It had been several days into her journey in the barrens. Being an atmos noul, Tempest was able to find temporary reprieve from the sun and heat of the scorching expanse. Being highly social, Tempest was finding her journey rather lonely with no one to talk to. Her mind would constantly wander to memories of her friends and family, even went as far as making up conversations with them. Though it was mostly with Basalt. Anything on her mind and she wondered “What would Basalt say?” and then she would hear his voice in her head.
Nights seemed the most lonely as she laid on the hot ground, the air around her becoming chilly from the lack of sun. Her ears constantly pivoting towards any number of sounds. The barrens wasn’t a place to really let your guard down with. From small insects to larger predators and even black horned nouls. Tempest hadn’t seen a black horn before, just heard about them. There were even exiles, nouls that while the tree didn’t turn on them, they had turned their backs on noulicorns. Tempest had found a depression in the ground that night and laid in it. Being dark in color and mottled too, she’d hoped to be mistaken for a rock in the dark if anything passed by.
The following morning found her still safe and undiscovered. She’d been fortunate during her journey so far but she had to keep herself from getting too cocky or oblivious. She got her day started quickly and packed up, then continued on her way after a look over of the maps she had. Tempest had been on a long journey in the barrens once before. It was some time ago now and she had been in a group. She’d learned a lot from that trip and took away what she could and that meant avoiding certain areas she knew held some level of danger. The map did show a small blip of a green spot and that was were she was going to head towards.
Halfway to the mini oasis had her thoroughly done with the heat and sun. She didn’t have the ability to simply block out the clouds but she could cause a light drizzle. She paused and dug a small hole into the ground. Reaching for the wild magic within her, Tempest cast drizzle towards the sky and watched the clouds roll into view, blocking out the sun. The cool relief of small droplets of water on her back had her sighing, then she lowered her muzzle to the hole and drunk the water that had gathered there. Standing there, feeling the small raindrops plonk along her back, memories of learning this little trick came to the foremind. The buck who taught her how to use her ability and to collect the rain water was Emmerich. She hadn’t seen him since then but she was thankful for the life lesson she’d gotten.
With a quick shake off, Tempest resumed her journey at a trot. With reprieve from the sun, she took the opportunity to move quicker and cover more ground. A sliver of green appeared in the distance just as the clouds finally vanished. The heat came back, causing steam to rise up off her back. In no time, she was dry once again and already hot from the sun. Being dark in the barrens wasn’t ideal. She was definitely was looking forward to a shady tree or even a small pool of water to roll in. Which as she arrived, was really all there was here.
The oasis was situated in a bit of a dip with rocky sides rising up in a couple places. There was several trees here and a small spring fed pond. Tempest wondered if there was possibly a cavern underground here. Something Cordelia might be interested in checking out, she was sure. Making sure that there wasn’t any immediate dangers, Tempest took a long deep drink of the cool water. She wadded in until the water was almost to her belly, enjoying the cool against her legs. Movement out of the corner of her eye got her attention immediately and her head whipped around towards the shade of the trees. She tilted her head trying to make out any animal shapes in the shadows. She snorted softly, keeping her ears trained in the direction she lowered her head for another drink.
A branch snapping had her head flying up and she wadded out of the pool. With a quick shake, she wandered over towards the trees, her nose sniffing for any signs of a predator or perhaps another noul. There was smells of nouls that had been here recently, very recently. Someone was still here and hiding within the shadows of the trees. The striking contrast between the sunlight and the shade made it hard for her to see anything.
“Who’s there?” she called out confidently. No need to give the other noul the upper hoof.
At first, no reply came from within. Then there was a shift and the sound of small hooves before a nearly white colt walked out. He was tentative at first, eyeing Tempest. He was born here and his mother was raising him to be wary and wise to all things living and not here. The barrens was full of dangers, even from his own kind. But mother had been gone for over a day when she had said she’d be back the same day she left. The small colt had his suspicions that mother might not be coming back but some times something could delay return. The oasis provided enough for him to be on his own for the short term.
“Who are you?” he asked in an equally confident voice. He could see that this dark noul was a doe, a rather tall and leggy one. He looked her over and she looked pretty good for having been in the barrens, perhaps not raised here like him. He’d heard of the place called Homewood, the nouls had it good there. She was wearing something weird with bags hanging off it, he wondered what they contained.
Tempest tilted her head at the sight of the foal. The memory of finding Cordelia out in the barrens on her way home from the Grandfather tree had her eyeing the colt. He wasn’t another abandoned foal was he? Besides Cordelia, she knew Twix was also an abandoned foal and she recalled how Dryxel was mad about nouls who would just leave their offspring. Please don’t be abandoned, she thought to herself.
“I’m Tempest. I’m traveling the barrens. What’s your name? Is your mother or father here?” Tempest inquired.
“I’m Helios. Mother went out but will be back soon,” he said not letting on how long ago his mother had left.
He was an older than Cordelia when Tempest found her. She had no idea of her name or even really remembered her mother. That seemed like a genuine case of a noul birthing a foal and not wanting the responsibility of raising it. Probably a noul who lived primarily on their own in the barrens. This guy knew his name, who his mother is and that she was returning soon. Tempest breathed out a sigh of relief. She was briefly concerned that fate would have her mothering every soul she encountered, whether abandoned, lost or from her own body. Tempest, while she didn’t mind being a mother, wanted to have some freedom in her adulthood that she had yet to receive. She wouldn’t mind having another noul keep her company on this journey but a foal was another thing entirely. They required more care, learning and needed to be protected. She just didn’t feel quite up to that on this journey and luckily she didn’t have to worry.
The colt cleared his throat suddenly, “Hello?”
Tempest shook her head and suddenly realized she had been staring into space for a rude amount of time. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.”
He eyed her, she was a weirdo. “Don’t be so spacy. Mom says that can get you killed out here.”
Tempest blinked, he was rather foreward towards her. His mother was raising him well.
“Yes, of course. So you’ll be ok here waiting for your mom? Did you want me to wait with you?”
“I’m just fine. Don’t need to babysit me, I’m not a baby.”
Tempest gave him a funny look. He was still a baby and he acted rather grown up for his age but also petulant. She shrugged it off. “Very well. What does your mother look like? If I see her, I’ll let her know to hurry back.”
He made a face at her and rolled his eyes, “She’s red with black legs, mane and tail. She has white on her legs and a small white spot on her face….”
Tempest nodded and smiled at him. “Well thank you for that.”
“Yeah yeah, whatever,” he muttered and vanished back under the trees.
Tempest was hoping to rest under the trees but with him here, she didn’t want to risk an altercation with his parent. This was clearly their main homesite, for the time being. She took another drink from the pool and spotted some hoof prints leading out with a day old scent. Hmmm, she thought and followed them. The harder ground beyond the oasis didn’t take hoof prints well and so they had vanished, the scent was still there at least. Tempest wanted to make sure that this foal was NOT abandoned. Seeing as she had no particular destination and therefore no timeline to keep to, it wasn’t outside her limit to go in search of Helios’ mother.
Evening had fallen by the time she spotted what appeared to be a dark hole in the ground. The earth had appeared deeply fissured here and pocked marked in places of collapsed ground. There must be pockets in the earth around here and with creeping suspicion, Tempest feared the doe may have had an accident. The scent went through the cracked section. That was rather bold and careless of a doe with a foal waiting for her. However, Tempest would never know the doe’s reasoning for traversing this area. She delicately inched towards the large hole in the ground and peered over. In the fading light of the day the scene before Tempest made her blood run cold and then a sadness began to spread. A bay doe with four white socks laid dead at the bottom and had been for at least a day.
Tempest moved away from the hole and the off the cracked ground. She stood facing the area where Helios’ mother had met her end. The realization setting in that Tempest would have to return to the oasis and tell him. From what she gathered of the foal’s personality, he wasn’t going to handle it well. Would she have to subject him to witnessing this? The sun was sinking low and almost gone from the sky. There was no time for sleep, she needed to race back to the oasis. Tempest turned on her heels and took off at a run back towards the green patch of heaven and the little colt waiting there. Fate was a fickle friend, it seemed that once again, Tempest would be mother to someone.
Night had settled firmly around her as she trotted into the oasis once again. She was tempted to call for Helios but knowing that anything could be nearby, shrouded in darkness, she thought better of it. Instead, she moved carefully towards the trees, her nose, ears and eyes taking in all around her incase someone other than Helios was around. There was no one else here and his scent was still strong. Tempest stepped under the trees, the darkness making it hard to see anything, but her nose led her to his sleeping form.
She was about to nudge him awake but thought better of it. Now was the time to sleep and get the rest he’ll be in sore need of tomorrow. Instead, Tempest laid down nearby. She was worn out from the long day of travel and excitement. I’ll talk to him in the morning she thought before passing out quickly.
“What are you doing here?!”
Tempest startled awake and looked around only to find the sooty nose of the pale foal in her face. Her eyes adjusted as she looked at the youngster. Yawning, she stood up and shook the previous night off before facing the colt.
“Good morning, Helios.”
“Are you going to answer my question? I thought you left? Did you see my mom?”
Boy he was full of questions today. Questions Tempest wasn’t ready to talk about but she was backed into a corner so to speak.
“I did leave. I actually went and followed the scent trail of your mother so I could find her.” Tempest paused a moment, a moment Helio grabbed.
“Well?” he looked the same but a small spark of hope flashed in his eyes before vanishing. He’d been alone too long now. Now he was starting to question whether he’d see his mother again or not. Tempest would have to land that blow and she didn’t want to. Her lips pressed together and she looked away a moment before looking at him again. Hope never faded so fast in a noul before.
“I did find her. I’m afraid… she’s not going to be coming back,” Tempest finally said.
Helios staggered back, his face a mask of unbelieving despair. “No...it’s not true,” his voice croaked.
“Helios-” Tempest began as she took a step forwards.
“NO!” he shouted, “No! It’s a lie!” Then he bolted from the trees and ran from the oasis the direction his mother had gone two days previously.
Tempest ran after him, she’d catch him in no time. Whether he wanted her nearby or not, she needed to keep him safe from dangers. He was a quickly little foal but her legs made quick work of catching up to him. He kept running, it almost seemed like he was just trying to find her but aimless at the same time.
“Helios, stop!” Tempest called to him.
“NO! I want my mommy!” he yelled. “I need to find her!”
Tempest ran past him and sharply turned to cut him off. He bumped into her, not being able to stop in time. He tried to pivot around her and she spun and cut him off again.
“Stop it Helios. You don’t need to see.” Tempest said sternly but with empathy.
He could only shout incoherently at her and stomp his front hooves. Tears ran down his fuzzy white cheeks. Tempest waited patiently as he broke down and let out his grief in loud cries. She kept her ears and eyes out for possible danger while he did so. She also hopped she could get him back to the oasis afterwards, he would dehydrate out here after crying to much. Time seemed to slowly pass by, he had collapsed to the ground by now as he quietly sobbed. Tempest stood so her shadow was cast over him, sparing him the sun’s direct glare. Eventually, he made a loud sniff and stood shakily to his feet.
“I wanna go home,” he said quietly.
Tempest nudged him to face the direction of the oasis and they began the trek back. It was dark once again by the time they stumbled back into the safe arms of the oasis. Neither had eaten all day and both needed a long deep drink from the pool. Helios wobbled back to the shadows of the trees and curled up to sleep.
Fate had thrown another foal in need at Tempest, right in the middle of the barrens. She wasn’t sure how to raise a foal out here beyond the oasis. At least right here there was a pond for drinking and some grass. But she had a feeling that the pond came and went with the seasons. Eventually they’d have to leave here but for now, they would stay. With some difficulty, she worked her way out of the harness and dropped it to the ground. With a good shake, she felt the first freedom from it in a while and it felt wonderful.
To celebrate her small freedom of her travel harness, Tempest wadded into the pond and submerged herself. The water was cool and delightful as it ran over her sore and weary body. Sure, traveling in the barrens was exhausting and took a lot out of a noul but, being able to not feel the perpetual huge of the straps chaffing against her pelt was heaven.
As she quietly stood completely submerged in the pool, Tempest’s thoughts wandered over the day and over the fact that she was once again a mother. Or at least that’s how it seemed. It really all depended on Helios. Would he take to her? Would he get too depressed? Would he perk up eventually? It really depended on his will to continue on in the face of his loss.
“We’ll get through this together,” she mumbled quietly to herself.
WC: 2,869
Ability Used: Drizzle
