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 Posted: Tue May 22, 2012 8:24 pm
 Rhia was spending a few days with her husband, Zander, so Free took this opportunity to stretch her legs and go find some other Azrein to pass the time with. They'd been traveling now for about 6 months, non-stop, staying in small towns and hamlets as Rhia plied her trade. Free loved to listen to her bonded sing, and would find herself drifting into another place many times, as the music washed over her. She'd never heard one of her own kind sing, and had no idea if it was even possible for Azrein to sing. As she walked through the copse of trees, she listened to the birdsong in the air, as well as the sounds of other wildlife hidden from her sight. The sound of small feet, scrabbling up a tree; possibly a squirrel. Leaves softly rustling under bushes; maybe a rabbit. So much life around her, and yet she suddenly felt so alone. She really must find her own kind to wile away her free time with, or she would go stir crazy.
The sun was setting, though she couldn't actually see it going down. The shadows around her were getting larger, and the light underneath the tree tops was getting dimmer. She would need to find someplace safe and comfortable to spend the night, and resume her search for companionship in the morning. Her stomach took that opportunity to rumble, and she realized she hadn't stopped to find anything to eat since leaving Rhia and Zander that morning. She had been so intent on finding someone, that food had escaped her mind. Now her belly would let her ignore that fact no longer. So it wasn't simply shelter she needed, but food and water as well. She hastened her pace, tossing her head from left to right, sniffing the air, trying to discern if there was a water source nearby.
Later that night, after she had filled her belly with the sparse fare she could find, and a large volume of water to make up for it, she made herself as comfortable as she could under a large pine tree, whose branches had drooped down to the forest floor. There were plenty of fresh pine needles strewn about, so she nudged them closer together, and formed a nice bed for herself. It wasn't long before she felt herself drifting off to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~ #05B8CC
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 5:50 am
Raz had been traveling alone now for weeks. He'd yet to make a name for himself amongst the males of the herd he and his father belonged to, and it was getting a bit tense around those his own age. He'd not found a female to mate with yet either, so he was really looking to sow his oats with some filly. Unfortunately, none of the females in his herd would show him any interest at all, and taking one of them by force would simply get him thrown out, and possibly maimed in the process.
He had no idea where he was exactly, but the forest he was traveling in was quiet and peaceful. It rather reminded him of his mother, and that only made things worse. He'd chosen to go live with his father when he was old enough to choose between his two parents, and he had seen the sadness in his mother's eyes when he announced his decision. It was an ongoing mystery to him how his mother, who was as good as good can be, could have found it in her heart to love his father, who was the farthest you could get from being good. Evil ruled in their herd, and many of them were closely aligned with the Six. Needless to say, he did not see his mother very often.
He was the oldest of the four siblings, and only his youngest brother had accompanied him with his father when they left their mother and two other brothers. He sometimes wondered what had become of those two. It had been over a year since his father had taken them to visit their mother and brothers. His mind was so ensconced in his memories, that he didn't notice the lateness of the day. It would be dark soon, and he was nowhere near the badlands anymore. He was in the King's territory now, and would need to take care not to be discovered by the King's Azrein, or any who served them.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 6:01 am
Free awoke, but due to the thickness of the trees boughs, she could not tell what time of day it was. She rose, stretching her muscles to ease the stiffness out of them. The air was damp with the morning dew, and her mouth suddenly felt dry. First order of business would be to go down to the stream she had found the day before, and slack her thirst. Then she would see what she could find to eat. After that, it was a new day, and she hoped it would result in new friends to spend it with.
Some time later, after filling her belly with enough water and food to last until the afternoon, she found herself traveling through a much sparser stand of trees. The sunlight was able to reach down to the forest floor, and she basked in its warmth, standing still for minutes at a time, just allowing it to penetrate her thick fur, down to her skin underneath. With the chill of the night finally erased from her bones, she felt reinvigorated, and took off at a trot through the trees, throwing caution to the wind. There was nothing in these lands for her to fear. At least that was what she believed.
She emerged out of the forest into a meadow of wildflowers. She trotted on, into the midst of the fragrant blanket of flowers, and feeling like a little filly again, she laid her body down and rolled around in them, kicking her feet up into the air. She couldn't account for what she was feeling, but she pushed it to the back of her mind, and just enjoyed herself. If she had been with Rhia, the bard would have known that Free was coming into her first season. Her body preparing itself to create new life, if she was lucky enough to find a stallion willing to mount her. But she was alone, with no one to inform her of what was happening within her body.
~~~~~~~~
#05B8CC
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 9:07 am
Raz had found a secluded spot in the forest the night before to spend the night, and was up with the sun. He wasn't really sure what he was looking for, but knew he would take it one step at a time. It was a beautiful day, and Raz was feeling very good physically. He'd been spending a good amount of time lately, strengthening his muscles, and toning up his body. His father was a skilled fighter, and he would one day rival his father in battle if he had any say about it.
He was walking along the edge of the forest, where the trees thinned out and opened onto a large meadow. Not really ready to leave the shadows of the trees yet, he was content to continue where he was, but a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and made him stop. Somewhere in the midst of the sea of flowers, he could see legs and hooves occasionally rising above the flowers. Someone was rolling around on the ground in the meadow, and this he had to see for himself. He moved slowly out of the cover of the trees and into the meadow. Moving silently as his father had taught him to do, he advanced on the unsuspecting creature. He could not yet make out exactly what it was, but from the shape and size of the legs, it was a good bet that it was an Azrein like himself. Well, not exactly like him. There were none exactly like Razien.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 9:22 am
It had been a long time since she had rolled around like a filly in a bed of wildflowers. She rose to her feet and froze instantly. She was no longer alone in the meadow. Walking slowly toward her was a male Azrein, his skin as dark as the eggplant that Rhia loved to cook for Zander. He looked young, not more than a few years away from his mother. She wondered what he was doing out here by himself, but then stopped. She was out here by herself as well, and he might be thinking the exact same thing. Time to stop thinking and start talking she told herself.
"Hello! Wonderful day isn't it?" she said, as he drew closer. Wonderful day? What was that? She wished she could have taken it back, the moment it escaped her lips, but it was too late. She could only hope that he didn't think her a simpleton. He really was a lovely stallion, and she wanted to spend time getting to know who he was.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 9:41 am
When she stood up, he almost stopped dead in his tracks. At first sight, he thought it was some strange goat he had never seen before. I very big goat, but goat all the same. There certainly weren't any Azrein in the herd that looked like that. And he had hoped to get closer before she noticed him, but that was now a moot point. She had seen him, and greeted him, so he might as well greet her back.
"Greetings. Yes, it is a nice day. You looked to be enjoying yourself just now. Do you roll around in flowers very often?"
His fathers instructions came suddenly to mind concerning Azrein who served the King and were not part of the herd. The members of the herd were taught to kill any good Azrein they happened upon, but he had yet to kill one, let alone meet one. This mare could very well be his first. But as he stood there looking at her, something within him stirred, and he wasn't entirely sure he could bring himself to spill her blood, and end her life. There was a scent about her that he couldn't put a hoof on.
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Posted: Wed May 23, 2012 10:03 am
Oh no! She'd made the wrong first impression on him. She must have looked like a foolish filly to him. If she could go back in time, she'd never had been found rolling around in the flowers.
"I was enjoying myself, but no, I do not do that very often. It's not often I find an empty meadow like this, so I took advantage of it. My bonded and her mate are spending some time together, so I decided to venture out on my own and see a bit of the countryside. Have you a Chosen? Or are you as of yet, unattached?"
Perhaps if he was unattached to any human, he might think about returning with her when she went back to Rhia and Zander. It wasn't often that an Azrein would chose someone with Zanders evil nature, but it wasn't unknown of.
~~~~~~~~~
#05B8CC
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 10:38 am
As she spoke, he continued to approach. Chosen? She had Chosen a human? Then she was definitely not aligned with the Six, or someone he should be consorting with, but she was beautiful, and something about her kept drawing him even closer. When he was about a body length away from her he stopped.
"I do not have a Chosen, nor am I likely to have one, so yes, I am unattached as you put it. My name is Razien. May I ask you yours?"
He knew what it was now that he was so close to her. She had come into her time, and he was surprised that her human would allow her to venture out on her own at such a time as this. She was clearly young enough that this was probably her first time, and he had been alone now for far longer than he wanted. He knew he should take her life now, but the desire that was building up within him was too strong to deny. He wanted this filly, and he wanted her bad.
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 10:42 am
He was close now, and she was feeling somewhat uncomfortable with his nearness for some reason. She couldn't quite figure out what it was, but she took a step backward from him as he asked her name. "I am called Freezia. It's....nice to meet you Razien." Perhaps it was his remark about not being likely to chose a human to bond with that was bothering her, or perhaps it was the way he was staring at her. She definitely felt something, but what it was remained unclear. "Well, not all of our kind make the choice to Chose a human to bond with. I've been told that those who serve the Six refuse to do so, and that their only purpose in life is to kill those of us who have made the choice to align ourselves with the King, or a human. My own parents were killed in just this way, and I was left to die of my wounds. If it hadn't been for my Chosen happening along, I would have perished. But she took pity on me, and nursed me back to health. It was then I knew that she was meant to be my Chosen. I don't understand why any Azrein would wish us harm for that." My goodness, had she really just said all of that? What was wrong with her today? Something was just not right, and she suddenly had the urge to run. Run and never stop running until she had reached the safety of her Chosen's camp. "Forgive me Razien, but I must go. I am sorry to leave you so suddenly, but I feel I must." She turned and made to leave.
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 11:34 am
So, she'd had a run in with one who served the Six, he wasn't at all surprised. From the looks of her, she didn't belong down here in the grasslands, but up in the mountains. If she and her parents had been caught alone, without a herd to protect them, they would have been fair game to any Azrein aligned with the Six. LEAVE? He couldn't let her leave! Not yet at least. Not until he had a chance at her at least. As she turned to leave, he moved around to block her way.
"Leave? But we just started to get acquainted. You don't have to leave, not really, do you? You're just nervous, because you don't know me. Well, stay and we'll get to know each other better."
He moved forward until her hot breath could be felt on his muzzle. Before she could object, he nudged her with his head.
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 11:52 am
He had moved so quickly to block her escape that she stopped short. Why wouldn't he let her leave? She wasn't sure she wanted to get to know him better. WHAT? He touched her! How dare he do such a thing uninvited! She quickly backed away from him and said, "How dare you! You don't know me! I need to leave, so please move aside and let me pass."
She was beginning to shake; something which had never happened to her before. She vaguely remembered feeling scared like this when she was attacked by the Azrein in her youth. Then the realization hit her, and fear filled her. Looking in his eyes, all she saw was coldness. He is aligned with the Six, she thought. He wants to finish what his comrade failed to do. Her head swung from side to side, as she tried to find an escape route. He was lean and muscled, and would have no trouble running her down. She had horns though, and she knew how to use them.
#05B8CC
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 12:04 pm
Well, he'd gone and done it. Now she was scared of him, and was backing away, looking for some place to run to. Those horns on her head were going to make getting around behind her hard, but he felt up to the task. It seemed she had figured out his true nature, and who it was he served, so acting coy was no longer an option. He didn't really want to kill her; he simply wanted to mount her and show her what it was to know a true stallion. He'd let her live if only she would acquiesce. She must not realize what was happening inside her body. He only knew, because he had seen it all too many times back in the herd when the few females that ran with them came into season. The stallions were always fighting one another to see who would have the honor of increasing the herd. The females were always proud to be mounted by the winner, even if they did give him a run for his effort. He'd have to try and explain it to her, and then maybe she wouldn't be so intent on running away.
"Listen to me Freezia. I don't want to hurt you, but there is something you need to understand. I have never harmed another Azrein in my life. Yes, I serve the Six, because my father serves them. But that does not mean I am entirely akin to them and their ways. Do you know what is happening to your body right now?" At the look of utter confusion in her eyes, he knew she didn't, and continued.
"You've come into season. Your body is ready to create life. My guess is, that this is your first time, so you're probably feeling conflicted about things. You don't have to be. I can help you through it."
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 12:13 pm
She was right! He was one of them! Everything in her said run, and don't stop running, but there was no easy way around him. Oh why did she have to pick now to go off on her own? In season? Create life? Why did she know nothing about any of this? Was it because she had been sheltered from other Azrein, traveling with Rhia? Did she know these things, and not tell them to her? And what exactly did he mean about helping her through it? Just what was it he thought he could do? Not that she wanted him anywhere near her. What he was so repelled her that she was beginning to feel an unwanted stirring in her belly. But there was a fire burning in other parts of her body that confused her even more.
"No! No, I want to leave! I don't want or need your help! My Chosen will help me through whatever this is that is happening to me. I don't need you! You're like them! The ones who killed my parents and left me for dead! I hate you all, and want nothing to do with you!" She couldn't seem to stop herself from shouting every word at him. She hadn't known she was capable of so much venom in her voice, but there it was for all the world to hear.
#05B8CC
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 12:29 pm
Her hatred for him and those he lived with couldn't be denied. He couldn't blame her really. If their places had been switched, and it had been his parents killed by Azrein, he would no doubt feel the same way. Perhaps it was because his mother chose to align herself with the King that he could not bring himself to totally commit to the life his father chose. But even there, his father had chosen his mother to fall in love with and sire children with, knowing full well that at least some of them would chose to stay with her, which two of his brothers did. But his own urges within were beginning to take over, and there was no way he was letting her out of this meadow before he had her first. He steeled himself to the fact that there would probably be blood shed in the process. No doubt from both of them from the looks of those horns, but it was going to be well worth the pain, and afterward, she would still have her life. It was something he would relish privately for the rest of his life, as he dared not reveal it to his father or the others from the herd, let alone his mother.
"You don't know what you're talking about Freezia. Your Chosen cannot help you. Human's can do nothing for us when this time of year comes upon us. Fate brought us together this day, in this field and I am going to show you what fate has in store for you." He rushed her, and before she knew what was happening, he had circled around behind her.
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Posted: Sun May 27, 2012 12:35 pm
Fate? She didn't believe in fate. And she didn't like the tone of his voice any longer either. She was about to say so too when he suddenly rushed head on toward her and passing her on the left, brought himself to a halt behind her. She'd never had the opportunity to see two horses, let alone two Azrein, mate before, so she was clueless as to what it was he hoped to do by this maneuver. When he reared up on his hind legs and attempted to place his front legs across her back, she got a very uneasy feeling, and she bolted forward. That didn't stop him though, as he raced after her. She allowed him to get close enough to think he might have another chance, and then she lifted her rear legs and kicked out at him. He managed to back away quickly enough that her feet met only empty air, but as soon as they hit the ground, she was off running again. Now that he was behind her, it was only a matter of speed, to see if she could outrun him.
#05B8CC
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