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 Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 7:01 pm
[[ Can also have other herd members if they so wish to join in ]] Kesmi's TeepeeSabin's Teepee   Kamiki's Teepee 
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Posted: Sat Nov 03, 2012 9:52 am
Storm clouds hung low over the mountains, they threatened rain but only lightening flickered from the puffy structures. The air was silent but for the few bursts of angry thunder that came with the lightening. In the distance a black speck appeared with many smaller ones following behind massing the larger one. Large feathered wings pulled the wound covered creature further into the storm covered mountains as the harassers swarmed it, pulling at its wing feathers. Digging small claws into the creatures vulnerable back, trying in desperation to make it drop whatever it was carrying in its front talons. The mother hippogryph shrieked as one of the midnight colored harassing crows dug at her face, gouging out an eye causing blood to stream down her face. She had one good eye left and it was a long drop to the rocks below. She had to find a place to land, or at least leave the bundle she had whisked away from her 'master'. The basket dangled from her talons, bound in heavy chains to ensure that it didn't open in flight or was lost by other means. The sea colored female gave another shriek as something larger then her harassers collided with her back. Large talons dug into her flesh as she turned wildly to see what had hit her. She didn't see anything, but she knew she couldn't stay in the air much longer. Her back had been slashed open and it was getting harder to keep herself aloft. The heavily laden basket was dragging her slowly earth bound. Shaking the blood from her face and wincing at the pain in her back with each wing stroke. The mare headed towards the ground, she had seen many open valleys and cliff sides that would prove to be good shelter. "Hang on my little one, hang on" the mare spoke softly to the basket as whatever laid within remained silent. Pulling in her wings, the mare headed faster as the harassing crows returned when the larger pursuer went back to silent watch. The mare passed over tree tops as she descended close the homelands of a secluded herd. She had heard of them, where she didn't remember, but she hoped to find shelter. The crows picked up their efforts to get the mare to release the basket and just plummet to its death. The mare gave one final shriek as she collided with the ground. The chains around the basket rattled as she lost her grip and it rolled along the rocky cliff top. She laid on her side, her wings broken from the rolling impact with the unyielding ground. Blood was smeared across the ground, the crows hung over head waiting for the mare to die and they could feast. While the waited, the storm clouds had moved over the cliff ledge upending themselves and drenching the ground with water. Lightening snaked from the sky like serpents striking at the crows. Below the mare watched as the crows dispersed and headed for the shelter of the near by trees.  "What a strange place." She whispered trying to move, her talons raked against the rock, but she was unable to rise. She was defeated, but her legacy would live. She knew that as she watched the basket through the vale of rain. The Gryph mare didn't seem to have to wait long as she heard the pounding of hooves and spotted large outlines of something coming. Taking her leave, the mare shifted and dropped from the cliff edge. This was her sacrifice, to let her Daughter know freedom and happiness of a true family.
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Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:01 pm
It had only been a few days since Kumiho and Cerberus had launched their attack on the Thunderbird herd and Balrog and Stormwild's newborn foals, and Thunderbird didn't think he had hardly slept since. He kept replaying the battle over and over in his mind. It had happened so quickly. So nearly had Thunderbird lost... more siblings. And he still had the weight of guilt on his shoulders. He should have seen them coming. He had been on patrol. Had he raised the alarm sooner, they never would have gotten as close as they had.
His mate, Stormcloud, had reassured him. He wasn't the only one in the skies that afternoon, and he had just come back with the healers that Stormwild had desperately needed. He couldn't have eyes everywhere at the same time. They had slipped in when he was on the far side of the territory, and no one had expected that someone launch a ground-base attack on the herd.
Stormcloud was worried for him. Never once had she met another soquili that was her match in the air before him - that had the same electric daring and love of the storms that frequently seemed to churn around the grand angeni. But she had never seen him this affected by a near miss. It wasn't his first battle. But, he had confided in her before how he himself came into the world. It had struck a nerve.
Still, she stuck with him on his rounds, and made certain that exhaustion didn't knock him from the skies more deftly than any predator. She spoke to him, kept him alert, and was the support that he needed more than he realized.
She also didn't shy away as the thick stormclouds choked the skies - seemingly constantly since the attack. Churning dark clouds that seemed to echo Thunderbird's own expression. This was almost as much her element as his.
Thunderbird's eyes scanned the ground as they strafed and dove, flying around dancing lighting that arced in the clouds. Lighting strikes that periodically threw light over the jagged cliffs. Hadly anything was alive down there, just the treebranches whipping around in the high winds.
But then, another flash of light, and Thunderbird's eagle eyes spied a bright flash of color along one of the narrow cliffs. Immediately, silently, he arced dramatically and dove. He saw purple... red... it wasn't the sleeve of that damndable fox, was it?
Stormcloud knew her mate well, and was not angry as he suddenly dropped a dozen feet, diving towards the cliffs below. She angled her wings, spirialing once, and went to catch him. He was resplendent in the air, and every day he reminded her why she had fallen in love with him.
Thunderbird's hooves struck stone as he landed hard not a dozen hoofsteps from the object he had seen. His eyes widened and his nostrils flared. It was no sleeve. It was a basket. Alone. High up in the mountain cliffs. There was a wide smear of blood not far from it, blood that was just now begining to be washed away as the first fat drops of rain began to fall. He strode forward, head down, and inhaled deeply over the wicker armor of whatever foal slept within.
There was still a warmpth... still an almost imperceptible heartbeat. It was still alive.... but how long had it been here? He straightened and looked around, calling into the dark air, but the only response was Stormcloud, landing behind him and whickering curiously over his shouler.
He shook his head. "It's alone..." he swallowed. He couldn't wrench his eyes from the basket. It... was serendipitious... right after the skinwalker attack... had its mother... its siblings also been victim to the nefarious foxwalker? Was this basket like him?
"We should take it back to the herdgrounds." Thunderbird pronounced.
"I don't know what Balrog would think of that..." Stormcloud hedged."Let me deal with him." Thunderbird interrupted. "We can't leave it here."Stormcloud couldn't help but feel her chest ache as she looked at it. The spirits had not yet favored her with foals of her own... something she hoped would change soon. She wanted to give Thunderbird foals to be proud of. Foals of his own.
She took the opportunity to demonstrate her maternal side.
"You're tired, Thunderbird... Let me help you carry it." She smiled tenderly and gently picked up the basket in her mouth."
Thunderbird smiled, softening. "The spirits still watch over us." He smiled and nuzzled Stormcloud before taking once again to the skies, heading home.* * * Two silhouettes dove out of the dark skies, backlit by flashes of lightning, and made their way to the elder couple watching over their own quartet of baskets.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 8:18 am
 Stormwild was exhausted. She was laying down, her wings protectively hovering over her four precious baskets. But despite the pain and exhaustion caused by childbirth - coupled with the surrounding chaos - Stormwild was having trouble finding the peace to sleep. She was afraid as soon as she closed her eyes that the skinwalkers would attack again and try to steal her precious babies! On top of that, in the fleeting moments Stormwild did drift off, her mind was assaulted by horrible nightmares and heartwrenching memories of Thunderbird's fallen brothers and sisters.*
* Spellbound stood watch near his Alphas as the other, stronger members of the herd were on patrol around the territory looking for the foxwalker. He was so warrior, but it pained him to see the stress and weariness on the elder mare. If we couldn't fight, he could at least offer her a bit of comfort. He used his horn to gently brush some of the hair out of Stormwild's face, gently reminding her that she was not alone. "You should sleep, m'lady..." he said with a reassuring smile.
Before she could respond, however, the two figures appeared out of the storm.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 9:20 am
Balrog the great stallion was past the point of exhaustion. It was a rare moment that his eyes were closed and his sides heaved in the even breathing of sleep. Much like his mate, he had not gotten more than an hour or two of sleep at a time - the near loss of a second batch of his children had taken a great deal of out of the stallion... in addition to blood loss.
He hadn't moved from STormwild's side since the attack. Determined, adamant that he would be there if the worst were to happen and they were attacked again. Even if he was exhausted, and even if he was injured, and even if nightmares plagued his sleep as well... If the skinwalker and the monster were to make it past the security at the perimeter, he would be there.
Stormcloud and Thunderbird landed together, brimming with barely-contained excitement at their discovery. Neither had been in the herd when STormwild had first adopted a found-basket that had borne strange aquatic fruit, and seen the fissure it had created in the herd. To thim, this was nothing more than a sign of the spirits rewarding them for their efforts and difficulties.
At the sudden hooffals, Balrog jerked awake, catapulting himself to his feet - a stunt that he regretted a moment later as he very suddenly was reminded of his injuries. A flinch crossed his face, but he adamantly resisted the grunt of pain that nearly slipped out.
But as the vision resolved into two familiar forms, he groaned inwardly and settled back down.
"Thunderbird..." He began, "What is the meaning of such a startling interrupt..." He trailed off, eyes narrowing at the basket clutched between Stormcloud's teeth. "What is that?"
"Father... mother... Stormcloud and I were on patrol... we found this! Alone, abandoned!" His eyes went to Stormwild's - knowing the elder mare's compassion.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 9:35 am
Stormwild didn't notice the approaching figures until Balrog jumped to his hooves. She flinched in reaction, tucking her head and using her wings to bring the baskets even closer to her body; but relaxed when she saw her Angeni son and his mate land. Her eyes blinked and widened as she saw the basket they had in two. Her maternal instincts were coursing strong through her veins, and already her head was aching for the poor baskets plight. Its purple and red colors seemed so... familiar. Almost like it could be one of her own...
"All the way up here?" she asked, risking a glance towards her mate.*
* Spellbound watched with interest, but he backed up a few paces, keeping silent. He new better than to get between a quarrel between this Alpha family of the herd. Of course he already knew where this was going... Stormwild had taken in some baskets before, but that hadn't always ended too well. Balrog was furious when, when he himself was just a foal, had brought home a brightly colored shell that eventually hatched into a kelpi...
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 11:55 am
The frown was already firmly plastered on Balrog's face. He had been through this before.
"And how do we know that what is inside is worthy of this herd, Thunderbird?" He rumbled skeptically. "We have been through a lot already this week alone - do you really want to bring in the unknown with this ... orphan? You know I will not permit the foal to stay if he or she does not bear the wings that set us apart.
"Father!" Thunderbird interrupted. "I was a found basket in the heels of a skinwalker attack!"
"That was different!" Balrog protested. "You are not a mere found basket. You are our son! A survivor of that monster's last attack. Thank the spirits that blessed you to survive it."
Stormcloud nodded towards Stormwild. While she knew her place in the herd, her free spirit didn't lead the mare to just hold her tongue, especially when she thought she might be of assistance. "Precisely. It was not IN our herdgrounds, but very close to it - high in the peaks of the mountains that ring us. Surely, no ground soquili could have made it up there."
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 2:42 pm
"That's a good point, Balrog." Stormwild reached out and traced his shoulder with a light brush of her wings. "This far in the mountains, certainly they must have flown up here."*
* Yeah, but that doesn't stop it from being a Kalona.... Spellbound tossed his mane and debated whether or not to speak up. He was always kind of intimidated by Balrog, and he knew well enough to keep to himself. He knew Balrog tolerated Flutters such as himself, but just barely. There would be hell to pay if this basket ended up being a kalona, or unwinged harpy... well, basically anything other than a wind or other strong flier. But he was knew Stormwild has a much more compassionate heart than her mate; and presenting, then trying to take away, a basket from a new mother, well, he wasn't sure that was a battle even Balrog could win.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 3:30 pm
Balrog's ears flattened to the side and his face took on its signature gruff mask. He didn't like sounding wrong. "You are no shaman, Thunderbird." He snuffed, "You cannot know what is inside."
He glanced to stormwild. On the other hand, Stormwild had gone through such an ordeal... they all had. He could see the compassion on her face, and the way she looked at the little basket.
He rolled his eyes with a grumble. They were probably right... and Balrog didn't have a lot of fight left in him at the moment - especially not against family.
"We can keep the basket here in the foaling grounds until it opens. But IF whatever crawls out of it doesn't have the mettle to be a part of this herd, then I will send it over a cliff." His ears lay back on his head, and it was hard to tell if the Elder stallion was being hyperbolic or not.
"Father!" Thunderbird yelped.
"What if it is a trick? That skinwalker looked fat with foals herself. Maybe this was a lure of hers."
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 5:32 pm
"Oh, you'll do no such thing, Balrog," she said with a mock sterness. She motioned for Stormcloud to lay the basket beside the others under her wing. "We'll be cautious, my love," she said to her mate in reassuring tones. "When it comes time to emerge, wei'll make sure there's nothing nefarious inside. Surely are mighty herd could handle a newborn skinwalker," she said with a definitive nod." *
* "Perhaps," Spellbound started quietly, "Sequoyah can take it in if its not a flier?" he suggested, wanting to contribute. "Assuming its not, well, a skinwalker of course."
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:24 pm
Stormcloud's expression softened uncharacteristically as she walked over to her alpha and setled the basket by her large wings which sheltered the four others.
"Thank you, Stormwild," She said quietly before returning to Thunderbird. She nudged him with her wing, smiling over to him. He was tense; he often was when dealing with his father.
Thunderbird smiled back, leaning gently against her side. "I'm sure it will be fine, father. Our herd has grown strong and continues to grow stronger with each new life."
"OF course we can handle it." Balrog blustered defensively. If there there was anything that that could get Balrog's mind off of a potential non-winged soquili in the basket, it was challenging his capabilities.
He rolled his eyes again before turning sternly to Spellbound, holding his eyes for a full few seconds that crawled by like minutes. "Maybe. If it doesn't turned out to be some damn trick from that skinwalker, maybe I'll consider 'donating' it to his herd of rejects." There was still a bit of an edge in his voice, and he generally minded the terms a little more around Stormwild, but Balrog had been in a rather foul mood since the attack and his lack of sleep.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 8:07 pm
Stormwild gave her mate a stern look when he called her son's herd a bunch of rejects. She didn't argue, however, the fact tat he was letting her keep the basket at all was a step in the right direction. Her maternal instincts were surging, and she wasn't about to let Balrog get away with taking this away from the herd. She had a good feeling; maybe the Spirits had blessed them again like they did with Thunderbird.
She looked to Stormcloud, "Once it gets dry and warms up a bit, do you want to take it?" she asked her. *
* Spellbound swallowed and flicked his ear as Balrog stared at him. When he spoke, the younger stallion nodded respectfully and then backed up a few paces, letting the family take over the specifics. He would stay close in case he was needed, but for now he didn't want to stick his muzzle where it wasn't wanted.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 8:46 pm
Stormcloud lifted her head quickly, blinking, caught off guard. Electricity seemed to arc through her mane. "Me?" Her ears flicked and she found her eyes going to Thundercloud. "I don't... well... I mean... it should have brothers or sisters to grow up with..." She looked at the cluster of baskets Stormwild guarded.
"But perhaps... we could keep an eye on it.... just until it pops..."
Thunderbird wrapped one of his wings around Stormcloud's shoulders. "I think we could do that. Between patrol duties of course."
Balrog settled back down. The decision was made. "I want to know the moment it begins to free itself of the wicker. I want to be there to make sure it is not a threat. Before anyone gets attached." He nudged Stormwild with a wing.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 8:54 pm
Stormwild smiled at her son's mate. "It takes a village, but I think it will be good for you," she said, lifting her wing to inspect the basket once more. "Anyway, I'll have my hooves full soon. I wonder how far along it is," she mused with a nuzzle.
She looked over to Balrog. "Wouldn't it be something... to find a little skinwalker in there," she said with a sigh. "So tragic to be born like that... I don't see how. I wonder if there was any chance of, you know... changing them."
She shook her head, frowning. "Of course not," she said, looking a bit downtrodden. She couldn't even win over her estranged stepson, much less a walker child.
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Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 8:19 am
"Don't even think about it, Stormwild," Balrog rumbled, "That's not even funny." He huffed. It was obvious, especially to his mate, however, all the blustering had taken a lot out of the injured stallion. "I think Stormwild needs her rest now, you two." He grumped, not wanting to show weakness himself, but eager for them to leave so he could lay back down again.
Stormcloud smiled, giving the basket another look with a smile. Maybe it was the scent Stomwild was giving off, or maybe it was just time. But the idea of taking care of a basket was no longer such a terrifying concept to the wild-natured mare. This herd, Thunderbird, it felt right. Where she belonged.
"Thank you, Stormwild." She smiled, with one more nudge to Thunderbird. "We'll go back to patrolling and check back with you in a few days.
Thunderbird smiled at Balrog's gruffness, reading through his bravado. "Take care of her, Father." He smiled and shook off his wings, preparing to take flight again.
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