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 Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 6:10 pm
It was a beautiful day in early summer, the sort of day when if one closed their eyes and felt the sun on their skin, they could ALMOST forget how very recently it had been cold and snowy. Almost.
At least, that was the sort of day it was out in the meadow lands, lake region, and beaches. In some places, such as the mountains, it was still frigid and chilly, with biting winds and snowy passes that held out a final fleeting hope that winter would yet return, driving away the warmth and the color of summer. Then again, those that lived in or frequented the mountains were well aware of the temperamental mannerisms of their home; for them, it was par for the course.
And that was also the way things were for those that lived in the forest, those that spent most if not all of their time among the trees, living in shadow and shade lit only by the bravest and most determined of sunbeams. In this region, sunlight was a sign of winter, while summer brought thickly growing leaves and near constant shadow.
However, Indawo wouldn't want it any other way. The stallion had lived so long among the trees and the gloom that he couldn't imagine any other way of living, the shadows his friends and the trees some of the best company he'd ever had. If nothing else, they knew when to drop an unwanted subject.
Smiling in his slightly sardonic fashion, the small stallion turned to look at the tree beside him, murmuring softly, "After all, conversation is an overrated art form, isn't it? No advantages other than sparking frustration, and life has enough of that without us adding to it, I'd say." The tree was silent, but that was to be expected when dealing with an inanimate object; as it was, Indawo merely chuckled and leaned against the tree.
It made an interesting picture, stallion and tree. In the shadows of the forest, Indawo's tan coat and spots were less than striking, the spots passable at first glance for bits of shadow among scattered sunbeams. A light coating of dust added to his coat's natural camoflague, as did the various streaks of mud and the occasional hairless patch where nothing but a healing scab or old scar stood to cover bare skin. His mane was on the longer side, but unkempt; twigs and leaves and bits of bark were accepted accessories that Indawo had long since ceased caring about or trying to remove. After all, there was only so much a stallion armed with only hooves and teeth could do about his own mane, even if it WERE possible to reach it. Besides, every little twig helped him blend in that much better, and to blend in and avoid notice was what he most desired.
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Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:28 pm
The blasted trees! They wouldn't get out of her way. It was so infuriating! How was she to make a proper getaway when there was so much in her way? She didn't know that the bees would get mad if she took some of their honey. Why, they had enough to share. Stingy little creatures! At least she could no longer hear the persistent buzzing behind her. For such little guys, they could fly for quite some distance.
She felt a little guilty. She should have asked for some honey. That probably would have gone over a lot better but she hadn't been thinking beyond that sweet taste. It was so worth it though. She could still taste it a bit in her mouth. Of course, she was sure she had been stung on her backside in the getaway. It was rather sore.
The flutter finally slowed down and landed on the ground. It was a miracle she hadn't flown head first into one of the many trees. Perhaps she was finally getting a hang of flying after all these years. It seemed like only yesterday that she was fluttering over the fields, too scared to really take flight. Though it felt like yesterday, so much time had passed. Other than flying though, she didn't feel too much had changed.
"Well, this isn't good," she mumbled under her breath. While she was safe finally from the bees, she was now totally lost. She avoided the woods for this reason. Every direction looked the same! How did anyone know where they were going in this place? "Hello?, is anyone out there" she called loudly, hoping someone would hear her. Of course, with her luck as of late, she'd probably attract some hungry wolf. At first, she thought there was a response but it ended being her echo.
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Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:55 pm
In one swift instant, Indawo's idyllic afternoon of peace was shattered as the slightly distorted echo of someone's voice floated through the trees. Lifting his head, Indawo swivelled his ears in the the direction of the voice, trying with the ease of much practice to figure out how far away the caller was and what the best way to avoid encountering them was. At the same time, he felt a strong sense of annoyance; here he was, off in the dark and gloom and theoretical solitude of the woods for the sole sake of NOT having to deal with anyone, and here someone was stumbling into HIS woods and causing a ruckus. No wonder he didn't like dealing with other Soquili, they were all so rude and inconsiderate.
Hell, just thinking about it made him grouchy.
Narrowing his eyes, the stallion pulled away from his tree and looked off in the direction of the voice. The least that he could do was go and take a look at the latest Disturber of his Peace...and then leave.
~~~
That was the theory, anyway, one that faded away rather quickly once Indawo discovered that actual speaker. It had been a long time; exactly how long, he didn't know, but a long time nonetheless. Granted, that was largely his own fault; he'd been the one to up and relocate, after all. Still, his own culpability did nothing to distill the surprise of seeing and old....yes, friend.
For a few long minutes, he stood silently watching, his years of forest dwelling making it easy to remain undetected. But after some internal agonizing, he stepped around the tree and into plain view. "Meeki?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:02 am
She wasn't sure she had heard the voice at first. She recognized it long before she turned to see the owner of it. Was it really Indawo? How long had it been since she had last seen him? He had just disappeared and though she would never admit it, it had hurt her a great deal. He had been her only friend and she blamed herself for his leaving. She had irritated him so much in the past because of his wings. Trying to get him to accept them and try to use them. She had pushed and pushed and eventually.. she had pushed him away.
She didn't know if she should greet him or leave. Well, she couldn't just leave, she quietly reminded herself. She had no idea which way was out in the woods. Every direction looked so similar to her. Heck, she wasn't even sure which direction she had come from now since she had turned around in circles to look around.
"Hello Indawo," she finally greeted. She spoke with more assurance than she had long ago. While she still had her childish antics, she had matured quite a bit since then. Perhaps that was a little bit of an exaggeration, but she had matured some. "This is going to sound rather silly," she started before pausing briefly to look around once more, "I find myself completely lost."
She ran her eyes over him after she spoke. He looked well. A little older but still so much like the Indawo she had remembered. She hoped that he had at least found whatever it was he was looking for out here. She would try not to make her stay last long. It would be a shame to push him even further away. The land went on forever, or so it seemed. He was already far enough away from her home.
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Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:08 pm
"Oh."
Conversation had never been one of Indawo's strong skills. As he'd seen it, conversation was something best left to those that actually dealt with other Soquili, and in his isolated lifestyle it would be more a burden than an asset. The only ones that he ever spoke to were Safi and occasionally Woad, neither of whom minded if Indawo was less than adept at conversation or banter.
But right now, Indawo was regretting his lack. At the very least, he owed Meeki an explanation; at the best, he owed her...well, a GOOD explanation. But how could he explain why he'd moved so abruptly when he didn't really know why himself? THAT was a good explanation, alright...and following that, he could go dance along through the Kawani village with a merry song on his lips.
He had absolutely no idea what to say, so rather than say something awkward, he simply stood there...awkwardly. Her brief, inquisitive glance made him shift slightly, keenly aware at that moment of the dust on his face, the burrs in his mane, and his general state of disheveled-ness. Undoubtably she was thinking how old and disreptuable he looked, and he couldn't even blame her.
She looked the same as he remembered, though, right down to those peculiar leg coverings. Still young, still full of life, still radiant with optimism, or so it seemed to him. Bleh.
Shifting slightly, he repeated himself, "Oh," one more time, then abruptly looked off to one side in the direction of a particularly gnarled tree. "Well, it's really not so hard to get out, if you're of the winged variety and willing to fight a bit. There are places around where the canopy is lighter where you could probably get through without too much trouble. There are a lot of birds that use that way to get down here, at least; I don't know if it would work for Soquilis as well, but it's an option, if you're interested."
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