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Coming to D’ob was a good idea. I’d been starting to get kinda skinny staying in Quirne, started to put muscle back on already and I’ve only been here a week or so. Plus it isn’t so cold as to keep me out of the water. Today I went for a swim in one of the bigger rivers, got out after a while for a doze. I got disturbed by a fly, and there was an Ichsa mare looking at me. She’d already seen me so I couldn’t slink off and avoid the encounter. I’m glad I didn’t, though, she turned out to be really nice.

Her name’s Sonata, and like the rest of the world she’s bigger than me. Ah well. Still, she seemed to be a bit lost, turns out she’s left her herd pretty recently and doesn’t know anything about the world at all. She hadn’t even heard of Qurine, so I offered to take her there. It also came out that she’s lost a friend of her’s, a Shrila called Milo. I’m guessing he looked after her until now. So, anyway, we went off and had some apples and such and then I went to find Nyx.

When I told her about Milo and Sonata she was only too happy to have people search, but I didn’t feel right asking her to do that and doing nothing in return so I asked if there were any favors she needed done. She laughed and said I didn’t have to do anything, and I contradicted her. She said that I was very sweet. Not sure if I’m annoyed about that or not.

Still, she thought of something in the end; apparently there’s this mare called Bastet who ran off from an arranged mating and came to Nyx. Nyx told her to think carefully about it and told her to go off to see Qurine whilst she sent a messenger to Bastet’s father telling him she would be coming back but that she just needed some time to be free first. Something like that. Anyway, I don’t have to understand all the ins and outs of it; I just have to find Bastet and tell her the messenger got there fine, and that the message back is that everyone is very glad she’s safe and to hurry home because her relatives have been worrying themselves sick.

Apparently Bastet is pretty distinctive (Black with purple stripes, gold hooves and eyes) so with luck I should find her no trouble.

The blue stallion backed away from the heated conversation gratefully; he’d brought the striped mare home which hadn’t been part of the job description from Nyx but had been something he’d felt compelled to do nonetheless. It wouldn’t have been right to leave the young mare to find her way back alone given she didn’t know the lay of the land... Well he said young, she was probably about the same age he was perhaps a touch younger or older, it was hard to tell and hadn’t exactly come up in the sparse conversation they had shared.

Shaking his head to himself, the Ichsa turned away and set off at an easy trot. It wasn’t as warm here as it was in D’ob but it was more sheltered than his ocean home and hence there was more to eat. Seen as he was here, the stallion decided as his pupilless eyes took in a tasty looking patch of grass, he might as well take advantage of it. Coming to a halt, the blue stallion lowered his head and began to crop at the blades. It had a different taste to the stuff he was used to in Qurine, different too D’ob’s grass. Still, it was pleasant enough and that was all that mattered. Settling his tendril wings more comfortably against his flanks, the black-hooved Nequus got on with grazing. He might well have continued doing so in peace for some time, but fate was against him on that particular score.

“Who’re you?”

Maurice started at the voice and spun around; he had been off in his own little world and hadn’t picked up on the thumps of a landing Nequus and then the hoofbeats of it approaching him. The owner of said hoofbeats was, thankfully, not looking aggressive. She was an Ichsa like he was, but for once he had actually found something other than a Bae smaller than he was.

“Name’s Maurice,” he offered with a smile. “Jus’ brought Bastet ‘ome... Who’re you?”

The mare grinned widely. “Name’s Lestra. Any chance you’ll be hanging around? Don’t get many hot stallions about.”

Maurice blinked. Well she was forward. “Erm... I reckon I’ll be ‘ere a few days but after that I’ll be going back to Qurine... Thanks by the way.” What else were you supposed to say when an utter stranger told you that? Well if there was some kind of standard response, he hadn’t heard it so the one he’d given would have to do.

“Oh, that’s a shame,” the mare gave him another grin, “I thought maybe we could’ve been Friends... That in mind, any chance you’ll be here longer?” she asked, taking a few paces towards the dark-coated stallion.

Maurice blinked again. “No,” he said honestly as she drew closer, “I’m afraid not.” Not that she wasn’t pretty, but he didn’t have any interest in a Friendship with anyone. So far as he was concerned it was relationship or nothing.

Lestra paused, a frown crossing her face. “Did you understand why I was implying there?” she asked, regarding the other Ichsa as though he were somewhat slow.

“Yea,” the stallion nodded, “definitely understood, an’ anything that blatant don’ deserve the term ‘implying’ if y’ ask me.” Was she the norm for this herd or what? Bastet hadn’t seemed like that at all, and neither had anyone else he’d glimpsed or spoken to. So, this Lestra was either an oddball or not a member of the herd, he guessed.

The short mare was still for a few moments, a thoughtful look on her face. Before long though she crinkled it in amusement. “Ohhhhh, I get it; you don’t swing that way? Sorry about that, maybe we could go pick up stallions together instead?”

Maurice made a noise something akin to ‘glack’. “No, no,” he said hurriedly, “I like mares I’m just... err... not very... Casual, ‘kay? I mean you’re very pretty an’ all that but all I know about you is you’re name and... Well, I jus’ don’ work like that. Sorry, if y’ looking for a guy t’ shack up with y’ looking in the wrong place.” Yesh, she must be used to getting yeses if her first assumption about a refusal was that it meant somebody wasn’t into mares. Still, he supposed quite a lot of stallions would jump at the chance to have no strings attached fun with a pretty girl with a friendly grin.

“Oh.” Lestra looked bemused. “Well that’s... weird. Still, each to their own I guess... How about actually being friends then? I mean, I’ve not traveled a lot in my life, and I’m kinda bored of this place. Wha’d’y’say? Take me with you when you head back to Qurine? I won’t be a pain, honest, and if you get annoyed with me you can leave me behind. Gods know pretty much anyone could do that.”

The silver-marked stallion had to smile at that. “Yea, know the feelin’,” he said with a nod; sometimes it sucked to be short. She seemed quite nice really, a complete slut perhaps but still, being her friend didn’t sound like a bad thing. “Alright, if y’ like,” Maurice decided with another nod. “Like I say, hangin’ about ‘ere a few days but if y’ don’ mind not goin’ off lookin’ f’ Friends y’ can hang about with me an’ then we’ll go t’ Qurine t’gether.”

The small mare gave another of her massive grins. “I can live with that,” she nodded, "now what say I show you about a bit? There’s better grazing than what you were eating just now that I can take you to.”

The curly-maned stallion smiled and nodded in return. “Sounds great t’ me, Lestra, lead the way.”

It looked, the well-built stallion considered as his new (decidedly insane) friend grinned again and set off at a trot, as though coming all the way here with Bastet had been worth the effort invested. Smiling softly, the dark-coated stallion set off after the other Ichsa; he did like making new friends.

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Well, I found Milo or rather he found me. Lovely little thing he is, flapped off to get me food right away, before he even asked after Sonata. Oh, yea, he figured I knew her because I knew his name; this is a bit muddled because I’ve discovered a whole new level of tired, more on that later. Anyway, he came back with two baskets of apples for me, I gotta say I was impressed by the strength of those little wings he’s got. So, after I’d eaten a little we got to talking; I told him that Sonata was fine and that I’d last seen her in Qurine. Then he asked me why I was here alone. I’d been trying not to think about that, but oh well; I told him about the crossbreed and all that s**t. It almost made it feel more real, I guess, that she isn’t coming back and all.

Anyway, after that he offered to stay with me, or to go if I preferred. I said he should go find Sonata. He said he didn’t want to leave me by myself. I was left to wonder why he offered to leave if he had no intention of doing so, but people are weird and honestly right then I didn’t give a damn one way or the other if he stayed or went and I said as much to him, but not quite in those words. He decided to stay, as I’d suspected he would, until the fruit hatched and then he’d be off to find Sonata. I just about found it in me to thank him; I didn’t want him to stay, but I didn’t want him to leave either, so yea. I offered to give him directions to my cave in Qurine so that he could come find me if he didn’t find her. He said that’d be good, and asked me to get Sonata to stay put with me if I saw her first.

So, I started giving him direction to my cave, and then half way through saying I hoped the fruit would hurry up and hatch, it fell on me. I’m fairly sure I squealed like a filly. Oh well.

It hatched before long; a little blue and brown colt with a sharp white horn. I know it’s sharp because the first thing he did was head butt me in the face. Naturally I have named him Spyke, the sadistic little horror. He spent the next few minutes poking and nipping me and working out how to stand up, he didn’t fall over even once of which I am insanely proud, and then went to investigate the apples. When I joined him, he kept trying to steal my apple. As I say, little horror. Still, before long we were off towards Qurine; me and Milo with the apples and Spyke with a stick; guess he didn’t want to be left out of carrying stuff.

I am so glad to get away from that tree, not because of it in itself but because now I can run about again, and I don’t feel cornered. I tire easily, though, which is annoying. I guess it was only to be expected given how thin I am right now but it’s still frustrating. Spyke doesn’t exactly make it any easier. Every time we stop for a rest, he dozes a minute or two before leaping up and wanting to play with me. I feel very old all of a sudden, probably comes along with having foals. He wants to race around chasing butterflies and all that, I just want to damn well rest and get some strength back for the next leg of the trip. I do wish he wouldn’t jump on me to use me as a vantage point; I swear he gets more agile and more insane by the minute. Still, he seems to have some kind of charmed luck about him; always lands on his hooves and avoids damaging himself no matter what mad thing he was doing.

He hasn’t spoken yet, but he seems like a sharp little thing; he understands what I say to him perfectly. All the better not to listen, I guess. Still, it doesn’t matter; he’ll get around to speech in his own sweet time and he’s expressive enough for me to guess what he wants or needs and it isn’t like he’s not affectionate or anything. When we stop for the night and he finally calms down enough to sleep he comes and curls up against my flank and, without fail, nips me painfully on the shoulder before nuzzling me and falling straight asleep.

Wow. I’ve rambled on for a while. So, in short I’m glad to be moving again, and glad that I have Spyke. He’s mad and nips me and pokes me but I wouldn’t swap him for a ‘normal’ foal. He’s my perfect little horror, and I wouldn’t change him for the world.

Utena. Of all the pieces of luck I’ve had, this has been the best in a while... or something like that anyways. Last person in the world I expected Spyke to haul into our cave, but I’m glad he did. We talked for a little bit about this and that, and then Spyke decided we should go for apples. Erg. Apples. Elppas. Can’t believe I didn’t know what they’re really called! I feel like such an idiot. Nobody really paid attention to it, though, so it could’ve been a lot worse.

Once we’d eaten, we went down to the sea for Utena to wash, and for Spyke to play. They were having a great time in the waves when I arrived and got a face full of spray from Spyke’s shaking off. He tried to jump on me, then, but I shoved him off and he went to play in the shallows. I was about to start talking to Utena about how long I’d lived here and that when she noticed the lack of a mare in the vicinity.

I’m surprised she didn’t bring it up before, actually, but glad too. Best that we talked about it away from Spyke. We didn’t talk that much, actually, I just told her Spyke didn’t have a mother. She didn’t press the issue, and I’m glad of that. I’m better now, way better, but... Well, thinking about her, the lack of her rather, still hurts. I expect it always will at least a bit, but I also expect it’ll fade with time and I’ll recall the good bits, the bits when she was with me, better.

Once we’d changed the subject, we got out of the sea and went back up the cliffs. I showed Utena the river, told her where to find water for drinking along the coast in general, and we washed the salt and sand off before drying out in the sun. We played, chatted, dozed, ate a bit; all that good stuff and eventually we went back down the cliffs and back to the cave to sleep.

Spyke, having worn himself out, went to sleep pretty fast, and I watched him for a bit. Even though I think I’m doing well here, Utena said so too, I can’t help but wonder if things would have been better with Lestra around. It might’ve been easier at least, two of us to look after him... but then she was as nuts as he is right now, so maybe she wouldn’t’ve been too much help. I don’t know. It’s hard to image something so... different to the way things actually are.

Still, I’m worn out myself now and I’ll want to wake up before dawn to have some alone-time out of the cave. Much though I love Spyke, I need that time to keep me sane, keep me myself rather than some grumpy, overtired overstressed b*****d. Come morning, there’ll be more to do, too, places to show Utena and that. Time for sleep.

Well today was interesting, and exhausting. I met Niz’s friend Skittles in Ryuten; he was trying to carry a basket of fruit back to her. Back to her in Shrilal. Yea. Apparently some b*****d tricked her, she didn’t know what she was doing. She’s so... naïve. Poor girl. At least she seemed to be exited about it though; that’s something to be glad of. Skittles is staying to take care of her, and I’m getting her food from Ryuten; there’s nothing that great growing close by in winter so I’m having to count on them heavily. Seems unfair; they’ve their own foals to feed after all, so I’m picking up extra bits where I can.

Weird, how both of us ended up with one fruit and no mate. Still, I hope she manages not to dwell on it too much; I usually do so I expect she’ll cope too. Right now thought it’s hard not to remember and feel alone. I can’t see there ever being anyone else for me right now, and Spyke’s grown up, has his own life now. So what? Do I just kick around alone for the rest of my life? No thanks; I like my solitude, but only when I want it. I need someone, or something; some sort of a purpose in life again. Perhaps I’ll hang around with Niz and Skittles and the foal after it’s born. Perhaps I’ll find myself something else to do.

Still, all that’s in the future. For now, I need to concentrate on providing for Niz; everything else can come later.