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 Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:57 pm
It was a quiet day. A cold wind played with Sesilida's fur once in a while and she didn't feel any warmth coming from above -- typical autumn weather had arrived. Glosoli had gone off on some business or other, which was another indicator of autumn. He had done this last year as well. This year she wasn't as afraid as she had been then; she still stood where he left her, head down, listening closely for any smell or sound that indicated something approaching, but her thoughts did not run in nervous circles. Instead she listened to the birds and tried to imagine what they might be saying to each other. Time passed slowly.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:11 pm
 Dasher tended to hold grudges, and ever since that strange deer had visited... Dasher's been grumpy. Donner always treated him badly.. and he didn't like it. He wanted to feel like he was on equal footing with the other bull... or atleast he use to.. now he just wanted to be better than him. He was tired of getting picked on, and now it was time for some payback. He had been thinking about how to do this.. and then it hit him. Of course, he would try and win the cow that Donner had his eye on. It would be a serious blow to Donner's pride to go another year without cows, especially if his favored one was claimed. Now granted.. that wasn't Dasher's only motivation... he thought Seasilida was a very pretty cow too, and wouldn't mind at all having her in his harem. Bells chimed as Dasher slowly approached the white cow, the bull putting on his best smile as he called out to her. "Hey Seasilida... you're looking pretty lonely out here. Would you mind some company?" First thing's first.. be friendly.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:22 pm
The sound of bells announced a member of her herd and she cocked her head slightly, listening. Whoever it was came over to her. She turned carefully in the general direction of the bull -- for the scent was certainly one of a bull. The voice confirmed this and she recognized Dasher, whom she had never interacted with very much, but whose voice she knew well enough.
"I wouldn't mind at all," she replied pleasantly, her eyes politely open but not pointed quite at him. Ah well, she did her best. When he was closer she would be able to aim better.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:34 pm
Dasher smiled, glad to atleast be welcomed by the white cow. She seemed pretty friendly... much friendlier than Blitzen anyway. Moving up next to her, Dasher happily flicked his tail and tilted his head. "I guess I should apologize for not trying to really talk to you before." He shuffled a hoof a bit in embarassment. "I don't even know how you came into our herd." After all.. she wasn't one of the original group, for they all had bells.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:11 pm
When he spoke again she oriented her gaze toward his voice, though of course she still did not quite meet his eyes. "Oh, no, no need for apologies. Glosoli and I have mostly kept to ourselves, so I haven't talked very much with any of the herd." It was only last year, when Glosoli began leaving her on her own for short stretches of time, that she had talked with Aderyn, Donner, and Tumi, and even then it had not been long with any one of them. The rest of the herd was a group of voices with names and sometimes scents but little else.
It must have been for this reason too that the story of how she joined the herd was not well-known. She remembered that Aderyn, a newer member, didn't know it either. "My brother and I were taken away from our parents and kept by the humans as well, but we stayed together and never caused any trouble. It was mostly because we were afraid that we tagged along when all of us were let go."
She supposed that it was because they had not caused trouble that they had no bells, or maybe because they were not held long before the whole group was freed. Whatever the reason, she always felt a mixture of gratitude and guilt about following the herd. She always thought she was something of a burden on the others. Yet if it was not for them the two young white reindeer would probably not have made it in the wild.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:32 pm
He noticed that she did not look at him... and briefly wondered why before recalling some mention of her being blind? Was that really true? He listened to her though, feeling a pang of sympathy for her. She needed someone strong to look after her, not paranoid and selfish like Donner. He would smother her, Dasher just knew it. It made him all the more determined to get this cow in his harem and protect her.
He reached out his muzzle and gently nudged Seasilida, "Um... I don't want to seem like I'm prying... so I hope you don't mind me asking... but is it true... that you can't see?" His ears laid back, not wanting to hurt her feelings. He also wondered about Glosoli. Should Seasilida really be left here alone? After all.. what if a predator came along? She would be an easy target for a wolf... especially that white one that had Donner so high strung.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:51 pm
Sesilida tucked her chin a little at the nudge and the question, letting her eyelids naturally fall half-closed and giving a soft smile. "Ahh, yes. I've been blind all my life, I'm told." Her smile widened slightly. "I don't mind you asking. It's no secret. I'm very grateful to all of you for protecting me, even if you didn't know you were doing it." She shifted her weight, feeling sheepish for coming so close to admitting how useless she was.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:01 pm
She was so... sweet! o_O Dasher was amazed... no wonder Donner liked her so much, but his opinion still stood. Donner totally didn't deserve her, not one bit. He probably felt the same way about him and Blitzen. Huff. He laughed lightly, "Its no problem... its what we Outriders are here for after all. Speaking of which... I don't want to sound rude, but its dangerous to be out here all by yourself, especially with that wolf lurking around lately." He wasn't paranoid like Donner, but he was concerned about her safety. She was... well.. very vulnerable, and with the rut coming.. all the bulls would be focused on breeding.. and that included himself. He was trying very hard to be polite and considerate of her feelings, which to some might seem rather out of the ordinary for him.. but Dasher was actually a very sensitive sort underneath his slightly arrogant exterior.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:10 pm
"A wolf?" Well, she had certainly been disconnected lately. Not having heard about a wolf nearby! She couldn't help but sniff the air. Just in case. "It is dangerous to be alone, I know," she said, timid as if she was being chastised. "Especially for me. Glosoli should be back soon, and I was just waiting for him. Maybe I should find someone to wait with." Her only indication that she realized it was coming up on Anlach was the comment, "Maybe a cow, if the bulls are busy." She didn't know anyone but Donner who might want to wait with her, considering how he had approached her last year. Vaguely she wondered where he might be.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:16 pm
Spotting an opportunity, Dasher's ears perked up. "I can wait with you... I don't mind." Hopefully she wouldn't mind that he waited with her, seeing as she hadn't known him very long. "Dancer won't mind I'm sure, and she's got our daughters to keep her company." Where was Donner? Probably emoing over that strange deer that came to visit the other day. He was all in a snit about him, and really... Dasher didn't think there was anything to worry about. The guy didn't at all seem hostile, just innocently curious. Dasher was just as curious about them as well.
"Anlach is coming up soon... are you going to stand with a bull this year?" he asked, wincing a bit as he wondered if that was a little too forward. But well.. hopefully not. It was hard not to think of Anlach with it approaching, he was a male.. and the testosterone was certainly flowing.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:38 pm
In retrospect, she saw that she had been subtly and accidentally hinting that he stay. While his ears lifted hers laid back and she nervously pawed the ground. "Oh, you don't have to... I didn't mean... But if you don't mind, I'm not going to chase you away." After news of the wolf she didn't feel as certain about being by herself. Her mind was beginning to turn in the same old spirals of fear.
Thus it was not surprising that her reaction to the mention of Anlach was to stiffen and think, 'that's why he came over to talk to me?' It was the situation with Donner all over again. But now there was a new sense of irony. She, the disabled cow, had been asked by the two most prominent bulls in the herd to stand with them. Of course, Dasher had not asked her, but it was clear in her mind that he was hinting. Strongly.
And he was waiting for an answer. She remembered this, blinked, and furrowed her brow. "I... um... I haven't decided yet." Smiling nervously she noted, "The other cows must be very occupied with being outriders, if I am being considered worthy of standing with a bull."
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:44 pm
Now he just felt sheepish, and shuffled a hoof again. "Naw... I don't mind... really. I honestly don't have that many friends." It was a small admittance on his part. Many of the others didn't like him, and as much as he tried to hide it.. it did bother him. He tried so hard to impress, and it always got thrown in his face... making him look like an arrogant jerk. But Dancer didn't think so... she saw him for who he was. Dasher had tried hard to even seek Donner and Blitzen's approval, but the two had been harsh and rather mean towards him, thinking him ridiculous and stupid. He might not be the brightest bull, but he did have feelings.
Dasher blinked suddenly, "No... its not like that at all! You make it sound like you're the last choice for a desperate bull. You really belittle yourself. Tell the truth... a lot of the outrider cows would rather go out adventuring than settle down and have calves. As much as I like adventure, I enjoy having a family. I have two daughters you know.." Did he say that already? "None of the others really like me... except Dancer.." and he smiled, the tone in his voice indicating that he cared about her very much.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:27 pm
Her eyes closed all the way and she sighed with a rueful half-smile. "It's kind of you to argue, but I understand how it is. I can be of little use without sight. Surely a bull would be more interested in a cow who can take care of herself, never mind calves." This was a familiar argument. It was perhaps her greatest weakness that she saw as much good in others as she could find, yet saw little of it in herself.
She'd always understood that the others found Dasher to be a bit of a p***k, but his confession and his doting on his family showed something different. Whether this was his true character or an attempt to impress her with sensitivity she could not tell. Either way she smiled genuinely. "It sounds like you two are very lucky."
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 10:37 pm
Dasher stomped a hoof angrily, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I don't know who put that in your head, but it was wrong of them. Self worth isn't measured by how 'useful' you are... you're here for a reason. And while you might not be able to be an outrider, or fight off predators, you seem to be a really kind cow. And that's a gift in itself, cause not all cows are as nice as you." Like Blitzen. "And I bet you'd make a wonderful mother, there's no doubt. I'm not the smartest of the bunch, but it would be even stupider to think less of you than any other cow. Don't ever let yourself or anyone else tell you otherwise." The bull huffed and then pinned his ears back with a sigh. Perhaps he got a little carried away there.
Ears turned forward again at her other words, "Yeah... I guess we are. She's the only one that understands me." His ears pinned back again as he thought of Donner.
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 11:40 pm
In the face of his indignant rant Sesilida blinked mildly, astonished, and it was several moments before she found anything to say. Finally she settled with murmuring, "Thank you, Dasher."
Something new for her to ponder... Could kindness overcome physical ability? Just as importantly, when both Dasher and Donner seemed to care more about kindness than her physical ability, and both revealed that they were more than they outwardly seemed, how was she to choose between them? If she was going to choose at all, that is... which she had to figure out as well. Suddenly she wished Glosoli would return, partly as someone to discuss everything with and partly as a familiar presence.
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