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 Posted: Fri Feb 24, 2012 5:39 pm
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 The black and pink doe stretched, front hooves sprawled as her back arched like an owlcat rising from an afternoon nap, as the two eaglehounds stirred. A brief sojourn in slumber had been exactly what she needed. The hunt for her granddaughter had been a trifle more difficult -- tiring -- than she had thought. It seemed that where her son had failed to follow a trail, his daughter failed to leave one.
Normally she enjoyed tracking -- normally she did not find it difficult. And if not for the hound pup she might have left it to fate. Eventually she would run into her grandchild or her son and then she could foist the pup onto one of them. Except there was little hope that her son (daft and eternally lost as he was) could ever purposely find someone. Thus she would have to find the pink doe herself. As it always was, really.
With a feeling of refreshment, she nosed the two hounds awake. "Come on, time to go," she told the sleepy canines. Once they had risen she moved off.
It was hard to say how long she had been traveling when she came upon a small clearing circled by trees. She was halfway into the clearing when she registered a striking red hide dappled with gold. A memory of a doe colored as such rose in her mind and she grimaced -- that doe had chattered on and on and on. She dipped her head, nudging her hounds in a different direction, in the hopes she could avoid a so-called reunion. Only luck was not on her side and in her haste, her hoof stomped on a twig. A loud crack sounding through the quiet. "Damn." |
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 7:30 am
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 Hero was sitting still - rare for his constant moving around and finding those that needed help. But no, his Quest was on hold for the moment. His charm for protection and success, which has lasted him for so long, has broke and its pieces were scattered around. It seemed that, in the night - as he was sleeping - a songbird or two or three thought that might have it for their nests.
Anything else, and Hero would have been more than happy to help them out - but this was a gift and a means for his Ends. Lucky Charm would be so upset if she saw what had happened.
Mulling over the woes that were his own, Hero never saw or heard someone coming. Even when the twig snapped, he could not tear his gaze away from the sad mess in front of him.
Adventure, the ever lurking red caiman, was not so forgiving. It had smelled the intruders long before they spotted Hero, and stalked them as they tried to go around. It lunged and tugged on a tail feather of one of the hounds before retreating into the murky waters with a growl.
The splash, something Hero was expecting to hear, was enough to break the trance. With blinking eyes, he looked in the direction of the doe and hounds. "Hello, there. Where are you heading off to?" |
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Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:21 am
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It was a good thing the caiman had not come after the doe -- a better thing it had retreated to the water -- because her hoof would have collided with its skull without a second thought. With a narrowed eye glare towards the murk covering the sharp-tooth parasite, she turned and inspected the inexperienced pup. Assured that it was no more than a pulled feather, she nudged the hound closer to its mother.
Resigned now to the fact circumstances had made it impossible to not be noticed, she turned. Only to hear a distinctly not female voice -- in fact it sounded nothing like the horrorifying "I'll never forget you; I'll always look out for you!" that had begun playing on repeating in her mind upon seeing such a familiar looking coat. "You look incredibly similar to a doe I once met," she said at length. Even with the apparent assurance that he was not that doe, wariness settled into her bones.
Oh what the hell. "It's quite hard to say as there is no set destination." She bent down to mollify the growling brown hound -- chin raised once a firm command had been whispered, to continue talking. "This pup needs someone to care for it and my granddaughter could use a companion but it's hard to tell where she is," assured the hound was not moving she lifted her head, "and so it falls to me to find her."
"And what, may I ask, are you doing?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:26 am
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Adventure, back in the safety of the water, went around the small island Hero had found to rest and slithered up the other side of the bank. Peering from behind the buck's legs, it eyed the small hound - it would make a nice meal... but it didn't go for animals associated with the kin. Those it left alone - meaning, it did not eat them, just toyed with them a bit. It was fun.
Hero watched the doe and nodded in aggreement. "Yes, that was probably my twin sister. I have not seen Re-wind since..." he paused, thinking about the last time her, "a very long time. My name is Hero, by the way."
The buck's usually easy-going mood was obviously dampened. He was not entirely certain how to handle this. "Ahh," he gave a soft, ever so slight grin, "you are on a Quest as well, and perhaps one of the hardest. To find a single kin in this whole swamp... very difficult. I have thought of looking for my mother, but my Quest is not completed. I hope you find her."
But the conversation went back to his failure. How can he protect others when he cannot keep a simple charm in tact? It was obvious that the doe had gotten on to a very sore subject for his ears drooped and his eyes fell shamefully. "I am trying to find a way to get these... pieces together. A doe made this for me - to help me on my Quest, but now it is broken. I am doomed and my Quest will not be successful. I am no help to anyone now. I need to find a way to gather the pieces - maybe there is enough luck still in them and I can face the one who made it and see if she might redo the process."
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Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2012 3:22 pm
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 5:45 pm
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:29 pm
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Even as the caiman slid back into the water the doe did not let the hound lighten its steady gaze. She thought it'd be stupid of it to try antagonizing the dogs but far be it from her to assume anything had intelligence. She'd given up that ages ago.
It hadn't crossed her mind that anyone could find her words insulting. The sideways glance however had her momentarily wonder if her phrasing had been off but if she showed hesitance or uncertainty it'd be taken as admitting a mistake. That wouldn't do and so she ignored any such oddness. She stood stoic and still, ears pricking to listen as he spoke.
Indebted was the entire point, she thought. Asking for help and for favors were something she believed unwise; questions were usually safe depending on who one asked.
Ignoring his question and pressing her thoughts to the back of her mind, she turned -- "Stay," she threw back to the hounds, the younger had begun to follow but stopped in its tracks at the word -- and went towards a tree. On first glance, it seemed nothing was there besides some dried grasses.
The doe stuck her nose down, teeth catching the stalks and tearing them away, revealing the rounded shell of a tortoise. It was upside down and the part that would offer protection to the creature's stomach had been broken. However the rest seemed to be intact and it would offer a vessel to house the broken pieces of his charm. It was something that could be carried, too, which she proved by taking the edge carefully in her mouth and hefting it into the air. It wasn't comfortable but she imagined he could carry it on his back if he wished.
She placed the upturned shell in front of the vibrantly red buck. "Would this suit you?" she asked. A flashing gleam in her eye was hard to define, either pride in her find or a warning not to dismiss it. Either way she said nothing more. Only once she was sure he valued her help would she ask for anything in return. It never did to count on a meal before it was caught -- favors were rather similar.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 7:32 am
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 11:28 am
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That was better, she thought, as she took in the clear view of amazement in his eyes. She smiled, demure and pleased, before letting her mind decide on the more important task -- what would help find her daughter.
There was no way she could entrust the hound to him. He might find the first pink doe and end up presenting the wrong girl with a dog. For all she knew he might give it right back to her. That would be a waste of time.
She carefully picked through all she knew of her granddaughter. The doe was still young, cheery almost to a fault, obsessed with stories. Not exactly what she would have dreamed of in a grandchild. At least she had intelligence, that was something. But she wasn't meting out the merit of her grandchild -- she was fond of all her offspring, few though they were.
"It was luck," she brushed off his words because it was partly luck. The shell's presence was not something she had had anything to do with. Observing it, however, had been a little more skill though it, too, benefited from luck. But to the point.
"If it's not an imposition, might you watch the hounds for a moment? The young one is excitable and will scare off most creatures but I do need to feed them," she came to say. It was doubtful that had been her original thought but then it was hard to say what she'd intended to ask of him.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 5:50 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:37 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 7:55 pm
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She disappeared, and Hero was left alone with the hounds. For awhile he just stood there, staring, unsure of what to do.
Finally, he tried a few things. He crouched, front legs splayed, butt in the air, trying to encourage a playful reaction. It seemed like the little one thought about it, maybe?
Not to be discouraged, he found a smaller tree branch and tossed it to the bushes. He looked back at the eaglehounds expectantly. Would they go after it?
He trotted in place and then swept his hair across his shoulder. Was that a movement up? Nope, their butts seemed planted on the ground.
Or maybe she literally just wanted him to watch them? Hero settled to the ground, crossed his hooves... and simply watched the hounds. His ears twitched towards the sounds of the swamp, but he would do as he was asked, and help the doe by watching her hounds for her.
How much time had passed? Would she be back soon? His mind reeled, eager to get the talisman fixed. Who could do it? Maybe he should seek out his mother first.
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 8:47 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 5:15 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:11 pm
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