Two paths met in a wood... (Yazmina and Nikolas)

[Samuel Carlin]

Yazmina turned and swerved and followed after him, playing along though she could easily have cheated and flown anyway. The point wasn't really to win, though. The point was to enjoy herself, to have fun and be happy in his company. And she was, so she wheeled and chased and laughed as she ran.

Just before they reached the trees, with her close on his heels, she called out, "Maybe you're not as fast as you think!" Then he slid to a halt and she twisted off to the side so she wouldn't plow into him at full speed. She still collided with him lightly, then leaned against his side, her sides and wings moving as she caught her breath.

"You see?" she boasted. "I caught you after all."  

[Kesmi]

Nikolas laughed as he side stepped a couple paces as she bumped into him. His own sides heaving from the run, he could have gone faster if he had wanted to. But he didn't think he had wanted to go faster then he had, not when the one chasing him was his love. Other things... He would have hauled a** out of there, but he had better reasons to not go so fast. Nuzzling his head against her neck he looked into her eyes.

"Maybe I didn't want to run away from you." He chuckled as she leaned against him. "Besides, the prize for being caught ain't that bad is it?"

Chuckling again he pawed at the ground a bit, scratching out place where he would more then likely plop when he was good and ready to, but for now he leaned back against Yazmina. In truth, he had wanted her to catch him, he wouldn't have acted around anyone else if they got this close to him. then again no one had ever gotten this close to him before, nor would there ever be another that would get this close.  

[Samuel Carlin]

"I hope the prize isn't a bad one," she said. "I hope you don't ever mind being caught when I'm around." And that, like so many things, made her blush again. She tucked her nose against his neck briefly.

She was remembering, at the back of her mind, that she'd have to go home soon. Back to her little herd. Back to the human home. It didn't seem as appealing anymore. Not that she minded them or disliked them in the least, but now that she'd confessed how she felt and Nikolas had done the same, she wanted to stay with him, not be halfway across Soquili lands. She was certain that she wouldn't sleep. She'd stay awake, wondering if he was awake too.

She exhaled, blowing softly through her lips, and lifted her head. "In the spring, I can come and stay with you, yes? And I won't have to leave. We won't have to be apart."  

[Kesmi]

"As long as the one doing the catching is you." He teased reaching over to n** at her mane, before wrapping his head around the back of hers as she tucked her nose in against his neck.

Silence fell upon them as it seemed that both were in thought. He knew it would be dangerous for her at this time. He and his brother would be moving through dangerous territories, and he wouldn't like himself too well if anything were to happen to her. Even if his brother would say it wasn't all his fault, but both as both would protect her and the little ones they cared for. But all the same, he didn't want to leave her, perhaps he could walk her home.

"In the spring." He agreed, "When the warmth comes to the lands and the grip of winter melts away." Pulling his head back some, he looked around once, feeling that it was safe here. "Rest with me?" he tilted his head some as he had scratched the snow away to reveal the frozen needles beneath.  

[Samuel Carlin]

"Only me," she agreed, laughing at how possessive she sounded. "I will chase anyone else away. I can be very fierce." Which thought just made her laugh harder at herself.

She heaved another sigh then and said, "I only wish that springtime didn't seem so far away." Then shook her head. "That's a silly complaint. Forget that I mentioned it. It will come when it comes, and that will be a happy time."

Rest with him. The ground would be cold, she knew, but Nikolas was warm enough that she didn't think she'd notice much or for long. She bobbed her head in agreement. "For as long as I can," she promised.  

[Kesmi]

Nikolas laughed at the possessiveness in her tone. He hadn't had anyone want to be that way with him, it kinda felt refreshing. Normally he had to be the possessive one around his brother and others that might just happen along. Perhaps it wasn't all that bad of a thing after all, it was he who had to protect her against himself after all. But in the back of his mind he could see her chasing off other females that would come around him, not that he would look at anyone else in the same manner as he did Yazmina.

"I'm sure the others will run in fear." He chuckled, he said nothing about the spring comment as she had said to forget she mentioned it. In a way... He had. "Until the sun rises and I can walk you home."

Nuzzling against her again, he folded down his forelegs before letting his rump follow and slip off to one side some. His tail twitching over his hind legs before looking back up toward Yazmina. He would keep her as warm as he possibly could against the crispness of the night as it seemed to drag on.  

[Samuel Carlin]

"If they run in fear from me," she decided and said quietly, "then they must have been frightened to begin with. Still. As long as they leave us safe, then I will not mind scaring them away." She just might get a little lightheaded in disbelief if it ever happened.

Until the sun rose and he could walk her home. Why did that sound like a wonderful, warm thing? She smiled and nodded. "Until the sun rises." She wouldn't force him to stay in the sun if it really made him uncomfortable.

Once he'd settled, she folded her legs as well and dropped down lightly, then leaned against him, the near wing lifted and stretched out across his back so that she could press closer and drape it over him, sharing her warmth as well. She once more carefully tucked her nose against his neck and closed her eyes.  

[Kesmi]

Nikolas wrapped his head over Yazmina's neck as she placed a wing over his back, sharing each others warmth. His dark eyes closed as he shifted his head a little to tuck his nose into her long mane. Not that it was cold, but he liked the scent that she gave off. If there had been cameras in this era, there would have been many beautiful pictures taken at this time, but as it were, there weren't. Perhaps for good reason, anywho. Nikolas was quite happy that the things of his time weren't here, he couldn't stand the most of them anyways.

The night almost seemed to fly, well it actually did while they laid there resting. Nikolas had dropped into a normal dreamless sleep, though fringes of gray and white dotted the edges of his vision. Like small images fluttering just out if sight, but wanting to flood his sleep like a river into a small valley. When the sun did start to dawn, the distant images had started to fade once more hiding their mysterious meanings. Letting his sleep be unhindered by the past and look only to the dreamless future.

Nikolas shifted a little his head now resting against the cool ground. How it had gotten there is anyone's guess, as the first rays had started to peek over the mountains and down toward them. His eyes pulled themselves tightly closed against the brightness. His first instinct was to run, to flee and hide within the shadows, but he held firm to his word that he would walk her home when the sun was up and the world warm. Not knowing that something might have been different this morning...  

[Samuel Carlin]

Yazmina dreamt of the cave as she imagined it might be. Of course, in her dream, there was no roof on it. It stood open to the sky and when the morning clouds burned away, it was filled with sunlight and an expanse of blue could be seen far above, through an opening wide enough that she could fly out, if she chose. The water sparkled and there was laughter echoing off the walls. Young, happy voices.

And Nikolas's voice as well, of course, low and warm and right in her ear. She didn't suffer the cold at all and she wasn't uncomfortable. To the contrary, she was happy and content and had only rarely slept better.

She was a little chilled when she woke up. Nikolas no longer rested entirely against her and she lifted her head from where it lay draped over her forelegs to look for him. Ah, still there. She smiled and brushed his side with her wing, hoping not to startle him. "Good morning."  

[Kesmi]

He turned his head away from the sun, ears away from the calls of the morning, but her voice made then turn back and listen. Morning, not exactly the time of day he was used to, but they both knew that. He had made that known a while ago, dragging his head up from the ground. He yawned, revealing his fangs once again, before his muzzle closed and he shook out his mane. Eyes still closed, he turned his head in Yazmina's direction, slowly his black eyes fluttered open, though closed again against the light.

"Morning." He yawned soon dragging himself away from the blackness of his dreams even more to barely open an eye to look toward her. He was going to speak something else before his eye closed again and he looked away, slowly pulling himself toward his hooves. "I need to feed." He muttered softly, not really wanting to alarm her.

This coat was indeed pale in the morning light, where he had seen hers glow. Maybe if he ate something, he wouldn't seem as pale and unliving as he seemed to be at the moment. But what would he eat if not the living. He wouldn't want to offend her, Yazmina wouldn't forgive him if he ate something that was alive. Maybe there would be berries of something still hiding in the bushes... Hopefully.  

[Samuel Carlin]

The sight of those fangs was always going to give her pause, though they didn't frighten her anymore. She was just curious about them. Not curious enough to let him bite her with them, but she still wondered at them and watched his yawn until they were covered again.

When they'd first met, she would certainly have been offended, even disgusted at the idea of him feeding on anything. Now? She didn't like it. And she made no excuses for that, but if this was what he was, then how could she ask him, or expect him, to change.

So she heaved herself to her feet beside him, gave herself a little shake to make sure her feathers straightened, then shoulder bumped him lightly. "Then we should find you something to eat," she told him. "Maybe there is a...a rabbit or a squirrel or something that is not faring well this winter. Something that wouldn't survive whether he fed on it or not. She thought she could manage knowing about that. In a way it might be better for a death to come sooner rather than later in that case.  

[Kesmi]

Nikolas had give nher a look that could tell that he wasn't much thinking about wanting to feed off something that was... Dying, but as it were maybe that would work. His body wuold kill the poisons from the blood as he injested it, that wasn't much of the problem. But it was just that idea, he could get more life from something that was very much living and was fighting to live. It was the fight that gave the most essance.

"Perhaps." He agreed, though still not much liking the idea. "We'll just have to see what appears as we go."

Trying to ignore the feeling of hunger and forcing his eyes away from her throat, still that beast deep within wanted to stain that beautiful coat. Turning his head away, ears flicking some, something had attracted his attention. Tail flicking some behind him, Nikolas turning toward the trees and bushes behind them. The rustling was louder there, his eyes going dark, and the air of a predator seeped from his body. He was on hunt mode, completely.

"I'll be right back." He said in a half growl before he vanished into the trees.

Nikolas moved through the trees with ease and stealth, even with the snow beneath his hooves. Turning here and there, his ears lead him toward what looked like a human's trap and within it a frightened animal. A grin slipped across his muzzle as he moved closer, the animal growin more distressed at his pressence. Tongue lapping over his lips, Nikolas moved to take hold of the struggling prey. It's blood soon flowing over his tongue and quenching his thirst, the young rabbit still struggling in his jaws, giving him more strength. Eyes glazing over a moment, Nikolas soon dropped the body and stood letting things, calm.  

[Samuel Carlin]

It was the change in him that unnerved her today, watching the predator appear from inside the more gentle stallion that she'd come to know. It wasn't completely a surprise. After all, she'd glimpsed his darker side before. It didn't make her comfortable, though. She nodded, just a little, fully aware of the fact that he watched her throat, and made no move to follow him when he left.

Of course, in a way that made it worse, because her mind filled in the details she was missing. What he'd found, what he was doing, now that he had. Her mind's eye soon had him splattered with gore and she shuddered, body and wings twitching, the urge to move so great that she had to move.

She found him after the rabbit's struggles had ceased. Eyes moving, she took in the scene and shuddered again, more delicately. Half afraid to disturb him, she didn't want to simply leave him there. He'd said he'd take her home, and she knew he would. Still, she was hesitant to make a sound. "...Nikolas?"  

[Kesmi]

His eyes opened, what pupils had been seen narrowed slightly before going back to normal. Shaking his head some, the blood was already clean from his lips and teeth were cleaned as well. It seemed that he might have thought she would follow him, he had made the kill clean as to not completely scare her off, though the smell of it would still be on his breath.

"Something the matter Love?" he asked turning away from the small corpse and stepping over toward her.

His eyes on hers, there was no sign of a predator in sight, nor would he really let one be there. It would seem that his hunger had been quelled and he was back to his kind self. Nuzzling against Yazmina he was meaning to turn her away from his kill and walk away to forget about it. Not that he wanted to remember it, at least the animal wouldn't die of starvation or any other fate it was doomed to.

"It didn't suffer," He said to try and ease her mind of whatever she could have been thinking. "It would have died of either starvation or a human's hand." Not that he was meaning to set off anything, only hoping that it would help. "So, which way is home?"  

[Samuel Carlin]

Yazmina was still worried, still a little wary, but she perked her ears toward him and smiled all the same. At least he wasn't gore splattered, and she hadn't heard any cries of fear or pain, so he was honest about not letting his prey suffer. That went a long way toward keeping her calm.

So she let him turn her away from the poor creature and she stayed pressed close beside him as they walked away from the hunter's trap. "I'll learn not to worry," she promised as they walked. "I am getting more used to the idea." She'd never fully understand, not being afflicted with the same urges, but she would do her best.

"This way," she told him after she got her bearings. She led him casually through trees and pools of dappled morning sunlight until they'd reached the edge of the trees on the other side. The teepee stood there, in a little clearing, and the other three members of her tiny herd stood outside, grazing idly or, in Diego's case, simply gazing at the sky.

Yazmina kept her voice low as she told Nikolas, "This is home."