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 Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 9:41 am
The Doctor's Code was something that any medic would never take lightly. To become a doctor and to serve others without question was a vocation that an individual had to dedicate their lives to. It was no quick fix and took decades to learn, thus it was a code that was regarded with the utmost respect by many. A part of this code was an oath to the fallen, the sick and the vulnerable. Regardless of race, alignment or position in society they would be provided with assistance with no cost in return. Obviously there would be those doctors who from a moral point of view, simply couldn't help an evil individual but from a neutral stand point (one that Azzinoth had long adopted), he gave assistance as and when required.
Neph was of no exception. The moment he had discovered her in such a precarious position he hadn't hesitated. His duty was to ensure that all creatures remained healthy and with the living until their time upon the earth had ended. If they were nearing death then his duty was to extend their life for as long as he could. Should the spirits decide that their time was now then they would slip away regardless of his efforts. He had never at any point, expected that she repay him.
...Really, there was no way to repay such a thing.
'A life for a life' was how many would judge it from afar, but such an argument seemed illogical to the unicorn. He had selected his vocation from a young age and thrived. He had not expectations and made no assumptions. She'd needed his help and he had given it, when she was fit to live comfortably on her own then he would take his leave. It was a very simple state of affairs in his mind, it was no different than how he tended to his other patients.
Nevertheless when she thanked him, he was capable of translating the first set of words but not the rest. He turned his head briefly to regard the mare as she began to sample the various pieces of food and then shook his head. Foreigners all had their own traditions, cultures and languages. Perhaps the last part of her sentence had been a small trailing phrase that her kind used after an expression of gratitude?
...It was best he didn't dwell on it, Kawani was hard enough.
"You are welcome," he replied simply, having dismissed his musings. At the very least she would find satisfaction in her breakfast but he would feel much better when she could stand properly. Even if he had to be used as a weight to prop against until feeling came back to her legs, it was best that she could walk. It didn't have to be steady; but, if she could at least move then she could keep predators at bay by being difficult to track.
"You like, yes?" he added after a few moments and unwinded his tail. He pointed it towards the food, "Not too bitter, no?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 10:17 am
Nephthys knew nothing of The Doctors Code. While there were shamans and medicine men, she never truly understood their art. Still, they often checked upon her and made her eat strange foods and chanted odd things she didn't entirely understand. She had remained healthy, though, and as such was grateful.
This phantom seemed to be a healer all the same. While he perhaps didn't desire repayment or gratitude, the mare had already decided she would come up with something worthy of her gratitude. He was helping to save her life, it was only right that she do something good in return. She wasn't entirely healed, but she was feeling better physically which helped her emotionally. Besides which, he was a distraction, and Nephthys was absolutely desperate to try to forget about the past few weeks. Such events were bured in her memory, so this focus on another and simple acts like eating and standing were good for her.
It let her forget, even for a little while.
Welcome. . . . a strange word but a warm one at any rate. Another small shy smile before she continued to feast. Wherever he'd dug these up, she had not idea. She couldn't remember passing nuts and berries but then she couldn't recall focusing much on her surroundings. All she'd wanted was to get away from the white-stuff and its bitter chill as well as the steep mountainous inclines. Food wasn't on the top of her priority list, or at least figuring OUT what foods were tasty and where they might be found.
Now that she was warmer at least she could reshuffle her priorities. Sort of. It was unfortunate but Neph would have to reshuffle her entire lifestyle at this point. . . but thinking such thoughts was far too overwhelming for the mare. No. She'd worry about that later. . .for now, tasty treats!
Brown eyes took in the movements of his tail, studying it for awhile in curiosity. The tip practically glowed even in daylight, probably from the moonshine that he held within. It was fascinating really, and looked to be much more useful than her own. All hers did was wag now and then or whip at things when she really tried. . .it was pretty thick, after all, and sometimes difficult to move especially when laden down with the gold trinkets.
Still, she quickly averted her gaze so as not to be caught staring. "Like . . . Very much." She added carefully, making sure she added a smile so as he could understand her enjoyment. "No bitter." She added with a nod, taking another small nibble at a berry. They were perhaps her favorite as she was eating all of them first. "Like-like." There. That sounded nice and pleasant, didn't it?
It was nice Anyaa'ily Haly'a seemed fairly pleasant. A good spirit. She was lucky to run in to them, especially after all the hard times she'd recently experienced. It would have been easy for a much more darker spirit to manipulate her in such a condition, if not kill her. . . .
No, Anyaa'ily Haly'a was a blessing. A shiny one at that.
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2010 10:40 am
Aha! His tastes in foods may have differed from other individuals but he hadn't forgotten the opinions of the majority. His selection hadn't been a guess so much as a calculated risk. He had been told that such treats were popular and while his tastes were much more bitter, these were the better gamble. His expression flooded with relief as she settled his fears that he may have chosen the wrong meal for her. She obviously enjoyed the berries in particular and he sent his gratitude skywards to the gods for permitting them to grow, even during winter. It was a wonder that such delightful treats weren't poisonous - it would just be the cherry on the cake if the were. However, the gods had blessed him with benevolent spirits for the time being and such spiteful behaviour wasn't forthcoming.
His gaze flickered briefly, a small pulse of light from the depths before they dulled to their ghostly glow. Relief was a strange emotion and one that was so very difficult to hide. It caused the body to shiver, the muscles in the face to relax; and, more amusingly it caused even the most calm of individuals to heave a mighty sigh. Suffice to say the stallion didn't heave a sigh but he did release a soft 'phew' in response to her assurances.
"Nnn," he nodded again in a somewhat curt manner. Opting for the more glutteral approach, he adopted a method of conversation that he had advised to use when he was at a loss for word. Acallia had reassured him that when all else failed body language and the universal 'grunts' tended to be understood quite well. In such circumstances he wasn't certain he would be understood anyway and so, he reverted to sounded like a being that was far less intelligent than he.
...Frankly he sounded like an idiot.
Nevertheless there were still a number of concerns creeping into the stallion's mind. His brow furrowed as he considered her predicament and when she seemed to have finished most of her meal he breached the topic. "Can you stand?" he enquired. It was best if he kept to short sentences, the more complex they became, the more tongue tied he would end up. No one trusted a tongue tied doctor and he absolutely abhorred sounding incompetant. "Or are your legs injured?" he added softly. His horn gave a small 'hum' at the prospect of an injury that required it's ministrations and began to emit a very faint glow. Accustomed to this since birth, he paid little heed to the horn as it activated, merely taking note that his forehead had gotten warmer.
"You are not from mountains."
It was another subject that needed to be broached and while he had no intention of dragging out her life history (something he wouldn't understand), he did need to find her a more comfortable climate to live in.
"Coat is too thin - you are from lowland world... Yes?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:27 am
Nephthys continued to pick at the treats. She tried the nuts but unfortunate she'd always been given them unshelled. So when she tried to bite in to them, it was a bit difficult and required a lot of chewing. They weren't as tasty as the nuts back in the desert (only because they'd already been cracked) but the mare was not going to complain. Overall, breakfast as an absolute delight, though as she ate she did wonder if Anyaa'ily Haly'a was hungry.
Well, he was a spirit after all. A much more solid spirit than she recalled him being, but he was in the physical realm. She'd never met a spirit before though she'd certainly heard the tales. There was no reason he couldn't be solid and Neph most certainly wasn't going to argue the point. Just like offering him food, she'd never seen him eat or even graze. . . If he were some true living creature he'd have to eat. But thus far all she'd seen was him drink from the stream. . .
What an amazing world she'd stumbled upon.
Neph's appetite was waning, thankfully, and the mare found her pallet to be dry. Her ears swiveled at his words and she stared blankly for a moment while she tried to discern. His horn was glowing, oddly enough, and she wondered what that meant. Was he angry? He didn't look it . . . Or perhaps had the moon set fully and returned its magic to him? That might be it, she noted, glancing up at the sky and its soft greys of morning.
At least she knew where the moon went when it disappeared behind the horizon. Back to Anyaa'ily Haly'a!
" . . . No injury." She added softly, glancing down at her legs. It was indeed getting time to rise. But for this minute, she'd try to respond to his other question.
Mountains. That sounded vaguely familiar. . . "No mountains. Um. . . ." She hummed for a moment, looking around her. Using her nose, she pushed aside some of the snow to reveal the dirt beneath. It was partially frozen, so she took a hoof and chipped away at the hard ground until some small frosted chunks of dirt appeared. "Mojalle," she spoke the tribal name her people called the desert. Frowning lightly, unsure if he'd know such a sacred name, she added, "Sea of Sand and Sun."
There.
Now that that was taken care of, Neph looked back down to her hooves. All right. . .time to give it a go again. She felt better now that she'd eaten and rising would feel pleasant. Tentatively, just like a newborn foal, the mare began her wobbly attempts to rise. It took a few tries, a little squirming, but eventually the mare managed to lift herself fully. Her bones creaked and objected, but at least she was upright once again.
She'd wait a few moments to fully steady herself, regain felling in them, and generally gain a little confidence now that she was upright before she dared to walk.
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Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:08 am
Obviously the stallion possessed no understanding of what this ‘Mojalle’ was but when she took a second to explain it in Kawani the word made more sense. ‘Mojalle’ meant the same thing as ‘Sabaku’ did to him; she was talking about a desert. His features took on a startled expression as he realised the true weight behind her words and the severity of the situation she had gotten in. Suffice to say, the desert was a very long hike from the mountains and to choose somewhere so cold to explore when you were so unaccustomed to the hostile terrain... Discipline prevailed and a frown didn’t cross his features regardless of how insistent his emotions might have been. It wasn’t his place to pry, but he would have bet good money that the mare had found herself in dire circumstances if she was this far from home. He wasn’t a betting stallion though; he’d grown out of such behaviour in adolescence.
...Roughly around the time he was informed he was unreliable.
A lot of things had changed in those moments – the instant he had been informed that he was just an unreliable rogue. He was a charmer, capable of painting pretty fairy tales with his eloquent vocabulary. However, when push came to shove he would never commit and would lead any mare to ruin and a shattered heart. While many stallions would have aspired to such a spectacular role, it had left him in tatters. What had made it worse was the one that he had adored most, the one who knew him best, had agreed with the elders and rather than argue... she had found herself another more stable male. The irony was that the male was neither charming nor attractive, he was portly and rather weak but he came from a good family.
A good family, respect and honour – they were all any mare ever aspired to in Japan.
“Sabaku,” he offered in reply to her description before drawing a little picture in the mud nearby the river bank. He was surprisingly artistic and his rendition of a desert was accurate enough, he made swirling sand dunes, a blaring sun and in the middle of it a rather strange looking cactus with a flower. The cactus was artistic license (or so he would argue) but he got his point across and pointed towards it with his tail. “Sabaku – desert,” he repeated.
“You are a long way from home,” he murmured softly and shook his head. “Mountains are no place for you,” he continued and coiled his tail around his hind leg once more. When she had finally managed to come to a stand and had some measure of balance, he approached. Lowering his head to her level, he canted it to one side and released a small sigh. There was nothing for it, she was in a place where she had no genuine chance of survival and he couldn’t leave her to the wolves – he’d have to move her. “I will take you home,” he spoke as softly as ever, but his tone was decisive and implied he would hear no arguments to the contrary. “Lowlands safer,” he paused and shook his head, “Much warmer.”
“Good, yes?”
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Posted: Mon May 17, 2010 11:20 am
The mare looked down at the drawing before her. Her eyes widened slightly before a great smile crossed her features, delighted at his artistic ability. Oh, certainly she felt a moments shame and embarrassment; she had merely made a mountain of dirt and called it good. But he made a sun and rolling sand dunes, just like she had grown up around. Truly he was something much more magnificent than she.
Ducking her head lightly, she gave a little nod in agreement as she averted her gaze. "Sabaku. . . . Desert. . . " The words were strange on her tongue, but she parroted accurately albeit quietly. For a moment her expression pained as she recollected the reasons for being here, high up in the hills. There was no desert to go back to, no reason for her to return. There was no one waiting for her, and while the sands might be familiar to the mare, they would forever be stained with blood and pain.
She wasn't ready to return. In fact, Nephthys honestly didn't want to return. Not . . . yet. She worried that the others might be lurking, waiting. The golden symbol on her shawl would make her an easy and familiar target, and yet, she didn't want to part with that either. It was the only reminder of her origins, of her status, of the love she had once felt and possessed and she wasn't ready to give that up so quickly.
Not here. . . not a stranger in an even stranger world.
Shaking her head slightly to rid herself of such thoughts, she quickly looked back upon Anyaa'ily Haly'a. As he approached and lowered his head she was amazed and just how big he really was! The horn from his brow was quite real as were the soft lights that seemed to forever highlight him. Keeping her gaze averted, her ears did p***k at the word 'home'.
Home. "No . . . No desert, no Mojalle!" She didn't understand the concept of what the lowlands were and was only concerned with being brought back home. Her home was the desert and unfortunately that was one place she could not go. Not now. Her eyes widened and the fright was painfully obvious. Unlike Azzinoth, Nephthys was terrible when it came to hiding her emotions. Oh, she tried to often be meek and demure and gentle and on any other occassion she might have been! But there were some pains that were too hurtful for her to hide, some emotions she couldn't contain. Fear was one of them.
"No sabaku . . . please Anyaa'ily Haly'a" She half-pleaded, stealing one imploring glance up at him before bowing her head before him. Might the moon spirit have pity on her plight, she dreaded going if sabaku was where they would return.
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:00 am
It hadn't been the reaction he'd been expecting, but it became very clear that she had no desire to return to her home. In mere seconds she had made it obvious that she was terrified of that idea and while he had no intention of taking her back there, it did explain a few bits and pieces. She was running away from something and given that these mountains bordered on the desert, it was no longer so peculiar to have found her on them. His lips twisted a little at this, at her blatant distress and as she practically begged him to reconsider he permitted a flash of pain to cross his own face.
...She hadn't understood, had she?
"Mmm... No," he shook his head and calmly took a step forward. No often one to breach another's personal space, it was a rare occasion in which he did. His first action was to cup her chin with his tail and raise it to meet his eyes, for a start, he'd never been a fan of submissive behaviour. His second action? Well, it was to draw another picture and with a soft sigh he rubbed away the doodle in the soil and began to draw another. This one took on a very different scene, it had the sun but in place of dunes and cacti were trees and grass - the sun was still out, but the setting was drastically altered.
"Sougen, meadow..." he explained and gave her a gentle nudge. "Lowlands, much warmer than mountains," he added. To make his point clear he motioned to the slopes and gave a shiver, murmuring 'brrrr' as though he was cold. Then he drew a circle around his drawing and made a small 'ahhh' as if content. He wasn't often so animated but when it came to conversing with one so overwhelmed by her own circumstances, his behaviour seemed warranted.
"No - no er, Mojalle," he shook his head and provided her with a warm smile of encouragement. "Meadow, I take you there where it is warm, yes?"
He made no reference to her distress and pried no further. All that was clear was that he had recognised that she wished to stay away from the desert and that she hadn't originally understood what he was saying. Perhaps this would settle her nerves, distress wasn't healthy on one so weak.
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Posted: Sat Aug 07, 2010 9:48 pm
Nephthys watched as the moon-spirit before her seemed to reconsider his actions. With the slightest flick of his tail, the desert scene before her transformed in to something different,t something strange. Instead of sketchy hills of sand, instead of the cactus and the barren landscape she found softer trees and grasses. For a moment she wondered if he implied she stay within the mountains, but the scene wasn't similar to their current position. This was only confirmed when Azzinoth shivered, gesturing to the hillsides, before sounding much more comforted when pointing to the picture.
"Med . . . oh?" She murmured, voice shy and uncertain. Her brows knit with uncertainty, but there was a soft glimmer of curiosity and a new found trust. She knew no other soquili within the hills, and thus far Azzinoth had only done well by her and treated her with food, shelter and hospitality. If this . . . meadow was where he desired to take her, than so be it.
Unfortunately for Nephthys, she knew of no land outside of the desert. Thankfully for the mare, it wouldn't be long before she learned. After a few moments of consideration, the brown female gave a little nod and even a faint hint of a smile. "No Mojalle," . . . "Med...oh. Anyaa'ily Haly'a go to this Meadow. Nephthys will follow."
Her initial fright was beginning to pass now that she understood her homeland would not be disturbed. There were too many ghosts for her to fight, too much pain she wasn't ready to face. As far as she were concerned, the moment she returned to the desert, her death and doom would shortly follow. But so long as she stayed with this moon spirit, so long everything would be all right.
Surely he wouldn't mislead her now.
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Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2010 6:02 am
It was always a great relief to the stallion when he watched another creature relax. When his patients sucked in a breath, heaved a sigh and seemed to 'deflate'. They seemed lighter, their eyes seemed brighter and he was most grateful that the weight they seemed to carry around with them had been lifted. He would be naive to assume it would disappear completely as these loads and burdens had a way of returning, but a brief respite was very healthy. He was particularly grateful that the mare who had been in such a precarious position before had relaxed considerably. She wasn't in perfect shape but she would be well enough to travel, especially now that she had settled.
Trust between patient and doctor had always been vitally important to Azzinoth. From the day he had started down the path of a healer he had strived to reassure and comfort those he treated. They recovered more quickly and often led much healthier lives as a result, but it did unfortunately mean that he had to be creative in his approach on occasions. Therefore he would have noted that Neph had been blessed in the sense that she had seen the quiet male be significantly more animated than even his own family!
Still, the trust that did flicker into her eyes enabled him to smile just a touch. There were no words to describe how much he appreciated the gesture and how much easier it made his job. He took a brief moment to inspect her injuries to reaffirm his decision to let her travel and then gave a nod. He was of the opinion that he should move her while she had most of her strength. It was unlikely to last out for long and the weather would only worsen her condition if she was forced to stay. Moving gradually down the mountain was the best option as a result, it was logical and he could ensure she was stable on the way down.
...What she chose to do once they had reached the foothills and warmer climates was entirely up to herself. By then she would discover that food and water (as well as company) were much more readily available.
She'd have a support mechanism, invaluable in newlands.
He accepted her request though and with a slight nod he began to move towards the forest's edge. It was going to get much colder again, without the shelter of the thick pine trees she would most likely feel the bite of the wind. However, if worst came to worse he would rope his tail around her leg and bring her in close - at least he had the fur to act as a wind breaker. The more sheltered he could make the mare and the quicker he could make this trip, the more swiftly she would recover.
"Come, come, we will make haste then," he beckoned and glanced behind him expectantly.
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Posted: Wed Aug 18, 2010 9:03 pm
The mare watched as the spirit's expression changed ever so gently. There was an actual smile on his features, the first she had witnessed, or at least remembered. Things had been such a blur until most recently that she couldn't actually recall looking at the spirit.
Strange how the moon's shadow took on such a horse like shape. Well, maybe not that strange, because obviously the benevolent spirit was sent to help her! So why would he take on a form that was foreign to her own? Except there were some . . . oddeties. His hooves were split in two, and a great horn jutted from his brow. His tail was . . . almost ridiculous with the way it looked and moved. It wasn't just a mane, oh no, it was a fifth appendage! There were even bits of him that glowed with moonlight, which Nephthys greatly appreciated.
Still . . . .she was in new lands. She didn't know what other spirits and creatures roamed and hadn't spotted anyone else either. A few birds and some furry animals she'd never seen in the desert. Would there be other horses like her. . . ?
Poor Neph. Oblivious to even her own heritage and blood line. She was no horse, she was a soquili but she had no recollection of such a thing! She had been treated special because she had been special and the desert chief knew as much. It was unfortunate though - she was quite an intelligent creature, but the language barrier made her simple. And her knowledge outside the desert life was minimal at best.
Thankfully for Azzinoth, she was naturally a hardy creature. While she had suffered in the cold, with time and adjustment she would fair just well. She didn't need much water or food to survive because out in the desert it came in short supply. But despite her upbringing, trauma had taken an emotional toll out of the mare, and unfortunately she would succumb to weakness or exhaustion far sooner than she liked.
But all that would be discovered in due time. For now, the haggard female was quick to follow to the side and slightly behind the great moon spirit, Anyaa'ily Haly'a.
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Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:15 am
She may have considered him an oddity but both horn and tail had their uses. His horn could provide immediate healing and his tail could be used to grasp, point, draw and a variety of other things. On rare occasions, when a foal or other animal was very small, he could use it to rock them into a slumber. It was a limb that was of great interest to young children but he more often than not, used it for more practical means. For example, it was an ideal tool for grasping the necessary tools to crush herbs and he was able to make rather good poultices. That being said, with the practical nature of his tail cast to one side there was some element of vanity to it – he was a stallion who preferred order and cleanliness. He was grateful that the gods had granted him a lion-like as opposed to one made of hair; he didn’t have time to tend to it. He was also thankful for small favours and the monks who tended to his mane had made absolutely certain it wouldn’t fall out of it’s bindings for quite some time.
Oddity? It was more practical than anything!
Nevertheless he could appreciate that for some soquili, his kind were unusual. He was considered ‘special’ by the monks for the simple reason that he was a soquili. While the vast majority of equine beasts in the east were horses, there were only a few herds of soquili smattered sporadically throughout. As legend had it, the soquili were isolated and secretive – they chose to shy away from civilisation and most stuck to this. He had been an individual who rarely associated with other soquili while he lived at home, the encounters only tended to occur when his assistance was required. It had only been on his arrival in the Kawani that he became aware of the rather unique nature of the location.
The Kawani was definitely a most sacred place for soquili, possessing a heavily concentrated population. He had been hard pressed to find any horses in the Kawani and unsurprisingly, he had been overwhelmed by the unique appearances of some of the soquili in his presence. If Neph found herself a little startled by the variety and the unusual nature of the soquili in this region then he wouldn’t have been surprised. In essence, she was just like any other foreigner who had come from a less dense population.
Still, when she made her way to his side he did loop his tail around her leg just a touch to keep her in check and continued forward. If he couldn’t converse with her to provide direction and instruction, then he would have to lead her in a manner that one would lead the blind. A gentle tug or nudge here and there would be enough, if she had questions then he had faith she would find a way to express them. Whether it be through drawings or mime, he was fairly certain there would be some way for her to converse; that being said he did make a mental note to practice his skills at charades.
His route was simple though, he would take her through the trees for the most part and make careful use of the forest’s cover. In time they would hit a number of obstacles and on these occasions he would loop round in the open. His aim was to keep out of the snow as much as he could but he could recognise when some things were unavoidable. It was his hope, that through this route she could stay warm and the worst of the weather wouldn’t batter her frail form. Hardy or not, she wasn’t in any condition to deal with it for an extended period of time!
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Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 7:38 pm
Nephthys was truly amazed to have found such good fortune. She knew she had been close to death, and part of her wondered if perhaps she hadn't stayed and died with the others of her tribe. Now, wandering these strange lands, the disheveled female had to wonder if her punishment was guilt for letting them down. . . guilt for her cowardance, guilt for fleeing so she might not wind up a slave to such savage beasts.
Oh well.
Here she was, alive and in seemingly kind company. The moon spirit had been granted to her as a boon in forfeit for her life. As she quietly followed the strange stallion, she had to wonder what he expected as payment. A sacrifice of some sort? Maybe. A ritual? A promise for . . . .for what? According to her beliefs and what she had witnessed in the desert, the gods were revered and granted thanks and praise. What did she have to offer a moon spirit?
And how was she supposed to ask? Part of Nephthys had to wonder if perhaps he already knew her heart, knew of her uncertainty on this repayment issue. But . . .then again . . . perhaps he would make a request himself. She'd know in time . . . she owed Anyaa'ily Haly'a her life.
The touch of his tail was of great interest to the weakened female. She hadn't much expected to be able to touch a spirit, but then she remembered that he wasn't truly a moon spirit in this form, oh no. He had taken on a mortal guise, one which would disappear as soon as his task was done. Still, it amazed her that she might be led by such an a fantastical creature. . . .
Poor Neph. She truly didn't understand her heritage, or anything about this new world. She didn't suspect that she were dead, but somehow, something had changed. . . . Quietly she followed Azzinoth, wanting to ask the moon spirit so many questions and yet . . .she had no way to speak. Head lowered, she did her best to keep up with the stallion and not lose her footing on the slopes. They weren't terribly sweet, but the hilly terrain wasn't at all like the sands of her home.
((I'm sorry she doesn't have much to say. She'll keep quiet unless Azzinoth or someone or something startles her. Or if she gets weary or needs to rest. . .but Azzinoth would likely notice before she spoke, as she'd start to slow and drag behind a little.))
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Posted: Tue Nov 09, 2010 5:36 am
It would have been an interesting question to pose to the stallion. If he were to request repayment, what would it be? He was a modest creature and one who often sought to discourage such things, but if an individual insisted on it, would he even have a suitable answer? One side of him suspected that he wouldn't, while the other might be able to come up with something. For those that it would be a boon of questionable origins, they would be sorely mistaken but one might say it wouldn't be the most predictable of requests. It would have been something to ponder, if he'd truly known her thoughts or her heart.
Alas, he would have been the first to announce he knew nothing of her and as a consequence, could request nothing. Could she dance, could she sing, was she an artist? Was she a linguist, a diplomat - what skills did she possess that might intrigue him?
...Too many possibilities and no answer.
A moot point.
Consequently Azzinoth travelled in silence down the slope, slowing his pace at more risky locations and pausing here and there to gather his bearings. He had traversed the slopes a number of times, but unlike the mountain soquili he possessed no memory of every nook and cranny. Every now and then he would forget and be posed with an obstacle, thus it was imperative that he recall things before moving on. After all, it was fine if he got lost but if he were to lose a patient, that would be another matter entirely.
Eventually his patience was rewards and no sooner had he regathered his bearing for what felt like the eighth time, he caught sight of the fabled and battered pathway that led to the lowlands. Used by many a soquili, creature and human across the years, the weather dirt road was unmistakable even in the depths of winter. A smile lined his lips at this, a flash of recognition, this was the way down. As if to support his revelation, as they rounded the corner the clearings beneath them lay across the horizon - lakes, forests and meadows extending out as far as the eye could see in every direction.
"Lowlands," he explained with a small nod. "Much warmer."
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Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 1:40 pm
Nephthys didn't notice if they turned around, or if her host seemed to need to take a moment to grow accustomed to his bearings. As far as she figured, to be a moon spirit must be very difficult. For so long he was tucked high in the sky. . .and now he was so low, down on the earth. Of course he'd need to regain his bearings. . . . Looking down on the world wasn't at all the same as being down within it.
Poor Anyaa'ily . . . To be away from the spirit world, or at least from the comfort of the moon. It couldn't be easy.
Step by step, the disheveled mare followed her host. At least being with him meant she was distracted from focusing on her life, on the pain that she'd been through. While she wasn't quite as close to death as she had been previously, she was still in rough shape and hadn't full embraced her new situation. She would never be able to return to the desert. . . and what would she do in these strange lands?
It occurred to Nephthys that she had yet to meet any other soul. She didn't think she had died, but this world was awfully quiet. And if Anyaa'ily left, after he guided her to these new lands, she would be alone. Utterly, utterly alone. The thought caused her throat to tighten, and a fear ran up her spine, causing her body to tense.
She'd never been alone. Had never foraged for herself, had never been without the warmth of her herd or her tribe. These lands were harsh on her hooves, and cold, so very, very cold. Though the low lands would be warmer, perhaps kinder, it was still a frightening change.
These thoughts weight heavily on the mind of the young mare, but they faded just for a moment when they rounded the path and she could look down on the lands so far below. There didn't appear to be as much snow, were flat, and certainly didn't look as treacherous as all the hills and stones found in the mountains. It could have been beautiful, and Neph stared hard at the lowlands, trying to digest that that was her future.
Soon she would leave. . .and she was quite sure the moon spirit would return to his rightful place. And that would be that, the end of it. As Azzinoth spoke, she quickly found her composure and offered a very small smile. ". . . lowlands. . . " She repeated softly, self-consciously trying to burrow in to the cloth that lay upon her back. Warmer.
"Thanks to Anyaa'ily . . . much warmer." It was easier to repeat what he said, even though the words felt foreign on her lips. He spoke with a strange accent, but at least she could mimic all right. . . .even if it was sometimes hard to truly understand.
Oh well.
She was no moon spirit, after all.
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:14 am
Only an idiot wouldn’t have detected the stiffness of her form when she was overcome by her own thoughts. He afforded her the moments required to gain her composure and watched her, albeit subtly until he was certain she had recovered enough to continue. It was one of those moments when he would have offered a penny for her thoughts. Unfortunately he possessed neither the language skills to enquire and even if he did, then he would find he wouldn’t understand her explanation if she chose to answer him. This was a problem that was becoming more and more common place as he continued to roam these particular lands and he could appreciate that there would come a time when he would have to learn the language.
He would need to be fluent – even if his accent made him difficult to understand, he needed to be able to comprehend what his patients were explaining to him. Medicine was not a guessing game; gambles could only be made when educated guesses were in place. Cures could only be provided when a doctor knew all the symptoms – if he didn’t then he could provide the wrong treatment and aggravate the situation. It was not something that the stallion would permit, particular when he prided himself on his work. His profession was his life, his abilities the only thing he could grasp and knew without a doubt, that he excelled at. He was a doctor of note and of great respect; where all else in his life had crumbled and faded to nothing he still had this to grasp.
...He wasn’t going to let something so ridiculous get in his way.
Nevertheless, the false smile that greeted him did cause a reasonable amount of suspicion. She had gathered her composure in an admirable fashion but he wasn’t stupid and knew a haunted soul when he saw one. Whatever had happened to the mare had cast a shadow on her, one might have said it eclipsed the sun – after all, wasn’t that the entity that most associated with optimism and positivity? He wasn’t sure; he wasn’t the most religious of individuals and had always appreciated the more scientific approach to life. Science was based on fact and the stallion had a great love for facts – he knew they were accurate and weren’t intentionally misleading.
He resisted the urge to question her though, despite a small part of him urging him to reconsider. He could not console a creature he couldn’t communicate with fully, he would only make matters worse and instead, he did the only thing that he could do. Without any further reply the stallion began to pick his way down the slopes again, his head lowering just a touch as he negotiated the trails he wasn’t terribly fond of. In the summer they were much more forgiving, in winter he often found himself in a position where even his courage was tested and his heart plunged each time he slipped – he wasn’t a mountainous soquili, that was for sure. He’d stick to the lower regions; they were more comfortable he was accustomed to those in the east!
Eventually, he did feel that he needed to say something though and against his greater judgement he did flick his gaze towards the mare and grimaced. “You are okay, no?” he murmured. He knew she was weakened through exhaustion, but that wasn’t what he was referring to. If she chose to answer then so be it, but if she preferred to remain silent, he would understand.
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