|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 9:49 pm
She blinked and began to eventually follow after them again, stopping at Aalun's side. "No foals? I figured a couple like you two would have some...and left them behind because it was dangerous up here. Smart thinking after all, but you have none. Alas." Telaar watched Arthur again as he looked through the trees, digging her hooves once more into the ground.
"Pretty sure no one else is here. They would have heard us, or us them by now. Rarely is anyone quiet in here, even skinwalkers can't keep completely quiet when they prowl." She said offhandedly, flicking her tail back and forth. "So when you have little ones, you'll train them too? Or let them choose to do what they want?" She had to admit, she found the two of them strangely fascinating. Perhaps it was only because they were brave enough to come into the mountains and even talk to her.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:17 pm
"Sadly not yet. But not from lack of trying." Aalun said regaining her composure, and not overly reacting to the effect the off comment did or didn't have on Telaar. While she was hardly spiteful, it was nice sometimes to catch someone off guard just to test reactions, and while Telaar seemed nice enough, she just wasn't ready to completely trust the strange mare.
"We're just overly cautious," Aalun said coming back to wait for Arthur to reappear. "We'd both have gotten such a chewing out if we didn't scout the place we decided to bed down for the night, when we were younger." she said smiling at not necessarily fond memories but enjoyable enough. Aalun had to consider the answer to the next question. It had never crossed her mind and certainly not Arthur's that any child of theirs wouldn't follow in their footsteps. "I think..." she said slowly. "That we would train all our children, whether they decide to use the knowledge we impart upon them is up to them. Arthur and I deviated from our chosen paths, so I think we would understand if they wanted to as well..." she said with a nod.
It was then Arthur emerged from deeper in the stand and nodded to Aalun. "All clear. What about out here?" he asked.
"We're good." she said looking over at her mate.
Arthur nodded again and then motioned the mares to follow him. "I'm sure Telaar already knows, but I found a little pool that probably has an underground spring so we can get some water and there's a little grass around so we can get something to eat." he said leading them in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 10:25 pm
"Oh. Okay. Someday you'll have a family then." She nodded and turned her gaze to Arthur. "It's good water too! Very good. The mountains are the best places to find cool, delicious springs. I've tried valley water...from the lakes, you know? It's just not as clean I think...fish and all that." Telaar gave them both a bright smile and trotted along behind them into the trees for the night.
"There's also sometimes berry bushes, but they've all died or been eaten by now I think." She watched them ahead of her and fell quiet again. Perhaps it was better at this time to just stay out of the way and watch for movement back up on the mountains while they got settled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:05 pm
"I saw the bushes in question." Arthur said. "They were stripped clean. I think we'll manage without them though. There should be enough grazing that no one goes hungry tonight." he said stopping when he came to the little pool.
He watched as Aalun ducked her head first to get a drink, then looked at Telaar. "You know this area. Are there any local walkers or kalona that we should be worried about while we sleep?" he asked. "It would be nice if we all could sleep the night through, but we're not opposed to standing watch." he said looking around again.
Aalun ducked her head in the pool and was rewarded with sweet tasting water. Telaar was right and that it did taste better than some of the streams she was familiar with in the lowlands. She smacked her lips happily then turned to wait for the answer about Arthur's predator question, while he took his turn drinking. "That really is very delicious water." she said nodding to the other mare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:09 am
"Any that prowl in the mountains don't come down quite this low unless they run out of food up there. Which really isn't often. Pretty much only when the goats migrate around." She quickly lost herself in thought regarding the predators living in the caves around her normal home. She rarely saw them, but was very aware of their presence at all times. "I can sit up and watch...if it makes you more comfortable. I'm fairly certain staying here will be fine for just tonight though."
Telaar smiled again after a while, glad that Aalun was enjoying the water. She was glad the mountains provided clear, fresh spring water. "The water up here just makes everything taste better, I think."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:00 am
"It certainly does have a different flavor." Aalun said with a nod. "And we couldn't impose on you like that. Arthur and I are more than capable of taking watches." she paused for a moment. "Although if you say it's safe enough I don't think we should bother. You know this area better than we do after all."
Arthur choked on the water he was drinking and looked towards Aalun. He opened his mouth but was then immediately silenced by a look from Aalun.
Aalun stared down Arthur and forced him back into being quiet. Telaar this far had proven as good as her word and there was no reason to doubt her now. Besides, trust had to start somewhere, and maybe it was just because they were both mares, Aalun felt she could trust the odd looking female. The way things were going, Aalun almost felt that maybe, just maybe Telaar was their first.
"Do you ever get lonely up here?" Aalun asked turning back to Telaar.
Arthur managed to keep his temper and moved off just a way to graze. While not happy, he did feel that they would be safe enough tonight here. He sighed, and took a mouthful of grass which quieted his stomach. His ear flicked as he caught Aalun's question to Telaar, and then moved closer to hear the answer. He knew without a word to Aalun what was on her mind.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 3:37 pm
"Lonely? Sure, doesn't everyone sometimes? ....of course I just follow the goats around, or travelers if they don't mind me being around." She sighed a bit to herself and flopped down in the grass, keeping an eye on the mountain.
"And no, it's fine...go ahead and sleep, I'll be happy to watch things around here for you." Telaar said, giving them both a smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 7:39 pm
"That's true. Everyone does." Arthur said with a nod. He then nudged Aalun to make her go eat and get some rest. "If you don't mind, I think we can talk more in the morning." he said.
Once out of earshot he muttered to Aalun. "Are you sure?"
Aalun let herself be led away and took a few mouthfuls of grass before looking at Arthur and whispering. "She could easily betray us and any number of others if she was in collusion with a walker or kalona. The shelter here would be as good a place as any to set up such traps for the exhausted travelers going through the mountains." Aalun glanced over towards the silver mare now only a glowing silhouette in the dim light. "I trust her, and I think perhaps in the morning if all is well, you should offer. I think she could use a family...even one as odd as we're planning." she said with a playful smile.
Arthur leaned down and took a bite of grass and chewed it slowly thinking it over. They had decided that he should be the lead for this endeavor, a role he was not yet overly comfortable with. He swallowed and nodded. "I'll take what you've said into consideration." he managed to get out and not choke. How often had he heard his own father say things like that to his mother, his second-in-command, his council, Arthur himself, and his brother...? And by all things living how he'd hated that phrase! And suddenly by uttering those seven little words he felt the new and rather unwanted mantle of responsibility fall on his shoulders.
"I'm sure you'll make a wise and just decision for the sake of us all." Aalun said without malice, using the words the second of her herd would have used to their patriarch. She wasn't sure what words the second of Arthur's herd would have said, but it didn't matter. This was something new after all.
She nuzzled him affectionately then moved off a few paces to graze a little more before turning in for the night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:28 pm
"Right...sleep well." Telaar murmured, watching them wander off away from her into the trees to settle. She gazed back up the mountainside, knowing it was going to be a long interesting...if not boring, night. It had been a while since she had any reason to stay up on watch since it was easier to line a cave entrance with many small rocks. After all, most predators often didn't, or couldn't, get past them without making some noise and waking her.
She glanced back towards Arthur and Aalun as they settled for the night, eventually standing back up and wandering around quietly. There were hardly any rocks among the trees, despite their location. With a soft groan she wandered off to the trails again and started nudging small rocks back towards the larger entrance of their bed for the night.
"There...that should do it..." she murmured again, gingerly stepping around the many rocks and flopping back down into the grass. Telaar was exhausted after setting up her warning defense and she wasn't exactly sure when she drifted off to sleep, despite watching the mountainside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:51 pm
Arthur watched Aalun move off and shuttered. He knew exactly what she'd meant when she'd said that and realized that they were falling into roles that perhaps had always been meant for them. He didn't have to like it though.
He grazed for awhile longer then moved to settle down with Aalun, only sleep didn't come easily. He dozed fitfully, not from feeling unsafe, but just from thinking things over and trying to make a decision. His ear twitched at one point as he heard Telaar stir from her place on the far side of the grove and wondered if perhaps Aalun had been mistaken and the silver mare was turning them over to something out in the hills.
His entire body tensed, and he waited ready to nudge Aalun if necessary, but nothing happened. Once he was sure Telaar was no longer moving around he slowly picked his way towards the entrance of the grove and nearly slipped on the rocks she had moved there. He frowned, not having remembered them being their earlier, but then realized that Telaar must have done it. It wasn't the best defense mechanism but for a mare alone it was pretty good idea. Arthur smiled to himself and nodded. She'd put herself in danger to help protect two individuals she didn't even know. Satisfied and having finally come to an answer, he moved back next to Aalun and was finally able to get some sleep.
Aalun woke to the sounds of mountain birds singing their morning praises. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked remembering where they were. She evidently had been right, and nothing untoward had happened in the night. Feeling vindicated she moved over to the pool to get a drink and get the day started.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:28 pm
Telaar stirred slightly as Arthur stumbled on the rocks. Her ears pricked forward towards the noise, but ultimately didn't get up yet just in case. When she heard no other movement except back to the direction the two were sleeping in, she relaxed and let herself fall back into a deep sleep.
The sound of the birds mixed with the drinking of water stirred her again in the morning. She slowly raised her head and looked around, eventually focusing on watching Aalun. "Sleep well?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:37 pm
Aalun turned and smiled, nodding her head. "Yes very. I'm sorry if I woke you up, though. It wasn't my intention." she stretched out her back legs one after another and tossed her head working out the kinks from the night.
The sound of voices woke Arthur. He yawned hugely, stretched then wandered over to where the mares were talking. "Morning." he said to Telaar. "When you're feeling awake and all I'd, and I mean we'd like to have a word with you." he said before shoving his face in the water for a drink.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 11:40 pm
Telaar gave Arthur a tired nod and yawned. "Sure..." She looked around blearily for a bit, eyes falling on her rock defense and the ones Arthur had disturbed during the night. "Oh...was that...one of you?" She asked, quickly facing them again. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, I just exhausted myself setting things up and now a few of the rocks are moved around and..." She frowned, feeling like she had let them down.
"Sorry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 11:22 am
"Rocks?" Aalun asked. She looked between the two wondering what on earth they were talking about.
Arthur chuckled. "That was me. I heard you moving around and wondered what you were doing. It's really a very clever idea." He said to Telaar before looking over at Aalun. "Our friend here moves rocks onto the paths leading from an area so that if anything tries to approach her she'll hear it."
Aalun nodded and considered that. "That really is a good idea for someone who lives alone." she gave a reassuring smile to Telaar. "And of course Arthur's too nosy to leave well enough alone, we're probably both lucky he didn't stumble all over them and wake us both up." she said with an affectionate nudge to her mate.
Arthur coughed and flushed slightly. "Well...I..." he stammered trying to think of something to say and only managed a "Mares!" out of mock frustration.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:20 am
"Yes, the rocks are a good alert. They're better up in the caves because you can hear them better. The grass muffles it a bit, but someone who walks over them is guaranteed to make noise somehow." She smiled brightly back at Aalun, glad that she had at least been able to show them something to help them later.
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Telaar asked after a while, having let them fully wake up and enjoy the morning. "I'm ready whenever...I hope it's nothing bad..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
