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 Posted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 9:26 am
The smile she received, although brief, was enough to return a look of calm to her own face. She still felt scared, but she believed he was right. Hopefully her heart would no longer be pounding so hard once they reached the shoreline. Although, she internally laughed at herself, part of it was probably because of that flight. She rolled her shoulders, already feeling a little bit sore. It had been a long time since she had flown so much in one go.
"Are you not tired at all?" she questioned, sounding rather curious as she moved to walk beside him, looking up. Making idle conversation made her feel better, though she hoped he wouldn't think she was looking for an excuse to take a break already.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2011 4:08 pm
"I'm hardly ever tired," Illidan answered, falling into step beside her. "Physically, anyway." He glanced down at the little mare. "Are you tired? We could rest a moment." He began looking around for a place that would do for letting Doan catch her breath.
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Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 6:01 am
An ear flicked, the look on her face somewhat questioning. His answer had been a bit strange. Maybe it was just the way he said it, but it felt not unlike what they had begun talking about back at the clearing with all the apples. He had wished to avoid the conversation then and she assumed he wouldn't appreciate her bringing it back up. For now she bit her tongue and laughed lightly.
"I'm sorry, we'll never get anywhere, will we?" Her voice was humorous, but also laced with a genuine apology. It was true, their trip would be even longer and more disheartening if they constantly had to stop so she could rest. "Just for a moment." She stepped away from Illidan and towards a tree with smooth bark. "Here is fine. I'll just catch my breath and we can keep going." As she leaned against the tree, she watched him. If this was to continue going well, she would have to build up her stamina. She doubted they could simply walk over the next horizon and find Hong Yen Ha waiting.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 8:56 pm
Illidan moved to stand next to her. "No need for apologies. You're not used to traveling, I take it?" He flicked an elongated ear about, listening to their surroundings. "I guess I still feel like I'm on the move, like I never stopped moving. I could probably walk or fly forever if it took me to a place to call home." He mulled that over and looked down at Doan. "Sometimes home isn't a place, though. Your daughter is your home, so I'll help you find her."
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 5:19 am
She lifted her gaze to him as he stepped closer, the look on her face once again shifting to that unsure one. "Yes, that's about right," her slender tail flicked out, then curled against her leg. "Once I escaped my humans, I didn't do much traveling. I guess you could say I've seen very little for as long as I've lived." She offered up a small smile, the best she could muster, as she watched him further. Home. Home was not here in the Kawani lands, not back in Dai Viet. It was with her daughter. There would be no feeling of wholeness until that happened. Had she really been living such a hollow life for so many years? No, there had been many good things in her life, too. Good things that would keep her pushing forward to that final conclusion.
"Do you know..." Doan paused, her eyes widening slightly. The words had come out of her mouth without her really meaning to let them. In their time together she had already grown to care. Sometimes when he spoke, she began to feel rather sad. Well, she had already started to speak, so- "Ah, well... What are you looking for?" For a moment she wanted to ask 'what have you lost,' but with her better judgment she chose a softer question.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 8:40 pm
"A place to belong where I'm more than just my appearance," the stallion sighed, shrugging and hanging his head a bit. "I wasn't always like this, but sometimes..." He shook his head a bit, standing a bit straighter. "Well, bad choices are still bad choices, even if they're meant to help people."
Illidan gave the mare a small smile. "If you feel rested enough, we can continue to the big water."
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 9:41 pm
Something told her that, despite her care and curiosity, now was not the time to ask for more than this. It seemed like whatever bad choices had been made in Illidan's past were meant to stay there for now. There wasn't a whole lot she could say, at least nothing that she believed could really make a difference. She had no answers now, but she still returned the smile as she stepped away from the tree she had been leaning against. "I see," she replied, stretching out a leg. "Well, for what it's worth, appearances can be deceiving." As she moved forward, she looked back long enough to nod before continuing on.
It was almost surprising, but it didn't take long for the air to change. Suddenly it was cooler and the breeze was scented with salt. They weren't too far off now. Doan's expression was a mix of anxiety and hopefulness.
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Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 10:28 pm
"Yes, they can," Illidan answered, following the mare. Despite her frail exterior, he sensed an inner strength that rivaled his own. He'd never met a mare, or any Soquili, really, like her before and it intrigued him. As he paced beside her, he could smell the sea air as they neared the big water. "I hope we are able to find your daughter here, or at least some hint as to where she might be."
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 10:56 am
An ear swiveled, catching the male's words as they walked. Though her eyes stayed trained on the path ahead this time, she couldn't keep a small, gentle laugh from escaping. There was almost a semblance of peace in the sound. "Me too," she replied, sucking in a breath of air. The further they went, the lighter the sky became at the horizon. The ocean was so close now.
A short time later she could see the fringes of water stretching out to what seemed like forever. There was a short drop off of spongy earth before reaching the sand, but it didn't look like anything that couldn't be walked down. "We made it," she said thoughtfully, her eyes having grown wider at the sight of the big water. It was as amazing as it had been the first day she arrived in these lands. "Wonderful." A slight edge of childlike delight had come to her voice, her troubles momentarily swept away in the cool winds rolling off the water. She tucked her wings to keep them from getting too tossed and took a careful step down.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2011 8:48 pm
Illidan gazed at the expanse of water, taking it in. "I do not see any human camps here, though." Walking toward the water, following the mare. "I've heard stories of strange types of Soquili that live near the big water. Maybe they've seen your daughter." He looked left, then right. "Which way should be try looking for her?"
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 3:19 pm
"Hm, you're right..." she responded, finally taking in more of the area than just the great view past the waves. No human camps meant they were less likely to find other horses with any connections. But Illidan was right, she too had heard of horses near the water. They were stories she learned in a group of mares she had once traveled with a few years back. Some of these horses were even related to fish by more than half according to the stories! In all her years she had never seen one of them, but if there was one around here, it was possible they had information from far down the beach.
Lifting her head high with ears swiveling forward, she looked to the right. "I think maybe this way," she said, still staring off down the beach. It was just intuition, but she felt that this was right. "I bet if we could find a cove or something... we might have a better chance of finding one of those Soquili." Living in a cove, she assumed, was safe and comfortable. Sort of like a cave. She looked back to her companion and smiled lightly before walking down to where waves met sand. Her hooves stuck a bit in the mush, but she didn't seem to mind.
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 10:20 pm
Illidan followed the small mare, ready to protect her if needed. He had heard of stories of the water-dwelling Soquili and not all of them had been pleasant. If they did find one, hopefully it would be a pleasant and helpful encounter. He looked down at the sand and sighed. It felt strange, but not uncomfortable.
"Are you hoping to call up a water-dweller from the sea?" he chuckled, teasing lightly.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 11:57 am
"Oh!" The mare looked back, a larger smile stretching her lips. "How did you know?" She returned the jest, letting out a little laugh. "I was thinking maybe they had information from further down shore that could give us a better place to start. But maybe water travel is just as slow as land travel." She didn't know, nor did she have any idea if one of the water-dwellers would simply pop up from the ocean to greet them at her call. She had never met one before. Did they even, in fact, exist?
Doan moved further into the water, far enough that it rose to her knees now, but no more. The tips of her hair were already caught, moving back and forth with the swell of the ocean. Not being a strong swimmer, she knew this was the safest distance she could go before her fun turned to potential danger. "It's not the best idea." She let out a soft sigh, beginning to walk slowly in the direction she had suggested they go, water swishing out of the way at her movement.
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 12:33 pm
-insert Cordian's cert- Illidan stepped forward. "Sure, it is. I know just the water-dweller to help us, too. She's in a cave not far from here and she knows this beach well. She might have seen something to help us."A small greenish blur came flying toward them, barreling into Illidan's side, though not knocking him over. "You were not going to leave me, were you, Father?""Not at all. After showing my friend here to see the water-dweller, I was going to come back," the stallion replied, looking down at his colt. He turned his blindfolded gaze to Doan, smiling. "This is my son, Coridan. I hope it's alright if he comes along since he's already here now."
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Posted: Fri May 27, 2011 12:58 pm
"You know one?" Doan's voice was laced with interest. So they were real! This was not only a help on their quest, but also amazing to know. She may have seen many things, but obviously not everything the world had to offer. She was interested. "I would love to meet her if you think she would be willing to help." Turning back, she began to walk out of the ocean towards the male, but something caught her attention. Eyes narrowed, starting into the sky.
"What is-" Before she could get the words out, a foal crashed right into her companion's side. While he hardly seemed dazed, her eyes had widened considerably and she was trotting out of the water to make sure everyone was alright. "What-?" She started to ask quickly, only silenced by the short conversation that went on between the two. 'Father.' 'Son.' She was surprised. She had no idea Illidan was a parent.
"O-Oh," she got out, her expression finally softening. "Of course, I would never want to separate you from your son." She returned the smile, looking genuinely happy with the situation now. What a pleasant surprise. "Hello, Coridan," she said as she lowered her gaze and her head partway to the colt. "I'm Doan Vien." Gentle eyes watched him. He looked quite a bit like his father already, she thought.
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