Synta
Slowly the dark rain clouds parted to reveal the mess they had made. The small creek was bubbling over the bed in a murky brown color and slippery mud could be heard squishing under the animals' feet. Animals that normally had glorious coats were now soaked and splattered from the sudden storm.
One in particular was a brightly colored horse with a curly mane. Paniking to find shelter, she had slipped on the wet grass and fell with a thud. Laying on her side she appeared to be hurt. She neighed in distress, but no one came to her aid, whether because of fear or simple negligence. Slowly and carefully she tried to rise once more but fell weakly back to the ground. "What am I going to do?" she thought aloud in her normally soft and light voice that was now filled with pain.
One in particular was a brightly colored horse with a curly mane. Paniking to find shelter, she had slipped on the wet grass and fell with a thud. Laying on her side she appeared to be hurt. She neighed in distress, but no one came to her aid, whether because of fear or simple negligence. Slowly and carefully she tried to rise once more but fell weakly back to the ground. "What am I going to do?" she thought aloud in her normally soft and light voice that was now filled with pain.
Celeanor
Snorting in mild disgust at the deteriorating weather, Flame picked his way carefully along the swollen stream, unwilling to venture into the murky labyrinth of the unfamilliar woods.
His thoughts were blessedly quiet for once, focusing on the tricky footing rather then the reasons for this less the pleasurable jaunt, or rather, they were quiet until his sharp hearing caught the faint voice of a female soquili. Ears flicking forward to catch the sound, he digested the information he could gather at this distance, and started off towards the source.
Talencia
Eloran was slipping and sliding down a hillside, heading for the stream. He had a bucket handle gripped in his teeth, but that was about all he had a grip on. His hooves struggled to keep him upright on the downhill, but it wasn't working.
Planting all four hooves and still sliding, he sighed through his gritted teeth and sat his haunches firmly onto the muddy hillside. This did the trick, slowing his slide to a stop. Gingerly he got back up on his hooves and picked his way down the rest of the hill.
He was trying to be helpful to Talencia, like Delphia was. There didn't seem to be as many things he could help her with as he had with the villagers, since those he helped were usually either very young or very old. Talencia managed to be hale and strong, and generally didn't seek assistance.
So he had taken it upon himself to try this to see if he could help her make some tea. It hadn't yet occurred to him that if he could hardly get to the stream with an empty bucket, managing to trek back with a full one was going to be strictly impossible.
But as he reached semi-level ground, he heard cries of distress from a fellow equine. His ears pricked forward, and he moved as quickly as he dared in the direction of the calls. The bucket he kept in his teeth, dangling from it's rope handle. With this accessory, and his entire hind end plastered with red-brown mud, he was quite a sight.
Planting all four hooves and still sliding, he sighed through his gritted teeth and sat his haunches firmly onto the muddy hillside. This did the trick, slowing his slide to a stop. Gingerly he got back up on his hooves and picked his way down the rest of the hill.
He was trying to be helpful to Talencia, like Delphia was. There didn't seem to be as many things he could help her with as he had with the villagers, since those he helped were usually either very young or very old. Talencia managed to be hale and strong, and generally didn't seek assistance.
So he had taken it upon himself to try this to see if he could help her make some tea. It hadn't yet occurred to him that if he could hardly get to the stream with an empty bucket, managing to trek back with a full one was going to be strictly impossible.
But as he reached semi-level ground, he heard cries of distress from a fellow equine. His ears pricked forward, and he moved as quickly as he dared in the direction of the calls. The bucket he kept in his teeth, dangling from it's rope handle. With this accessory, and his entire hind end plastered with red-brown mud, he was quite a sight.
Synta
Milkshake's ears pricked forward as she heard what sounded like hoofbeats in the distance. Afraid that the soquili might cause harm to her, she struggled to stand up quickly and find a place to hide. Just as she thought she had managed it, her knee gave out painfully and she fell once more. She looked frantically around at her dripping and greening surroundings to see if the soquili could be seen. Spotting nothing that moved, she tried one last time to get to ger hooves. She unfolded her legs from beneath her and this time as she rose she was extra careful to stay off her hurt leg. This time she kept her hooving and wobbled slowly forward. The beating of hooves was growing louder and it even sounded like there was more than one horse coming her way. I hope I can get into the trees before they come...
Celeanor
Snorting again as a light breeze brushed across his damp coat, Flame resisted the urge to shiver and instead rounded a bend along the waterbank, his pace increasing as the sounds of struggling reached him. Whickering a reassurance to the hitherto unseen stranger, he pushed aside a wayward branch blocking his sight.
Talencia
Eloran lunged across the stream and promptly got smacked in the face by a branch someone had energetically shoved aside. Giving a startled neigh, he dropped the bucket with a thunk and took a few disastrous steps backwards.
With the slippery conditoins and the rocky bank, Eloran tumbled gracelessly into the stream with a large splash and a startled grunt. He thrashed about for a moment, then paused. Having calmed himself, he carefully tucked his waving limbs close, rolled up to his knees on the stream bed, and settled his hind hooves firmly. Then he rose to one forehoof, then the other.
He hadn't actually been caught in the rainstorm, but now he was as wet as the other stallion, whom he found himself facing. Their manes were dripping and lanky, tails muddy, and coats in total disarray. He blinked for a moment, then began to nicker a laugh. The longer he dwelt on the state of the both of them, the funnier it got. Soon he was gasping for breath as he staggered out of the stream.
"Greetings, friend!" he managed to the other stallion.
With the slippery conditoins and the rocky bank, Eloran tumbled gracelessly into the stream with a large splash and a startled grunt. He thrashed about for a moment, then paused. Having calmed himself, he carefully tucked his waving limbs close, rolled up to his knees on the stream bed, and settled his hind hooves firmly. Then he rose to one forehoof, then the other.
He hadn't actually been caught in the rainstorm, but now he was as wet as the other stallion, whom he found himself facing. Their manes were dripping and lanky, tails muddy, and coats in total disarray. He blinked for a moment, then began to nicker a laugh. The longer he dwelt on the state of the both of them, the funnier it got. Soon he was gasping for breath as he staggered out of the stream.
"Greetings, friend!" he managed to the other stallion.
((So it is Synta's turn next!))
