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 Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 9:29 am
 The ground was trampled flat as a young mare paced back and fourth, it hadn't been that long ago that she had met a strange male, young like herself. Bright green eyes glance around the chosen meeting spot, she had challenged the stallion to a racew to her salt marshes, even though she knew some short cuts and smaller paths that would let her beat the poor soul whom she figured would become extremely lost. Stopping in her pacing, Ariana looked towards the skies as it seemed that the sun taunted her for having not really moved since the last time she looked not a moment ago.
"Pettiless thing, taunt me like it taunts a plant by hidding behind a patch of clouds. I swear it loves doing that, like a carnivor loves stalking it's prey letting it think it escaped until, WHAM it's dead." Shaking her head again, the dark purple and black striped mare snorted groundwards. "Lets hope he arrives soon before I feel like I'm melting like the winter's snow."
Ariana had been pacing the same patch of ground for the past half an hour, having traveled from her home deep in the salt marshes were she lived the algae and small silver fish that floated amongst it. Ariana didn't quite see herself as a Pryrin as she didn't eat the fish as much as someone might like to think. If she can she will spit them out, but some times it's too late when she takes a mouthful of the stuff and start chewing before finding the small fish. Already, Ariana's belly was growling, she felt like she hadn't eaten in a long time, the night before actually, and right now she could eat a small fish if there were some around...
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 12:30 pm
 Prabhat had never been so lost in his entire life. It was somewhat exhilarating... but mostly frustrating. Frustration. Not something Prabhat had much experience with, but normally he wasn't looking for something. Someone. Where had she gone? He could have sworn she went this way but - no, no that wasn't it. Muttering under his breath, Prabhat splashed on through the swamp, ignoring the mud that splattered on his coat.
Maybe it was – no, no, that’s not it. And there’s that blasted stump again! Prabhat stomped his foot impatiently, and was promptly rewarded with a fresh splash of muddy water. “Some race,” he muttered under his breath. “It’s impossible to win when you don’t even know where the finish line is!” He took a deep breath and scented the air, trying to find a trace of scent from the female. No luck – he had mud on his nose, and only succeeded in having a small (but loud) choking fit.
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Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:36 pm
"Perhaps my hooves were too fast, like a cat's pace." Ariana paced once again, like a caged feline with not enough room to move much. "Perhaps that short cut wasn't the right one..." Shaking her head, Ariana headed back the direction she had come, back the way she had apparently vanished.
Long legs propelling her through the mud and the muck, her tail swaying behind her as she moved. Bright green eyes glancing around as her ears twitched trying to pick up sounds outside those of the swamp creatures and of her own steps. Splashing onto another mudflat, one that brought her up higher then the grass, she looked out over the surroundings. Now where was he? ears twitching too and fro, catching much, not really hearing much but the sounds of the swamp. The buzzing of the flies and the croaking of the small frogs on the lily pads. Yea, that was home, or at least part of it, she lived closer to the salt water though.
Tail swatting at one of the flustering flies, that just so happened to fly too close to her backside, did she hear something. It sounded like someone having a coughing fit and splashing about in the muddy water somewhere off to one side of her perch. She couldn't see who or what it was that was splashing about, but it sounded larger then the many species of fish that swam around the place. Trudging down from her perch, Ariana headed towards the distressed individual, hoping that it was the strange stallion she had met and challenged to race, not one of her brightest ideas, but then again. She rarely did have too many of them when it came to the places that were to hold these races.
"That batter be him and not some mud slinger." Ariana muttered to herself as she moved through the deep water and sticky mud. "If it IS a mud slinger, it's dead meat."
Turning a corner, not really sure what she would find, ears perched backwards and head held high. Expecting a throng of mud being slung her way at any time, an almost daring whatever it was to even try. But what she did find, wasn't a mud slinger at all, just the stallion with what looked like a nose full of mud and splashing disgruntled. My, she had lost him, completely when she headed another direction...
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Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2009 3:08 pm
It was the mare! Prabhat cheered up immediately as he caught sight of her. "Did I win?" he asked, unaware of how silly he looked with the smear of mud on his nose. "I raced long and hard," he added, and demonstrated by prancing in place, tail and head held high.
It was like all of the frustration had left, along with the tired feeling he got from the extra work for slogging through the mud and water. He'd feel it tomorrow, he knew, but right now that didn't matter. If he was going to have soar muscles, he might as well earn them. He slogged over to the mare, a stupid grin on his face while he tried to think of something to tell her. A new story, one he made up by his very own self. "I think I might be turning part fish," he said, "or part toad. Sooner than you think, I'll be one with the mud" - here he demonstrated by rolling over in the filth and waving his legs theatrically - "and you won't be able to tell me apart from the rest of the swamp. Although I'd rather be a bird," he added wistfully, "a little swamp bird that could just sing and sing and sing. Wouldn't you?" He looked up at her expectantly from where he lay in the swamp, nearly completely covered in mud and algae.
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Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 7:26 pm
Ariana watched the stallion as he rolled in the much before her after brightening up from the devastating state he had once been in. Shaking her head a little, she positioned herself on a small bank out of the much, though it plastered her legs and belly, plus the most of her tail. Shaking her head, Ariana sighed, she could just come right out and tell him not even close, but she chose to play along with him.
"Close, but you are just two licks from being sucker food if you roll in that swamp mire too much longer." She pointed out as small creatures had started to swarm around the male soon after he stopped thrashing about. "Best get to higher ground before then, I would hate to take your pieces back to whom ever cares about you..."
Tail swinging behind her, a splatter of muck scattered across the ground besides her, before her tail laid still behind once more. Turning some she picked a path away from where she had been perched, heading back the way she had come. Looking back she watched him, wondering if he were coming, or just going to stand there.
"You coming, little swamp toad?" She asked a small smile on her features, not that the name had much of a meaning to it. "I know of a place where you can wash that off and clear the much from your scales. This stuff had a habit of getting into the hard to clean places if not removed quickly."
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Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 9:43 am
Sucker food -? Prabhat took one look behind him and became very, very still. He turned back as he heard Ariana's taunt, and bound out of the muck with a great big squelch squelch squelch (he couldn't make it in one leap due to the way the swamp clung at his feet) before landing on the higher ground with a relieved sigh.
Swamp toad? He laughed, pleased with his new nickname. "Ay, I don't like the sounds of that," he said pleasantly, "toads like to have clean skin. And I do rather like being red better than being brown. Lead the way, swamp... swamp... swamp sun! Yes, let us make haste before I am permanently a part of the swamp and never dare leave again."
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Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 7:13 pm
Ariana laughed as the male came bounding onto solid, clean ground, though it wouldn't be too clean now, as the mud slipped from even her underbelly and legs. When she heard him laugh at her nickname for him, he seemed to make up one for her. Swamp sun? Well that was a new one. She had never thought of having a nickname like that one, then again, she never really knew anyone besides a stuffy old mare whom raised her from an egg. Smiling, she turned away from the male and headed along a raised path that lead past the mud and muck.
"Swamp Sun huh? That's an interesting name for someone as dark colored as I am." She chuckled as her tail twitched over her back, covering her white and gold colored scaled back. "Well, come on, not much farther."
Picking up her pace some, she headed through the thin trees that bordered her home lands. Ahead the muddy swamp lead to the wetlands of the salt marshes. The tall reeds waved as a warm breeze blew over them, the nasty stink of the swamps were replaced with a salty sea air. Leaping from the path, Ariana headed through the reeds, half swimming, half walking more the time. The muck from her belly and legs washing away. Turning her head she looked back towards the male.
"Coming? Little Swamp Toad?" She asked, waiting.
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 10:45 am
Prabhat ran after the mare, smiling to himself over the cleverness of his nickname - and her back really did shine like the sun - before stopping dead once they'd passed through the trees. It was so, so... beautiful. He took a deep breath, and marveled over the smell. It was... different. He'd never seen the ocean before, or smelt it on the wind, so he had no words to describe it. All he knew is that he loved it immediately.
"Of course," he said guiltily, and plunged into the water. He'd never properly swum before, so he nearly panicked when he couldn't quite touch the bottom, but soon discovered that he floated well enough and was able to propel himself by moving his legs in a running motion and every now and then kicking off against the bottom.
"This is marvelous," he sighed as he felt the mud dissolve off of his body.
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Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:28 pm
Ariana watched the stallion behind her stop and take in the sights around them. She knew, or thought she knew the feeling. At least she might have felt the same way some time before when she first found the place. Looking out past the reeds and sea grass she knew the ocean rolled evenly circulating the waters so they didn't bog up. Paddling off to one side she glanced into the water for the algae and other smaller plant life that she enjoyed. Coming across a patch of seaweeds she pushed some aside. Ah-HA! There was some, the bright green plants waving within the slow rolling of the waves some gallops away.
"Over here my little Swamp Toad." She giggled watching him, "My little 'Clean' Swamp Toad I should say." Another rumble of giggles came from her as she paddled a little, treading water. "Also if you think this is marvelous, wait until the little fish start to nibble. It tickles like the many vines of the weeping trees." But she did enjoy it when they did nibble at her legs and back if they can get at it. They did have a way of getting at the dead scales and somehow picking at them to remove them.
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Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:44 am
Prabhat paddled after the mare and gave the plants a curious look. Was she actually going to eat those? How strange! Eating plants that lived in water; he'd never heard of such a thing. What did they taste like? Did they like water, but with a hint of grass? Were they hollow and full of water so that Ariana never had to drink? How mysterious!
"Fish?" he asked in a panicked voice. It wasn't that he was afraid of fish, he told himself, but biting fish were a different story entirely.
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Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 6:36 pm
Ariana gave a laugh as she watched him panic, she didn't know what all the fuss was about. There were many brands of fish in the flats, some remained when the water drained away. Others left with the tides, but her little friends remained no matter the water level.
"They only nibble, no need to freak out like someone's got your tail and won't let go." Smiling she nosed at him playfully, padding away from him and around the water plants. "Try some, they are good. Spungy like moss I suppose." She tried to shrug, but was nearly impossible.
Reaching out, Ariana rook hole of a few of the plants and pulled them from the water. There was a bunch of squishing crews before she swallowed the salty grass. Her legs wiggling, already a school of small silver fish swarmed over and were starting to nibble at her legs. Trying to get the mud out from between her scales, and picking at the dead skin. Giggling, she flailed a little, causing quite the scene.
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Posted: Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:10 pm
"I'll remember you said that if I come out of the water with a bunch of fish clinging to my tail," Prabhat muttered. A few fish swam closer, and Prabhat stood stock still, but they didn't bite him. They only tickled, and in a strange way, it felt good.
"I've never tried moss," Prabhat admitted, "but I like the way it feels when I walk on it." He plunged his head under the water, trying not to think about fish attacking his eyes, and grabbed a mouthful of plants. "Not bad," he said, "I kind of like it. Very... salty."
He shook his head as some of the water from Ariana's flailing hit him in the face. Laughing, he swallowed the rest of the water and ducked his head under the water once more. Instead of eating more plants, however, he flicked his head out of the water and splashed the mare.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 12:28 pm
"Now, I don't think they would do that, maybe get stuck in your hair, but they won't be clinging to you." Ariana laughed as she wadded a bit. The small fish still nibbled at her legs, underbelly and sides, oh did they ever tickle. She watched him plunge his head into the salty water of the salt flats after the deeper grasses that swayed beneath the surface. "See, better then the bland stuff on shore. Well, the grass anyways, to me." She stuck out her tongue some before a wave of water came her way.
She didn't have much time to react to the water that Prabhat tossed her way, eyes growing large, she watched it come. Only when it hit her smack in the face did she retaliate. A laugh coming from her throat, Ariana returned the favor with throwing a wave of water back at him. This wave had cause a couple small fish that flailed about in the air when they left the water. Paddling away from Prabhat, she looked back to see if he would follow, she was heading towards where a small furry creature would be waiting. As much as she loved the salt flats, it seemed that Catkin the Keshi didn't and she made sure that Ariana knew about every chance she could with little 'presents'.
"Catch me if you can my little swamp toad." Ariana called back to Prabhat.
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Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 4:26 pm
He grinned cheekily at the mare. "You just have to know which 'bland stuff' to try, really. Although I must agree that this... marsh grass... has a certain something that I've never tasted before."
He sputtered as the wave hit him full in the face, but only laughed when he found that one of the fish balanced momentarily on his nose before tumbling off.
"Oh I will," he promised cheerfully, and lunged through the water in a series of short leaps. The water slowed him significantly, however, and he only succeeded in creating great big splashes while Ariana steadily gained on him. He certainly had a lot to learn about the swamp!
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Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:37 pm
Legs pulling themselves high to her chest as she lunged through the water, the waves from the male behind her splashing at her back. Slowly her hooves dig into the shallowing waters and she pranced, high kneed and soaking wet onto dry land. Swinging her tail from side to side, small sprays of water jutted off the thick locks. "You can't catch me!" She mocked though he was closing in and she wasn't making much move to get away.
Turning sharply, Ariana looked out over the marshlands that she called home, almost losing herself within herself, she all but forgot about Prabhat. It was really one when a thick ball of muck slapped against her face did she turn quick and look down at the disgruntled Keshi that sat with muddied paws on the shore. Deep set purple eyes glared up at her as she stared back almost childishly.
"Catkin!" She shrieked, leaping at the Keshi whom scrambled throwing more mud in its wake before being picked up by the nap of its neck and tossed, screeching, into the salty water. "Bath time!" She called as the Keshi swam lopsidedly back to shore, it's once well groom tan fur a mess.
Turning her gaze back toward Prabat, she smiled still. "Swamp toad, this is Catkin. Catkin." She glanced back to the Keshi whim was feaverously licking at its now salty fur, "This is my little Swamp Toad."
Catkin looked up for a moment with vengeful eyes, looking once to Ariana before giving the male a grumble of a what could have been a greeting before going back to its grooming. All the while thinking why couldn't she had been given to someone who DIDN'T have to live near such nasty water! Like come on, did it have to be so bitter? And.... Filthy? The Keshi stood on well muddied paws, shaking herself off before trudging, shaking one foot before another with each step, looking quite comical.
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