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 Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:50 am
Filix was pretty pleased at Muris's reaction- she liked being a bit rebellious. And had started to enjoy the reactions, though rare, on people's faces when they caught sight of it.
She stroked it for a moment, then flicked the cloak back over. Once the fabric was hanging over Filix's hip, it looked normal.
"You understand swords then? I... it's not the first one I've ever wielded. Pappila's kithain gave me an elvish sword when I was a teenager. I've tried a bow, but it was never suited for me." Filix paused, as the idea of Muris using a bow sunk in a little bit more. Her own eyes widened this time as she asked, "You can use it though? How well now?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 9:56 am
Muris' face flushed a little bit, but she was proud of her ability-- she'd come a long way in the past few months, afterall.
"I...I should say that I'm quite decent with it.." she murmured softly. Then she got a bit of a mischievous look in her eyes,
"Would you like to see? I could show you. I made myself a proper bow, though I could use some work in the arrows."
She would just have to run to the tack closet to grab it, afterall. And she hadn't practiced yet today, so there wasn't any harm...particularly if Filix could possibly help her learn a little better, though she said she had no talent with the bow herself...and Muris supposed the other woman didn't have any formal training in combat anyhow, as noblewomen, at least, were not generally given that sort of training.
Still, she was certain Filix could help a bit. Perhaps even with the sword-- it wouldn't hurt to learn how to fight in close combat as well as with a ranged weapon..
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:05 am
Filix smiled at Muris's flush. She was a bit surprised that she hadn't noticed anything, but then, Filix didn't see everything. A fey could have been stalking her chambers for all she knew, with the attention she'd paid to the Castle itself lately.
"I would love to see your skills. You made one as well? That's a skill I could only dream of having, Muris." Filix was genuinely impressed by Muris. She nudged at her gently, and teased, "What other talents have you hidden from the world?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:10 am
Muris blushed,
"Oh, I am not quite talented at it yet...but I'm getting in some practice. Soon I'll be able to make decent weapons of all sorts..it's something I took up while I was...in hiding..I needed something to occupy the hours, and with all the forging materials right there..."
She shrugged. Taking a few steps to the side, she opened the door to the tack room and pulled out an absolutely beautiful looking bow, and quiver with a few arrows settled in it,
"We'll go to the practice yard, and you can show me your work with the sword as well. I have to admit I'm curious as to how self-teaching the sword works."
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Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2006 10:17 am
Her curiosity had been bugging her for a while now about Muris's experiences with the Moon Court. Filix couldn't be polite about it anymore, so very carefully she said, "Muris... if you ever need to talk about before. Or if you just want to spend time around someone, even if it's only in the castle... you can always come to me."
As Muris brought out the bow, Filix gaped at it openly. It was perfect looking, and though Filix had no experience in bows, she was sure that it had have been made by someone with advanced skills.
"You should give yourself much more credit, Muris. I think it's quite a talent... and perhaps one day you could show me how to take care of my sword, or how to repair it? I'd love to learn."
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 10:27 am
When he opened a door to find himself outside, Equus felt a sudden stir of panic. Ursa had made him promise not to leave the castle and he was mere seconds away from breaking his vow. But when he spied what looked to be stables nearby, he coaxed out the thought that he was still technically inside since the horse lodging was indeed a part of Argentus.
Guilt-ridden for the minor infraction but still determined to see the beasts that the stables housed, Equus snuck closer, slipping into mostly open area and trying to move stealthily through the structure to examine the equines that resided there.
Several pairs of eyes turned to look at him, some immediately going back to their sleeping state while others lingered in hope of spotting treats. He couldn't have explained it, and dared not consider it for too long a time, but the boy felt instantly less vulnerable, as though he had finally come upon something he was familiar with even though the memories were gone.
He moved forward, patting velveteen noses as he passed and smiling when one horse nibbled on his fingers curiously. Another animal, a mare, whickered to catch his attention, tossing her head and half-raising on her hind legs. Equus approached quickly, hoping to quiet the female before she woke the stablemaster and he was given a swift kick in the rear for coming so early.
The boy stroked her pale white face, running his hands over the smattering of black on her muzzle and admiring the brown-red splashes of color that decorated her body. He spared a glance at the placard which declared her name, chuckling when she began to lip at his hair. "Altaea... that's a beautiful name for such a pretty girl."
She snorted in his face, apparently not impressed with his attempts at flattery, and continued to nibble almost affectionately at his silvery hair and the tips of his pointed ears. He pulled a face and moved away, rubbing her nose while moving up his shoulder to remove the moisture left behind. "Silly girl... I like you too."
He hesitated, shooting a nervous glance over his shoulder before opening her stall and letting himself in, hoping that this wasn't the Queen's steed. Out of old habit, he picked up her hooves and looked to make certain nothing was stuck in the U-shaped feet, giving a small yelp when Altaea bent her elegant neck sideways to butt his back with her head.
"You have a good stablemaster," He conceded, finding the mare to be in perfect health with a gleaming coat and not even a single mite in her attentive ears. "I wonder if he would allow me to come back and ride sometime..."
She nuzzled him, determinedly placing her face in his chest and demanding more attention. He half-laughed, complying by running his calloused hands along her neck and through the curled waves of her hair. "Would you mind if I stay here for a while?" He questioned suddenly, feeling much more comfortable than he had been in the four walls of his old room. "Just for a little while. I'm still a bit tired..."
Altaea stared at him with golden eyes, nostrils flaring contemplatively before she pushed his chest hard enough to make him land on his rear in a thankfully clean patch of hay. He laughed outright, cutting it short because he suspected the noise might attract someone, and patted one of her legs. "Thanks, girl. Warn me before the stablemaster comes in, huh?"
She neighed almost agreeably, something that made him shake his head amazedly as he laid down, inhaling the scent of horses and relatively fresh hay. Equus smiled drowsily up at Altaea before his eyes fluttered shut and he fell into an easy sleep.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:01 pm
Muris had seen what had happened with Equus and Pappila. She had retreated quickly afterwards, not sure what to do and with the intense sort of determination to just go and get back to work to drown out the thoughts that only those who are intense enough to get into their work that much have the ability to do. It was like going out to drown your sorrows in beer, only without the alcohol and with a lot more horse manure.
It'd been a little while since then. She had known as soon as he was in the stables that someone was there-- she could hear the soft whickering of the horses that alerted her to it. But she'd been busy cleaning tack, and saddlesoap isn't the most pleasant smell in the world, so she decided to put off greeting the stablecomer until she'd finished and cleaned herself up a bit.
By that time, however, the boy was fast asleep in Altaea's stalls. She found him easily enough, what with the horse's contented whickering at her master's return. And certainly, she wasn't one to object to someone spending quality time with their horse...but, sleeping in a stall with a horse could be dangerous, no matter how well the horse knew you. Muris herself never dared actually falling asleep in Alucina's stall so much as just outside of it, where she could still get the warm breath of her second favourite person on her hair and face, but didn't have to worry about the horse mis-stepping if she too fell asleep.
Gently, Muris opened the stall door, whispering,
"Equus...Equus, dear, wake up. If you need a nap, I'd suggest putting a pile of hay outside the stall, rather than in it."
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:16 pm
He came awake quickly as the unfamiliar voice invaded his thoughts, the first blossomings of a fighter's instincts spurring him from his dreamless sleep and to the waking world.
Equus sat up, hair prickly with hay that had become entangled in the silvery locks like cheap, decorative trinkets. He blinked blearily, mind trying to adjust from the steady ebb and flow of sleep to a world that made only fleeting sense nowadays. When he realized that he'd been caught, he shook off the cobwebs, embarrassment flooding his features.
"I'm sorry miss... I was having trouble sleeping in my own room." He stood, putting a hand on Altaea's side to haul himself up and gather his wits. The boy bit his lip, looking at the mouse Fey shyly from beneath his bangs. "Please... could you not tell the stablemaster I was here? I didn't do anything to the horses and this mare was just so kind to me..."
She didn't judge, she didn't ask, she just let me sleep nearby and guarded me from the outside.
"If you have to tell him, I suppose I would understand..." He added defeatedly, stroking Altaea's shiny mane almost wistfully.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:35 pm
Muris laughed gently. She was glad to have finally met the horse Fey. It was something she'd always hoped she might do, but had never had the chance to. It was a little strange seeing him like this, with no knowledge at all of who she was.
"I'm afraid that'll be a little difficult, Equus. You see, I -am- the stablemaster. Or mistress, if you would."
She knelt down, pulling a few bits of hay out of his hair,
"And you are of course welcome to come here as much as you like. Being the horse Fey, I'd assume it would feel a bit comfortable here. And besides, Altaea missed you."
The horse snorted an agreeable response to this, snuffling Equus' hair happily.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 1:53 pm
His mind blanked for a moment before his complexion took on a deeper shade of red from mortification. Of course she was the stablemaster, that would explain her presence and the way that the horses were reacting to her, but the fact that he hadn't put that together right from the start was not working in his favor.
I just told the stablemaster to lie to the stablemaster. Great.
Equus startled when she moved to touch him, horsetail sweeping and gaining still more hay into its tresses. "Oh... thank you." He replied quietly, standing still so that she could finish her work and trying not to fidget.
"Um... whose horse is she?" He asked after some of the scarlet flush had fled from his skin. Equus thought he had a fairly good idea now, but he was unwilling to take that final step only to be disappointed. When Altaea stuck her nose back into his hair, he smiled and patted the side of her face gently, turning his face back to the stablemistress.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:05 pm
Muris smiled,
"She's yours."
She had heard that both Equus and Pappila had completely lost their memories. This was a little sad for her, as she remembered very well herself and Pappila curled up reading stories together until Eirnae came back into the room.
She hadn't seen Pappila much after that, though. And she hadn't seen her since the incident.
The mouse finished pulling the hay out of his hair, ignoring the bits that were now gathering in his tail,
"If you want, I'll give you a boost and you can get up on her now..well, if we take her out of the stall, of course. You wouldn't want to hop up with her still in here."
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:30 pm
A simple two words, and yet they made his breath catch in wonder. He turned to look with gleeful astonishment at the spotted horse, forgetting that he was supposed to remain immobile so that the hay could be picked out of his hair.
"She's yours."
For a moment, he feared maybe it was some sort of joke being played on him, and his slate grey eyes flicked a little fearfully to the stablemistress' while he bit the inside of one cheek. Her next offer, however, was more than he could stand.
"Yes, please, ma'am." Equus said immediately, cheeks heating with something other than embarrassment for once. The little boy was undeniably excited at the opportunity, and it took more effort than it should have for him to stop from throwing his arms around the woman's neck and hugging her.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:34 pm
If anyone knew how he felt, it was the woman standing in front of him. She remembered just exactly how excited she had been at the prospect of hopping up on one of the Fey horses' backs when she'd first been re-awakened here in these very stables.
She gently took Equus by the hand, leading him out of the stall, and Altaea's halter in the other hand, doing the same with her. It was only a mere few seconds before the woman had knelt down again with her hands out and locked together, ready to give the boy a leg up.
"I'm Muris, by the way. We've never met before." It would probably be a bit easier for him, if he knew that she wasn't someone he ought to remember. If he had even been informed that he'd forgotten in the first place. Perhaps she'd have to explain that as well-- just in case he encountered another Fey he -had- met before.
"Did they tell you about what happened to you? About the forgetting?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:49 pm
He allowed the woman to take his hand, trying not to show his discomfort at the gesture. His palms were hard from working with his practice sword, and it didn't seem appropriate to hold it against hers unless he knew her better or was related to her in some way.
I'm not related to her, am I?
Her hands were nearly as calloused, which made him feel infinitely better than if they'd been the soft flesh of nobility.
Equus stepped up and hauled himself onto Altaea's back, smiling brightly at how right and natural the movement felt. He patted the horse's long neck, glancing down at the mouse Fey as she spoke and feeling relief flood him. So there was at least one person he wouldn't have to struggle to recall and who would not entirely mind his state of cluelessness.
Her next words made him still, his hand pausing in its soothing strokes across Altaea's neck. "... Yes, Miss Ursa told me what happened." He said quietly, feeling suddenly very small despite his increased height on the back of the horse.
He stared hard at the silken condition of his mare's mane, swallowing back the onslaught of self-deprecation which pricked and deflated even this moment of happiness. Equus had nearly hoped she hadn't known when she'd said they'd never met before, but now he found that life was simply delivering one knock after the next.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 2:58 pm
Muris nodded in sympathy,
"It must be hard to deal with. All these people who know you, but you don't know them. I didn't know if you'd met up with anyone yet, and I didn't want you to be upset if you came across them and they didn't know."
She took the horse's halter, changing the subject expertly-- she knew how uncomfortable he must feel, though not precisely as she'd never gone through quite what he was,
"Do you think you can handle her on your own? Horse riding is so instinctive, maybe you still remember how to do it."
She smiled,
"I wouldn't be surprised, you being the horse totem and all."
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