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 Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 12:39 pm
 Nere was right--it was beautiful out here. This little pond, tucked in between hills dotted with live oak and sycamores, sparkled in the sun. Trickling between the hills, a creek fed the pond, disturbing the surface at the far end with a joyful, peaceful sound. A break in the spring storms of the last week warmed Laminira's coat as she listened to the sound of birds in the trees.
With patrol over for the morning, Lami had time to take in the sight. She lowered her head to drink from the cool, fresh water, which tasted refreshingly of new life to grow from the warm sunlight.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:18 pm
Kaede trotted quietly toward the groves of live oak and sycamore whose thirst had so recently been quenched by the life-giving spring rains, a soft smile gracing her autumnal face. These parts should be in the area patrolled by the Burning Sun clan, the clan of champions. Her smile widened a bit. The grassy, hilly landscape with well-concealed water was perfect for the Burning Sun, being hot and tactically secure.
Cresting a ridge, she paused for a breather and looked down and around for some water. She was in luck, as there was a clear little pond in the valley below, sparkling like a tiny gem in a field of gold velvet punctuated by dark green copses of trees. She tossed her head once, the gem on her forehead sparkling, and started trotting down the slops, not quite able at this angle to see another arcturus mare from the Sunflare Herd also at the pond.
As she came toward the bottom, she slowed down, not wanting to move too fast. Sparing a glance up, she slowed down even further. Ahhh, the other mare at the pond was one of the mares of the Burning Sun clan. Sadly, Kaede didn't know enough of them to know their names, though she knew one of the mares was really nice. Hopefully this was the really nice one and she was between patrols. Smiling softly at the sunrise-like mare with red hair, she said quietly, "Good morning."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:31 pm
Lami raised her head at the other mare's voice. She recognized her--she was a druid in the herd, wasn't she?--but she couldn't remember her name right offhoof. "Good morning!" she said cheerfully. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" She flicked her tail towards the grasses that were only just beginning to grow green again after the rain. The other mare seemed to rise out of the landscape, her colors almost perfectly matching the golden grass. "I'm afraid I don't know your name," she added. "Mine is Laminira, but please, you can call me Lami. Most people do." She smiled--she found that acting friendly almost always seemed to work to put other stars at ease. "I think I remember seeing you around, but not around here."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:10 pm
Kaede smiled more warmly. Seems she was right, that this was the friendly mare in the Burning Sun clan. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lami. I am called Kaede. I'm a clanless druidess, and don't talk much to others," she added a little shyly. "You're a champion from the Burning Sun clan, right?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:30 pm
Lami nodded. "That's what I thought. I suppose it isn't any of my business, but why don't you have a clan? There are three clans already, and each of them is in need of a druid, if I recall correctly." Then she smiled ruefully. "I'm surprised you recognized me as a champion. The way I chatter, you'd think I was an artisan or a bard. Not that there's anything wrong with them, but I guess I'm more cheerful than you'd think a champion would be." She shook her head to dislodge that train of thought. "So, what brings you here this morning?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:41 pm
Kaede smiled. "I'm not sure. The Royal Sun is for the royals, the Burning Sun takes champions and those with a fighting spirit, and the Beautiful Sun takes bards and artisans and those with an artistic sensibility. I'm not a fighter, I'm not a royal, and I'm not an artist, but I'll help anyone I find. Maybe I'll find my place someday, but I'm just not sure yet." She had to laugh. Lami could make her laugh, even a little bit! Kaede hadn't laughed since Dreamspace.
"I try to notice everyone in the herd, and you're the nicest mare in the Burning Sun, though Rhia Sepaia's nice, too," she added quickly. She glanced at the pond. "Well, I was out for an exploratory stroll and got thirsty. Mind if I have a drink?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:46 pm
"Hm. I suppose when you put it that way, it does seem hard to find a place for you. I'm sure there will be new clans soon enough. Everyone's got to have a place, and those who don't have a place will just have to make one for themselves. It seems to me you've found one, though--helping other people." Lami nodded. "Of course you can take a drink. The water is free for anyone in Sunflare--there's no reason to keep a herd-mate from enjoying the bounty of our herd's territory."
Lami chuckled. "Yes, well, compared to even the meanest horse, Nere's hard to get along with. She's the other mare in our herd," she added, "the blue and green one. She's my sister, and I'm pretty much the only one who can get along with her easily. She takes a lot of getting used to. I can't remember ever being without her. Do you have any family?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 3:13 pm
Kaede smiled and stepped to the pond to take a long, refreshing drink of the cold, sweet water. A clan. That might be nice someday, but not just yet. Well, she and Ash, the other clanless one, had all the time in the world. Strange, how the only two clanless in the Sunflare were two of the herd's only three druids. As she raised her head, she froze, having heard Lami's question about family. Not turning around for a twinge of grief and loneliness, she said softly, "No, I'm afraid I don't have any friends or family here. I did in Dreamspace, but that was a long time ago." She turned around, giving her new friend a sad and lonely smile...suddenly tinged with hope. "Will you be my friend, Lami?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:21 pm
Lami followed Kaede to the pond, stepping in to feel the cool water around her fetlocks. She watched Kaede take a drink of water and mused on the elder. Maybe our herd's druids aren't right for the clans. I suppose we'll just have to wait until foals have children who want to be druids. I wonder what I would do if one of my foals wanted to be a druid? Or, more importantly, what Nere would do if she had a druid for a child. The idea made her smile.
Her smile faded in sympathy at the other mare's grieving voice. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "I would feel the same way if I lost Nere." She took a few steps towards her. "Oh, Kaede," she said softly. "You don't need to ask that. Not of me."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:25 pm
Kaede looked worried. "What do you mean, Lami? What do you mean I don't have to ask you?" Did she mean that Lami didn't want to be her friend? Or did it mean of course Lami would be her friend?
While she dithered worriedly, the thought idly crossed her mind that she hoped the Beautiful Sun and the Burning Sun each got their own druids, though she wasn't sure how the Beautiful Sun would, considering that they accepted only artisans and bards into their ranks. As for the Burning Sun...well, she and Ash were both the gentle type, and so not a good fit for the Burning Sun. A fiercer druid would be better for them.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:28 pm
"I mean that of course I'll be your friend. I might be a fighter now, but I'll always be a friend to those who need it most." Poor Kaede! She's been a member of the herd about as long as I have, so far as I can remember--has she really not made any friends? There are so many of us here, surely she's made friends with someone. I mean, I can't be the first!
I probably shouldn't ask her, though. I don't want to offend her.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:34 pm
Kaede smiled widely, her eyes growing moist. "Really, Lami?" She laughed and nuzzled her newfound friend affectionately. "I'll always be there for you when you need it, too. The Burning Sun does fostering, so when your foals need fostering, I'd like to be first in line to foster your little ones, Lami, and you'll be first in line to foster mine," she added, closing her eyes as she nuzzled a little more.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:41 pm
"And I will always be there for you, too, Kaede. No matter what happens, I will always be your friend," she promised. Some part of her that had known Nere for far too long asked what would happen if Kaede turned...well, evil. She won't. I don't have to worry about that. Kaede is a good, moral, upright mare who would never do something reprehensible. Nothing that will force me to break my promise.
"I can hardly wait," she laughed. "I'd dearly love to meet your children when you have them. That will be the most enjoyable part."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2011 6:53 pm
Kaede smiled happily. "As it will be the most enjoyable for me to meet your little ones, Lami. And I can't wait to meet your little ones, either," she added. Kaede felt, for the first time in a long while, that she had nothing to worry about, because this time, she felt absolutely certain that Lami would always be there for her, forever and ever and ever, through thick and thin, no matter the cost, no matter what happened. And that thought made Kaede truly happy for the first time since Falling.
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