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 Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 1:28 am
 The wind tussled Callan’s messy red hair and chilled the metal plates protecting his chest. As he stood atop a hill not too far from the home he had made for his mate and children he found himself lost in deep thought. Lumriel had returned what seemed like forever ago, two babies in toe, one unusual and aflame while the other looked relatively normal. Though she had left to search for the stallion that had sired the fillies he was confident she was on a fool’s errand. When had he lost control of his family? First Fearthainn had wandered home with a swollen belly before first introducing her mate and now Lumriel, her daughter, had returned without even a male to introduce. He sighed in frustration and began to walk further from his home. I wasn’t often he walked so far as to lose sight of his home for he worried for his mate’s safety but today he needed to get some exercise. It had seemed like such a long time ago that he had arrived here. He hadn’t been in war for a very long time and he could feel himself growing soft from a lack of battle. Bringing himself to a light trot he listened as the metal plates began clinking against the chains and one another. Suddenly he was taken back to that first battle with his rider, arrows flying everywhere and swords clinking violently against one another.
His heart began to beat rapidly and he began to forget where he was so he stopped, lowering his emerald eyes down to the bed of river rocks below his hooves. How had he become a great grandfather already? He was still a knight in his prime, wasn’t he? The thoughts bounced around in his mind as he lowered his lips to the ground and began to gently pluck at the tender grass growing up through the polished stones.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 1:44 am
 The river had been where she and Amelia had first met and had been meeting up at since they were little more than fillies at play. She was returning to the river today to discuss some things with her, catch up and otherwise just... talk.. or rather.. what she called talking. She wasn't it trouble or anything she just felt a little lonely now that her father had set off to look for his lost best friend. He hadn't seen her since he'd told her about his foals and on the day that her father had taken her to the meadow to meet the mare... she never showed.. He'd been thinking a lot lately and her absence worried him much more than he wanted to let on. She could see that this mare must mean a lot to him.. and she wanted to get Amelia's view on this, though she was pretty sure her father had fallen in love and just was too blind to see it.
Heavy hooves thudded on the ground to the melody of her jingling bell as she trotted happily towards the river, slowing only when she got there She's been hoping to see her dear friend only the sight that greeted her was nothing more than an armor clad stallion. He wasn't the first she'd seen wearing odd adornments after all Amelia even had armor to an extent. Still a stranger was better than nothing she figured. Smiling, she made her way from the top of the bank down into the riverbed and crossed the water to greet the stallion.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 1:53 am
Callan’s ears flicked in the direction of the approach and suddenly he was no longer in a fog of thought but holding a defensible position. He had been trained as a soldier and having a stranger approach often times made him a little stiff. When he eyed the mare a moment and gauged her as no threat to him he allowed himself to stand down and bowed his head politely. If she had approached him like this when he had first arrived the odds are he would have insulted her in some way, telling her to go and leave him to his grazing. Bella had changed all of that for him, he wasn’t cynical anymore. He didn’t believe everyone had some secret and malicious undertone to them anymore. Giving a gentle smile he spoke softly, his Irish accent coming clearly. “Good mornin’ to you lass.” He had seen many Soquili in his time here but never a mare so big as this female. Callan was a pretty tall stallion but even she towered over him.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:16 am
She watched him intently for a moment before giving him a nod for a greeting and smiling warmly. The day was nice and she didn't feel the need to talk... at least not for now. She looked around and then back to him, cocking her head to the side to see if he minded her joining him for company as she waited around to see if Amelia would show up or not. Her fluffy tail gave a slight bob and flop in order to shoo away a few of the morning gnats that were starting to become too friendly with her hind quarters.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:26 am
Though he instantly took note of her silence he did not think much on it other than she was either shy or just pensive. Often times Lumriel would sit in silence, contemplating her next move or just being the fragile mare she was. Dapples of sunlight shone on his back through the thick canopy of trees above him causing his creamy white fur to glow a little. His green eyes stayed intently focused on her movements as he attempted to decipher what they meant, perhaps she couldn’t talk? Catching that she may have been asking if it would be too much of a bother if she remained there he shook his head and stepped to the side a bit, leaving her room to graze beside him. Before Bella he never would have allowed someone he didn’t know to get this close but now he felt as though it wasn’t that troublesome. He felt himself a bit thrown off by the silence; it had been such a long time since he had last sat in utter quiet. For the past few years his home had been a bee hive, full of foals yelling while his beloved tried to calm them. If someone had told him that in this amount of time he would have such a bloodline he never would have believed them. Inhaling deeply he looked over the mare, taking in her strange patterns and the collar about her neck. He had seen fine jewels and armor of different sorts but nothing like the jingling little bell she wore about her neck. He had seen farmhouse pets wearing them but never horses. Figuring it was rude to stare he looked out at the trees and flared his nostrils to catch the scents of nature. “So green and lush.” He mused. “’Tis hard to believe this has remained untouched by the hands of man.”
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:43 am
She looked down at her collar as she noticed he'd been looking at it. It seemed that others seemed to always take notice and admire the trinket she wore around her neck. Shuffling her front hooves some, she caused it to jingle happily as she looked up just barely catching the sight of his mouth moving. Curse her lack of hearing, she sighed some and closed the gap between herself and him, placing her nose gently against his neck and watching his lips to see if she could catch the rest of what he'd said.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:50 am
One moment he was speaking softly to her and she was remaining in companionable silence and the next she was pressed close to him, her nose against his neck. He blinked in confusion a few times before looking at her from the corner of his eye and clearing his throat. He didn’t know exactly how to react or what to say even. Never before had a stranger touched him in such a familiar manner, he felt himself stiffen as he gave her a rather nervous smile. “’Scuse me lass…” he paused, “but…what’re you doin’?” He asked as politely as he possibly could. If she was trying to snuggle up to him he would have to tell her he was already paired off with children of his own, not to mention great grandchildren. Even though he was slightly uncomfortable he did not just sidestep and pull away from her for in the back of his mind he heard Bella’s voice telling him to behave like the knight he supposedly was. No one this young should be coming on to someone who could be her great grandfather, hadn’t she been taught that? He let out an exasperated sigh as he realized he was calling himself old. One touchy spot for him was his age, he couldn’t possibly be as old as all that. “Are you alright?” He asked quietly, wondering if perhaps she had fainted or weakened for some strange reason.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 2:57 am
She offered him a calm smile and nodded in response. She'd have to talk after all.. no real big deal she supposed.. though it sometimes came out loud when she had been refusing to speak for so long. He time spent in the company of Cedric had adapted her to talking a bit more around those who weren't accustomed to conversing with her without her hearing. " Quite!!" Dear heavens that came out lout.. She winced and gave an apologetic look but giggled all the same at her blunder before clearing her throat and trying once more. "Quite fine thank you. I'm just trying to read your lips." Her voice was a whisper though not soft and sweet like the dainty voices of mares, nor was it sharp and raspy like an old crone. it was thick, warm feminine but more like honey or molasses given voice.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 3:18 am
Callan couldn’t help but to jump when the volume of her voice penetrated his ear canals and caused his eardrums to vibrate most fervently. He hadn’t expected such a loud response and it seemed to shatter the silence he had been previously enjoying, suddenly he was back to chasing Searlait around the thicket telling her to mind her father when he told her to do something. Shaking his head in a polite manner so as not to seem irritated he smiled awkwardly back, still unsure as to what he had entered into with this mare. When she spoke again he was able to release a breath of relief, she had adjusted her volume and now was quite pleasant to speak to. When she mentioned watching the movement of his mouth as he formed words he hesitated a moment, he had heard of something like this from someone. Had it been Ainn? Sea? Lumriel? No, none of those seemed right at the moment and both of his sons were away doing their own things. Suddenly the scene of a graveyard and a glowing green light came to his mind’s eye and he remembered Amelia saying something about a friend of hers who was deaf. Taking a moment to phrase this in a way she would understand he finally came up with the right word. “Amelia.” He said simply, waiting for the recognition to slide over the mare’s countenance. Surely if she knew Amelia she would react to the name and give away whether or not she was the one he had heard of.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 11:39 pm
Her head jerked back slightly and she couldn't help but to look happy at the recognition of one word, a name... Amelia's name in fact. Giving a slight giggle, she offered him a polite smile. "You know Amelia?" She pondered a moment about just how many Amelias there might be in the world. maybe.. it wasn't the same Amelia? "Dark and green?" She cocked her head to the side as she tried to think of just ... how to get it across before she sauntered over to the river and waited a moment. Fish. it was something Amelia ate with her.
Waiting a moment longer, she flung herself into the river's shallows and before too long kicked out a fish that flopped on the ground. Bell jingling, she drug herself from the water over to the fish and with one massive hoof snuffed it's like out with a blow before picking it up and like a cat bringing a mouse to it's master, brought the fish to the stallion and set it at his feet before looking up at his, expecting him to know there was some form of connection between this fish and Amelia.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:20 am
With every calm word she spoke Callan found himself to be more and more grateful for the adjustment in her volume. His ears had stopped ringing and he now watched her with interest as she described his great granddaughter. “I know her.” He said slowly, making each word as obvious as he possibly could. “I am her great grandfather.” The image of a little black and flaming foal trotting behind her gray mother came back into Callan’s mind. He hadn’t known how to act around her and every day he feared he had given her the wrong impression about his feelings toward her. His musings were brought to a halt when the large mare turned from him and began walking away. He had begun to wonder if he had said something to run her off when the fish caught his eye. Never before had he seen a soquili fishing before let alone picking it up in their mouth as though it were some kind of food.
He fought to keep his nose from crinkling in disgust; he had always hated the smell of fish. Smiling politely he took a few steps back and quirked a red brow. “Fish?” He added stupidly as though giving her a lesson on what it was or asking what her intentions were. He observed the smashed form of the once living thing, realizing that she had brought her hoof down on it when he was still focused on the putrid scent. He looked from Idonea to the fish and back again still wondering what had brought on this sudden affliction. Perhaps she was troubled in the mind as well as deaf?
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:27 am
"Amelia's nice.." She smiled and looked from the fish to him once more. " You eat too?" She had assumed that maybe the reason Amelia ate meat was because everyone in her family did. "Amelia cooks it good.. but raw isn't bad either." She gave a slight purr of delight, her tail swishing slightly. "I'm Idonea. Is good to meet her family."
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:44 am
He was relieved to hear that Amelia had been behaving herself, it was rather wrong of him but he had at one time wondered if she would stray from the path of righteousness. After all, he had never met her father so he had no idea what she would be capable of. He looked over the mare once more, she seemed to have a sweet demeanor and there were no fangs or claws so Amelia must have made a good choice of friends here. When the fish was offered to him as food Callan couldn’t hold back the slight gag reflex that caused his throat to feel clogged. Taking a few steps back he shook his head but kept a composed and polite smile on his countenance. “No thank you.” He declined. So Amelia did have a strange habit about her, stranger than being on fire. No one in his family ate meat this far so it must have been something she had inherited from her father. “Cook?” He gave her a questioning look.
Thoughts of fish and cooking were expelled from his mind as the mare introduced herself. As a propriety of the court Callan bowed his head courteously. “I am Callan; it is nice to meet you lass.” He had hoped she wasn’t having too much trouble reading his words past his accent. Often times when he spoke with his Irish accent he found others to have trouble understanding him.
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 1:53 am
She gave a small shrug as he declined the offer. It didn't surprise her much.. after all her father had looked rather appalled that she partook of fishing and eating fish. even if she didn't eat any other meat the fact that she ate more than just what the plants and trees offered was just.. beyond her father. Gradually he fluffy stallion had accepted it as just another quirk she had though." It's nice meeting you Callan" She gave him they usual goofy lop-sided grin. " You looking for Amelia?"
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Posted: Fri May 13, 2011 2:08 am
“The pleasure is mine.” He replied gently, his once gruff voice smoothed over by charm and time spent with his mate. When she asked if he had been looking for Amelia he shook his head and furrowed his brow. Had Amelia been meeting her here? He could have sworn she had gone with her sister and mother to find Nightmare. If she had been visiting Idonea here then she had certainly not been stopping by to meet up with the family and say hello. Suddenly regret passed over him, perhaps the way he had acted around her had pushed her into thinking he wasn’t welcomed? Though he could do nothing about it now he knew he would have to meet up with her and talk to her about what was really going on in his mind. “Does Amelia come here?” The enquiry was slow and deliberate; he wasn’t attempting to pump her for information to use against Amelia later. He just wanted to know the nature of the situation, he hated to think of a rift being in his family.
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