|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:42 pm
Whatever reassurance Kourin was able to garner from his initial response was dashed quickly, chased away by the less-than-rewarding comment which tailed it. Was the cub really that young? She took a moment to peer completely indiscreetly at him, only to discover she was really no more educated now than she had been a moment ago, and still couldn't tell much of anything. Bear cubs would remain an enigma for now, it seemed.
"I have some ideas," she added, looking up to Eloran somewhat sheepishly. Fishing she understood considerably better than bears. "It's no matter though, if you don't think he could eat it. I'm certainly no judge." The mare flicked an ear uncertainly, the emotion flitting across her features.
Eloran drew her attention though, and it was difficult to be ill at ease in the presence of a notion so kind and gentle. She put aside her discomfort easily. Kourin watched him silently, enraptured by what might have seemed like a simple, brief moment to someone else, but was so meaningful to her. If not for his words, she could have stood and just watched for ages, but at the sound of them, she smiled softly. "Not so alone. What will you call him?"
She was still looking at him, warmth lingering in her expression when he turned back again. "Well, it might." It hadn't been her intention to sound coy, but if it came across that way, the manner in which she nodded slightly and gave an amiable grin belied it. Clearly, she didn't even have to consider the proposal; it was an instinctual agreement, far more certain than the way she had followed when they'd first heard the poor cub's cries.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 8:57 am
He gave her a speculative look when she said she might have ideas on catching fish for their young charge. It didn't much occur to him that he kept thinking "we" conerning the cub. He knew he had to take care of the wee thing, but for now at least, he had a helper. Apparently she was a willing helper, as well. It reassured him somewhat that perhaps the world hadn't quite turned upside down when Shai left him. There must still be good, caring soquili in the world. Proof was standing right here with him.
He bobbed his head in acknowledgement of her agreement to help him search for fruit for the baby, and it wasn't until he'd taken three strides from his furry charge that her question before that sunk in. A name? He gave Kourin a sudden blank look, then broke into soft laughter, lowered for the benefit of the sleeping cub. "You know, I hadn't thought of naming him." His grin became only mildly self-mocking. "Survival first and all that. But hmm... a name....," he mused aloud.
He continued forward as he thought, nostrils flaring for the scent of sun-warmed sweetness. A name? He'd only named Zoet in his life. He wasn't sure if he was up to naming such an unexpected addition. "I really don't know," he admitted finally, shifting his path as he finally smelled their goal. "I don't suppose you have any suggestions?" He tipped his head to smile at her pleadingly, but still with much humor twinkling in his eyes. "I seem to be at a loss."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 31, 2007 11:48 am
She had asked him a direct question, and he had ignored her. Had she been someone else, or perhaps had he been someone else, it might have flustered her. He wasn't though, and she wasn't one to assume Eloran did so purposefully. The thought registered as little more than a realization to her, surfacing in another curious twitch of an ear. After all, it had been terribly sudden of her to ask... Perhaps he hadn't yet thought on it, and had no ideas.
Just as she lifted a hoof to move, he confirmed her suspicions. Resting it softly on the earth, Kourin gave him an amused, but understanding smile. "Yes, survival first. Next come less pressing necessities. Everyone needs a name, after all." She didn't sound concerned though; the remark was offered in a casual, vaguely teasing fashion as she started slowly after him.
"I suppose it's possible he already has a name, but..." She stole a glance over her shoulder at the resting cub's receding form. "Well, we can't exactly ask, can we?" There was a contemplative pause after, which she used to carefully ponder his question. Names were nothing to be taken lightly, and admittedly, she paid it more mind than their goal. "Well," she started, looking to Eloran. "Would you like it to have a meaning?" The cub was his charge, and in her sincere opinion, he should have been named after Eloran's tastes, not her own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 06, 2007 4:53 pm
The bay stallion could now see the tumbled pile of berry bushes, still slightly to their left. They thankfully weren't the brambly sort, so he waded in among the further flung and berriless branches. "Actually," he spoke as he stepped carefully, mindful that he recalled a hare family living beneath this pile of brush. "I think it difficult to name a creature before you know them well enough to tell if the name suits."
He shoved his muzzle into the bush, nudging aside the leafy edges, and siezed a small branch heavily laden with berries in his teeth. He probably looked somewhat silly, hock-deep in greenery, his face shoved into the bush practically to his ears, which were laid back so as not to be tickled by the leaves. He worked the branch with his strong front teeth until it finally gave. Gingerly, he pulled his head back, dragging the fruit branch after himself. It was a bit longer than he'd thought. Leaves and random rolling berries scattered, but he did manage to get himself and the branch out reasonably whole.
With his mouth occupied with carrying, he arched his brows, pricked his ears, and tipped his head back the way we came. It was his way of politely saying "shall we?" without actually saying it. Sometimes his manners insisted he use them at the oddest times.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:55 pm
Again, Kourin busied herself with watching, rather than doing, and was at this point becoming keenly aware she was instead doing quite a fine job of making herself a rather useless 'helper'... Something the mare was none to keen on; she didn't fancy herself the delicate flower, incapable of doing everything. She did have an opinion though, and for now, it was perhaps the only thing she could offer. "And here I always wondered if names don't have some impact on how we turn out as individuals."
Still, it was clear she was just musing. And, perhaps, that she felt as if she needed to do something, and this 'anything' was better than nothing at all - especially in the face of his small struggle with the branch. Nothing reminded her of her idleness quite like the efforts of another, and Kourin was not above grasping almost aimlessly to alleviate it.
Some attempts were just more successful than others, and this try left plenty to be desired. As Eloran withdrew, motioning for departure, she found herself eying the charitable shrub, and wondering if maybe she shouldn't bring along another. The mare looked once between it and its former branch, and the berries clinging to its leafy prongs, then tried to determine if there were enough to serve as sufficient sustenance. They wouldn't have lasted if he didn't need them, and to bring more along without cause would have been wasteful...
Relenting, and deciding there were probably enough (and maybe that she could have returned here if there weren't), Kourin looked to him with a nod, and finally set herself into motion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:37 pm
He watched her curiously as they made their way together back towards the cub. His life had become so solitary, it was only just dawning on him now how long it had been since he had kept any sort of company with a mare. Not since Zoet left him, though she hardly counted, as the daughter of his heart. No, the last mare he'd spent any time with at all... had been Shaitani. With eyes lowered back to the ground before him, he heaved a soft sigh.
He had come to realize the hurt that had been inflicted on him was the cause for his hermit-like existence now. The trouble was, he couldn't seem to break himself of the habit of simply living by himself, away from others. It wasn't that he disliked company, nor that he wished to avoid mares. If he was honest, he was a bit wary of new relationships with the opposite sex, but he was old enough to acknowledge that this was a rather ridiculous way of thinking. It was time for change.
They had arrived in the sunny spot where the cub slept still. He paused for a moment to smile softly at the snoring baby. All young ones were so appealing and disarming when they were asleep, no matter the species. But would this one settle down and become friendly once he was awake? Only time could tell that. But that time was yet to arrive, so Eloran quietly laid the berry branch closeby the slumbering infant, and moved a distance from him, to another patch of sunshine.
The feel of the sun's warmth on his red hide was comforting, and gave him a bit more confidence. He regarded his companion again, this time thoughtfully. Logically, the only way to move beyond the hurt that had been inflicted upon him was to change himself. Perhaps it was time for that change.
"Would you mind telling me a little about yourself, Kourin?" He offered her a warm smile that he hoped was encouraging. "That is, if you don't mind waiting with me for him to wake." He glanced again at the bearcub. Yes, a name was going to be a necessity very soon. He'd let that simmer in the back of his mind while he talked with the amiable blue mare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:59 am
She's pacing quietly along, for once channeling her effort toward observing, and not thinking; the change of pace is a rather welcome break. Kourin has always been a thoughtful mare, but these last few months have been a bit too thoughtful, even for her. She needs refuge from her mind sometimes, and can't often seem to devote herself entirely to her surroundings, like she is now... Even though she does know this is Eloran's home, and he isn't likely to need her assistance.
Especially when the state of things is as uneventful as it seems now. Her ears twitch attentively now and then, occasionally swiveling toward some distant snap or rustle, but... They are only snaps and rustles. Birds, usually, flitting from tree to tree, or the wind brushing through a leaf-laden branch, but nothing more. Even her exceptional caution isn't overly useful; she's quite the helper indeed.
It doesn't dampen Kourin's demeanor though; she's smiling as Eloran steps near the cub ahead of her, and lingers behind so as not to disturb him. She begins to draw herself nearer when Eloran moves to distance himself from the bear, but his inquiry gives her pause a few steps away.
Kourin has a generous dose of both shyness and modesty within her, and despite the stallion's obvious kindness, her initial reaction is to withdraw; it's thanks only to effort the only sign of it is the uncertain flick of an ear. "Myself?" she repeats, using the pause it creates to bolster her confidence. "I don't mind, but I'm terribly uninteresting..."
She's being rude. The mare chides herself inwardly; she knows better. Kourin straightens herself some, shuffling her weight between her hooves. "Truly, there's not much to tell." There's a pause, but her tone is somehow more sincere now. "I stay with a human, outside the village." And she offers a bemused smile. "I have no grand tales of adventure, nor magnificence. I am afraid, Eloran, I am what you see." There's no grimness in it though; her expression has settled back into gentle kindness, and it reflects in her voice. "What about yourself?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:16 pm
He saw the small signs of self-conciousness, and felt a surge of regret. He hadn't intended on putting her on the spot that way. In retrospect, it was a bit direct. Apparently he'd lost so of his social graces, spending so much time among the forest denizens.
But as she related her contact with humans, his ears flicked forward with interest. Though he didn't much miss masses of soquili-kind being available for meeting and greeting, he did indeed miss the village and the humans that lived there. He hadn't realized just how much he missed them until this moment. For a breath, he let himself recall all those two-leggers he'd spent time with before meeting Talencia. Another important person who had left him in the end. He suppressed a surge of unhappiness, refocusing on Kourin.
For some reason, her honest, "I am what you see." touched him. He beamed warmly at her, unconciously showing his approval of such a sentiment. He was very unpretencious himself, and answered her just as honestly. "Well, unless you call the mare I loved running off with two of our foals an adventure... I'm very much the same." He snorted in dismissal of the past. "All I am now is the guardian of this corner of the world. It isn't much, but it has served me well."
A sound made him turn back to the clearing, where the cub stirred, but did not wake. His dark brown fur was thick and fluffy, but a spot of yellow was visible on his forehead as he wiggled into a more comfortable position. "What do you think of the name Bhanu, Kourin?" he asked softly. "Do you think it suits him?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:36 am
Kourin hadn't expected her words to bear any particular impact. She hadn't really even expected Eloran to take more than polite interest, and it surprises her some when it seems he does. Especially in regard to her mention of a human - it hadn't exactly been a detailed recounting. She catches the suggestions of genuine interest though, and her own ears perk curiously forward.
The mare realizes now she hadn't really taken him for the human-loving sort, with the way he dwells so far out here. And if he is, then something must have driven him here. So she thinks, at least, from the perspective of one who is so devoted to her human, she doesn't want to imagine living completely without her. Despite knowing life is not eternal, including Hiabi's.
It's not a pleasant thought, but she finds herself hurting more for Eloran than for her own dread. Kourin can't help but envision what it would take to drive them apart, forever away from her. She dwells on it, and the feeling in knowing forever is unfathomably endless. And the burden of lonliness. And then she applies it to Eloran, and what hardship she imagines he must have been through. She is an emotional creature; sadness flicks through her expression, a fleeting shadow opposing the light of his kind smile.
His answer compels it to linger a moment longer though. "I'm sorry," she says, both earnest and soft. It's not an apology, but an expression of empathetic sympathy she doesn't know how else to convey. Pausing for sincerity before she continues, the mare offers a renewed smile. "All you are? You are too modest." Her ears, previously folded, tip forward. "Tending the wellbeing of others is nothing to belittle."
Kourin follows his eyes to the cub though, where they rest on the sleeping form until his words pull them back. "Bhanu?" she repeats, again eying the cub. "I do." She nods; it's a good name.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:36 pm
The cub settled down again with a monsterous yawn, going completely limp in utter abandon to dreams, as most young do. Sometimes he envied that trusting sleep-state. It never was so easy for adults to become that deeply relaxed. His own daughter had slept like that, when she had been fresh from her basket. It made him smile, and look back to Kourin.
"Do you have any family?" he inquired. He continued, figuring it best to offer the answer for himself first, as at least a geasture of courtesy. "I have one daughter, grown and gone now. Her name is entirely too long, but she agrees to being called Zoet nowadays." It had used to be Zoey, but that was back when she had been a scampering, gangly-legged filly. It was hard to think of the confident, graceful mare she was now by that name.
He swallowed and told himself he had to share the next part too. "Her mother left us shortly after she'd given birth. Two of our three baskets went with her, though I can't say I know how she managed that." He tried to look complacent and wryly humorous about that, but failed.
It caught him by surprise to realize the last bit of information he had to offer hurt the most. With a twinge of guilt, he realized he'd been allowing Shaitani to dominate his thoughts, and he'd spent very little time dwelling on Talencia, his beloved human. His chest tightened, and he closed his eyes, breathing deep. "It was right after that my human friend took sick and died." His entire world had come crashing down in such a short period of time. He swallowed hard again and opened his eyes, unabashed by the tears in his eyes. "It was a very difficult time. But Zoet brought light and joy back into my life. I could never bring myself to regret the short time of happiness that led to her birth, even though it was followed by such sorrow." He smiled wanly at her, though it was full of sincerity. "So there you have it... Zoet is really the only family I have anymore."
He didn't mention the other soquili Talencia had charmed. They had mostly wandered off into their own lives as well. Who knew where they were now, or if any of them ever thought of him? He had felt for them, distantly, after Talencia had died, but his own grief had been so overwhelming, that he had had no space in his heart to spare thought or energy for what had happened to them. It was a sad truth, but not an especially pressing concern for Eloran.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:50 am
Her eyes linger a slight moment longer, almost reluctant to abandon the infectious relaxation the cub's sleep seems to offer her. When she does though, her expression is the picture of genuine interest, tinged with concern she doesn't bother trying to hide from him. Kourin hasn't forgotten his words of love lost, and she has no shame in letting it be known.
Even if she had tried to cover her sentiments, it surely would have been a fruitless effort; she only feels them more and more with every word. Kourin is quite certain she can't truly fathom the pain he's been through, but she can imagine, and even that makes her heart ache for him.
It's not that she doesn't know these are courses life often takes; she does. She even understands they are both natural, and sometimes inevitable. She just... can't help wishing they weren't. Tragedies are an unfortunate burden for souls to bear, and seeing it in others pains her all the more.
She's unwilling to succumb to her emotions though, and has just managed to dam her empathy when she first spots his tears. For a split moment, her efforts crumble, and a deep sadness commandeers her features. Kourin breaths an uneasy snort - directed far more at herself than at him - and then wills away her frown. It never quite leaves her, but with effort, she manages something akin to a sad, understanding smile. It lingers in silence; she has no words for him. Everything she thinks she might say seems inadequate to her ears.
Still, she must say something. "I'm glad you have Zoet," she starts, awkwardly. Left unsaid is the very sincere sorrow she feels for him, and her wish she could somehow take away the pain, leaving only the joy behind.
"The stallion I think I loved vanished and left me long ago," she adds, her tone more thoughtful than bitter. "I have no foals - my human companion is as close as I come to family."
(Tal, I'm sorry this does not give you as much to work with as I'd like. I'm struggling to add more right now though - Poke me on AIM if you need it, and I'll see what I can do.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 10:00 am
Eloran shifted slightly so that he stood in a patch of sun, breathing deep, steady breaths to help ease the tightness in his chest. His companion was, for the most part, quiet and unobtrusive. That gave him the space to calm h imself at his own pace, until he again trusted himself to move on with the conversation. Whil the silence had been at an awkward time, he had been quite comfortable in it. Still, he felt the need to offer her some indication that all was well with him.
"Humans are useful and endearing companions," he commented, a touch wistful. "Part of me regrets leaving the village after the death of mine. But at the time, it simply was too painful to remain under those circumstances." He gave a fluid shrug of his shoulders. "I know that they would have looked after myself and my daughter, if I had needed, though. It seems that most two-legged folk tend to be good at heart." He truly did believe this, having met only rough-handed, callous villagers who didn't understand soquili well enough as the worst examples of humankind. It would have shocked him to know what others of the two-legged sort were capable of.
"Thank you for your help, Kourin," he went on. "If nothing else the company has been welcome. I see too few visitors here in this stretch of forest." He smiled gently at her. "You are welcome here anytime." The offer was a genuine extension of affection, lacking the expected dismissive tone the words might imply. He was not urging her to leave, but making her welcome from that point forward.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
