain.
'Stara tried to talk to the usdia but the wind picked up and she was forced to shout just to be heard. "I was just admiring the view when I lost track of time! I can't remember how I'd gotten up here! Could you help me?!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:41 pm
Flann was unsurprised. She was accustomed to shouting above the high winds of her home, so of course she hear this mare perfectly fine. "Och, does nae every Lowlander lose track of time and place here?" she muttered.
Louder, she shouted at the top of her hardy lungs, "Och, o' course I can! We'll gae to mah cave, but listen carefully to mah instructions. Walk slowly uphill, one foot in front o' the other. Walk wi' yer shoulder tae the cliff, safer there, lass." She used as coaxing a tone as she could in these winds while making herself audible.
There was no other way to help this mare, and this mare was, among other things, lost, frightened, and blocking Flann's way home. Even Flann didn't like being out in storms like this.
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:53 pm
'Stara listened closely to the mare's instructions, and nodded when she finished. "Alright!"
She slowly inched closer to the dark wall, the very one she had been trying to avoid just moments ago. The wind whipped violently at her braids, tossing them in front of her eyes and whapping herself in the muzzle. She didn't stop or flinch; Ostara kept her eyes on the usdia before her and kept her hooves close to the center of her body.
It was obvious she was ready to follow the mare's lead.
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:00 pm
((Actually, Flann came up behind 'Stara. ^^; Flann's giving instructions from behind.))
Flann walked slowly and carefully uphill behind the rosy mare, though it felt agonizingly slow for her. Flann hated going slowly uphill and downhill, because it felt like the slower she went, the more likely it would be that she'd slip and start skidding downhill at a frightening and dangerous pace.
After what seemed like an agonizing eternity, but was probably more like half an hour, they came to the cleft beside which the trail widened out to a ledge, where Flann lived. Time to get inside. Rain and thunder were on their way, and it was best not to linger. "Lass, turn right! Get intae the cave! We'll be safe there!" As she shouted this, the first thunder rumbled in the distance, low and menacing, and the first droplets of rain began pelting them in the high winds.
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Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 3:20 am
((Oh. Well I was picturing her stranded on a ledge-like shelf and she spun around to face Flann when she heard her voice... Sorry about the confusion! XD wink )
Ostara couldn't help but feel like such an incovenience as she steadily stalked up the mountain trail. She focused on her front hooves, watching them step over one another. There wasn't much to say and it would have been too difficult to try and chit-chat, especially when considering just how treacherous their surroundings were - one false step and you got one hell of ride, whether you made it or not was up to fate.
It was strange, they traveled in complete silence. A first for 'Stara. Finally they seemed to have reached their destination, and the hardy usdia directed her inside the cave. The intimidating sound of thunder followed shortly by a down pour didn't make her hesitate, Ostara ran into the cave to her right staying just deep enough not to get wet. It looked as though she was staying for a while...a long while.
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Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 12:37 pm
Flann grinned as the thunder and the rain drove the rosy mare inside at a run. She followed the mare in at her steady pace, not wanting to slip on the increasingly wet, rocky path. Once inside, she casually shook, spraying cold water droplets all around her. Admittedly, her cave was damp, too, but at least they'd be drier in here than out there. Smiling at the rosy mare, she realized it was time for introductions. "Weel, now, 'twould be a guid idea fer us to introduce ourselves, lass. I'm Flannghaile, Flann, for short. What's your name, lass?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:04 pm
Ostara nodded to her rescuer, Flannghaile. "It's nice to meet you Flann..." she paused, briefly wondering if she could pronounce the mare's full name. "And thank you for helping me. I'm Ostara."
She gave her a small grin from behind her drenched braids. She shook her mane from her face in a half-hearted attempt to no real avail. They stayed partially covering her eyes, slightly obscuring her vision. 'Stara glanced around the cave, taking in as much as she could now that her eyes had started to adjust to the lack of light. The cavern was fairly deep, wet yet drier than outside. Which was a pleasant comfort.
"So this is your home? It's nice. How long have you been up here?" And the questions began...
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:14 pm
Flann was startled by the beginning of the wave of questions, but didn't mind. "Dinnae worry about mah full name, Flann suits everybody fine, Ostara." She walked up to the rosy mare and nudged the white braids from her eyes gently. "Yes, this is mah home. I've lived here all my life that I can remember, and 'tis a pleasant abode. Wha' about you? Where do ye live, and wha's it like?" Yes, that was the thing to do during storms, ask questions, keep talking. It felt less cold and lonely and boring, not to mention that it would probably be good for Ostara while she stayed in Flann's cave.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:41 pm
The mare took her questions in stride and when she brushed her wet locks from her face, 'Stara couldn't help the warm smile that spread across her muzzle. This hardened, rough and tough sort of high-lander was truly a caring usdia. Looks can be deceiving but she knew that all to well; Ostara always looked past the surface.
When the questions turned to her, she wasn't sure what to say. Ostara had to actually take a few moments just to think up an answer. It had been quite a while that she had been on the road, travelling from place to place. "I...don't have a home. I've been on the move for so long now I can't even remember what it's like to stay put in one place." She glanced at the floor wondering if she should tell this stranger what drove her to do this. But Flann wasn't a stranger. "Something pushes me to keep going, I just don't know what I'm looking for yet."
The young mare couldn't help but full out blush, her rosy cheeks close to a color that resembled a ripened tomato. It was ironic that such a fact relying soquili could in fact believe and follow this unfounded urge to search for "something". Even Ostara was dumbfounded by her own actions, but here she was...searching.
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Posted: Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:13 pm
Flann nodded knowingly. It wasn't the first time she'd met someone with a wanderlust. "Och, there's always some as dinnae have roots, and never will. I could tell ye tha' ye could mak' a hame here, but ye wouldnae stay. I's jus' no' in yer nature to stay and form roots. Wha' is in yer nature, wha' cannae be taken oot o' yer nature, is tae have guid friends, no matter where ye may gae." She gently nuzzled Ostara. It didn't matter to her that Ostara was a rootless vagabond; that she had some as she could call friends, now that was important, and Flann wasn't about to let Ostara leave friendless. It just wasn't in Flann's nature.
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Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 6:17 pm
Ostara leaned into Flann's nuzzle. It felt good to have friends. And though she had earlier enjoyed the scenic bounty of these mountains, she just couldn't see herself living here. "I can always visit. And maybe you could show me around...when it's not so stormy."
She glanced outside of the cave just in time to see lightning flash. This time she didn't jump, 'Stara was starting to feel like her ol' self again. She decided to try and change subjects to something a bit more cheerful, "I was up here cataloging some of the local flora and fauna. It's one of my favorite things to do. What do you do when the weather's decent?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:05 am
Flann grinned, happy to see Ostara happier. "Och, o' course ye kin always visit me." She paused after Ostara's question. "Hmmm, what do I do when the weather's nae sae stormy? I explore these mountains. I'm sure there are parts I havenae seen yet, and there are always surprises fer even a Highlander like me," she replied with a smile. It was true. Flann was never bored in the mountains, and what little she'd seen of the Lowlands here bored her.
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Posted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 12:51 pm
Ostara's eyes widened. "You really haven't seen all of the mountains? Wow...maybe I should stick around for a while," she glanced back outside the cave imagining how her surroundings must've appeared when it was dry. She turned back to Flann and smiled. "I ended up on that rocky face where you found me because I was chasing this snow hare." The mare chuckled to herself remembering.
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