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 Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 9:49 am
 Calfuray had returned to the sleeping grey mares side sometime in the early morning hours - she had spent the night elsewhere, wandering the beach..and seeking answers, but with the dawn slowly well..dawning...it was time to return and prepare for her new found fate.
She was leaving her beach, the only home that she could truly remember and while not typically a nervous type of Soquili she couldn't help the small flutters of unease that plagued her. Determinded to keep her unease from the grey mare however Calfuray planted a blank look on her face and reached out a hoof to nudge the other mare. "Aleu...the sun is rising, time to get up" She stated in a matter of fact voice. Nudging the mare harder when her first light poke failed to get a response. The ocean waves were good at lulling one to sleep and Calfuray knew from experience that it could be hard to escape it's grasp.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:09 am
 At first the sounds of the ocean had kept Aleu awake, she was far too used to the chirping of birds and skittering of small creatures in the forest at night. But slowly those lapping waves had managed to lull her into a deep sleep. Last night was probably her first good night of sleep since leaving the herd. Too many nights had been plagued with bad dreams of the things she had seen and the fear that she might never make it back home. Her dreams tonight were filled with serene thoughts brought on by the gentle lapping of waves on a beach. It was a beautiful thing as Aleu walked along the take taking in the sites and smell of the ocean. That was until something poked her side gently. When she looked nothing was there but then it happened again only this time harder.
Instantly Aleu was awake and on full alert. She got to her hooves, unfurled her wings ready to take to the sky before her eyes focused and she saw Calfuray standing beside her. Taking a deep calming breath Aleu looked over at the purple mare with a smile. "Sorry...I had been dreaming." Returning her wings to her side Aleu glanced at the ocean, in a moment they would be turning their backs to it and making the long journey home. This had been the first time Aleu had seen the ocean so she wanted to take a moment, get a good look and remember what it was like before starting the journey. "It's so beautiful." She said softly, she would need to come up with a song about the ocean at some point. Pulling her gaze away from the water Aleu looked over at Calfuray. "Alright, let's go." The journey would be a bit slow due to Calfuray's inability to fly but it would be nice to have a traveling partner after so many months of being alone.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:36 am
Calfuray stepped back at the mare moved, chuckling a little bit at her startle "The ocean can do that to you..I dreamed quite often here on the shore" Calfuray told the other mare. Following Aleu's eyes she too looked upon the waves...she had already said her good-bye to the ocean, had come to terms with leaving but it was always nice to look at. Of course as she had reminded herself many times - leaving did not always mean you could never come back again.
"With you to scout the best path from the air we should make good time" Calfuray stated as she turned and started to make her way from the beach, sand slowly giving way to long beach grass as they made their way through the dunes "At least whenever we need to find a path - it's fairly flat and straight forward here by the coast. We won't hit the trees until we are farther inland." Calfuray had no idea how she knew such a thing - she couldn't recall ever being away from the shore..but apparently somewhere in the depths of her mind she knew this. Old memories that she couldn't recall fully.
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 10:55 am
"I can imagine." Aleu said as she walked beside Calfuray. "Something about those waves, they get in you mind, but in a good way." Strange to think that but it was the case. Perhaps it was the gentle sound they made as they crept onto and then retreated from the sand. Or it could be how consistent they were, coming at even intervals as long as the wind didn't pick up. It could be something else entirely, all Aleu knew was that her ocean dream had been a pleasant one, one that she would never forget even if it had come to an abrupt start.
As they made their way into the beach grass Aleu was starting to feel at home again. The herd had lived in a forested area so having all manner of plants above and below her made her feel better. She was used to feeling various leaves and grass brushing against her legs as she walked, so it was a calming feeling, much like the ocean had been last night. "Yes that's a good idea." Aleu said before realizing more of what Calfuray had said. How did she know they wouldn't reach trees for some time? Had she not mentioned before they she had never left the beach? And the forest could not be seen from where they were, so how did she know? As much as Aleu wanted to question this she kept quiet, perhaps this trip would help to unlock some of Calfuray's memories that were buried away. If she knew their initial path without having ever walked it before, at least to their knowledge, then perhaps this was just the thing to stir up some other things hidden away in her mind.
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:18 am
They walked in silence for a bit longer as Calfuray took note of her surroundings - nothing jumped out at her as familiar but that was hardly anything unusual. She found that she rather liked the grass and plants however, they were different from the sandy shoreline but in a nice way. They would probably sleep well tonight with such a soft bed to lay upon..and she was looking forward to the trees though she wasn't entirely sure why.
"Tell me of the herds leaders" She asked Aleu as she walked along - she didn't specify if she wanted to hear about the upstarts that had started this supposed fight..or the ones on the other side, in reality she didn't care which one the mare chose to tell her about - she just wanted more knowledge so that she might be forewarned about what she might come across at their journey's end.
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 11:58 am
There had been silence between them for a little while as they walked along the grass. Aleu had been feeling a mix of joy and fear at the prospect of going home, considering there was a chance home might not be what it used to be when they got there. The unanswered questions only made her dwell within her thoughts more and more. Had she made the right decision to flee when she had? Of course, it was the Queen's orders to do so, she couldn't ignore those. But should she not have returned sooner to find out the fate of the herd? Of course, she was the storyteller after all and this information was hers for the keeping. But that hadn't happened. Shaking her head, Aleu was slightly caught off guard by Calfuray's question.
"Well," she began. "There is only one true ruler at a time. The Queen of the herd. At times her first born daughter, or any of her other daughters should she choose another, will be considered the herds Princess, she is second in command as the herd is considered, acts as leader when the Queen is away but in the end the Queen has the final say and she can veto anything her daughter has done. When I left, Marpe was still Queen but caught deep in the fighting. I don't know what has happened to her, if she still lives or not. Should she have died then a new Queen would have taken her place. Marpe had no daughters so the leadership would have either been passed on to another of her choosing or there could have been more fighting over who would take control." Aleu gave her head another shake, they may be a warrior filled herd but that was no reason to shed the blood of your herd mates just to advance in rank. "Whoever is the Queen would wear her markings." Aleu paused realizing that Calfuray might not know what that was. "The Queen, and some other high ranking members, wear different trinkets and items to show their rank to the others. So the new Queen, if there is one, would wear the markings of the Queen."
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:06 pm
Calfuray listened in silence as Aleu explained some more of the herds traditions. It was not the detailed information that she had wanted - she would have liked to know what sort of mare she might face when she returned to her supposed home, but if the grey mare didn't know herself then Calfuray couldn't blame her for that.
"I see...and you are not worried that the herd could have fallen into hooves you don't like? Will you still stay and serve the herd if they are under such ruler-ship?" She finally asked, what if they returned to find this herd of sisters under the rule of some tyrant? It was something that she wanted to be prepared for - as unsure as she was of the reception she would receive as it were she wanted to consider all possibilities before hand as much as she could. "I don't recall how to fight, perhaps it is instinctual like walking once you have learned it but I don't know if I can protect you if our reception is less then stellar" She admitted to the other mare.
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 12:14 pm
Aleu thought for a moment before answering. "Of course I'm worried about what I will find when I get back there. It's been something on my mind since the day I left. I constantly wonder, who is in charge, what side were they on, will they let others come back, what is the fate of my friends." It was these thoughts that often plagued her dreams, and had also kept her from returning right away. A warrior should not be ruled by fear, but Aleu did fear what she would find when she returned to the herd. "I...don't know. I feel as though I have an obligation to return to the herd no matter what. I am their storyteller, the only one who knows the full history of the herd and that is something that should never be lost no matter who rules. But...I don't know if I could live with my decision depending on who is in charge."
Glancing over at her traveling partner Aleu smiled. "I don't think anyone can ever truly forget how to fight. You may be a bit rusty at first but with time it will all come back to you." She paused thinking on Calfuray's statement that she might not be able to protect Aleu when they got back home if things went wrong. "Well, we don't have to worry about that for some time and I plan to fly ahead when we get close, do a bit of scouting and see what we might possibly be up against before walking into the territory." It wouldn't be a perfect plan, many of the herd members were winged but it was better than walking in completely blind.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 9:48 am
Calfuray nodded her head slightly as the mare spoke - her worries and fears seemed like good ones to Calfuray. Perhaps it was better not to remember anything, that way she wasn't plagued with the endless questions the grey mare seemed to be. Sure she was plagued with questions but her's were nebulous and without any real sort of direction - it was hard to spend to much time fretting over things like 'Where did I come from' when you had no memory to make you wonder about it. Aleu had friends and family and a home that she missed and clearly loved. Yes Calfuray decided it would certainly be worse to be in the grey mare's hooves.
"It is a good plan" Calfuray agreed before switching her attention back to the subject they had been discussing before they had spoken about how to approach the herd. "So there are those in the herd would would not wish to follow?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 10:24 am
Aleu looked over at Calfuray as they walked. "There were a few." She hated admitting that some of her herd sisters were less than pleasant to be around but she wouldn't hide anything from Calfuray, she deserved to know all the truths included the ugly ones. "There are always some bad apples in every bunch and our herd was no less different. No matter where you live or who you know there is bound to be some who you don't fully agree with. It's the way of like really, if everyone agreed on everything then the world would be a boring place." She gave her head a shake. "The few I know of, well honestly I don't know what happened with them during the fighting. Perhaps they took off with the rest, there is a chance they were killed, we won't know for certain until we get home. But they wanted to do everything to the extreme, and they were no opposed to showing their dislike to any weaker members, myself included."
She had tried the life of a warrior but it was certainly not meant to be. She trained yes, would fight for her Queen if needed but overall Aleu just didn't have the right mindset for battle. It frightened her and so she had taken the storyteller's path. "Even if those few did live through the fighting and somehow managed to claim control of the herd I don't think the others would allow them to sit in that position of power for law. Our herd has survived for so long for a reason, because our traditions and ways of life are extremely important to us, take those away and we are really no different from any other herd." She paused in her thoughts for a moment before continuing. "I know in my heart that they will not be in control when we get back." But even saying that Aleu was worried about the slim chance that that statement could prove to be false.
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 10:55 am
Furrowing her brows in thought as the mare spoke Calfuray tried to figure out what she might have done in Aleu's shoes..would she stay if she went home and found someone she didn't like in charge? Would she have been as loyal to the herd as Aleu seemed to be? No matter how hard she tried Calfuray couldn't come up with an answer. Perhaps in the end it didn't matter so much what she would have done then as it did what she would do now.
Whoever she had been was gone, at least until her memories returned - if they ever did - and even then Calfuray couldn't see her experiences and who she was now being lost, it was impossible not to have changed at least a little bit with what she had gone through. "You are a very loyal mare" She finally remarked "I do not know if I was loyal or not, perhaps other members of the herd can tell me more." If she even wanted to know, perhaps she didn't like the answers, perhaps she found out she had been a murderous psychopath? Snorting a bit she shook her head. "But I have decided that who I am now is more important to the future then whoever I was then"
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Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2012 1:23 pm
Aleu could see that Calfuray was thinking on what she had said. Life had it's unpleasant moments so no sense in hiding them, that could only cause more problems in the future. But still, here she was bringing Calfuray back to a herd the mare couldn't remember and was spouting off things like this. Calfuray was probably thinking about turning around and heading back to the beach, then Aleu would be alone once more with so many uncertainties hanging overhead. If it came to that, which Aleu truly hoped it wouldn't, then she would understand and continue on as she had for the past few months. But Calfuray had been the first sign of her past in so long Aleu was a bit fearful of letting the mare leave.
Calfuray's words brought a smile to Aleu's lips. "Thanks." She knew she was loyal to the herd, for without the herd she had nothing. "I think you are loyal." She ventured. "You are returning to a herd you remember practically nothing about, does that not show some form of loyalty?" Aleu fell silent for a short while as they continued walking. "Loyalty was a major part of the herd anyways, it's what kept us strong, made the bonds between us so strong. Even in the days before the fighting happened there was a strong sense of loyalty among it. It may have dissolved a bit in the initial fighting but you could see where loyalties lied as the sisters took their sides in the battle." Looking back on it Aleu remembered that the majority of the sisters had stood by their Queen on that day, their loyalty was unquestioning even though their Queen had failed to produce an heir. That was true loyalty. "That's a great way to look at it Calfuray. And perhaps as you forge ahead into the future you will discover your past waiting for you." Going home could renew the mares lost memories, Aleu hoped they did, for not knowing ones past was a terrible burden to carry.
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Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 6:53 am
"Or just very curious." Calfuray countered on the subject of loyalty - as even she wasn't sure if she was returning out of some sense of ingrained ,if not remembered, duty, or a simple curiosity about her past. Listening to the mares story Calfuray had to wonder just a little bit - if loyalty was so important shouldn't the sisters have reconciled their differences rather then ruining the herd with such infighting..but then perhaps they had thought they were fighting for the true and proper cause. It was so hard to tell when she couldn't remember the whys and hows of it all.
"Let us just hope this past is something worth remembering." She finally responded to Aleu, having let the conversation between them drop into a silence for a few moments as she pondered her private thoughts. "I'm sure it must have been terrible for you, to watch your herd dissolve into such chaos, has it ever happened before? In the histories I mean...it must have..at least once?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2012 2:59 pm
Aleu couldn't help but smile at Calfuray's analysis. "Yes, I suppose it could be that as well." Curiosity could lead to remembering which also could lead to some of Calfuray's memories being restored. There were a number of factors that may affect whether the mare did get her memories back or not, but Aleu felt that returning home and having others around that knew her, and those that could share stories with Calfuray, was certainly a step in the right direction. It would be a shame if after this journey Calfuray was still clueless about her past. There was no knowing how many or how few herd members were left so they really couldn't afford to lose even one at this point.
"I hope it is too." She knew plenty about Calfuray's past but being told what you were like and what you did was nothing compared to actually remembering yourself. At Calfuray's question Aleu thought back on the herds history. Certainly with a herd full of warriors fighting was bound to happen among them, and not just the simply training exercise fighting either. "It was terrible to watch, but what's worse is not knowing who is left and who will never be returning." So many friends possibly gone. "There were two similar occasions in the past." Aleu went on as she remembered back through the history of the herd. "One time the Queen was killed in an attack and the herd had feared her foals had died with her. There was a huge debate over who would take the role of Queen and that did lead to fighting. Yet amid all the bloodshed the baskets of the Queens offspring were found and it was decided that should one of them be female then they would take the role of leader." She paused for a moment before continuing. "The second time was shortly after the herd formed, little is known about that time, I don't know if they chose not to pass down the knowledge of what happened or didn't fully know the extent and reason behind the fighting but it nearly tore the herd apart when it had only just started."
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 6:54 am
Calfuray had no more to say about her own motivations for taking this trip - mostly because she herself had yet to completely figure them out. In time perhaps it would become more apparent, or maybe it wouldn't and she would simply have to do what she had been doing since she lost her memories. Accept that she sometimes made decisions for unknown reasons and live with it.
In any case she was far more interested in listening to the herds history then trying to puzzle out her own issues at the moment. "I see, it sounds like there might be some issues with the herds...way of doing things." Calfuray was aware that Aleu, who was so ingrained with the herds ways might take offense to this comment and so she hurried to continue. "I mean it seems to me that there should be some sort of system in place to determine who should rule in the event of such an occurrence. A chain of command perhaps. " Surely the grey mare would realize the logic in that statement. Though perhaps only Calfuray could look past old traditions like that now that she,herself, could no longer recall them and as such had no overwhelming allegiance to them anymore.
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