[PRP] A Tentative Idea (Calixte and Fayearan)

[xo maho]

Calixte was lying in the long, green grass just outside of the Cerynei Herd's main camp, watching the flurry of activity that was forever going on. It was late spring, and had just traveled to the plains for the summer. Oke was nearby, gnawing on clumps of grass. The butterflies fluttered around him, and soon he rolled onto his back, paws in the air, to bat at them.

Inhaling and letting out a happy sigh, Cali rolled onto her side, looking up at the cloudless sky. It was beautiful here - a haven for the herd she'd helped to build, and a haven for herself as well... Though she would always miss the forest, it was peaceful here. One could see what was traveling toward them for miles around, and the herd never had to worry about invaders during the day... During the night, there were patrols to keep them out.

She was happy here, and Oke was happy here... Everyone was happy here, but little things still nagged at the edge of her mind...  

[Mei Silja]

Faye walked with slow care, he was tired of fields. A field was good for running and for playing but not this. Shaking his mane as he shook his body Fay gazed over green grass soft blooming flowers. He had started walking a bit away from the main bunch. Small now but it would grow in time.

Still, he felt restless; he wanted to move for he had never been one to stay in a single place for long. It attracted predators; they learned habits and you got caught. Oh he knew there was the big brown protector of the herd, the maneless wonder in his mind.

Looking forward he suddenly spotted Calix and wondered how much in thought he had been to miss approaching her. She lay on her side, an odd thing to do but then he guessed she felt safe here. Why wouldn’t she? Moving closer he blew through his nose softly to be sure she heard his approach.

Though Taure did another of his wordless calls and moved in a dive. Looking to what the hawk must see he saw the bear. And odd rolly creature he found out, but he remained wary of it. They grew bigger. Walking closer to Calix he moved to brush her side with his nose. “Laying here, one would think you were soon going to turn into a fat old mare.” He flashed her a smile ears peering forward and eyes shining in amusement.

Taure moved to grab at the bear paying the butterflies no mind in his determination to grab the fluff balls fur and give it a tug. He knew not to harm the creature, it belonged to the mare. As he knew killing the butterflies might bring her sorrow. However he took very little care in what the Soquili liked. Oh the horned ones he gave more regard but in the end they were Soquili.

 

[xo maho]

Cali looked up to see Faye standing over her and Taure making a dive for Oke. While she knew that Taure would never actually harm Oke, she didn't much care for bullies, either. "Call off Taure or I'll give him a good kick the next time he comes around," Cali said, eying the mint-colored bird. Oke, startled by the hawk, ran toward Cali and buried his head in her tummy. Righting herself, Cali rearranged Oke's limbs into a more practical position (i.e., moving his "baby"-clawed paws to the outside, rather than allowing him to cling to her) and smiled up at Faye when he nudged her.

"I see you are restless, Faye, or did you just come to see me?" she said. She'd grown out of her more formal speech pattern as time had gone by and she'd become more familiar with the herd members, though the formality came back during ceremonies and such. "And I am not turning into a fat old mare. It's the grass."  

[Mei Silja]

Faye’s ears set back and he glanced at the hawk who simply moved up and circled as the bear moved away. “You know I have no control of him. By all means if you can catch him kick him.” This earned him a large screech and Taure wheeling higher kicking his talons. Looking up at him though Fay snorted. “If you’re that angry then speak like a normal living thing you stuck up old bag of feathers!” Taure seemed to stop but then zipped off his tail feathers fanning out. Like a cat that fell and pretended it never did as If you didn’t just see it fall.

Turning attention back to Calix his ears turned to the side briefly. “I could say both and they would be true.” However he could not say he had planned to see her for he had thought she was away. Sometimes he saw her for days straight and other times she seemed to be gone doing something, or he was. However he had wanted to see her. Blinking he looked to the grass and frowned. “It looks the same to me.” Indeed, green bright and alive with spring and fresh rain. Even the bees were fat now with pollen stuck to their fuzzy little bodies and so too did the Soquili get bigger now some for the reason of food and some for life inside them. However unlike many Soquili did not have a set time it just seemed to be more noticeable during the spring when you looked for new life.

Not liking towering over Calix like this Fay sighed and carefully knelt into the grass beside her. A full grown Soquili should not lie in the grass could do damage to their lungs and some could not managed to get up again. They however, were far more nimble then those flat hooved things. “What is it you’re thinking about so far away? I doubt you left the herd this far behind without thought to something.”

 

[xo maho]

Cali sighed. "I do know. It's not worth it, though. He'd just 'kick' me back, most likely." Looking up at Faye as he laid down next to her - his head and antlers were set on a neck that was longer and stronger than hers, and so she was shorter, even when lying down - she did the soq equivalent of a shrug. "Everything is plump and lazy here, in these fields, though I really shouldn't fall into that category, as well. I'm trying to stay on my feet for the migration in autumn, but I like to relax every now and then, too." She nodded toward the central herd area, where many were relaxing and enjoying the sun that shone above them after spending half of the year in a shaded forest.

She looked at Faye, studying him. "I've just been worried, a little... About a lot of little things, but... The herd just seems like it's missing something. Something that would bring a certain amount of frivolity to it and relieve us of some of the chronic seriousness we've grown to embrace here. I can't put my hoof on what it is, though." Frowning, she wracked her brain again. "Any ideas?"  

[Mei Silja]

Faye nodded. If Cali did catch Taure the bird would likely retaliate. “I dislike all this moving.” He was keeping an eye over the fields for anything sneaking. Being so out in the open, this was not what their species was for. Still he looked toward the herd and indeed saw everyone in good health and in a happy lazy way. Seeing Cali look toward him he turned back to gaze at her his ears peering forward. Ideas. Looking around he searched the area for anything to bring clues to him. What he saw was what was normal to see in the spring; life. Looking back to the herd he saw them moving and happy but.

Sighing he turned back to Cali. “None of them are mates or have mates. There is no foals in this herd.” Realizing this Faye grew sad, there was a herd but it didn’t seem like any of them moved together. “Without foals, the herd together but not really. Nothing binds them together and there is no games of sorts.” Indeed with foals they could make adults run and play again but here there seemed to be none of that. Moving himself some Fay laid his head on the grass, now he felt the need to roll in it but he held still before sitting up again. “The herds like a shadow Cali.”

 

[xo maho]

"The migration is only to keep the feeding grounds striving," Calixte said, frowning. "Otherwise, I'd like to spend the whole of the time in the forest. But sun is good, as well as shade."

She looked at Faye, finally realizing that he was right. "I can't believe I didn't come to that conclusion sooner," she said, shocked at herself. Nudging Oke's ear affectionately, she sniffed his blue fur. He smelled like mint - he'd probably found some to roll in. "I've got a child right here in front of me and I didn't even think of that." Squinting toward the main herd, she could almost see the dullness rolling off it in waves. Sighing, she turned back to Faye. "I want to do something to make them... Gleeful again."

An almost unwelcome thought intruded on her others - a plan already half-formed. She turned away from Faye, feeling twitchy. Thoughts of motherhood weren't really something she'd been looking to embrace, but if the children for the herd... Something could be worked out. Maybe. But she didn't know how - anywhere on the good green earth - she'd ever find a stallion to support this strange idea. Uneasy, she let a little "hm" escape her lips.  

[Mei Silja]

“Then we migrate to another part of the forest. For the sun we have clearings and openings. This is not natural.” He did not like having so much open space; sure it let them see better but it also let the hunters see them better to. Looking to the bear Faye flicked his ears. Still didn’t trust that bear, it wouldn’t stay young forever. Looking back up to Cali he shook his head and antlers. “Short of getting foals I don’t know what would. We cannot force anyone to have them.” Which was sad because it would make things easier. As Cali turned away Faye frowned confused, and as she hummed he further frowned. He had never seen her in one of these moods before.

“Now what are you thinking of? Surely given time things will pick up.” He wondered at that though, seemed the whole herd was dead. “We can hope then that those in the herd will have foals soon and perk up, also lets hope they are not round hooves or anything else in that nature.” He would hate to see the first foals be some horrid joining of the two. “It’s only the first spring for the herd, maybe next one we will have foals.” He wanted to see them himself; he loved children and look forward to there being many. He wanted to tell them stories and praise them for their first antlers. To praise the young mares on their speed and watch them all grow.

He knew he was sort of rambling, but he really did want to see some foals. It had been a long time since he had seen any o his kind and to see a foal would be a blessing.

 

[xo maho]

Calixte shook her head... "That is a matter for another time. Migration can't be changed right now - it would be unsettling to just up and leave after we have only just arrived." Frowning, she sighed. She thought she might have a solution to the 'getting foals' problem - herself.

"Well, Faye... I was thinking... I mean, this is only a very tentative idea - but... what if I had foals with someone?" She was very hesitant to tell him about this, but he was someone she knew she could always talk to - as her fellow Master of Ceremonies, he was pretty much her... 'partner in crime', as it were. "I don't know... I mean, I would like foals, myself, but I think it'd be a good way to expand the herd... Give everybody something to cheer up about. But I just don't know who would even agree with my views about this - I mean, it almost feels like a duty." Sighing again, she nudged Oke lightly with her nose for comfort. The bear cub curled up in a ball, making to fall asleep beside her.  

[Mei Silja]

Faye just hummed at that, not agreeing in the least. It did not matter though, it was not his call. Looking back to Cali at his name, Faye grew wide eyed and had to cough when he heard what she said. He listened though and flicked his ears back. “Foals should not be a duty, but I know what you mean. Someone has to start and if it were to be you or even me then likely the herd will think if we have foals with someone, then we must think the herd is safe enough for that.” Then for him to have foals would require him to like some of the mares and so far that was null and void. He liked Cali though, but he was not sure if that was a sisterly like or more. He wasn’t about to let himself over think either.

“Still, who would you pick one of the messengers or something?” He would never have guessed on of their kind could be pureblood and still have feathers. It was sort of creepy.

 

[xo maho]

Cali's ears flicked back momentarily, annoyed with herself about her choice of words. Foals weren't a duty. They just seemed like something that was missing that she felt she should probably have. "I didn't mean a duty," she said, trying to retract her statement. "It's just a feeling I have... Like they'd be good for me. And I agree - there is a little uneasiness floating around that might be fixed by this. Especially in you." Cali gave him a pointed look - she knew he was suspicious of Oke and predators and such. Of course, that didn't explain Taure at all, who was ever-present.

Cali laughed a little. "No, I don't think any of the messengers would agree to this... They have their own duties to attend to..." She swallowed nervously. Here was this stallion before her, whom she trusted with her life - and he seemed okay with this whole shenanigan. Cali took a deep breath. "Um... Faye, what about you?" she half-whispered. She didn't know why she was being quiet, but the discussion they were having was sort of... strange. Best to keep the wind from carrying it, right?  

[Mei Silja]

Fay watched her and nodded. “I know you didn’t mean it as that. You shouldn’t want to force it either, but if you feel like you want them then that’s fine.” Hearing he had unease Faye’s ears went back and his side twitched. “I have lived alone to long, in my own thoughts in the forests slow time. I am not use to wanting to keep others aside from myself safe.” He looked away from her giving his head a dismissive shake. In truth he had noticed it to; it was almost like he simply had too much energy and likely it was that. This standing still was gnawing on his heels like a starved wolf.

At the laugh he turned back to her and smiled. “No I guess not, some of them seem to have feathers for brains.” He was teasing them, meaning no harm to them. Just seemed to him they were more jumpy then even himself. His smile turned to a slight from as he watched Cali struggle with something, but he did not expect what she said. At first he was quiet still as if frozen, but then he blinked and it was broken. “Me, but there are better stallions around!” His ears were moving back and forth and finally he shook his head shaking his antlers in an attempt to clear his swirling thoughts. He kept thinking his ears flat against his head but finally they lifted. “Sure Cali, if it’s me you pick then we can try.” He felt like a foal all over again.

 

[xo maho]

Cali nodded, not having much to say. She understood his point of view, though she had never been in the 'alone and guarded' situation herself - she'd grown up protecting forests twice the size of the ones in this land, keeping the tiny creatures that lived in the them safe from the monsters that roamed the land. "Better stallions?" she asked, rhetorically - she was nearly incredulous. She didn't want to press the point, though; he'd agreed, and she didn't want to wound his ego by fairly forcing him to give her a list of guys he thought were better than himself.

Resting her head in Oke's fuzzy baby fur, Calixte sighed. What would the herd think? This was kind of like an arranged marriage... Kind of. And Cali knew that when she herself frowned on that sort of thing, there had to be others who shared the same thoughts. "How will we go about this, though? Keep it a secret, go public...?" She had not a clue how to make this work. Ideas evaded her.  

[Mei Silja]

Faye’s ears went back and he looked away. "Yes, there are plenty stronger and faster; smarter and even kinder then myself.” He knew two in the herd who were a better stallion then himself. Still he did not linger on this fact and turned to watch Cali lay her head down. Public, or privet. Sighing he gazed off thinking, and finally had to look down at Cali. “You will not stay with me I’m sure.” That was painful to say surprisingly. “I think, telling the herd will be a smart thing but there is a long time between now and seeing the foals.” This was difficult to decide and think about. “I think, between now and when the foals come; we must see and watch for what to do.” It gave them the most wiggle room though, for time never stops. Things would change, just a matter of when.

 

[xo maho]

Cali was saddened by his lack of faith in both her and himself - who knew what could happen? But there was something she had to address. "Are you sure the herd would look on this... arrangement... we've made with acceptance?" she asked, uneasy. It only barely sat well with her. "I'm not really sure that they would be okay with this - us going out of our way to produce children, mostly for the purpose of bringing some cheer?" The more she thought about it, the less sure she was. "I do like you, Faye - I like you a lot. I'm extremely fond of you -" She looked at the sky. "- and even your hawk friend. But this just... worries me."

Exhaling in a sigh, she watched Oke. He was squirming a little bit, as if in a dream, and her breath had created tiny rosettes in his fur. He was such a sweet child - and she loved him. But foals were almost an entirely different matter. "I think waiting and watching is a good plan," she replied, lifting her head off of Oke and nudging him to wake him up.