[PRP] In the Warmth of Spring (Vara and Scythe)

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Finally, it was spring. The landscape had burst into flowers and colors to rival Vara's own and her breath no longer steamed in the freezing air. It was a time of rebirth and renewal, Vara's personal favorite of the four seasons. She had decided mid-winter that she would journey back towards the area that she had foaled in to see if she could pick up word on her son. For all she knew, she could be a grandmother by now. She couldn't help but be amused by the notion. It was unlikely, given Hayagriva's awkwardness around mares when she left, but still possible.

She was taking a path that retraced her steps from that fall and a familiar mountain range was in sight. A smile came unbidden to tug at the corners of her mouth when she thought of that place and the one that dwelled in it. Of all the soquili that she had met on her journey, Scythe was one of the ones that stuck out in her mind. Not only was his appearance something hard to forget she still enjoyed thinking on his philosophies when the mood came across her. Perhaps she could wring a few more out of him before she continued on her way.... and she definitely hoped that he would take her cliff jumping as promised.  

[Dixie]

It had been months since Scythe's meeting with Vara, he had hoped she would return during the spring, but he wasn't holding his breath on it. It was a lazy day as the sun beamed down on the earth, Scythe having grazed most of the morning was full and heavy eyed. He found an open grassland in the valley close to his home, wildflowers of every color painted the hillsides for as far as the eye could see.

Scythe stretched his wings as far as they would go, yawned, then snorted a bit. He was looking for a good place to lay down and bathe in the warmth of the golden sun over head. The winter had been cold and lonely, at least in the spring he didn't feel so down. The world around him was blossoming, thriving in the new year. He promised himself he would do the same.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Vara carefully walked around an ant hill whose inhabitants were just beginning to gear up for the new season. There was no point in making their lives more difficult than it had to be by stepping all over their fine work. She mused that insects probably had to work a lot harder for their lives than she did. Their lives were much shorter and harsher than any soquili -she hoped- ever would be.

Oh, there was a lovely patch of crocuses. Vara paused to admire them a moment, smiling happily at their vibrant reds and pinks. When she raised her head she caught sight of a certain vibrant blue moving amongst and through the other colors. "Scythe!" she called out in joyful surprise as she started trotting towards him. She didn't expect to see him until she reached the mountains!  

[Dixie]

Walking at a slow pace, Scythe's eyes had been searching for the perfect place to bask in the warmth of the new sun. Quickly his ears perked and his head stood tall, "Vara?" he asked himself as he began searching for the beautiful mare he had seen the past winter.

He didn't realize that her colored coat may make her blend with the flowers of spring if she was still far from him. As he scanned the horzion his eyes caught glimpse of her as she trotted towards him.

"Vara!" He called out to her, "You made it back for Spring, I see!" he gave a happy nicker.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

"Didn't I say I would be?" Her voice had a chiding, yet still pleasant, note to it. "It'd be cruel of me to promise and leave you waiting, and I couldn't stand to cause you pain. But, enough with the teasing. It's good to see you again, Scythe. I hope that you've been well?" She had to admit that she was happy to see him again. It seemed like she met so many soquili but seldom met one a second time. As a result of so many one-time meetings, many soquili seemed to blur into one in Vara's head. She cared for them all in a distant sort of way, but Scythe... he was one she didn't want to forget.  

[Dixie]

"I'm glad to see you're a mare of your word then!" Scythe leaned over and nuzzled her neck quickly in greeting. "Yes, yes, I've been well. Glad to see the Spring sun, I can tell you that much." he laughed and turned his attention to her.

"And of you? How was the rest of your winter?" his ears listening intently on her words. He was so glad to see her. He figured her journey would take her far from these lands, he didn't figure the winds would blow to bring her back in time to see the blossoming hillsides.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Vara smiled at the contact of his nuzzle and didn't let herself read anything into it. It was a greeting and foolish to think of it in any other way. Absolutely foolish even if she almost wanted to... She refocused. Now wasn't the time to get lost in daydreams.

"I expect my winter was much as yours. Full of snow and occasional company interspersed with more snow." She flicked her tail with inner amusement. "If I didn't enjoy living in the present so much I might have gotten caught up wishing it was spring during the long winter days. It's so easy to wish for heat in the cold and wish for cold in the heat." Her bemused blue eyes met Scythe's own. "It's times of transition like these that we can find ourselves truly comfortable."  

[Dixie]

He listened intently to her words, Scythe had thoroughly enjoyed their last conversation. His tail swished back and forth contently. He laughed at her 'wish' statement, he joked with her, "Some Soquili are just never satisfied." he nickered.

"Comfortable is always a good thing," he nodded, "It revives the spirit, eh?" It was more of a rhetorical question really. Scythe turned and looked over the valley that was dotted with multi-colored blossoms, it was a beautiful place. He couldn't recall ever having been here with anyone else, much less a mare who's beauty matched the Spring scenary around him. He smiled pleasantly, more to himself than Vara.

"I assume you haven't forgotten your word to me have you?" His eyes gleamed with excitement. He was ready to take Vara to the cliffs, give her her very own 'flying' experience.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

"Actually, I've been quite looking forward to fulfilling that one and was hoping that you hadn't forgotten it." She wondered what it would feel like, the moment when the world dropped out from under her hooves. It would be exhilarating, certainly.... and something she didn't want to miss. She just had to muster up the bravery to take the plunge first, but that's what the handsome stallion was about for, she supposed.

"If I stall, feel free to give me a little nudge. I'll forgive you and I don't want to miss the experience over anything so silly as fear of heights."  

[Dixie]

"Oh, don't worry," he spread his wings and did his best 'mean' impression, "You're going over!" He laughed and pulled his wings back into his body.

"I'm glad you hadn't forgotten, I'd been looking forward to this all winter." he looked around, pondering which cliff would be the closet from where they were at.

"There's a nice cliff just north of here, but, it's also probably one of the highest ones around. You want a massive drop first...or...a not so massive?" he tilted his head as he awaited her reply.

He was giddy as a colt, he couldn't wait to see Vara's reaction as she went over the ledge.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Vara pondered the question intently. Working her way up to a larger drop would make it less intimidating... but a little less thrilling, too. Then again, she didn't know if she'd have the nerve to leap from that high. She'd never tried it before and got the feeling it would be one of those things that the sane part of her mind balked at.

Sometimes, though, it was time to live dangerously. "Massive." She said it in a matter-of-fact tone, as if it was the only option she even considered. "The first experience is going to be the one I always remember and I want to have a nice long time to think about the sensation. I want to feel my heart pounding and my breath taken away." She watched him, that teasing glint back in her eye. "Think you can do that, stallion?"  

[Dixie]

Barely catching his tongue, Scythe almost made a remark that would have terribly embarassed him. " I know I could take your breath away.." was on the tip of his tongue before he blushed at himself for even thinking such things about this mare.

"I'm pretty sure the drop will do it for you." He smile and turned to the North. "Will we be going then?" He nodded towards the Northern sky. "It's not far, you'd better build your courage up quick." He winked and slowly started walking.  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

Vara gave a cryptic half-smile to Scythe's back as he walked out before her. She herself wasn't even quite sure what she meant by teasing him so. It meant that she was comfortable enough around him to do so and that was a happy thought all on it's own.

"Tell me," she replied while catching up. "Is this how you learned to fly? By leaping off high places and hoping that you don't hit ground? I imagine it's easier than running and flapping and hoping your efforts pay off."  

[Dixie]

"In a round about way, yes it is." He answered her question as he turned back looking to her. He stopped for a moment and let her catch up.

"It was a spring many seasons ago, I've enjoyed diving for as long as I can remember," he snorted and laughed at a though... "You know, there was a time I couldn't fly. I use to drop to the water below as quick as any Soquili...." He could remember many drops that he thought would be his last.

"I've always had wings, but they weren't always useful. I had to wait until I grew up and filled out so that I could support them and use them properly. I was going jumping one day and the wind just caught them right. I glided down instead of just falling," he looked to her with a childish look, "You should have seen my face that day. I couldn't believe it."  

[Roniel REVOLUTION]

((Sorry for taking so long on the response... sad stuff happened and I didn't have the will to RP for a while there.... ))

The story of Scythe learning how to fly rang so true for Vara. It was a story of perseverance, certainly. "I think that a lesson can be learned from your first flight." She smiled and lifted her head to let her eyes dance over the soft white clouds ahead. "That if you're afraid to fall you'll never find out what it's like to fly." Her head turned down and she fixed Scythe with a look that held fierce determination. "Which is exactly why I'm going for the highest jump first. If it looks like I'm losing courage I want you to... to bite my tail or something. That will get me going."

She swished her long red and gold tail behind her. She kept her mane and tail long, motivated by what she had to grudgingly admit as vanity. She wouldn't like Scythe biting off a huge hunk of it so she imagined it'd be a good way to get her moving in a pinch... but even if she lost her entire tail, it'd be worth it to feel the sky beneath her hooves. It'd be worth losing a lot more than a hunk of hair for that.