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 Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 12:28 pm
 A storm had raged out the night. He'd tucked the children away safely, hadn't he? Vague snatches tugged at him. Nalani, Faolan, Wyatt. Cocoa was there too, right? Had Wyatt run off again? He was searching. No, that wasn't right. It wasn't Wyatt. He felt his head move, a thick sweat drenching his body. Sweat and rain. No. Natsu. Where was Natsu? He could see a shadow off in the distance...
The grass was nice this time of morning. And in the afternoon. And in the evenings. It had almost grown to obscure Brajan's vision. It might have even browned beneath him. Hazy green eyes blinked against the low light, then closed again. He'd lost them in that storm. All of them. Pushing himself up, he shook away the sting. Natsu was gone, vanished before his eyes. He couldn't find her- her-... a strangled sound left him.
Think of the children. Of Nalani and Wyatt and Faolan. Cocoa. They had to be out there somewhere. He had to find them. He would find them. And he couldn't rightly stand before his son, the image of resignation. Drawing a shaky breath, he took a clumsy step forward. It had been a long time since he'd met Cocoa. A long time since he'd met his mate. Hunger bit at him, but it seemed appropriate somehow. He would stop and eat in time. Had to keep his strength up. They were out there somewhere, he knew it.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:13 pm
 Once upon a time she had had a mate and a family. Or so she thought. Her dreams seemed to indicate as much, but her actual memory was a bit fuzzy. The last thing she could really remember was a storm. A terrible terrible storm. And... a cliffside. She had woken up later at the bottom of that cliff, her head throbbing horridly and her body wracked with pain. The mare had been fortunate not to break any limbs, but she had trudged around with a distinct limp for a while, despite her best efforts to hide it.
Natsuhi. Natsuhiboshi. That was her name. For some reason the mare never forgot her own name, as odd as that might seem. But she could not remember much else. At night she had vague dreams of a loving family and mate, but she could not clear the images for the life of her. She hoped that they were alright, whoever they were. All that she could surmise was that they might have been separated during that storm. Or maybe even long before then. Who knew.
Glowing eyes were half-lidded in a thoughtful manner as she grazed on some grass. Somehow this state of being alone did not feel foreign to her. It wasn't especially exciting or fulfilling, but it was doable. Blue ears perked up at the sound of someone venturing nearby. Another of my kind? she wondered to herself, glancing off in the direction of the sound. Hopefully it was no carnivore. She had had enough trouble fighting those creatures off when she had been injured.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:22 pm
Tail flicking, Brajan lifted his head, his ears pressed flat. What, exactly, was that scent? The hunger must be getting to him even moreso than he'd thought. It almost smelled like Natsu... shaking it off, he slowed, then came to a halt. This was as good a place as any to graze. Muzzle low, he tore off a mouthful of grass, then growled a little irritation. Never as good as he remembered it.
Swallowing hard, his tongue flicked over his lips. Another bite. Then another. It almost hurt his stomach. The fish. Maybe he'd try that. Fruit. Lifting his head, he debated quietly. Something far more appetizing than simple... grass-stuffs.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:35 pm
Natsuhi was rather disappointed when the other Kirin did not advance any further. He had such a lovely scent too (at least she was pretty sure she recognized that to be the scent of a stallion). Letting out a small whuffle, the mare lowered her head back down to grazing...
And with a startled whinny lifted it again and back-pedaled. A snake! When had that gotten there? The vile creature dared to hiss at her to which she stomped the ground in response, glowing eyes narrowing fiercely at the reptile. After a brief staring match the snake backed off, thinking better of the size of his opponent. That was a close one, she thought to herself, not feeling entirely as brave as her display had just suggested. Had that thing bit her face... Well, it wouldn't have been good, that much was certain.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:43 pm
Head rising sharply, Brajan wheeled around as he recognized the sound of distress. Driven on instinct, he moved for the mare, but when she came into view, it was as though the wind was driven out of him. He put a shaky leg forward, his mouth agape. No, it couldn't be. But that scent... and she looked solid enough, the glow of her eyes cutting the haze. His throat felt suddenly dry. Stammering, he choked out a single word, her name. "N- Natsu..."
His eyes never left her, taking in her every move. It was as though he was seeing her again for the very first time. Snapping free of his daze, he hurried forward, her name rolling off his tongue, stronger this time. "Natsuhi!"
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:59 pm
The sounds of her small encounter seem to have inadvertently drawn the attention of her nearby guest. Turning her head calmly, she observed the handsome brown stallion as he approached. He appeared to be rather unsteady and had the look of one who had seen a ghost. That wasn't too surprising of a reaction considering her eyes, but something about the male felt rather familiar...
She was quite a bit surprised however when he stammered out her name. Even more so when he rushed forward and repeated it again. "Ah? Good morning," she greeted, her expression half amused and half perplexed as he nuzzled tenderly against her. Clearly this was someone that she had known before. Her mate, perhaps? She might ask once the stallion had calmed back down a little. "You aren't looking too well. It has been a while, hasn't it."
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:08 pm
Withdrawing, Brajan frowned severely. She spoke so formally. He canted his head to one side, snorting in frustration and hurt. "Yes, it has." After so long, this was the greeting he got? But that wasn't Natsu. She wouldn't have so easily forgotten him or moved on. Especially when he had been so devoted to finding her. Would she? He turned away a brief moment, gathering himself. "Natsu, you-," he glanced back, swallowing hard. "You weren't looking for me..." He couldn't help it. It's not that he meant to accuse her. She just didn't seem very concerned, much less excited at his standing before her after so long.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:20 pm
Natsuhi frowned apologetically and nuzzled the poor stallion. He was clearly hurt by her lack of recognition, but that wasn't something that could be helped. "I think I've been looking for you," she said quizzically, giving a sad shake of her head. "I am sorry. I fell from a cliff side during a storm and I believe I hit my head on the way down. My memory of anything prior to that is fuzzy at best." The mare pulled away briefly to look over the stallion once again. Yes, he was certainly very handsome, and there was a definite familiarity about him. "Are you the one with which I had a family?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:28 pm
Tearing his gaze from her, Brajan looked up at the sky and cursed softly. So that would explain it. She couldn't remember him. Or, probably, the little herd they'd grown up. Drawing a deep breath, he fixed her with an intent stare. "I am- I was your mate. I am still, that you wish it of me. We had foals. Nalani, Wyatt and Faolan. The storm. We left them in cover to search for another mare who had been seperated from us." His voice cracked under the weight of his misery. "I haven't found them, nor sign of them. I lost them when I lost you. I've been searching ever since..."
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:46 pm
"What lovely names," she said softly, listening to the male's account of what had happened. Natsuhi nuzzled his cheek in a comforting manner as he finished. "Do not be disheartened. I am sure we will find them in time. But first," she said, pulling away and looking him over with a fond smile, "might you remind me of my noble mate's name?" The mare chuckled. "My memory may not be fully in tact, but I have no intention of abandoning you nor my family. If nothing else, this will give me the opportunity to rediscover why I chose you in the first place." She did not doubt his words, for all of the evidence indicated that this had indeed be her mate. Finding the mystery stallion was certainly already much more than she had hoped to be able to achieve. "So, your name?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 2:52 pm
Relaxing only a little, the stallion smiled faintly. "My name is Brajan." He rested his cheek against hers, his eyes slipping closed as he breathed in her scent. It had been so long. His search had ended in part. He wouldn't be alone anymore, and that much was more than he could have hoped for. But he must look a fright, charging at her like that. His mouth twisted. "I'm sorry for coming up on you so quickly."
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:00 pm
Brajan. That sounded right. Smiling, she entwined her tail playfully with his. "No need to apologize, Brajan. I'd have done the same." It was quiet between them for a bit, but it was a peaceful quiet. Clearly the stallion had been suffering alone for far too long, and Natsuhi was happy to simply be there for him. Despite her unclear memory, the reunion between them just felt right. After a while though she said, "I do hope that I didn't interrupt your breakfast with my exclamation before. There was a snake you see."
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:05 pm
Brows raised, Brajan glanced at her, then shook his head quickly. "No, no. You didn't. I'm glad to see you, Natsuhi..." He nuzzled her fondly, the feel of her body comforting. He drew a slow breath. Patience. "Did it bite you?" It would explain the scent of blood, though he hadn't thought it was hers.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:16 pm
She shook her head. "Fortunately no. I managed to pull back away before it could strike." The scent of blood that Brajan scented was most likely from the small mammal she had found earlier that day. While her diet primarily consisted of vegetation, she was still an omnivore. She had especially found during her time of injury that a little extra meat in her diet helped to improve her overall energy level. "Did you smell me before you heard me?" she asked curiously, wondering how he didn't discover her sooner.
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Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:47 pm
"I-" Brajan glanced off in shame. He'd smelled her, but he hadn't believed it could possibly be her. "I thought my mind was playing tricks on me." He drew a calming breath. "Natsu, I thought that you had died." He looked up at her in earnest, his eyes gleaming. "I'm so sorry. I gave up on you..."
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