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 Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:10 am
Chatura hummed as she walked, her tail trailing behind her. She'd made some small progress in her big research project, meeting Orion had certainly been helpful but it wasn't enough. She needed to meet a control subject, a Kalona that was pure blooded, born to two Kalona parents, so with no trace of any of other genes.
Of course she was well aware that according to rumour, such a meeting might end up being her last, but she was confident she had the skills to talk her way out of such a situation. And there was of course the variable that even a pure-blooded Kalona would be friendly, or at least controlled enough not to make a meal out of everyone that it met.
Which was precisely what she hoped to find, and was why she started to veer off the beaten track, silenced now as she clipped along the very edges of a large forested area, eyes and ears alert for any new, or strange movement as she moved past tall trees.
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:24 am
Illdian walked a steady pace through the shadows of the forest. The night here in this strange land almost reminded him of his home, a home that he had not seen since he was very young. He paused a bit to look up at the moon through the boughs overhead, gazing at it with his cursed sight. Before he'd been damned and among those of his homeland, they'd celebrated the moon, worshiped her. Was this the same moon staring down at him now? Maybe. What had once been a soft watchful gaze now, in his eyes, was a baleful glare.
Moving again, the stallion sighed. The valley he'd called home was a devastated wreck of earth, cracked and flowing with lava, but he was almost homesick for it. Walking through the forest at night made him dwell too often on the past, too much on a love that could never be. Shaking his head, he snorted, refusing to give in to memories. He'd moved on from the valley to this new land to escape the memories, running as he always had from the past.
A trickle of water caught his attention, one long ear swiveling towards the sound. Illidan moved toward the tickle and found a creek. Dipping his head down, he set his thoughts aside to enjoy the cool water.
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:39 am
The mare was sure she either saw, or heard something..moving in and under the trees and so she slipped between them herself, eyes straining to see in the gloom, ears flickering back and forth as she moved along. Her hoof knocked against a thick fallen branch and she stopped for a moment, startled, nosing at it whilst her heart hammered in her chest. She was getting the small feeling it might have been more prudent to wait until it was lighter to go after whatever it was she thought she'd heard but she wanted to know what, if anything, it was.
An open bit of land in the forest lent speed to her heels, and she was able to traverse a bit more easily. At one point she caught a sound again, and stopping, realised that it was water. Flowing water. If she could find it, she could use it to navigate, and so she followed the sound, emerging from the trees at a point where it seemed to wind around a series of large rocks on the farthest bank.
Chatura stopped at the edge of the small flowing riverlet..creek? looking down one way, and then the other - and froze, perfectly still as she caught sight of a large, very large, horned and winged shape.
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Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2010 4:48 am
Illidan shook his head a bit after he'd had his fill of water and looked up, ears moving about. Someone else was here. He looked around slowly, cursed sight lending much better vision in the dark than his normal eyes ever would have--if he still had them, that is.
There, just on the edge of the clearing among the trees he spotted her. She looked like a rather young mare, but looks could be deceiving. Shifting his weight so as to face her better, he tilted his head, gazing at her through his blindfold.
"Why have you come here?" he asked, keeping his voice flat. He wasn't quite sure to be angry for the intrusion upon his privacy or grateful for the company yet. He did not know this mare and did not trust her.
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:43 am
'Am I trespassing, is this your territory?' Chatura asked, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. She didn't want to sound scared, but nor did she want to sound agressive, or over confident in case he was spoiling for a fight.
'I am sorry if I am, I will leave if you wish me to.' she said, dipping her head very, very briefly before her eyes flashed to where he was again.
'I was on the outskirts of the forest, and thought I saw, or head movement. I was curious I guess is the most simple explanation for my being here.'
When she squinted she could see the curve of his horns, he really was fascinating from what she could see and a great find, but if he wished her to go then her research would be thwarted.
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 1:53 am
"I have no territory. I am an outcast from a land far from here," Illidan said, tilting his head slightly. "I don't care if you go or stay. I am, after all, the stranger in these lands." He lowered his head back to the water to drink, seeming indifferent. Though he would not say, he did hope she would stay and talk, if only to sort out what she might be looking for.
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:15 am
She supposed that most mares would have up and left at that point, miffed at his seeming lack of warmth or welcoming nature. But she wasn't most mares, and besides, if he absolutely wanted her to leave, didn't want to talk at all, he wouldn't have mentioned anything about himself.
'Far from here? Exactly how far? Where are you from..sir, may I ask?' she added, remembering to be as polite as possible for it was still an unknown as to exactly his temprement.
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 2:32 am
"Beyond your mountains, past your desert boundaries," Illidan said quietly, raising his head again to regard her from behind his blindfold. "I was raised in a forest not unlike this one, but up until recently, I lived in a scorched valley of fire and rock. I had to flee when a rival began taking too much of my territory. I find myself an outcast once again."
He moved, shifting his weight so he could look at the mare more directly. "Most others leave me be. They're frightened of me, of what I am. You're not, though. Do you have a name, brave little mare?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 3:44 pm
Chatura squinted again, at his face this time, wondering why it was she couldn't see the light of his eyes, or even catch a glimmer of them from what faint light there was. She didn't do that for long however, not wishing to be caught staring.
'Fire and rock? Yes, you must be from far away, I've not heard of any area like that. How did you come to live there..may I ask?' she actually smiled at his question. Brave? Or foolhardy, her nearest and dearest might think so at any rate.
'I wouldn't say that, I am wary of course, I do not know you, but my fascination and my scholarly pursuits keep me here.' she replied.
'As do courtesy. And my name is Chatura. There is another reason. Though I may not look it, not even slightly, Kalona blood is in me, my family. It's where I come from, on my mother's side at least.' she realised she had prattled on a bit and fell silent.
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Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2010 6:09 pm
Moving towards her a few steps, Illidan moved into the light, tilting his head at the mare. Was she staring at him?
"I was banished from my herd. It's complicated. I had no where else to go, and so I went to the valley. It wasn't a pleasant place to live and I had no reason to stay after my rival took my territory," the stallion explained, giving a soft snort of annoyance.
He rose his head to look at her again. "Scholarly pursuits? I had those once. They can be dangerous. Especially to those with hidden kalona blood," he sighed. "I'm called Illidan."
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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:25 am
'I'd like to hear why you were banished...if you wish to tell that is?' Chatura understood that thinking about bad memories was often painful enough, but he looked strong enough from what she could tell. He seemed guarded though, which was understandable but yet somewhat strange. It wasn't as if he would have anything to fear from her.
'I'm not sure I follow you there, after all, would you have guessed my heritage if I had not told you? I have not a physical trace in me, and neither does my mother. But it's there..' she paused, collecting herself, her thoughts.
'What I do is partly because of that, my Grandfather has a very narrow, prejudiced view on Kalona's, has insulted my mother over it, and was most concerned that my siblings and I be born 'normal'.'
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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 1:45 am
Illidan considered this, mulling over his response carefully. Well, the mare had asked, after all. "My banishment has very much to do with what I am . . . and what I was. I was not always as you see me. A two-legger shaman tricked me when I sought help for my herd. His magic brought my previously unknown kalona blood forward and changed me. I was able to help my herd, but they no longer wanted my presence. Because of my help, I was merely banished rather than killed." He tossed his head a bid, long unruly mane flopping out of his face so he could gaze at her from behind his blindfold. "So, you see, some pursuits are not always worth it, particularly for those with hidden kalona blood."
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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:07 am
'I am sorry that happened to you, truly.' Chatura was mightily curious about how that 'magic' had actually done it, but felt that would be a question too far.
'So you're an unwilling Kalona?' she said, spinning as more of a question that a statement, for as far as she knew he might like to hunt and kill.
'I would never look to change who I am, that I am content with. More, I want to understand where I come from, why my relatives are the way they are. My Great-grandmother is pure Kalona, and vicious. Predatory.'
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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:25 am
"I did not want to be as I am, but I make the most of it now," Illidan told her by way of explanation. "I am pure Kalona, though I wish it were otherwise." He looked her over. "In your search for who you are, be careful not to lose yourself. It's all too easy. As for the way of Kalonas, I know them all to well."
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Posted: Sat Apr 03, 2010 2:42 am
'May I see you properly?' she asked, twisting her head skywards, wondering how long it was till dawn. She looked back at him, only able to discern some of how he looked in the still gloomy light. What she was asking really was if he would stick around until there was light for her to see.
'I'm aware that there are risks, not least of all being attacked but I feel it worth that. I want to know what drives those with Kalona blood to do what they do, why certain members of my family act the way they do despite being only quarter blooded.' Chatura let out a little noise.
'You think it's wrong for me to know?'
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