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 Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 12:03 pm
A walk? Shrivatsa couldn't have picked something more boring. Instead of saying that, Adagio raised her head and gave a small and gracious nod. "All right," she said stiffly. "A walk. Let's go by the lake and the waterfall. It should be very refreshing at this time of day." There. If they were going on a walk then at least she would choose the place.
She looked at Vara once more before they left. "Alpha Avalokiteshvara," she said formally. "Thank you for your lessons and we will spend today together as you suggest. I'll see you tomorrow." With that she set off. She tossed the loose strands of mane out of her eyes and began down the path.
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Posted: Sat May 07, 2011 12:07 pm
"Yes, thank you, Vara." Shrivatsa gave a quick nod at the old mare before following Adagio out. She could tell that Vara was frustrated.Given that Vara was one of the few members of the herd that Shrivatsa felt in any way close with, she wished that she didn't feel like such a burden on her. She reflected with frustration on her behavior and wished she could take it back. For some reason she just couldn't control herself around Adagio. Everything about the beautiful mare got under her skin.
She walked silent and brooding a few paces behind Adagio. She didn't want to talk just now and was glad that Adagio wasn't pushing it.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:44 pm
Samsara stalked the territory of the Padmapani herd. She hadn't meant to come here, but something deep within her called her back. She refused to think of it as sentimentality. Anything like nostalgia had been burned out of her as soon as she first donned her skinwalker pelt. She liked to think that rather, it was some vindictive lack of fulfillment. She had given up on the hopes of killing her father, but there were damages she could do to him that would be less direct.
It was day and the sun shone through the trees above. She instinctively wove through the shadows. She had no desire to be spotted before she was ready. If she saw someone, then she could decide what to do. There was no rush at all. She could take her time.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:56 pm
As Adagio walked she began to get more than a little bored. It was beautiful in the forest but it wasn't anything new. She'd rather be flying if she was just going to wander around. She loved the feeling of the wind flowing through her mane. The sway and dip of her wings during flight was just as natural to her as breathing.
Often while she was aloft she would sing to herself. This was a common trait for her family. They loved the sound of music and excelled in making it. Softly, she began to hum to herself. She found it soothing and the act of it helped draw her aggravation away. Her song slowly grew louder in volume as she walked. There was no particular tune, just a small outpouring of the beauty she felt surround her.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:06 pm
Where Adagio saw beauty, Shrivatsa saw nothing. The sun was glaring and hot. When they walked under the trees the ground was a little too soft and the earth gave way beneath her hooves. Her mood wasn't improving and Adagio's humming wasn't making it any better.
From her position behind the blue mare she wondered if Adagio would even notice if she ran off and left her there. Eventually she might but not for a while. Shrivatsa cast her eyes at the area surrounding them. There were plenty of low lying bushes. She could hide in them without much problem. Disappearing was starting to get more and more tempting...
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:19 pm
Humming. Samsara picked out the sound amid the cries of birds. It was coming from close by, too. Quickly, she hurried under cover. They were coming practically straight at her. She could pick out the sound of two sets of hooves. The humming one was certainly a mare. The other one didn't sound very large, but some unicorns could step lightly so that meant nothing.
This was a stroke of luck. She could use this. Use them. Maybe she could even give them something to tell her father after she finished with them. Not that she needed both of them alive after to send a message. She only needed one.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:26 pm
Adagio walked onward, heedless of her companion's aggravation. Her humming turned into singing somewhere along the way. Her voice trilled and burbled over the notes. She felt blessed to have been born into the family that she was. She was gifted the gift of song and flight. The gift of a light and joyful spirit. It was a pity that Shrivatsa had been born into to her own cursed parents.
Cursed. No one spoke those words to Shrivatsa's face, but the herd whispered of it in silence. Broken from her thoughts, Adagio sniffed. There was some strange smell on the air, some sort of animal. She ignored it. Whatever animal was in the area certainly wouldn't bother them. There was no need to call attention to it.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 2:33 pm
The moment that Adagio started singing was the moment that Shrivatsa decided to make a break for it. Obviously they weren't going to get whatever character building that Vara wanted. Shrivatsa knew she risked facing Vara's disappointment, but she was used to disappointment. It was time to go.
Those covering bushes were still lining the path. Perfect. Shirvatsa spotted one that would be perfect to hide in. As soon as they passed it, she would dive in! Shrivatsa prepared to enact her plan... and grew still.
Something was looking back out of the bush that she had chosen. Something else had decided that it would be a good hiding place. Whatever it was, it was big and those eyes were not kind. "Adagio......?" she asked in a strained murmur.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:15 pm
Two mares. She had been correct. They were two mares from Padmapani even. The last time she had been to the herd they had still been fillies but she could have realized where they were from even if they were strangers. One mare had a rough lotus on her rump while the other was entirely characteristic of one of the more fecund herd families.
She thought quickly. Nirvana's brood weren't known for their fighting prowess. That one would probably be no problem. The other didn't have the look of a warrior about her either. Samsara would be able to stalk them for a little while and then-
She met the eyes of the red and white mare. She had been spotted. Instead of charging from her hiding place she froze, still and silent as a stone.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:31 pm
"What?" Adagio turned around and blinked at her cousin. What was wrong with her now? It would probably just be a complaint about her singing. "Now really," she sighed. "If you have a problem then..." She had a feeling it wasn't about her singing. A look of trepidation was on Shrivatsa's face, not the irritation that Adagio had expected.
"What's wrong?" she asked in a whisper. Shrivatsa's expression sent her own heart fluttering. Could it be the animal she had smelled? She focused on the bush that Shrivatsa was staring at. There was indeed some sort of large animal in there. "It probably doesn't mean us any harm," she whispered. "Just keep walking away from it." Whatever the animal was, it was best not to aggravate it.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:36 pm
"Adagio, we need to get out of here!" hissed Shrivatsa. She took one step backwards from the bush and then another. Adagio needed to run. She didn't want to leave without her cousin but she could tell that the creature in the bushes wanted to hurt them.
"Adagio!" She snapped but didn't take her eyes off the creature. Somewhere within her she knew that to turn away from whatever it was would mean danger.
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Posted: Sun Jul 10, 2011 9:45 pm
Samsara slunk out of her hiding place. She moved with a flutter's light step and a feline's grace. She fixed her eyes on the mare that had noticed her and then on the second. "Really, there is no need to run," she purred. "Why would I wish to harm you?" Her sharpened teeth showed as she spoke and nothing about her tone suggested kindness. Her words were lies but every other signal she sent spoke the truth.
She mused to herself, wondering. Which one of them was Haya's favorite? Which would bring more grief to the herd with their injury? Now was not the time to toy with their minds. They didn't trust her, that was apparent. She'd do more harm by harming them than by trying to get them to harm others.
"Why don't we talk a little?" She crept closer to them with each word. Each moment they didn't flee promised more pain.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:09 am
Adagio didn't run, even though Shrivatsa was still urging her. She took deep calming breaths such as Vara had taught them. Peace and understanding were the tenants of their lessons. It was through peace and understanding that they would achieve togetherness with all beings. Adagio knew first hand that it was hard to be compassionate toward every creature, but she was not going to fall to fear and hate so quickly.
"It's all right, Shrivatsa," she said calmly and with a peaceful smile. "It's fine. This is Samsara of our herd. It will be fine." She looked at Samsara, forcing herself to focus and look into her eyes instead of at the pelt that adorned her. "Dearest herdmate, what is it that you wish of us? Can we do anything to assist you?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:14 am
Shrivatsa stared at Adagio as if she had gone insane, which it truly seemed that she had. Had they even attended the same lessons? Shrivatsa remembered the lectures on compassion but she also remembered what Vara had said about skinwalkers. That they were demons driven by their own pain and fear and that there was no way to bring them out of that hell.
"Adagio!" She had backed far away but Adagio still stood there serenely. She was so arrogant! Shrivatsa couldn't imagine this encounter ending in any way pleasant. Fear mixed with aggravation and she gave an involuntary shiver at the next forward step that Samsara took. "Adagio, please!" she pleaded while the skinwalker moved closer and closer to her cousin.
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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 9:19 am
Suddenly Samsara drew herself upwards from her slinking stance. She snapped her wings open and flared them in the direction of the two mares, giving her immediately a far larger and more imposing appearance. "No! You two will stay and listen to me! Stay here and obey!" She was a vision of a commanding queen in that moment. She stared at them imperiously, daring them to disobey her.
Her tail lashed and her eyes blazed. She was no longer the insecure cowering filly she had once been. She was Samsara the skinwalker, in control of her own fate and the fate of others. She demanded respect and would kill to get it if it was not given freely.
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