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 Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:39 pm
 Hero had decided, he was starting his Grand Adventure once and for all. He would scour this Swamp, looking for those that needed his help. What, with the Flood, there was much to do. The weak needed protection. The does needed saving. The songbirds needed.... more food, as they always begged for. But before any hero can start his journey, he must first need... a Blessing. No, he did not intend to travel and seduce young fillies and take their first plunge into the world of children (in fact, such things still made him slightly uncomfortable... how strange). He needed a Blessing for his Journey - to make sure the MotherFather watches over him, and that what harm befalls him is minimal and... make sure he could survive. He did not know where to find any of the Legendaries, but he had heard that there was one at the beach, and so he began his long trek. It wasn't easy, and he dropped some weight (some days he forgot to eat, he was so motivated), but when he saw the water his heart lifted. He made it! Now he just needed to find her. Hero's glossy hooves were covered in sand and his mane clung to his neck
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2011 4:56 pm
 For a moment the place seems deserted, but there is a whistling call behind Hero--the call of some creature he must have passed, concealed somehow in the sparse mangroves--and a trio of does arrives moments later over the crest of a hill. Behind them are assembled a motley crew of Kimeti. Most of them have a certain familial resemblance (especially among the bucks, who are nearly all unusually hulking and powerful-looking), but not all. The doe to the front is clearly the told-of Legendary--a creature who, in truth, spawned stories even before her transformation. The others hang back behind her, behind this creature marked out by a lean, rough-and-ready grace and ephemeral wings and eyes with a glow so fierce it is visible even under the pounding sunlight. It is she that sounds the greeting: "I would accuse you of trespassing, but you look like a man on a mission. And my scouts say you've been heading here in a straight line. They caught up with you a day back." She says this calmly, as if being privately, secretly followed were an everyday occurence. One of the does behind her, slim and dainty and barely-grown and looking tired and ill, smiles thinly. Perhaps it was she who did the following.
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 7:13 am
With so many around, Hero could not help but feel self-conscious. He knew that this particular mare was a part of a tribe - and they were of the strongest and most dedicated groups. Secretly, he dreamed of being so powerful.... but he knew he could not follow some of the laws of this tribe - again, he had heard stories, and they became more frequent the closer he got to this area.
So awestruck was he to see the magnificent Legendary that it took him awhile to recognize that she was talking to him! Now, he was even more nervous... but he stood up straight and puffed out his meager (compared to the other bucks) and slightly malnourished chest.
"I am not trespassing - at least not for the thought of mischief and mayhem." Scouts? They had tracked him and he hadn't known - truly, these were great kimeti! He still had so much more to learn.
"Yes, I am on a journey to begin a Quest - in the name of the Motherfather - for the betterment of the kimeti of the Swamp." As he started, some of his nervousness shed off, but as his eyes sparked with dead fast determination so too did his tail shimmer with anxiety. "I am Hero," he bowed down on one immaculately sand-covered knee, "and I have come to request a Blessing from the renowned Bitterleaf," he looked up at her, "for the safekeeping and success of my Quest."
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:59 pm
There is a long silence. Bitterleaf feels a little inexplicably guilty about her scout fib--in truth they'd stumbled on him unnoticed a couple of hours before and managed to escape silently; the days bit was a shameless lie. Appearances are everything.
The silence stretches until the frail-looking doe begins to shift her weight as if bored, and then Bitterleaf snorts, dismissively. "While your flattery is not unappreciated, a true Hero doesn't need a blessing and divine protection to undertake a quest." And she turns on her heel to walk away. She does so with a certain theatricality, however: Bitterleaf knows this type. He will follow.
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 11:53 am
Hero bounded to his hooves quickly to run after her - he refused to go without what he came for. "True, but miss Bitterleaf - without you it will not be the same!"
He stumbled a bit, not used to behing to light from weight loss. "The rains will fall that much longer; the tide will push that much harder; and my heart will beat that much weaker if I am not given the honor of your blessing. If I have your support riding with me then I know I will succeed in my endeavors and be the greatest Hero ever known!"
The buck was resisting the urge to fall back on his childish nature and beg like a young colt asking a doe a kiss - though that might be nice too. For the first time, he tried to consider what nature the blessing would be in... and maybe it wasn't something he wanted.
But, no - he could not second guess himself - he had made it. Now, he only needed to convince Bitterleaf.
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Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:34 pm
Bitterleaf does tend to have that effect on men. Either that, or they fall madly in love. Go figure.
She walks in silence for a moment as if mulling this speech, as the little crowd dissipates until the only escort left is the fragile-looking doe. She is limping slightly, and cannot suppress a snort at the visitor's earnestness.
Finally, Bitterleaf speaks: "The greatest buck? Greater than Black Dog? Greater than He Who Roars, or Storms-Rising?" Clearly, this is a doe with an encyclopedic knowledge of Matope lore. Storms-Rising is remarkably obscure. "And what exactly, pray tell, do you plan on doing to earn a place at the top of those ranks?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:38 pm
Hero huffed a bit, as if the Legendary truly felt that only if one is in Matope lore that they are remember. "It is not my intention to be in memory. My time may come and fall as so many others have - and be forgotten when the Swamp takes me back. I want to be a hero, and not all heroes are remembered. Even when my body is gone, I hope that the acts of kindness, help, love, and passion, that I may bring to others will live on - even when I do not."
"My name may not be known - but I hope the Acts during my Quest are, and may inspire others to be that much better to their fellows." Hero tried cutting her off so he could look her in the eye to show his sincerity, but her legs were just that much longer and he was just that much more exhausted. At times, he wondered if the last remaining sentry had more energy than he felt.
Hero's passion is what staved off the hunger and exhaustion his body undoubtedly felt.
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 4:44 pm
Bitterleaf draws up to a halt, visibly impressed. It takes a lot to get this reaction, and not many do: Hero has stumbled on one of the few things, maybe the only thing, that Bitterleaf finds truly admirable: greatness for the sake of greatness, with no hope of recognition.
"So it would be," she demands, "no great hardship to you to save a life or three or ten, and have no one to give you gratitude, and no one to tell your story?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2011 7:59 pm
Hero mistook Bitterleaf's expression for apprehensive suspicion. He drew himself up - not the first time this day - and puffed his chest in defense. "It would be no hardship at all - for if one were to give me their gratitude or honor me with stories...well, that is their prerogative. I will know in my heart that I did the right thing and that is enough for me."
There was a brief silence, and he did all he could to stand his ground - sadly, he still had a short attention span, and he was soon shifting from hoof to hoof.
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Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 5:56 pm
Bitterleaf resumes walking. When she speaks it is as though he hasn't spoken; she treats him like any other guest. "You're welcome to stay for the evening. Jasper pulled in a marlin nearly as large as he is and you are welcome to hear about our life here and join us for a meal. Thousand Blows will be your guide." The accompanying doe visibly starts at this announcement--apparently this is not protocol around here--but quickly bobs a respectful, "I'll be your host" type nod at Hero. "I have business to attend to. We'll talk in the morning." And in her brisk way she trots off, and Thousand gives the visitor a look.
"Don't even try following her," she advises, and her voice is surprisingly boyish for her fragile-looking frame, a little rough around the edges. "If she says she'll talk tomorrow she means it. Also, marlin is delicious."
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 8:44 am
Hero opened his mouth to say something, but then promptly shut it out of respect - having a bug-catcher displayed was not the most dignifying nor would it get him to his goal any faster. When Bitterleaf tells him that they will talk in the morning, he could not help but hang his head, sure that his first mission would end in failure. But the buck was slightly reassured with Thousand Blows told him not to worry.
He ripped his mind from his determination for a blessing and turned to the other doe with renewed interest. He had come all this way, he might as well enjoy as much as he could. His mouth opens, but this time in a toothy grin, "Great! I am starving!" And just to prove his point, his stomach started a low, embarassing rumble.
"So... I know this may sound insulting, but could you tell me about the Tidewalkers?" Hero was genuinely curious, and wanted to know more about the group that was going to be dining with him tonight. And Bitterleaf mentioned that they would tell him, he was a just a little impatient (he was still young).
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Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2011 3:08 pm
She gestures with her head for him to follow her, and sets off on a walk. "What would you like to know?" she asks. "Don't touch anything that's really pretty or glows in the dark unless we tell you otherwise," she adds, first thing. "Most everything here bites. And some bite hard enough to kill, worse than a spider or a snake."
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2011 5:29 am
Hero eyed Thousand-Blows carefully. Bites hard enough to kill? That doesn't sound pleasant one bit. In almost a second, the young buck could almost hear himself deflate: he really did not know as much as he thought. Was he ready for such an arduous quest? While self-doubt hung around the air, a small voice of hope and faith resonated in his heart. When was anyone ready for such a quest? And with a blessing from a Legendary as strong as Bitterleaf, why not?
"Well, I don't know much at all." Hero started, pushing his self-doubt back in its place - away from the forefront of his mind. "On my way here, I heard many things mentioned under others' breathes. The Tidewalkers are a hard kin. They don't take kindly to strangers in their land. Most like, you may be thrown to the sharks -which, I have never seen by the way, have you? - or ground in the sand. The living is harsh and the personalities are harsher. Granted..." the buck paused. "I haven't really seen all that here. You all seem strong and dedicated to a higher cause - something to be admired, not scoffed or sneered upon."
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Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:21 pm
Thousand laughs. She laughs like a colt laughs, easy, contagious. "A good story will run around the Swamp before the truth can get to its feet," she says. "I've seen plenty of sharks--I've killed a few of the smaller ones--but I don't know who told you we throw strangers to them. We're much more apt to throw my brother Flint in, instead. Or Jasper. He could do with some livening up."
She tosses her head as if to chase away an invisible mane. "As for admiration, well. I don't think The Matriarch much goes in for admiration. She does like a person who pushes his own limits though, just for the sake of pushing. She'd stomp a hole in me for giving you hints, but I think you may have found a weakness in here there." With a sideways glance, she dances farther away a bit, a childish little movement. "So what's your plan, then? Besides sitting around eating fish, I mean."
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:57 am
Hero could not help but smile at her laughter, it was enjoyable even if he didn't quite understand what was so entertaining. "Oh, I am sure you would not throw the bucks to the sharks. I didn't think it was very believable, either - but you never know... sometimes such things are rooted in some truth."
He listened, pondering how Thousand-Blows talked about Bitterleaf. For a moment, his heart fluttered. Maybe she would really give him a Blessing for his Quest, then! "My plan? I hadn't gotten quite that far. As far as my plotting has gone... well, it is halfway done. I would like to start a Quest. A doe made me a charm to protect me and help me succeed - to what end... I don't really know. Many Quests don't end well - the hero usually dies at the end." Okay, Hero hadn't quite thought that through.... but he didn't mind! Maybe he could break that chain. "Then again, there are many everyday heroes that don't get made into stories. I don't want to be in a story. I just want to help those that need it. I knew my mother but a little, and she was always sad and depressed - pining for a buck she knew for just a little time. But..." the buck sighed, shamed. "I ran away from her, I could not take her sadness. I was young."
Hero looked over at Thousand-Blows, slightly concerned at how she might look at him now: unworthy, selfish, despicable... "Now, I am ready to atone for such things. I just need Bitterleaf's blessing for my Journey."
Feeling just slightly uncomfortable, he looked around them, "But you said something about fish?" His stomach grumbled in discontent and announcing its needs.
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