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 Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:33 pm
Now though the trip was over and it didn’t matter how long it had been. It hardly even mattered that the councilors had begun to accept that Hasani was there to stay. All that mattered now was the pair of sapling sprouting tall from the ground and just beginning to twine about one another. Hers and Hasani’s. Hasani’s and hers. The tall mare took a few more paces forward and ran her blue eyes over the as yet smallish plants that would soon mix together into one entity and would then bear buds, bear fruits, bear foals.
Smiling softly, Nyx turned about to face Hasani. “Well,” she said, smile still placed lightly on her muzzle, “here we are then.” She wondered if he had known as she had why they had come here or if he had just felt the pull... No, no he must have been aware; he had had foals before after all, he knew far more about what was to come than she. That was comforting somehow. She hadn’t been afraid as such but... but it was still good that Hasani knew what he was about.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:10 pm
 Hasani had felt the all to familer tug at his heart even before Nyx had it seemed, He'd stood on the ridge out of sight as she'd left the valley and a painful expression crossed his face and a few tears had slipped across his cheeks. "By the gods I'm not ready for this again ... but it must be done..." turning the stallion moved away from the herd himself his hooves traveling towards a land he hadn't seen in many years Shrilal the fruitlands.
As he traveled Hasani stopped occasionally to gather fruits, nuts, and anything else he could find for Nyx as she'd need the nourishment over the next few weeks to sustain her as the fruits grew. Tossing his mane he entered the area and slowed his steps continuously shifting the fruits between his wings to keep them on his back. His red eyes studied all the other trees around even as he searched for the one that belonged to himself and Nyx.
When he approached her she spoke to him, "yes.." he looked down at their tree after dumping his load onto the ground. His hooves shifted restlessly, he had known this day would come but he hadn't been expecting it to come so soon after learning about his past. He watched the branches of the little trees sway in the breeze and lowered his head to nudge them both.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:36 pm
Nyx smiled; gathering food for her already and he’d only just arrived. From what she knew he would have to make many more trips around and about the place; perhaps back to fertile D’ob or perhaps to Ryuten to get food from the humans. Still, he would get enough for her, she was sure of that... But was something not right? The leathery-winged mare paced over to her mate and gave him a nudge.
Was he thinking of his lost family? She suspected she would be in his position but she wasn’t sure and didn’t want to try to come out with something comforting to say in case he hadn’t been and her words caused him to.
“I wonder how many we’ll have,” the splotched mare mused aloud, turning her gaze back onto the saplings. So far as she knew there was no way to tell on that score until the buds appeared, but it might be fun to guess and it had been something to say in any case. He didn’t look happy, perhaps he was just surprised or something but he didn’t look happy and that worried Nyx. What if he didn’t really want this? What if he couldn’t love their children for the shadow of those he had lost? She didn’t know what she’d do if that was the case.
“So...” Might as well find out, “...you think we’re ready for this?” She knew she was, but still; she didn’t want to phrase the question with the word you in place of we. That would sound accusatory somehow, and she didn’t want to accuse him of anything. She just wnated to know if he felt like he could deal with foals or not.
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Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:13 pm
Hasani knew his duties very well, he'd have to travel long and far to find
her food as the time wore on and their children slowly grew, but at least the worsts of winter were waning now and spring was beginning to set in so forage would be far more abundant for his mate.
His mind was indeed on his family, the four young foals whom he'd born with another young mare so far back in the past that their faces were merely blurs now in his mind.
"Three ... maybe four?" he hoped at least in this batch that they had no more than that he needed to test the waters of fatherhood slowly before he dove into having a large family. He looked at the trees again, they seemed so fragile ... so in need of protection and care the sight made him stiffen and the stallion began to quiver. What if he couldn't protect them? if they died from some sudden chill or some other disaster?
The fear in the stallion's eyes was more than evident as he stared at the small trees and his body shook like a leaf in hurricane winds.
Nyx's voice drew him back to reality and slowly his quivering stopped "I'm sure you are more than ready love, but I'm still afraid of failure... but" he stiffened up tossing his mane his eyes hardening in determination now "ready or not these are my children, and it's my duty to protect them and love them."
He stepped forward to the trees once again ad nuzzled each in turn "yes ... my kids a chance to right a wrong that has haunted my memory for ages. This is what they would have wanted, for me to move on and know the joy of rearing more young ones."
Hasani flared his wings around the small trrees "don't worry young ones, daddy is here and he won't let anything harm you until his last breath is sucked form his lungs."
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Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:16 am
Nyx smiled fondly at her mate and clopped over to stand beside him, draping a wing over his back as she drew level with the taller Nequus. “Don’t forget mummy’s here too,” she said, more to Hasani than the saplings. “We’ll both of us look after you, come what may we’ll do whatever we must to see you safe and happy.” The idea of having to fight off aggressors who might want to steal the growing fruits away to feed their mates was not a pleasant one, but it was one the splotched Aeri knew she would have to get used to. She had fought and killed before for after all; if she had to she would do it again.
Still smiling, Nyx gave Hasani’s neck a nudge. “You’ll be fine love,” she said with a nod, “I know you will be. Together we can make it through any trail, overcome any odds or enemies. We’ll do just fine.” She could believe that just fine herself; the poised mare had never had a problem with believing in herself. She just hoped that Hasani could believe it too in time; she couldn’t imagine what is must feel like to lose your family and to feel responsible for that loss.
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Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 4:45 pm
Hasani looked to his mate, yes she was there too but he felt he had more of an obligation to protect these foals. "Yes ... momma is here too," he shifted the wing closer to her to the side allowing her access to the little trees. A breeze whipped his mane but he didn't shiver, the breeze was warmer announcing that spring was on it's way and soon would restore the world.
He nodded slightly, but his heart didn't believe the words spoken by his mate. He would have to see his children grow to become healthy proud adults to believe that he could truly do this and it wasn't tempting fate to bring him pain to try and raise kids. "I guess ..." he watched the trees once more red eyes confused yet still determined.
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Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 7:24 am
Nyx smiled and took a pace closer, nudging first one little tree and then the other. The breeze which played through her short mane a moment later extracted a contented sigh from the blue-eyed mare; it was cool but not cold crisp but not biting and just as Hasani had observed, she noted to herself that spring was on its way. Her foals would be born during it most likely, the earliest days when, in palces other than gentle-weathered D’ob, new life would just be springing from bare branches. It seemed appropriate somehow.
Having inspected the trees thoroughly once more, Nyx stepped back and moved over to the pile of food that Hasani had brought for her; her duty now was to eat and to rest and to guard the tree from any aggressors. As she dipped her head down to eat, the tall mare caught sight of her well-muscled legs and she smiled. Pity the poor fool who messed with her tree.
Once she had munched her way through a couple of the sweet fruits, Nyx raised her head again and turned to her mare with a smile. “Will you be staying a while?” she quizzed, scratching at an small itch on her neck with a wing-claw. He would have to leave soon of course to find more food, but the splotched Nequus hoped that he could stay a little while at least. Perhaps until morning or even a little later. Honestly, either way, she would probably be going to sleep soon but it would be good if the leather-winged stallion before her could stay the first night with her.
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Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 2:07 pm
Hasani had stayed for a day and a half then went off to get Nyx more food, it had taken him a few days to fly to D'ob and longer to return for he had to walk as his wings were laden with berries, fruits, and nuts of all kinds. As he entered the fruit lands he instantly knew something was different, then he came upon the tree and blinked.
It was tall now the branches stretching wide and hanging upon it were four beautiful fruits. One was an odd reddish orange and he chuckled softly, what a throwback to have. One looked exactly like Nyx and the others looked much like him. tossing his mane he moved closer still studying the ripening fruits.
Hasani dumped his cargo before stretching up to get an even better look at the fruits that hung there.
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Posted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:01 am
Nyx yawned and blinked awake at the sound of heavy hooves. “Hasani,” she said with a smile and a nod as she took in the form of her mate. “Welcome back.” She wasn’t sure quite what else to say for now; there was too much of it! Over the last couple of weeks she had watched the saplings finish their twining and grow taller to bear buds and now the small fruits which hung from the largest branch. It would be a time yet before they were large enough to fall and hatch but now some hint of what they would be like could be seen, and of course their number.
Smiling softly, the tall mare heaved herself wearily to her hooves, setting her leather wings against her shrunken flanks comfortably. “Lovely, aren’t they?” she commented to the red-eyed stallion, turning her gaze upon the quartet of young fruits. One looked much like her, another like Hasani, a third like a blending of them; the father's colour and her patterns and the fourth... the splotched mare smiled, Gods alone knew about the fourth but it was as beautiful as its siblings in her eyes. It was probably a parent thing, she considered with a chuckle as she turned back to the other Aeri and gave him another warm smile.
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Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 8:30 pm
((*goes ahead and jumps to the foals* fwee? >.>.<.<)) Hasani had been traveling again gathering berries and fruits. He was tired, worried, and ready to loose it as the time grew nearer for the foals to emerge. The blue stallion stopped and stamped his legs, then he looked down at his leg and noticed something he'd never seen before. He had crashing waves that adorned his powerful legs "...irony is a b***h..."
Shaking his mane he pushed it from his mind and moved on. He soon spotted the tree and as he approached noticed that the blue speckled fruit was squirming and jerking in an attempt to free itself from the branch it was latched onto.
"...Here we go..." he was still unsure if he could do this but he knew he had to, after letting out a snort he trotted forward and dumped his load then looked up to watch. The fruit wiggled for a good thirty minutes before it dropped to the ground and rolled.
After more long moments it split and out climbed a beautiful filly of soft blue with darker speckles and bright blue eyes. She had her mother's hair color and splotches and waves adorned her legs.
For a moment her eyes boiled with anger, then suddenly seemed to become icey before ragging once more.
Even as she stared at her parent's the filly's eyes showed that her mood was changing wildly.
"... Calypsie .." she was just like his previous daughter, as wild and untame able as the sea.
"Sedna ....Sedna Calypsie.." it suited the filly well, Sedna was a goddess of the sea, and of course Calypsie was Calypso, another sea goddess, slightly changed.Tossing her mane Sedna started to rise as her eyes glazed over into tranquility, this time seeming to stay that way now.
Her legs were wobbly for a moment and she swayed before stumbling away from the tree.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:20 pm
She hadn’t expected to be quite so tired.
Still, exhausted or no the gaunt mare felt a warm smile spread over her muzzle as her first child entered the world... but something was not right. That anger. The first thing her child, her daughter, had been was angry. Though the mood seemed to lift as Hasani named her, without consulting her Nyx noted, the splotched mare was still unsettled. The look in those young blue eyes had taken her back through the years to her brother. Her brother whom she had been forced to slay with her own hooves for what he would have made of the herd. This child, she knew even now, would not be her heir. Such instability and such a capacity for inexplicable anger was not what her people needed.
Shivering slightly, Nyx forced herself to her hooves and tottered over to her daughter.
To Sedna Calypsie that was.
As she approached the filly, the orange-blue mare felt her uncertainties recede. The girl was beautiful, perfectly formed and, though she looked a tad glazed, she stood on her hooves very well indeed. The tall mare smiled and lowered her muzzle to nudge at her daughter’s neck. “Hello darling,” she said softly, “welcome to the world.” Perhaps she had been mistaken in her weariness and had not seen anger after all. She might’ve imagined it. Yes, it was probably tiredness and no more. Nothing to worry about.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:46 pm
With all the emotion over the girl, it wasn't quite noticed that another fruit was on the move. It twitched heavily, almost, though not quite, jumping from the very tree itself in a deep anticipation to be free.
It didn't take long. Driving and drooping, making such a ruckus until it finally dropped from the tree. Within moments, a face peered out of the fleshy fruit, covered in goop while biting and tearing its way through. Red eyes shown though the opening until finally the whole body was free. The foal could hardly stand. In his fight to loosen his bonds his passion had delivered a sever blow to being steady. He wobbled and eventually fell to his knees. His eyes, however, shown that he would need nor want any help. Within seconds, though done with less grace, he was up on his hooves again, standing determined that he would do it all on his own.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:24 pm
 And then the third fruit joined in. Twitching and jerking, eager to be free, it wasn't long before it fell. It rocked wildly on the ground, then split open - and a small head peered out, looking round with bright blue eyes. For a moment or two the colt simply took in his surroundings; then he began to struggle with the remains of the fruit, now even more eager to get out.
It took some effort, but he struggled unsteadily to his feet and paused looking rather proud with himself. Taking a step towards his mother, he promptly fell over. The colt looked rather less impressed at this, and when he stood up again, he decided not to try walking again. Still a little shaky on his hooves, he looked around at his siblings and parents with interest.
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:25 pm
When the foal finally tumbled to a painful halt among the fallen leaves, its features became clear. It was a colt, and he was red: as red as the slopes of Fyhi tel Oren in the west.
Had he not so obviously (and so spectacularly!) fallen from Nyx and Hasani's tree, they might never have known he was their son.
The colt lay sprawled on the ground where he had rolled to a halt, fluid rattling on his laboured breath. Unlike his siblings (as if he were not already enough unlike them) he made no attempt to stand: the strength to do so, it seemed, was not in him. He was having enough trouble getting air into his lungs, never mind paying attention to the world outside his reddish skin. Quite suddenly he began to choke and splutter, gulping at the air in a desperate attempt to breathe, and then with one great cough he spat out a lump of soft, sticky fruit. It had been lodged in his throat. His apparently disastrous fall from the tree, in jarring it loose, had probably saved his life.
Hacking dryly a few more times, he took a deep breath and sighed it out, finally lying still. His next few breaths sounded normal, quiet, and deeply relieved.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:14 am
The tall mare had not had time to greet her first two sons when the third of them fell to earth. As the ruddy foal struggled for air, Nyx gave a panicked whinny and hurried to his side. Just before she reached him however, he managed to dislodge the fruit that had been trapped in his throat and the splotched mare felt her own breathing ease. He might be a shade battered from the fall, but he would no doubt recover.
Smiling to herself, the blue-eyed mare lowered her muzzle to nudge at the exhausted colt before turning about to smile at her other two sons, clopping wearily over to nudge each of them in turn as she did so.
“And hello to you three as well.”
A small, slightly peeved part of her suggest that she get in and name one or two of them now if she wanted any say in the matter at all, but the rest of her quashed the thought; there was no need to get petty.
Smiling to herself, the gaunt mare turned her gaze to her mate. She couldn’t think of words sufficient for the occasion, and so for the time being she gave up on speech and grinned stupidly at the tall stallion. Children. Their children. She couldn’t remember ever having been so happy as she was now. Children.
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