Swimdeep cut through the water heading for somewhere he'd never been before: the shore. Sure, he'd been to the surface numerous times, but he'd never swam close enough to the beaches. Today, he was curious enough to see what was up there. Information learned there, if there was any to learn, might come in handy for finding a new place to live. As the currents took him closer, he idly wondered if any creatures like himself lived there.
Fleurite wandered cautiously through the undergrowth, curious about what lies on the other side of the forest; she had heard that something called the ocean lies there and today, she finally found the courage to explore beyond her usual "territory". As a smell that reminded her of rain tickled her nose and what sounded a lot like thunder reached her ears, she remembered the infomation that she had gathered; the ocean is a large body of water, larger than any lake in Kawani - in fact, its is supposetely so large that there was no way to see what's on the other side... There would only be the horizon connected to water as far as the eye could see.
She couldn't wait to see the ocean for herself!
However, as she neared her final destination, fear gripped her heart; she was moving into unknown territory after all... What if its inhabitants do not welcome her? She had heard of nasty ocean critters, bent on dragging air-breathing creatures such as her into the depths of the ocean. Fleurite felt a shiver ran down her spine at the thought, but her curiosity was stronger than her fear and she pushed on until her eyes met with the sparkling water of the ocean... And she could only stand and stare at its beauty.
As he neared the shoreline, Swimdeep's head broke the surface. He waded forward till the water became to shallow, then humped, seal-like, the rest of the way to the beach. He paused when he saw the black four-legged creature there that bore a small resemblence to his own kind. Was it friendly? It looked like it had fins.
"Hello?" he called out cautiously, keeping a safe enough distance.
The sound of the waves crashing on the beach was almost unnaturally smoothing, and Fleurite found herself relaxing, her eyes closing as she smiled... Only to tense up again at the sound of someone's greeting. Her eyes snapped open and she scanned the area; when her eyes landed on a rather peculiar looking Soquili, Fleurite found herself staring at his lack of hind limbs. Feeling both shocked and frightened, the young mare could only stare. However, when she realized how rude she must seem, she quickly averted her gaze and with a shaky voice, decided to reply, "H-H-Hel-Hello!"
She blushed; that took more effort than she expected! Unable to resist the urge, she turned to look at the other Soquili again, wondering if she was dreaming; how could a Soquili not have four limbs? But as she looked again, she realized that it was true - the other Soquili possessed only front limbs! Where the hind limbs normally are, there was only a long, sleep fish tail.
Swimdeep tilted his head, watching the mare--as he'd decided the creature must be female--and moved to approach her more, pulling himself along with his hooves and slithering his tail. It wasn't fast, but it managed to get him more on land and closer to have a better look at the strange non-mer. "What are you?" Wait, that was rude. "I mean, you're not a mer like me, so what do they call you?"
She froze again as he came closer, but didn't try to run; he didn't seem dangerous or particularly threatening... Fleurite blinked as he called himself a mer, and shook her head, "Um, w-well... Um..." she paused, unsure of how to answer - obviously, if he hadn't seen any land-dwelling Soquilis before, it would probably be confusing to just say that she's a fluttercorn. She then finally spoke again, her voice still shaky with shock, "W-Well, I am a fluttercorn... U-Um, a mix between two breeds, the flutter and the unicorn." She forced a smile, wondering if he understood.
"Fluttercorn," Swimdeep said, tasting the word. "Then those aren't fins you have there?" He gestured to her strange wings with a nod of his head. "Are all creatures like you called fluttercorns?"
"Fluttercorn," She nodded, smiling a little, glad that he was able to say it; it was rather satisfying in a way, teaching him about land dwellers... Of course, she was still a little frightened and doubtful of the stanger's intentions, but for now, she was willing to stay put and talk. She turned to look at her own wings - it was rather cruel to be born with them, yet be unable to use them as an adult. She shook her head in reply, "These are wings, we use them to fly through the air. Mine are too small to carry me though." She smiled sadly as she said it, but quickly perked up again, determined not to let it bother her too much.
"Well, if you mean creatures who walk on land, no." She explained slowly, hoping that the mer was able to catch up, "Those with a horn and tail like me are called unicorns, and they do not have wings. Flutters have wings like mine, usually bigger, but they are much smaller in size and do not have a tail like mine... In fact, their tail is very much like the mane on our head, made up of hair! So, like I said, I am a mix between the two, so I'm a fluttercorn. There are also those with no horns, wings or special tails... They are the most common breed of Soquili around here."
Swimdeep considered all of this, soaking in the information. "There are many kinds of four-leggers, then?" he asked finally. "And you say some of you can swim in the air? I mean . . . fly." Well, the strange horse certainly had his interest more. "I have never seen any of my kind with horns or wings, though. Is it something only the land ones have?"
"Yes there are, and yes! They can fly through the air like fish through water! And I'm not sure... I've never met another water-dwelling Soquili before." Fleurite chuckled as her nervousness slipped away; she was starting to actually enjoy the conversation! Giving a pause, she approached the stallion cautiously and then came to stop beside him. She then scratched a couple of figures into the sand using her hoofs, figures that resembled the common land Soquili.
"That's the common Soquili, I think some call them the 'Grounded' since they are... Well, grounded," She giggled, and proceeded to add feathered wings to the figure, much like those that birds are born with, "And then there are the 'Winds', with wings like the birds - they tend to soar high in the sky, so I've only met a few..."
The stallion watched the mare draw in the sand. "All of these different kinds, and none like myself? I've only met one kind before." He moved to balance on his tail a bit and drew a crude and sloppy figure in the sand with a hoof that resembled himself. "That is the only kind I know." He looked up at her quizzically. "There are no land Soquili with fish tails?"
"Well..." Fleurite frowned slightly at the question, as she mused out loud, "Well, you're the first and only mer I've seen... Um, I'm sure theer are more of you though...." She first looked rather surprised at his next comment, but then looked rather sad as he drew in the sand; it must be lonely, living without a single companion or friend! She looked up, turning to look at the ocean; it looks so vast and seems to go on forever... Perhaps, it is bigger than the whole of the Kawani land? Somehow, she did not think that it is impossible. She turned her attention back to the mer, raising an eye brow at his next question.
"I've never met one before, but I heard that there is a type of Soquili with a mer's tail and fins but have four legs like me... I think they're called Kep- Kelp- Kelpi? I heard that they are a rare sight though." She erased her drawing with a quick sweep of her hoofs and begun to draw a new figure, a Soquili with a fish tail and fins were her wings were; it was plucked from her imagination, but if they exist, they probably look like this?
"I've known others of my kind, but I was seperated from them after we left our reed. It got sick because a wooden thing with two-legged creatures came down below the water," Swimdeep said, moving to look at her drawing.
At her explanation, he shook his head. "i have never seen one of those before or heard of them, but perhaps only because I've never been to the shore before today. I wish there was a way to see more of your surface world."
"That's sad..." Fleurite offered the other a smile, knowing that if she had to be separated from her family and herd, she would be devastated! She then paused, as if deep in thought. Then, she smiled excitedly before nodding, "Actually, I think you can! Rivers are connected to the ocean, right? And these rivers lead to lakes where a lot of land Soquilis feed and drink! If you're lucky, you might get to meet more of us this way!" She finished with a grin, hoping that he likes her idea.
"By the way, I'm Fleurite, but please, call me Fleur," She added as an afterthought.
A lake? That was a new word to the stallion, but he figured she meant it was a body of water. "Where is a river to get to this lake?" He looked up when she mentioned her name. "I'm called Swimdeep."
"Well, I think there is one nearby," She nodded, gesturing towards the left where the beach ends - or begins - where the forest is; she was sure that there was a river in that direction... She could only hope that the end of that river is in that same direction. She smiled, "I could lead you if you like? It'll be quite a long journey to the lake, but if I can at least get you to the river, you can take your own pace and swim upstream!"
She giggled when she heard his name, "It fits you, or rather, your breed!" She then blushed, hoping it didn't come out sounding rude.
"Yes, please, show me the river," Swimdeep said, warming up to the idea of being able to travel inland . . . sort of.
At her other comment, he looked a bit shy. "All of my pod--some call them herds--had names reflecting where we lived. I'm not sure i know what your name means, though. I've never heard the like."
Fleurite smiled happily as she nodded, waiting for him to go back into the sea before heading off; judging from how he was moving, there was no way for him to keep up with her on land! The young mare paused as he continued, looking rather thoughtful, "That's an interesting way to name someone! Hm, my name..." She paused again, looking as if she was deep in thought before shaking her head, "I think it means flower, but I'm not sure..."
Swimdeep wriggled around, then humped his way back into the water, getting deep enough to swim along the shore. "Can you hear me alright from here?"
"Yes!" Fleurite answered with a nod before trotting towards the direction she had gestured to before, careful to lift her tail above the sand as she did, unwilling to get more sand into her hair and fur. Once she was standing beside the forest, she lifted her nose and sniffed the air, trying to pick up the smell of water - however, she soon realized that all she would smell was the distinct smell of the ocean. Frowning to herself, she decided to trust her instincts and keep moving on the thin strip of sand, ocean on one side and forest on the other.
"I can't smell it," She shook her head before turning to look at her mer friend in the water, "But I think its this way... If we keep walking, we're bound to find it." She nodded with a smile, feeling optimistic about their situation.
"You walk, I'll swim," the stallion called back, coasting through the water alongside the shore. He could feel a slight difference in the currents, so the mare was likely right in her guess about the inlet being in the direction they were going.
"A-Ah, right," Fleurite blushed as she giggled; she had forgotten that the stallion was swimming. She trotted a little faster, determined to find the inlet soon - that way, perhaps she could even follow him and teach him a few things about the forest! After all, all those plants and creatures must be both foreign and intriging for someone who had spent his entire life in the ocean. Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something at the front...
"That's it!" She exclaimed excitedly as she sped up into a gallop, going as fast as her legs could carry her. She was barely able to stop and not fall into the water in her excitement. She smiled happily as she turned towards Swimdeep, encouraging him to swim in; it didn't take long to locate it, but if they had not found it by the end of the day, she was sure that she would feel both guilty and upset.
Swimdeep maneuvered into the inlet, swimming and sometimes crawling along to get in. "It won't be easy to swim against the current, but I should manage alright. How far is the lake from here?" He swam closer to where she was at the shore of the inlet.
"I'll say... Less than a day away, but it might be longer," Fleurite replied with a nod, smiling when she saw that he was already in the river, "The lake is a short distance from my herd's territory and it didn't take too long to walk from there to the coast, so if you keep moving, it shouldn't take too long... Then again, I'm not sure how long the river is, since I've never tried to follow it downstream." She turned to walk into the forest with Swimdeep, sticking close to the river, "I'll accompany you for a bit before I have to go, but if you have questions, feel free to ask me!"
"I appreciate the company. I've never traveled so far from the deep waters before," the mer said, splashing along in the river as it followed the mare. "I'm sure it sounds silly, but what are those?" He gestured to the trees with a nod.
"You're very welcome," The young mare smiled, turning to what her new friend was gesturing at, "Oh! Those are trees! There are many different kinds, and I heard that during autumn, the leaves - that's the green things on the top - turn orange and red and brown! I can't wait to see it for myself! Basically, a forest is a place made made up of trees, just like... Um, the sea is made up of water."
"Ah.. we have forests below the water, but made of kelp and sea grass. I suppose my world would be strange to you, too, with the reefs and different kinds of fish," Swimdeep said, smiling. He looked up as a bird flew overhead. "You have fish here, too?"
"Kelp? Sea grass? Reefs? What are those?" Fleurite blinked curiously, pretty sure that it must be a whole different world underneath the waves; however, unlike mers like Swimdeep who can peek out above the water to look at dry land, she was sure that a mare like her would surely drown underwater... The mer's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, however, and she nodded, "We do have fish in the rivers and lakes here, but I'm not sure if they're the same as those from the sea."
"No, fish that swim in air." He pointed a hoof up at the bird still fluttering past. "Kelp and sea grass are like those plants there." He nodded to the grass under Fleur's hooves. "A reef is actually a living creature plant thing that looks a bit like a rock. Some of them are very colorful."
She looked up, following his gaze, "Oh! Those are birds - look at their wings, the feathery limbs at the side? Imagine big ones where my wings are... That's what a wind Soquili usually looks like." She smiled as she walked, fascinated at his explanation. Her eyes widened as she tried to comprehend what a reef was - a plant, a creature or a rock? Maybe a combination of all three? She frowned slightly, "So... A reef is a plant that looked like a colorful rock?"
"Yes, that's a reef. They come in different sizes and shapes and colors. Some are dull grays and some are really vibrant reds," Swimdeep replied as he swam along. "They're plants, but a few of my pod thought they might actually be creatures like anemones are. Those are creatures that look like plants."
"That sounds pretty," Fleurite smiled, wondering if they are like the flowers of the underwater world, since flowers come in many different shades and are plants as well! Giggling at the thought, she continued, "Ane-Ane-Anemoneys? Anemones? Creatures that look like plants? Really?" She stared in disbelief, but from his expression, she didn't think that he was lying or making it up; in her mind, she started to imagine flowers and trees walking about on coloring rocks as fishes swim around them under the sea.
"They look like plants and have long feelers to tempt fish close by, then they sting them and draw them in to feed on. Some fish are immune to them and live in them for protection," Swimdeep said, liking to share the information. "I guess you don't have anything like that on the surface, eh?"
"That sounds like something out of a story..." Fleurite giggled, still thinking about waking flowers and colorful rock-plants as she followed the river. She then shook her head, "We don't! We have flowers and... Have you tried any land fruits before? Are there fruits under the sea?" She wasn't sure if mers ate meat or plants or both, but perhaps they would enjoy certain fruits? She smiled, "We have this fruit called an apple - its a common favorite! Its sweet and juicy!"
"We don't have fruits. Or.. we might and just not call them that. Mostly we eat help and small fishes. I prefer kelp," Swimdeep said, coming closer to the shore of the river. "What is an apple?"
"Fruits are these things plants produce. They have seeds in them to help grow a new plant... And an apple is a red colored fruit with white flesh... I don't smell an apple tree around or I would get you one," She nodded, but quickly darted off to the side; she did not smell apples, but she sure smelt something else - cranberries! She sniffed around a nearby bush befor emoving to the next, until she found one filled with cranberries. Then, she selected a branch and pulled it off; spring is awesome for a reason! Fruits are aplenty! She then quickly returned to Swimdeep's side, branch full of cranberries in her mouth.
"Dis augh..." She begun, but blushed and placed the branch down on the ground before speaking again, "These are cranberries, a fruit found in bushes rather than on trees like apples... They're juicy and normally sweet... Why don't you try one?" She pushed the branch closer to the mer with her nose, looking hopefully at him.
Swimdeep pulled himself out of the water to rest partially on the land, sniffing at the branch and berries. He trusted the mare at her word, nibbling off a few of the small fruits. They were indeed sweet and juicy. "These are very good. We have nothing like this under the sea."
"I'm glad you like them! And really? Well, I would love to try kelp one day," Fleurite nodded with a smile, wondering if land plants and water plants taste similar at all, "There are a lot of different fruits around, each with its own taste! However, some are not meant to be eaten and can be bad for us... Oh! And iif a fruit is not ready to be eaten - meaning its not ripe yet - it could taste bitter or even sour!" She made a face as she finished, recalling the first time she ate a sour berry by mistake.
"So much to know about land plants," Swimdeep chuckled, nibbling a few more of the fruits. "Did you want some of these?"
"And I have so much to learn about the world under the sea!" Fleurite giggled; when she decided to head for the beach this morning, it didn't occur to her that she would learn so much and even meet a mer Soquili! What an amazing day this turned out to be! At the thought, she smiled, waiting for Swimdeep to finish the berries.
"Ah- Oh, no, no... Its fine," She shook her head in reply as she blushed slightly, "You finish them... I can get some for myself if I'm hungry later."
Swimdeep nodded and nibbled at the rest of the berries. "I think I will like living inland. Perhaps it wasn't so bad getting seperated from my pod, after all. The sea is sometimes dangerous, but your lake sounds relatively safe."
"A lake is a like... A big body of water, and its pretty deep. Not nearly as deep as the sea, I'd imagine though!" She nodded, feeling glad that he was genuinely enjoying the berries she had picked out for him, "It would be dangerous for a mare like me to fall in and get dragged to deeper waters, but it should be fine for you."
"As long as there are no sharks in the water, I think I'll be alright," Swimdeep chuckled, moving back into the river now that he was done eating.
"What are these sharks?" Fleurite asked, gesturing for the mer to keep moving when he was done, "Are they really dangerous?" She trotted slowly alongside her new friend, wondering what sort of creature would scare a mer of his size.
The mer swam along to follow the mare. "They're big fish with lots of big teeth. They eat anything they can fit their mouth around. Some are small, some are the size of a mer, some are much larger. They're all deadly."
"Wow..." The female shivered at the thought of a fish the stallion's size swimming about in the water, lurking and waiting for that right moment to pop out and kill its prey. She shook her head, "We do not have those, but we do have..." Her voice lowered to a whisper as she frowned, "Skinwalkers... Have you ever heard of them?"
"Never heard of them. Are they predatory creatures?" Swimdeep asked, looking over and noting the mare's frown.
"Well, they are blood-thristy Soquilis who wear an animal pelt - a fox, a wolf or even a mountain lion - over their back and head," She explained, her tone serious, "If sharks are deadly, then they must be the sharks of the land. They just live to kill... Some don't even eat their kill!" She paused, looking a little upset, "If you see one, dive deep under the water, because I think they can't swim very well... And oh! They can change into the form of an animal depending on the pelt that they are wearing... They're evil, evil creatures." She hardly used the word 'evil' for anything, but skinwalkers deserve to be called that.
Swimdeep nodded solemnly. "The land has sharks, too, then. I'll be wary of them." He looked about as the river finally gave way to the lake. "It's bigger than I thought. Calmer, too. This will be a good home away from the sea."
"Good," Fleurite smiled as she gave a firm nod, glad that she was reminded of the dangerous skinwalkers and could warn her new friend. As the river widened slightly and opens into the lake, she couldn't help but gallop quickly to its edge, a wide smile on her face. Turning to Swimdeep, she giggled, "I'm glad you think so! although if we're here already..."
She looked up at the sky, obviously a little worried. She blushed as she shifted her hoofs, "Its rather late, so I should get going, but I'll try to visit the lake to see if you're still around, promise!" Her blush deepened; she didn't want to appear rude by rushing off so suddenly, but she had to get back to her herd.
She lowered her head and bumped the stallion gently on his cheek with her forehead before smiling shyly, not the best at showing physical affections, "See you again soon, Swimdeep!" Then, she turned around and galloped back into the forest, disappearing quickly as she headed in the direction of home.
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