[PRP] Heartwarming? Not Hardly (Brakenhide x Sah’erir)

[zephira738]

It was a warm afternoon, the sunlight soft and pleasant through the sparse drifting of clouds in the gentle breeze. But even the golden glow of a lovely day like this one was not enough to change the frozen expression in the mare’s eyes. Sah’erir, or Sah as she more commonly introduced herself, thought very little of the bright day, or the wisps of cloud that chased lightly across the bright blue sky. It was sunny, and rain was not promised soon, and that was all she really thought of the day most would have called beautiful. The weather was pleasant for walking, but even if it weren’t quite so comfortable she probably would have been traveling anyway so, really, it hardly seemed to matter much.

The gleeful burble of a small brook had caught her attention, and she was in the middle of making her way through the field to where the sound was coming from. It had been a long day of walking by now after all, and she was fairly thirsty. The need wasn’t urgent, she often classified physical desires by the impact they would have on her lifespan rather than levels of discomfort, but a drink would be nice. She eyed the stream when she found it, not willing to let another clawed creature, however small, get a chance at her soft nose. When she saw no movement, beyond the tiny silver flash of a little fish fleeing from her shadow, and heard nothing particularly out of the ordinary for the forest, she lowered her head to sate the uncomfortable warmth in her throat, long ears flicking back and forth to catch any odd sorts of sounds.

Just because it wasn’t dark didn’t mean there couldn’t be danger.
 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

'Ahhhhhh...... What a beautiful day!' Brackenhide thought to himself as he easily made his way over some slowly rolling hills. The sun was nice and warming on his scales and his tail flicked back and forth half-heartedly as he admired his surroundings. He loved the contrast between the bright blue of the sky and it's wandering clouds, and the lushness of the grass that led into the fire-toned trees off on the horizon. All of these colors that blended so well in a world that was so often looked at in black and white. Why did everything have to be good, or bad? He shook his head. He never understood why others couldn't see the bright side, see the beauty in things and always lumped things into one extreme or the other. He thought that it just took a good demeanour and some time to see all that was beautiful in life. And that was something he was good at. Especially with the ladies.... a grin came over his features as he thought about this phenomenon of always being able to find something beautiful about a mare, any mare.

'I wonder if I'll come across and beautiful maidens that compliment this beautiful day...' and just as he thought this, he found that his feet were leading him towards a babbling brook a little ways up ahead, and at that brook stood the best scene he had seen all day.

If he was another stallion he may have faltered or even shied away, but that was not his style. Not at all. Brackenhide's ears perked up and with his head held up but not high he made his way closer. A handsome smile plastered to all of his features, he made sure to look at her as he approached and when within a few running strides he offered a greeting, "Wonderful day for a beautiful maiden to be out travelling," he guessed she was travelling anyway, and if he were wrong, he could easily prove to be an icebreaker. He stopped and stood at the opposite side of the brook from her, offering her a chance to react and respond. He waited patiently, relaxed in demeanour and stance so as not to pose any threat, and allowed his eyes to only gently walk over her figure.
 

[zephira738]

Long ears flicked then swiveled towards the sound of approaching hoofbeats though the mare herself hardly moved. There was a difference between common sense caution and crazed paranoia. She tended to not fit the second. So instead of assuming the worst and taking her leave, Sah calmly lifted her head and glanced towards the stranger. He didn’t strike her as dangerous, though what features he lacked to make him so she couldn’t quite place. He did look a bit odd, she didn’t recall seeing scales quite like that before, but not particularly threatening. His hooves, she noted, were shaped rather like her own, what she could see of them through the thick fur that draped around them. That was interesting, he was the first she’d seen with hooves like her own. But that seemed to be where the similarities stopped. She certainly did not have scales, nor did she posses a tail quite like that one.

“I suppose it is,” she replied when he said it was a wonderful day. It was warm and clear, but not too hot, so it wasn’t a poor weather day to travel. But what was this ‘beautiful maiden’ business? Sah eyed him briefly, before deciding she didn’t care as she usually did. They were just words, they didn’t need to mean anything at all. Why did he just stand there though? She didn’t think she posed any more threat to him than he did to her. There was plenty of room at the stream for the both of them, especially with him being on the opposite side. He had no need to stay back there and watch her.


 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

His eyes lightly travelled over her, and he liked what he saw. She was a finely crafted goddess, one that the creator must have spent a very long time on, getting just perfect. Her long ears acute, her hair flowed as naturally as the brook they stood by, her skin was smooth and unmarked. She was a vision of beauty, or at least Brackenhide definitely thought so!

Bowing his head politely, he introduced himself. "My name is Brackenhide, and if there is anything I might be able to do for milady, I would be more than happy to." He lifted his head to look her in the eye, before dipping his head once more, but this time all the way down to the water's surface. The water was cool, refreshing, and delicious. A drink was something he had been needing for a good while this day, so it was welcomed gratefully, but he reigned himself in and forced his drinking to be slow and calm to keep that air of confidence and relaxation. Everything should come with ease to a stallion like him, but it wasn't important whether it was, only whether it was perceived as such to those around him. Especially the lady-folk.
 

[zephira738]

First 'fair maiden' now 'milady'. He was a strange one indeed. Sah'erir watched as he bowed, her tail flicking briefly though her eyes remained cool and utterly empty of emotion. So strange, his behavior. As though he thought she were someone important or...something.

"My name is Sah," she responded finally. "I do not think I am who you seem to think I am." Milady indeed. Perhaps he was looking for someone and had hoped to have found whomever it was in her. Regardless, now that she had corrected his mistake, perhaps it was time she was on her way. She wasn't sure where she was going to, but her thirst quenched there was little reason to linger here.

 

[Darkmoon Dancer]

"Sah," he repeated softly, "Like a gentle sigh of the evening breeze." A brow raised as she spoke. Who did she think he was looking for? He was merely being polite, and offering his services, as any good gentlemen should.

"I was not looking for anyone. I have merely been graced by your beautiful presence, should that not be enough for a humble stallion to show respect and offer to be of service, in return?" Perhaps she had never been spoken to like this before... no, that was absurd. She was stunning, why would any male talk to her any differently? Then again... she may have never spoken to a male before, he supposed. No, that was silly, too!

"My apologies, I will not keep you here to listen to my mindless chatter if it displeases you, or I am keeping you from something." Another slight bow, but he secretly hoped she would stay, if only just a little longer, so that he may continue to look upon pure beauty.