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 Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:03 pm
With the rising heat, the sun directly overhead at high noon, things were getting quite cumbersome for the two earth phonies. Mandrake huffed in vain to blow hair away from her eyes that clung to her hide from the humidity.
Still, the arduous process was not in vain. Just before Ikebana started his approach, a flash of purple caught her eye -- the telltale sign of a mandragora. She raised a hoof to interrupt him, as if he hadn't already trailed off on his own, and without glancing Ikebana's way at all Mandrake hunkered down and all but crawled toward the bloom with her haunches raised. She lifted some surrounding underbrush, delicately pulled aside offending leaves that hid precious details, all while trying oh so carefully not to disturb what might have lurked beneath.
Through all of their effort to be cautious, Mandrake nearly threw it out the window. Upon confirmation, she leaped back and had to stifle her own shriek of excitement that came out as more of a muffled yelp with both hooves shoved against her mouth. Eyes wide and practically filled with stars, she turned to Ikebana and nodded vigorously.
This was it. The big one.
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2016 10:10 pm
As he heard her cry out--and then stifle herself--Ikebana started, eyes widening and the hair on his neck rising. Even when silence reigned again, it was disturbed, like mud rising in water. His heart continued to beat quickly. He knew what her aborted tell had to mean.
Quietly, he crept forward to look at the blossom himself in verification. He had no doubt of her being right, but he had to see it for himself. He stepped quietly, gingerly, over plants.
"Holy…" he murmured as he saw it, trailing off. It was there! It was really there!
He looked at Mandrake with excitement in his eyes and smiled widely. Then it was time to work. He fit the earplugs in his ear and offered some to her, then took three steps to the right of the plant and slowly, deliberately, began to dig. He dug and dug and dug, and with her help, the two eventually grew close enough to the plant that, although dirt obscured it, its root shape could be seen.
It looked like a chubby sleeping baby, from what Ikebana could tell, dirt on his brow. Wow. There it was.
Sleeping being the most important word there.
He looked over at Mandrake, nodding. They could scoop it with its dirt from here, keeping it asleep, with any luck.
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 5:29 am
With his ear plugs, Mandrake retrieved the earmuffs she brought as well for extra sound protection. They worked, carefully and tireless, until a nice wide area was open around the mandragora's roots that they could easily see them. Both Ikebana and Mandrake were caked with dirt, mud, and sweat.
In her effort to wipe some sweat and hair away from her eyes, Mandrake left a dark streak of it across her face. With one look to Ikebana, she nodded as well. To keep herself quiet, Mandrake pulled her lips in. What they did right or wrong in the next few moments would determine several outcomes, the responsibility of which made her hooves tremble as she took out the jar.
She peered at the plant as she drew closer; the form of a dirt caked baby with strange tapered limbs, it didn't seem to be breathing -- not in the way most things capable of screaming would -- but it wasn't completely motionless either.
Mandrake took a deep breath, in then out, to steady herself. She cast one more look to Ikebana, then approached. The jar was certainly wide enough to fit the roots but she moved slow as anything to keep from knocking them against the sides. The further up the rim went, the more Mandrake squinted and leaned away until her eyes were completely shut, teeth grit, and she had all but turned her head as far as it could go.
It was then she felt the rim hit something dense and there she froze until, timidly, she peeked. The jar fully encased the roots of the mythical plant. Within, it writhed not unlike a tired worm, but it made no sound and gave no indication it had been disturbed.
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:21 am
As she trapped the plant within the jar, Ikebana stood aside, still as he could be, his breath held unconsciously. He felt awed by the plant, their journey, and yet rightly terrified in case anything went at all wrong. The afternoon could, after all, take a very unpleasant turn.
But Mandrake's hooves, though they may have shaken, did not falter. The plant was in the jar, roots and comfortable padding of dirt and all, before Ikebana could even register that they had done it.
And they HAD done it.
A breath came whooshing out of him as he looked in the jar and saw the mandrake comfortably ensconced within; no sign of it rising in anger. He smiled broadly, giddy from relief.
"Wow…" he breathed, looking at Mandrake with bright eyes, his face and hair and hooves muddy and sweaty--but he didn't care. Not in the least. To be with this mare, having accomplished something truly amazing, felt better than he ever had.
"Congratulations," said Ikebana. "You finally have one."
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Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2016 7:36 am
Even as Ikebana congratulated and confirmed their victory, Mandrake neither looked at him nor gave any response. She stayed still for several moments, admiring their hard work, then finally moved to set the jar aside and climb out of the hole. Each movement was still cautious, uncertain. She sat on her haunches and stared at her mud covered hooves as though they had just cast magic. When finally Mandrake turned to Ikebana, her eyes were wide and glossy. Once again, she pulled her lips tightly into her mouth to keep herself quiet as this time her excitement threatened to overflow in a tumultuous shriek. Mandrake tapped the ground as a muffled squeal rose in her throat. For so long she thought that, despite her knowledge, magical plants were still out of her reach. She was no unicorn, she had no magic of her own, but all it took was the combined effort and brain power of two earth phonies to overcome a great mythical obstacle. Not only that, but her companion was just as awed by their victory. The stallion beside her put his all into their task and trusted her knowledge. When all of her energy seemed ready to burst forth in a horrible cry, Mandrake instead hurried to her feet and planted her lips to Ikebana's cheek. Thank you, she intoned without opening her mouth. Her brows twisted from gratitude above her damp eyes. Ikebana helped Mandrake realize one of her lifelong dreams -- and she had to say, it felt much better than it would have alone.
~fin~
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