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 Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 12:29 pm
The silence stretched a bit awkwardly, and Rynga realized the mare was waiting for him to say more. But what else could he say? He refused to pry into her past pains. If she wished to tell him, he would listen, of course, but he refused to put her in a position where she might feel forced to confide in a stranger. He could ask how long she had been on her own, but what if the loss was recent? Wouldn’t that amount to the same thing as prying? She had already said she was alone, so asking after any companions would only be furthering the pain. Rynga floundered helplessly. It was rare that the eloquent stallion was at a loss for words but the poor mare before him had well and thoroughly stumped him. He could share a sad tale of his own but any such tale would be fictional. He had few memories of his past thanks to a head injury he had sustained.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2015 12:35 pm
The silence stretched past polite and into uncomfortable, and Sekkei realized her error. To her irritation, the male wasn’t going to ask. Either he didn’t possess a single curious bone in his body, which she doubted, or he was trying to be respectful of her loss. And she had allowed the pause to last too long. Fool! She should have thanked him for his condolences immediately! Now what? How could she salvage this? She sucked in a shaky breath as if bracing herself and offered him a shaky smile. “Thank you,” she murmured. “Please forgive me… sometimes… my mind wanders.” It was a weak excuse, she knew, but maybe he would still accept it.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:38 pm
He didn’t believe that her mind had merely wandered, or that she had a tendency to become lost in thought. Oh, it was possible, but he doubted that was the reason behind her hesitation. No, he was almost certain that she had forgotten he was there for a moment, lost in the terrible memories, or her grief. That she had tried to present him with such a flimsy excuse told him three things. First, it confirmed that she did not wish to share her painful history with him. Second, it told him that whatever had left her alone in the world had happened recently. And finally, it told him that she wished not to confront it just yet. So, he smiled brightly at her and pretended to believe her excuse. “But of course,” he assured her, lightly, “I often find my mind gallivanting away, quite without my approval. Pray tell, oh glorious vision, are you heading anywhere in particular, or are you, like myself, allowing the wind to guide you?”
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:42 pm
For a second, Sekkei tried to puzzle her way through his words. She wasn’t positive, but she was fairly certain he had asked if she was wandering aimlessly like he was. Either that, or he had a set of wings hidden away somewhere she couldn’t see and was talking about flying. The second possibility seemed highly unlikely. The stranger didn’t strike her as being much smarter than her brother, Na’vasya, and if the wingless Wynter hadn’t discovered a way to join Sekkei and their other winged family members in the sky, she doubted this airhead would have succeeded. Then again, he was more traveled than her. An experienced idiot can know something an inexperienced genius didn’t. Still, she took the chance and shook her head. “I’ve never been away from my family home before recently,” she admitted, telling the unvarnished truth for once. “I thought I would go in the direction that felt right and see what I found.” And she seemed to have found him, though she wasn’t going to make that observation aloud.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:47 pm
Now this, Rynga could do something about. He continued to smile winningly at her. “If you’ve no destination, then I’d be much obliged, nay, HONORED to accompany you! Think of me, if you will, as a guide to the ways of the world. I have been wandering for much as long as I can remember and there are many ways I can make your travels safer and more pleasant, so should you wish it.” There were many dangers he could warn her of, signs of safety he could teach. It pained him greatly to imagine her learning as he had had to, the hard way.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:50 pm
She had to fight back the urge to agree immediately. After all, she didn’t want to appear too eager. She made a show of thinking about it, though really the offer required no consideration. He would prove a valuable asset. At least until she grew tired of him. If he was still alive, she would find a way to dispose of him. But that was getting ahead of herself. Finally, she smiled at him. “That would be wonderful… Thank you!” The words of gratitude felt wrong in her mouth, but she got them out.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:11 pm
Rynga all but beamed at her, pleased that she had accepted his aide. For a brief moment he entertained the idea that this marvelous mare could be The One he was looking for. He quickly dismissed the possibility. Not because she wasn’t lovely and admirable. He could see himself, or any sane stallion, really, falling for her. Rather, he dismissed the thought because she was obviously a wounded bird, in need of gentleness and care until her wing healed. In this time of sorrow, she needed a friend, not a potential suitor. Maybe, in time, their relationship would change, but he would not expect or look for more than what she offered in this moment. And what better way to truly kick off their budding friendship than with proper introductions? He presented her with a dramatic and intentionally ungainly bow, playing the fool in hopes of winning a smile or laugh from her. “If I may introduce myself, my lady. I am Rynga Bel, or simply Rynga to those who call me friend as I hope you will.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:17 pm
He was, without a doubt, an idiot. Oh, a happy idiot to be sure, but still an idiot. She smiled at his display, because that was clearly what he wanted but she couldn’t help but have some misgivings. Not about her choice in keeping him as a temporary servant, but rather about one of her goals in leaving her family behind. She had done so partially because their lunacy was driving her insane. But part of her had also held on to the hope that there were others like herself in the world. Others who were intelligent, sensible. Logical. This Rynga Bel was the second outsider she had met in her life. The first, a little filly with hidden intelligence had given her hope. That filly had eventually been a disappointment but she refused to think on it now. Perhaps idiocy was a male trait. Her brothers and father were certainly underutilizing their brains, and this stallion did behave a great deal like them. While Frost had always been a disappointment as a role model in Sekkei’s life, maybe she could take solace in the knowledge that it was Frost and not Sekkei who was abnormal. She pulled herself out of her thoughts enough to return his introduction with her own name. “Sekkei,” she said, then as an afterthought she added, “Sekkei Wynter.”
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:20 pm
Sekkei Wynter. The name brought to mind cold nights in the harshest months of the year. Such a name didn’t suit this sweet mare at all! But then again, if he forced himself to remember the good things about winter, such as watching gently falling snowflakes while cuddled up with someone important, maybe it did. That was the image he chose to associate with her, though he had to shut down the nagging voice in the back of his mind that told him something wasn’t right. He continued to smile at the mare. “A charming name for a charming mare,” he said. ”May I call you Sekkei?” He didn’t want to presume, after all.
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Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 7:21 pm
“Of course,” she answered, after only a second’s hesitation. What advantage could he gain from calling her by her given name, anyway? It seemed harmless enough, and cost her nothing to throw him this one bone.
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Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:04 pm
Rynga thanked her for the honor. It was a small matter of a few more questions before he learned that she had been hesitating over drinking from the river, uncertain if it was safe or not. Happy to be of use so soon, he gladly showed her the signs to look for to tell if a river was safe or not. As it happened this particular stream was, but he made sure to describe to her, in detail, what signs would have been present, had there been dangers in the depths. On more occasions than he cared to admit, he had run afoul of a croc or three. “Murky waters,” he told her gravely, “are not to be trusted. Clear water that you can see through, however, will rarely hide a predator from you. Unless that predator is very cleverly colored.” That too was something he had learned the hard way. Unfortunately it was also something that was not easily safeguarded against.
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Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:07 pm
While the bit about clear water and murky water seemed fairly obvious to the mare, the rest of the tips he gave her were surprisingly helpful. Some things, like looking to see where the plants grew, were things she would never have thought of on her own. She was confident that she would have made the connection on her own in time, but why bother when she had a well of information right in front of her? Rynga seemed determined to bounce between useful and idiotic in her mind though tat the moment she didn’t care. She simply had to keep him around until his usefulness wore out. And one thing she knew was common for every living creature was that they responded to flattery. Every time. So she widened her eyes in awe. “You know so much!” she praised him and managed NOT to sound sarcastic.
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Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:10 pm
Rynga fleet himself puffing up a bit with the compliment. His knowledge was hard won and as such he was proud of it and pleased that the lovely mare before him was suitably impressed. “Experience is a quick teacher,” he told her, safely. “In time you’ll know as much as me.” Perhaps more. After all, she had her memories completely intact. While they may be painful, he was certain there were good ones mixed in as well. The little experiences would doubtlessly yield nuggets of knowledge to her that he, with his blank slate before he woke on the valley floor some years ago, lacked. But she had enough to bear on her shoulders without being burdened with his problems, so he kept that detail to himself. It was no secret, but at the same time it wasn’t something that he made a habit of talking about.
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Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2015 3:12 pm
She sensed that there was more to his comment than he was saying. For the briefest of moments, she considered pushing. Then she realized she just didn’t care. Instead, she asked him more simple questions so he could show off some more. She allowed herself the tiniest of smirks as a reward for being right. Given the opportunity, Rynga was only too happy to boast and brag. From there it was only too easy to manipulate him into finding them a place to rest for the night. He seemed happy to jump to make her as comfortable as possible. She rewarded him with smiles and murmured praise. Words of gratitude came more difficultly, but she was able to force them out when necessary. These first few hours was enough to cement the pattern for their relationship for weeks to come.
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:43 pm
Time passed quickly. The mare proved to be a quick and appreciative study, and Rynga found himself admiring her bravery more and more. She shared little about herself, and he avoided prying when he could, regardless of his curiosity. Before long, he half fancied himself in love with her. She was amazing, smart, beautiful, loyal… ish. Well, maybe he wasn’t being completely fair to her. He had no reason to doubt her loyalty, really. It was just… a feeling. Some instinct that kept popping up at the oddest moments. Something about her was off. He wanted to believe she was what she seemed so he ignored the instinct, but he couldn’t ignore the coldness he sensed from her, or the fact that compassion always seemed to come after a beat of hesitation. Maybe it was all in his head. He hoped it was all in his head.
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