She'd scavenged around all she could closer to the pond she'd grown up in and now... she was sure to have found everything that her father hadn't. This wasn't good enough, no she'd pressed on further from home looking for anything of interest and unique beauty to take back, stick in her father's face and see the envy build at her masterful collection. Her prize, her joy her.... obsession. Her hooves has taken her so far out it had become dark, still she wasn't turning back, not now.. something new and great was just around the corner.. she just knew it. Little bobbing lights dancing in the air in the distance caught her attention. Strange.. She didn't smell the two-leggers around.. and camp fires had never been known to float.. had they? Carefully, she drew closer, her tail idly swaying behind her. No.. not fires at all they were far to small to be anything like that.. they were glowing bugs.. how interesting... fireflies out and about.. she'd heard her mother speak of them before but never had she expected to actually see them. The fireflies drifted off away from her and in her interest to see them closer, she followed.
The Croatoan wandered through his glade, bobbing his head a little with his gait. The fireflies were out in abundance this evening, dancing around him and over the water of the swamp that made up a good portion of his glade. The stallion glanced up at them, glowing eyes matching the tiny bugs in light. Ah, his father must have sent them out to show him something good was about to happen tonight.
As she followed, the fireflies continued to bob and weave leading her this way and that till they eventually fled her to rest above a body of water. Ah ha.. they wouldn't get away from her so easily.. no not like that.. water was her element.. her comfort zone so to say. Easily, she slid into the water and with a slap of her tail, She made her way for the fireflies, the water growing deeper so that it washed up to her belly. Fine enough for her.. she wasn't discouraged.. she still had some now dry gunk still tangled in her mane from the pond... this was a cake walk compared to that. "Come on little lights.. Glitter and dance as you may water isn't going to hold me back."
Walking along the bank of the swamp, the Croatoan glanced out over the water, noticing something charging through the deeper waters after his fireflies. He began wading into the water for a closer look, the glow of his antlers casting light out toward the shape. It... it was a cyrenei mare. What power did his glade hold to call so many lost and lonely mares to the Croatoan, mares that could be friends... or more.
Movement was the only other thing to draw her attention from the bugs, movement and glowing movement at that. A sly little smirk creeped up over her maw as she slowly began to allow herself to sink, finding a much deeper place to watch from. If it was a two-legger holding something she didn't want to risk being caught, her mother was wise enough to warn her that though the two-legged often had interesting things.. not all were of good intent. She sunk lower so that her ears, and eyes were visible allowing her mane to float around her like pond scum. many had she watched this way but her surprise at what drew closer caused her to exhale, bubbles forming from her nose in the water. It was a Cerynei stallion.. and one who glowed at that.. how Peculiar.. her mother's antlers didn't even glow.. how was it that his did?
The stallion stopped, his glowing steady gaze right on the mare. "The Croatoan knows you are there, little one. You might as well come to the shore and speak awhile to him. Why are you here in his wood?"
She gave a slap of her tail causing her to jolt forward with a propulsion uncommon to just a Cerynei mare, her tail gave her an advantage when swimming, one that her brother often sulked about as she shoved him into deeper water. As the water shallowed, she shook loose the remaining gunk which plopped into the water with a kerplunk of a sound. still she edged onto the bank giving a last slap of her tail to the water. She'd ben watching him.. studying him trying to figure out just how he got the glow and more importantly... how she could capture some of it.
The Croatoan raised an eyebrow as the mare stepped forth. She was different. A second cyrenei female to enter his glade and she, too, was not a normal cyrenei. The first was a night spirit made of moonlight, and this one was a spirit of water. "Beautiful," the stallion breathed, blinking his glowing eyes. "Where did you come from, little spirit? I have never seen one of your kind before."
She couldn't help but to give a bemused chuckle. She'd never been called a spirit before. A creature, yes but never a spirit. "I come from a ways off you could say... " A fish slapped at the water drawing her attention for a moment and a rumble from her stomach. Shaking her head, she looked back to the male before her. " An you? Where do you get the glow? And better yet... How can I get some for myself?" She wasn't even going to attempt to play a game and try to swindle him out of the glowing substance... not when her stomach was reminding her that it was past time to eat and still she had not settled to catch a fish. Still she grinned showing a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth. She wasn't wishing ill intent of him she just was and always had been like her father, favoring the taste of fish, mouth full of the sharp teeth that went with her Kelpie blood.
The stallion grinned to his ears. "The Croatoan's glow is a gift of his father, the forest god. The fireflies are his messengers." He stepped closer to the edge of the bank, neither showing nor feeling any fear at the strange water spirit. "They told the Croatoan you were coming."
Her tail gave a swish behind her. She could feel her skin begin to dry out and itch, the worse part of drying of after being wet. Still she ignored it as she studied the stallion some more. " And who exactly is the Croatoan?" She was slightly confused wondering just who she was speaking to and why he was speaking about another. "Does he not like trespassers?" Her ears perked and flicked about as she listened for another who might have been hiding.
"He does not mind them," the strange stallion answered, shivering a wither in mock gesture of a shrug. For the first time in many years, he spoke in first person. "I... I am the Croatoan." He tilted his head a bit to the side, glowing antlers cutting an arc of light through the darkness. "You still have not answered the question of why you have come here."
Still she grinned all the more. "Well now.. that wasn't so hard was it?" She pondered how to answer. What if he too was seeking treasures.. bobbles and trinkets of unique quality? Her suspicion started to set in before she warily answered. "I was looking for something of interest and followed the lighted bugs." There.. it was a safe answer.. nothing too much revealed.. "I'm Enakai...." Hopefully this stallion wouldn't try and get cute with her by shortening her name in familiarity. Few she allowed to call her Ena.. Mother, father, brother yes all allowed to call her Ena. Strangers? No never.. not unless they wanted to see just how... unpleasent her temper could get. Still she offered a small smile as her mind traced over it's own things.
"Enakai..." the stallion repeated as if tasting her name. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He grinned, his moment of wariness having passed. "You came looking for something of interest and came across the Croatoan. Perhaps you have found what you were looking for?"
She couldn't help but to agree with laughter. he certainly was interesting.. "It's possible.." She snickered. "Really it wasn't what I had had in mind when I set off this morning but it works.. Finding an interesting individual sometimes is better than a new trinket..." She cut off and mentally chastised herself for saying too much.
"Trinket?" The stallion rumbled a bit in thought. "Nay, the Croatoan keeps no trinkets, baubles, or even knickknacks in his glade." He tilted his head up a bit as if listening to something as the fireflies danced around him. "Father's little messengers seem to think that you had the urge to treasure hunt so that you wold come here to find the Croatoan."
She eyes the little bugs for a moment in thought. How fate had brought her here was indeed interesting.. she gave a small shrug of sots. "I guess it's possible.. But then it's possible that I could have easily stumbled upon a different spot this night... Your little bugs there made it more entertaining to head this way though."
"Mm, well, Father does work in mysterious ways at times," the Croatoan said, nodding a bit. "Guarding the glade becomes tiresome after a time. Company of spirits makes the night more amusing."
She shook her head lightly. " I'm sure a spirit or two running around might make things entertaining... but.. sadly you label me wrong.. I'm nothing more than a half Kelpie mare who has an insufferable obsession with trinkets and other such... collectible things." She seemed to relax a bit. She'd been unaware of how... uptight he'd caused her to feel by causing her to trudge from the water.
"Not a spirit? The Croatoan is usually not wrong about these things. He has never seen a cyrenei like you before and knows not what this kelpi is." The stallion came closer, wanting a better look. "Why do you wish to collect trinkets? Do they give you power?"
She gave another soft chuckle. " Trinkets hold no power really... they just.. interest me.. captivate me... lure me.... they are... fascinating to me.." She thought how to explain what exactly a Kelpie was. "Kelpies are... Take my tail... unlike you I have the tail of a fish, strong powerful it allows me to swim fast... kelpies can live both on land and in water with a fish.. occasionally we come up for air but really we can stay in the water for long periods of time... Some are truly malicious and full of ill intent and some aren't well actually very few are rainbows and sunshine I guess... Me I'm a happy medium.. at least I like to think so.. My father would say I'm hard headed like my mother though." She realized she'd actually started to ramble, a trait she didn't often have when conversing with others. Clearing her throat, she gave an almost bashful look A real rarity with her posture. " Sorry.. I didn't mean to start to ramble..."
"It's alright. You have a nice voice and your stories are interesting," the stallion said, moving to lie down near the bank. "The Croatoan does not often leave his glade to meet others. Please, feel free to talk more."
"You don't leave? Ever?" She found it rather hard to believe that some one would keep so to themselves.. so.... caught up in their own territory to never wander out and a bout to see what else was out there. Her stomach gave an audible growl this time. " Eh... I'll talk more.. but first.. I hope you don't mind me fishing and eating..." She gave a small nervous chuckle.
"Make your self at home. You are a guest of the Croatoan and he would not wish you to starve," the stallion answered, nodding to the water. He decided not to broach the subject of his hardly ever leaving his glade yet.
Nodding, she watched the water for a moment before sliding back into it. Her head disappeared under the surface of the water, her body following behind as she looked about for something good to make a meal of. Some mudbugs and other small things.. too small to really satisfy her stomach. Finally.. a flat head catfish swam by her.. fat... and a belly full of roe.. her favorite.. he surface broke to the slapping of her tail he sign of an underwater struggle being had. but soon all was calm once more. Her head broke the surface once more as she drew closer to the bank, a still slightly wriggling and gasping catfish in her mouth. Taking her meal to the bank, she dropped it on the ground to let it flop a bit before snuffing out it's life with a blow to the head from her cloven hoof. Laying beside her kill, she wrapped her tail around her as she tore into the fish's gut, roe slathering on her muzzle as she ate.
The Croatoan watched silently. If the sight bothered him, he did not let it show. Who was he to judge how others lived when he had done questionable things himself to protect his glade. He turned his head a bit to watch the fireflies that danced around the two Soquili, a somewhat impassive expression on his face as he listened to the bugs whisper things to him only he could hear.
It wasn't long before all that she had left was the fish's bones and a few of the less choice bits. She was slightly picky about how she ate preferring to leave the head intact and eating everything except for bones and the intestinal track. Standing, she pawed at the ground, digging into the bank. She was a bit... 'Teched' as some had said but she wasn't so cruel so as to just leave the bones of that which had given it's life force to feed hers out in the open like that where scavengers could scatter what was left. Once she was satisfied with the depth of the hole, she nudged the remains in with her tail and proceeded to paw dirt back into the hole. "There.. Now it'll find rest without vultures bothering it."
The Croatoan turned his glowing gaze back on the mare when she spoke. "Hunger sated now?" He tilted his head, studying her. She was pleasing to his eyes, maybe because she was strange, like him. The fireflies whispered to him that this mare was sent by a god of the sea to keep him company while he stood watch over the glade. Who would be a better companion that one who could patrol the waters of his glade while he guarded the woods.
She nodded briefly and snickered. "For now.. it'll hold me till my next meal at least." She offered a small smile. "So.. You don't leave this area.. then what sort of things do you do to keep entertained?" She watched him closely wondering just what the bugs had been telling him... if they'd been saying anything at all.
"The Croatoan does leave... sometimes," the stallion said, still watching her. "But he does entertain himself with remembering heroic deeds and listening to the fireflies when they visit."
"How about company? You get much of that? Or are you normally alone for long periods of time?" She was probing for information, trying to get a read on just what kind of a stallion he was. He was definitely unique from what she could gather. Something as rare as he would be a marvelous addition to her collection. Her tail swayed the only sign of excitement she gave of at the thought of potentially adding him to her collection. But.. what if he wouldn't leave here to stay where she could keep an eye on him? by George she'd just have to pack up her treasures and move closer she guessed.
"Lacking in company. Not many venture to the Croatoan's glade, so he does spend time in solitude. Sometimes more than he likes," the stallion admitted. He wondered if this strange water spirit would stay to keep him company. It was lonely in the swamp with only the fireflies and the occasional frog to tell the Croatoan's legends to.
She thought for a moment before nodding to herself rather than to anyone in particular at all. Her mind was made up much as her father's had been the day he laid eyes on her mother. " Well then.. I guess I'll have to change that then!" She chuckled some and looked around trying to gauge just where would be the best place to make a new underwater den in which to hide her precious baubles.
The young stallion raised his head, puzzlement across his face. "You would stay with the Croatoan in his glade?" The fireflies had been right to speak of a change taking place tonight. A new chapter of his internal mythos was being written to add the gift the water gods had given him so he would no longer be lonely.
She laughed and nodded. " Sure, what better way to get better acquainted no?" And to watch and make sure you're not stolen. She mused in her mind. She was.... obsessive at times about what she deemed as hers. Growing up she'd always fussed and fought with her brother when he touched her things having drug him into the deeper water as a form of punishment. It worked enough to get his fur all ruffled een if he wasn't the best of swimmers he could swim and hold his breath for long periods of time. Shaking her thoughts aside she circled around him a moment as she took in the sight of the land. "Where's... the deepest part of this swampy area?"
"Near the Croatoan's lair. Come and he will show you the way," the stallion said, getting to his feet and roving off through the darkness, his glow trailing behind. Fireflies danced after him, winking in the night.
Perfect. She thought as she followed behind him. She was meaning to keep watch over him, keep him company and there was no better point to do so than near one's lair.. she could stalk and blend into the water to see who came and went much like a gator does when waiting for an unlucky animal to reach the water's edge.
After some distance, the Croatoan stopped at a cavern surrounded to one side by the deep waters of the swamp and the dark woods on the other. Glancing back at the mare, he gestured for her to follow. "The cavern is a good place, bordered by the waters of your father and the woods of the Croatoan's own."
She looked at the water and took notice of what life seemed to dwell around it. She then looked at the cavern and gave yet another nod. "Mind if I take a look?" She was meaning of course about the water not the cavern. She spent most of her time in the water when she wasn't out looking for things, and why not? Up till now she hadn't really made any efforts in staking claim on a male.. Sure she'd pondered if it was possible to do some and entertained the idea... but never had she really attempted to do so.
"By all means, help yourself. You are a guest of the Croatoan and you may go where you please in his glade," the stallion told her, nodding.
It didn't take her long to make it into the water. The wet coolness soothing over her skin. She disappeared under the water as she took a look, a suitable depth.. deeper even than the pond she'd grown up in. She was even able to spot a nice place to make her new den. Sure it was a mere crevice now.. but she'd work it out till it was bigger, at least big enough to hold her treasures.
The Croatoan lowered his head to graze at the water's edge, listening to the whispers of the fireflies dancing about. This mare that had come to his glade looking for.. he didn't know what, but she had decided to stay and be a companion. The tiny lights flittered about his head, telling him that an alliance of the water and woodland kingdoms was being made this night, and the mare was a gift from the water god. She would be his and, in some way, he would be hers.
