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 Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 4:56 pm
Upon realizing that the other stallion had been waiting for him, Raphael once more felt himself grow a trifle embarrassed. It was very rude of him to keep another waiting, even if he hadn't realized he was doing so, so he was quick to offer Kal another bow of apology. "Sorry for keeping you waiting, I didn't realize that I was taking so long. But sure, I'd be more than willing to head that way with you. Mud is rather unpleasant, after all."
So saying, he glanced down at his ornately patterned legs, the golden swirls closest to his hooves splattered with mud in spite of his most careful efforts. "And they do say that cleanliness is next to godliness, right?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:56 pm
Kal shook his head quickly. "N-no, you weren't keeping me waiting at all, I'm in no rush," he said just as quickly. He didn't want to make his new friend feel bad, since he didn't see that there was anything to feel bad about. Kal was too eager to please to even think about laying any blame or guilt when Raphael was so polite to him.
Instead he just smiled and took a couple happy, squelching steps in the direction of the forest. "It is, it feels much nicer to be clean. I'm glad you'll join me, would you mind going through the forest? I-I can try to take you where you won't get your horn caught or anything."
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:28 pm
Well, that was good to hear...even if what followed wasn't. Glancing towards the woods, Raphael saw darkness, hidden pitfalls, and a cloying sense of restriction. There were those that liked the trees, that was true, but for Raphael, they had always symbolized something much more unpleasant.
Still, the last thing that he wanted to do was be antagonistic. Thus far, Kal was proving to be something pleasantly out of the ordinary; Raphael was already liking the prospect of continuing this conversation, perhaps even becoming friends! His parents had friends, and his sister had been out making friends...he really wanted to find out what that was like.
So he decided to believe Kal, trusting that he'd manage to NOT get hung up in the branches. That in mind, he turned to the other stallion and smiled, nodding his head in acquiesence. "Well, as long as you do your best to keep us from getting hung up, then I think that I can manage that easily, Kal. After you?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 7:56 am
The little alicorn could sense Raphael's hesitations, but he was both pleased and horribly relieved that the dark stallion was willing to walk with him. He knew of no good way to get to the stream that didn't involve walking through the woods or flying, and there was no way he would ever be able to get into the air when the ground was muddy. He wouldn't even be able to run fast enough to get up to speed for flying. Surely Raphael was a good flier, and Kal wasn't eager to show off his own poor skills even though he believed his companion would probably be as gracious as ever.
"I-I'll take the best route, I promise!" He said earnestly, glancing over to make sure Raphael was following before trotting/squelching to the edge of the forest, and slipping through the bushes that thrived along the border. It would be a tighter fit for the taller stallion, but Kal kept looking back over his shoulder to make sure he didn't get caught up on anything. "D-don't worry, i-it will really open up in a bit. Th-the tree trunks are really thick, and the branches will be far above both our heads, we just need to get past this part..."
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:05 am
Giving one last look to the squishy ground of the meadow, Raphael carefully picked up his feet and trotted after Kal. Each step caused the blue stallion to wince, as each step involved breaking the suction of the mud and that always made a rather sickening noise...but he would persevere. He was no prim and uptight stallion, to worry about mud!
So he resolved to make the best of the situation, following Kal and doing his best to focus on the route, not the terrain. To an extent he even managed it, though it took a deep breath for him to manage to squeeze through the bushes. As he walked, he automatically kept his head as low as he could, not wanting to catch it in anything before they reached the wider part of the path. Keeping his head low, he called an affirmative up to Kal, not wanting the other stallion to think he was upset or anything. "Sure thing; then we'll be able to walk normally AND not sink, hopefully."
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 10:29 am
Kal's smile was bright the next time he glanced back, but he didn't have to say anything as he broke through the bushes into the body of the forest. In this area there was little undergrowth or young trees pushing through the thick layer of damp pine needles and discarded foliage, leaving plenty of room for the two stallions to walk side by side. There was even enough room to run through the trees, although that was something perhaps only the little one would feel comfortable doing.
"There, i-it's mostly like this right up to the river," Kal said, shifting almost nervously. Although pine needles stuck to his muddy hooves, the ground was firm and he didn't sink at all as he waited to see what Raphael thought of the area. Hopefully it would be okay, there wasn't a low hanging branch in sight.
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:38 pm
As the entwining branches gave way to wide open space, Raphael couldn't help but let out a happy sigh of relief. "This is so much better...you're right, Kal, there is definitely enough room to move in here." As though demonstrating that fact, Raphael stopped in the middle of the path, spreading wide his wings and shaking his head.
Having gotten that little task dealt with, he looked around, much happier, before turning to grin at his companion. "Well, shall we see if the path stays this nice all the way down to the water, then?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:07 pm
Kal's nervous shifting dissolved into pleased prancing while Raphael stretched his wings. "I like the forest in here because it's sheltered and still pretty open once you're inside. It gets a bit thicker by the river, but it's not nearly as bad as it was getting in here. Maybe the soil isn't as nice." He smiled back, content to hang back a step to walk next to the blue stallion and let the path do the leading for him. Kal was much more comfortable this way, being a leader was not something he had much experience in.
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:23 pm
Settling his wings back and falling into step with Kal, Raphael noticed for the first time how very small the other stallion looked. In the meadow and wading through the bushes Raph hadn't noticed, but now that they were walking side by side, he couldn't help but notice. No wonder he seemed so wary...if he himself was that small compared to another average Soquili, he'd likely be skittish too.
Or maybe he himself was just large? He was roughly the same size as his father and brother, but maybe they were a large family? He'd never met any others to really get an objective view...
Regardless, he wasn't going to ask Kal. Whether or not he was a midget or Raphael was a giant, that was none of Raphael's business.
So he dismissed those wonderances, merely giving Kal a nod. "Well, as long as I don't get hung up, I'll be fine. And hopefully there isn't that much mud around, because it'll be weird and seemingly contradictory to go get dirty while getting clean!"
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:36 pm
Kal didn't act so skittish in Raphael's presence when his current worries were soothed, and he didn't think anything of having to smile up at the other stallion. He was pretty sure by now that he wasn't going to be picked on, and that was good enough for him.
"I-I don't think you will, not on the way out. I was a little worried earlier, I-I didn't realize the branches there were quite as low as they were..." He glanced up with a slightly sheepish expression, but continued quickly. "There shouldn't be a lot of mud, it's kind of rocky. It will be nice to get clean again, it will be no fun if the mud dries and gets all scratchy."
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 2:51 pm
"Ah well, that's trees for you. I guess they felt like being original, too." Nodding his head thoughtfully, Raphael continued on down the path, glancing about curiously from time to time. He hadn't been in a woodland area for ages, not since he was a much younger stallion. Understandably, it seemed much more confining now that he was much bigger, but for now at least he was managing. And it was rather interesting...
Though he'd honestly be happy when they got to the river; his muddy feet were bothering him. "Well, rocks are preferable to mud anyday, in my opinion. Sure, you have to watch your footing to make sure you don't fall, but metter to slither than to sink, in my opinion."
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:08 pm
"It did rain quite a bit, maybe they still had a lot of water on them..." The little stallion wore another sheepish expression as he thought it over. He hoped his companion didn't think badly of him for not thinking through everything, but by this point it wasn't a strong enough worry for him to actually start fretting over.
He glanced down at Raphael's hooves. As mud covered as they were, Kal could still tell that they were similar to his own, and would perhaps provide better purchase on the slippery rocks. "I-I don't think it will be too bad," he stammered with a timid smile, "the water will be higher than usual. All the really slimy rocks will be deeper than we'd want to walk."
The little stallion's smile grew as the sound of water became noticeable through the trees, and he picked up his pace slightly. "There, the river is right past that big cedar."
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:25 pm
"At least if one of us falls, we've got horns. So yeah, I'm not too terribly worried." One of the advantages of being a unicorn or alicorn, and one that Raphael had never been without. After all, he himself was an alicorn, and his mother and brother were both unis. There was always someone to heal him as well as those around him when injured, and the fact that Kal himself had a horn...yeah, he wasn't worried.
That in mind, there was nothing to prevent him from grinning with pleasure as the two of them emerged from the thickness of the trees and came into full view of the rushing river. How fast it was rushing, how high...but then again, it WAS just after a rain. "Looks pretty good!"
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Posted: Fri Oct 19, 2007 3:39 pm
Kal nodded agreeably, his smile bright. If he lacked decent flying skills, he was certainly able to make up for it with the strength of his healing abilities. "H-hopefully it won't come to that, but it is reassuring to know."
He seemed pretty unphased by the sight of the swollen river, and trotted right up to the edge and into the swirling water. He didn't go very deep, only enough to completely hide the mud on his legs, but his small, slight build would certainly give the illusion that he was close to being swept away by the swift current. Kal didn't seem to notice, and in fact looked as happy as ever. "I-it's a bit cold, but it feels really nice."
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Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:56 pm
Following close beside Kal, Raphael too looked pleased as he waded out into the water, submerging himself almost all the way to his neck in the fast running water. It was a bit nippy, but Raphael had grown up with a father that loved and encouraged cold-water bathing. His mother might hate the bite of cold water, but Raphael was just as much at home in the frigid water as he was in the air.
Besides, he was large enough to hold his own against the current, especially here where the water wasn't too deep. "I'm pretty sure this'll get us clean, if nothin else!" Glancing over at Kal, Raphael grinned at the sight of the smaller stallion's obvious enjoyment of the river; that only served to underscore Raphael's own opinion that swimming was the sport of kings. "This time of year really has the perfect temperature to get the blood moving, don't you think?"
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