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 Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 4:02 am
Berry had watched the Kelpi take a breath as they got closer to the ocean, and like a curious filly, Berry copied her. there was something new about the air, a scent Berry wasn't quite familiar with. She smelled the water and the sand, she was familiar with those things, but she'd never smelled salt water before so it was completely foreign to her. "A Mer? Is that what they like to be called?" she asked, all curious as she listened and looked around at the steadily changing scenery.
She recognized the dune grass, though not as itself, it reminded her of the green grass of open fields and the tall saw grasses, what was grass doing out here in the sandy earth? Berry looked at the sand as she walked, watching how her hooves sunk in it each time she took a step. it looked like it would blow away with one big gust from Brother Wind, how could anything grow here when one wind would uproot it?
"But your right, we didn't have... Mers..." Berry paused for just a second or two, the word was still strange to her. "-back home. Or Kelpies like you, just others like me, well, aside from the coloring that is." she added quickly. Even in her foster herd Berry had been the odd one, her coloring so strange, so she knew they weren't quite the same, somehow. "We had fish in our lakes and rivers, but nothing with the front half of a horse or a Soquili."
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2015 2:08 pm
 The journey passed pleasantly enough, with light talk and nice scenery. The trail was becoming a familiar one to her, a trek she could easily make in a day if she wanted to leave the ocean for other scenery and then return before nightfall. She could be comfortable enough without swimming if the day was cool, but in the heat of summer she liked to at least soak in fresh water to dampen her scales rather than going all day without. Still, she was comfortable for the moment, and once they had reached the surf she could take advantage of it before touring Berry around the different tide pools.
Sahaena glanced at the mare at her side smiling faintly when she noticed Berry was copying her and also drawing a deep breath. Sea air. Sand and water and salt on the wind. She was almost home. Good, perhaps she could teach her new friend a thing or two, in the middle of their exploring and travel together.
"What you smell, but probably do not yet taste on the wind, is the Great Bitter Water. My home." Sahaena explained, drawing in another breath. It was homecoming, and she drank in the salt and distant roars of the sea she could feel in her heart even if she could not yet hear them. "Hmm? Oh, yes. Mer or Mer-Kind is usually what they prefer, on the whole. Then of course if they grant you their names, you may use that freely. But yes, Mer-kind is the most common title for those with the fore-end of a Soquili and a great tail like a strange fish."
Craning her head to give a fond nose to the dune grass, Sahaena lipped at a green strand. "You can probably taste the difference in Dune grass and the grass you are more familiar with. It is slightly saltier. I must say I do miss the sweet grass of the middle lands, like that which grows in forest and field. I have also discovered I like lemongrass, which grows amongst some of the fields rather like the wild onions do. As far as I can discern, there is no real reason for its location. The taste is quite pleasant, I wonder if it would grow nearer to hear, if it could be transported?"
She didn't expect Berry to know, but keeping up the chatter seemed polite.
Sahaena gave a faint frown. "No others like you or I or Mers, hmm? Is that land far from here? Wait, so none even with a hide the color of your own? That seems unusual. Were your family not from there? Not kin of their kin?"
She wondered then if Berry was on a journey to find her family, to find the herd or at least part of the bloodline she had come from. Sahaena would not begrudge her that, not in the slightest, for she rather wondered about her relatives too. She had known a mother, once upon a time, but that had been a solitary life. Surely she had a father somewhere, perhaps even siblings or a herd of other relatives. It would be nice to find them, one day, or to at least find out...
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Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2015 7:49 pm
Berry listened, learning form the Kelpie mare as the other spoke about different kinds of grasses and the Sea. When the topic turned to family though, Berry got a bit uncomfortable. Mostly because it was hard to explain even to herself sometimes, and the Kelpie seemed so nice, what if Sahaena didn't like her once she found out? It wasn't just family, was it, it was how the kind of soquili they were had interacted with others. What if Sahaena had bad interactions with her possible family? Whatever the Case, Berry didn't want to be rude, so she'd just have to suck it up and tell a little story.
"No, my old herd isn't very far... they wander a lot, but some of their range is near enough to Soquili lands. The Lead Stallion in charge of the Herd found me when I was very little and adopted me. He brought me to one of the mares in his herd who'd lost her own foal to predators, she adopted me too. I never knew anyone else. Father told me when I was old enough that he'd found me on my own and took me in, right at the edges of his herds wandering lands and the Soquili lands... though, Soquili isn't what they call us." She said, not sure if the term would offend or not but it was the only one she knew, it was what the herds called horses liek her, like Sahaena and the other Soquili.
"The other herds like Father's, and father's herd too, call Soquili 'Spirit-Touched'. Though, only the herds at the edges of the lands most often truly know why. Father's herd only came close once in a great while. I got very lucky he found me before a wolf or bear did. In the herd ranges, there are no Spirit-Touched. The Herds all know of the spirits, Wind Brother and so on, save for your Great Bitter Water, but there's no Spirit-Touched among the herds, not even diluted blood, far as I could tell." Berry tried to gloss over that part with a kind smile. In truth she'd often gotten teased and picked on for being the strange one. she was too easy to spot, her color being so strange. it made her a good target for Wolf packs, for Bears and other such creatures. Her strange color had made her herd work twice as hard to protect not just her, but all the foals, no matter how well Mother tried to hide her or Father got after the other adults for something Berry couldn't do anything about.
"I was quite the only one of all the herds with strange coloring. At least my markings were somewhat normal," she murmured, meaning her spots and the fade on her legs. "The cream parts at least, but the rest of my colors...not so much. So, when Father told me of how he'd found me at the edges of the lands...I decided to try and find out why, to come into Soquili lands and find my real parents. I haven't found many who might be related though. Our colors are similar, Your red and white pelt, but your red is brighter, and your while cleaner, like new snow, where mine is muddied with my own berry-juice coloring... but I don't have a tail like you, or the fins. Finding the color is hard enough, finding others that look like I do is harder still."
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:22 pm
"Sorry, gardening is of interest to me, and I recently met some Soquili of the inland that cultivate varieties of flowers and herbs... They are pleasing to the eye and nose, and some of the leaves and petals can be eaten or used in healing... And many other things besides. It makes me wonder if I could grow lemongrass and other such things a little closer to my home, so I could visit them more frequently." The Kelpi mare gave a soft laugh. "I am afraid I think allowed a bit, it comes from spending time alone."
"I've not explored the whole of the Soquili lands, much less seen any of the lands beyond them. Is it pretty there, where your herd lives?" Sahaena questioned, before falling silent to hear more of the story. "So you have no memory of your time wandering before the herd adopted you? Perhaps even of a basket or a location or siblings? I am sorry, that was probably very lonely. I am glad that he found you, though, and that they took you in."
She hummed at the term 'Spirit-Touched', considering it thoughtfully. She had heard of certain types of Soquili that were called that, what with their strange features... Some that were painted, or drifted into mist, or dripped ink. Sahaena had not been fortunate enough to see such Soquili, but she had heard enough. They were unusual traits, to be sure, even among Soquili with their bright pelts and bold feathers and strange wings and so on.
But that there were those out there that thought of all of them like that. Well, she supposed it was rather flattering in a way? To be considered special."I imagine it was not easy growing up, able to see and clearly feel how strange you were among their ranks. I am sure that the foals were less than kind. I know I used to be teased because of my coloring. Most others were shades of blue and green, sometimes yellow. Things that blended in among the anemone and coral. I am so crimson that I was awkward, but I do not mind it so much now.. I have not for many years."
She gave a soft laugh and glanced off, journeying in silence for a few strides. "And then you come here, and I am sure it is like a world of black and white has exploded into rainbows, hmm? I know even my quick trips through the land have revealed colors I never knew existed... And the spikes and spines and fins and flippers and wings and so on... I feel the variety is never ending. That must make looking for lost kin difficult."
The Kelpi mare frowned. "Yes, our colors are somewhat similar, and that may be a way to start if you hunt for berry-colored others in the lands... In fact I even know of a ground-walking mare with colors that are very similar indeed to you. Then again, there is a magical wishing star that shines, you could seek the alter and pray to it? It might be able to light your way to your relatives."
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Posted: Sun Jul 05, 2015 2:04 pm
Berry smiled a bit as Sahaena went on about guardening. "I don't mind, really. I met a gardener recently, actually, but he lives quite far from the Sea I believe."
When Sah commented about what it was like growing up different, Berry nodded. "Oh yes, it's very hard being different when your young, it hurts more I think." she said, frowning a bit. "And No, I don't remember much from when I was little, but, then again there is little to remember when I was not a part of my foster father's herd. He found me right before I came out of my basket. Hidden half under a berry bush. I suppose where he found me, and my 'berry' coloring is why he named me Berry." She laughed a bit. Even if living with the herd had been painful for her differences, she still loved her foster parents, they'd taken care of her, much as they could. "And your right, it is like a burst of colors, coming to these lands. I've never seen so many different colors and strange limbs on a horse before! Wings, Fins, Beaks, scales! These lands truly are special, but I haven't met any who look like I do yet, at least, not close enough. You're coloring is similar, but there's differences there. Your black is all over, in patterns, mine is in my mane and tail and not really black at all, just darker berry colored. You have your tail and fins and I do not have such things." she sighed a bit. "I did meet someone , a Winged One, who was colored like a cardinal and said he knew someone who was almost my color, but, there was some things going on, and no one knew where this mystery other was at, so it's quite hard to compare colors to one who can't be found."
Then the Kelpi mentioned an Alter. "An Alter...?" Berry asked, most curious. "A wishing star? You really think those might help me find my blood relatives?" Berry asked, not sure she wanted to dare to hope.
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Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 2:11 pm
"Did you now? Yes, I imagine it would be easier to tend to flowers further away from the sea. There are not many plants that do well with such a high salt content, and there is little nutrients to be found in the sand near the beach. Still, there are a few yellow flowers that bloom on the dunes, and sea grape is very pretty in its own way. I am content enough with those, close to home as they say."
Sahaena gave a soft laugh. "Not that I don't love seeing all of the flowers that grow in forest and field. It is probably the main reason I continue to wander as I do. There is no guarantee I will make a friend on each new adventure, but I almost always see new plants."
As Berry began to speak again, Sahaena tilted her head, keeping one compassionate eye fixed on the mare. "Yes, I am very certain you are right. Foals can be unintentionally cruel, harsh when they do not understand you or why one is different. Then again, I find that foals can be among the most compassionate, quick to forgive and recover. I am sorry that the herd that rescued you could not make you feel more welcome... But I am certainly glad you have found your way here, and that we have become friends. I can only hope you will be more fortunate in friend and allies now that you are here."
She grinned at the story of how Berry earned her named. "That's a fun tale, though. I am sure they loved you very much, I suppose you miss them terribly now that you are here. But at least you are making friends, that is something!"
The Kelpi mare nodded in understanding. "Yes, the natives are quite startling in their lovely range of features. I must say that everyone I meet seems to be different than the last, and not at all what I expect. I have seen some that are shades similar to you, closer even than my own scales, but I am afraid it was only at a distance. The mares are not truly known to me. Still, I have a few friends that live on the land that may be able to help, if you wish to seek them out and see if they are kin to you."
Sahaena flicked her tail, flaring her fins as she listened to the tale of the cardinal. "Yes, there are several patterned in the way you describe. I rather imagine I more closely resemble the cardinals than you, I am sorry if it is a disappointment. Still, I am happy to be a friend even if we are not family."
Craning her head over to give Berry a reassuring nudge with her nose, Sahaena resumed her gentle strides. "Yes, there is a place that many in this land travel to, a symbolic place where offerings to the star are made. Many go to pray, hoping to find true friends, lost relatives or loved ones, or couples that pray for children... They speak to the star and sometimes their wishes are granted. It is a possibility, at least? Certainly it would do no harm if you tried while still seeking out relatives."
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