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 Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:21 pm
After inspecting the baskets and leaving his offering in front of the kalona mare, Taraxippus drifted back to the entryway of the teepee, his tail swishing slowly and cautiously.
"Here? Not too long." Well, he hadn't been there by the teepee itself very long, so it was a half truth to give her more of a sense of privacy in this moment of weakness and pain.
"However, I have seen mares give birth before. You must be famished." He paused, giving thought to his next statement. "I could have been here sooner had you alerted me when you left. But, then again, I suppose that there was not much a stallion such as I could have done."
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 8:33 am
She gave in. She just had to move, whether he was here or not. With teeth gritted, and a great concentration of sheer will Izusa slowly pushed herself off the ground, planting each hoof into the ground, making sure her legs were still as she transferred her weight to them. Everytime she felt that her tired muscles were going to betray her with a tremble she paused, waiting for it to subside. It seemed to take her ages to stand but only minutes passed in reality.
'Starving..' she said, having only eyes for the deer. A step or two took her took it, and she spoke no more, the only movement other than what was necessary to feed herself came from her tail, the tendrils slithering about near her baskets.
Once her belly was full of warm meat and blood, she stepped away from the ravaged carcass, her tongue running along her fang teeth to clean them.
'I wouldn't have let you in here at any rate.' she said shortly.
'I am going to go stretch and get a drink.' she stalked stiffly past him, pausing at the entrance.
'Thank you..'
It was pretty much about the first time she ever remembered given such appreciation for anything another Soquili had done for her.
Bloody motherhood she thought as she wandered slowly to the riverside.
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:59 pm
Taraxippus muted his triumphant smile to a small curl of his mouth. He stood back, letting her feast on the carcass. She had been in labor for quite a while and certainly needed her energy back.
Taraxippus couldn't help but swell and murmur his pride. Three baskets. His baskets. THEIR baskets.
And he couldn't help but smile as he watched her lick the blood from her sickle-like fangs. It was times like this that certainly made it evident what the shadowy stallion had seen in her. Strength, pride, and a bloodthirsty nature that matched his own.
His tail swished as he stepped aside to let her refresh herself in the river. "I shall watch over the baskets." He responded. And... at her thanks, he just accented his head imperceptibly. His eyes told what words would ruin - recognition and a welcome.
As she left the human-made hut, he went to inspect the baskets with a more critical eye. The colors were already beginning to seep into the woven wood. They radiated a healthy warmpth, and listening carefully, he could hear three strong heartbeats.
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:47 am
Izusa bristled a little as she stood by the flowing water. As her energy slowly trickled back, so did the temper. She hated the smell around here; the air permeated with the heavy scent of the humans and their fires, the smell causing her nose to wrinkle. If it wasn't for the sheer fact that because of the Villagers that it was by and far the safest place to give birth she would never have set foot in here again. She snorted, lowering her head and slaking her thirst, the cold water even sweeter than blood because of how much fluid she had lost during the labour.
Straightening made her wince, tired muscles complaining at the movement. She moved back in a sedate fashion, slipping back inside the shelter.
'Can you hear them?' she asked quietly, watching Taraxippus as listened to the woven 'wombs'
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Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 7:55 pm
Taraxippus raised his head evenly as Izusa returned to the teepee.
"Yes." He responded. "Their hearts are beating quite strongly. You did a fine job, Izusa... They smell very healthy." He puffed again, smiling. He did have a twinge of anxiety before the birth that his strange blood might leave the foals unhealthy or underdeveloped... but his father had bred true to produce him, at least.
He could sense her anxiety, now that her head was clearing, but she still exuded a deep exhaustion. "Do you need rest here? Or should we remove ourselves from the proximity of these humans?"
There was only one human Taraxippus had ever trusted, and he shunned other human society about as much as the shadowy stallion did.
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Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:17 am
'I'd go now if I could,' Izusa said carefully, still not willing to show any weakness. It was probably obvious that she was in pain after the labour, you'd have to be a fool indeed not to realise the great strain a multiple birth put a body under, but she continued to keep up the charade that she was as strong as ever.
'I am glad, they will emerge strong.'
Her tone brooked no denial, or disappointments; if they didn't emerge from the baskets with the same nature that she and Taraxippus had, she was fully prepared to put them down. She would not let her second children be as her first had grown.
'We will leave the same as I arrived, during the night.'
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Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 8:09 am
Taraxippus waited with her as she recouperated. She had a full belly, had drunk the clear, cold water from the stream. Rest was the last necessary ingredient after such a taxing three-foal birth. Taraxippus could hear her heaving breaths, see her quivering muscles despite the bold face she put forward.
And her conviction in the strength of their foals, secured in their artificial wombs, was matched by the shadow. How could they be anything but perfect?
When the sun finally set and the mare rose, they agreed to take their separate ways, for now...
Taraxippus disappeared into the night, carefully carrying a basket that seemed to melt into the shadows as easily as he.
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