{PRP} Ask me why again, see what happens! {WystanXSearlait}

[Regal Renegade]

The grand adventures had been limited today, Calibor had snuck off early in the morning and therefore wasn’t able to help her escape Arthur or her parents. Being the youngest had its perks but at the same time it had many downfalls. It seemed that others always believed she was in need of protection or an escort of some kind, lame. She was fine on her own, she had snuck off many times by herself and nothing had ever happened to her. What was everyone so worried about? With a little snort and lift of her tail she looked behind her expecting to see Arthur still hovering over her. Her ears perked when she noticed his absence, he must have grown bored or run off to save some innocent creature in distress. With a small nicker of excitement she began trotting away just in case he were to come back looking for her.

It was mid afternoon and the weather was warm so Searlait decided to go visit Anollel, her sea monster friend who lived in the lake not too far from here. Mostly she just wanted to go for a swim but adding a little extra to it made the whole spectacle just a little more exciting. Often times when she flaunted her imagination in front of her elder sister Fearthainn she would get a strange look followed by a lecture about how none of these wondrous things were possible. Searlait would pretend to listen, allowing her sister to fulfill her intellectual needs before wandering off to play with the fairies again. Searlait wasn’t delusional, she knew these things were only in her mind but they seemed to add a little spice to life. Nothing compared to being chased around by Kelpis that had become hungry for flesh!

Her mind cleared as she reached the water’s edge, placing her two front hooves in the crystal clear water she waited for the ripples to clear then looked at her reflection. Her cropped multi-colored hair was a mess but other than that she looked alright. Her eyes hesitated on the black tattoos on her back, the ones both her father and brother wore. To them they meant something but to her they were just markings she had been born with. Arthur had tried many times, unsuccessfully, to tell her their meaning and make her feel the same as he did about them but she just couldn’t get into it the way he was.

 

[Thalea]

One can hope or wish upon a star, but their dreams would never come true no matter how hard they wished. It was through hard work, perseverance, ambition, and initiative that accomplishing ones dream can become possible. One could not just simply wish for something and then have it come true, it’s just not probable. The words still can be spoken and show ones deepest desires, but that dream that they hold in their heart won’t come to unless they do something.

This is where Wystan and his mother disagreed, she was all about how dreams are reality and reality is the dream, so your dreams will come true as long as you have the patience to wait for it and let the fates deal it out to you. While Wystan, on the other hoof, was the complete opposite. He believed that one had to work to get what they dream; otherwise it would not come true. Wys used to be one of those foals that would wish upon a star, but his dream never came true, no matter how hard he wished, his father never returned. Soon his wishing stopped and a bitterness arose inside him toward his father, but he never let it show. Fantasy soon died in the little foal and it only became about facts and observation. Out of respect for his mother, he would notice the spiritual aspect of each observation as well.

Usually he would be in search of a new Soquili to bug with his constant questions, but today his mother’s mood had made him wonder if she was thinking about his father again. He did not understand why she left him if she loved him so much, and if his father really loved Isabliss, how could he let her leave? Did that mean that he never really loved Isabliss and she was just a tool in a grander plan? The idea made Wystan grind his teeth, it was no way to treat a lady. From the way his mother looked at him, Wystan knew that he looked more like his father, just like his brother looked more like their mother; her eyes would either be filled with sadness or love whenever she gazed upon her son. Some nights, when Isabliss believed that her sons are asleep she looked up to the heavens and whispered the name of their father. Every time she did this, Wystan was there, witnessing the scene from the bushes. He would watch as his mother slowly sank deeper into a fog of sadness that he was unable to understand or prevent.  

[Regal Renegade]

Each living thing upon this planet was entitled to its own belief and opinion. Searlait’s father often stated something along these lines whenever she and her overprotective brother would begin arguing. It would end the altercation but it never really seemed to resolve the issue, for it would pop up again without much of a reprieve. Even so, revealing one’s opinion to another really didn’t do that much good either. In stating your own opinion the other person wishes to contest it and then a whole new argument starts. Sometimes she just wished her brother would listen rather than speak, perhaps he would learn more that way even if he did disagree with what she were saying. A plop in the water before her caused her to move sluggishly away from her thoughts. Lifting her eyes she looked over the once still water to take note of some ripples emanating from the middle of the vast body of water. Her eyes then moved to what resembled the shape of a foal walking not too far from her location. Ears perked forward and nostrils flared her curiosity took hold of her and she was soon trotting toward the silhouette. Normally Arthur would have placed himself between her and the figure, stating that it could be something more sinister than just another foal. Snorting and rolling her eyes she pushed aside her brother’s words of caution and picked up her pace.

The earth was silent below her quick moving hooves as she approached the colt. Her eyes were instantly drawn to the unusually colored wings, the style was like Zeeke’s but the color was not. A crimson red with a gilded outline of the likes she had never seen. Her gaze moved from his wings to his face which held upon it and expression of sorrow or deep worry. Blinking a few times she contemplated turning back and leaving him to his sulking but realized she had an opportunity to play the hero. The trees she had used as her cover stood tall above her, allowing patches of light to filter through the leaves and dapple her coat with golden spots. Taking a deep breath her nostrils were filled with the scent of fresh air and luscious grass. Without any further hesitation she stepped out from her hiding place and cleared her throat. “What seems to be the trouble?” She asked quietly. She knew one of two things could happen, either he would respond or he would tell her to mind her own and be on her merry way. She hoped for the first as opposed to the second.

As she drew nearer she took in the unusual hue of his coat and the colors of his mane which resembled her own slightly. A shiver crept up her spin upon looking into his eyes which were seemingly filled with tears of blood. This was a new sight for her; she had never witnessed someone bleeding from the eyes and imagined it couldn’t be all too normal. There was certainly something different about this young colt, his demeanor and appearance being very small things. She could only imagine the complexities that lay beyond his appearance. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but I figured since you seemed down I would ask.” She added as an afterthought.

 

[Thalea]

Even in the state he was in, Wystan was able to hear and feel the filly standing behind him. She stared at him for a bit and then her soft feminine voice cut the silence; Wystan stiffened when her words entered his ears, his eternal being taking in the meaning. He did not want to talk at this moment about the problems that rested heavily on his tiny foal shoulders, but it was polite to answer the filly. Perhaps she could help keep his mind off the complex emotions of his mother and father.

“I am not sure how much information to tell you, I would not want to lay my burdens upon your shoulders as well, but since you asked, I shall tell,” his speech was more formal than what it usually was and the colt silently made a mental note of its occurrence. Slowly he turned to face the filly, she was pale in color besides two of her legs which had a darker shade of brown and her muzzle was of the same color, on her rump Celtic knot tattoos were clearly visible. But the most intriguing part of the little filly was that she was wingless; never before had Wys laid eyes upon a foal that was without wings, sure his aunt Lina was wingless, but that was different, since Lina was an adult.

“You don’t have wings,” it was not a question, but a statement, “What’s it like? Not having wings? What do you do instead of flying? Why don’t you have wings?” her question that she had asked earlier on was pushed to the back of his mind; he was not ignoring it, if she was still interested in the answer, he will tell her. He would be polite about it, leave out details that he would not want to burden her with, because it was his problem, a problem that he had to deal with, not her, a complete stranger. But soon the Angeni cult discovered that he could not stop staring at her wingless back; all of his friends have wings: Nova, Nora, Io… just to name a few; they all had wings in some way.

High in the sky dark clouds rolled in, blocking out the sun; the scent of rain was in the air. Far in the distance the boom of the thunder was heard, “Unless you want to bet soaked, follow me.” He turned away from the filly and made his way through the forest, walking slow enough that the filly could catch up if she wished to follow. He left the decision up to her, she would either follow him or go back to where she came; he hoped for the earlier.

He made his way silently, listening to the sounds of the forest and the approaching rain. Minutes passed by and the cult was soon at an opening of a rock face that held a flat ledge that covered a large patch of moss. Slowly the foal entered the safety of the overhang, and not long after a loud boom of thunder was heard over head; the sky opened up, letting down a torrent of rain, soaking the earth below.  

[Regal Renegade]

Her first impression of the foal standing before her when words exited his mouth and floated heavily upon the air could be summed up into one word, unusual. Never before had she encountered someone so melancholy before, normally they were quiet or arrogant but never stiff or down as he was. For once she listened to the small voice peeping in her head and did not press into his personal space. Hanging back she noted his response and then took a few hesitant steps forward. “A burden is what the listener makes of it. I do not feel that by, perhaps helping someone, by listening to what plagues them is a burden but more of an opportunity to pass light on to another. “She giggled slightly and looked to him with a smile. “I sound like a combination between my logical sister and my knightly father.” She was taken of guard as he suddenly bombarded her with questions about her lack of plumage. Rather than becoming down about the fact that all of her friends could soar in the skies but she could not she thought of something humorous.

“What?! I don’t have any wings? I could have sworn I did!” A look of sheer panic painted itself on her face as she whipped her head around and began scouring her back feverishly. She hoped he would find this somewhat amusing as opposed to believing she had truly lost her wings or better yet, her mind. Her joke was cut short as the weather began to turn gloomy and grey and the colt mentioned something about remaining dry. She began to follow him automatically, her thoughts turning to her family for a brief moment. They would all be worried what with her out in the rain all alone, Arthur would most likely begin to panic and poor Calibor would get scolded for allowing her such freedom. With a sigh she pushed those matters to the back of her thoughts and sped up until she was abreast with the Angeni. At that moment she took the time to further inspect the wings on his back, their unusual coloring and their size. Though she knew plenty of winged Soquili it still amazed her how they looked when one glanced at them up close.

“It is kind of like being deprived of an amazing gift that many around you seem to have received.” She responded quietly. “At the same time it just reminds me of how different each breed is and that perhaps I have something special about me too that no one else possesses.” She finished with a smile before looking skyward. “Rather than flying we run everywhere, I am sure it is not as cool as sharing space with the clouds but running can be pretty incredible on its own. The feeling of air cycling through your lungs at an increased rate, the sound of your hooves touching rapidly on the earth and then lifting once more.” Turning her eyes back upon him she answered the last part of his question. “I have no wings because no one in my family has wings. My sister is breeding with an Angeni but those will be the only wings in the MacSwan bloodline.” She finished pleasantly.

“My name is Searlait.” She added as a brief side note.

 

[Thalea]

She was pulling his leg, metaphorically speaking, the filly jested with him about losing her wings, thus making her a wingless, grounded soquili. The way she acted after the words came out of her mouth only created a hint of annoyance in the young colt. Then he sighed and knew that he was too wound up, he needed time to be a foal and let the conflicts with his two parents simmer until another day. Safely inside the protected nook of the rocks, Wystan contemplated what the filly had said; he had never thought of it that way. Putting himself in her hooves he realized he should be happy with who he is and not curse the bane of his existence for his likeness to his father.

“You are right; I just have not realized it until now. I only knew foals that have wings upon their backs, that’s why I was surprised you lacked them and asked you what I asked.” Wystan tried to imagine the scene that she had described of running so fast on flat lands, and hearing the sound of hooves on the earth below. It was then and there that the angeni colt knew that he would never be able to feel the exhilaration of running through flat lands, for his wings would only get in the way. The thought saddened him, but he pushed it away, to contemplate more on the issue later.

“That sounds incredible, an experience to always remember…” he listened carefully to the filly’s next words, “The MacSwan bloodline…That has a nice ring to it. How did that name originate? How many members are apart of this MacSwan bloodline? Do they all have the strange markings you have? And you never know about the wings, strange happenings can always occur,” Wystan shook his head, he sounded like his mother. “Searlait,” he said carefully, letting the strange name roll over his tongue, “That is a pretty name. What does it mean? Oh, and I am Wystan, nice to meet you Searlait.”
 

[Regal Renegade]

The scent of rain reached her nostrils before the clouds even opened up. Attempting not to seem too rude she took a moment to lift her muzzle and snuffle the air a moment. The sweet musky scent that became evident before the rain began falling was always a smell she enjoyed. She hadn’t really noticed it until her mother had said something about it one day. That had been the first whimsical conversation they had shared with one another. Of course immediately afterward Fearthainn felt the need to begin explaining the logic behind the phenomenon and it slightly ruined the moment. A little giggle burbled up in her throat at the memory. A smile turned up the corners of her mouth as small drops began to fall. Part of her wanted to jump out in the midst of the birthing downpour to relish the crisp cool water kissing her skin but she knew it would be discourteous to merely jump away from her new companion. Her attention was drawn back to the Angeni colt as he began speaking once more.

She smiled at him happily. “Well, now you know one without and I know one with wings.” Again her eyes were drawn to the four wings upon his back. All at once she wished she could fly as well, just once, just to feel what it was like to be among the clouds. Her eyes left his wings and met his gaze, she could tell he was in the midst of thinking and that there was a hint of sadness. “W-what is it like to fly? I mean, do the clouds feel like anything? Do you get cold? Do you get frightened?” She stopped after a moment and began laughing. She had begun to sound just like him with all of his questions. Shaking her head she looked out at the rain again. “Sorry, I hope I am not being invasive.”

She hadn’t ever really thought of running as a memorable experience, after all it was the norm for her kind. She supposed it had been though due to the way she described it and the feeling she got whenever she went full tilt across a plain. “Yea.” She responded absentmindedly. She was still in thought when he asked his cornucopia of questions. Her eyes widened as they just kept coming and coming and coming. In some ways he reminded her of her sister Fearthainn, always the enthusiast when it came to knowledge. “Well,” she began, “My father’s last name begins with ‘Mac’ and my mother’s last name is Swan so they just kind of combined it….Though I don’t really know why.” She began to count in her head the number of members in her family. “Hum….Seven I think?” She could hardly keep up with the questions he had asked. She tried her best though, not wanted to seem less than able to communicate. “Not all of them, the Celtic shield marking came from my father. Aside from him and me I believe there is only one other. My brother Arthur has it as well as armor passed down from my father.” After a moment she just began to laugh. “You certainly ask a lot of questions, I am still trying to keep up.” Inhaling a moment after answering so many questions she finished up. “My name means Crimson in Gaelic. Does your name have a meaning? Wystan?”