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 Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 9:15 am
Unusually for Fox she had found herself out in the wide open, looking out across the still Lake, the sun warm on her back. She wasn't being complacent, her eyes and ears were moving and listening to her surroundings, but she definately feeling discomfited, and she knew the source.
A little Lamb..not the woollen kind but a deep blue colt that had attached himself to her and followed her around. She could have been cruel and likened him to a sheep, always at her ankles and blindly tagging along behind, but he'd become a companion - and had been intelligent for a colt. He'd listened to all that she'd said as they travelled, absorbing it and learning from it.
Only a week after joining her in travelling, he'd become proficient at walking as soundlessly as she was able to, so much so that he'd managed to make her jump at one point. She had become proud of him, and even found herself enjoying having him around as she taught him all that she felt he was old enough to learn.
And then he'd had to leave, had to return to his family. She knew that it would happen eventually, she wasn't his mother, nor his keeper and would never stop anyone from being with their family as she knew that those relationships could be important to some. Only once he'd gone, she was left with an uncomfortable feeling. She was now, she realised, missing the little dark blue fellow. She stared hard at her reflection, scowling at the expression she had been pulling.
'Soft. You've gone soft..' she said.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 8:19 am
Being home had felt very strange to him. Things with his family weren't any different than they had been when he had left if you didn't count his father watching him like a hawk at all hours. It was just the routine he had with his sisters, mother and father was so different when compared to the way he lived with Fox.
When he had followed the mare around from place to place things had been very unique. She spoke and he listened taking in anything he deemed useful to learn from it. At night they slept and he would stir before the sun rose in the morning to find the two of them breakfast before her eyes opened. At times he put what he had learned from Fox to use and he got the distinct feeling that she was happy with him around.
It had felt like he had accomplished some great mission but everything had to come to an end at some point. His father had only been understanding up to a point. After a while he had come to fetch his son and the days traveling with Fox came to an end. That didn't mean his days of roaming were over, however, now that he was grown he was free to move about as he pleased once more.
Silent as the moon he had left his family's side one night. He had gone not to chase mysteries but to simply leave the routine for something he had come to enjoy more. After several weeks of aimless wandering he had found himself staring at a very familiar back. An almost mischievous expression crossed over his face as he crept towards the banks of the lake soundlessly. As he grew closer he heard her speak but did not stop his approach until he was right beside her.
"Soft?" He asked quietly peering into the surface of the lake for no reason at all.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 11:35 am
A part of her had wanted to say "I knew you were there", as she turned at the sound of another voice. She swallowed back the words because pride in that which he'd learned from her overtook what small ego she had about her skills in observation and listening.
It was as though the thinking of him had made him appear, but as she faced him she realised that the one standing in front of her was not the one that had left her. Now she had to look up slightly to meet his gaze, and she stood quietly for a moment, taking in his altered appearance, how he'd grown in height and stature. He was still Lamb..but not.
'And he finds me once more.' Fox said, her expression unreadable for the moment, the expression of pleasure that had come over her at hearing his voice pushed away. There would be no joy in the reunion if he'd grown boorish, or overconfident simply because his body had matured.
'Why does Lamb seek out Fox?' she asked. It was difficult to be detached, she'd missed her travelling companion more than she would ever admit. And he'd even caught her talking to herself. Well, her exterior wouldn't show any cracks until she knew for certain that this Lamb was worth letting in as his colt self had been.
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Posted: Sun May 17, 2009 4:02 pm
Flicking his tail to the side he cast her a small smile as she regarded him. His body had grown all around him so that he was now taller than the mare. It hadn't changed him though. Rather, he had been told teasingly that his body finally matched his mind. As she spoke he nodded his head once and let his smile slip into a neutral expression. While he certainly hadn't expected a warm reception- grins, giggles and the like, he also hadn't quite expected this. It was almost like they were perfect strangers. Did she not believe it was him?
He frowned. Fox was smarter than that. "Didn't." He answered shortly twitching his tail to the other side. "Just found you." Turning his eyes back to the lake he looked at his reflection. Really it was just a coincidence, a pleasant one, but still just a coincidence. He hadn't gone out looking for her. While it was true he had left hoping for a life similar to what they had had he hadn't actually expected to find her. He wasn't about to lie. There was absolutely no point in it.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 7:20 am
He really had no idea. She kept herself controlled - mind and body - because it was how she survived. She didn't let anyone in because she'd come to rely only on herself, even when she was travelling with a herd. The one and only time she thought she had found somebody who she could let down her barriers for had wound up disappointing her. So she'd stayed detached, being there for others but not letting anyone be there for her.
Lamb had not learnt anything personal about her whilst they were travelling together, she'd been thankful for the fact that he wasn't overly chatty, and simply wanted to absorb what knowledge she had to offer like a small blue sponge. So when he had gone home, the feelings of loss blindsided and confused her. So Fox was nettled.
'On your own again?' she asked, already knowing that he was, unless any companions were hidden a great distance away from where they were standing. And what was - disappointment? He hadn't purposely sought her out; if she'd had moved on moments earlier she wouldn't even have met him again.
'It's..good to see you again.' she finally let the words slip out, falling quiet again afterwards. What else was there to say? Asking outright if he would ever consider travelling with her again would mean admitting that she needed companionship, and she'd told him that she was happy to be on her own.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 7:49 am
He nodded his head firmly to indicate the positive then paused for a moment. Shifting his gaze once more he looked Fox over once. Could he consider this being on his own? He assumed she only meant away from his family so he let the thought slip away for a moment as she spoke once more.
A smile graced his face, so she was happy to see him again. At least a little bit. That was a good sign if any. He didn't say anything in response, only smiled, until a silence that could only be described as awkward settled around them. The strange feeling caused his expression to shift.
Things had never felt this odd between them before. Maybe he really had changed, that or she had. Regarding her with a flick of his tail he considered the latter for a moment. "Fox..." He went perfectly still with the exception of his ever swaying tail. "Being with another...isn't bad." He murmured a slight smile reappearing on his lips. "Fight along with Fox?" His tail ceased movement with this question as he waited for the answer.
When they had parted he had known there was more that he had not yet learned from the mare. Perhaps asking so soon was not the best course of action. But while he was not the best at reading the atmosphere of a situation he got the distinct feeling that something was off. There was a good chance that if things were more like they had been before the odd tension would ease. It seemed logical to him. The test had been put into place now to await the results. He couldn't recall a time when he had felt more anxious in his life before now.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:12 am
Fox found herself smiling in return; she liked his smile, even if the flash of his teeth looked strangely stark against his dark pelt. She really had to make an effort to show herself as she was when he first met her as a colt, casually, effortlessly at home wherever she was, and perfectly comfortable with her situation in life. Letting the awkwardness continue might lead to uncomfortable questions that she couldn't find the answers to. He shouldn't have affected her. She'd mentored younglings before, and this had never happened.
She stared hard at him when he spoke again - mindreading now? Or had he gained insights as he'd grown? Well she'd never believed in anything that wasn't tangible, so likely Lamb was showing wisdom..and sensitivity. Saying what she needed to hear, even if she couldn't admit it out loud, to him or to even herself.
'You think you're old enough to learn to fight?' she asked, a slight trace of humour in her voice.
'You could be right, I suppose I could train you and see. If you're up for it.'
She wanted to say more, but she held back. Maybe..maybe one day she would let him know how much her time with his little colt self had meant to her.
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Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 9:08 am
He missed the humour. He looked himself over a few times. He was still young relatively speaking but he was in good shape. He didn't think age should really matter in this case so he nodded. He was fairly certain that he was up to it. His tail twitched again finally to the side before coiling around his hind leg almost like a serpent.
"Ready, Fox." He said sounding quite content. The day was turning out to be a good one. He had been hoping for a way to go back to living how they had and then he found Fox. He had taken a blind stab at pinpointing what caused the awkward silence and while he didn't know if he had been accurate or not the results were good enough. Now he had his answer and it looked as though things were about to get even better. The chance to learn anything else from this mare was an exciting one.
Only one question truly remained. Would she be able to train him to fight? Was he trainable in that sense? They would find out in due time.
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:23 am
'Hmm..' she raised her eyebrows, enjoying herself again now that she'd regained her travelling companion. Really, she would have to have some time to herself to try and work out why her moods were so mercurial around this Soquili.
'We'll see.' she looked at where they were standing and made a decision.
'We should move, although it's best to be able to fight no matter what your surroundings are, I think it best if we start with the basics, and not worry about you falling in the Lake.'
Fox's eyes flashed with amusement at that mental image. She motioned with her head towards a sunny expanse of grass a distance from the water and the trees.
'There looks good. It's not too warm a day either to be out sparring in the open either.'
She wandered slowly over to where she had indicated, turning on her hooves and waiting for him to join her.
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:43 am
He nodded very slowly with an eyebrow quirked. While he didn't disagree with her decision to move he did wonder if his falling in the lake would be a problem. The water didn't seem hazardous. Quite the opposite really, it looked like it would be fine, possibly even pleasant, to topple into. Having never fallen into a lake before he made a note to try it sometime.
He turned his head to follow Fox's gaze out in to the clear patch a short distance away. There? Alright. As his light eyed mentor wandered off his eyes drifted back to look at the sparkling surface of the water. He would be back sometime soon to fall in and see what it was like. With a twitch of his leonine tail he turned away and trailed after Fox. About half way between the lake and her he paused mid-step as a sudden thought struck him.
If he made himself fall in would that be the same or would it be like jumping? That was an interesting problem but it was one he would have to consider at some other time. Fox was waiting.
To make up for the little time he had lost he quickened his pace until he stopped before the mare. "And now?" he asked surveying the area a little wondering just what she meant by 'sparring'. What was it?
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:58 am
She looked over at Lamb, wondering what was making him linger at the lakeside.
'I'll push you in if you like..' she called, swishing the loose curls of her tail. It was only idly said as she stayed where she was, and he seemed to hurry to rejoin her.
'It's colder than it looks, and muscle cramp hurts.' she said, before turning to the task at hand. Where to start? From the very beginning she supposed.
'Now you learn. And listen to begin with. Right now you're a beginner, and despite you now having a size and weight advantage over me, I would still be able to beat you in a fight. We'll start actually practising, or 'sparring' soon enough.' she added, in case her plain speaking had hurt his ego any.
'Knowing when and why to fight is what we shall start with. Just because you can, does not mean you should. Fighting should always be your last resort - for self defense or protection of another.' she explained quietly, in a steady voice.
'Fighting to prove your mettle should only happen if a situation absolutely deems it - as I said before, I've had to do so to cross into another's territory but most herd leaders you will enounter won't mind if you're passing through.' she paused.
'Any questions so far?'
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Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:27 am
Would she really push him in? The thought made him strangely happy. That would be quite useful for his studies and observations. He wouldn't have to worry about small details like if it actually counted as falling or not. Though, when she confessed that it would not be so pleasant he had a few second thoughts. After a while he deemed that being pushed in would still be quite useful even if the results were unpleasant. If Fox did not wish him to fall in during training perhaps she could give him a push afterwards?
His thoughts came to a sudden halt as his attention shifted to fully focus on his mentor. It was time to listen now as he always did. His ears perked slightly and his tail swayed back and forth like a metronome as he prepared to take in whatever she had to say. As she spoke he quietly took mental notes.
Nothing she said offended him in any way, shape or form. He knew full well that he was no match for her and had never once considered his height an advantage over the mare. Really he was quite surprised to hear her say that it was one. The mild shock faded almost instantly as more important information came his way. Sparring was practicing. Fighting should only be a last resort. He made absolutely sure to memorize this little bit. She had mentioned it more than once now in more than one way so it was important.
"None." He responded keeping his eyes set on the mare.
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 7:14 am
Size and height would always be an advantage if it was used correctly; which was why Fox trained herself so much so that if she had to go up against a skilled fighter that was larger than herself.
'So..you've come across a situation which means you have to fight. What do you do? For a start if you can choose where a fight happens do so - firm ground with no loose obstacles underfoot is the best if you can pick a place..' she snorted faintly.
'But obviously if you are defending yourself or another you have little choice in the matter. Just be aware of your surroundings in that case. The seconds you take to scan around you could make all the difference.'
She looked at Lamb.
'If you feel that you should run, run. Listen to your instincts. There is no shame in putting distance between you and your attacker - to gather yourself, to assess or to take the fight away from a crowd.'
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Posted: Fri May 22, 2009 8:46 am
For a brief fleeting moment he thought that Fox was serious and that they were being attacked. The shock that had made it's way to his face quickly vanished as she kept speaking. He made a note to himself, these were hypothetical situations that were simply there to provide him with instruction. It took him less then a second to make the note and return his focus to his instructor.
Firm ground was the best. Avoid picking spots with loose obstacles if you get to pick the spot. He raised an eyebrow at the next segment. If he was defending himself or another then he wouldn't get much choice. he didn't allow himself to think more on the matter at that moment. Fox was still talking. Listen to instincts and run if they say to. He also made note of the options she listed before quieting.
At this time he reflected. He was only really supposed to fight if he were defending himself or another but in cases like that he would most likely not get to pick the ground. To him that didn't sound very good but his mind made a connection. An option that he hadn't been given presented itself in his mind.
"Run and lead attacker to better ground?" He asked with a twitch of his tail. To him this seemed to be a good option. There wasn't anything wrong with listening to instinct and his were telling him to make the situation more favorable. Was that instinct? Did it matter? He assumed that the answer was no to both and left it at that to await his answer.
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2009 1:03 pm
Fox nodded;
'Exactly..once you start learning actual fighting skills, I'll show you a move that's very effective against a pursuing attacker, whereby you stop swiftly, planting your front hooves hard into the ground in order to kick out with your back hooves.' she smiled faintly at a distant memory.
'It will severely wind anyone that is running fast enough after you - an attacker that thinks you are running is far more likely to take foolish risks, and can therefore be surprised all the more easily.'
The mare moved around Lamb, pacing as she spoke. She slipped into the role of mentor easily because she felt that everyone should have some skill in defending themselves. But there were other feelings, ones that she was trying not to examine at present time. She was happy, happy that he'd come back into her life.
'But before we get into the physical aspects.' she said as she faced him.
'You have to learn to read an attacker..it's mostly in the eyes that a next move is given away, your opponent will signal a mere moment before the attack. You have to learn to read it.'
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