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 Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:50 pm
Tahmores scuffed his hooves on the ground as he slowly made his way through the thick forest. He hadn't seen Howl or his master in sometime, despite her finally announcing that his wing had fully healed. He had wanted to be near someone he knew, but at the same time he knew Howl wasn't the type of Nequus who would get attached to male Nequus like himself. The Aeri was quite attracted to femme and would follow at least a dozen per day.
Shaking his head slightly, he looked down at his newly healed wing and wondered if he could fly on it. 'Probably not,' he thought to himself bitterly. Despite the tender care Howl's master had done for his wing, he felt that it was too weak to carry his weight. Sighing, he stopped in his tracks and lowered his head down to the ground, his muzzle a few inches from the sandy soil.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:02 pm
Something flashed over the treetops; golden and swift trailed by a laugh of exhilaration. Moments later, it shot back over but lower this time, it's hooves brushing the topmost branches. The creature went on descending, tucking it's feathered wings close as it plunged through the canopy. Then, mere feet from the ground they snapped out again, though not to their fullest extent, and the gold-bodied Jala's hooves thudded into the ground. He galloped onward a few paces before digging his hooves into the mercifully unfrozen ground.
A few feet on he had skidded to a halt, chest heaving with exertion, blue eyes bright with excitement.
A moment later they came to rest on the other stallion.
They sneered slightly.
"Who the hell are you?" a clipped and not entirely amiable voice demanded.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:09 pm
Tahmores spun around when he heard someone yell 'Who the hell are you?' at him. His eyes spotted the golden Jala and he immediately pinned his ears back against his skull. He hated being teased and alone, yet the one thing he hated the most was being demanded to say his name to someone he either hardly knew or didn't know at all.
'Cocky little b*****d,' he thought to himself as he took a few steps towards the unknown Jala. "My name is not of any importance. I am just merely wandering around. This is a free country, you know," he told the other male in a low, bitter voice, holding a hint of anger in it. He folded his wings against both sides and waited for the other Jala to say something else.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:25 pm
The golden Jala flicked his ears in an equine shrug. "But of course," the slim Jala smiled, resisting the urge to add 'sir Not-of-any-importance'. "I wasn't contesting your right to wander where you will, just surprised to see anyone else around here."
Well, this could turn out to be an interesting meeting, the fellow was easily provoked, that was for sure. Hell, he hadn't even been trying. Not that he very often did, annoying people tended to lead to fights which didn't hold his attention, how some Nequus enjoyed battles he didn't know.
"My name is Diego, for all its worth," he said, dipping his head and spreading his wings slightly in a formal greeting.
Well, easily annoyed or no, on closer inspection the Jala before him was certainly a fine specimen. He himself needed to stop for a rest, why not here in company that was pleasing to the eye? He had seldom seen such an interesting patterning. Not such a pleasant voice, sad really. So bitter and yet so very comely. Ho-hum, can't be helped.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:33 pm
Tahmores flicked an ear slightly at the Jala's words. Nodding his head stiffly, he relaxed his wings slightly so that they wouldn't cramp up. "I normally come here at night when no one else is around." He, too, was surprised that another Nequus was around here. Normally this area was clear of any wandering Nequus other than himself. He lowered his head a few inches and watched the other male carefully.
Upon hearing the other male's name, Tahmores hesitated slightly. Tahmores had thought that this male would be mean and easy to anger, but to his shock this male was more polite than any other male, other than Howl, he had met. Relaxing his body, he bobbed his head slightly, all the anger that was pent up inside of him now gone. "Tahmores," he said briefly before gazing around the forest.
It took him a few momentsto realize that the other male was studying him. Canting his head to one side, he gazed at Diego carefully. "See something you like?" he asked the other Jala, a hint of amusement in his voice. He didn't want the other male to think that he was a bitter Nequus all the time.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:43 pm
Diego chuckled slightly, perhaps this fellow wouldn’t be such a drag after all. "Humm, somewhat, yes. Interesting coat you have Tahmores." Interesting body too, yum. Blue eyes wandered about the woodland and the Jala nodded to his impromptu companion's earlier statement.
"Haven't been in the area much myself but it seemed like quite an isolated area." Not that he was complaining, not at all. He'd come out here in the hopes of escaping giggling fillies and a few somewhat shy but insistent young stallions. None of those in his area had ever caught more than a passing glance from him but this Jala was interesting.
The fact that he didn't seem about to fall down and worship was an interesting difference; Diego usually found that his natural beauty and high social status did funny things to people but this stallion was keeping his head.
Excellent.
He wouldn't have to put up with mindless drivelling, for once.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:51 pm
Tahmores held back a shudder at the Jala's comment about his coat. "I...got it from my mother," he said, wishing the other male would stop looking at him like he was some prized Jala. He tool a few steps back and sighed slightly.
Listening to the next comment Diego had to sat, he nodded his head slightly. "This is one of the few places I like to travel. This place is like my second home." He gazed around the forest with alert eyes.
Sensing that the other Jala was still gazing at him, he turned his body slightly and ulfolded his wings so that they drapped onto the ground.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:06 pm
An eyebrow flicked for but a moment at the other Jala's strange wing posture but it was soon lost leaving the golden face smooth once more. "Can't say I've travelled much at all away from my home," Diego said with a slight smile, his blue eyes wandering away from Tahmores to look about the forest once more.
"Nice place though," he said nudging at the sandy earth with a hoof. "Miraculously unfrozen," he went on casually, eyes on the soil beneath his hooves. "The ground in most places is as hard as rock at the minute, though I've no doubt you knew that; I doubt there's a Nequus alive who hasn't noticed unless they're really dim or lucky enough to live somewhere like this."
So. His attentions made this one uncomfortable? Interesting. Perhaps he had something against one stallion finding another aesthetically pleasing. Well, he didn't want to scare the other Jala off, his eyes would remain less intense from now on.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:15 pm
Tahmores canted his head to one side. He was rather confused at the comment Diego had made. "Not traveled away from your home? There are many places that are interesting, yet you stay near your home?" He canted his head to one side and gazed at the Jala curiously. He would never have thought to stay in one place for too long. He was used to roaming around many placed, never staying in one place for longer than three months at a time.
He nodded slightly and pawed at the ground slightly. "This place thaws out quicker since it is so close to the ocean. I think it has something to do with the warm ocean air that keeps this place warmer than the other places I have been to. That's why I keep coming back here during the Winter months. Anywhere else there would be snow on the ground." He nodded his head slightly and lifted his wings up, folding them against his sides.
Sighing, he stomped one hoof on the ground and flicked his tail. He didn't like the fact that Diego was taking a rather unusual interest in him. He was used to females checking him out, but not males.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:26 pm
Diego sighed and kicked half-heartedly at the ground with one hoof. "It's my father you see," he said with a sigh. "He's head of this big important group and as his second born son I was expected to hang around and 'learn how to help my brother when he becomes leader'. All a bit dull I'm afraid but it had to be done. I've only been released now as father decided to scatter the herd for the winter; the winter berries didn't come this year so there wasn't enough for all of us to eat. I'll have to go back in spring but, for now, my life is my own for once."
And it was very strange to be away from the many fillies and mares who wanted to be the mate of the heard leader's second son, from all the stallions that 'wanted a quick word'. Some of them seemed to think he was nothing but a pretty-faced fool. Some of them knew he was quite bright but none of them, not even his family really, knew of the lighting fast steely mind that lay behind softly smiling blue eyes.
Oh his brother would 'rule' the group one day but he would need direction. His dear brother never had been the brightest star in the sky and he was forever wanting the advice of his slightly younger but far quicker-minded sibling.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:34 pm
Tahmores nodded his head slightly, understanding Diego a little. "I never knew my father. My mother died when I was young, so I never got to know her very well. I was an only child since my siblings died in the middle of winter when they were still fruit." Bobbing his head down slightly, he pawed at the ground lightly. "It seems you are the lucky one to have siblings and a father."
He hadn't had the experience of being in a herd. He had been on his own since his mother had died, always wandering. The fillies and mares he met on his journey usually shied away from him, not really getting to know him at all. He usually wondered that they shied away because he was ugly.Now he knew he was wrong most of his life. Many of them shied away because of his beauty. Shaking his head, he shifted his weight to one side of his body and gazed at the sky, wondering what life would be like in a herd.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 3:48 pm
The golden Jala frowned slightly. "You know... I'd never thought like that before. Hu." The feather-winged Nequus' expression softened after a few moments, all the haughtiness fading away to be replaced with a fond smile. "Yes, I suppose I am. I'm very fond of them both, domineering though father is sometimes and dim though my brother is all the time. I don't think I'd trade permanent free choice of where to roam for them. On most days. Some days we just drive each other insane but then that's so with most families I suppose."
Diego looked back up at Tahmores, some of his innate pride returning to his face as he remembered he was in company but softness remained in the depths his blue eyes. "Maybe you should walk with a herd for a bit, see how you like it. There are disadvantages, sure, but there are good things too." Mutual protection, good conversation, friends, family. Oh, and admirers, annoying though they can be at times it’s amazing what they’ll do for you… Stop thinking to yourself, Diego, going crazy is not on.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:01 pm
Tahmores nodded his head, agreeing with Jala. "I wish I knew what it feels like to have a family. Too bad I never will," he said somberly. He was a little envious of Diego for having a brother and father. He hadn't had the protection of a family since his mother died and he often dreamt of what it would be to have a protective father or brother.
Canting his head to one side at Diego's comment about walking with a herd, he flicked an ear slightly. "Where could one find a herd to walk with? I haven't seen any at all." He pawed at the ground again, a little confused at the whole herd idea.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:17 pm
"Oh," the golden Jala frowned thoughtfully. "You might try D'ob, the grasslands. You get a lot of Nequus around there. My lot are a bit north of there we occasionally wander down there and mix with the various groups, to find mates or just new friends. Father has his own reasons of course, helps to keep the neighbours friendly, you know?"
In all honesty, Diego expected to be mated off to an important mare of some other herd. Whether she was pretty and intelligent or not probably wouldn’t be a huge consideration for his father. Well. All the more reason to have fun whilst he was still free to do so and it wasn't like anyone could stop him looking at anyone he pleased to.
"D'ob will probably be even fuller than usually at this time of year," the blue-eyed stallion commented. "More grass there than other places, even in harsh winters there's always something to eat and where there's food, there follow people."
Perhaps he'd head onto the grasslands next, see if there were any interesting Nequus to see... or he could keep on with his exploration of the world far away from his usual haunts. Yes, that would be far more fun and who knew, he might meet more interesting people like Tahmores. Hopefully some that were a little more receptive to his attentions. Not too receptive though, having people throw themselves at one was somewhat off-putting.
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Posted: Thu Dec 28, 2006 4:28 pm
"D'ob?" he asked curiously. Now that was the one place he hadn't been to yet. He had always ventured in forests or mountain sides, yet the grasslands was one place where he hadn't ventured yet. Maybe this time he would collecthis courage up and attempt to go there. Tahmores knew Howl ventured there from time to time to pick up mares and fillies that were on the verge of adulthood, but the lone Jala didn't want to mix with others of the opposite gender.
He shifted his weight slightly and gazed at Diego curiously. "Have you been there before? Are there...many mares in that region of the lands?" He didn't want to tell Diego that he was shy of the opposite gender. Sighing, he swished his tailslightly and waited for a reply to his question.
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