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 Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:35 am
"Alright, I was lost. But I was found again, so I dissembled a bit. Ladies prerogative" Radha laughed, and then checked herself, realising that at night, when there was little other sound, birds and so forth, it would carry further and could be heard by others who were unfriendly.
"I shall take your word for it, I may work the route out as we travel, or next time...." she paused for a moment, arranging the sack and moving her mane so that it wasn't catching around her legs.
"I won't try and travel back at night, and can therefore actually see where I'm going." she chuckled.
"You're correct on both counts, there are certain plants that I have to be out early in the morning or as the sun goes down, however this time it was simply all my fault, I lost track of time, and thought that I would be okay to get home in the dark..well, you know how that turned out." she wanted to gently pry in turn as to what it was that kept him awake but she was aware that his question was far less personal than hers would be and so she elected to keep the conversation light.
Of course if he divulged on his own she would be willing to listen and maybe even lend some sort of empathy or what comfort she could give.
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:11 am
Smiling, the stallion inclined his head slightly to acknowledge her right to dissemble should she so choose.
"A path once traveled should be easily found again, day or night." he could only presume that she would make mental note of any large landmarks to aid her passage this way again- wondering quietly to himself whether he should point a few out, just in case.
Most of it was keeping track of the distance between the river and mountains, tracking sun angle when that too was available. For now, though, familiarity guided their steps. Some things could seem known after one mere encounter, whereas others seemed to take a lifetime to figure out.
He glanced back to the mare at his side, listening as she spoke of bloom cycles and the rhythms of the natural world. "Though I am sorry for the circumstances, I am glad of your company this night." He glanced up at the sky, tiny pinpricks of light amidst a mostly black canvas that failed to filter down to them and guide their way. Focusing once more ahead, he wondered if perhaps clarification would serve to illustrate his meaning more clearly.
"I am often... haunted... by past events, so sleep does not come easily." he would not burden her with undue detail, but he felt entirely comfortable with this mare, Radha, knowing more of him than he typically offered. "Movement amidst the night can often help to soothe a wandering mind, and betimes I encounter others who are... restless, wandering, or in need of aid." He paused. "It is good to feel... useful."
Sinking into silence, he lead them along the route to what he could only assume was her current home.... or, at least, her current destination.
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:23 am
"If one has a sense of direction that is." she returned, smiling into the dark. Radha knew well her pathfinding ability or lack thereof was a fault she'd never managed to correct; that and so many other reasons had meant she had stayed away from her home after fleeing for far longer than she had meant to.
"Give me a well travelled path and I am a happy mare. The unknown throws me." she fell quiet as he spoke again, listening carefully and therefore keeping track of the route they were travelling was quite forgotten.
"These past events. Are they something you would be comfortable talking through with someone? Shared burdens are often lightened if you can bear to do so." she said, gently and quietly and then added;
"Of course, we have just met, and I would not pry or press so soon after meeting another, but you are doing me a kindness, and I'd like to do something in return."
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:43 am
Once more, his initial agreement came as a silent smile.
"Uncertainty can be unsettling, though there can be a certain satisfaction in traveling an unknown route for the first time and opening up the way to others." For him, any way; he was observant enough of his surroundings that he didn't really seem to get lost much, and if he was somewhere he didn't recognize he was fairly good at finding his way again... in the physical world, anyway. The uncertainty of metaphysical things was entirely terrifying, and yet called him in again and again.
He walked in silence for a while, carefully considering her questions. "I have indeed worked through most of the initial circumstances on my own; time, perhaps, has lessened the pain therein, and all that remains are the chaotic pieces left in its wake." feeling that it was rather melodramatic to state it so, even if it was true and entirely how he felt at the time, he offered her a small smile with a grateful glance. "Should we meet again, in conditions more suited to such tales, I would ... most welcome your thoughts on the matter."
They had come upon the curve in the river, and it was time to ascend from the dry bank and travel across more even terrain. He reared and pawed at the bank in a few places, making sure it was solid enough to hold their weight, before landing gently and turning back to her. "If you would climb up here, we shall be further on our way. Should you wish an easier route, we may follow the riverbank some way more and loop back a ways. It would be no trouble, of course, only prolonging our journey." He had nothing else to do, no where to go; he would not mind, but he felt the need to show her the quickest path back to the familiar.
If the unknown so troubled her, and it was so... easy... to show her the way, he was truly blissful to have the ability to guide her back.
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 11:58 am
"Uncertainty can be very unsettling, but on occasions it's the lesser of the two evils, especially when what you know for certain threatens your life." Radha said, her voice taking on a hint of the well-buried bitterness she still had, that she had tried and failed to completely rid herself of.
She fell silent herself, knowing that she'd revealed a little of herself there, but not enough beyond showing that like the stallion, her past had dark and painful moments in it.
"Meet again? I'd like that Kaen..I feel that I would like to get to you know beyond the fact that you're a helper to the aimless and lost." she smiled a little.
"Of course it would be nice if the next such occasion was during the day so I can see you properly."
She watched him testing the short incline of the river bank and gave a little nod. Despite his politeness she wondered if maybe she was keeping him from something that he had not mentioned.
"There's no rush on my part, not now I know that I am on the right course for home. But if you wish to take the quicker route for your own sake I can manage that short climb easily I am sure."
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Posted: Thu Sep 04, 2014 12:29 pm
Kaen's ears perked as he caught the subtle notes of bitterness in her voice, glancing at her with a flicker of concern as he considered her words with ever-more care. What certain evil haunted this mare, this healer?
Respecting her lapse of silence, he did not pursue the matter, instead storing it away in memory... another insight into the dark mare called Radha.
A warmth flickered in his heart at her words; it was not often, encountering others in the night as he did, that one wished to see him again. He was often merely a one-night guide, or a brief acquaintance, through no fault of his own (as he reminded himself time and again), rather for their embarrassment at the circumstances of their meeting or simply upon relying on another. Many were so wrapped up in themselves, or in the others in their life, that they did not wish to add another soul to their common route of polite conversation and gentle inquiry.
"I am glad to hear it." his smile turned to a brief grin, flashing quietly in the night and gone as quick as it had come, the first to grace his features in a long while. "I seem to carry the night with me, even in the day." No darkness within himself, other than that he carried with him of his past perhaps, rather the literal darkness and night-scape upon his coat. Oddly fitting, he thought, that he now wandered the nights that were so modeled on his form.
Glancing from the steep incline to the mare at his side, his ears flickered in momentary hesitation. It would be rather... un-dignified... of her to scramble so up the riverbank, to save only a short time. Though he could offer to help her up, should she falter or fall, it would be... somewhat indecent, to press her to try something so athletic when her night vision was admittedly poor.
"Perhaps I may show you the shortcut another time, should you wish it, though for now the longer route has no ills." He gestured for them to move on, past the bend and around to a gentler slope amidst the trees- one that was safe even in these conditions.
A thought wandered through his mind, and he tilted his head thoughtfully.
"... Are the properties of herbs and plants linked to their time to bloom, or does their use arise from some secret in treatment and preparation? " though he knew the basics of herb lore ( plant + trained Healer = Healed wounds, and other remedies), he had no idea how it all worked.
A safe and interesting topic, as the stallion tried for a lighter note to pass the time.
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 12:20 pm
"I presume you're talking about your appearance?." Radha asked, a half-smile on her lips.
"As I'd say I have you beaten there, hooves down. But if you don't mean that I also I don't feel that from you. Granted I have known you only a short time, but there isn't a feeling of heaviness that one might expect if that were true."
She relied a fair bit on her feelings of someone, of others, and she had found personally that being in the presence of somebody dark made the general mood of a place and others lower, as if their negativity drained in some way. As a healer she had also given aid to those traditionally seen as 'evil' and so she knew of the discomfiting feeling that being around them could bring.
"Then we will take the scenic route." she gave a nod and followed him as they walked slowly along the path he had described to her. She had fallen into a silence again, her eyes twitching as she caught the sounds of nocturnal insects calling, and so his next question slightly startled her out of her musings.
"Sorry, I drifted for a moment there, more fatigued than I thought I guess." she said, shaking her head and making sure she was fully in the moment so she could answer him.
"Some plants can be used freshly picked. Moss is good for wound dressing, fresh dock leaves for stings - they are also edible but I wouldn't do so in large quantities. Others are dried and powdered, dried and then steeped in hot water (a process I get help from two-leggers with) for oils and the like. Anything I use has been thoroughly tested over the years and the knowledge handed down through family lines. It is with great caution that I use remedies that are to be taken internally as adverse reactions do happen."
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Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2014 12:36 pm
He had begun to nod, and then peeked at her in curiosity. He could just make out her silhouette, darker than the surrounding night, and yet possessing a sheen that was entirely uncommon in the shadows that lurked around. If anything, she was a deep starless night whose radiance shone from within.
He smiled again, his expression soft and pleased.
Glancing back at the path somewhat self-consciously, he breathed the cool air for a few moments before responding. "Thank you." Even if she had meant it as a simple statement rather than a compliment, he was... could one feel bliss at a mere collection of words?
"Please, no need to apologize; it is late, and you have wandered far." he peeked at her somewhat anxiously, as her admission of fatigue confirmed his choice that scrambling up the steep riverbank would have been unwise and yet still begged for haste. He did not underestimate her strength, rather he simply lamented that he could not relieve some of her strain.
Though steering her back home as quickly as was prudent was certainly a help, he wanted to do... more.
Thus unsatisfied, he listened carefully to her descriptions.
Moss, dock leaves (caution: not too much), oils extracted through drying and hot water... so much knowledge, and much more handed down from the past. Admiring the skill of a healer even more, he guided her about a gentle curve in the river, keeping an eye out for the shallow slope.
"What is a cure for one might ail another?" he sought merely confirmation, for she had certainly implied as much.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:14 am
She wondered, not for the first time, at what had occurred in his life that had led to him sounding almost thankful that she had said that she didn't get a sense of darkness from him. Was there no one in his life that made him felt light at heart? It was a shame if not, she still didn't know him too well, but from what he'd shown so far, she would not be the worse for knowing him better.
"I'm a little.." here she broke off as a yawn stopped her from talking for a moment, her head turning to one side out of manners as she did so.
"Tired.." she gave a soft chuckle at the timing.
"As with many things. After all, I know there are those that have a diet that would turn mine or I am sure your stomach, but for them it is nourishing. With herbal remedies is unfortunately the same, though extreme reactions are thankfully rare. Still, caution has to be exercised, and I augment them with my healing magic, although that too has its limitations."
It was hard work being a healer, the responsibility weighed on her when she let it do so, but it was good work and she believed in healing for all so it helped keep her going.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:44 am
Kaen smiled, turning his own head to hide it slightly since she seemed inclined towards the polite belief that yawning during conversation was rude. It was... sweet.
He turned back at her chuckle, the smile now playing more easily across his face until he listened seriously to her response.
Her response, shared with an honest and real example, just made the apparent duality of the statement all the more poignant and yet sensible.
He wondered, not for the first time, how much of themselves healers put into their healing. He supposed that their selflessness was part of what he admired in them- the willingness to physically tax themselves, or push themselves seemingly beyond the limits of reason, for the sake of another. Even a stranger... he wondered, suddenly, when logic would take over, when the reasoning that 'if I die today, another may die tomorrow whom I could have saved' would take over... surely they had self-preservation instincts, even when rallied against by their caring hearts?
Flashing a quick glance at the mare beside him, he wondered not for the first time if all healers should be assigned a... watcher. Not a keeper, or a 'sitter', merely someone to remind them of themselves and to pull back a little... remember to care for yourself.
And to... keep them from getting lost on the way.
He looked up ahead; they had arrived at the gentler slope, and even now he was guiding her gently up the incline with a smooth shift of his hooves. "Thank you." he said seriously, referring to her answer. Perhaps, another day, when stories were shared, he would ask a little more of her... art.
"We are almost there, and you should be able to rest before long." he reassured her, assuming that she would wish to get back to a familiar place before resting for the night.
He would have been honored to watch over her, if not, but... he would see his task through.
It was, already, an honor... and a pleasure, to be with her this night.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:16 pm
Radha would have found his thoughts interesting if he ever felt the want to give voice to them. Variations of them had been thought by herself, and her daughter over the years - and of course her late mate. The fact that she healed anyone who had need of it had been one of the larger bones of contention (never mind that the herd they belonged to forbade it), but she knew she had a gift and it was one that should be shared.
Her tail was dragging a little now, her mane tangling around her legs and the herb bag had started to chafe at her neck. All in all she was of two minds when he said they weren't far off (indeed she was recognising her surroundings a little when she took a moment to actually look beyond the stallion) for she was eager to rest, but it would mean she would also part ways with Kaen.
"So soon? Now I feel bad for prevailing on you when I was this close to my home, though your company was most welcome." she said, smiling at him.
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Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:28 pm
He smiled a little, turning to look at her once more. The time had truly flown, though more for the company he kept and not for any lack of distance. Did she realize how much winding and turning they'd done, even back-tracking along the river a ways after the incline, before coming upon what he could only presume was a familiar sight for her? But, then, perhaps she, too, had felt the ease of their passing in turns of quiet companionship and conversation.
Or... maybe... that disconnection of time and place was why she had been lost in the first place.
"It was no trouble, in truth quite a pleasure and and honor." He offered her another smile; they seemed to flow freely in his expressions this night.
Feeling somewhat self-conscious now that they were so near her resting-place, he tried to keep his gaze to himself, knowing even so that he would know, always, the place she currently called home. Just as he was able to keep track of his location while his own mind wandered, he would be able to find her home again even if he entered it's surroundings only blindfolded.
But, then, she had invited his company again, had she not?
Just... maybe he should let her find him next time... again.
"Perhaps we may converse more in our next encounter, when you are more rested."
At this point, he let her lead on with the subtle hints of recognition, prepared to peel away when she indicated that it was the appropriate time and melt back into the night.... or what remained of it.
CitrusCupcake Chivalry FAIL. xd Carry her bag, ya goof.
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Posted: Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:38 am
Radha would have been surprised if he had told her the truth about how non-direct and winding their route to her home - she hadn't been paying attention, mostly because she had been enjoying his company, and to a lesser part the fact that she had trusted him to show her the way so hadn't felt it necessary to pay attention to the route. Of course her fatigue had also played its part.
"Oh, we are very near now."
She took the time now to look around her, the shadowy forms of hills, the placing of groups of trees, and the faintest hint of woodsmoke on the air (that she managed to catch despite her nose being pretty much full of the scent of lavender by that point).
"Likewise, I don't think I've ever enjoyed being lost before now." Radha huffed a long strand of mane from her face and gave a lop-sided smile from around it when it refused to move.
"I am a fright.." she said with a soft chuckle, and then gave a nod, before tugging at the increasingly annoying bag.
"I'd like that very much Kaen. Shall I get lost again in a day or so?" she asked, jokingly but entirely willing to meander off course again if it made them cross paths again. She was quite determined that this little sprout of a relationship with someone besides her relations would be nutured.
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Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 8:17 am
He was.... glad, to see her home, and yet also rather wistful.
He noticed that, as she became more familiar with her surroundings, she seemed to show more interest in them- as though a new breath of life had come into the fatigued mare.
He eyed the strap of her herb-bag from the lightening darkness, frowning and wondering how heavy herbs could be. Was it an insult, to offer to carry something so small, when one sought only to relieve a burden?
But, then, they were here, and to do so now would seem out-of-place.
In any case, he did not wish to impose; perhaps she took pride in carrying the herbs around herself, and if the strap seemed large it may have been a thoughtful or beloved gift and thus never to be replaced.
Blinking to clear his mental wandering, he smiled as she huffed at a stubborn strand and would have grinned along with her chuckle if her words had not registered in time.
"If I may be so bold, there is nothing frightful about you, lest you should feel so inspired to act out and prove all wrong- and, even then, it would be only a ruse." He knew that she was referring to her self-labeled appearance, but he had never assigned much worth to such superficial things. At least, not since Her... he focused deeper, at the being peeking out from behind those long locks, even now, at the mare who would smile and chuckle and joke despite her fatigue. He did not know her, truly, not yet, but what he saw... oh, yes, he would quite enjoy another encounter with Radha.
Laughing now, he shook his head, grinning once the short burst faded away. "You need not lose yourself to find me."
He paused, the grin falling slightly as he considered what he had just said.
A truth with no filter. Though being physically lost did not directly imply some ethereal dilemma, when one replaced the intending meaning with another it... worked.
With a simple smile- still so rare, in his world- he bowed slightly, not quite caring if the gesture was difficult to make out in the fading darkness. Respect and sincerity rang in every word, as well as a certain... gratitude... for allowing him to get out of his head and be... Useful.
"May we meet again soon."
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Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2014 12:09 pm
"You're very sweet Kaen, but I feel that my mane is turning into a length of tangles and I'm sure I'm quite dusty and a bit...I've perspired like a lady." Radha said, and then laughed.
"That would be quite the turn around if I suddenly acted frightful now wouldn't it?" she said, and then shook her head.
"I don't know if I could be vicious if I tried.."
It wasn't that she had never felt anger, or a want to cause pain to someone who had wronged her, it just went against who she was to inflict physical harm to another unless she was provoked. Being nasty for nastys sake, that she wouldn't do.
"No?"
The levity dissipated slightly as a note of something deeper hung around them after his words, but so that it didn't become an uncomfortable moment for how long they had known one another, she smiled again and nodded.
"We shall. Rather than my wandering and getting lost in what may be somewhere far away from you, may I ask you to call again here in say two days time? I will be rested and presentable once more by then."
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