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 Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 6:42 am
 The last twos had been full of rest and recovery. The last few weeks of frantic travel had taken it's toll on her mind and body. So much as she had wanted to spend the time Eldorada working on their plans to reclaim what they had lost but she could do nothing but rest and keep her emotions in check. But finally she was feeling like herself again, as much of herself as she could until she got her home back. The time for rest was over, she may still be feeling the physical effects of weeks on the run and the mental drain of trying to understand how this could have happened but i she allowed that to keep her down then she would never regain her home. The spot that Eldorada had claimed as her temporary home in these lands was far from perfect but after seeing a bit more of what these lands had to offer it really was a decent location.
With a clear morning to wake up to and after taking a short walk, not too far as she was still tired and didn't want to run into any heathens, Izel was ready to start the next phase of things and start figuring out what resources they would need and how to get them. She knew for certain that an army was needed, but that would not be enough, her and Eldorada were princesses and acquiring some new servants would be something to see to as well. Returning to the cleaning Izel was ready to get down to business. "Eldorada," She said as the other mare came into view. "the time to plan our next move has come."
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 9:20 am
 Eldorada had done her best to make sure Izel was as comfortable as she could make her while she rested and recuperated. Recalling her own experiences she was well aware that it took a day or two to start feeling somewhat normal again, though truth be told she wasn't entirely sure that they would ever feel completely normal again - at least not until they got their homes back.
But..
Feeling even 'mostly normal' was an improvement over the fear and feeling of complete aloneness that had dominated the entire time spent running. Once that left however she had been spurred by a sudden need to do something...and so she wasn't entirely surprised when Izel came to her a couple of days after her arrival and made the the announcement that she was ready to start planning. Nodding slightly in agreement she voiced her thoughts on the matter. "I think that's a wise idea..I believe we should canvas the local herds..see if we can find..if not a suitable commander or consultant..perhaps some leads as to where one might be.If we find a commander then we can send him off to recruit for our army while we focus on planning."
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Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 9:34 am
Izel was glad Eldorada wasn't just ready to start working on what needed to be done but had a very solid start for them as well. Honestly Izel would have suggested the same thing but hearing it from the other mares lips rekindled Izel's hopes and made her realize fully that they really were together in this. She gave a small nod. "Yes, that is a good place to start. Do you know how many herds are nearby? I'd assume you did some scouting since you've been here and know their locations but I'd like to know how many and the distance from us to them." They would likely be devoting days to traveling to the various herds and following any leads that might crop up so she wanted to be prepared for such a journey. Though her body could use a few more days rest to fully recuperate Izel knew that time was of the essence, that stallion had already controlled their lands for far too long and every day they wasted here would give him a more solid hold on them.
"We may also want to acquire some...personal assistants if we can find those who are suitable for that role." Izel had no doubt in her mind that they would find some. From what Eldorada had told her about the Soquili in these lands there were numerous individuals with servant like qualities, they just needed to find the right ones to serve them. "It may also be helpful to share all the details about the stallion and his take over that we can with each other, see if he has a weak spot or if there is something we can learn about his tactics." She wasn't much on war tactics but knowledge like that would be important to their army and their chances of success.
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:21 am
Eldorada considered for a few moments, recalling the information from her various short but productive scouting trips. "There are three within a days walking distance..but they are small and did not seem like they would give what we needs, except perhaps some servants." She informed the other mare. Sadly the closest herds did not seem to be of high quality, rather they were low bred hick Soquili. But perhaps a few of the younger fillies would be suitable as handmaidens.
"Within a few days however there are larger herds I have learned..though I have not gone to see them for myself given the distance." With Izel here now however such a longer trip would be more feasible.. especially if they recruited some Handmaidens and perhaps even some lower class stallions to act as guards if need be from the surrounding herds.
"Did you want to leave this morning? We could likely make it to one of them by this afternoon and if we did not stay long get most of the way to the next before having to stop for the night."
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Posted: Wed Jun 12, 2013 12:46 pm
It wouldn't be a perfect start but given what they had now it was honestly better than nothing. They were starting completely from scratch so whether they gained guards, servants or an army they would be doing better than they currently were. Izel nodded as she listened to everything Eldorada had to say. "Servants would be a start, though I would much prefer to gain guards as well. Still having a lowborn traveling with us could be advantageous for they will likely have a better knowledge of these lands than either of us." Plus it just wasn't right to be of such high born status and have not a single servant at their disposal. And while those of low blood tended to be less competent, an extra set of eyes would be good for this journey.
She considered only for a few short moments. Rash decisions never turned out well, but they had already allowed that stallion far too much time to allow his influence on theirs and other herds. "I see no reason to stay here any longer. The sooner we can start our search the sooner we may come up with something suitable for our needs or at least an idea of where to find it. We shall see if one or more of these local herds can provide us with servants and guides and get as much distance covered today as possible." Much as she wasn't looking forward to more traveling after her recent escape from home and the terror that had captured it Izel knew that remaining idle for too long would only allow the stallion to get such a firm hold of those lands no army no matter how large or well trained would get it back. "Well, since I have no possessions to worry about I am ready to travel when you are."
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:51 am
Eldorada nodded slightly at the other mare's words..it was true that these lowborn heathens tended to know the area they ran amok in far better then she and Izel would - the trick would of course being finding some that were trustworthy. "Of course they will know the land." The golden mare agreed. "But we must make sure we take on no treacherous beasts...we both know how these heathenish low class creatures can be, they so rarely learn the value of loyalty. Still..perhaps if we offer them something worthwhile, a place in our kingdom when we regain it, a title or just some land to call their own we might be able to win their loyalty...the lowborn are often swayed by thoughts of improving their lot in life."
"And we might as well start off..like you say there is nothing for us to pack now is there..well at least we will travel swift and light!." She stated with a smile, a small attempt to shed some light on their current situation, a small silver lining to their otherwise terrible current lifestyle. Turning about she started off through the woods towards the closest of these herds. All this traveling would be tiresome but hopefully it would all be worthwhile in the end."Do you have any plans about how we ought to approach these herds? I'm not sure it would be wise to tell them who we are and what we are looking for right off the bat." She questioned even as visions of being taken captive and held for ransom danced through her head.
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:12 am
Izel considered Eldorada's words. It was true, while the Soquili of these lands would know if better than they did it would be hard to find one to trust. After all who can trust a complete stranger, and surely two mares new to this land could easily be lied to by one of those who were recruited to help. It was something that happened no matter where one lived, there were always those out to "help" others but in doing so leave them more lost than before and certainly more untrusting as well. "Even offering them such things does not guarantee they will not betray us at some point, but it can be alluring enough to them that they will be truthful and truly help us." Besides other than land or titles they didn't exactly have much to offer another for their services. "I'm sure such an offer will suffice, and if we find they have not be truthful or trustworthy we will remove the offer." There was no point in rewarding treachery.
She began to follow Eldorada as they started what was likely to be a long and arduous journey. Izel considered the question carefully before answering. "Well we certainly do not want to speak of our titles right away. That is something we can inform them of once we know they can be trusted." She paused for a moment considering her next words. "Much as it pains me to say so, we may need to act like heathens in order to get what we want initially. We can be travelers looking to be shown around for a bit and learn more of the land. That way we can ask questions about lands and herds without raising too much suspicion. Once we know enough we can decide what move to make next."
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:19 am
Eldorada shudded, simply shuddered at the thought of acting like one of those revolting low born's as Izel suggested. It was terrible..why it was downright shameful! And yet much as Eldorada despised the mere thought of such measures she had to admit that Izel was right. It they marched in there acting like royalty (never mind that they deserved to do so) it could possibly make them a target for unscrupulous type looking ot make a quick deal by trading them off to their enemy.
"Yes.." She agreed with a rather dismal tone "I suspect that you might be right." She went on, a slight wrinkle of her muzzle flickering across her face to show her displeasure at the thought. "Though..it might take some practice." She added, glancing towards her friend "I don't think the low born's tend to march about with such high bearing and confidence." She pointed out, purposefully lowering her head a bit and attempting not to pick her knees up quite so high. Ugh..the things she was willing to do in order to earn back her rightful place. Giving up her servants had been horrible of course, living on her own suitably awful..but acting like one of them? Beyond nightmarish!
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:30 am
Izel watched as Eldorada shuddered and fully understood the mares repulsion to the idea. Izel didn't care for it either, she was high born and so should act like it at all times, but these were new lands with too many unknowns. What would happen if one of that stallions spies had already gotten here? What if he had contact with numerous herds already to be on the lookout for two such high born mares and offered a grand reward for their capture? Well honestly if Izel let the what if's continue she would be standing here for a very long time and that would only make their situation even worse. This was the time for action, though not run into the situation without thought type, but action none the less. If they could blend in, even for just a short time, they might be able to get what they needed to reclaim their lands.
Watching Eldorada lower her head Izel tried to do the same...but oh no that made her long beautiful braid drag on the ground when she walked. Izel couldn't help but let out a muffled cry of alarm when she saw her beautiful hair brush along the ground collecting dirt, leaves and everything else on it. "Oh this is horrible!" She was not enjoying this one bit, how would they manage to convince anyone from these lands that they were anything but high born. And...then there was the disturbing thought of her clean coat being covered with dirt, hiding her beauty. Oh it would take weeks to get clean again. But if they didn't do this then they might never be able to return home and that would mean being stuck here, or worse being captured by that stallions army, for the rest of their lives. Neither option was pleasant, and of course neither was wandering around like some low born cretin. She tried walking again, lifting her head a bit more so that her braid wasn't touching the ground. "We can do this Eldorada, we must do this." She tried to sound confident, but already her neck was sore and there was still that dirt in her mane.
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:38 am
Seeing her friends dilemma Eldorada sighed slightly..but found herself grateful that her own wonderful snow white hair wasn't quite as long as Izel's black hair..oh it was hanging close to the ground alright..but it wasn't dragging on the ground collecting the gods knew what within it. Of course that made her realize that very few Low born mare's kept their hair quite a neat and clean as she did...I mean just think about that strange rainbow colored freak of a mare she had meet long ago! Her mane had been all over the place!
There was no way that Eldorada could stomach her hair becoming that messy. It was simply..out of the question! But Izel's comment made her realize that there was a great deal more at stake then their personal looks at the moment. "Yes." She told the other mare "We must..it's..its only hair and hide right? It can be cleaned..." She stated firmly, though the thought of just how much cleaning it was going to take to get all the dirt out of her hide and her mane so wonderfully sleek again well it was going to take a lot of work! "And..and if this works we'll have servants to do all the cleaning of it for us!" She added brightly, attempting to find a small silver lining to the situation.
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Posted: Mon Jul 15, 2013 11:46 am
There was no way she could do this! Not for long distances at least. How did these heathens do it? She wasn't going to be able to move for a week if she kept this up. Already she was considering giving up and coming up with a new plan. But just when she was about to say some Eldorada's confident voice came through. At first she stared at her friend in horror...how could she say that? It's only hair and hide?! What a horrible thought! But then she realized the mare was right, it was just hair and hide and while she had always prided herself in keeping herself clean and presentable at all times this was a situation that called for something far from it. And yes, they could clean it...it would require a large amount of work, but if they did acquire some servants than it wouldn't be so bad.
"You're right. Let us hope we find servants quickly then." Determination returned anew and Izel tried her new slumped walk. It was uncomfortable and she likely wouldn't be able to travel very far but this was for her land and for Eldorada's. Extreme situations call for extreme measures and this was one of those times. "How does this look?" She asked showing off her new way of walking. "Does it say heathen?" Or at least less high born that she was.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 11:27 am
Eldorada was somewhat relieved when Izel wound up agreeing with her sentiments - She did not think her heart could have borne the other mares disagreement when things were already so bleak. It was a terrible thought to have uttered, but Eldorada had learned something of necessity in her time away from home. Sometimes one had to do wretched things to succeed and failure in this mission was simply something that she could not, would not accept.
At the other mares question Eldorada glanced towards her and couldn't help but giggle just a little bit - oh it was a terrible situation still and she really shouldn't be laughing but Eldorada was fairly certain that if she didn't laugh she might cry..and Izel looked just so wretchedly hilarious trying to slump along like some ill born cretin! "It looks positively dreadful!" She finally managed to state. "Which of course mean's it's perfect for what we need."
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2014 12:23 pm
This was horrible. Worse than horrible. It was beyond anything she had ever experienced. She could literally feel the dirt getting on her mane as it dragged on the ground with each step, she could feel the small dust clouds puffing up and then settling on her legs with each heavy step she made and then the worse thing happened, she heard Eldorada laughing. Why that no good little...
Izel didn't get a chance to quite finish that sentence because Eldorada's voice broke through and Izel realized that the mare wasn't laughing at her. Well perhaps she was but not way she initially thought. "It feels more dreadful than it looks!" She exclaimed and then stood tall again, stretching out her already aching muscles from just those few steps. "Now I know what torture feels like." With a shake of her head she focused back on Eldorada. "You're turn. Let's make sure you walk is as lowly as mine." What she really wanted was to go for a nice long soak to get clean and let her muscles relax again, but they had too much work to do and if they were to pull this off they both had to be as convincing as possible.
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 8:43 am
With Izel's demand that it was her turn to try Eldorada's giggles vanished and she let out a long suffering sigh. "I really don't know why they insist on walking about like this - its so much more effort then proper posture." She stated with a snort although it was really just to delay the inevitable. Eldorada knew that despite her protests and despite her thoughts about how silly and preposterous walking around like some sort of cow was - it was how the heathens did things and so she too must do it. For now.
Lowering her head and doing her best to slump a little bit she took a few shuffling half hearted steps. Ugh she probably looked like an old nag..which she supposed was half the point ...but still. Of course walking around like this and being dirty wasn't going to help much if they kept other things in their possession she reminded herself..they might just look like travel weary nobles instead of the heathens they were supposed to be imitating. "Perhaps..we should hide our Jewelry too...Just for now, I mean normal everyday Soquili don't wander about wearing jewels and fancy items.."She pointed out with a small bit of sadness. It really was a sad thought but likely a prudent one.
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Posted: Fri May 23, 2014 8:51 am
Now it was Izel's turn to have a bit of a laugh. She had been certain that the way she had been walking looked as awkward as it had felt, but seeing it made her fully understand why Eldorada has giggled earlier. It was the most atrocious thing she had ever seen! How did these low born Soquili manage to do this their entire lives? If this was what they had to work with in these lands than they may be in bigger trouble than they had been back home when that stallion began taking over herds and territories. Of course if it hadn't been for that brute both of them would be home right now living the pampered life. So, they had to suffer a bit in order to see this plan through and stop him.
"Yes, I think that walk will do." She commented giving her head a nod and then fell silent at Eldorada's words. Of course it made perfect sense. They could get themselves dirty and walk the way heathens walked but if they still wore jewelery and clearly high born decorations then they would not be successful. Izel let out a heavy sigh but there was no way to get around this. "I agree. But where can we find a safe spot to hide our things and ensure that no one wanders by and takes them while we are playing the role of heathen?" If she came back to missing jewelery she would likely quit.
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