[IC] =Meeki's Teepee=

[Meeki]

Echo stepped quietly towards the teepee. She could hear gibberish she recognized to be two-legger talk. She wondered what they were discussing. As she moved closer, she recognized the smaller two-legger as the one that lived here in the forest. She had seen this female out and about and decided she was harmless enough. It was the other, much larger two-legger that caught Echo's attention. Perhaps he was a hunter.

Echo hated most two-leggers with a passion. She especially hated any that might hunt for fun or sport. She crouched low and kept her eyes on them.  

[AnimeChickie]

Chitsa stared at him with blank eyes. He was crazy. Oh my god. She was talking to an insane soquili. What should she do?! "That is. One of the most insane ideas I have ever heard in my life. It's so insane that it might actually work." How naive the poor little girl was but I guess if he was chasing her, that could get some adrenaline rushing through her veins. Who knew...  

[Epine de Rose]

Yei was entirely certain of how to take such a statement and it was only after a while that she afforded a small smile to the stallion who seemed to be warming considerably towards her - she was glad that he didn't find her as intimidating as the other stuttering equines who would sooner bolt than talk to her.

"Oh I've been frightened before," Yei mused as she prodded at an apple core and then canted her head to the side, "And been placed in danger but what doesn't kill you most certainly makes you stronger." She pointed out as she lifted her right hoof just enough to flash the small scar running just above her chest and under her leg.

"For example, I know now that wandering over rocky surfaces when it's raining isn't wise." She finished and flashed a smile before giving him a gentle nudge to show she was grateful for his concern, "But I promise to try and stay out of trouble, alright?"

---

"More important? My friend I live an extremely idle life." He confessed as he pulled himself to his feet and stole a glance at the foliage surrounding the teepee, he could have sworn he had heard something but after a few moments he simply shook his head and offered a delicate chuckle.

"But, If you don't mind getting a little dirty and scratched then I would be most honoured for you to accompany me." He confirmed with another of his boyish smiles as he swooped down to pick up the bag of herbs once more.  

[Meeki]

Scar grinned and a twinkle came briefly to his eyes. "Cool. Should I chase you first or do you want to chase me first. Or maybe we can chase each other at the same time, like.. around a big tree or something like that."

Scar really had no idea if it would hurt but it did sound a bit fun at least. He had never really played with another Soquili before. Of course, he wouldn't really hurt her.. and he hoped she wouldn't really kiss him if she did catch up to him.  

[Meeki]

Whisper blinked at the scar and wondered what kind of things the mare had been through. He had never been through anything quite so.. physical.

"Well, perhaps you can protect me then, if trouble comes our way," Whisper teased. He wouldn't really hide behind a mare but she did seem tough enough to hold her own. He admired that.

After a moment, his voice took a more serious tone and he added, "I am glad you weren't hurt more than you were. Are you sure the mountain is the best place for you to be?" He wondered briefly what it would be like living on the mountain and if it would be too dangerous to raise foals at.

-----

"I would love to join you. Maybe I will even learn something!" Meeki couldn't help but laugh. The idea of searching for herbs would shock her family. They never could get her to concentrate or learn most of what she was told as a child. She was more interested in the animals.

"I have been dirty or scratched up more times than I can remember. Never over plants though. I'm sure it will be quite an experience." Meeki smiled at Achak and waved her arm as if asking him to lead and she would follow.  

[Meeki]

Echo crawled forward, still keeping low to the ground. The two leggers looked as if they were about to leave to do something. Echo wondered if they were going to go hunting. For a brief moment, she thought the larger two-legger had spotted her but his eyes never seemed to lock onto her so she was sure he had not.  

[AnimeChickie]

Raising a brow, "Um. You should go first. I think... if we chased each other, that wouldn't be so effective." Again, hopefully she was faster than he was but chances of that were very slim... very slim indeed.

The little foal winked at him and giggled before she dashed off. Chitsa wove through trees hoping to lose him somehow. Because she was so naive, she was willing to bet that he might hurt her.  

[Meeki]

Scar took off in a dash after Chitsa in an attempt to catch up to her. She was pretty fast but he was sure he stood a good chance. She wasn't half bad for a girl, he thought while chasing her.

As Scar started to get closer to the female foal, he yelled out in an attempt to frighten her, "Won't be long now until I catch you and when I do, I'm going to kick you so hard that you cry for days!"

He could only hope it sounded believable enough.  

[Epine de Rose]

//Apologies for taking so long, I was sucked into a book and some research.

He'd certainly heard something that had effectively alerted him to the presence of the predator but up until this point he hadn't seen it and due to the fact that the noise had not persisted he had not taken such a disturbance to be of particular importance...in fact, he was rarel troubled by what occured in the bushes as very few creatures bothered him.

"Of course you will learn something," He assured her with a twinkle in his eye, the prospect of having somebody to accompany him on such a trip a delight. Granted he was used to being alone but two pairs of hands were suitably better than one pair and he could most definately achieve greater things if he was able to work quicker.

"You have an intelligent brow, you'll learn fast." He confirmed and tapped his nose as he lifted his bag and ensured that the straps were securely fastened to that nothing would escape too easily.

"But try not to get too scratched, I do not want to be the subject of repproach at having scarred your pretty face." He pointed out and finally, dusting off the sides of his leather trousers he made his way towards the edge of the forest once more which led slightly up the slopes to where the mosses and other rarer herbs could be found.

---

"Oh!" Her eyes sparkled as a passion overwhelmed her and she gave a delicate chuckle at his question, "The mountains are the best place for me, I love them dearly even if they can be dangerous in parts - I simply have to be careful in the areas I know are unsafe!" She flashed an equine smile and a swish of her tail as she glanced up towards the apples higher in the tree for a short time.

"Besides, sometimes the mountains are safer than down here...the higher you are the less hunters there are and it becomes more difficult to reach you." She gave an elegant shrug and turned her gaze back towards him with a bob of her head, "It's a good place if you want to stay safe I suppose, although it is a rather long way to walk to reach the clearings...I think that's why my human tends to live half way up the slope - he can reach both places with ease that way!"

"Why do you ask?" She mused finally.  

[Meeki]

Meeki smiled again at Achak at his compliment. She wasn't sure she had an intelligent brow at all but she certainly wasn't going to turn down a compliment she rarely received.

"I am sure a few scratches or scares wouldn't bother me so much. My youth is passing me by and I grow older each passing year." Meeki was getting older and though she luckily looked young for now, she knew it wouldn't last forever.

She gathered up a small pouch just in case she would need it and took up after Achak. Though he didn't look as big as some of the men in the village she had seen, he still looked quite strong.

------

Whisper was caught off guard at her question. He wasn't sure exactly why he had asked or why foals would have even popped into his mind. Perhaps some of it came from his own past.. maybe if his parents had lived in a safer area, nothing would have happened. Perhaps it was because he was finding himself thinking of Yei as a mother. Perhaps he was just gaining knowledges for the day he would have foals. He wasn't sure which was the right answer. He didn't know if there was a right answer. "I really don't know.." he sheepishly admited, "I guess I was just curious."

Whisper lowered his head and gulped down another piece of apple in hopes to distract the current conversation. He really felt awkward about such thoughts. Once the piece was safely on it's journey towards his stomach, he went for another, safer question. "Yei, is there anything on the mountain that does not exist down here? Something to eat or some creature that I may not have seen? Or is it really a lot like it is down here.. except for the obvious differences?" Whisper thought it would be nice if he knew where Yei lived exactly. It would be hard to visit her in an area he had never been before.  

[AnimeChickie]

Chitsa continued to hop with grace over tree roots but then she noticed that he was coming up closer to her. The little foal squeaked in surprise and moved even quicker. She hoped... that what he said wasn't true.

Her lets moved rapidly, in a wild mess, and it would only be time until she either ran into a tree or tripped over her own feet. Hopefully, it would be the latter of the two so it wouldn't be so painful.  

[Meeki]

As Scar chased after Chitsa and although he hadn't been thinking of flying yet, his wings seemed to instinctively move on their own. His hooves were barely touching the ground.

It wasn't anything new to the young colt as he had made it off the ground before. Just never more than a foot or so. "I'm going to catch you," he yelled triumphantly as he continued to chase the little filly. She was really fast for a girl. Perhaps if he were to ever play in any games, it wouldn't be so bad to have her on his team.  

[Farland]

Meeki

Chaos didn't know what to think. Never had anything felt so good. He wondered if Samedi had somehow bewitched him. Was such a thing possible? A slight shiver went down his spine and he looked at her, truly perplexed. Was she playing mind games with him? Teasing him? Was there any chance that she might have been sincere?

Cautiously he leaned his head forward, careful to keep his horn out of the way and nuzzled her back. He felt so strange himself at the act but it seemed like his body had a mind of it's own. Somehow she brought something out in him. He didn't know how or why and at the present moment, he found that he didn't care either.

"A part of me really wants to defy the traditions. I don't want to end up with a mate that didn't truly love me or I her, like my parents. I want someone... that could... make me feel... complete." Chaos had to stick to the traditions. He was the last of his old herd, it was all on him now.. but a nagging question teased him. If he were the last, who would be there to judge him?

Samedi watched him carefully, her heard slowly returning to its normal rythem -slowly mind you, currently it was still doing the salsa in her rib cage-. her eyes had fluttered shut for a moment, the fiery orbs hidded from view. " Thats what someone is supposed to look for... you will die lonely and unfufilled if you dont find someone who makes you feel like you have a purpose ' She said.

She had no traditions to stick to. She only had to listen to herself, but that didnt make things easier for her to figure out. But she did know, no matter of the fact that he was stubborn, he was still one of the few who she would be was comfortable around. The fact that she had serched him out like this was proof.  

[Meeki]

"Nothing in this land, in this life.. is permanent. What if one was to give themselves unto another only for that Soquili to one day leave them? Would it be worth the unbearable pain?"

Chaos slowly walked past Samedi and lowered his head so that his horn barely slid over her from front to end, something that would feel more ticklish than anything painful.

"What of you, Samedi? Are you searching for a stallion? One that will keep you from being lonely? One that will fulfill... your every desire? One that will give you purpose? Tell me, how will you know this stallion when you find him?" Chaos found himself growing angry at the idea of Samedi being with another male. Surely he was bewitched.  

[Meeki]

((...Continuing))

Fidsah

Atrocity chuckled darkly. "Leaving so soon, are you? A terrible shame. The... fun hasn't even started yet, so far as I'm aware." Continuing to herd the mare backwards, he stepped closer again. "We can't have that happen, now can we?" Tilting his head back and to one side, he grinned without mirth.

Meeki

Bandit shook her head as she continued walking backwards. He seemed pretty sure on haranguing here this evening. Again she found herself glancing around the clearing as if pleading for someone to come and get some of this evil Soquili's attention off her.

"Got things t'do meself that won't be doin' themselves. Been nice talkin t'ye and all. Suren ye got things t'do yerself? Can't have fun.. all the time." Bandit froze as her rump met up against a tree, preventing further movement. Should she make a mad dash to get away or would that only anger the beast more?

Fidsah

Atrocity grinned wider as Bandit ran into the tree. "No, I don't think I got anything better to be doing. Quality time, this is. Don't you agree?" He cocked his head left, then right.

"Looking for anything... particular?" He snorted. "Ah, I get it. You're looking for help." He took yet another step forward. "Now what might you be wanting help for? There's no one here but just the two of us, and I must say, this is becoming... enjoyable... don't you think?" Atrocity continued to grin.

Nel_Zelpher_2005

Helaku snorted softly as a strange scent filled his nostrils. It smelled like a Soquili, but there was this strange flavor of...hatred? And another scent, lightly spiced with the acrid scent of fear. Flattening his ears back, he stepped forward...and bared his teeth at the sight before him, nostrils flaring. A Kalona! Harassing a proper Soquili mare... "Go torment your own kind," he hissed, charging forward to interpose himself between the mare and the demon stallion. "She has more than hinted that she does not wish your presence. I suggest you take that hint."

Meeki

Bandit let out an obvious sigh of relief. She had recognized the stallion that seemed to come to her aide though she had never talked to him before nor knew his name. He was often in the area though.

A feeling of guilt flooded her and she suddenly felt nauseous. What if something were to happen to the male while defending her? Surely he was no match for the evil creature before her. What if he were to get hurt? Though she in some ways was quite rude and even a bit mean.. she was far from heartless. Her life was simply not worth endangering another. No one would even notice her gone except for her sister.

"Methinks.. ye are outnumbered now.. so why doncha take yer leave, dark one?" Perhaps the evil Soquili would just go away.

Fidsah

Atrocity's wings flared back as he reared upwards. "INTERLOPER!" he bellowed in rage. His legs contacted the ground again, tearing at the earth.

"My kind knows torment more than anything you can begin to imagine, meddler." Taking a step sideways to face the both of them again, he continued, "And though you may not be able to conceive it, I may yet be able to give you a taste!"

He hissed angrily as he flared his wings again, this time outward. "Are you going to stop me?"

Nel_Zelpher_2005

Helaku kept his ears pinned against his head, legs stiff in rage. "At least I belong here," he said, low, smooth, and pleasant, though his tail occasionally lashed against his sides in irritation. "At least I am not an offense against nature, against my own kind." He began circling the other stallion, head "arrowed" like a snake's in the fashion of a stallion prepared for a fight.

Meeki

Bandit arched a brow and wondered if the raccoonish stallion had a deathwish. Even she was not that crazy! She took a step towards the evil Soquili as if showing the new stallion that she was really fine. Perhaps he would back off and avoid getting himself hurt.

"Methinks things are a little chaotic. Mayhaps, t'was just a misunderstandin' and all that. No need t'be struttin around, right? Iffen the dark beast wants me attention, it wouldn't be a bad thing t'allow him it. Suren it's better than a fight breaking out? 'Sides, not like me to not fight me own battles."

It would be easier to accept her death than to accept someone dying on her behalf. But hopefully the evil Soquili had other things on his mind. Something that wouldn't end up with her becoming leftovers for wild animals and carnivorous birds.

Fidsah

Atrocity brought his horn to bear on the stallion in front of him. His body shook both with rage and with quakes of laughter. "Are you meaning to... butt heads with me? You? Why don't you 'take that hint' and... meddle elsewhere." He took another sideways step in reaction to Bandits movement forward so that he was squared against the two again.

Nel_Zelpher_2005

Helaku's lip curled in a sneer. "So evil...soooo overconfident." He stood firm, looking the other up and down lazily. He was a match for this...thing...but he wouldn't be the one to attack first. "Why don't you stop boasting and show some of this power you talk of so high-handedly? Or are you simply hiding your weakness with big talk."

Meeki

Bandit shook her head. It seemed like a fight was just destined to break out tonight. Her attempts to quell it didn't work at all. The evil Soquili was simply too much and she guessed that if she and the male worked together, they would still be on the losing side of the battle. Perhaps if she walked away, the other stallion would do the same.

"It was a pleasure," she mumbled before turning and slowly walking off, away from the two males. She was still shaking and was afraid she would be attacked from behind.