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 Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 8:27 pm
 It had been a couple of weeks since Imriel had been stuck in the cave with the lovely alicorn mare, Yazmina. Though that day had started out less than pleasant, it now stuck out in his mind as a very good one indeed. Truth be told, when one discounted Imriel's family, he had very few friends. The more the merrier, or so he told himself. Family was quite fulfilling most of the time, but there were moments when he craved so much more. Blood ties seemed to require that you be friends, though he knew that wasn't the truth. Still, a friendship unconnected by blood or herd... That was true beauty.
Musing on this, Imriel bent his head to graze. He had spent time with his family and left again, knowing that his mother and father would be sad. There were always siblings about though, or grandchildren, or cousins, or something of that sort. The line was large, and Yei and Grencia could certainly never claim to be lonely, could they? If anything, privacy would be welcome in their hectic lives, though Imriel wouldn't fathom his parents would remain content for too long without their brood. But then again, he could be entirely incorrect. It seemed that his parents inhabited an entirely different adult sphere, one that Imriel was reluctant to enter entirely just yet.
Ah well, moping wasn't going to help him any. Today Imriel found himself in a meadow not too far from that one on the rainy day. The grass wasn't quite as good here, the pickings growing rather slim as each day passed. In herd lands there was still plenty of food, but it was much more rare here. The challenge kept Imriel's mind suitably engaged, at least so much that he was not dying of boredom. What more could he ask for? Well, plenty really.
Sighing, the orange stallion stripped a twig from a tree, savoring the taste. It was surprisingly good, with a suitable spicy flavor that made it all the more better. Ah, if only he could sure his discovery!
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Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 9:17 pm
 It had been quite the two weeks. Yazmina had more than a full mind and more than enough to think about. She'd taken to spending days more or less distracted by them--she still hadn't managed to become nocturnal, it just wasn't in her--and to let her hooves carry her where they would. Oh, she kept an eye and an ear out for danger, and she still flew as often as she could, but she was thinking hard about many things. It was the snap of the twig that caught her attention, ear twitching toward the sound and flank twitching as well as she paused, one forehoof lifted. Gaze roaming for the source of the sound, she turned her head and then relaxed when she spotted Imriel's familiar fiery coat. Not a danger, not a threat, but a stallion who'd been a good companion for a brief while. So she gave herself a shake, put down her hoof and headed toward him. "I think," she called as she walked, "that the leaves might suit you better."
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 10:52 am
At the sound of a familiar voice, Imriel lifted his head. It wasn't only that the voice was familiar; it was a voice he badly wanted to hear as well! It was strange that he had just been thinking about her and she had appeared like that. Maybe there was more magic in the world than he had previously thought. The wonderment of a colt came back to him then, though he shook it away quickly. No need to get caught up in his dreams now. Not when Yazmina was here.
"The leaves are dry and lack taste. The twigs yet have some life, and some spicy flavor. There's much more to them than meets the eye- much like yourself," he called out in a voice that was slightly flirtatious. He just wanted to see her blush again. It was strangely cute, and not something he was used to from his family. They were all so forward and blunt. This was nice.
"I haven't seen you for two long weeks. You must have had many adventures since then. You have to tell me about them!" Imriel certainly couldn't say that he had had any adventures. He wished he could say he had, but it simply wouldn't be true. He had returned to his family, and though that provided many tales, it certainly would not be in the league of Yazmina's stories, he was sure. Ah well.
"I've lived fairly boringly. But come, taste my twigs and tell me about it!"
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:06 pm
"Has it been that long?" She really wasn't sure of the exact day when she'd last seen him, though, yes, she could reason that it had been a while. She headed toward him, not dragging her hooves but not trotting either. Not in a hurry, not hesitant. Curious about these twigs, but curiosity was commonplace for her.
She stopped at his side, ears pricked forward. "You really think they taste better than the leaves?" She sort of liked the drier taste and crunch of leaves when they turned. Now and then there was a little sweetness to them. Not like an apple, but they were palatable. And she hadn't tried eating twigs except when she nipped the budding leaves off in spring.
"I'm not sure my adventures are all that exciting." Except to her. She was deep in the middle of them. Though: "Did you know that the wolves around these lands are not afraid of Soquili?
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Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 7:22 pm
"The leaves are worth it when you find one that still has some taste, but the twigs from this bush have the taste all the time. They're just dry. But the water never seems to be too lacking here." There was a creek nearby that hadn't yet iced over, and one could always eat snow, couldn't they? Imriel wasn't quite sure how that worked out- only that his mother said snow turned into water. By that logic, it was drinkable.
At Yazmina's words, the orange stallion started. He had never met a wolf before, but he had heard enough horror stories to know he wouldn't want to run into one. Perhaps even Ambroise, his elder brother, would be hard pressed, and he didn't have Ambroise's wings to escape with. His fighting abilities wouldn't be enough, and he could almost feel yellow teeth closing about his throat, ripping and tearing and...
No. Shaking his head, Imriel tried to give an apologetic grin to Yazmina, and found himself failing utterly. "I... I didn't know that. That would be quite dangerous. Are you okay?" He was suddenly concerned for his friend, worried that she had gotten injured or into some sort of trouble. It seemed like she had found out about the wolves the hard way, but he could have been wrong. Either way, Yazmina would have to be careful. Imriel was grieve for a long time if he lost his new friend.
"I can take you to our herd's healer if you were hurt. If they got your scent and followed you I can protect you If you need it." Ugh, he was so bad at this! He just wasn't the knightly figure that he sometimes wanted to be. In all likelihood, Yazmina was better off than he was- she had sharp, cloven hoofs, a sharp horn, and wings. He would just be a burden in the event of danger.
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Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 12:10 pm
"Well, I'll try one," she offered with a little smile. He'd invited her to share, after all, and she wasn't going to just brush that aside. It wasn't something he had to do and she was grateful. "And I'll try not to bump you if I need a drink in a hurry." Slightly playful, that.
But when he started, her ears snapped up too. It was habit to be on alert when another Soquili startled, for her, even if this time she was the reason for the momentary fear. She calmed again in a second and felt a little silly for it. "I'm fine, now," she told him. "They haven't come back. I haven't even heard them baying." Which was more of a relief than she could say.
"I got a little scratched," she admitted, turning her head toward the long, thin mark on her flank. It was healed, if pink. If she was lucky, the hair would grow in again soon. She smiled at him again, though, more warmly. "It doesn't need healing now. It doesn't even hurt. And I hope, if they do come back, that neither one of us is near enough to need protecting. I think, when they hunt, that there are usually more of us than them. But thank you." Her smile remained.
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 8:56 am
Imriel's green eyes widened to an almost comical effect, if he hadn't been deadly serious. The scratch that Yazmina showed to him was clearly healing well, but that was no reason not to give up all worrying, was it? Probably her own powers helped, but just in case, he would keep a nervous eye on it. For her benefit, of course. You never know when a scar would burst open and start gushing infected fluid. Well, no one faulted Imriel for lack of imagination.
"It looks like it's doing okay," he finally admitted, grudgingly at that. He would have liked to be the hero, he supposed, though he knew that wasn't a role he was cut out for. It just wasn't the type of stallion he was, and he should stop trying to fulfill that fantasy in his head. It wasn't even a particularly interesting one, truth be told. Heros were all brawn, no brains. Nope, not Imriel at all.
"Where about did you see the wolves?" He was still worried that they could spring upon them any minute now, though logically there was simply no sign of them. No scents on the wind or sounds in the air. He could relax a bit more, but his guard would stay up.
"I just don't want you to get hurt again. I don't like it when my friends get hurt and there's nothing I can do about it." Imriel frowned, though he soon broke into his customary smile. "But I think we should talk of happier things. Did anything else exciting happen to you?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2008 6:55 pm
If it hadn't been so sweet of him to worry, Yazmina might have laughed at that expression indeed. She didn't, because it was, but she did smile and tip her ears toward him in friendly fashion. "It's nearly all healed now," she promised with a nod of her head. "I hardly even notice it." Except for knowing it was there.
She took a moment to get her bearings, then lowered her head, pointing with the tip of her horn in the direction the wolves had been. "They were over there," she told him, "but it was night time and I really haven't seen them since. I'm sure they won't come back for a while." Not after Nikolas had stomped one of them flat.
And he was being sweet again. "I'll be careful, I promise." Another smile for his sake. And then the question, and she wondered just how much she could tell. He wanted happier things and most of her conversations of late hadn't exactly been happy... "Well, I'm always meeting interesting new Soquili, of course. And then I get to look forward to seeing them again. Like you."
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Posted: Sun Dec 21, 2008 4:11 pm
Imriel was somewhat relieved at Yazmina's words, though he kept a critical eye still on her scar, as if expecting it to burst open any minute now. He probably was. He had been before, why stop now?
"It's good to know that they probably won't come back then. I'll keep my eye out and tell my parents though. It's too close to her lands for comfort." Though really, wolves anywhere in soquili lands was too close for comfort. Maybe they would wander into kalona territory and all be eaten though. That was somewhat of a comforting thought. No, really it was!
"Have you managed to remeet many soquili?" Imriel could hope he was special in that regard, but he didn't hold his hopes up. Especially when he barely understood them.
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Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2008 8:20 pm
Imagination running wild or not, with any luck, nothing was going to burst ro squirm or ooze out of her any time soon.
"I haven't met many more than once," she reported. With the notable exception of Nikolas. And Imriel, of course. "There are so many of us here that it seems that every time I turn around, I'm running into someone new. It's nice to see a friendly face again, though," she told him. "Like you."
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 10:10 am
Imriel was so glad that Yazmina regarded him as a friendly face. Friends were so important, and today something about the alicorn seemed a little bit sad. Perhaps it was just his imagination, or perhaps there was more to it. He couldn't tell for sure, and the orange stallion wasn't about to profess to being an expert on emotions. For the most part they puzzled him. Maybe it was a lack of sisters in his upbringing. Maybe not. Well, it was no use speculating on the pointless.
Why did it even matter if she liked him? Ugh, his own emotions were confusing him now. "Say, Yazmina," he started, only to realize he had nothing to say. Imriel had just wanted to hear her speak, but the minute he attempted to, he found his tongue suddenly tied and his brain in a confusion of emotion and words that he couldn't quite get out. Oh gods, he was making a complete fool of himself!
"Uhm, if you'd like to, there's this place. That is, it's lovely. There's some late winter berries, and uhm, if you'd like to go, it's a really nice place and uh... Only if you want to." It was still coming out hard, and Imriel could feel a blush spreading over his face. Why was everything so hard to say? If only he knew feelings of infatuation, then he could explain everything so easily. It seemed as though he would need to talk with one of his older brothers at some point in the future.
"I'd like it if you would go with me, that is." Dragging his hoof along the ground, Imriel flicked his green eyes once upward, gazing at Yazmina hopefully.
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Posted: Thu Dec 25, 2008 4:39 pm
Yazmina wasn't any better at flirting, or picking up on being flirted with, than Imriel was really, but she knew when something made her blush or prompted her to smile for no good reason, it needed a second consideration. So she tilted her head, smiling already.
"You always know where the last of the best things are, don't you? Leaves or twigs or berries, now? I could learn a thing or two just following you around, I think." She stepped closer. "I'd like to go and see this place you like," she offered. "With any luck, it won't rain again. Or snow on us."
Though sharing a cave really hadn't been so bad.
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Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 10:36 am
Imriel found himself blushing even more furiously as Yazmina spoke, his tongue stubbornly unwilling to form real words. Finally he managed to gather himself to a point where his brain was at least half working, rather than filled with confusing emotions and fantasies he was almost ashamed of. Oh, nothing like /that/, but he wasn't used to any idea of romance, after all!
"I would like it if you continued following me around. I mean, if we keep meeting. I mean... I don't know how to say this." He wanted to say something so badly, but was so unsure of how to phrase it. When they got to the berries, Imriel decided. That would be the right place to try and sort out the tangle of emotion he was feeling.
"We can always find a cave if it snows again." He smiled, a hint of mischief in his green eyes. "But follow me, and we shall find those berries!" In reality, they were in a clearing just beyond where they were standing, and he sprung forward, shaking his orange behind so that the sparkles would guide Yazmina where he was going.
Stopping in the clearing, Imriel turned around and gestured his head grandly. There were indeed some bright red raspberries and a few blackberries that had somehow survived the cold. They were juicy and ripe for the picking, and he rather hoped Yazmina would like them.
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Posted: Sun Dec 28, 2008 9:52 am
He just made her smile wider. "I'd like to keep meeting with you as well, Imriel. I quite enjoy seeing you and talking to you. It's nice to have someone who's not a part of the herd, so to speak, to share thoughts with." That was the absolute truth. She really did like talking to him.
And she liked going on his little adventures to find the new treasure of the day. She laughed as she followed his sparkling tail. Her wingtips glinted a bit as well, but nowhere near as brightly or as entertainingly as his plumes. "At least it would be warm," she offered of the idea of finding a cave. "And warm is never a bad thing."
She hadn't really expected there to still be ripe fruit. When she saw the berries, her eyes widened and went bright with happiness. "You really did know where there were berries. This is wonderful!" She stepped forward and lowered her head to n** off a small raspberry.
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Posted: Tue Dec 30, 2008 1:20 pm
"Would I lie to you?" Eyes twinkling, Imriel took in Yazmina's happiness and excitement with obvious pleasure. He enjoyed making her smile, making her eyes light up in that way. Would they light up like that for him? He realized he wasn't entirely sure how she regarded him. He just acted as Imriel, a stallion just getting used to his adult body, filled with adult emotions he wasn't quite sure he was ready to deal with.
"Say, Yazmina," he started. It was now or never. If he acted too late... Well, what if it was already too late? He wasn't sure what to do in that case. No, he was. He would remain friends with her, no matter what the outcome. Much like she had stated, he really did enjoy having someone to talk to and share his thoughts with, someone that he felt no pressure or competition being with. Friendship was a wonderful thing. Perhaps not quite as wonderful as he imagined love, but wonderful enough that he would regret losing it.
"I'd like it a lot... Uh. I want to say..." This was so much harder than Imriel had ever anticipated!
"I like you a lot. More than friendship, I guess. And I just thought I would tell you. You don't have to like me back. I want to stay your friend. I'm not very good at this." He scuffed the ground with one orange hoof, green eyes cast downwards. He was too afraid to look at Yazmina, far too afraid that he would see laughter in her eyes at his foolish proclamation.
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