|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:36 pm
Keiran's ears flattened for a moment, and his serious expression turned in to a bit of a scowl. His wings twitched, and he tried to figure out where he had misstepped. Either this mare were as fickle as a flame in the wind, or he simply wasn't very good at this socializing thing. It wasn't as if he had some a silver tongue, nor did he desire one. "I've chose to stay here for the very same reason I'm explaining my views to you. So you might know where I come from, and I might know where you stand on matters. What's the point of asking questions if you're not willing to listen?" He inquired coolly.
He was far patient than his brothers, but even his pride could only take so much. His frustration was not entirely with Arianwyn, but simply the complicated nature of making friends. He'd never had to do such a thing in Black Skull, not really, and he wanted to do this right. The mare was young, but interesting, and certainly attractive. But he was not of her land, and was not entirely sure how to go about impressing her, much less comfortable in . . . talking. He had always been aloof, quiet, and this had been more chit-chat than he'd done in the past six months alone. At least, that's how it felt.
"I rarely talk" He added, almost severely. "It is not something I am well versed in, or accustomed to, if you had not noticed." And that was the truth. This was not easy for him, but he was trying. Giving a small snort, he tried to figure out what he did do for fun. Fun. Now that was a foreign word if he'd ever heard one, and it wasn't something he was much accustomed to. Some of the others in the herd were, perhaps, a bit more laid back and ridiculous; some of them caused no amounts of trouble . . .but Keiran? He was uptight. He was wary, aloof, reserved. The fact he'd gone out at all was simply for the sake of Black Skull. He did want to find a mate, have a family his own, but. . . . He was also aware he could not technically afford the luxury of feelings.
"You're talking to the wrong Black Skull stallion. Fun isn't much in my repertoire, either. I work, is what I do. I keep the borders secure, I rip apart those that don't take warnings well. I hunt. I kill. I train. I keep to my duties and keep to myself." Well, he figured she might as well know the truth. He had always been serious, had always refrained from indulging in games. He was serious. . . very serious. . . but that did not mean he was completely without feeling.
He just kept his interests buried deep.
"If time allows, I spend time with my family, but otherwise, consider me a busy male. But as I've rambled on quite long enough, what do you do for fun? I'm quite sure it's far more fascinating." And directing her to talk might suit him better, anyway.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 7:56 pm
... Wait just a moment. Arianwyn looked Keiran over very carefully, scrutinizing him minutely. "You don't know how to have fun, because you don't do it, that's what you're saying." Well, no wonder. "But I thought you did, because of the way you acted earlier." She paused, a little confused, and considered. "Well, I tend to these flowers, but that's not really for fun. I guess you could call it a hobby, but it's also practice, and useful for when I need to keep predators away." She didn't like to share her hunting range, after all. "What's fun, though, is flying. I like flying for fun, although I can't do it often. It's not safe."
There were a lot of things that were not safe. "I like hunting, and tracking. And chasing about in the forest. I like playing hide and seek." Just as she had earlier. Wasn't that what he'd done with her? He'd seemed to be having fun, for just a moment, but perhaps that had been an illusion. "I collect crystals and herbs, like the ones that are in my cave." Those ones, though, those ones were in the cave wall, and attached. They weren't easy to tote about. "And feathers," she added as an afterthought, although there was every chance that he'd seen the ones that she wore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 8:34 pm
Keiran gave a small tail flick, his red eyes studying the mare as she scrutinized him. He wasn't sure how he was going to respond, but he was fast learning not to assume or expect any one way about the mare. She was not like some of his siblings, and thus, was a bit of a mystery. And a handful. "I gave an attempt. You were amused, I figured I might as well play along. It was harmelss. . . but it is not something I've done much of."
He was incredibly serious, but for good reason. Just as her lands were not safe, Black Skull was not, either. Skinwalkers had already taken down some of hsi family, and they were still a threat. Not to mention the lessers that thought so little of their kalona herd and the kalona race. . . They would not hesitate to wipe them all out if given the option. No. Fun and games. . .? Keiran absolutely could not allow himself. There was too much at stake. He knew Rötschreck had been killed, had been taken down. . . he knew the story, he knew what had happened to father. He refused to let that happen to any other in their herd, or his family.
They had to be safe. He did not have time for fun. . . .
Ah, but Keiran was a young-old man. Perhaps he was trying too hard to be grown, too hard to be fierce. He'd been born old, out of necessity, and meeting a young mare, one who was so mischievious. . . It was strange. Different. Not at all what he'd expected. ". . and what sort of flowers are they? I see you favor them." He questioned as she spoke, listening to all the things she talked about so breezily.
Flying. Keiran liked to fly. . . Hide and seek though? That one had been new to him. Collecting crystals and herbs though? The stallion had never given much of that a second though, though, given the feathers in her mane and the jewels upon her horns, he couldn't say he was surprised. For a long moment he said nothing, tucking away bits of that information away to ponder at a later date.
She had no shame in admitting her games. . . Playing wasn't harmful, or shameful. He just. . .
Was so very unaccustomed. "Well. It seems you've learned to entertain yourself. Some of that could be....fun." Honestly, some of that was stuff he too enjoyed. He just wasn't sure he'd indulge in it in such a way as to call it a hobby or label it as him having fun. Just a perk to his training, or some way to weave it in to doing work. "We fly freely in Black Skull. . . But I recall your mention that these lands were not so safe, nor did they take kindly to our kind." Hmm. If they were not safe for her, would they be safe for him?
Oh, what would it matter? He could crush whatever foe came his way. He would not let her lands be ransacked by some unknown enemy. But, all the same, he'd best be careful. He was a stranger, and unlike the mare, he could not so easily hide. But, on the other hoof, if she thought him a threat, would she not have driven him out already?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2013 9:44 pm
"I should be clear," Arian said, flicking her wings back. "'Playing' with the flowers is not a mere game, not always. The flowers I wear are called belladonna, and are poisonous. If used correctly, they can help with some conditions, and as I mentioned, keep predators away from my range. This is herbalism, and surely you've heard of it. My granddame taught me before she passed away, and she used to tell me how my mother was good at it. It's a family tradition, but it's very fun. At least it is for me. You could probably do it too, if you wanted to. If you don't already." The belladonna happened to also be her favorite flower, but that wasn't information that she needed to make note of.
See? He wasn't as stuffy as he liked to make himself out to be. He was just... worried, she thought. Worried about a threat that she really couldn't comprehend. "What of the dangers you mentioned before? Do you think they would be fooled by poison the way that the predators here are?" She couldn't use it that often, not if she wanted to keep it effective... but... maybe he'd become interested in games if he thought there was anything of use that he could get out of them.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 6:44 pm
The stallion considered the mares words, turning his gaze away from her to focus on the purple flowers. They were small, unassuming things, a type of flower he'd not seen back in the Kawani. Granted, he wasn't known to enjoying the foliage, outside of using it his advantage when hunting, or, to find some herb or root that might help heal some ailment. "I'm familiar with herbalism," he assured. "Only the primitive and most bare of basics, though." He admitted, givinga small shuffle of his own wings. Flowers . . . plants. . .
Fascinating, all the same.
To think that such a small, purple flower could be poisonous, deadly. Belladonna. How fitting, especially for the young mare before him. "Seeing as such a craft runs in your blood, and you choose to done yourself with such flowers, I have no doubt you're well trained."
Don't eat the purple flowers. Check.
Perhaps I may even learn a thing or two from you, before my stay is up." He would not be opposed to it. What did he know of flowers? Nothing. But at least he could bring back some sort of useful knowledge. As far as he were aware, there were no well trained herbalists within the herd. Granted, he had no intention of dropping his priorities as a warrior, but. . . if Arianwyn did not come back to Black Skull, perhaps some of her tips might.
He took note that it sounded as if the mare had never met her mother, or known her well. Still, he did not pry. . Not yet. Instead, he focused on her next query, the dangers. . .
"It depends on the danger. A lesser, especially a herbavore, might be well aware of the flowers and their properties. Or at least not be so fooled. Now, a skinwalker, might not give two thoughts about what it was biting in to. . .be it a flower lined corpse or the body of another. They're so deranged, they might not notice. . . " Might, being the keyword. Some were quite cunning, clever, and blood thirsty beasts. But would the thrill of an attack cause them to lose sight of the poison? Maybe. Keiran would hate to find out.
"Have you ever witnessed your poisons against one of them?" He questioned, his teeth baring slightly at the mere mention of the animals. They were monsters that needed to be put down, every last one. And he would, if given the opportunity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:15 pm
Ah, so he was not a complete savage. ... Perhaps not a savage at all. 'Warrior' seemed much more appropriate, from the way he had described his life. Either way, Arian flicked her ears forehead, and then realized he'd used a word she'd never heard uttered before. "Wait. What is a Skinwalker?" He spoke the word with great significance, and Arianwyn looked at him shrewdly. "You said... that there things... threats that could take down a Kalona. Is that what you mean. Are they what you mean? I wouldn't leave flowers strewn on them. I would grind them up, dried, into a fine powder and make it harder to detect." She leaned forward slightly, looking up at him. "This is what you came here to tell me, isn't it? About Skinwalkers. I can sense that they're important to you. But you haven't told me what they are."
And that... was beginning to unnerve her, just a little. She paced back and forth, and then stopped before him again. "What is so important that you never have time to play or have fun? That you're here looking for mares, that you're all on your own?" Her parents had left because of the lessers, she thought. She'd never really known why, but... it seemed likely. The surrounding lands were not safe to raise foals in. That she had survived had been a special kind of miracle. This was an intense moment, and she almost broke it off, reduced it back to the silliness of before, but she couldn't quite do it. This was what he'd been getting around to telling her, and she wanted to know, once and for all, what danger lay in wait.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:42 pm
She didn't know.
She didn't know.
Keiran's expression slipped to one of surprise, followed by alarm, before his grave seriousness returned. For a long moment he said nothing, listening to the pale mare and considering how best to explain. If she did not know what they were, she could not possibly fathom the danger that they poised. She, who was so . . . . well. . . ridiculous. Her charm was her innocence, mixed with what appeared to be a fondness for games and entertainment. She was proud, to be sure, a bit full of herself, and yet. . .
She was not nearly as safe as she might think herself. Not when it came to skiwnalkers. Lesser's were difficult enough to deal with while alone, especially if they grouped together. But skinwalkers? No. He knew the horror they created, knew the death and destruction they left in their wake. "Lessar's are the least of your worries, next to a Skinwalker." He finally explained gravely, a low growl entering his throat.
He could not help himself. He shifted uneasily, glancing around, as if the mere conversation might summon such a beast. Let them try. "They're monsters. Demons. Beasts that can come in any shape, any form, even that of a kalona. They wear pelts, and can even take the full shape of another animal. . . They are deadly. They are twisted. They know no kindness, no mercy, no goodness. They are strong, fast, cunning and kill without prejudice." He was not around them enough to know of deviations, but he had learned well. His mother had lost her mate, his siblings their father -- a battle hardened Protector -- to one of those beasts. . .
"These beasts, they're the truth threat within the Kawani. They're the reason I train as hard as I do, the reason I cannot allow myself to relax, to have simple fun. I cannot -- will not -- let those beasts spill the blood of my family, or herd, again!" So what if he had been long since born? So what if he had not witnessed it, had not been there?
It did not make him any less loyal to Maeryn, to his older siblings, to Black Skull. The passion within flickered on such a topic. Let Arianwyn laugh, but if there was one thing he would leave her with, it would be to understand the threat that these 'walkers caused. She needed to know. Even if she did not return with him, he would make sure she fully understood. "Some have paws, some have hooves, but both are evil. Worse, they can transform any soquili in to one of their kind." He didn't know details, not entirely, but the rumors and stories of lessers -- and even some kalona -- turning in to those beasts were spread around the kawani in enough number that Keiran believed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 7:53 pm
Arian had never heard such fear in another Kalona's voice before. He was moving... shifting in a way that told her that even the mere mention of these beasts was enough to unsettle him. "Why would I want to go to that? Why would I want any of that in my life?" she asked him, taking an involuntary step back. "If they are as dangerous as you say, if you can't rest for even a moment, why would I want to have anything to do with that?" A being that turned into another being? She had heard of... shamans with transformative powers, but she'd always imagined that it was... was a sort of metaphorical thing. What did it mean? What did these words mean?
"Is that why you're here? To build an army?" He'd... said, but she didn't really believe him. At least, she thought she didn't. Yet there was something profoundly seriously, devastatingly sincere in the way he spoke. "You're wasting time here, aren't you? Every moment you spend here is a moment you're not with your family. What are you doing here, if that's the case?" She was tense, so tense. She knew that she wasn't a warrior, and it almost... almost seemed as though that was what he was asking of her. Whether she came with him or not. Whether anyone did.
"If... if a Skinwalker were to come here, what would they do?" Kill without prejudice. "They sound... mad. Like rabid wolves." Striking out against anything and everything. "Well. I know how to put down rabid wolves." Oh Kalona, no. She would never, ever become one of them. They couldn't do that. Never. Never, ever, ever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:21 pm
"Because like it or not, they will come here. Maybe not today, maybe not a month from now, or even years, but one day, Arianwyn of Ghost Claw, they will!" He stamped his hoof hard in to the dirt, standing to his fullest as he drove home the point. She might not want to come back to the Kawani where the danger first originated, but the Skinwalkers would not be contained. They would spread like the plague they were, and someday, this mare would find herself face-to-face with them.
Still, the stallion gave a loud snort, trying to let his built up tension ease. He was not angry at the mare, but he needed her to know the truth of it. And that truth did unsettle him. He did not like to be weak, did not like to be looked on as some fool. . . but Skinwalkers were indeed as threatening and as dire as he made them out be. She needed to understand, and thankfully, it seemed as if she had at least noticed the gravity of the situation.
"I'm not here to build an army. Yes, more blood in Black Skull would be needed, would be necessary. There is never going to be enough blood spilled to stop these monsters," he admitted, knowing quite well the futility of it. There was no way they could stop them, not with their trickery, not with the knowledge that they came from some form of evil even he could not quite fathom. Kalona was a strong spirit, but was not of the same ilk as the 'walkers. . . "That being said, I have come so I might take on a mate, so I might one day have a family. To find a female whom might carry on the lineage, long after I've fallen. Black Skull needs more blood, and new faces. Yes, the skinwalkers are a threat, but our herd still stands strong, even in the shadow of such adversity."
He was a bit of a work-a-holic. . . He was serious, ever serious, but it was in his nature. It had always been in his nature. ". . . It is a serious threat. But, I am not like my brothers, nor my sisters, nor my herdmates. They are a true threat, but our herd is not so weak as to . . . . not have moments of rest. We work together so there is freedom and safety in Black Skull, if not perhaps the neighboring woods. I simply . . . prefer to be on guard and keep watch." He would rather prepare for the worst than find himself surprised.
If his family thrived, that was what gave him the greatest pleasure. Perhaps his work was not fun in Arianwyn's sense of the word, but if his herdmates could relax, even for a moment while on their lands, well. . . then that was worth it for him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:37 pm
When Keiran stamped his hoof, it shook the ground, and Arianwyn flinched. She hadn't meant to, would not have wanted to, did not like the implications of it. But she did flinch. He was so large, and he was definitely yelling at her. Almost shouting. Well. She wasn't going to stand there and take that. "You don't have to yell at me to get your point across, Keiran of the Black Skull herd." Her response wasn't yelled. It was spoken quietly, pointedly.
He'd calmed down, plainly, but she didn't care. What he'd done wasn't right, and she wouldn't pretend that she was okay with it. It wasn't that hard for a stallion of his size to physically intimidate a mare of her own. But she wouldn't be. She just wouldn't be. "You don't know that they'll be coming here. That's just a conjuncture. And if they do come here, don't you think I'll be safer where I can blend in, where they won't necessarily be able to find me so easily?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 8:55 pm
Keiran did notice the flinch as soon as his hoof hit the ground. Still, his ears instantly flattened, he lowered his head so it was less postured, and retreated a few steps from the mare. Yes, he had been a bit upset, but it had nothing to do with the mare, nor had that been him truly angered, riled, or otherwise. He had not been close to yelling at her, but . . . .
He did not wish her to think him such a brute. He was not like some depraved kalona out there, ones with too much fight, too much anger, to be much good for anyone. He could appreciate passion and hate and rage and power, but not when it blinded someone from everything else.
"You're right," he spoke, his words dropping back down to his normal tone, his frustration and passion of the matter receding as quickly as it had arrived. "I did not need to yell." She wasn't the enemy, after all. She could hear perfectly fine without him getting upset, or taking out his frustration on her. He'd never do such a thing, but even if she had not been the source of his aggravation, nor someone he wished to intimidate or bully, it had happened all the same.
He was still a stranger to her, after all. . . No sense ruining trust before it was even built. "They'll come. They spread further and further every year. If I got here, they will, too. There's no sense in staying in the Kawni where there's so much competition." Mph. Safe. No one was truly safe. . . "I think your camouflage is a good defense, but it won't be enough. Unless you reunite with the others of Ghost Claw, the independents do not tend to have favorable outcomes against these sorts." Even if they were akin to a ghost. Sure, she might survive an attack. . . but the skinwalker would never relent. And if a beast could take down Rötschreck, what might the same one do to Arianwyn?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:14 pm
Well. That was good. Arianwyn flicked her wings onto her back from where they had mantled about her in an unconscious gesture, and held his gaze. "I can't. I don't know where they went." And telling a strange stallion such wasn't the wisest of all plans in the world, but it was the simple truth. Best to simply get right to the point, there. "My parents took the herd with them when they left, leaving me behind with my grandsire and granddame. And now he's gone too." So wherever they were... "I'm the last of the Ghost Claw here." A little princess, all on her own. Safe, for the time being. Her granddame had taught her well, but that knowledge could only serve her up to a point.
Skinwalkers appeared to be that point. "If they do come here, then... maybe that's something I'll have to deal with. But they aren't here." And she didn't want them to come there. She didn't want to deal with them. The idea of them was terrifying, and she hated feeling afraid. It was demeaning. It made her feel smaller than she already felt, and she did not like that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 9:45 pm
So, she was alone, and without a herd to rely upon. Ghost Claw might have had its own rumors, but he had not yet crossed definitive borders. At first he had thought that perhaps Arianwyn's woods were isolated, and the rest of the herd was perhaps north and east of where she stayed. But to hear her admittance, that she was the last, that her parents had taken the herd and left such a small number behind.
Why?
He wanted to ask, because it didn't make any sense. Why separate three from the herd, and take the others elsewhere? Unless, wherever they were going was that much of a threat. Had they left, little suspecting, a return? That would, perhaps, be the only reason Keiran would abandon family. Separate them from a losing battle, separate them from a slaughter in hopes they might escape and live on.
But. . . an entire herd?
"...And have you been on your own for long?" How long had she been here among the aspens? How long had she been left behind and alone? More importantly, he was curious to know whether or not the mare had any expectation on when her grandsire would return. . . if he returned at all.
"They aren't here. And maybe you're right, maybe they won't make it out to your woods. That being said, I'd rather you be prepared in case they do. At least you know what's out there, beyond your aspens." At least then, she could be prepared. Or at least have the knowledge of what it was she might be up again.
After all, it wasn't as if Keiran could linger on the borders in this land forever.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 1:50 pm
"It's been a year," Arianwyn said, completely unconcerned. Yes, she had been alone for a year. She had held her own, and no one had bothered her. The lesser Soquili seemed to believe that she was actually a ghost, or else thought that her presence was a mere rumor that had not been substantiated. She had attacked no one, and hunted only what she needed to survive. Therefore, things had been... quiet. "It's easy for me to hide here, as you have seen. What would I do in your Kawani lands? How would I protect myself?" She was small, and weak, for a Kalona. She knew that. It did not sit well with Arian, but that was where matters stood. Even a small, weak Kalona was still stronger than a lesser Soquili.
If she were to prepare as though the Skinwalkers would arrive, what would she do? What measures could she take? This stallion would not stay forever. Perhaps he would not stay a day. ... Although he had said that he intended to abide here for the moment, for reasons of his own. Reasons that had not been clarified, not to Arianwyn's satisfaction. "How do you fight Skinwalkers?" she asked, watching him closely, ears perked forward.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2013 4:18 pm
Keiran considered the mares words, considered where her herd might be, might have gone. A year was not a terribly long time in the grand scheme of things, but to abandon a mare . . to keep her so long from her own herd, from those of Ghost Claw. Why would they not send back word? Why would they not give some sign or notification to this petite mare alone in the woods?
Well.
It was not his herd, so he could not possibly fathom the reasoning behind such a move. They had left her, and whether or not they ever returned would remain to be seen. It was not his concern, not really... Unless, whatever their reasoning's for leaving Arianwyn alone had something to do with a threat Black Skull could not handle. Ah, but his focus was not in investigating other herds, no. His focus was in trying to return with new blood. . . and as of right now, his sights were set on the stranger Arianwyn.
She fit the criteria he needed, but convincing her would not be easy. Still, he'd need be patient, bide his time, and wait and see. He'd done much waiting, searching, and had walked away disappointed in the past. If she ultimately rejected his offer after due time, he'd carry on.
"If you came to the Kawani, I would suggest you not stay alone. You would find safety and protection in Black Skull, and even if you did move independently of the herd, you would improvise, I've no doubt. There are aspens and birch forests there, just as there are here, thickets to slip in to, mountains and hills and cave systems to command; and you would have free flight, with no reason to keep your wings folded as they are. There is great diversity in our land, and I have no doubt you could handle most anything that came for you." The lessars were weak, stupid things . . . They feared Skinwalkers more than kalona these days, a mistake, but it kept them less likely to kill. Given with how may mixed kalona races were out there, he was also certain the lessers would be more obnoxious than threatening. . . more preachy than defensive.
But the skinwalkers? They might very well be a problem. . . as they were a problem for any of them.
When she questioned how one went about fighting them, the stallion said nothing for a long moment. "With everything you've got." It was all he knew to tell her, all he could. While he had not yet fought one, he saw the remains of those battles; he heard stories, he knew of Rötschreck's demise. From what he understood, you had to throw everything at them, and evne then, that wasn't enough. Cunning, cleverness, poison, brute strength, sheer numbers. . . . No, skinwalkers were not meant to be taken lightly as far as Keiran were to be concerned. They needed to eradicated completely, but such a future would not be witnessed in his lifetime.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
