[solo] Spring Oases (Xiomara x Azahar)

[xo maho]

Two autumnal ladies make the best of the warming weather.

 

[xo maho]

Xo sighed an exhale of relief as she felt warm water lap over her hooves. It had been so long since she had felt warmth - she hated winter, and the rains of spring were rarely kind to her. The sun had, at last, made its first appearance. Xo stood in a large meadow with a shallow pond in the center, her feet at the water's edge. The long grass around her perfumed the air with fragrant flowers - clover, the first of the wild roses, salmonberry shrubs... All had begun their bloom.

Warmer weather was on its way, and Xo could not wait for the next hint of late spring and early summer. To others, the season might still feel cool, but not to Xo. She thought perhaps her blood ran cooler than others', leading her to feel cold more often, especially when the sun was in hiding. Sometimes she laughed at this inkling, comparing it to the reptilian reputation kalonas had already earned themselves. If she were to sun herself on a bare rock and someone found her, would they think it out of sorts? Or just in line with what could be expected?

Smirking and shaking her head, Xo stepped out of the pool. There appeared to be a handful of small fish within, and she didn't want to scare them off of their ecological duties, whatever those might be. She shook the water from her hooves and fetlocks. Finding a patch of shorter grass which was thankfully absent of flowers - and therefore, she hoped, absent of bees - Xo turned about until she found a comfortable position in which to stand. If she had had a partner or herd with her, she might have laid down, but alas, such was not the case. Instead, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and took in the sounds and scents that wafted on the gentle breeze around her.

318 words.  

[xo maho]

The tiny filly tromped through the grass, which seemed like it was about twice her height. Her little paws were sensitive to the ground beneath her; the soft clover and fine soil beneath her feet felt almost like a massage. She decided, then and there, that this was her season. Whatever this was.

Due to the height of the grass, Azahar couldn't quite see where she was going - but she could see where she had been, since she had basically tunneled through the grass to get here. Her keen ears flicked with every breeze and motion of the world around her, alert to anything that might be cause for alarm. After all, this was her first real venture away from home, and she did not want to lose her privileges. She wasn't really sure that her mom would take them away, even if she had to hunt the filly down and haul her home. Still, she wasn't about to worry her mom over something that felt, at the moment, like it was within her control.

As she waddled through, Azahar used her little wings to shield her head from encroaching fronds. Suddenly, she realized, the grass was getting shorter, and it was interspersed with flowers - so many flowers! A grin appeared on her face. Azahar loved flowers, and she was thankful to generally have a good supply of them to stick her little nose into. However, finding them on her own was a whole different story - she could frolic! As much as she wanted!

Running out of the cover of the tall grass, Azahar leaped into action. She jumped around amidst the blooms, her joy immeasurable, but her caution great - she wasn't about to squish anything if she could help it. Giggling to herself, she used her wings to increase her bounds so she could see her landing better. The air smelled delicious here, and her rush of giddy happiness was near uncontrollable.

324 words.  

[xo maho]

The sounds of tiny thuds and quiet, bubbly laughter broke through Xo's meditation, and she cracked one eye open. Across the clearing from her, a teeny tiny filly - the smallest one Xo had ever seen - was enthusiastically frolicking amongst the flowers. The filly's wings flared out at the summit of each leap, slowing her descent so she could purposefully place her paws before darting around a bit and taking off again. The little one's joy was contagious; Xo felt her heart fill as she watched.

Breaking free of the stillness she had embodied moment earlier, Xo shook her coat and ruffled her feathers, then moved toward the filly. She hoped not to scare her - it always surprised her, but well-behaved foals brought her an odd kind of peace. Their lives were so simple and free, and that fact washed Xo in tranquility.

When the filly's head turned in Xo's direction, Xo stopped her stride a few yards short of where the filly played, remaining a safe distance back. The last thing she wanted to do was frighten the poor thing. She had purposefully folded her wings and let her tail trail out straight behind her, but there was no hiding the dual horns on her head or her lightly protruding canines. Many had been taught to fear kalona as predators, and Xo did not blame them. Xo dipped her head to the filly, eyes lowered demurely. "I didn't mean to intrude, but it looked like you were having such a good time," she said. "I was wondering if you would be interested in some company, since it's such a lovely day?"

271 words.  

[xo maho]

Azahar spotted the much larger creature approaching her from out of the corner of her eye, and on her next landing, squared up facing it. The creature stopped as soon as it saw her looking at it, and Azahar realized that it was simply a "regular"-sized mare, who looked at her with kind eyes. Before Azahar said anything, she also spoke kind words. The mare's coloring reminded her of Ignis, with its bright oranges reminiscent of "autumn," as her mother had said. Azahar hadn't seen autumn yet - just the cold winter that followed it.

"You seem nice," said Azahar, "but I'm not really supposed to talk to strangers." Her facial expression twisted into a tiny frown.