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 Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:00 am
The moon was distant: it appeared only as a small crescent in the starless sky, with naught but a sliver of light for the world at its feet. What small amount of moonlight visible was made smaller still in the forest of heavy pine, and a cold wind blew swiftly between the trees. Surely, this was a time for the hunters of the night.
Resting in the cover of a large evergreen was Lazarus. A lantern was hooked near his left shoulder, cradled between a scarf of cloth and his wing so that it would neither make noise against his scales, nor blow out as he traveled. His wing was open in such a way that the lantern's light appeared only as a beam, which he directed cautiously towards the shadows. After assuring himself that it was safe, he continued on, eager to find his way out of the forest.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:22 am
Night had fallen, and the waning moon was only a faint silver glow through the forest canopy, the greatest light came from the pale mare herself as she picked her way silently, with practiced care, through the fallen branches and underbrush that littered the forest floor. Her ivory coat was a pearly wonder, glowing as if with some inner light, but it wasn't very bright and therefore not very helpful under the circumstances. She feared that if she didn't stop soon she would end up tripping over a root and damaging her leg, perhaps beyond repair. This path was not well traveled, there would be no one out here to find her should she meet such a fate, she would likely starve to death, alone. The very thought sent a shudder rippling along her silken flanks and had her scanning the inky darkness for somewhere safe to spend the rest of the evening. Belle's thoughts were interrupted by the snapping of a twig, turning quickly, she thought she saw a dark shape slipping among the trees somewhere not far ahead. A stray shaft of light drifted along in front of the figure, with a hissing intake of breath, her heart thundering within her chest, Jezabelle crept foreword stealthily, drawing her cleaver with a steely hiss as she did so. When she was no more than a few feet from the figure, she stopped, "Whose there?" she called out in a low voice.
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2013 4:16 pm
Although Lazarus was on guard, he was, admittedly, focused more on sight than sound. He had completely missed sensing the stranger's approach as a result and he froze when she spoke, ears laid back with surprise. His eyes were wide and his nostrils flared with legitimate fear, but he had so quickly composed himself that it lasted only a moment before he was able to resume a more neutral expression. If this were an ambush, the bearer of the voice wouldn't have spoken to him, he assured himself.
"Lazarus," he replied, once he'd trusted himself to speak and turn towards the stranger without betraying his emotions. His tone was light, casual, even friendly. "And who would I be speaking to?"
He spread his wing a little wider as he spoke, allowing more light to filter through as he searched for the stranger. He thought he saw a strange glint between the leaves, but he wasn't sure.
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 12:09 pm
"Jezabelle," she replied immediately, her voice muffled by the blade clenched between her teeth, "Belle, for short. I apologize for startling you, but these are troubling times. I figured if you meant me harm it would be better to come to you than risk you popping up unexpectedly later on."
She chortled and leaned down to stick the cleaver point first into the ground before her within easy reach. She hoped she wouldn't need it, but she had learned from past experiences that most soquili panicked if she came at them armed. She tried to keep her knife concealed nowadays, unless she was hunting or in danger, she didn't really need it. It was the one concession she was willing to make to help camouflage her into the rest of society. She was neither a docile regular nor a violent predator, these days, she was simply 'Belle,' for better or worse, and she liked it that way. Stepping foreword into the beam of light, she gazed up at Lazarus and smiled sweetly. "If you're not careful, you'll lure more than benign passerbys with that contraption." she advised sagely, "There have been rumors of skinwalkers, I haven't encountered one personally, but you never know, No smoke without fire as my friend always says."
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 9:15 pm
Lazarus strained his ears forward, trying to catch the muffled sounds. The mare was near enough for him to distinguish the words, and her nickname, at least, wasn't difficult to make out.
"Indeed. I thank you for saving me the trouble, Belle," he said. The tone was serious and his voice was made raspier than normal, but his smile not unkind, and it revealed the fact that he meant it only as a joke.
When Jezabelle emerged, the humor grew. There was an amused glint in his eye at the very thought of his harming her for, though his scales and wings did much to make him appear larger, there was a sense of frailty about him that had never left since the sickness he'd had as a foal. He was not aware of Jezabelle's cleaver but, even then, he doubted he'd emerge the victor in any fight between them.
"Ah..." he said, acknowledging her words. He dipped his head lightly to express his thanks, while his wing worked to conceal the lantern. Despite the warning, he did not let the flame within blow out.
"Is it dangerous around here, then?" he wondered aloud. Although he had no qualms appearing friendly towards Belle, he was suspicious. It seemed she'd come to him with the intent of nipping any threat in the bud, which wasn't very common behavior in peaceful soquili. And, again, he didn't think he could take her if it came down to it.
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Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 1:48 pm
Belle's nose wrinkled with silent amusement at Lazarus' words, "There are a few... untrustworthy souls wandering around in this forest, yes." Her eyes sparkled as she moved yet closer to him, leaving her cleaver behind, safely concealed. She didn't feel threatened by this male, and she had found that her gut instincts usually served her well. Belle peered up at him from beneath her long fall of ivory hair, her scarlet pupils were large and bright as they swept along the length of him approvingly and settled on the strange metal contraption he had been using to cast light upon his path. Her face adopted an innocent, almost angelic expression that often served to undermine even the most vigilant Soquili's defenses. "What's that?" she chimed curiously, nudging the light source gently with her nose.
This close, she could easily make out the stallion's interesting markings and other attributes, he had wings, she hadn't noticed before, scales, and horns. Her attention focused on the last, was he a kalona? She had never met a natural meat eater before, but would it be rude to ask? She wasn't sure, but she had always held onto the secret hope that other flesh eaters would be able to accept her in a way regulars could not. "I've... never seen anyone like you before, where are you from?" She ventured hesitantly.
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Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:12 am
Lazarus nodded in understanding. Such news wasn’t surprising, though he was still unsure where Belle stood in regards to it. Was she an untrustworthy soul, too? She certainly didn’t seem the part, but then again, appearances weren’t everything. He would know. For the time being, he would wait and see.
“What, this?” he said belatedly, distracted. Her appraisal was not the subtlest, and although he thought it flattering, and her touch soft, there was something about the red of her eyes and the way they caught the dim light that reminded him of blood. He repressed a shudder and looked instead at the tie in her mane, the cloth round her neck, the bags on her side, but could not resist her gaze when he finally replied.
“It’s a lantern. You can light it with a flame when it’s open, and close it to block it from the wind. If it’s not blown away and it has something to eat, it won’t go out,” he explained. His wing shifted, as if he was about to show it to her, but he abruptly changed his mind and repeatedly ruffled and unruffled his feathers to hide the attempt. She had just cautioned him about its light, after all, and he wasn’t sure if it’d be appropriate to reveal it again so soon.
“I came from the Western Forests,” he replied readily, though he didn't comprehend the relationship between his appearance and his birthplace. He glanced at the tight-knitted trees around them before commenting, “They weren't as dense as this.”
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Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 4:39 pm
Belle drew back, made shy by his discomfort and misinterpreting its' cause. He knew nothing of her, or her past, but she was all too familiar with that look. She noticed Lazarus' questioning gaze and looked away politely, scanning the forest around them with searching eyes, peering at the shadows intently, but there was no movement in the darkness. Whatever the risk, she was thankful for the comfort of a light that didn't pierce her eyes the way the sun did. "I've never seen such a thing, its like you put a piece of the sun in a box. Did you make it?" She murmured, "I haven't seen the sun in such a long time.... The stars are beautiful, but it is difficult not to yearn for that which is beyond your reach."
She smiled sadly she turned back to face her companion once more, "The forest thins closer to the edges, but the center is so dense even the days feel like twilight, which suits me... If you don't mind my asking, why did you leave home Lazarus? And where are you headed? "
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Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:10 am
((I hope you're feeling better! ovo <3))
My, my, she asked a lot of questions. Was it natural? Lazarus couldn’t really say. The conversations he’d held before were already cloudy to his memory, and it would take more concentration than he was willing to give to try and remember them. It was dangerous here; he would keep his attention on the immediate situation at hand and follow her lead.
“It is,” he agreed quietly. Light was an uncommon thing for him as a foal. He’d been raised in a forest similar to this one, and the sun-touched places had been few and far in between. Now, he always carried one beside him.
“A human made it,” he said. He cocked his head curiously. Then, “Why can’t you see it now? The night may still be young, but morning will come.”
The assurance was childish for, like a child, he could only see the world through his eyes. It didn’t occur to him that something other than time could be preventing Belle from doing as she wished.
“I left my home because there was no choice,” he continued, feigning nonchalance with a shrug. Still, he attempted to direct the topic closer to the present. “And now, I am looking for the way out of this forest." Confessing he was lost was embarrassing, but he didn't mind as much as he thought he would. Belle's company was one he was slowly growing grateful for, and she seemed to know the area well.
"If you want to see the sun, we may as well go together.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2013 1:07 pm
"A.. Human?" Belle's nostrils flared with alarm as she staggered a few steps back, "I've heard of the two leggers, even wandered within range of their camps a few times but I've never actually seen one." Despite her anxiety she was burning with curiosity, "Did you steal it from one of their camps?"
In her genuine excitement the mildly seductive charge in the air fizzled out completely and she peered up at Lazarus with a childlike fascination, he had seen things she would never have the courage to seek out. If her own kind scorned her for her bloodlust, what would the humans do? She knew they carried weapons, much like her cleaver, and were dangerous in large numbers. If she lost control while in their midst it was entirely possible they would kill her, never mind that it had been months since she had truly lost control of her birthright.
"I'm sorry" she said sadly, "I didn't mean to pry at old wounds," she could see the masked pain in his eyes. "I can lead you to the edge of the forest," she agreed, "If we leave immediately, but I'm afraid I will have to take shelter when the sun rises. The light is much too bright, it stabs at my eyes, leaving me feeling drained and ill for hours after it sets, and tomorrow I must hunt..." She trailed off with dismay, she hadn't meant to say that, when would she learn she must be careful of how much she disclosed to strangers, no matter how friendly they might be. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a way to cover up her slipup.
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 12:38 am
”They gave it to me,” Lazarus said, surprised. It was one of the few truths he’d spoken to her, so unexpected was Belle’s reaction. He had only known peaceful villagers, and had never been witness to a human’s cruelty. That Belle should be alarmed was curious, and he attributed it to ignorance, for what else could it be? Why else would she look at him so? Humans were brittle things, with weak senses and bodies more frail than his own. There was no reason for fear.
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” he said, offering what he hoped was a reassuring smile. Even though he hadn’t said much, it appeared he was the cause of her sadness, and he regretted it. He’d make up a nice story next time.
“Ah, sensitive to light.” He nodded his sympathy. When he first left the thick forest of his birth, he’d had to spend some time with a blindfold to adjust his eyes, and he concluded that Belle was following a similar regime with the help of the dark cloth she wore. “Thank you for helping me despite it.”
He looked towards her happily, ready to follow, and her strange vocabulary was taken in stride. He thought it made sense: it was still winter and plants were hard to come by. It was entirely plausible to him that she could be looking for a specific bush or mushroom, too. But he was glad to know he’d be out of the forest soon, and the relief eased the tension he didn’t know he had. He was feeling more amicable than he had in days.
“Hunting, on top of everything else? Are you sure you aren’t a vampire?” he teased.
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Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:41 pm
"I've never heard of such a thing, but I must admit I haven't had much experience with humans. They usually don't travel this deep into the forest and I haven't had much occasion to leave it." She nodded, her eyes shining, she was glad to do something to help someone in need. Even if it was as simple as helping him find his way. "We should have plenty of time to reach the edge before I must leave you." She turned and led him through the brush to a small well beaten path, it forked a few times along the way but as long as they kept to it, they would make good time on their journey. Of course, it was always a bit dangerous to stick to well known paths, if the predators were out, it would be the first place they looked. She peered over her shoulder at Lazarus, amused that he would brush against the truth so haphazardly. "And what if I was?" she wondered archly, "Would you still want my help, Lazarus?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2013 10:11 pm
((Sorry for the wait! OTL))
How alike their pasts seemed to be – and yet, how different. Lazarus's ears pressed down against his skull as he looked round at the dark forest and compared it to what he remembered of his own home. He wondered if Belle ever felt stifled beneath the thick canopy as he had, or frightened by the long and creeping shadows that lanced out from the trees and cut across the earth. Most importantly, he wondered if she was ever lonely. The forest was no favorable place for a soquili: dense and enclosed, it offered little room to watch out for predators or freely run, and the constant threat of tripping over roots seemed too great when a broken leg could easily prove fatal. He’d rarely gotten any visitors as a result, and he could only assume the same applied here.
Lost in his own recollections, he spent much of his time along the path a subdued creature, sticking close to Belle’s side without a second thought. He may have mistrusted her at first, but he’d faced few true evils in life and his confidence was one easily gained. By then, he already believed Belle to be perfectly harmless, and shot her an amused grin when her questions roused him from his musings.
“You’re no monster,” he said simply. If she was, he’d have run a long time ago, and he was still here and unharmed, wasn’t he?
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 1:11 pm
Belle appraised the stallion thoughtfully.
"No." she responded carefully, "No, I am not." She felt a short surge of self consciousness as the edge of her cleaver pressed into her side through the thick leather of her bag. She had thought she was one once, before she met her father and siblings in all their dark beauty. Belle had come to accept herself as she was, for all her darkness and light.
"But you're not entirely wrong. My diet is perhaps more colorful than your average regular." She shot him a glance out of the corner of her eye. The path was narrow, just big enough for the two of them to pass shoulder to shoulder with tall trees to either side so close together that it would be difficult to flee the trail. Perhaps she should have waited until they were out of this confining section before telling him. He was quiet, lost in his own thoughts or memories, she wasn't sure, but her body tensed up defensibly out of habit. She no longer tried to hide her nature the way she once had, and there had been times when her revelation had spurred an attack. She was not large or strong, but she was quick, her cleaver was within easy reach should she need it.
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Posted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 8:08 pm
“Oh?” Lazarus rose a brow, but was not overly alarmed by the admission. He’d met soquili who enjoyed seaweed and strange-smelling flowers and even lumpy-looking mushrooms; he was sure hers couldn’t be so bad. She might have even meant it literally, as there were certainly enough berries and fruits and a wide array of vegetables available to cover every color under the sun.
But there was a nagging in the back of his mind, a sense of aimless dread that only grew as they were pressed side by side against the trail. He remembered the entire meeting: the way she had remained hidden as she approached, the specific way “hunting” had been mentioned, and now, how she seemed so curious as to whether he thought her a monster or not...
“How so?”
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