A few pebbles short of a game of Bobstones
Valerian x Althea
Riff x Rain
Start Date: June 30th, 2012
Althea:
The large doe stretched a hind before sitting up to sniff the air. The Down had settled into a lull as of late and she didn't know what to make of it. Things felt... well, nevermind that. She would just simply be ready for whatever, as was her duty to her Chief and her warren.
Shifting about, she nosed some flay, bringing her head up constantly to survey the Down.
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Valerian:
hopped slowly around the roots of the tree, like a hare on a mission, he circled about the whole Down for what most would call whimsy, then planted himself down at the edge of the hill and sat there, lowering his head only occaisionally to nibble at the flay. He seemed the strangest buck in the warren but he'd lived this long so something of his whimsy must be keeping him alive.
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Her ears perked as something caught her attention, and Althea twitched her nose as she scanned below. Ah, it was only that odd buck. She had no luck recalling his name however, and debated for a long moment on whether decending the incline was worth the effort. She sighed inwardly and took a hop forward, knowing that part of being Owsla was connecting with the rabbits on the Down. Respect and trust, right?
Hraka.
The part flemish doe made her way towards him, making sure he could see her before reaching his location. Wouldn't want to startle, after all. She started grazing near him, offering companionship without speaking.
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He twittched his ears and swallowed, keeping his head low while remarking. "Frith chose a good spot to rise today, don't you think?"
He munched a clover and rose up on his hind legs. "Best view over the down. And where Frith rises there is usally flayrah, but none of the sort you'd have to go play with an elil to get at. Well, it seems sensible that I would want to offer someone else the flay grown by Frith but Its obvious they all think I'm... well a few stones short of a game of bobstones," he mused to himself before moving a slight bit foreward to munch on some clovers.
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She chewed slowly on the flay, her gold eyes watching him curiously as he spoke. It gave her time to think, to learn, and keep her mouth shut which she normally had a hard time doing. She knew rabbits didn't do well in solitary situations, becoming a little ... off. And come to think of it she couldn't recall seeing him silflay with anyone before. Not that she kept track of such things. Looking up at the sun itself, she swallowed and moved a bit so that her shadow wasn't falling across him. As he bent to grab a mouthful of clover, Althea snorted to herself.
"If you want my honest opinion, there's many a rabbit in this warren that are a few stones short. Or lost them, or never had them. Frith, some might not even know what bobstones are."
She thought of Ninebark and shook her head.
"In any case, I suppose you're in good company."
With an ear twitch she bent down again to sample more flay, reflecting on what he said about elil.
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"Well its not often that someone chooses to speak with me, I can understand if you don't want to silflay with me again, though you are quite the good conversationalist. If you don't find me too strange, then I'd be éveer to spend time with a naylte. Even one in the Owsla, who surely has better things to be doing, like guarding the warren."
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Sighing inwardly, she waited until her mouth was empty before responding.
"You are not the first, nor last, that will assume my duties end with just watching."
Gathering herself into a more comfortable position, she focused her tawny eyes on him, trying to ephasize her point.
"An Owsla's duty is to their Chief, whatever they might need of them. That also means knowing the rabbits on the Down. Who might need help in an emergency, who might make a good runner some day, which doe is the most likely to cause a fight... and even talking to a buck that prefers to silflay alone."
How like Crow he sounded just now, or that other buck... what was his name. The one that only ate at night. Odd, all of them. But if she were to kick out every silly rabbit there would be none of them left.
Which reminded her of those that had stopped running due to foolishness; theirs or those leading them. Unnerved by the unplesant thought, her ears perked and rotated as if she could hear the dog coming now. Or that hawk...
"There... there is also the fights. The sacrifies. The Thousand. Frith... I've seen my share. But sitting here, with you, is just as much a part of being an Owsla."
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"You should know why I circle the down then. I'm not Owsla, so I can't call it a patrol, now can I? But it is nice to be reminded of where you are every once in a while, especially for those not born on the down. I keep to myself simply because I think I'm too different compared to the others of this warren. I like to look for changes about the down, and I have no desire to be any different than I am." He got himself cozy in the grass. "Is there anything you've desired? Like becoming Chief of the Owsla?"
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Her nose twitched quicker and quicker as he spoke. The longer she lived, the more of Inle' she saw, and here was a new, young buck to remind her of that.
"There... there used to be a parli that spoke just like you. Cowslip. Gave his life, you know. Left his doe in kindle. His kits never even got to meet him."
She scratched the ground with a forepaw, recalling how she had met Moonsong's eyes, the doe knowing before Althea could even speak that her mate had-
And here she was, getting emotional over the past. Shaking her head violently, Althea stomped to ward off the tharn.
"Nevermind the ramblings of an old doe. I've seen too much. I don't rightly know what I desire anymore, to tell you the truth. As for the Captian of Owsla-" she sneezed, showing her disdain, "father of my litter he is, and I wonder if that was the shame. Bah. I suppose I'll live out my days serving Brackenrah, until the Black Rabbit calls for me."
Snatching at a particular leaf she'd been eyeing, she let the flay soothe her nerves before getting up and stretching again.
"And what of you? What will you make of yourself, tarli?"
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"The name's Valerian, and I have an itching in my legs that won't stop. Its hard to keep still some days." He shook his head. "I get the feeling that there's more to what I should want, but my mind remains blank of it. Something waits for me, and I want to see what it is, but its not the Black Rabbit..." He shook his head again. "I suspect I'm too strange for this warren, aren't I? Feeling that I should be doing something but rather it not have a name to it. Talking like this will not end in kits I tell you that much."
"I am too strange for any of this..."
"That's not saying I'm going to give up on myself," he twitched an ear. "I just haven't found my place."
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"You will find yourself in good company, I should say. Sure, there are the usual does and bucks that worry about kittens and little else; but there is the seer, Ninebark. He... talks to himself. Or someone only he can see, he claims."
Her tone suggested she had a low opinion of such rubbish, but the common belief was that Ninebark had known the hlessi were coming before they ever reached the Down. Many put their faith in him, but she stayed clear of that whole mess.
"Althea. Of the Owsla, as you know. And, a secret for you, Valerian. If you haven't found your place yet, it's because you haven't made it. Do not wait for the U hrair, El-ahrairah did not wait for Frith to save him. He tried to save himself first, and that is why Frith blessed him and our people."
Stretching in the warmth of the sunlight, she yawned and flicked an ear before looking at him again.
"Forgive an old marli her ramblings. Perhaps it is time I take my leave. There are others I must attend to, as you know. But I will look for you at silflay again, Valerian."
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"You may find me before I find Frith's flay," he replied to her.
