|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 4:32 pm
Cabriole relaxed in a sunbeam, rolled over on his back as he wiggled around in the dust to scratch the itch he had. As the Flock was preparing for a move, hunting for food to build up their strength, gathering up their cultural artifacts, looking for greens they could bring with them, packing their items and skinning their kills to make packs, ropes, slings and sleighs to pull what they owned, it seemed like he was getting a little more 'alone' time away from Zahraa' as she did her duties supervising some of the other sisters with their work.
However, this was particularly dull, as the stallion he had befriended seemed to be actually aiding his owner with the work, his own talon'd claws well suited for many of the 'lesser' tasks. Cabriole, meanwhile, was new, and while his knowledge had resulted in the capture of a hive of honey bees and a method of transporting them and how to sooth them enough to harvest to return to their new home, he wasn't as useful with the production.
Seemed hooves were a bit of an issue.
Huffing slightly, the bored stallion paused in his wiggling and rolled to his side, trying to keep himself entertained with remembering his lessons. He had nothing he could really do without a chaperon, and it made these still times all the more frustrating to the free-spirited stallion, as it made his predicament all the more sharp in his mind.
It was a shame so many of the stallions seemed to be so... Withdrawn. And he still didn't understand enough of the culture to know what had brought this herd, this 'flock', to be so man hating.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 10:36 pm
And wander they often did!
Young as she was, the black pelted female also understood that sometimes her presence was more of a nuisance in the group. Sometimes her mouth and ideas got her in trouble, especially when around some of the older, more traditional females. While she loved the Flock . . . sometimes Azshara felt more an outsider than a needed or desired member. She didn't agree with slavery, or even the typical violence they sometimes promoted. Aggression just wasn't in her nature, somehow, incredibly, such a trait skipped over the female.
Oh well. . . . As it was, the young female tried to stay out of the way and had learned to keep her opinions to herself. Mostly. Usually. Not enough to keep her out of trouble, at any rate.
Picking her way through the woods, she caught the scent of a particular male,. A male whom she had met, briefly, not long before she had her run in (literally) with Sylph from the Mountains! He was a claimed slave, Zarhaa's if she recalled correctly, but he wasn't difficult to spot amidst the foliage. His coat was a ridiculously bright shade of peach and his mane a soft blue!
Pausing in her duties, the young harpy picked her way over to where the male was rolling haphazardly in the dirt. Head feathers pricking some, she gave a small chirrup in greeting, before remembering he might prefer something less formal. "We meet again, Jingly one!" She greeted lightly, peeking curiously at the stallion.
She hadn't spent much time with many of the males in the harem, and had kept her distance especially after meeting Sylph. He was still the largest male she'd ever encountered, and knew without a doubt that he would be a bane amongst the flock if they ever tried to capture him. So he was slight secret. . . sort of. She had explained she had met some free males and females near the mountain base, but had convinced some of her sisters to stay away. The lands were hostile to foreigners.
Hopefully it would be enough to keep her sisters away. Even if Azshara wanted nothing more than to return to the hills and learn more about their lifestyle, their freedom.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2010 8:54 am
Cabriole''s head swiveled toward the chirrup, head still against the ground, at first thinking perhaps Zahraa' had returned from her duties. However, he still couldn't help but smile slightly at the young Harpy, even if it was a nervous twitch of his lips, "Ah.. Hello again... Azshara was it?"
He rolled onto his legs and hefted himself up from his more prone position, dipping his head politely, wondering if he was about to lose another bell. He wouldn't be 'the jingley one' much longer if he lost many more bells, having given a couple of his to Zahraa', as well as some of his beads and one of his hairsticks, in order to gain a little extra favor since she seemed to enjoy how much of a trophy as she wore her official 'wings' for Flock dances and meetings.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2010 7:50 pm
The young female watched as the stallion rolled to his hooves. He was fascinating and different . . . . his coat was pale, and he was draped with a variety of bells and various jingly bits. He made music as he walked, in a way, and it was something the young harpy could appreciate. The bells also sparkled in the sunlight, and she couldn't help but be drawn to them.
She really did love shinies. . . .
Someday she'd acquire her own.
Her tail fluffed a bit in pride as he remembered her name. "It is indeed Mr. Cabriole. . . " She remembered his name, but that was to be expected. He was new, and everyone knew Zarhaa had taken a bit of favor upon him. No other harpy could touch him, not that Azshara had any interest or desire to, but it wasn't difficult to forget his name.
He was, after all, one of the very first 'outsiders' Azshara had met! Clucking softly, she dipped her head and smiled. "I see you've adjusted well here . . . Or at least seem to have adjusted well." The young harpy couldn't imagine what it might be like to be taken to a foreign land, enslaved, and never be able to leave. She wanted to know if he missed his home. . . furthermore, she wanted to know what his home had been like! Did he have family? Did have have a mate?
There was a lot out there. . . a lot more than she'd realized. She had met a few strangers, outsiders, but had never dared to speak so casually with the slaves her Flock currently controlled. But maybe . . . .if in secret . . . she could convince the other to share? She was so curious to know about the world, to know about places she would likely never see.
". . . How're you holding up?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 8:14 am
"Better then I expected" Cabriole admitted, shuffling his hooves a little, smiling a little, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. He was still rather uncomfortable, "...Still homesick, however. This... This is a rather drastic change from what life was like before hand. And several of your sisters seem... Dangerous."
He huffed slightly, tail swishing slightly, causing the single bell still remaining on his beaded drapes to be jingled as they shifted against the tail, since one of the drapes were laced with the hair of his tail, "Celaeno especially. Thankfully I seem fairly safe with Zahraa'.. And of course with you."
The honey colored stallion smiled softly, dipping his head into a little bow. She seemed young -- perhaps not quite done with her third accelerated year of growth like he was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:50 pm
Azshara gave a small sigh and nod, unable to resist agreeing with the young male. Some of her sisters were dangerous, much more so than she and some of the others. There were some hardened hearts within the Flock, some that would never change. Not that the young harpy wished them to, of course not, but they could be awfully intimidating sometimes. Even to her!
"They are and can be," she admitted with a little shrug. Her tail feathers fidgeted a bit but she was never one to have a long face. Her cheer and good nature were swift to return nonetheless, and she smiled a bit. "But you're right. Some are much more approachable. So long as you don't cause trouble - which I doubt you will - you should be just fine." And that was the truth, especially since Zahraa HAD claimed him as her own!
The young harpy cooed softly at the small jingle from his bells. He was missing quite a few, but she still appreciated the music and noise it made. It was a shiny, and Azshara always enjoyed a good shiny. They fit Cabriole well, so she hoped that he might keep at least one of his jinglies. "It must be awfully different from the world out there. Do . . . Do you mind if I ask what it was like? I haven't been far, but I do know there are different ideas out there. What was your home like, anyway?" It didn't occur to her that he might not want to speak of his home life. She wasn't trying to pry, but she was quite inquisitive. She was a good hearted female, too good hearted to fit well within the flock, but she was also terribly naive.
There was much she wished to know and understand, especially when it came to life outside of the Flock.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 6:51 pm
Cabriole chuckled slightly, amused by her cooing -- Azshara was obviously not a hunter with a desire of stealth. Likely more a poet at heart, if not an entertainer that wished to be the center of love and attention, like a bard, story teller, or dancer...
"Well... I'm not really sure how much I can tell without breaking your cultures rules... But I was raised with a stressed importance on learning... And being open minded to new cultures, which I suppose is one of the reasons I'm slowly settling in a bit -- this is a fascinating culture, and I'd love to learn more, and I can understand part of the reason for my capture was I was invading your territory, and your kind have been through some sort of disaster... So would need the males to help preserve your kind. I can understand it..."
He paused, pondering a bit -- if he had been asked about it instead of hunted, and given a chance to prepare and think about it, it was possible he might have volunteered, as something as a diplomatic move -- they were in a well traveled part of the land, dangerously close to the Kawani people, and were obviously not evil like skinwalkers, even if they were wild compared to most soquili. His step father would have loved to learn more about them through correspondence of Xochi's, and he could have lived with the males and a caretaker as he did now, but had been here willingly.
It was an odd thought that shook him slightly. He shook his head, continuing, "however.. Ah... My home... Where would you like me to start? The culture? A "day in the life"? The landscape? My family and my life history?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 6:54 am
Azshara was indeed a different sort of harpy. It was easy to see that due to her mannerisms and lack of battle wounds. She was not a tough sort, nor did she strut around and think herself of something spectacular. She was who she was, and while she tried hard to fit in to the Flock, it wasn't very easy for her. She had yet to capture a single male, and part of her didn't much want to. Thievery of trinkets was one thing; thievery of anothers life was something else all together.
It also didn't help she was a pacifist. Violence of any kind by any means was not something Azshara ever condoned. Given, she kept her views quiet after some fierce reprimands while a filly, but just because she didn't speak such things directly to her sisters didn't mean she didn't feel them. While she loved her sisters and was fond of the leaders above her . . .well. . . . unfortunately that wasn't enough to keep her entirely happy.
It was only recently that the female began to feel a sense of discontent, and it upset her greatly. For now though, like most of her thoughts and feelings, she kept them quiet and hidden within her heart. It would only cause trouble if any were to know. . .
Focused solely on the stallion before her, Azshara let her tail feathers wriggle some as excitement and interest touched her soul. There was so much she could learn, so many options he presented! Cabriole really was a strange soul, considering how he justified his capture and slow acceptance of his fate. Culture. . . learning. . .. Knowledge was a good thing within the Flock, but it also had its drawbacks. Too much knowledge meant that some of the members might rebel from traditional ways. . .
"Regardless the reasons, I know you'll likely be an example to all of the males. This will be a good thing here, Zahraa mad an exceptional catch by finding you." While Azshara realized that bringing up his capture still might be a sore subject, just as referring to him as a 'catch' (literally) might not go over well . . . it needed to be said. And there was no harm in compliments, even to a male.
"Perhaps of your family or history? Or what it was like without the flock, what did you do before finding us?" She was terribly curious about what might be out there, beyond the territory and her sisters.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 22, 2012 10:15 pm
Azshara's worries were unfounded as Cabriole simply chuckled at being called a catch -- it was a terminology he had heard his father use for his mother, though he recognized the difference in meaning and found it humorous, "I suppose I am quite a 'catch', though I never really saw myself as much of one until I got here." He gave her a playful wink, finding himself relaxing. He had seen much warmth between females, but all the mares seemed to be on edge still, especially this close to a second move, so it was soothing to see that not all of them were on edge but instead more curious about the cultures that were brought in by her sisters.
If she learned to write she could be a good scribe.. I never could master it since I lacked fingers, but her talons... He blinked rapidly, snapping himself form his pondering -- he had a story to tell.
"Hmm.. I suppose I can start when I was little. My mother comes from a matriarchal society, though not quite like this one, and my father comes from a place where men and women tended to live separately for long parts to keep the herd from growing too large and straining the environment. His people lived in the desert to the north, though he had been separated by the time he met my mother." He paused, squinting slightly as he thought, "To be honest, I don't know them as well as I do my godparents, however. My mother had post partum when she had us, and left my father to tend to our baskets."
His voice shifted slightly, taking a more rhythmic tone, "My father couldn't care for us alone, so my earliest memories was slowly wandering, herd to herd. My youngest sister, Roundel, kept running off after false leads of my mother's path, and in the final stretch in woods to the far east almost a year and a half later, near the easternmost foothills of the mountains, she vanished in the night, having left , having gone to find mother. We ended up traveling with a nomadic herd that we were with to where they promised to take us as father tracked her through the forests, following her path from herd to herd, knowing she was alive and only been there for a short time, but unable to find her..."
He paused, checking to make sure the harpy mare wasn't bored of the story already.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
