[PRP]Journey Begins (Vatsa & Tuulikki)

[Dixie]

She didn't catch what he had said, really. She nodded and just continued to take in the scene. "I'd like that..." she replied.

It was mid to late summer now, she wondered to herself more than to Vatsa, " I wonder what it looks like in Spring..." she bet that the flowers were outstanding in color.

She turned back to the path at hand when she heard Vatsa move, she took to a pace that kept her next to Vatsa as they walked along. "Yes, yes, and aunt!" she beamed proudly. "My brother has just had two baskets, and I believe, if I'm not mistaking, that a nephew of mine had two or three not long ago. I've yet to meet them though." She got excited when talking of her family, she loved them all so much.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

Vatsa almost laughed - had she heard what he had said? After all, he'd all but said outright that he would like her in his life from now - a couple..but she seemed not to have heard. He grinned, and walked on.

'Full of colour, full of life. Butterflies and blooms.' he said as he looked up the path. They were slowly getting closer to the foot of the mountains, and his eyes searched for path up the actual side.

'Getting a big family then...maybe one day your siblings will be able to say the same thing of you.' he murmured the next bit, wondering if she would miss that as well.
'I think we'd make pretty children..'  

[Dixie]

She continued to think about the Spring, she hoped they would be able able to come back. The scene that Vatsa described was beautiful.

She smiled and continued to walk with him. "Yes, I have a very large family. I hope that one day when we ha...." she stopped, her head and eyes suddenly alert. Her eyes followed Vatsa as he continued walking up the path.

"We?" her head tilted. "Vatsa? I think I've misheard you.." she was a bit confused, Had she heard him correctly?  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'No I don't think you did.' Vatsa turned to look at the mare, an air of amusement around him, but he spoke seriously.

'I already said to you that I wanted you to be with me all the time, to see all the sights and experiences the world has to offer, but I think the scenery had your attention at the time.' he smiled softly.

'You're a beautiful, charming mare, and I've not met anyone else like you Tuli. I can see a future between us - if it's something you'd like as well?' his braided tail swished, betraying nerves, unusual for him.  

[Dixie]

"I..." she didn't know what to say to him, she was flattered of course, but it was all a bit sudden. She lowered her head and looked away for a moment before looking back up to Vatsa.

"I'm sorry....It was just a beautiful scene." she took a few steps towards Vatsa, her voice soft and curious, "Are you...Are you sure?"

Tuli was thrilled at the idea that a stallion actually wanted her, wanted to be with her...be a family. Her heart fluttered in her chest at the thought of this all.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

Vatsa knew it probably was sudden..but only from her perspective. She'd been waiting to see him, and wasn't sure if she would again. He knew he would find her again, the time he spent away teaching him that sometimes what you really want is right back at the beginning. He hadn't promised her anything back then because he hadn't been sure - everything had fallen into place the moment he saw her face again.

'Hmm, sure?' Vatsa made as if he were thinking properly again, maybe planning on taking his words back? But no, he smiled, unable to toy with her affections more than he'd already done by being away for so long, and he nodded.

'Absolutely. I think we could be happy together.' he nodded, moving to her and sliding his head next to hers, wrapping his neck around to hug hers.  

[Dixie]

Her eyes brightened slightly more than usual when he said he was sure, her voice seemed to almost have a new tone to it. Out of all of her siblings, even most of her nieces and nephews, she was the last to find a mate, but it had been worth the wait. She felt as though she were floating on clouds for the first time.

"Vatsa, I can't believe it!" who had known that this journey would be the start of something so beautiful? She accepted his his touch, it made her melt even more inside. She closed her eyes and leaned her head into him as she stood there silent for a moment taking in a deep breath.

"You'll show me the world, won't you?" she asked in a, not so literal manner, More in the way that someone says 'I'd take a star from the sky for you.'. "Yes, I know we can be happy...I know we can."  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'Believe it Tuli, it's all true, every word.' Vatsa smiled, pleased at her reaction. He remembered how she'd spoken of wanting what he'd offered, and gently broke their embrace, tweaking her ear as he pulled back.

'Give you the moon and stars if I could.' he whispered, nudging his nose against hers. Really, he wanted to only make her happy, and he hoped theirs would be a lasting relationship. True it was early days, but he'd never been one to stint on his affections, and she was a sweet mare and worth being with.

'Soo.' he said, giving her another nudge.
'Shall we get going, or should we become a permanent fixture on the path?' he smiled.  

[Dixie]

She had exected for Vatsa to return one day, but not like this. She had gone so long that she had began to believe that she would be an old maid, old and alone. She had taken joy in wating her siblings, nieces, and nephews all start families...and now, now there was a stallion that wanted that from her!

She couldn't help but to smile even brighter, she leaned over, gently nibbling on Vatsa's mane. "I don't know why...why you've chosen me, But Vatsa, I am so happy!" she nuzzled him softly. She had taken a fancy to him on their first meeting, but never dreamed of this. Finally, finally she would be able to show her family that someone did want her, they had all been right!

Vatsa's words rang in her ears as she drifted back to reality, "Oh, yes. Yes of course!" she bobbed her head and moved to follow him further up the path. She had already reached past the point of her safety zone, her father's territory ended much further down the path.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'Oh I could give you a thousand reasons why, but I'd rather show you in the coming days, with happiness and experiences not to be forgotten.' Vatsa said, as they continued walking up the incline.

'We'll need to find a path off this one that climbs around the mountain, there will probably be some sort of natural one that we can navigate without too much difficulty.'

He looked around as the greenery slowly got even less, the path becomg rocky. Soon they were at the foot of the nearest mountain, and he looked up, squinting to see if he could see the summit.

'It's bigger up close isn't it?' he grinned at Tuli.  

[Dixie]

Her heart continued to flutter in her chest as she followed along side of Vatsa, her hooves, to her, barely even touching the ground. She looked over the scenery as it slowly began to change, listening to Vatsa as he spoke of finding a pathway.

As he looked up and spoke, she followed his gaze. She had seen the mountains from a good distance away, but they were HUGE up close. "Wow.." was all she could mutter out at first as her eyes soaked up the scene.

"It seems almost endless..." her eyes looked up, from this vantage point she could no longer see the snow capped tops, but she new they were there. "Have you ever travelled up it before?" Her head tilted as she looked back over to her companion, not knowing what to expect. "I'm further away from home than I've ever been!" she exclaimed.

It was a small step on her personal journey, a small, but very important step.  

[Sayuri_Nitta]

'You'll be fine, we'll be safe, and I'll let nothing happen to you.' Vatsa said, to reassure her in case there were any nerves in the excitement, that she would be safe in their travels. He wanted her to enjoy herself as they explored the lands, and if she was nervous at all that would be hard.

'A little way, just to see how hard the going would be. It's more fun to see and try with company though.' he glanced away from Tuli for a moment, looking along the mountainside from where they stood.

'I think the path that cuts into the side is this way.'