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 Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:41 am
Hayagriva cantered smoothly through the forest path. He had been over this path enough to know it's twists, turns, and the spots that he needed to watch his footing on. Today it was a beautiful brisk morning and he was happy to spend it cantering through his favorite trails. He was so familiar with the area that he almost didn't have to pay attention to where he was going... almost.
Going full speed, Haya rounded a corner. Directly in front of him was something that definitely wasn't supposed to be there, a fallen log with a mess of tangled branches. He was going too fast to stop in time so was forced to attempt an awkward leap over the obstacle. It seemed like he had cleared it when he felt a tug. His tail barb had caught in a particularly nasty tangle of branches.
.... This isn't good.
The tug on his tail turned in an instant to a sharp jolt as it stopped his forward movement and sent him crashing to the ground. There he lay, tail still tangled in the mess of the fallen tree and limbs splayed in every direction. His ears flicked back in one quick motion as surprise turned into pained anger.
"You stupid log!" He gave a frustrated kick at the log and then another one. He had been having an excellent morning. Apparently some things were too good to last.
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 1:53 pm
 Alyna walked through the forest, having escaped her guardian yet again. She came upon a curious little winding path, and decided to follow it for a little while.
Alyna walked along the path, and suddenly heard a loud crash. What was that? she thought, panicking a bit. She dashed off of the path, and approached the noise through the forest, hoping that the foliage would cover her spots and rainbow-colored mane tips. As she rounded a bend in the path, she saw a stallion laying on the ground, fuming. She didn't know what had happened, but she supposed it had something to do with the giant log he was abusing.
Alyna wanted to go help him...but he was so angry it seemed. Then she noticed his tail. She gasped, and shivered a bit. He had Kalona blood! She knew for certain that she wasn't leaving her hiding place now. Kalonas were mean, fierce, and they liked to eat foals! Well, that's what her protector had said anyway. Alyna had a sudden longing for Lyka, wishing that she had stayed at home instead of running off.
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:50 pm
One last kick freed his tail and Haya scrambled to his feet in a shower of splinters and dry leaves. The rest of his path still lay before him but he couldn't bring himself to think about it enjoyably anymore. There were probably other fallen trees waiting to snag him up so he couldn't run as fast as he wanted to. It always seemed like there was something you had to watch out for. In snow it was the slippery spots, in forests it was mysterious fallen trees. Even fields had hidden gopher holes that could easily break a leg.
He looked behind himself grumpily. Maybe he'd just head back and try to find Vis to talk to or something. That'd be more fun than going skittishly along wondering if he'd have another painful crash to the ground. It was when turning himself around to head back when he thought he saw a flash of color. Was something out there? Haya peered into the forest curiously. Could someone have seen his spectacular fall? The thought irked him but he still wanted to know who.
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Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 9:24 pm
Alyna suddenly understood. His tail was caught in the log. She supposed that would be one disadvantage of having Kalona blood. If one inherited the barbed tail, she thought it would get caught on almost everything. She wondered if this stallion was always getting his tail caught in things. But she would never have the courage to ask him, oh, no.
Her heart skipped a beat, then began pounding in her chest as the stallion peered into the woods. She wondered if he could see the colors of her mane, if she was well hidden enough to avoid notice. Alyna tried to slink down closer to the ground without causing the leaves beneath her hooves to make noise. It seemed that she would succeed, until her legs gave out beneath her and she tumbled out of the plants onto the path, right in front of the stallion.
Breathless, she squeaked, "D-don't eat me! I'm too sweet and nice and fluffy to be a good meal!"
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Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:46 pm
It wasn't the first time that Haya had gotten that sort of reaction from a soquili. Usually the foals tended towards curiosity and not fear but there were always a few, like this one, that had been taught that barbed tails were something to run from. From the adults, such open disregard annoyed him. They should know better. Foals, on the other hand, only knew as much as they had been taught. He guessed that this one had been taught caution and fear. It was probably time for him to calm her down and assure her that he meant her no harm.
... Either that, or he could have a bit of fun.
"That so?" He leaned down towards her and gave his best hungry leer. "We like 'em sweet and young, you know! I've heard that foals with spots taste the best of all!" Inwardly he was laughing but he somehow managed to keep a straight face. He wondered how ridiculous he could get before she caught on...
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Posted: Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:12 am
Alyna shivered. "I'm not spotted! I'm...uh...I just got paint splattered on me! I'm very plain, not tasty at all!" Alyna gave him her best pitiful look, her eyes widened and sad, her mouth quivering slightly at the corners, and hoped that he wouldn't eat her. She didn't understand that he wasn't being serious. She was too scared to realize that he wouldn't eat her.
Alyna wished that she had listened to her guardian, and just stayed at home and played with her brother.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:10 am
He could barely keep himself from laughing. On the second thought, this day was turning out great! He made a big show of looking her over again, spending an extra long time scrutinizing the spots that covered her from head to hoof. "Maybe it is paint and maybe it isn't but what I want to know is how you know how you taste!"
He continued leaning over her and gave a mischievous smirk. "Did someone else take a bite out of you and tell you? I still say you look pretty tasty to me."
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2008 1:03 pm
Alyna trembled like a leaf as he checked her spots. "I...I dunno how I taste...but I'm sure I'm not as good as other foals!" She looked at him, thinking that he didn't really look vicious...but he had a Kalona tail, so he must be at least a bit mean. "And...no one bit me...I'd have a big hole in me if they did..." Alyna looked at him pleadingly. "Please don't eat me. I'm much cuter alive, I think."
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:21 pm
"Hmmmmm...." Haya made a show of considering this last piece of information. His tail weaved back and forth slowly behind him. "Well," he said slowly with what he hoped was one last bit of dramatic threatening. "I guess you are cuter alive." He finally let out a real grin, smiling roguishly down at the filly. "Besides, I bet your parents would get real angry if I ate you and I don't want to have to fight them off."
His tail now bobbed up and down cheerily. "What's your name, kid? I'm Haya and I promise I won't eat you.... probably."
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Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:30 pm
Alyna brightened when she heard that he wouldn't eat her. A big smile appeared on her face, and she pranced right up next to him and craned her neck in an attempt to look him in the eye. "I'm Alyna! It's good to meet you, Haya." She laughed a bit. "I'm glad you're not going to eat me." she said shyly. "I think my mom would be real mad...and Lyka would be furious. She's my wolf guardian. She's probably out looking for me right now. See, I ran off to explore!" she said triumphantly, puffing up with pride.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:52 am
She cheered up quick. Haya's tail bobbed behind him with amusement at seeing the drastic change in the young filly. From terrified to triumphant all in one moment. "Exploring, are you?" he asked slowly while trying to think of somewhere interesting he could take her to. "What d'you like? There are rivers, some pretty flowers, tasty things, cute fuzzy animals... there really are a lot of neat things around."
He remembered his own days of exploration away from his mother. Sometimes you just needed to get out and on your own... or at least away from family.
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Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:29 pm
Alyna thought for a moment. "I like all of those things!" she said happily, smiling at Haya. "You're really nice, you know. I'm starting to think that you weren't really serious about eating me." She giggled, her rainbow-colored mane getting in her eyes.
Alyna recovered from her giggling, and looked at Haya. "Lyka says that Kalona are mean and scary, but I'm not scared of you anymore, 'cause you're nice. Are all Kalona as nice as you?" She asked, her blue eyes curious.
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 8:57 am
Haya's smile faltered for a moment and he quietly thought of the scars that ran across his back and nose, half covered by fur. "No... not all kalona are nice." His tone grew serious and he watched the filly with something close to an apology in his gaze. "It's a good idea that you watch out for them while you're still too small to outrun one if they are one of the mean ones."
His playful smile came back and he poked at Alyna with his tail barb. "If I had been a mean kalona, you would have been easy to eat. Tasty too, I bet."
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:21 am
Alyna wondered why some Kalona were nice, and others weren't. She thought she should listen to Haya, and be watchful of them, but at the same time she wanted to get to know the nice ones. She didn't want to assume that they were all evil...that's what Lyka did, and she was very paranoid all of the time. Alyna didn't want to be like that.
She giggled as he poked her. "That tickles!" she said, laughing. "Easy! I'm not easy to eat! I'd kick and struggle and run away!" She suddenly remembered something she'd wanted to ask him. "Haya? Does your tail get caught in things often?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 3:41 pm
"Oh, my tail?" He waggled it back and forth, flicking the last of the leaves off of it. "It doesn't usually..." He fixed his tail with a soft glare. "It's just today that it's acting up." His glare turned back into a smile. "It's really pretty useful. I can hold things with it and stick apples on the end to eat."
It was useful for self-defense too, but he didn't think the filly needed to hear that. "Too bad there aren't any apples around today." He looked around and the tips of his ears drooped. "It's not the season for anything tasty... except foals."
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