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 Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 6:28 pm
 It had been a beautiful day, the sun had been out and the sky had been free of clouds. The sun was past the halfway mark of the day, Io realized that she had not eaten since early morning. Ruffling her wings, she tucked them in close so that she could get through the forest without hanging on too much. She followed the sweet scent of ripe berries, they weren't far, she hoped for redberries. Finally! Lowering her head, Io nipped at the small red balls that dotted the bush. They were tender and sweet, the juice was just what she had a taste for. Her tail moved slowly back and forth, she was content.
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Posted: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:50 pm
 Devicius plodded along slowly, his mind cloudy with distaste. The day had been extremely dull so far--he had woken early, found a meadow to graze, and then stalked along his usual path for what seemed like hours, only to find no one. There was usually a steady supply of unaware mares traveling through this serene part of the forest, but today... well, today just wasn't going very well. No mares, and not even any handsome stallions. Just... nothing. At all. The lack of entertainment sent Devicius into a dark mood, and he felt that if he actually came upon a mare, he might just scare her off before he could talk to her!
He shook his head, moving on. His days seemed confusing to him--like he was on the right path, but heading in the wrong direction. It had seemed like this for a while now, ever since he had met that little foal. She had seen right through him, and deep into his soul. She had seen something that he didn't even know he had in him, and now that it was exposed, he wanted to know more about it. Was there truly more to him than he thought? It was as if he hardly knew anything about his own self! It irritated him to no end.
He paused, hearing a quiet rustling off to the side. His ears perked, and his curiosity was caught as a fish is caught on a hook. He turned and headed off the beaten path, quietly making his way through bushes and trees, not realizing how much his hair caught on the tiny branches. For some reason, his mind was set--he had found his prey.
He came upon a small clearing, and a small smirk formed on his face as he witnessed the beauty grazing within. She was off to one side, picking berries from the bushes. His eyes examined her closely--the large, beautiful wings--she was Angeni, like him!--the soft tail, the light colors. She was not entirely beautiful, but elegant in a natural way. He liked it.
He stepped forward from the trees, stalking slowly towards her, his eyes on the shapely form of her hips. His voice was low and enticing as he said, "Good afternoon, my lady. Have you lost your way, by chance?" That was his usual opener--innocent enough, but laden with hidden meaning.
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Posted: Sun Feb 14, 2010 12:16 pm
Io's head shot up at the sound of the voice behind her. It seemed almost...familiar. She quickly finished her mouthful of berries, licking the juice from her lips before turning, and friendly smile on her face.
"Oh no, I'm quite fine." she turned to face the male's voice. As she turned, the bright orange hair and extravagent beads and bangles caught her eye. It was her foalhood friend that she had care for, Dev!
"Well hello!" her tone just as friendly as it had been the last time they met, she didn't even think that he may not recognize her now. She took to a quick trot to his side, nuzzling his neck through his thick mane. She was suddenly pricked by a stick caught in the hair, "Still in the bushes I see," she laughed then pulled back to gaze at her friend.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2010 7:25 pm
Devicius was quite stunned by the way the mare greeted him, and even more so when she dashed up to him and made the first physical contact! Never had a mare entered HIS personal space--he had always been the one to invade first.
He stepped back, surprised, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. Whereas he may have welcomed such contact, especially from one so beautiful, it unnerved him in the way that she greeted him. She was much too confident in her own motives... yet, she was as friendly as could be. Something wasn't right...
Then his gaze caught sight of a necklace she was wearing. The orange and pink beads glimmered in the filtered light as the mare stepped back, and they seemed oddly familiar. His eyes squinted as he examined them closer, and then, as suddenly as a wildcat's pounce, he gasped, and his eyes widened. That was HIS necklace! That was...
"Io!" he exclaimed, half disbelieving, half joyous. He wanted to run forward, to embrace her and say how much he'd missed her--but the way that she had grown was all too sudden. No longer was there a spunky, incessantly annoying foal standing before him. Now there was a full grown mare, a beautiful mare, and perhaps a mare that no longer though like her younger form had. Had she changed her opinions? Was she... different now? Where had she come from? How long had it been? Why was she here? So many questions ran through his mind while his face remained incredulous, and his eyes continued to stare at that long ago given gift.
Finally, after taking a deep breath, he gave a stiff bow of the head and said, "I live in the bushes, madam." He looked back up at her face, into the sparkling eyes, and felt himself relax a bit. There, in their depths, he saw that carefree spirit that had attended him a time ago, and felt himself hoping that she hadn't changed. Perhaps... perhaps she was still able to see whatever she had seen in him when she was younger, the part of him that even he could not see.
"You've... you've gotten bigger. It's been... so long," he murmured, stepping closer. "I thought I'd never see you again."
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:57 am
She beamed proudly at him as he said her name, "You remember!" she exclaimed. She had often wondered where the brilliant stallion had gone. She had not seen him in the many moons that had passed since their last encounter. "I'm so glad you remember me, Dev." she moved forward and nuzzled him again.
"You and your twigs," she quickly moved to pick out just a few of the larger ones that displaced his beautiful mane. "I'll never teach you how to avoid them, will I?" she stepped back and looked over him. "Just as beautiful as I remember."
She stood straight and unfurled her now large wings in front of him, "Much bigger," she laughed. "So?" her head tilted, "Beautiful?" she nickered at him. In her foal days, she had often practiced by her reflection in the water how to stand and pose as she had seen Dev do. She had admired him so.
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 6:09 pm
He did not pull away this time when she brushed against him, but against all free will, he swore that he must've blushed.
"How could I forget one such as yourself?" Devicius implied, watching her intently as she moved to pull the last of the unwelcomed twigs from his mane. Oh, how he hated those twigs! And the fact that he lived a lonely life proved that he had no one to remove them for him--yet another reason he was glad to see her.
"It is impossible for me to avoid all of them, Io. Thankfully, they do not diminish my appearance too much..." He chuckled, more than pleased by her comment. Yes, he knew he was beautiful, and was often told so by random passerby. But for some reason, it always seemed to mean more when she said it.
He watched as she stretched out her magnificent wings, his eyes running over their seemingly glowing lengths--then back to her face, where her eyes sparkled brighter than ever. Yes, she had grown, but that foalish attitude still remained. Despite his tendency to avoid such lighthearted individuals, he only found himself entranced by her joy, by the way she smiled. It was like sunlight in the life that was his darkness, a welcomed respite from the shadows.
He smirked, knowing that her question required no answer. She may have been spindly and annoying as a foal, but now--well, one such as Devicius could see the outward beauty well enough. It was mares like this that fell into his trap. But he would never harm Io, never break her heart--he was honor-bound enough to respect her as he had respected no other. And, of course, there was still that stubborn affection that he held for her, the annoyed happiness that he had experienced when she was a foal. That would never disappear.
"What else could you be?" he praised, stepping closer to examine her adult body. He nosed at her hair, smiling as he noticed the braids. "Why, you have braids now! Very stylish, I say." Then he looked to the necklace, and his smile grew softer, reflective almost. "And this... you still have it. It suits you most well," he murmured, still disbelieving that she had kept it for so long. But he soon perked up, not willing for her to see him in such a soppy mood. "But you still haven't found a hat! No worries--I think that you look much better without one."
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Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 7:05 pm
She smiled at him, "Truely? You don't think I need one?" she thought for a moment. She needed only the word of a trusted friend, "Then I shall remain like this," she laughed and tucked her wings back into her side.
"Well, you shouldn't worry about those twigs. I'm sure no one would notice such things except for me...and that's only because -I- know to look." she said in a playful gesture.
She looked down briefly to the necklace he spoke of, "Well, did I not tell you I would keep it forever?" she tried her best to keep her word, but, she kept it for more sentimental reasons. It was the first gift ever bestowed upon her, she would keep it as long as it was sturdy enough to wear.
To this day, she didn't know Dev's underlying nature, it would do her best not to find out. It would crush the image that she held so highly of her dear friend.
"Tell me, Dev, what have you been doing in the time that has past?" she looked over to him, moving closer. She didn't quite match him in size, but she was much more grown than the last time they had spoken. "Walk with me?" she asked. She had been rambling through the forest for food, she would like to nibble as they caught up with one another. "I was searching for food, care to join me?" she flashed him her best smile. She knew he would come.
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Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 7:55 am
"Of course," Devicius agreed, willing to do anything that she wished. He was still amazed that she had kept the necklace--besides, wouldn't her family have asked her where it came from? Or did they even know? Or had she... told them about him? His stomach felt a bit queasy at that notion, for surely her parents would be wary of their daughter keeping the company of a mysterious stallion living in the forest. The last thing he needed was a confrontation with angry parents.
He shook his head, telling himself that Io would never cause him trouble. Sure, she had been annoying, and hadn't left him alone, but now he was grateful for that fact. It was nice to have someone for once whom he could simply relax with, could simply... walk with.
"I haven't done much, to be truthful," he murmured, his head hanging a bit. What was he supposed to tell her? That he spent most of his nights hunting down other mares to seduce them? Most definitely not! What else did he do on a daily basis? Think, think, he told himself.
"Well... I've been flying, a few times. But only when the sun is hidden behind the clouds, for I dislike the warm weather." He grinned, knowing how silly that statement had sounded. But he continued, "And I've explored the woods, the parts that I haven't seen. I've met some strange characters! Even had a run-in with a kalona." There, now that was easy, wasn't it? And it was all truthful, just not all of the truth.
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Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 8:33 am
Her parents had questioned the necklace, she had told them it had come from a new friend. They had assumed that it was another foal she had run into during her explorations. She had failed to mention that her friend was a grown stallion. Not that it mattered now.
She smiled as he accepted her invitation to walk and eat, her stomach growled.
"A kalona?!" her ears flicked and she had a shocked look on her face, "Did you make it away unscathed?" she had not noticed any scars or displacement on him, but she turned her head to look again just to make sure. "You don't look as though you were touched."
She had been exploring and making new friends since their last encounter. She was learning how to use herbs to make medicines, to help aide in her healing. "I'm not fond of extreme heat, but sunny days are nice. I can find many different herbs when the sun is out." she continued to smile and walk at a steady pace. "Perhaps next time you're sick, I can truely help you." she winked at him and laughed softly.
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Posted: Wed Mar 17, 2010 3:09 pm
Devicius emitted a soft chuckle at her surprise, finding it slightly amusing, and yet feeling deeply touched by the way she fretted over him. "No, no, I was not hurt. I suppose he was not looking for a meal, luckily. Though... the meeting was quite the experience." He shuddered, remembering the Kalona's sweet, seductive words that rivaled his own. He could never find himself attracted to such a vile, carnivorous creature. "Yes, I don't think I've ever really liked Kalonas."
Devicius nodded at Io's words, truly interested in her healing practices. He had heard of the healing powers of unicorns, though he had never encountered one. He wondered if perhaps Io had a unicorn somewhere in her bloodline, and if she too had natural ability. Then again, she may have only been able to use the herbs, seeing as she spoke of them so much. But anything was possible--he was finding that out very quickly with this young mare.
He laughed at her last sentence, remembering that time long ago when he had gotten a cold, and the little Io had done her best to help him. He had been so annoyed at her... but, looking back, he realized that she had really helped him. He thought that he had resented it, but he had actually enjoyed the company.
"Well, let's hope that I DO NOT get sick again! That was not a pleasing experience." He grinned, looking off into the trees in a sort of distant state. "But believe it or not, Io, you really did help me. I was able to rest so much easier that day." He turned back to her and smiled a lopsided grin, truly appreciative of all that she had done.
"But tell me about this healing practice of yours--is it a natural ability? Or do you rely on herbs to cure ailments? I've heard stories of unicorns have inward abilities to heal, but I've never thought of proving them true. Of course, you are Angeni, like me... unless you have unicorn blood in your heritage."
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Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 6:39 am
"I'm uni-angeni, Dev." She shook her head to remind him of the horn that adorned the crest of her skull. "Father is Uni-angeni and I have an aunt who is unicorn, they have both been teaching me to use my natural abilities," she continued walking at a steady pace, but looked over to Dev.
"Unfortunately, I do not have a very strong healing as I am not full blood unicorn, but I have met a mentor who is teaching me the ways of a shaman. He is teaching me how to use herbs to assist with my natural abilities." she nodded and looked back down the path.
She laughed as Dev said she had helped her, "I was but a foal, Dev. I'm sure I didn't do much more than annoy you." she cast him a playful look, "I promise I can do much better now."
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Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 6:27 pm
"Ah!" Devicius voiced, shaking his head hopelessly to himself. "How foolish of me! I've seen your horn... yet I never thought of putting the two together. Pssh." He looked away, his cheeks reddening slightly as his sudden awkwardness, but he soon turned back to the other Angeni, curious to hear her words.
"Well, I am sure that you will excel with your lessons. You seem like the kind who would be willing to help the sick--if I am correct, that is a very helpful quality." He chuckled, pulling a leaf from a passing limb almost as an afterthought. He chewed and swallowed slowly, allowing a few moments for thought, and then said,"Yes, yes, you were a bit annoying. But now that I think of it--even though I had the urge to push you away, I believe that I really wanted you to stay. Perhaps company is the best medicine for a sick, lonely soul."
He smiled, took a few steps ahead, and glanced back at Io. "I have faith that anything you do now will be better than it ever has been. You never cease to surprise me, Io. Or even to make me surprised at myself."
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