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 Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 10:47 pm
Kaen breathed a gentle sigh, closing his eyes.
Sometimes, he wondered why he pushed ever onwards. He could stay with his brother's family, though... his nieces and nephews had long since grown, and all whom remained was the lovingly lifemated pair that had borne them. Though they welcomed him and were glad of his company, he nonetheless felt a little... ache, a small pang at being around such unconditional and overwhelming love. He was glad of their happiness, of course, and wished only the best for them- but he felt that they deserved some time to themselves, in peace and in quiet, to enjoy their twilight years together. So he did not stay with them.
Other than his family, he had no close bonds. He had acquaintances, those he was on friendly terms with, but no true friends. In his despair, he had isolated himself, turned inwards and pensive for so long that he had failed to nurture those few relationships he had... and so he was left with nothing but his own thoughts, no one but himself for company through the nights.
It gave him plenty of time to think.
Oh, he had thought, done his fair share of wondering at the meaning of life and love, and come to no answers other than to care for those around him and stand true to his morals in the face of all trials. He wandered and wondered, doing his best in the world, to understand himself and be comfortable with who he was and his own past... and he had reached a sort of plateau, of understanding his misguided affections and yet unwilling to call them misguided or untrue. He had felt, that had been real- it had been a lack of mutuality in the whole thing that made it... well. It was gone now.
Sometimes, he was just tired....
Tired of watching others laugh and love, raise families of their own, fall in love one day and claim the feeling belonged to another the next- or find their soulmate and stay true. It was inspiring, sometimes, to see- and sometimes he just felt a little something inside him slip and become a little less hopeful, a little more sad.
The stallion walked along the dry riverbed, stilling his thoughts to enjoy the cool night air.
Silence.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 6:47 am
 Radha adjusted the woven sack that was draped around her neck, disturbing the fragrant herbs that she'd picked that within the material depths. The smell drifted around her, clinging to her mane and causing a smile to spread across her face. Sometime being a healer was very pleasant, today she'd been finding herbs that were good for soothing a fractious mind, or promoting good sleep for those who found it difficult.
Other times though...sometimes the best medicine, the best remedies were the bitterest, or the most pungent and it often took a long time to get the scent of that from her pelt and mane. So she was pleased that today she would smell pleasant. She knew that her daughter still was reticent to spend time in her mother's company, and that she really didn't like the smell of some of the remedies that Radha made.
She found herself wandering off course as she was lost in her thoughts, and it took her a moment to get her bearings again. The mare knew that somewhere nearby was a river, dried-up for now, but it was still a good landmark and she could follow it. She glanced up at the moon for a moment, and with that in mind, she changed direction and eventually found herself at the river bed. It was still strange not to hear water flowing along but she was pleased to find it anyway as it meant she could follow it almost to the place she was currently calling home, a small copse of trees that was a short distance from the two-leggers village.
She walked carefully, not wanting to make too much noise, nor to turn an ankle on some of the larger stones that scattered the river bed as she followed the winding trail.
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Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 8:50 pm
Kaen walked in silence for a while, naught but calm and the subconscious act of moving his legs trickling through his waking mind. Minimal effort was required for him to traverse this terrain; he had found its rhythm some time ago. Pebbles, cobbles, an occasional larger boulder carried almost to sea and then stranded during low-flow conditions... he wondered, absently, if those hard grey forms would ever make it to that salty embrace.
A stunted, halted progress, marred by external sources that ebbed and flowed with no regard to the object itself. Not unlike a lone soul drifting through life, though sentient beings could enforce some of their own will upon their progress.
Effort. Steadfast, sturdy and true- honor, kindness, compassion.
These were the things he strove towards, in the absence of faith.
Finding the one with whom he could share the rest of his life was a dream, not a purpose.
And yet he thought of it still.
He could never keep his mind quiet for very long... thinking of nothing at all was harder than thinking of a blank landscape, for even blankness (pure white? pure black?) was something in itself.
His ears flickered at the sound of ever-so-gentle hoof-falls against stone.
A softness entered his pale-blue eyes as his features relaxed somewhat.
When he kept moving, he was sure to never be alone for long. Someone, anyone, might happen by- and they may need what little aid he could offer. For the time he was with them, he would... make effort. And when he was alone again, he would think. And wait. And keep moving to avoid laying down and never getting back up.
"Hello...?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2014 12:31 pm
Radha had been sure she was going in the right direction, following the river inland rather than towards the coast but now she wasn't so sure. She'd never had the greatest sense of direction; it had taken her a long time to find her way back these lands, and she inwardly scolded herself for not waiting till the morning to set out on her journey homewards.
She stopped for a moment, moving mane from hooves where it settled as she tried to get her bearings, and the ends of her long tail swishing back and forth over the stones of the river bed as she pondered what to do. So intent was she that the hallo'ing voice from out of the dark gave her quite the start and she looked around hastily, peering into the gloom in the direction she thought it had come from.
Stand and fight? Flight? Well, flight wasn't really an option as she wasn't sure enough to know where to retreat to, and whoever was out there would likely know the area better than she did. So she told herself at any rate as she stood her ground.
"Step forward to where I can see you please." she said softly, trying to make out who or what was approaching.
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Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2014 9:31 am
Kaen's ears flickered backwards once then perked forwards at the other's soft call. His head tilted slightly at her (surely the voice held a feminine note?) request, and he felt a slight flush of embarrassment.
Though he could not quite clearly make her out- perhaps her coat was touched by night, as well?- he stepped forwards in what he thought was her general direction. He was neither overly trusting, nor overly cautious; he felt no threat in her voice, nor indication in her phrasing that she wished to be left alone.
As chance would have it, he had stepped forwards into a haze of moonlight- a break in the clouds, not quite a beam, offering just enough light to see by without being so illuminating as the full light of day.
He waited, offering the other a final chance to melt away into the shadows before pleasantries were exchanged.
Sometimes, unlike him, Soquili just wanted to be left alone.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 7:43 am
Radha squinted into the gloom, trying to make out the approaching stranger, her ears twitching as she listened to the noise as it got steadily louder the closer he or she got. The other had yet to speak, so she could not tell one way or the other about their intentions, but by them stepping forwards slowly and not rushing at her, she hoped her assumption that the other was just quietly travelling through the night and not out hunting.
Again, she thought of flight but as she still did not really have an idea of her current location it was not a wise move. And so she waited, finally catching sight of the other, who she now realised was a male. She could not tell his age, and his face looked slightly odd, the moon was reflected more on there than anywhere else on his body, and it seemed to glow suddenly.
There was no outward appearance that suggested she should fear him, and she did have one thing that he didn't; her finely pointed horn. Radha stepped forward, wondering how well he could see here, if the moon would show her as it did him.
"Greetings." she said, in the same soft tone of voice she had called out in.
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Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:55 am
Though his eyes were not those of a nocturnal predator to see better by night than day, he had spent so long traveling through darkened hours that he had developed a sort of... skill... at making things out in the darkness.
He had seen movement, and there seemed to be a uniquely mare-shaped silhouette of utter blackness where movement had stilled. The night was blues and violets, dusky tones and colors muted and sometimes washed over by black, but lighter shades almost always stood out. Just a gentle flash in the moonlight- perhaps a charm, or some trinket, secured about what he assumed by the position in relation to the ground was her neck- and a lighter gleam, the twisted spiral that marked the healers of the realm.
A gentle smile flickered across his features at her greeting; so she did not wish him to go away. ... well, yet.
"Greetings to you as well." He came no closer, so as to not give offense, taking up a relaxed and easy stance that he could hold for as long as necessary. "I am Kaen." a rather blunt introduction, perhaps, but one that sought to smooth any possible misinterpretations (who would give their name to one they sought to harm?) while inviting a careful overture of polite conversation.
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Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2014 3:15 am
"Radha."
The name drifted into the night in response to him giving his own, and a certain amount of relief and relaxing of tense muscles happened when he did so. She was fairly certain (though not definatively so), that a predator did not introduce itself before attacking.
He had also introduced himself straight away, and had come to a halt a comfortable distance away which in her mind spoke much for of his character - so far polite and considerate. She was still on guard of course, it would be foolish to think that the giving of ones name told one everything there was to know about the other and so she remained in her own spot, hoping that the stallion would stay moonlit until they were better acquianted.
"What do you do out at night Kaen?" she asked. If he was travelling maybe he knew his way better and could set on her right path, and if he was just taking a nighttime stroll than even better as he would surely know the area.
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Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2014 11:02 am
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Radha.
A unique name- one he had never heard in these lands before- solid and true with a subtle grace about the way the syllables rang together.
He blinked once, perking his ears to catch her question.
Ah... He would be honest, of course, with his answer- but there were ways of telling the truth without burdening another with internal conflict. Neither misleading nor mistrusting, rather just... enough, to give a complete answer, without over-sharing.
"I walk, mostly." Well, that was too blunt. He gave a gentle sigh before continuing on. "I can't sleep, most nights, and my thoughts seem... quieter... when I am out amongst the night air. There is a chance to encounter others of similar condition, travelers or those who have wandered too far and are now in need of a little guidance to set them right, and that, too, quiets my thoughts for a time."
It was simple, yet gave a complete recount of his nights. It even offered some of his reasoning.
"and... you?" Mere curiosity; he would take no offense were she to side-step the question.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 7:35 am
Radha listened as he spoke, hearing what he didn't say, hidden meanings behind his insomnia and nightly wanderings that he obviously didn't want to discuss with a stranger. Which she understood. She had much in her past, but they were words for the day, not to make the nighttime darker.
"I am sorry sleep does not come easy." she said with feeling, knowing what it was like to spend the nights awake, waiting for the dawn, wishing that she could sleep and then having to suffer the inevitable mental fog that followed.
"However, I am grateful to have crossed your path as I am one of those stumbling few, and could use a guide to set me on my right way." she shook her head.
"I was heading home, and in the dark I think I followed the river bed the wrong way. I really should have began my journey earlier in the day, but I lost track of time gathering my herbs."
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 12:55 pm
He smiled and inclined his head slightly in silent acknowledgment for her words. Though it was through no fault of her own, her sincerity was... touching. "Thank you." he added, feeling that mere silence was not enough. Though silence could be comforting at times, especially for one with such an active mind, he knew that they did not yet share a bond through which meaning could pass unannounced... or, perhaps, if they did, he did not yet recognize it for fear of noticing a miracle that would slip quietly away upon recognition.
Purity, observation, instinct. That was what they shared, strangers so recently acquainted in the night.
"I would glad to be of use." Honesty rang true in his tone as well. Even when lost in deep thought, he kept an absent mark of his surroundings, so that in times like these- when another would benefit from his wanderings- he could... Help. Be of use. Be needed, if only for a little while.
He smiled a little, secure in the knowledge that though he would never wish another to be lost merely for his benefit, he would always appreciate the chance to help set them on the right course.
If only his own mind was so easy to set true.
He motioned back towards where he had come with his nose. "There lies the ocean, some distance away." Vast and blue, it was quite the breath-taking sight to behold. As were all wonders of the natural world. "It seems you have come down from the mountains, there." He gestured once more, though the great rising peaks were not visible in the blackness that stretched around them.
His ears perked in interest at her mention of herbs; he had heard of Unicorns whose skill in the healing arts stretched beyond their natural gift, but he had never before met one who pursued such talents.
"If need be, might I accompany you for a while, to ensure that you remain on course?" he would never presume to be invited all the way to her home, of course; but the night was dangerous still, and the riverbed still uneven with unsure footing. It was easy to get turned around, or lost, when one did not travel in straight lines (as straight as possible, given the lay of the natural world) or attempted shortcuts.
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2014 3:39 am
"You're welcome." she replied. There was something of an ease she felt around this stallion, this almost stranger. Maybe it was the dark that was wrapped around them both, she could speak and only her words would carry a meaning, no shifting body language to decipher on either part.
"Then of use you shall be." Radha said, thinking that if he indeed set her on her way, and she was able to get home in safety and with sound limb then she would try and press him to try a lavender oil drape. His insomnia may be too rooted in whatever personal problems of present or past he was wrestling with for it to be of much use beyond offering some relaxation but it would help she was sure.
She watched his gestures, noting that she had indeed turned herself around at some point, and was heading the wrong way down the river bed. Whilst she meant to visit the ocean at some point for more seaweed fronds, tonight wasn't that time.
"I would appreciate that Kaen." she said, taking a small step in his direction, the sweeping ends of her tail and mane brushing the ground as she did so.
"Do you know the two-legged ones village? If you can show me near as there as you can I would welcome your company."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:59 am
He smiled slightly at that, his eyes softening as she confirmed that he could be... useful.
This night, at least, he would not be lost in his own thoughts; this night, he would walk with Radha, and help her find her way.
He stood still as she approached, appreciating the gesture of comfort but unwilling to press too far- let her approach as much as she wished, and he would maintain that distance, not a step closer.
Call it chivalry or awareness, but he was ever concerned with the ease of others.
He thought for a few moments before responding. "Yes, I know of their dwellings..." Not too far off, he thought, though she had still traveled far and he puzzled at her route. Luckily, he was confident of his surroundings and would be able to perform his most-welcomed task.
"If you would come with me...?" he asked, lifting a hoof and leaning slightly to show the way- the first step, a small journey, and then she would be... home?
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 6:56 am
Radha took little hooftsteps forwards, shuffling in the gloom until she was as close to Kaen as she felt comfortable being. After all, the last thing she wanted was to have found a guide in the dark and then lose him again because of propriety or something.
She felt that she was showing a level of trust in the stallion by doing so, but she had the tool to cause him injury if he did do make any untoward or unwanted motions her way. Healing meant you gained a greater knowledge of the more delicate parts of the body, but she wasn't cruel and so if he did do anything a sharp jab with her horn to the sensitive flesh of the nostrils should dissuade further action.
Her movements shifted the sack she was carrying again, and the plants within were once more disturbed, the fragrance hanging in the night air. If they never met again after tonight, she was sure if happened upon lavender plants he might have a thought for her, and she gave him a little smile.
"I am glad, I'm sure I'm not that lost but I'm turned around enough that I'd probably get more lost if I tried to figure the way out myself. So please." she nodded at him.
"Lead on."
She would in step with him as soon as he started walking, and she hoped that they could continue talking with the ease they had started with as she wished for an acquintance outside of her family.
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:02 am
Kaen smiled gently, fully aware of the level of trust she was showing in him despite the darkness all around. There was enough light, here and there, to tell tree from rock for one accustomed to seeing such sights in the night, even if he had not created a mental map to follow.
He would give her no reason to doubt him, no reason to regret her decision or to lament allowing him to lead her forth. He was an honest soul, a kind one, even when his own life felt in shambles at times.
A light scent wafted through the air, floral and yet with an herbal undertone undercutting the sweet smell- now that she was closer, he could only presume that it was emanating from the bag on her person and not the mare herself.
Entirely pleasant, much like this night was turning out to be.
"You..." his lips twitched a little as he attempted to phrase it more delicately "... were a little turned around." Not quite the understatement of the year, but he could set her right soon enough.
"There should be a path curving up ahead, and should we pass by the bend in this riverbed to a small valley we should be true to course." they would have to leave the dry riverbed, climbing up and over the bank, but there was a slightly shallower portion near the curve where the river had cut through the lower incline and most of the rest had caved in when the waters dried up, leaving a gently sloping hill in its wake.
Curiosity got the best of tact as he wondered at her reasons for being out this night. He thought, perhaps, that they were connected to the precious cargo she carried.
"I have seen flowers that bloom only in the night, others in early morning or the light of day.... could these be your reason for traveling so far out of your way?" He could be wrong, but it was a way to show his intrigue without prying for more information than she was willing to give; a simple no would suffice, should she wish to carry on in companionable silence. And yet there was a chance, too, for... more.
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