[PRP] Feathers and Rainclouds[Alarion, Severi]

[FallenThroughMidnight]

Severi liked the rain. He liked the dark gray of overcast skies, and the soft coolness of water that dripped, drizzled, sprinkled, or, best of all, poured from the heavens. But best of all, he liked when the blinding, too-bright sun was forced out of his eyes and into the thick, dim gray of the heavy clouds. Severi prowled the lake shore, pleased to be doing his rounds during the day, when most trespassers tended to wander into his territory. Most days he could not bear the searing sun, the light too much for his eyes, but today, with the sky overcast and promising at least a small bit of rain, he did not need to take shelter from the light in the soothing, murky depths of his lake.

The muddy lake bed turned to loose, pebbly dirt and sand as he circled his territory. The lake was his, and he was the lake's, and he would keep all those who did not belong far, far away from it. And if they insisted upon belonging, well, then he proved to them how foolish they were. A pity none of them had been correct in their stubborn insistence that they too had a right to his lake. His lake knew better than all of them who belonged and who did not, and those who did not fed the fish of the lake as they settled forever in its depths.

Curiously, Severi sniffed at the air, wondering if some small creature might have dared come too close to his lake. The woods were often home to little mammals, and occasionally he did tire of the fish he consumed for sustenance. Maybe he could add something a bit heavier to his diet today, it was perfect lighting for him to hunt in after all. With only a slight hesitation, Severi strayed just a bit from his lake, searching into the edge of the trees that grew near it in the foothills of the mountain. He kept an ear out for any unwelcome splashing, but allowed most of his attention to focus on the underbrush. Rabbits or rats or squirrels, any of them would make a pleasant mouthful if he could catch one...
 

[Kyrieko]

Darting around the other side of the lake, unaware of the predator that was hunting across the way, a certain sassy little fox chased a mouse. The critter had dashed out in front of her while she and her companion traveled and the urge to chase had excited her too much. So Shalira went after it, finally lunging and catching the mouse between her paws. A nice little snack really. And as she licked her paws and muzzle clean, her ears perked up, nose to the air. She had known there was a lake here, having scented the murky waters a ways back. But there was something else here as well.

Quite used to Shalira darting off suddenly, Alarion continued along her path, feeling a little worn from traveling most of the morning. And it was not comforting to have the sky so overcast. It meant she probably couldn't fly or else risk injury from the winds that might be up higher. And she was no pro at flying to begin with. So she picked her way through the wooded path that didn't really exist. The winged mare wanted to find her fox familiar and consider seeking out shelter.

Ears swiveling around, Alarion noticed what appeared to be a lake through the trees. Pausing in her step, she considered it. She really didn't want to be stuck at a lake if the sky decided to open up and rain. But maybe she could find shelter near here? Or food. And probably Shalira.

Shaking her head, the winged mare changed direction and started towards the lake. Cautiously she left the treeline, moving to the lakes edge to peer into the water. Maybe there were fish! Although she was not good at fishing.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

A noise.

There was a noise. Ears forward, he stalked through the brush for a moment longer, searching for the scrambling squeak he was certain he had heard, when a different sound caught his attention. Hoofbeats. Severi snarled, abandoning his hunt through the bushes to stalk back to his lake. On land he was awkward and a bit clumsy, the tail that meant he belonged to his lake was a constant reminder that he only belonged to his lake.

It took him a moment to spot her, even with the friendly clouds and their promised storm on his side against the sun. His snarl grew, and he prowled furiously towards the stranger who had come to his lake while he was not in it. “Leave,” he spat through bared fangs, his voice rough with the limited use he gave it. Fish had no call to speak. Nor did the lake water they swam in. His words were only for trespassers now, and he saw no point in wasting many of them on such intruders. Especially those with wings and feathered crests. They did not want him, so why did they come to his lake?
 

[Kyrieko]

The crest of feathers on top of her head had flared up as she curiously peered into the water, watching some of the little fish swim about. The urge to catch one was there, but Alarion found herself more amused watching the little creatures. Her nose was only an inch or two above the water, the breath from her nostrils making little ripples that the fish would scramble away from... only to return and stare up at her.

The sudden snarl startled her, the winged mare jumping, a hoof slipping into the water as her wings flared to keep balance and eyes widened in shock. She had not known there was anyone else around! And the hostility in the stallion that was coming towards her confused her. And scared her.

"I... I'm sorry!" Alarion squeaked, trying to back away without tripping on a wing or stumbling over a rock. Said wings were still flared wide, beating once or twice in a downward fashion to help her back up. The stallion in question was strange, but all she could focus on was the fangs bared at her.

Having been watching her mare companion, the fox had sighed, wishing she would be more attentive to her surroundings. The scent of another surrounded this lake. Of course that didn't mean the owner of that scent had any right to suddenly come snarling and threatening. And demanding they leave?

Shalira's ears flattened and the fox was suddenly there, standing between Alarion and the stallion, a vicious little snarl of her own rising up. "Such a rude creature." She growled, tail twice it's size as she stood her ground.  

[FallenThroughMidnight]

Severi bristled abruptly when the mare splashed a hoof into his lake. What part of 'leave' had she decided meant she could just jump right in? His feathers stood on end as he growled louder, prowling slowly closer. She would leave, or she would stay forever. He preferred that she leave. He did not want guests. He did not want them. They kept coming and coming and then they would argue and insist and sometimes threaten, but in the end they never wanted to stay. Stupid useless trespassers. She had wings. What could she possibly want with his lake? Wings did not belong to his lake. They had the sky, the mountains, the sun and clouds. They could not have his lake. She could not have his lake. It was his. His lake. His only. He would not share it again.

He advanced towards the stranger, this mare with wings and feathers who dared to stand in his lake, intent on insisting in a way she could not ignore when an odd fluff of what smelled a bit like food scrambled past him to puff and swell its fur before him. It gave him pause, not with the words it spoke, but because he did not recall seeing something like it do something like this before. He stared, perplexed and irritated, then snarled at it. How dare it call him rude? He was not the trespasser. He was not the transgresses. He was the one whose territory was being encroached upon. “Not welcome,” he grated, his talons digging into the almost-damp sandy mud on the shore. “Leave.”

Kyrieko

 

[Kyrieko]

Wings flailing a little ungracefully, the mare finally managed to back away from the waters edge. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and there was evident fear in her gaze. She was so very confused as to what she'd done to upset this stallion! But apparently they were definitely not welcome. Alarion would have fled right away if her familiar hadn't suddenly put herself in harms way.

"Sh-Shalira!" She squeaked, stopping her backing away.

His snarl was met with another one of her own. This bully was not going to frighten her with his oversized teeth! "Stop yer frettin'!" She spoke over her shoulder, never taking her eyes off the stallion. To him, she narrowed her eyes, taking a step towards him. "And you," she hissed. "Learn some manners! We ain't doin' you no harm."

Harm? Oh no! She did not want to hurt him at all! "I don't want to hurt you!" Alarion added, letting her wings fold against her sides again. The crest of feathers atop her head were still fully raised however. "I... I am sorry if I... did something wrong." She added. But the winged mare made no attempts what so ever to come any closer. And may have backed away a little more.

"W-We can go... if that's... what you want."

Shalira grumbled under her breath at that. "Apologize." She said sternly to the stallion. "And then we go. But not until ya tell my companion sorry."

FallenThroughMidnight