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 Posted: Fri Jun 18, 2010 2:31 am
The Kawani Province had been discovered by pure chance. Having grown bored of her previous location she had once again allowed her hooves to lead her and in no time at all, she had found herself in a new location. She would be the first to confess that during her journey there had been some rather uncomfortable places but her hooves hadn't stopped. They had agreed that the arctic (despite her origins) was not her latest destination and had continued on. It hadn't been an arduous or tiring journey to her, as with all things the mare took her time.
Always one to set her own pace, the mare had never found herself in pain or with aching limbs. She drifted with ease across the rippling ocean waves and in due time, she was greeted with the rising cliff faces of a new world. It had been a wonderful sight, even more so when the sun kissed her cheeks and the heat filled her limbs. It was a pleasant feeling when one realised that the new world they had found was a desirable one. The weather wasn't stifling (at least not yet) and she wouldn't be chilled to the bone either. In short, the mare would find this place comfortable enough to live for a time at least.
Her hooves had touched the shore after only a few more moments on the open waves. At this time she had been completely alone. There had been no welcome party to greet her, no natives to coo delightedly at her peculiar arrival but in all honesty, she hadn't expected this. As peculiar and extravagant as some of her arrivals might have been, she didn't set out to be a show off but she had noticed that on occasions it did help. In certain regions the natives had been delighted to associate with her, to show her around and to introduce her to their cultures... all in all it had made her visits very pleasant!
This Kawani province proved to be different though and she could only assume that they chose to avoid the shores. Tossing her mane over her shoulder so that it rested delicately to the left, she glanced left, then right and then waited. She'd fallen into a habit as it were, rather than make an immediate decision she permitted instinct and fate to guide her. On occasions it took some time but eventually a path was selected. In her opinion either direction was of equal interest and as such she wouldn't be disappointed with either outcome.
...Her hooves chose right.
Allowing a delicate smile to creep onto her lips, she took the opportunity to survey her new surroundings and meandered as her hooves saw fit. They always knew what they were doing, the spirits always nudged her down a route that was appropriate. Consequently, she had no doubt in her mind that she would encounter someone or something in due course that would provide her with a greater awareness of her purpose here.
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Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:06 pm
A small ice white stallion slowly made his way along the coastline. His small top hat slid back and forth on his platinum blond hair with every grudging step he took. All of his time spent in the Kawani lands thus far had proved utterly useless. A deep scowl pulled at his normally pretty features turning them harsh and rather ugly. He had left to rid himself of a useless life as something little better than a slave. No one in these lands treated him as coldly as his peers had, however, he found that his life had not improved. There was still not a creature around that respected him. He still had to fend largely for himself. Worst of all there was not a single female around that he could get in the favor of in order to get that sort of life style.
Pulling his lips back in a snarl he kicked a small rock to the ocean that awaited below the rocky ledge he walked upon. He watched it's decent only halfway down before something highly unusual captured his attention. There was something in the water, no on the water. He took a step back and shook his head thinking his eyes played tricks. when he looked back he could see that it was not a deception of his mind. There was definitely something walking over the waves.
He stared in awe for several moments before coming to his senses. Perhaps his fortunes were changing because it seemed that a powerful creature was indeed in the area. Perhaps it was one who was in need of a lovely, small male to assist them. He turned sharply and practically galloped away from the cliffs and down to the flatter lands. He slowed as the stranger came back into his sight. It was still a fair distance away but he would be a fool to not recognize the creature again. Whatever it was seemed to be mostly horse, albeit one with an unusual growth on it's forehead that did not seem to be heading in any one particular direction.
"Pardon me, but are you lost?" He called stepping slowly forward.
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Posted: Sun Jun 20, 2010 3:44 pm
She wouldn't have said that her humming had been abruptly interrupted by the male. On the contrary, her whimsical music had come to a natural conclusion as he crept into her thougths and came to her attention. Her hooves ceased in their steps and emerald eyes swivelled in the direction of the otherwise petite male. His form alone was enough to cause curiosity, he was a novelty in that respect, after all every male in the military had been of a tall but otherwise 'average' build. By all definitions this male was 'puny' and while she had no desire to giggle at it she did tilt her head to the side - were they all so tiny here?
Ooooh they must be terribly adorable if that were the case!
Nevertheless the question he posed was one that she did have to consider carefully. Adjusting her weight, she shook the burrs from her feathered hooves and pursed her lips. She wasn't lost if she were to use the correct definition of the term, she accepted that her movements were sporadic but they generally were by nature. However, when she had explained this before individuals had assumed she was unsteady of her feet, mad, lost but too proud to admit it or perhaps even a combination of all three. As a consequence some hadn't been terribly interested in providing her with assistance and there was nothing more awkward than starting off in an unknown world with absolutely no idea of what was there to see.
So was she lost?
"Ahh," she puzzled over his accent for a few moments and then smiled in a sheepish manner. She'd mastered the art of deception as a matter of survival as a child, now it was almost second nature. "Yes, yes I am," she confirmed at last. Her accent was rather thick but travel had ensured that she tried to make herself as clear as possible, in essence, she spoke more slowly and paused to let words sink in.
"New to this world!" her smile grew with her new sense of enthusiasm. "Most strange place, easy to get lost even from the very first step - no?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:10 am
As he continued his approach he kept his dark eyes fixed on the mare. He could tell that she was observing him as well and as her head shifted one direction he wasn't sure exactly what was running through her mind. He tried not to wonder about what could be running through her thoughts if anything at all, he had known many empty headed mares in his time. Instead he took time to look over her drapings. They were quite unlike anything he had come across to date. From the distance still between them he couldn't quite make out details but they appeared to be glowing a venomous green.
He wasn't sure what could cause something to glow on its own short of a trick of the light. For the moment that's what he would chalk the phenomenon up to. Though for one fleeting moment he entertained the thought that the one who walked on water was some descended god. With that bit of fiction set away he focused on other things, like the fact that she still hadn't answered.
All and all it hadn't been too long since he had called out the question. However between the time it was taking her to answer and the tilt of her head earlier he was beginning to wonder if she had heard him at all. For him it was a question that only had two answers "yes" or "no" and he couldn't see why it would take more than a second to process what had been said and answer.
When she did answer he stopped dead in his tracks coming to an immediate understanding of what had taken so long, or at least he thought he had the reason. Very clearly she was a foreigner. He laughed quietly at himself, a bitter smile on his face. No wonder he had never found anyone in the kawani lands, they were all in other places. The bitter expression faded away to make room for a polite smile as he started moving again, this time taking up a much quicker pace.
"Oh yes it's quite easy to get lost here miss." He said after decoding what she had said. Accents were always pleasant. "It often takes months for new comers to learn their way around. I'm fortunate enough to already know how to get about." He spoke at his normal pace though whether he had just forgotten that she was foreign or didn't care was debatable.
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Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 11:47 am
Ah she had spotted that bitter smile no matter how brief it might have been. As a healer upon the battlefield she had needed such firm observational skills to ensure enemies didn't outsmart her and her allies refrained from hiding the true extend of their wounds. Nevertheless, she had also been taught not to question such behaviour outright other than to subtly coax and prod the individual to confess it themselves. Perhaps in time Farren would opt to bestow this knowledge upon her but for the time being she suspected she had lost nothing in remaining oblivious to such a reaction. Who knew, perhaps he utterly abhorred foreigners but had been educated to be considerate towards them?
Rather than dwell, a smile lifted the corners of her lips just a touch and she bowed her head in recognition of his words. He spoke the truth and she wouldn't argue against that! "Indeed, new places can confuse," she nodded her head gently and adjusted her weight from one hind hoof to the other. "And while it is nice to explore alone, it can be much more comforting to have a guide," he may have spoken at speed but she could translate it easy enough. Now if she'd encountered a soquili with a thicker Kawani accent then she may have had much more trouble.
"You will help, yes?" she lifted her tail and allowed it to trail along te horizon ahead of her. "At least a little, give directions so I can find civilisation?" her expression became imploring, willing him to assist her in her search for these other soquili. If he could lead her straight to them then she could begin to adapt immediately, if she was with a local then that meant they would accept her faster! "Would very much like to meet them, make my peace and explore their nature - yes yes?" she gave another of her warm smiles.
...As for how her robes glowed, she would have bet her horn that he truly didn't wish to know where such magical properties came from.
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Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2010 8:51 am
At least she could keep up with his words, that was a good start. He still had a few troubles picking her words out from the accent not used to hearing anything like it. It took him only seconds longer than regular speech did but that was more of a delay than he truly desired. Still, once he put everything she had said together he cast a smile her way. It was a true smile, she had given him a way in and that was exactly what he needed.
"Oh yes, I'd be happy to assist you my dear." He said finally coming close enough to get a good look at her. The glowing had caught his attention from afar but now that he was closer it was actually a bit creepy. He had never seen cloth like that. Not only was it glowing but it was also died in rich colors. It seemed a great deal of work had gone into making her drapings but those were not the most fascinating thing on her. Dangling from a thin chain wrapped around her pronged horn there was an unusual stone. Like her cloth it glowed and he wondered if it were the source. He'd never seen any rock naturally that shade of green. As he wondered if it was powerful a very special gleam came to his eyes. This day was beginning to look up.
Clearing his throat he looked away from her finery and bowed his head apologetically. "I'm sorry my dear, I just haven't seen such lovely things before. Not in all of my time here. And of course your cloth is quite nice as well." It was a cheap compliment but it often left girls believing anything he said to them. "Now, you said you wished to find civilization? By that...you aren't meaning the humans are you?" He had heard the word mentioned a few times by those snots living in the human villages. While he knew the way to those settlements he didn't much care to visit them. If that was where she wanted to go, however, it didn't seem he would get much of a choice.
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Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:59 am
She could appreciate when someone struggled with her accent, she was a foreigner after all and her skills in this Kawani tongue left much to be desired. She had picked up bits and pieces as she had travelled here and there, certain regions had a similar tongue and as a consequence she could make a guess. However, this didn't mean that she wouldn't stumble over her words on occasions and it was highly likely that she would pronounce something very badly at some point or another. She could only hope that this happened in a more private encounter rather than in a public place where she could cause a great deal of offence if she wasn't careful. She'd stumbled before and it had only been through the intervention of her guide at the time that she hadn't had her horn and tail cut off before she was slain for meat.
...Mental note, it was not a good idea to question the hospitality of tribes that had a tradition of cannibalism.
Ever.
Nevertheless when he made reference to her trinkets she did give a small smile of understanding. Her war trappings were certainly unique; rich in detail, they stood out among the crowds and spoke highly of her deeds. They had been imbued with a magic she didn't completely understand but her fellow warriors had been very proud of her. The moment she had stepped into her midst with her trappings alight they had adopted smiles that were quite unlike what she was accustomed to. Her superior officer had explained that she had proven her worth and come of age, the magic that coursed through her trappings would guide and ultimately protect her. When her human had chosen to weave the jewel around her horn, she hadn't really understood the reasoning behind that either but unfortunately no one had been able to clarify what that was about. She could only assume it had some deep rooted power within it as well.
"It's all right, everybody admires them when they first see them," she replied mildly, though he would find to his disappointment that she wasn't quite as naive as he would have liked. She could appreciate a compliment but she wouldn't be led blindly by them either. "Some are a little frightened by them though, they are not exactly 'normal' but then again, nor am I!" she smiled enthusiastically and flicked her tail to her right just a touch. "Ah but while I would like to observe the humans for a while I think it would be more beneficial if I met the soquili first, after all, humans have a difficult time conversing with soquili, no?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 10:26 am
"I would imagine so..." He was not the list bit surprised to find that others admired her things as he had. They were very interesting. A scholar would want to learn how they were made. A thief would wish to know their worth. A diva would simply want to know where she had gotten them so she could have the same. Every type of person would have their own curiosity, his was to know what they represented and how powerful that made their barer.
"And why would you ever wish to be normal my dear?" He asked with a cool, confidant smile. "It would seem to me that the normal ones are the types that never do anything. That would be quite dull and you seem far from that." In his mind he added, 'You walked on water after all.' Something like that was extraordinarily far from normal. Something like that required study of the subject in many different ways.
"Well the humans have a difficult time speaking with anything that isn't human. It's quite sad really." Of course by sad he meant 'pathetic'. They couldn't even converse with a bird without assistance. "Personally I think spending time with other soquili first is a fabulous choice!" He was not even close to needing to fake his enthusiasm for her choice. It wasn't overly dramatic but he was clearly pleased with this choice.
"First of all, there are several places that would need visiting around here, I'll show you to which ever you wish to see. We have many forests where a great number of soquili reside, then there are the plains, the mountains, the eastern half and the western half, a large lake and several rivers. The of course there are those that choose to live with the humans in their villages." He smiled at her figuring she would have caught it all. She seemed rather sharp for a foreigner. "Which would you like to see first?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:52 am
A small flicker of pain crossed her face as he mentioned how humans struggled to communicate with their charges. She would have argued the point had her own bonded still been standing, but unfortunately she didn't have the pleasure of doing so. Perhaps in this province the humans hadn't mastered the art of communicating with their soquili but she knew that the humans of her homeland were most skilled in it. Granted they were rarely vocal and only a few words were understood but through drawings, body language and gestures, they could hold conversations with their charge. Who needed to be vocal when a single look would speak volumes on your behalf?
"Eh, it is most unfortunate," she agreed softly. Schooling her features back into their more relaxed expression, she considered his words for a few moments and then sighed. "To be normal does not necessarily mean that you are dull, one can still do things and be 'normal'," she pointed out delicately. "I could possess no talents, only have the fur upon my back and still travel if I truly wished to. It is the sloths that do nothing, they are a type of normality but..." she paused for a few moments and considered her words carefully. This strange tongue was less glutteral than Russian, it required a little more thought.
"Credit should be given where it is due," she finished with just a hint of satisfaction at her grasp on the language. She'd only heard hints and whispers of it, eventually she was going to stumble in a most embarassing fashion. "Sometimes it would be nice not to stand out from the crowd, easier to settle in and learn new things when others are not staring at the quirks you possess. They do not concentrate!"
...It was clearly a sore spot for her, evidently, there were encounters in her travels that had been exasperating for the mare.
Either way, she fell silent again as he gave a list of potential destinations to visit. Glancing at her hooves, she waited to see if they would tingle at the mention of anywhere in particular and sure enough, the did. At the mention of the plains they gave the tiniest twitch and she knew that this would have to be the first place that she aimed for.
"Eh, my hooves have informed me that they wish to see the plains first!" she informed him with a firm nod and a smile.
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