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 Posted: Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:21 pm
The mare still lived as she'd always done, walking along half expecting to feel the wrath of her Grandmother fall around her ears but she was getting better. Her sister Marut was helping her (when she wasn't being all unexpectedly soppy with her mate), and her meeting Maracuja had put a spring in her step as well.
She was never going to be completely relaxed, but she could at least control her fears enough to go exploring places new that weren't too far from her home, and on her own at that. What she really wanted was to see one of her younger brothers. Especially Vartan. Apparently he'd fallen out..or Marut and him had argued..her sister hadn't been implicit on the details but she'd always liked her brothers, even the ones that gave her the willies because of how she looked. Running into him was unlikely she supposed as he probably wandered far further than she would ever do, but still she was vaguely hopeful.
She edged out of the treeline and headed towards the Lake she had found only the day before.
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:22 am
 The land was slowly melting. Vartan could feel it in his bones. His legs didn't numb the way they used to when he traversed the wild white landscape, and he didn't walk on the lake anymore, for fear that the soft ice would crack beneath his hooves.
Spring brought many changes to the Kawani lands. Vartan supposed he should be happy that his mane was no longer matted with frost, and he could no longer see his breath when he emerged from his shelter for the morning. But the kid was grown and gone, he was running out of those herbs that strange foreign 'doctor' had given him, and the promise of new greenery threatened to bring all kinds of shitty tourists onto his peaceful, pristine turf. The whole thing was making him grumpy. Vartan had almost been happy during the winter, and now that season was receding, bit by bit, into something filthy, wet, and incessantly annoying.
At least Galaxia remained the same. Vartan had a nice new scrape on his belly to prove it.
The stallion made his way over to the lake, ready to rest after his morning workout, when he saw a familiar black shadow hanging heavy in the sky.
Could it be... his sister?
It was good to see her out and about, when she was usually so-
Vartan shook his head, in lieu of being able to slap himself. He had to pull his s**t together, and remember that those horses weren't his family anymore. Marut and Neve had made it very clear why he wasn't wanted amongst their hypocritical ranks.
The stallion arched his neck to shout up to the heavens, his tone carefully neutral.
"Was there something you wanted?"
Maybe Ishmael'd finally made a move to mess with her. He wasn't sure why Maharet would tackle her fears to seek him out, unless there was something at home that was scarier than travel.
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Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 5:35 am
Maharet wobbled on the wing, taking a fright at first when her brother called up to her for the sound was distorted. She caught her balance, circling around in a manner that let her see who it was that had called out to her, and after one more cautious circle to take the lay of the land she glid slowly towards the ground, landing a short distance from Vartan.
'I'm not allowed to visit my younger brother?' she asked, hurt and curious all at once. What had been said that meant he didn't even seem to invite her company?
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:19 pm
((Thanks for your patience in waiting for this reply, Sayuri! I had to go on hiatus for a while due to a family emergency.))
Why the hell was Maharet looking at him like that? He hadn't said nothing vicious. He'd even been worried for ******** it. He gave up.
"I'm not anyone's younger-"
Vartan sighed, and caught himself before finishing the sentence. Whatever problems there were between him, Neve, Marius, Ishmael, and Marut... they weren't on Maharet's shoulders. Even Vartan could reign in his bluntness now and then, when there weren't too many witnesses handy to catch him in action.
"When Jaci came, he was looking for absolution." Idly, he noted that Maharet had gained a little muscle tone. Maybe she'd been venturing out on her own like this for a while. "Me'n that family have disowned one another, Maharet. An' you and me were never real close anyhow. Things being as they are, I figured... that you wouldn't come unless you needed something too."
Maybe Vartan'd been out in the wilds with Galaxia and Jumanjii for too long. Whatever veneer of manners he'd once possessed had long been worn away by the wind and the rocks.
"So. You're alright?"
If she was, he was glad of it. He wasn't sure what else to say about her abrupt reappearance in his life.
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 7:42 am
(( No worries ^_^ ))
'You'll always be my younger brother.' Maharet replied in puzzlement. After all he'd be born after her hadn't he? Or maybe he was meaning something else with his words. His tone almost made her take to the wing again but he was her family and she would put on her teeny bravery hat for this.
'That was my fault that we weren't very close.' she said with an apologetic look.
'I wasn't more involved in my siblings because of who I am, and I'm still partially like that but I'm changing. Slowly.' she let out a little sigh, and nodded.
'Yes. I'm still shying at shadows but I'm seeing more of the world. Really Vartan you have no idea what it took me to come find you so I just want to be friendly..please?' she asked with a smile.
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Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:50 pm
Friendly, eh?
She wanted to be friendly.
Vartan was tempted to tip his head back and laugh. Did Maharet really know so little about him? He was sure that Marut and Neve would have talked him up as the evil monster that set out to wreck their holier-than-thou existence. The idea that someone would come after him with the intention of making small-talk was enough to boggle his mind. Vartan sure as hell wasn't known for his sociability.
He didn't laugh, though. The taste of foreign herbs was still thick on his tongue.
"My way of bein' sociable usually involves a struggle, or a fight." Vartan arched an eyebrow. "Your family doesn't approve. And I can't imagine you're here for that. So..."
He tossed his head, in an equine sort of shrug. This was about as friendly as Vartan got. The stallion was making an effort. He really was. Even though he couldn't fathom why Maharet gave a damn about seeing him, in particular.
This wasn't his sister. He'd let go of that family, and ultimately, he figured that being a sibling was a matter of bonds, rather than a matter of blood. But Maharet was still an innocent mare wandering through his territory, and he had no call to be hostile when he could humor her for a bit.
Those goddamn herbs were really something else.
"You got any ideas?"
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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 6:48 am
'You could tell me what you've been up to, and how you're doing I suppose?' Maharet was not finding this a comfortable conversation, and she wondered what had happened to the cute looking colt that her mother had all that time again. It was however a testament to how much the mare had changed that she was standing her ground.
'Normal conversation stuff I guess..I won't talk about our family at all if you don't wish it.' she added. She didn't put any stress on the word 'our' because she didn't want to set him off, but she also knew that it couldn't be as cut and dried as he was making it out to be. After all, their mother had put up with a daughter like herself, she knew Neve loved them all.
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Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:15 am
Vartan didn't miss the word 'our', but that sure as hell didn't mean he had to acknowledge it. What would be the point? Marahet wouldn't give him the fight he wanted. And Neve and Marut were clearly hadn't told her what they really thought of him, if she was under the impression that they were still a family.
"There was a kid." He looked out over the lake. "His momma got run off by a puma, so I showed him the ropes. Made sure he knew how to take care of himself; how to be strong, and not to take anyone's s**t."
Heh. Vartan's lips twitched into an almost-smile. Who'd have thought that the clumsy, bratty, hilarious kid would grow up into a goddamn stallion? He was pretty proud. Of all the s**t in his life, Jumanjii was the only part he hadn't ******** up.
"The kid's grown and gone, now."
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 8:15 am
Maharet listened to her younger brother, feeling pride at what he said as she discerned how much caring was in between the bravado of his actual words.
'That was a good thing you did, he was lucky that he met you.' she said warmly. She didn't care if he thought she was being sappy, and hoped that it wouldn't put his back up that she was saying this but she had to acknowledge what he had done. He would be a good father, but that was something she definately wouldn't say out loud to him.
'I'll bet you'll see him around though.' she said with a hesitant smile.
'Anyone else in your life that's important to you?' she added quietly, feeling like she was on conversational eggshells.
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Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 7:40 am
Vartan shook his head.
"Not important, exactly." Nobody got to know about that herbalist he'd seen. Not the kid, not this mare, not no one. "A sparring partner, here and there, but... heh. Some of us were made to live alone."
Vartan didn't seem unhappy with his lot. It was peaceful in the backwoods, and he got all the fight he wanted from the local predators. Would he have been happy to see Galaxia again? Yeah, sure, so long as he got a few blows in. But he wasn't going to dwell on it like a starry-eyed colt. It'd been one weekend, a long time ago.
"You can understand that, can't you?"
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 8:25 am
Maharet could understand that in a way, because of who she was inside she'd been pretty much alone except for her sister and her mother. But she wouldn't want to be totally alone. She knew that from even this short conversation that she wouldn't be able to change her younger brother's mind about this topic...and not any. He was stubborn - and in many ways she thought Marut was as well. Maybe it was that which had led to the rift.
'I just want you to be happy Vartan, that's all,' was all Maharet said.
'So if you how you live makes you happy I'll accept it.'
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Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 10:19 am
Vartan made a low sort of whuffing noise in response. It was the only way he could respond without looking like some kinda sissy.
The stallion was taciturn by nature, and he would have given any other mare the cold shoulder by now. Accept it? Who was she to not accept it? It was his life to live.
But Vartan remembered Maharet skulking and shivering through his childhood better than he liked to pretend. What would be the point of sending her off crying? He'd just get more of that terrified look she always used to wear. She seemed much better now, even if she looked poised to take flight at any moment.
"Are you?" He asked.
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Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 2:19 am
Maharet just caught the strange little noise, her ears pricking, but she strove to not change her expression and show that she'd heard anything unusual.
'Happy? I guess content in what I've accomplished would be a better description. There was one time..' her voice drifted as she remembered that lovely time spent with Maracuja, but that had been some time ago, and she was beginning to think their meeting had been a one off.
A faint shiver ran along her spine, and she rustled her wings to mask her feelings. She was becoming slightly more on edge again, but was keeping herself as calm as she could. It was the standing in one spot for so long and talking that always did it.
'You can always come and speak with me you know. At any time. I'd be happy to see you.'
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