|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:24 pm
The doe had not left but one of her four eyeballs at any time. From before the first light of dawn when the mare spotted the foolish creature, to now, as somewhere above the thick canopy, the sun rose nearly to its zenith. There had been numerous times the hunter could have ended her prey's life, so she told herself, but she was curious to see if the small thing would lead her to a larger meal.
Nicor had grown, filling out and taking on the final shape that was the body of an adult. Her mane grew, her back fin elongating - she even wore now trinkets given to her by her aunt and mother. Though she was still not as tall as her mother, she was far more appreciative of larger game as of late. The small doe before her would satisfy her hunger only for so long, and she was not keen to killing more than the minimum to feed herself. Even her methods were simple - crush the throat, cutting off the wind pipe and hopefully snap the neck quick as possible. She had no desire to prolong the thing's suffering.
Each step was silent as she could make it as she crept along after it. The water was long behind her, though the muck of the swamp still lingered around them. Puddles were avoided to not scare off her target, though she still wished for the deep water so that she might follow more silently. Long travels over land were always somewhat awkward to her as her tail got larger. Not impossible, but not as perfectly match as the water.
Finally, she spotted more movement ahead. Her ears twitched, her pin-p***k eyes focused on the source, and a smug smile slid its way across her maw. A large buck, easily twice the size of the doe, picked his way through the murk before her. He would be far more filling.... once she got herself into proper position to lunge. Now began the new part of the game - slowly circling as she looked for an opening. Not munch longer now, at least. Soon enough, she'd have her meal - nothing in her mind would stand in her way of obtaining it.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:48 pm
Coridan sailed overhead, keeping a steady eye on the swamp below. She was here somewhere. He knew it. Worry for his friend from the swamp had stayed with him as he'd grown and, now that he was older and bigger, he'd come back. To rescue her if he had to.
Spotting a bit of gold among the brush, the young stallion angled toward it. As he got closer, Coridan smiled as he saw the gold was the membrane of Nicor's fin. He landed down with a soft thump, not aware she was in the middle of something. He'd found his friend and she was alright. He was too happy to think about anything else.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:29 pm
Of course, her mind hadn't been taking into consideration a sudden appearance of a large green, black, and blue figure. The moment he neared the mare and her prey, the buck spotted him and, along with the doe, fled the scene. The hunter could but only take a few hasty steps towards them before he touched down. Her dark eyes stared in vain after her would-be meal, glistening red watching him somewhat scornfully. All that tracking...
Under other circumstances, she would have been quite happy to see him. She'd been wondering how the curious colt was fairing in the world, where the winds were bringing him. But she was startled to suddenly see him, here of all places. It was enough to keep her temper from flaring too badly. Her tail still lashed, twitching angrily behind her as her ears flicked back somewhat. She drawled, "...you made me lose dinner." Her voice was still soft as ever, if edged slightly by annoyance. Slowly, her head turned towards him, brow perking at how she had to look up at him now.
"...you've grown..." The annoyance was gone at least, looking him over carefully to take note of the changes. He grew up well, it seemed. A good sign. She would hate to think he encountered troubles since departing the swamp ages past. "...you look well." There might have been a faint smile as she said that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 9:40 pm
"Didn't know you were hunting. Sorry," Coridan answered, lowering his head a bit and wondering when Nicor had gotten so small. She was still pretty, though. Not.. that.. he'd noticed or anything.
At her other murmurings, he nodded. "Spent time off alone for a bit. Had time to work out." He looked her over. "You look good, too." Wait. Was that the right phrasing?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:41 pm
A puff of air escaped her, and she gave a small nod of sorts. She felt it was obvious what she was up to, but found no reason to argue it with him. Surely she could give him the benefit of the doubt, right? Her shoulders moved up and down slightly. "...will just hunt again later, that's all..." It wasn't a huge problem, really. There was other game to be found, and at least now she was aware a more fitting meal resided in the swamp. Just needed to find the buck again later. "...you hunt?" she asked suddenly, eyeing the physical traits she attributed to a predator. Perhaps her style was simply different than his own then? Others she knew stalked and toyed with their food before finally settling down to eat, but if someone was more used to a direct approach, that could explain a thing or two...
Alone? "Why alone?" What of his father and his friend? Nicor was curious, to say the least, what had happened since she'd last seen him. Not that the time seemed a bad thing, it did him good in muscle, that was for sure. The small smile returned, lingering this time. "...will be harder to sneak up on you now," she mused to herself, recalling how she'd first encountered him. Tiny as she was next to him, he could probably spot her before she got close enough to prove a point. But she felt heat across her face at his complement, not used to getting them on her appearance rather than her kills. "......thank you...."
Shifting her hooves somewhat awkwardly, she moved towards him till she was close enough to nudge her head against his neck. Before quickly taking a few steps backwards, unsure how he'd take the little show of friendly affection. "....it's good to see you again... Cori."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 11:09 pm
The young stallion just nodded, a little tongue-tied around the mare. When he found his words, they were awkward at best. "Can sneak up on me anytime." He looked down, shuffling a hoof. "Doan went to visit a friend and Father wanted to visit another friend and Mother. Split ways for a bit. They need some time now without me."
Raising his head up again, he looked after where the deer had gone. "Hunt some. Don't eat much meat." He looked down at her. "Good to see you again, too." He shifted his weight a bit. "Was worried about you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 7:27 pm
Her black eyes narrowed somewhat, smile amused as she watched him. Was he... flustered? Well, it certainly made two of them, when he told her she could "sneak up on him anytime." Her tail curled sedately around one of her back legs as a smile settled into place on her muzzle, nodding. She was unable to stop the curious thoughts of how, exactly, she could put that into effect. As he continued though, she shoved the ideas away for the time being, though not without silently chiding herself for them in the first place.
An ear flicked, and her head cocked slightly. "All well now?" Had all not been well when this Doan and his father parted ways? It was difficult to figure out how she was supposed to respond to his situation. Was he cased off? Though, from what albeit little she knew, that seemed odd. It somewhat occurred to her she could be thinking too seriously about something that could be their simple desire to be together that sent him out this way. Which wasn't nearly as odd in her mind. "How was your mother - ...sister?" She vaguely remembered him telling her he had a sister, at least.
Nicor was certainly happy to hear she'd been correct in his carnivorous diet, although then quickly confused to hear it was only a partial one. "Don't like meat?" She gave him a skeptical look. Grass could hardly compare to the divine taste of flesh - deer, fish, or otherwise - to her. The idea of even munching on the stuff made her skin crawl. Till she was snapped out of the thought, anyways. "Why... worried?" Her eyes widened a bit to this, though she took another step closer to him once she'd heard his words.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 8:07 pm
"You were quick to send me away last time. Said your family was bad," Coridan said softly, looking up at her from under long bangs. "Thought they hurt you."
He shifted from hoof to hoof a moment. "Mother and Illitana are well. Saw them and Father's friend. Missed being home." He really wanted to tell her he'd missed being able to visit, having not been able to forget the mare.
"Not always able to catch meat. Father doesn't like being like other kalona, either," Coridan explain about his dietary habits. "Eat more meat than he does now, though."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 9:51 pm
Right. That.
Nicor cast her gaze downward, now shifting a little uneasily herself. Before she responded though, she crossed the distance to rub her cheek briefly against his, an act of affection and gratitude. "They won't... hurt me," she tried to explain, unsure how to best describe her rather... odd familial situation. Without giving Coridan reason to take to the skies. "Showed to be just as good a... hunter. They won't go after me." Which was the truth - she'd fought with them, survived her mother's trial, and was more than capable of bringing down her own food. She just had a tough time connecting with them due to their macabre habits and preferences, and they in turn saw her as peculiar.
"Others... are prey." She hoped that would suffice to explain the circumstances in which she sent him away before, though looking at him now, she couldn't help but wonder what they'd think of him.
Upon hearing all was well for his family though, her smile settled back into place. If they were well, then as was he, which currently was the most important part to her. Even if they did sound interesting, they were not the now young stallion she was acquainted with. So she nodded her head a few times to convey she was glad to hear the news, before she ventured, "...where is home now?" The idea of him having to leave again did unsettling things to her stomach, even though she was fully aware staying was hardly.... healthy. Which left her mind in quite a curious tumble.
A hesitant scowl came on as she muttered, "...your father sounds strange." Not be like other Kalona? One doesn't need to be cruel, true, but giving up meat? That seemed a little extreme. His son, thankfully, had good sense in her book. Her eyes moved to where the deer had run off then back to him, head cocking in silent question - Hunt with me? It seemed a logical thing to her, anyways, once he said he wasn't always able to catch prey. Two hunters were always better than one.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:15 pm
The young stallion nodded, moving to follow her in her hunting. "Father was not always as he is. Don't know the story of it, though." He looked at her. "If I prove to be a good hunter, will they not hurt me?"
He thought about the nuzzle and leaned into her to nuzzle her as well, lipping playfully at her hair. "Home is.. where I choose it to be. Perhaps... I choose it to be.. with you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 11:18 pm
It was hard to not give a grin - even if it was a small one - when he accepted her offer, hooves beating softly against the ground as she started off in the direction with him. Instantly, her mind began to shift and swirl, calculating the best sort of tactic to use in this situation. The swamp had its dense spots, and its open sections - could he spot the deer from the sky? Lying in wait was her usual method, of course, as a full on chase was difficult due to her tail. Perhaps one could herd them to the other, that could work, she'd done something similar with her mother and a school of fish-
Nicor blinked, kicked from her thoughts by the tail end his question. A brow rose to him, at first not understanding what he'd said. After a quick moment though, her brain caught up, and she nodded, recalling how he'd said that before about his father. "Wonder why," came her thoughtful words to the change in the older stallion. To his inquiry though, she scowled a little and remained silent as she put some serious thought to that. Would they go after him? Show them an opening, a brief moment of weakness, and they would, no matter what they previously thought of you. She winced a little before she told him, "Only if you're strong. Weakness is death." Though her great-grandfather was certainly... more accepting, in some respects, she couldn't say the rest towards her other kin.
"Beelzebub might find you curious." It was a start, at least, though she wasn't particularly keen on Coridan meeting any of them. He seemed far too kind for their world. Er. Her world...
Her head turned a little to meet the show of affection, her tail flicking quite pleased, if a little startled. The lipping got a smirking glare. But she softened, something she was noting only seemed to keep happening around him, before her tail carefully brushed his leg. Had they been still, it would have moved to curl around the limb, a possessive trait she learned from her mother. "I like... the sound of your home." That might have been said a bit cheekier than she'd originally intended.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2011 11:28 am
Coridan rumbled softly as she leaned into the nuzzle. "Father is busy with new children and as I am no longer a child... I should find my own way." He looked down at the mare. "Just don't want to do that on my own." He brushed a wing against her back fin as her tail caressed his leg.
"Who is Beelzebub?" he asked, furrowing his brown in puzzlement. She'd mentioned her family before. Perhaps this was one of them. "I think I'm pretty strong." He grinned slightly.
His smile faded as he noticed movement through the trees, stopping his movement and becoming statue still. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Ahead. Deer."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
