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 Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 8:15 pm
Chalice stepped daintily across the grass and dirt. The doe was obviously preoccupied with her thoughts as she looked on distantly. Snow had reacted poorly to her decision. Chalice might even go as far as to say she overreacted. It's not like she'd be gone forever. Not even more than a few days.
Chalice's gold eyes flicked over the delta buck at her side. He was so kind to accompany her... to guard her from the possibility of getting lost. She was confident in him.
But most of all, she was excited. To see and learn things she couldn't even dream of! Maybe she'd meet a new exotic herla who would teach her a new language? Or some bizarre plant, fungus, or bacteria that acted like a herla or a guardian? The thought seemed ridiculous. It even made her giggle... but if it was out there, Chalice was determined she'd be the one to discover it.
The hind emerged from her thoughts and brought her attention to their surroundings. She'd realized she hadn't been paying any attention to the path they were taking... Not exactly the brightest idea when you don't want to get lost. But Lotus was still there, and that's all that really mattered. Chalice gazed towards the sun, which was sinking into the horizon, scattering vivid pink and orange clouds across the sky.
"It's almost night." She stated, smiling brightly at the breath-taking sunset. "You know what that means?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:02 pm
Lotus had walked the trail many times before. They had branched off from the stream a couple of hours ago and were now travelling across green scrubland, winding their way through bushes and clumps of flowers. The mountain loomed dark in the distance; the forests below it still just a black smudge.
Lotus kept the pace up but was ever mindful of the fact his companion had not travelled before and might tire out faster. He’d occasionally pointed out things at the start but they had soon drifted into a thoughtful, comfortable silence.
A giggle caught his attention and his ears flickered as he turned his head to glance at the female. He followed her gaze towards the setting sun and he admired the colours that had been painted across the sky until she spoke.
The Delta Herla chuckled. “It means we get to see the stars.” He answered with a quick wink. Lotus turned his gaze to the surrounding area, looking for a spot that would be sheltered from the cold so they could get a good night sleep; while still being able to stuffy the night sky. “Are you hungry?”
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:24 pm
"Exactly!" Chalice laughed. Of course he wouldn't forget - Not after she repetitively expressed how excited she was about learning something related to the mysterious heavens. "Hungry...?" She paused in thought, as if to ask her stomach if it was true. And the answer she got was as clear as the pang in her gut, and the subtle shake of her knees. "Yes. I'm very hungry." She smiled, rather alarmed that she hadn't noticed earlier.
Chalice reminded herself that this adventure would be more than discovering and studying. She must remember to take care of herself... Which might prove to be difficult in a new world with a million learning opportunities to offer. In a place like that, it would be nearly painful to waste her precious time eating, sleeping and resting.
The doe quickly swept her subtle frown away as he followed Lotus's gaze. "That looks like a nice patch of clover, don't you think?"
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:49 pm
Now that wasn’t something Lotus was likely to forget. Chalice seemed so excited; it was infectious. He wanted to teach her every thing that he knew and learn more things along the way.
“It does look quite nice.” He trotted closer, stepping daintily around the patch of clover. He lifted his gaze to Chalice’s, giving a playful wrinkle of his nose. “One part of adventuring is learning what to eat in new places.” Lotus left the clover; instead walk through some thicker brush. He began to search, nose close to the ground.
It wasn’t long before he found what he was looking for, digging a round little fungus up from the soil. “Got you!” He grinned at Chalice. “Of course... this is still fairly close to home; but when you’re in more exotic places, sometimes there are so many new things it’s hard to know what you can and can’t eat.”
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:09 pm
The mountain hind followed after Lotus curiously after he passed up the opportunity to nibble a tasty clover. "Of course.. Why hadn't I even thought of that?" She whispered, mostly to herself as she listened intently to buck's lesson. Not sure what she was looking for, she mimicked his movements as he searched the earth for some invisible food source.
"What did you find?" Chalice perked, sliding to his side to investigate the fungus he discovered. She frowned when the gentle voice of his guardian seemed absent at her question. He was usually very eager to answer any question she verbalized. Though lately, the worried doe hadn't heard from him in a long while. She swept the brief thought from her mind as she looked to her new companion for the answer. "And how do you tell what foods are good and what ones are bad?"
Vick hadn't left Chalice's side, despite her worrying thoughts. The guardian had decided to be near silent ever since she decided to go on her journey. He figured this may open a door to discoveries far beyond the young hind's imagination. And Vick knew just how veracious her hunger for knowledge was.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:34 pm
Lotus nudged the little brownish ball towards Chalice. “To be honest... I’m not sure what it’s called. But it’s some sort of fungi, like a mushroom that grows underground. It’s tastier than it looks. Sort of mushy inside. The clover is probably a better option but if you can’t find anything else; this will keep your belly full.”
He lifted his head up and took a step back, the sharp twigs of the bushes catching some of his fur in the process. “It’s mostly trial and error deciding what you can and can’t eat.” He admitted. “I got sick a couple of times. It also helps to watch other animals; in most cases, if they can eat it, then you can too.”
Lotus vaguely wondered if he sounded silly. “Things that are good for you also have a... smell or shine to them. They just look delicious.” He’d been left to discover most things for himself. Though now and then before eating something deadly, his own guardian had piped up into his ear, warning him against it.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:51 pm
"Trial and error? That makes sense..." Chalice tilted her head as she listened. She remembered a time she'd eaten a toxic berry. It was a painful experience to say the least. The hind had already learned to be cautious about what she eats... But if she was going to new places with new foliage, she would have to learn all over again. And again with each new place she went.
A disturbing image flashed across the hind's mind as she dwelled further with the thoughts. Her inquisitive nature made it hard for her to resist asking... "In your travels... Have you ever been to a place with no edible vegetation? Would you ever resort to eating..." She paused, wondering how to phrase it properly, without frightening herself or the gentle buck. "...Eating like a carnivore?" Her head tilted further as her voice got gentle and quiet, as if the words were strictly forbidden.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 4:26 pm
Lotus frowned at the question; shifting uncomfortably even just from the thought of it. “I think... I would rather starve.” He replied after a short silence. He knew other deer lived like that, but the idea of taking the life of an innocent creature repulsed him. “I have never been to a place where I haven’t been able to find... something. Up in the mountains, especially when it’s snowing... finding food is difficult. But I could never...”
He shook his head to remove the image. “Let’s get back and fill up on the clover; then find a nice place to settle down for the night.” Lotus drifted back towards the clover, beckoning her to follow with a flick of his tail.
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:35 pm
Chalice's ears drooped at how uncomfortable her question made her companion. But at the same time, she couldn't help but display a small smile of relief. With all the carnivorous herla she'd met in her past, it was nice to be in the company of a fella who had the exact same opinion she did. "I'm sorry." She replied softly, following the buck back to the patch of clover. But she let the topic die, from fear of providing more discomfort to Lotus.
Chalice nibbled silently at the clover. Desperate to change the topic, she let out the first question that came to her mind. Of course it was always questions that were on her mind. "What does your family think of you always goin' out to travel?"
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:59 pm
“It’s alright.” Lotus gave the hind a reassuring smile before dipping his head to grab some of the clover. He chewed on the plant and watched Chalice; sensing that her unhappiness at how he’d reacted to her question.
After he’d finished a mouthful he continued; addressing the earlier topic first before moving on. “I’ve seen deer like that... and it pains me that they have no regard for those creatures’ lives. It makes me uneasy. But Chalice; don’t ever worry about upsetting me. I’ll talk about any subject you like.”
Lotus turned his gaze to the setting sun; watching it’s decent towards the horizon. “I suppose they must miss me. My sister is jealous of all the things I get to see. But I don’t really know how they feel. When I return it’s usually only for a moment and we quickly say our hellos and I’m gone again.”
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Posted: Thu Jul 29, 2010 9:31 pm
Chalice offered Lotus a subtle smile, as if to say without words that she understood and would perhaps bring the subject around again when they were both more comfortable with each other. But for now, she was determined to move on, to rebuild their peaceful comfort zone. Even if the buck tried to convince her it was just fine, a tug in her gut let her know it wasn't. Especially not to her.
"I understand, I think..." Chalice said as he began to speak of his family. "I bet Omnitia will be jealous when she finds out what I'm doing." She grinned, referring to her older sister. "Snow overreacted a little bit, but she has a mate now, so she should be just fine." Chalice nodded distantly as if she was trying to convince herself that leaving was the right thing to do.
Once the doe had her fill of clovers, she rose her head and gazed towards the sun. Darkness began to flood the land as it made its disappearance beyond the horizon. The only source of light that remained was the sliver of moon in the heavens. The moonlight reflected off of Chalice's glossy wings, and causes them to shimmer. As long as there was a fleck moon in the sky, she was her own light source.
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Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 9:01 pm
“Yes, I hope your sister feels better about it all once you come back safe and sound.” Lotus chuckled. “I think it was just the idea of you going away... but she’ll be okay.” At least he hoped so. He didn’t relish the idea of returning to hysterical family members.
He took another few mouthfuls of the clover, wanting to fill up for the night. He watched Chalice as he ate. Lotus could certainly appreciate beauty. Just looking at her, framed in moonlight, was a joy. Once he’d finished eating he waited for a time, allowing her to glow in the moonlight before he broke the spell, giving his head a soft shake.
“Come along.” He began to wind through the thick brush until he found an area big enough for both of them and well encircled by plants to protect them from the wind. Lotus gracefully curled his legs up beneath him and sunk to the ground. While he waited for Chalice to join him he studied the sky, searching for stars he wished to tell her away.
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Posted: Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:04 pm
"Yes, she will." Chalice confirmed with a gentle nod of her head. Her eyes flicked open to see that Lotus was leading away. She quickly followed after him, her brisk steps noisily knocking pebbles from her path. She joined her traveling companion, fitting snugly by his side among the lush foliage. She let her eyes rest on the heavens once more, searching the maze of stars, broken puzzle pieces ready to form together to become a map.
"You were talking about an extra bright one..." She said gently, failing to tear her eyes away from the glittering black canvas. "Which one...?" Out of all the countless stars, how could anyone possible pinpoint a particular star? It was unfathomable, but Chalice was hopeful it would all make sense soon enough. Everything always did, in the end.
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