[PRP] Arrival (Hayalet, Corwin, Coralia)

[Cajmera]

 

[Cajmera]

Hayalet
~~~

He had never been a fighter, Hayalet reminded himself. He hated violence of all sorts, and had never so much as snarled at his sister while growing up. Given the choice between fighting and death, he would cheerfully accept the death, praying for forgiveness and repentence for his murderer until his last breath. There was no living creature who was not included in this mercy; whether the largest bison or the smallest ant, Hayalet viewed the right to live of all living creatures as of the utmost importance.

The only thing that truly tested his restraint in this respect was spiders. Ever since childhood, he, like his father, seemed to hold a special allure for the skittery creatures. He'd found them in his mane and tail, felt them spinning webs against his ears. No amount of persuasion seemed to disuade them; removing them only brought them back later. If he'd ever been tempted to kill any creature, it would have been spiders...but even those he could not bear to harm, so an uneasy truce existed between stallion and spiders.

At least they kept the flies away.

However, flies were the least of his concerns today,

~~~

Even in Hayalet's high mountain retreat, the rumors had made their rounds. Whispers of a massive Soquili herd appearing on the borders of the larger Kawani lands gave way to horrified descriptions of massacres in the meadows, with humans, Kawani Soquili, and members of the invading Kalona herd mingling together in death. On the plains and in the forests, pitched battles raged between the Kalona and Soquili of all descriptions.

When Hayalet had first heard the rumors, he had dismissed them out of hand. But as the stories intensified and continued to pour in from multiple sources, he gradually came to accept that what he was hearing was truth. For a Soquili of such a peaceful nature as Hayalet, the news was heart-breaking and devastating beyond belief. For a time, he even debated going down to the Lowlands to see if there was any benefit he could provide to those involved in the strife. However, common sense soon prevailed; he was no healer, and he was no fighter. Rather than descend to the Lowlands, he would remain in his lofty retreat, devoting his energies to prayer that the combatants might find peace and come to realize just how wrong they were...  

[Cajmera]

Hayalet
~~~

It had been a moment of great joy when a bird had brought Hayalet the news the fighting had ended. After many pitched battles, the great Kalona herd had disbanded, with many of the members withdrawing from the Kawani lands entirely and returning to whereever it was they had first come from. Hayalet was not so naive he expected there to be immediate peace in the land; the Lowland Soquili would no doubt be on-edge for some time to come, and the Highland Soquili would be cautious in reopening access to their headlands. The fighting might be over on a large scale, but the fear, paranoia, and rampant distrust of strangers would no doubt linger for some time.

This was why aggression was never beneficial, Hayalet felt. Beyond physical injury, there were many other negative consequences that took even longer from which to recover. Even while he prayed with gratitude for the end to the violence, he wondered how long it would take for the Lowland communities to heal, if they ever truly did.

~~~

"Spirits, be with all Soquili and Kawani as they approach this new chapter in their lives. I realize we none of us can ever truly forget our experiences, but bring peace to the minds of the troubled and healing to the bodies and spirits of all."

Hayalet lay immobile on an outcropping of rock, head bowed and wings slightly spread in supplication. This was his favorite part of the small mountain plateau he called home; extending out past the edge of the mountain like a finger pointing, he could see miles and miles of the Kawani lands stretching out below to the horizon. Here, he could feel involved in the world even as he maintained his distance; just as he preferred it to be.

Finishing his prayer, he opened his eyes and looked down the mountainside to the filmy Lowlands beyond. How many days had passed since the thrush had brought him the good news of the battle's end?  

[Cajmera]

Corwin and Coralia
~~~

"Och, are yeh sure that we shouldna be takin' another rest about now, Corwin? Yeh're startin' to look a bit grey about the edges, and not in a good way."

Coralia was feeling a bit impatient, to put it mildly. Not impatient in the sense that she was waiting eagerly for something to happen, but impatient in the sense that things had not gone the way she wanted, were continuing to go in a way other than the way she wanted, and that her traveling companion continued to be oblivious to everything. How many times had they had this same conversation, after all? Any blind idiot could tell that Corwin was pushing himself too far, and Coralia was no blind idiot. He needed to rest, work on regaining his energy, and actually listen to her for a change!

Yet she knew as well as before that that was unlikely. She knew the Corwin far too well to expect him to give into her now; he was, after all, her twin brother and the one constant presence in her life thus far. For better or for worse, she knew him and his moods just as well as her own and knew before she even opened her mouth that he was just going to keep arguing.

~~~

"Aye, and once we've settled down to rest, then what? Won't that just be a nice picture for any of the foul beasties still left in the area, two mouthfuls o' flutter to snack on. No, Cora, it's still far too dangerous and I willna stop until we've made it past this."

Corwin did his best to sound determined and forceful, but if truth be told it was an uphill fight. He knew his sister was right; he felt ghastly, and the hours of walking had done nothing to help that. Every step brought a fresh throb of pain from the long, barely-scabbed gashes that raked down his left side and hind legs, but he wouldn't allow them to stop moving. Much as his injuries hurt, that pain was proof that he...no, that they were alive, and he planned to keep things that way. Not until he was convinced that they were out of danger would he allow them to stop moving.

At a later time, he would allow himself to savor the delicious irony of it all. How recently had it been Cora insisting they needed to fly, that they couldn't wait for anyone or anything? Then all of a sudden, she was the picture of solicitous behavior, trying to convince him to rest when she knew as well as he did the danger they'd be in if they were found.

Of course, it was hard to find anything funny at the moment.  

[Cajmera]

Corwin and Coralia
~~~

Theirs was a life story like many others', at least in the general sense. They had been born to a loving pair of flutter parents who had left a life in a large colony of flutters for a more peaceful life of independence. As their father had told them as they grew older, their parents had been happy enough in the flutter herd. They had occupied a large meadow, and there were more then two dozen flutters to share it. However, small differences and disagreements between members of the herd had started to crack the peaceful smoothness of the herd, and grudges and petty bickerings had begun to make their presence known. The twins' parents had not been part of the discord, but their lives were as much affected by the results as anyone's. After much discussion, they had decided to leave the herd and strike out on their own.

It hadn't been too long after separating from the herd that the twins had made their appearance. It had been an exciting time for the family as the parents adapted to a simpler, more nomadic lifestyle with two small foals in tow. For the most part, it had been an exciting time for the children; being on the move meant they constantly got to see and do new things.

However, travel had also had negative consequences; not having a stable home meant they often found themselves at the mercy of the weather. Sometimes, they had to travel long past the point of exhaustion in order to spend the night in a safe location, or to find enough food for the whole family. Even in their small forms with accordingly small stomachs, finding enough food was a priority. And sometimes, they had to be creative when it came to food.

This culinary uncertainty had borne tragically unforeseen fruit when the twins were still foals. A swarm of locusts had blown through the area, eating everything green in their path. Desperate to find food, the family had turned to things they'd never before considered eating, like algae and mushrooms. Having no experience or knowledge to guide her in her choices, their mother inadvertently ate toxic mushrooms and passed away in great pain. Their father had tried to spare the twins as much as he could, but their strong family bonds kept them at her side until she died. The sight was seared in their minds from that moment on.

Though at the time there was nothing he would have liked better than to curl up and die beside his mate, their father knew he had a duty to his children to carry on. Trying to compartmentalize his grief as much as possible, he conducted the funeral ritual and then rededicated himself to finding food and safety for the little family. Though it was rough, the three managed to pull through and in time, made it to a healthy territory that had been left unscathed by the locusts. They regained lost weight and lost strength, but none of the family forgot the consequences. Together, Corwin and Coralia swore that they would never again let things get that desperate. They would keep each other safe as well as their father could, and keep him safe in the bargain. Losing their mother had been unthinkable, and in spite of their father's best efforts, they could not help to see the strain the whole experience had left on him. As the twins continued to grow and blossom, their father seemed to remain as he had been before. It was as though he had taken on a half-life; that they were looking at a facade of their father, rather than the stallion they used to know who had been so full of life.

Still, he continued to strive for a happy home life for his children. They started to spend more time in each place, giving the twins opportunities to meet and play with other children. He was encouraged by this sociability, and gave them free rein to play once he had vetted whatever children were in question. Privately, he rejoiced in the new opportunities; for his children, the chance to make friends; for himself, the chance to have time to himself to freely indulge himself in his grief. Some Soquili move on after the loss of a mate, but the twins' father was not one of them. When left alone, he would spend hours alone, deep in his memories.

~~~

It was when the twins were adolescents that the second blow fell. They had been out playing with some new friends of theirs, another pair of siblings, when they were suddenly and abruptly come upon by their friends' mother. The mare was deeply agitated to the point of panic, insistant that all of the young Soquili come with her immediately, away from the open meadow to a 'safe place.' She wouldn't give any explanation, nor would the second mare who soon joined her. Speed and stealth were stressed, and it wasn't until they reached the 'safe place', a large hollow high up in a rotted tree, that they finally told the youths what the reason was for the urgency.

Skinwalker.

All of the young Soquili had heard tales of the terrifying beasts, but they had always taken on a mythical quality. The idea that the shapeshifting monsters were real had seemed far-fetched, beyond belief. Even now, there was an inclination to be skeptical on the part of the youths. But the raw terror on the faces of the older Soquili gradually began to force the truth upon them. It was only after this reality of the situation began to sink in that the twins became aware of an additional element in the looks being sent their direction: pity. Only then did they realize who was NOT present in the safety of the tree...

They didn't know how long they were in the tree with their friends; all total, five young Soquili and four adults. To the twins, though, nothing existed outside of themselves and their own grief. Though they tried to draw consolation from the fact their father had had no opportunity to suffer like their mother, the fact remained that now he, like she, was gone. Still gangly adolescents, the twins were now orphans.

The other flutters were sympathetic and incredibly kind. They, along with another pair of parents with two young foals, lived in a herd which promptly opened up to the twins. Though orphans, they did not have to be alone.  

[Cajmera]

Corwin and Coralia

The twins had been grateful for the kindness and warmth of their new herd. Losing their father, especially in such a violent way, had been a major blow for the youths who still all too well remembered the loss of their mother. In only a matter of years, they had gone from a close-knit and loving family of four to a fiercely tight family of two. Although the other parents in their new herd opened their lives to the twins and did their best to step into the role of parents for the still adolescent pair, they were held at a bit of an arm's length.

In grief, the twins drew even closer together than before. Neither would go anywhere without the other, nor would either consider allowing the other to go anywhere without them. They grazed together, played games together, hung out with friends together. In many ways, the two seemed to be one creature.

Yet in spite of their synchronicity, their individual characters were more sharply defined at this time than they'd ever been before.

Corwin had felt the weight of his role as the older sibling and the traditionally protective male. His priorities had become keeping his sister safe and happy, well-rounded, and content. More than anything, he wanted her to emerge from the shadows of loss and embrace life and love and happiness. It had been Corwin who embraced their joining the flutter herd, drawing happiness and peace for himself from the larger 'family' unit. Though their new herdmates could never replace their lost parents, Corwin was happy for the love they showed and the possibility of, in time, making new connections.

Coralia, on the other had, had wanted to leave the area immediately. Their father's death had made her draw fiercely close to her brother, and she wanted to be alone with him in their period of mourning. While she did her best to respect the other flutters for their kindness, she could never forget that two of them had been present to witness her father's death at the jaws of the skinwalker. Though there was nothing they could have done to prevent it, she could not help but feel bitter that they had been spared and not him. The wholeness of the herd's families sparked resentment in the small mare, and she was jealous of any attempts by the other Soquili to take on the role of 'family' with she and Corwin.

It had been Corwin's flat-out refusal to leave the herd that had led to them staying. In time, Coralia had managed to overcome some of her bitterness, but the closeness that Corwin had wished for never managed to materialize. Though she possessed natural charm and grace as well as beauty, Coralia held herself aloof from all Soquili except her brother. His well-being was the focus of her life, and it became a bit of a joke in the herd as brother and sister vied for the role of 'defender' to the other.  

[Cajmera]

Corwin and Coralia
~~~

Time had seen the twins grow from their trying adolescence into flowers of flutter adulthood. Had either been inclined towards such a thing, romantic partners of either a permanent or fly-by-night nature could have been easy to come by, but the idea of romance was still a distant thing, far out in the future. As he grew, Corwin continued to focus on cultivating and honing his athletic skills, spending hours of every day running and tussling with like-minded members of the herd. With one exception, they were all young males, and a comical sight they no doubt would have made to any non-flutter observers! Unlike winds, with their strong feathers, the thin wings of a flutter were useless as weapons and had to be protected from tearing. Their wrestling matched were notable for the filmy flutter wings being folded back, well out of range of hooves and teeth.

Besides that, the flutter contingent tended to spend a lot of time in their small form, which ranged in size from hummingbird-sized to the size of a small raccoon. This made things harder for the smaller Soquili, but made any victories they achieved all the sweeter!

Naturally, Coralia was the one female exception in the 'males only' athletic club. Though the smallest of all, she was tenacious and swift in her movements, the fastest runner and sneakiest wrestler of the bunch. Her antics with the boys earned her no small amount of admiration, but she was quick and cold in delivering put downs to any stallion who she felt was too 'presumptuous.'

This life suited them well enough, and they were content with their lot. Well, Corwin was content, Coralia was resigned. But that was enough, and they had no plans to change things. Not until the first whispers of a great mobilization of Kalona came to the herd's attention...

~~~Flashback~~~

"No, no, no! I don' care what any of the others think, least of all Pigeon. That great idiot always thinks he can manage more than he's capable o', so o' course he's going to think he, and everyone with him, can wait this out. But don't yeh be seein' that this is a stupid plan? Doesn't anyone see?" Coralia was angry, angrier than she had been in a dog's age. She had always been prone to fits of temper, but this one was a doozy. Even more remarkable was the fact that her anger was directed at her brother.

For his part, Corwin listened to his sister rave with quiet implacability. To a certain extent, he agreed with her. When the majority of the herd had declared their intent to stay where they were, relying on their old hiding places in the hollow trees to last out the passing by of the Kalona herd, he had been as surprised as his sister. Yes, the hollow trees were great hiding places and had served the flutter herd well in the past, but the height of the trees was no defense from Kalona, who unlike many of the herd's 'normal' predators were capable of flight. More importantly, the flutter herd had now established that the Kalona herd was of an unprecedented size, numbering hundred of individuals, if not more. One Kalona was unsettling enough, but could potentially be outwaited. A herd of this size had only to pass through the area on a whim and the flutters could easily be decimated, if not wiped out completely.

The arguements in favor of staying had been fervent, though. It had been pointed out that all signs indicated that while the Kalona herd was passing by closer than was comfortable, they did not appear to have any intention of heading through the flutters' meadow. The Kalona were moving swiftly and with purpose, so if the flutters took prompt refuge, they should be able to wait out the passing of the Kalona, as a precaution only.

The minority of the herd was against staying, and were vocal in their explanations as to why the whole herd should move. If they were to be detected in the hollows, they would be sitting ducks for the teeth of the Kalona; no flutter could outrun or outfly or outlast a Kalona on the hunt. Just because the main herd didn't seem to be extending this far didn't mean they couldn't change direction, or that a small group or two mightn't pass by. No, the best option was for the herd to leave, now, before the Kalona had any inkling they were there.

Coralia was one of the most vocal opponants of staying. More than any of the others, she was fearful of being boxed in and waiting for death. Even worse, she hated the idea of being boxed in and watching her brother die, and when it became obvious that the majority of the herd was staying, she had set about convincing Corwin why they needed to leave themselves.

It had been tough for Corwin. Though he was completely on the side of those in favor of leaving, it didn't feel right to him to just walk away from the herd that had been their family for so long. These Soquili had been kind to he and Coralia when they most needed it, and he couldn't stomach the idea of turning his back on them now. Even though his gut told him that staying was foolish, he couldn't leave them at a time like this.

Coralia had been floored at Corwin's explanation: "Aye, I know it's dangerous, Cora, and wish that they would see that. I agree Pigeon is bein' overconfident, and it kills me that so many of the herd are trusting him, just because he's one of the oldest stallions in the herd." He had been been pacing as he spoke, but now he stopped and turned to face his sister, taking her face gently in his wings. "Cora, I can't abandon them. No' now. If Pigeon is right, which he might be, then there will be no issues. And it's he's wrong..." His jaw tightened slightly, but he added softly, "Then I feel I owe it to them to be here to help." No need to elaborate further on that score, but he had one more thing to add: "I want yeh to go with Trace and Mayfly, Cora. Yeh'll be safer in a group."

Coralia had been listening with patient resignation, up until that point. Now, as she was told by her brother that she out to leave the area when he had no intention of doing the same, her temper flared back with even more fire. "Oh, yeh are not tryin' to suggest I'll be leavin' if yeh're so determined to be stayin', Corwin. I'll be doin' my best to try and make yeh see sense, but if you refuse to be seein' sense simply because the herd refuses to do so, then I'll be stayin' here with you." Jutting out her chin, she met her brother's gaze squarely. "Someone has to see yeh don' do anything foolish."
 

[Cajmera]

Corwin and Coralia
~~~

'I told you so' was left unsaid, but the thought would linger for longer than any of the minority would care to remember. Indeed, there would be no 'I told you so,' because there was no one left for those in the right to mock. There could be no satisfaction in being right at such a cost.

Though the main body of the Kalona herd did prove true to course, travelling on far beyond the borders of the flutter herdland, one of the many ranging Kalona groups stumbled upon the flutters almost completely by accident. Though not hungry, the Kalona couldn't pass up the opportunity to inflict pain and death, particularly not against a race as delightfully vulnerable as flutters.

When the herd realized they had been found out, they were concerned, but tried not to panic. After all, they were in their small forms inside a large tree. Surely the tree would protect them, as it always had. But a partilally hollow tree proved to be no match for determined young Kalona, who took breaching the flutter's hidey-hole as a game of sport.

The mood amidst the flutters when they realized they were trapped was the darkest that either Corwin or Coralia had ever felt, even when they watched their mother waste away and dealt with the aftermath of their father's death. Before, it had been grief; what they, and everyone else around them, felt was despair.

But they were determined to be no easy mark, as were their fellow athletes. When it became apparent that the tree would fall, they broke out themselves through the top of the tree, shifting from their small sizes to their full-sized forms to engage the Kalona and hopefully give the rest of the herd the opportunity to escape.

It had been a bloodbath.

~~~

Corwin had wished for death for so long. Everywhere pain, everywhere blood, everywhere death. He couldn't see his sister anywhere, and he feared the worst. With regard to his friends, he knew that the worst was passed. He had seen many die in the fight, and had kept the painful vigil with those who, like him, had been horribly wounded and left to die. One by one, friends had dropped out of his life forever. If only he could join them. Everyone in his life seemed to be taken from him before their times, he reflected bitterly; it was starting to seem that his lot was to deal with the grief of loss, alone.

~~~

"Och, but yeh look horrid, Cory. Lie still, I've got a healer, and we're goin' teh fix yeh up."

Corwin had to be dead. There was no way that he had survived that fight, let alone his smaller, daintier sister. They were both dead, and entering the great afterlife where they would be with their friends and their parents.

But if he was dead, why did he hurt so much? And why did he feel so exhausted? And why did he still smell blood?

Oh well. All that mattered was that his sister was there, talking to him...  

[Cajmera]

Corwin and Coralia
~~~

It had been obvious from the get-go that the flutters were doomed, and it took every ounce of Coralia's self-control to keep herself from screaming the truth at the herd members who had so overwhelmingly decided to stay, that they would be safe. 'See how safe we are bein'? See how the Kalona will never come this way, and they'll never find us? See how wonderfully secure this tree is? See how we're all going to DIE here, together, like one big happy family?' Her sense of rage and injustice threatened to choke her, and she tried to find something, anything, to distract her. Justified as she might have been in her warnings and despite the fact that she harbored no deep affection for the herd, she could not, even now, bring herself to make their desperate situation worse.

It had been hard to find a distraction, though; not even her brother could give her solace, when she knew how close she was to losing him as well. To calm her temper, she simply paced within the tree, waiting, waiting...

~~~

When the time came for their last desperate stand, she was with Corwin and the other 'fighters,' as laughable as it was to use that term with flutters. Being the lightest in relation to her wings, she was able to fly the highest of the bunch and had the best view of the surrounding area.

That was how she saw them: unicorns!

The flutters around her had already sized up, and were engaging the Kalona. She alone remained tiny, the size of a small hummingbird. She only had a moment to think...But that moment was all she needed. Her heart wrenched at the idea of leaving Corwin, but she did not want to fight and die with him, not when there was a chance they both could live!

Before any Kalona saw her, she was zipping away towards the unicorns as fast as her little wings could take her.

~~~

For an agonizingly long minute, she thought they were too late. The unicorns had driven off the last few Kalona and were looking to heal the wounds of any of the flutters still yet living, but it was grim business. For all that she hadn't loved any of these Soquili as well as her brother did, the carnage was enough to turn her stomach. And Corwin...where was he?

When she found him at last, so bloody and bruised, so eerily still, she had experienced a moment of terror. But the unicorn at her side had noticed the slight movement of Corwin's chest, and told her quietly that her brother was not gone, and that he would not be allowed to die. She had just about burst with happiness.

~~~

Only two other members of the herd of 19 Soquili survived the battle. The diversion had, in the end, done nothing; the older flutters had been too afraid to leave the tree in that first instant, and a few Kalona had blocked off the opening before the flutters finally made their move. None of the tree group made it. However, two of the twins' fellow fighters had managed to hang on long enough for the unicorns to heal them. Between the 9 unicorns, they were able to pretty much restore everyone to as healthy a state as possible. With the Kalona herd still so close, it was too dangerous to risk anything else.

~~~

For a time, the four flutters had stuck together. However, they eventually decided it would be best to go their seperate ways. It was easier to trace a group than a pair, for one thing; for another, their friends had just lost their siblings, parents, and friends they'd known since birth and needed time to grieve.

So the twins started out on their own, as Coralia had wished all that time ago. They were on the move again, although this time, the moving was imperative, not out of pleasure. The Kalona herd was too big and too terrifying and, above all else, too close. They needed to keep moving, until it was no longer a threat. Their travels brought them a great distance, finally leading them into the Kawani lands themselves.  

[Cajmera]

Hayalet
~~~

Hayalet had remained immobile on his little ledge for hours without speaking, a silent statue in black and white. He probably could have remained in that pose for hours longer, as the ledge was now practically shaped to fit his body after the years he had spent there in meditation. But all good things must come to an end. The soft fluttering of wings brought his attention back up from the lowlands to the plateau, and he greeted the arrival of his friend the thrush with a smile. "Good day, friend Thrush. I am glad to see you continue to be safe and well." Smoothly, so as not to startle the bird, he extended one of his large wings. Without a moment's pause, the little bird alighted on the wing and was just as smoothly pulled back to Hayalet.

With another wing, Hayalet gently stroked the Thrush. With this small bird, and many others like him, the stallion had always felt a particular affinity. Perhaps because the songbirds tended to be peaceful creatures, like him; perhaps because they were creatures of flight and repose, also like him. Whatever the reason, the birds had always felt comfortable with Hayalet, even going so far as to occassionally take care of his spider problem when it got beyond the point of even casual comfort. Though the birds were not 'familiars' in the classical Soquili sense, they understood each other perfectly well, for their purposes.

Eyeing the thrush thoughtfully, Hayalet asked, "Have you been in the lowlands, then?" An affirmative peep being the response, he nodded and continued on. "Have you seen or heard anything that would suggest the Kalona are still a danger to the area?" A slight headshake from the bird with a dismissive chirp made him sigh in relief. "I am so glad. I've never been able to understand that race and their motivations, and having such wanton destruction happening so close has been...unsettling."

Here, the bird hopped forward on the wingtip and chirrupped at him, ruffling his feathers and jerking its head down towards the lowlands. At this, Hayalet frowned. "No, I haven't been down there myself. You know I have no healing powers, or mystical powers, or powers of any sort. There is nothing I could offer any of the inhabitants, so it seems almost voyeuristic to go down there now."

If birds could snort, the Thrush snorted then, following it up with a pointed look at Hayalet, the ledge they were sitting on, and the small pile of stones that served as Hay's prayer alter. Sorting out the meaning behind the stares, Hayalet raised an eyebrow at the bird. "Are you suggesting I can't pray for the lowlands from up here?" A low peep in response. "I suppose you do have a point. Without seeing for myself what the needs of the lowland Soquili are, there is no way for me to know what, specifically, to pray for."

The thrush beamed at him, chirupping an affirmative and lifting off of Hayalet's wing to circle the stallion's head. With a soft sigh, Hayalet rose to his feet as well and looked down the slopes to the lowlands. "You may tell the others I'll be absent for a time."  

[Cajmera]

Coralia
~~~

"I dinna ken if I loike this, Cory." Coralia stood beside her brother, both of them in their small, hummingbird-sized forms. Cora had no complaints about their vantage point, at least; the tree in which they stood was a massive old oak perched atop a little hillock. From the topmost branches, they could see the land for miles around; open meadows filled with waving grasses and flowers as far as the eye could see, with the dark smudge of a forest way off in the distance. Here and there, other lone trees, or pairs of trees, stood like their oak; silent watchers over the meadows. It was pristine, pleasant, and peaceful.

And eerie as hell.

Cora narrowed her eyes as she looked around again, noting the emptiness of the surrounding plains. In their old land, this sort of meadowland would have been a beacon for Soquili, with abundant grazing, flowers for the flutters, water, and the prospect of a safe haven in those woods relatively close at hand. But here, there were no other Soquili to be seen, and hardly any other animals. Perhaps she'd become overly sensitized as a result of their past experiences, but she didn't like the emptiness. It just made her feel that there was something wrong; like there was something ugly and twisted hidden behind the facade of pleasantness.

An involuntary shudder swept through Cora's small body, and she shook her head once more, glancing sideways at her brother as she repeated, "I dinna think I loike this at all."  

[Cajmera]

Corwin
~~~

Corwin stood beside his sister, absently shifting his weight from left to right and back again. There was no real reason for him to be imbalanced now; though his left side, in particular, was criss-crossed with scars, the wounds were long healed and gave him no pain. However, in the months since, he had picked up the habit of shifting his weight, taking the strain off of what had been healing tissue. As it was, he now often stood with his left legs barely touching the ground, his full weight balanced on his two right legs. Fortunately, there wasn't much weight to balance; though Corwin was bulkier than his sister, neither of them had ever been what could be called 'solid.'

He shifted back to his right side as Cora spoke, his grey eyes taking in the empty, open plains with much greater detachment than his sister. For his part, he saw a meandering stream, large patches of clover and primroses, lushly waving grasses. It was open and wide, with no place any enemy could conceal themselves. Though the emptiness registered with Corwin, it did not ring the same warning bells with him that it did with his sister.

Indeed, it was quite the opposite.

"Well, an' what is it yeh dinna loike, Cora? I ken weh've committed ta' taking as loing as weh need in order ta' foind a place weh both foind homey an' such, but I need more than 'I dinna loike it' to wehrk with. For me own self, I dinna see anything amiss with this place. I loike the openness, and didna yeh say before yeh wanted peace and privacy, not ta' join another hehrd?" All valid points, he was sure!  

[Cajmera]

Coralia
~~~

Cora sighed, looking at her brother with an expression of true disgruntlement. It wasn't that any of his points were invalid, either individually or collectively. It was just that it was hard for her to explain exactly what she disapproved of, because she still wasn't sure what it was that she was looking for. Corwin was the older twin, but she had always felt a somewhat proprietary care for her brother. After all, he was so trusting, so...self-sacrificing. He would give away the food out of his mouth, the hide from his body, and the wings from his back if asked, so she had always considered it her duty to protect him from himself.

The horrible fight with the Kalona had only reinforced Coralia's belief that Corwin needed someone to help keep an eye on him, someone who had no ulterior motives but just wanted his best welfare. She didn't want to join any new herds, yes; she didn't want Corwin developing any new bonds of duty to idiots who would only encourage him to put himself in harm's way. She had been grateful for the herd when they had taken in the twins as orphaned youths, but they were now adults and needed no protection beyond each other.

But just because she didn't want to live in a herd didn't mean she wanted to live in complete isolation, especially not in a place that had such an aura of abandonment. It gave her the willies, and that was that!

But how to explain that in a way that didn't make her seem superstitious?

She mulled over her response for a while, then finally offered in a somewhat lame voice, "It's too empty. I want quiet, no' isolation. Dinna yeh feel there is somewhat...off about this place?"  

[Cajmera]

Corwin
~~~

Corwin was much more placid and self-effacing than his sister, but that did not mean by any means that he was stupid or clueless. He was well aware of the fact that Coralia worried about him, which he tended to laugh off with a nuzzle or nose of affection. After all, he was relatively tough (for a flutter), speedy, and had a sensible head on his shoulders. However, he and Coralia would never quite see eye to eye when it came to generosity. What Coralia considered sensible and prudent, Corwin considered to be overly selfish and inconsiderate. He knew she felt he was overly giving, but for his own part, he couldn't consider turning his back on anyone in need. Whether that meant fighting for an apparently lost cause or giving up the food he was planning to eat, he couldn't hold back when there was someone in need.

Coralia hadn't spelled out her reasons for wanting solitude, but he had his suspicions. He knew that it was a fluke that he was still alive, and that he owed Coralia's quick thinking for his continued existence. She had been an exemplary nurse when it came to treating his wounds, and dealing with his moods after the fight. Corwin had been closer to the herd, and he took the aftermath of the fight pretty bleakly. He didn't doubt things would have been a lot rougher, if Coralia hadn't been watching his back.

But at the same time, he didn't blame the herd for what had happened, and he wouldn't let the past prevent him from joining a new herd in the future, if the situation merited it. He wasn't going to let his near-death experience change who he was, and he wasn't going to let Cora change him, either.

He would humor her as much as he could, of course; she was still his twin, and he loved her more fiercely than anything else in the universe. But he couldn't agree that sealing themselves away from the world in a bubble was best, either. No, what they needed was a happy medium; togetherness, but with limited socialization. And as he looked around the meadow, he could concede her point. "It is rather barren, isn't it? I s'pose yeh have a point; weh would have all weh needed from a sustenance standpoint, but 'twould be a lonely existence. Weh should look fer a place wi' more Soquili about."  

[Cajmera]

Coralia
~~~

Damn barrenness, now the whole thing was backfiring on her! True, she didn't want to stay here because it was so desolate, but that hardly meant she thought they should seek out a herd. Corwin could be so crafty when he wanted to, twisting her words around and making them suit himself and his own purposes. For a long moment, Coralia glared at him, fully under the impression that he was manipulating her.

But then she broke into a smile,Corwin's open, honest expression too obvious to be concealing any devious purposes. She must be getting paranoid, seeing ulterior motives and boogeymen behind every shrub. Even if she had a good reason to be getting paranoid, it was hardly flattering behavior. "Wethin rayson, o' course. We dinna need tae be in the middle o' a crowd, joost havin' a few oothers aroond fer..." She trailed off, trying to find the right way to phrase things and failing.

So, never mind phrasing. "It feels loike a ghost town here. Loike, there wehere oothers aroond, an' then sometheng drove them away. What, and why? An' when? It's loike weh're missing soometheng, an' I dinna loike that."