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 Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 2:21 pm
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Nostalgia was a dangerous thing. It brought Maeryn down now out of the mountains, and the hidden places where she spent her days to the very place where her Rötschreck had taken his last, and final breath. Bleakly, she stared down at the spot, taking note of the way the grass was thicker here, and more vibrant. Could it be that his sacrifice had done some good here? Ah, but surely that was an illusion. Surely it was all in her head. This grass must truly be the very same as all the other grass around it, yet somehow she remembered exactly where it had all happened.
Ah, to be young again. What she wouldn't give for the opportunity to go back, and love him better. She remembered all too well their first 'romantic' conversation, and it had been nothing of the sort. She had been stiff, and brittle, and not really ready to love him. But neither of them had quite known how to love. She had thought that feeling that emotion would weak her, only to discover that together they were far stronger than they were apart.
And now he was gone. On some level, her mind did not want to accept that. Every now and again, out of habit, she'd turn her head to talk to him, only to find him missing. Reality had been slow to set in, and every time it reared its ugly head, she had felt a sharp stab of pain. Maeryn was not... good at grieving. She was a Kalona, and she was used to other emotions, primarily hate and loathing, and pride. There were others, yes, but none so prevalent as those.
But then she had gone to the school of hard knocks as a foal, and had learned very early on that Kalona were not welcome among non-Kalona. ... Even other Kalona tended to drive out a lone foal, having very little interest in feeding one not their own. She had been separated from her parents at a very young age. She remembered very distantly the feel of a soft muzzle against her cheek, of strong legs that stood above her, caging her in a protective barrier of limbs and flesh.
One day, there had been much blood, and the squeals pain, snarls of angry adults. She had known then, when the warmth and the protection had gone away, that she would be forever alone. Venturing out into the world after that point had been dangerous, but a necessary evil. Very quickly she had learned that no one had wanted her near, and that she was to be driven off at all costs, and at every turn. So, she had not been prepared to love him. Yet in spite of all of that, in spite of everything that had happened, theirs had been a love as true and as deep as any lesser Soquili's.
Finally, accepting that this was all she had left of him, besides the eight children they had had together, Maeryn folded her legs beneath her, and sat down near that luxuriant grass. Gently, she nosed it, and closed her eyes, listening carefully for sounds all around her. "I miss you," she told the place where his bones had once lain in a whisper. "I love you," she added, and settled in to think for awhile. Her throat was tight, but her eyes dry. Maeryn had never learned how to cry, and she did not truly know if she was capable of it.
"You would be proud of Nemesis," she told him, brows drawn together. "I know you are proud of him, proud of all of them. But he has been so strong since you... left us." He had taken care of her in Rot's absence, and in her feeble dotage. "I... need you still, Rot." He knew it. He had known it. "I've managed without you, but it's been hard, and you know that I will come home soon." It was the way that she had always described her death, after his. "But you would be so proud of him, of them all." He had always taken very good care of his children. She had... admired him for that. |
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Posted: Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:00 pm
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One never truly got over the loss of those they loved so dearly. Over time, the wounds would be covered up, but would never truly heal. The scars that were left following such traumas left a lasting impression upon a creature. Whether it be days to years, these individuals would be forever changed by the events that had occured in their lives. Big or small, affecting a large number or merely the individual themselves - there was no turning back and how the creature reacted to them decided the path they would walk down from that point forward. None could escape this, it was a constant and only a fool would deny that they were the exception to the rule.
Since that fateful day so long ago, the Kirin had gone through many changes. She couldn't accurately place how many years she had wandered for, lost to her former life and in limbo towards the next. Yet, through all her travels she had been aware of the years creeping up on her and the tiny little tweaks that her body had picked up as a result. She was by no means an old mare yet, but she was certainly no debutante either. Still, it was these changes that she took within her stride and embraced most willingly, a reminder that she had been blessed with life while her brothers and sisters had fallen in the ultimate sacrifice.
...To this day she missed them.
Even after so much time had passed she still missed the bustle and laughter that came from the camps. The warm embrace of her fellow soquili and the comfort that came with it. Over the years and with greater distance placed between herself and the battlefield the pain had dulled a little, but, it was difficult to completely ignore the pangs of loneliness. When she had first left the battlefield she had assumed that she would adapt, that she would grow accustomed to the silence; unfortunately, this proved to be inaccurate.
Nevertheless she had woken this morning with the impression that the day would be a positive one. The weather had been clear, with no hint of a cloud overhead and even the wind was without it's bitter chill. She had cast a grateful smile to the heavens, a mark of respect for such consideration to mortal creatures such as herself, and, with her regards sent forth she had then moved off to locate a fitting meal for the morning. She'd never been one for apples and suffice to say, she was out for the more savoury foods these lands had to offer.
Her path was somewhat erratic as she meandered between the trunks of the tree line, golden hooves sweeping silently through the blades of grass. Ever one for spontaneity within her 'new' life, she had no set destination in mind and it was by pure chance that she invaded upon the territory of Maeryn. Lost to a world within her own thoughts, it took longer than was strictly polite for the grief spoken words to reach her ears and it was only then that she raised her head and allowed her eyes to drift towards the unusual scene.
It was different, to be sure.
She had heard stories of Kalona and there had been a rare few in the ranks of the military. They were blood thirsty, mighty and proud warriors. Those who had existed in the ranks had warned that all forms of mercy and love were an unknown concept. Yet here, before her very eyes, lay a Kalona who defied such a stereotype and spoke to a fallen lover in a manner that caused the kirin's throat to tighten. Whoever he had been, he had been very special indeed.
Having come to a halt, she became acutely aware that perhaps she shouldn't have interrupted. Unfortunately, it was difficult for a mare adorned in such attire to slip off unnoticed. The blonde kirin would have been fooling herself if she thought differently, she was a walking nightlight and a creature would have to be blind and deaf if they were to avoid detecting her.
...Should she apologise?
She furrowed her brow and shook her head, technically that constituted interrupting. She may have been a seasoned warhorse but she recognised her limits and preferred not to test the strength of any Kalona - to interrupt might be to provoke.
Not a good idea.
It was with this in mind that the mare held her piece and remained silent, though she took measures to keep her distance. There was no telling how the whispering mare might react to her presence - it was for the best. However, though the kalona might not appreciate her existence the winged mare was still entitled to an apology for the interruption. Call the kirin a traditionalist, but she had been instilled with manners and intended to use them! |
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Posted: Fri Nov 26, 2010 7:14 pm
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The aching silence stretched on and on until Maeryn could not bear it, remembering all to well the sound of her Rot's voice. It was an echoing stillness, one that spoke too loudly of her loss. She had to fill the silence with something. "I miss you. I think of you every day. Sometimes, it is almost as though you are here beside me. I know that we... made no promises to each other, but I believed, I truly believed that you would always be there. I did not think that I would outlive you, my Rot. I thought that we had so many years left in us, so many days stretched out before us. Days, nights. I ... never imagined that you would not... be there with me to greet each and every day."
Ah, if only she had been capable of tears! "I never told you that I was the happiest when we were expecting foals. You would protect me so well, ensured that I had everything I needed. It meant so much to me." Her voice cracked, and she had to stop, her throat too tight by far for further speech. She lowered her head to nuzzle the grass where once he had lain, and remained where she was until she could speak again. "We had so many years left to us, my... my love." It was so hard to speak the words aloud!
Kalona could live truly long lives, and perhaps he had lived his far longer than her own. She had never known how old he was; it had never been important to ask. He was-- had been-- older than she, and that had been enough. "There are so few of us left. So few. How will our children ever find a mate as we did? We were fortunate... so fortunate. We had no notion of how critically low our numbers truly are. How could we have known? It was... so easy for us."
So much easier than it would be for their children. "But we knew it was a problem... just not the scope of it." She would often pause, and wait for him to answer her. She knew he wouldn't, knew he couldn't, but still it was such a habit that she could scarcely avoid it. "It's... a big problem, Rot. It truly is. I wish I could ask you for your advice." But no matter how much she asked, no matter what she said, there would only be silence.
Her ears twitched, taking note of every sound around her, the old mare all too aware of what a tempting target she made as she knelt on the grass. She inhaled, nostrils flaring as she took in a new and unfamiliar scent. ... Not one of her children. "Who goes there? Few indeed wander alone into a Kalona's territory." This was no Kalona, surely. There was not... quite the right scent. Generally, her fellow Kalona tended to smell faintly of their kills. They were meat eaters, after all.
She was not alarmed, not yet. She was a proud warrior, if an old one, and she would not show any fear to another, even one who intruded upon her most private of hours. This was something that she did not share even with her children, something that was sacred, and personal, and too painful to be disclosed to anyone who wandered by. But... perhaps letting a little of the venom out would be good. Allowing the wound to fester would only weaken her further.
Slowly, gingerly, the elderly mare got to her feet, crimson eyes opening as she readied herself for whatever confrontation might arise. She swallowed the pain into a cold, quiet dignity that betrayed none of the hurt she felt so deeply. She needed to present a strong front, for whoever it was might very well see her as an easy target. She was not, though certainly she was weaker than she once had been.
Let anyone attack her now, and just see how weak she was not. Maeryn lifted her head to get a good whiff of the scent, and turned, taking note of a bright and shining light. ... This was... not what she had expected to see. "You are very bold," she told the kirin, a single black eyebrow raising in both inquiry and challenge. "Very bold indeed." In her younger days, she would have driven the mare off on principle. ... In her younger days, she would not have been facing this kirin alone, and unaided. But she was prepared now, ready if the worst should happen.
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Posted: Sat Nov 27, 2010 12:37 am
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Bold was certainly one way of putting it but the Kirin would be hard pressed to agree with such a definition. Bold implied that she had intentionally trespassed on the Kalona's land and given her lack of knowledge regarding the geography of these lands, this would be hard achieved. If she had been younger, not yet found by the fallen general and taken in to her new family then perhaps things might have been different. The time for recklessness and stupidity had long since passed, she had no desire to throw her life away in order to prove a moot point - after all, how many creatures in this realm would know or care if she had or hadn't overpowered a skinwalker?
Nada. That was how many.
No, she would allow the children of these particular lands to continue with such a charade. She would let them be mauled and mutilated as was fitting for one who provoked a slumbering dragon. There was no use informing them of how unwise their actions were, they regarded her as weak and cowardly, yet it was she through worldly experience who knew her limits and kept to them. She would be the one to return to her home unscathed (or at least reasonably so), it would be they who would barely make it back alive. Unsurprisingly she favoured her own methods by quite a significant measure!
Thus it should have come at no surprise that the Kirin disagreed with the Kalona, albeit politely, but it did need to be said. "Bold would imply that it had been my intention to trespass," she replied. A wry smile appeared on her lips, the Kalona (for the time being) appeared to be more defensive and guarded than intent on tearing her to shreds. This brought her considerable relief, it bought her enough time to explain and to say her farewells as was necessary - well, this was provided that she was permitted to leave. If she was not then this little encounter could turn sour very quickly, not a pleasant notion at all.
"I had no desire to intrude on any individual and while it may not be the most sound of excuses I at least consider it a suitable explanation -" she spoke slowly, her accent thick but coherent. She'd long since grown accustomed to making herself understandable to other cultures, accents could cause quite a few issues if a foreigner wasn't considerate to their hosts. "I am not from this region, had I know that these lands were less favourable I would not have breached the borders," she finished.
"However, I fully accept that I have intruded in a most...uncouth manner," she had already accepted her faults the moment she had heard the words uttered by the mare. The grief stricken kalona may not have wished to share her pain and may not have desired to show weakness but the Kirin had been granted the opportunity to see this vulnerability. Fortunately for them both, Shizukii was a mare who knew when to hold her tongue - she would keep her peace and the Kalona could be sure it wouldn't be used against her in the future. "You have my most sincere apologies for interrupting you in such a private period, I can appreciate that my presence would have been completely undesired even if I had been expected," she added.
Ever the diplomat, her tone remained neutral and her expression passive. She made no attempts to come closer, but nor did she make any moves to 'cow' in the presence of a mare that was considerably larger than herself. Yes, Maeryn would be capable of causing her significant damage, but Shizukii was no coward and as a consequence, she would remain strong. Should the time come that she was required to flee then she would do so, but she wouldn't lose her dignity now. It was a calculated risk on the pale mare's part; she'd known that Kalona were proud creatures and a tiny voice inside her compelled her to remain strong too - a kalona wouldn't accept a weakened beast as any sort of equal but nor would they accept a particularly hostile one.
...Oi, but it was times like these when she didn't like to let her hooves lead her.
Sometimes, she ended up in the most difficult of positions!
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Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2010 6:11 pm
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No true Kalona would accept any other species as an equal, no matter how hard the other might try to gain such acceptance. Maeryn was nothing less than a true Kalona, as pure in blood and purpose as they came. But she was also intelligent, and aging. She had many years left in her still, if she met them, but that did not make her any less tired, any less heart sick. She was not the young impassioned mare that once she had been. There was so little left of her cause, and what she could do, she did. It was so little, truly. Her own children had not found mates, all but one of them. That made her desperately afraid for them and the future of their species.
The Kalona breed in the Kawani lands was petering out slowly, ever so slowly. New blood was needed, and desperately. Every day she prayed to Kalona that it would be done, never believing for a moment that the dark god listened to her prayers. But pray she must-- or else go on a journey that she was very sure that she was not prepared to make. Adventures were for the young, and she had played hers out those many years ago. Yes, she had done her traveling.
It seemed to Maeryn that, inferior or not, the mare had not intentionally trespassed on her lands. "These lands belong to the Black Skull herd, and you are quite fortunate that it is me that you have encountered, and not my children. They are young and spry, as I am not... and some dabble in... outlandish tastes." Ruin, for example, believed in devouring the flesh of other Soquili, those who were not Kalona. "But I am not to be trifled with, nor do I expect that you would. You seem an intelligent mare."
Intelligence that she did not ordinarily allow for such creatures as this. But there was something about the mare, some pose, some stance, something in the way she carried herself that suggested to Maeryn that this kirin was a warrior herself. Perhaps she was mistaken in that, but she had rarely seen such poise in an untrained, untried mare when facing down a Kalona as the female did now.
It was impressive, truly. She was intrigued, almost. How often did she meet a lesser Soquili who treated her both with respect and without fear? "Very well. I will accept that you did not intentionally intrude upon my... meditations." There was no other way that she would willingly put what was truly her own private grieving over a mate lost to old age and violence. If he had only been a decade younger! Or stronger somehow... but no. No, Rot had been quite strong.
Skinwalkers were simply more. There was something hellish about them, something that made them terrible foes, no matter how young their opposition. Oh, how she feared for Nemesis! Her eldest boy had taken on a very firm stance against Skinwalkers, and she feared that he would follow his father into death facing them. It was one of those fears that kept her awake at night, ears swiveling about as she listened for sounds. She was not afraid of Skinwalker, precisely. One did not fear inevitable death. One took steps to avoid it, to prevent it.
This mare was... very careful in her speech. It was intriguing, truly. She had never been treated in such a polite manner by a non-Kalona before. Maeryn quirked an eyebrow, and watched the mare closely. "You may... stay for a time, if you like. But I would not advise lingering for any great length of time, for when my children return home they will not be pleased to see you here, however polite you may be." And the mare truly was polite. She carried herself with great dignity and treated others with the same. Perhaps this mare might well come close to being an equal. But in Maeryn's eyes, non-Kalona would always fall somewhat short no matter how they carried themselves.
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Posted: Wed Dec 15, 2010 2:21 am
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Outlandish tastes... Well, she certainly knew what that meant and if her assumption was incorrect then she was fairly certain her second guess wouldn't be far off. She filed this away, made a note of the warning the Kalona supplied to her and cast a warning look towards her hooves in the hope that they would take heed of it. She followed her feet, this much was true, but she was also acutely aware of self preservation and at times she would override the whatever urge her hooves might have. Now that she had been informed of what the land was and who it 'belonged' to, she had no intentions of stepping foot in it again without expressed invitation, and even then she would be exceptionally wary.
She appreciated the warnings the mare provided, aware that in most circumstances she wouldn't be afforded such consideration. Unlike an Angeni she didn't possess the natural aura capable of protecting her, at any moment a kalona could change their mind and opt to turn her into prey. She wouldn't tempt fate in this manner and nor would she cause offence that would place her in a position where she became an instant target. She'd been a 'kill on sight' before, it had been a positively terrifying experience, and that had been against non-kalona.
No thank you, she'd behave!
"I will count my blessings and send my regards to the fates," she replied with a small nod of her head. "I suspect if they had not favoured me I would have encountered one of your less welcoming herd mates," she explained. She wouldn't be so bold as to assume that the mare believed in any sort of spirit or deity, but she was a spiritual mare herself and as a consequence she did hold particular beliefs. If there came a time when she did walk into a situation that resulted in her death then so be it, she would attempt to spurn it but when it really was her time then she would be unable to prevent it.
"You can rest assured I have no intention of trifling with anything or anyone and you have my sincere thanks for accepting my apology," she cleared her throat, regarding the kalona for a short while longer. She was in half a mind to leave now, a sure certainty that she wouldn't outstay her welcome as she hadn't remained to begin with! However, a tiny niggle in her mind did cause her to hesitate, particularly when Maeryn seemed to permit her to linger at least for a short while. Could she be so bold as to assume that even if the Kalona preferred not to recognise it, a little company would be appreciated?
...But how could she stay in such circumstances?
Well she was an explorer, an anthropologist of sorts, there was nothing to stop her from conversing a little so long as she was careful in the subjects she selected.
"I do not wish to outstay my welcome but if I might be so bold to ask - would you spare a moment to explain what this 'Black Skull' is? It is not something I am familiar with, though I have a suspicion that I should be," she said.
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