It was hard for Fianna to believe just how long it had been since she had turnd her head homewards. It had been ... spirits... it had been years since she left her herd, her foaling grounds, her mother and her sisters and turned her sights out to the great big world and her mysterious father figure.
And yet... it still seemed like second nature to find the path. It was like some deep burried part of her remembered just how to find that particular clover-filled meadow and nearby shady forest. Something about the smell in the air as she soared above the ground, The precise way the light crested over the fields and the right shade of green.
Home.
As much time and distance as she had put between herself and her family, it still pulled at her hearstrings and she was glad that she was in the air so that Dae couldn't see the tears in her eyes.
And yet, there was a bittersweet kick to it. As she flew homewards and... she realized just HOW long it had been.... did that make her much better than her father? She had left her two sisters. She had thought, then, that she was a full grown mare on her own account. But now she knew she was barely out of fillyhood when she had left. What if they needed her? Her strength?
So lost was she in her own thoughts, she almost missed it - a familiarly shaped outcropping of trees into the meadow. Catching herself and silencing her thoughts, she dipped her left wing and began to circle down into the meadow.
Sabin Duvert
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Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2014 6:32 pm
Dae'Ruil had no idea what Fianna was looking for. But he watched the scenery change as they traveled - from plains and mountains to lush meadows and forests. He had been so curious what Fianna's home would be like. He almost didn't realize how he no longer struggled to keep up with the wild mare. He wasn't entirely sure if she had deliberately slowed her flying speed - considering her fiancee's abilities... or like with his own spirit, he had improved at flying as well. His flight mucles burned, but with excercise and use, not with struggling.
But there it was - a telltale dip of her wings that signaled an impending descent. Dae's eyes went to the ground to survey it, and he bit back on his first reaction. There were no walls or structures like the lands he called home, just more nature-scapes... Not... Not that there was anything wrong with that: they had raised her foals in such a place... though it had been an impromptu stop on a trip, and always felt alittle.. haphazard to Dae'Ruil. For more than one reason.
Still... Dae'Ruil was eager to meet her family, and officially ask for her hoof in marriage... as was proper.
They touched down on the soft meadow, the spring had brought with it expanses of fresh green grass and tender clover. And Dae'Ruil tried to steady his breathing. Some of the old anxiety threatened to rear its head - meeting the family...
He could do this.
Kamiki
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 12:31 pm
Deirdre milled about the meadow, doing her best to avoid her father and be generally sullen. She had a stubborn streak within her - a wild spirit deep in her soul she didn't quite know how to tame. Both Ethan and Hunter were powerful, and restless, creatures - and while this spirit wove them together like a tapestry, Deirdre had yet to find her thread in the world.
She tried to blame her father or leaving... and perhaps there was irrevocable damage done because of him leaving, but he was back now. Her little siblings seemed happy and well adjusted - should she just get over it? Would forgiving him make things right? Ease her soul?
...it wouldn't bring back Fianna.
The spring was bringing the best of the wildflowers back to the meadow, and she took a big mouthful of purple clover, the crunch of the foliage masking the sound of the approaching figures.
Fianna closed her eyes, letting the spring breezes wash over her, ripple her feathers and whip her mane aroun her face as all of the familiar scents of HOME seemed to carry her back to a different time. A more innocent time.
And when she opened her eyes again, Dae was by her side, and.... she realized she didn't regret her journey for a moment. She just hoped her family could understand as well.
... and speak of the devil. Fianna looked across the meadows and saw a russet figure with her head bowed. Her throat tightened and her mouth fell open. She didn't imagine how surreal it would feel - seeing her.... Deirdre... there was no mistaking her. A grown mare now... they had thought they were grown up when they left, but now she knew better.
She couldn't believe it was really her. Her sister.... a part of her was surprised she was still here. Sure, she had gone off in search of her father, but a part of Fianna wondered if she would have even really needed that push to leave home when she was young and full of spirit.
She went to speak, but her throat was too tight. Instead, she kicked her hooves from her stand-still to a gallop. About halfway through closing the distance, she found her voice, "DEIRDRE!!"
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 6:06 pm
Dae'Ruil had barely time to survey the verdant, fertile land before Fianna's attention was drawn to the presence of another mare at the other end of the meadow. She took off like a bolt, and a gentle smile crossed his face as he paused for a moment. If he went home.. what would his own homecoming be like if he did go back? Would he be happy to see his brothers, who silened him all of his life? What about his parents, who focused their attention on his elder brothers and let the nannies raise him?
Family... the expression that crossed Fianna's face when she saw her sister... it was almost alien to Dae'Ruil. Maybe... he wouldn't be in so much of a hurry... how could he pull her away from this? Maybe... beyond that... there was things for him to learn here.
After a few moments, he set off after Fianna at a trot, curious to meet his love's sister.
Deirdre heard her name and her ears jutted up and sprung forward as she lifted her head. She hadn't heard that voice in...well, she couldn't even remember now. But she knew exactly who it was the moment it hit her ears. "Fianna?!?"
She trotted forward towards her, her golden brown form solidifying in her vision. "It's you!" she exclaimed, immediately going to nuzzle her sister, nearly head-butting her in the process.
It wasn't until several minutes later she seemed to even notice the other Soquili come up. "Oh," she said a bit sheepishly, pulling away. "Who is this?" she asked, looking between him and her sister.
Sabin Duvert
Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 8:28 am
All at once it was hardto believe that there was Deirdre - a face she hadn't seen in years, right before her, but at the same time, being there with her sister it almost felt as if Fianna hadn't left home at all. Being with her family again brought out the filly in the mare and she pranced around her sister, nuzzling at her in greeting, her words tumbling uninhibited and rapidly from her mouth, "I can't believe it's really you, sister... I was hoping you'd still be here, but at the same time thought you might have gone out to see the world, too. I though I had been stuck at home forever when I left, but at the same time I know now how young I was - we all were!
"I found him! I did it - but - occh! He wasn't at all like I pictured. Just some overgrown colt! It was a waste, and yet at the same time, Deirdre - the world is SO BIG, and there were SO MANY things I did and.... OH! OH!" She finally caught up with her sister's question as she looked back to Dae with a radiant smile,
"This is Dae'Ruil..." A blush almost immediately found her face, "My fiancee."
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 8:29 am
Dae'Ruil gave a sweeping bow after his introduction. He hadn't dared interrupt Fianna, and it was nice to see the excitable, spirited filly that he had first met showing through as she reunited with her sister. How different it was from his own family... how casual, it was almost unthinkable.
He slowly lifted from the formal bow, "It is an honor to meet you, Lady Deirdre. Fianna has spoken much of you - and every word of it in praise, I swear to you. But yet her words have not encapsulated just how fair of a mare you are. Truly, your family is blessed with spirit and beauty."
Kamiki
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 4:55 pm
Deirdre's face was twisted in obviously incomprehension. She blinked her big green eyes blinked and darted between her sister and the pretty (almost too pretty) formal stallion. "Fiance?" she asked, incredulous. She had been gone all this time looking for her father and finding her own way only to come back with a stallion? Didn't she learn!? Didn't she knew that stallions led to nothing but trouble.
...and how stupid could you be? What was she doing, just ripping her heart out and leaving it out in the open like that, just waiting to her hurt again.
She didn't say any of of this out loud. At least not yet. But it took her a good several minutes before she seemed to realize she had been standing there with her jaw hanging open. She swallowed and tried to mind her manners. "I mean, uh, nice to meet you."
Fianna grinned, prancing around her sister with a swish in her tail. Being back here, well, she felt just about like a foal again. The smells, the sights... She caught the sour look that passed Deirdre's face, though didn't understand the full context. Instead she chuckled,
"Dae' can be a little formal sometimes," She said with a playful scowl as she nudged the stallion with a wing.. "Especially when meeting new people. But he grows on you. And... he has been a true friend during my journeys and when I was searching for our father." She shook her head with a huff. "Not that that matters any more. It has been too long since I've been back here. Home. I needed to see you and Bronwyn.... and of course mother."
* *
* * * * * * * **
Dae'Ruil cleared his throat and straightened. He didn't understand how Fianna could be so casual. Even among family. It had been so long sine she had seen them. How did she just pick up as if she had been here yesterday? He shifted uncomfortably from hoof to hoof and tried to channel some of that courage that he had just barely been tapping into.
He nodded his head as she acknowledged him, forcing himself from dropping into another bow. "Thank you, Lady Deirdre, for allowing me into your home. I have truly been looking forward to the honor of meeting Lady Fianna's family."
Kamiki
Posted: Mon Jun 30, 2014 6:13 am
Deirdre was still flabbergasted at Dae's formality... was he for real? "Wow, you're serious...." she said without thinking, making it a statement more than a question. There was so much she suddenly needed to talk to Fianna about: her lack of judgement about bringing a stallion home was one of them. But she also felt the need to inform her about the so-called 'homecoming' of their father, Ethan, to the herd.
But, it wasn't like she could talk about that with some paper doll stallion flitting about. She glanced at him awkwardly and pawed the ground. Even the stuff that wasn't about him...it was awkward for her to try and speak about highly personal things with a complete stranger handing around. "Look, Fifi, can I um....talk to you a moment?"
She leaned forward and whispered, though there was no doubt Dae could have still heard, "...alone?"
Dae'Ruil shifted from hoof to hoof, but smiled. Fianna had been rather skeptical of his formal behavior at first as well.
"Oh, please, pardon me," He said with another dip of his head, "It has been so long since the two of you have seen each other. Please... take all of the time that you require."
* *
* * * * * * * **
Fianna frowned, "Deir, anything you need to say to me you can say to him, too." She started but seeing the earnestness in Deirdre's eyes and that Dae was already backing off, looking like he was going to go inspect a simple batch of wildflowers, she sighed again and shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah, of course."
She walked with her sister a few paces, making sure that they were likely out of hearing range. "You know I hate that nickname." She teased with a grin.
"But.... seriously, Deirdre... how have you been? How is the family? I.... I am sorry I left for so long. Again... I had to find him, and then it was just so much of a disappointment... so then... it was like I needed to find myself all over again."
Kamiki
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 9:35 am
Deirdre's ears flattened and her eyes narrowed as Fiana seemed to defy her request to speak alone. This was important damn it. But thankfully, the blonde carousel pony seemed to pick up on her reluctance and at least had the good sense to wander away. She gave a quick, approving nod of the head and then turned her back, walking slowly in the opposite direction with Fiana.
"Yeah I know," she said in reference to her nickname, "But that's how I get you to pay attention sometimes." For a moment it was like old times, and she just wanted to launch into the thousand things that were going through her mind; or better yet just take to the skies with her sister and play tag like they did when they were fillies; when the hardest part of their day was having to come home and go to bed. She gave a deep sigh. "Where to start...." she breathed, looking her seriously in the eyes. "He's back."
Fianna stuck out her tongue childlishly. "You don't need to call me by that dumb name to get my attention, Deirdre. You're at least a third of the reason I came back here." She winked. But as much as she hoped things would just pick up where they left them, Fianna had known better, and it made her stomach twist to see the frequently bitter expressions that crossed Deirdre's face in the lulls in conversation. She had always had a chip on her shoulder, even as a filly. But Fianna had hoped that she would haev found herself just like she had somehow. Instead, she felt more guilty about leaving.
Confusion was written over Fianna's face as she shook her head. "Deirdre, what are you talking about? He who?"
