[PRP] Home is where the spirit rests - Atal'rin and Avalee

[Malis Vitterfolk]

It had been a bad idea from the start but at the time Atal did not have much of a choice. When the skinwalker attack occured he had been called to check up on the foals within the herd nursery and then report to help with the healing of the wounded. The first task was not the problem, he checked on the smaller charges and found Amirynth, Mairéad and Hyacinth within the protected borders occupying the little ones with stories and, in the case of 'Cindi, dancing. Moving to his second calling, the blind soquili navigated the home glades with no issue, carefully stepping where he knew it was clear, his unusual sixth sense keeping him from tripping. As he reached the healing glades, the rushing of the small brook near by seemed a little louder than normal, some thing that distracted him just long enough to make him pause in his steps. It was that moment he felt another body fall against him, a semi-familiar voice apologizing and then letting out a small shriek. Trying to ascertain where the danger was, Atal'rin had turned towards the direction it had come from only to find his senses had shifted. He had heard the semi-familiar voice come from the side and turned to it, following, tracking down their movements and trying to work out who they were. The other, a mare from the footsteps, ran on ahead as if afraid or being pursued. His first thought, to protect her, carried him forward into unfamiliar territory, an action he would quickly come to regret...

Now he stood in the middle of emptiness. He could tell the sun had set, no longer did it shine upon his flanks and yet, for how long he was not sure. Sniffing around he picked a direction that seemed appropriate and started walking. It was only a matter of time before he would find someone else and he knew the spirits blessed him at birth, they would not cause him harm or trickery without just cause. The patient stallion continued to walk, unhindered by the lack of moonlit sky, continuing until he felt the suns warm rays upon his face once more. It was then he realized he had chosen the wrong direction, he was now further from the Vitterfolk territories than he had ever been before. For a moment he pondered over which way to go before choosing a direction and started walking again. He could hear the sounds of a river getting closer and, remembering the Vitterfolk lived close to one, figured that following it's banks would be a good idea.  

[Kyaishi]

It had been a bloodbath.

For every kalona, skinwalker, and demon hide that Hakan had managed to turn away, it had only seemed that ten more appeared to take their place. The fighting was endless. Avalee had lost sight of her mother in the fray, Cetra leading the air strike with Nanaki and Freyr heading the groundeds towards what skinwalkers they could isolate. Avalee herself had been among those instructed to stay back, to act as support, but Kureno... oh, brave Kureno had thrown himself into the demon's path for his daughter, and Avalee could not remain on the sidelines any longer.

She regretted her rashness now- not that she had stepped in to save her brother's life, that she could never second guess- but she had not seen to think things through before rushing into the heat of battle. It was not the demon's attention she had garnered, but something just as deadly to her untrained skills. The kalona had turned its sights upon her, and only too late had she realized that she had neither Kureno's strength, nor her mother's speed, nor Cetra's brilliance to save her from this fate- and so she had attempted to flee. Fluttering her small, delicate wings as quickly as they would take her, darting back and forth in her aggressor's path- it could not save her from the sharp talons that raked through one crystalline wing and down her back, slicing deep into her flesh.

She had cried out, had heard her mother's cry of anguish, her brother's bellow of rage before the very air had seemed to shift beneath her, and she was falling, falling...

And shock, as the cold water had reawakened her senses, made cerulean irises snap open and into focus as the river had carried her away from the fighting, away from her dear family. She was helpless against the current, though her legs fought weakly to gain purchase against the ground rushing by below. Now and again she would manage a gasp of air, wet tendrils of ivory mane making it hard to breathe even when she could manage a glimpse of the surface, until finally, finally, her hooves found purchase. With a sudden burst of strength, Avalee lunged for shore- blind, weary, unsure if she was even leaping in the right direction- until her knees hit sand and stone, though the current threatened to carry her away even still. She could not heave herself to her feet, and with her hindquarters submerged, the petite mare was at the mercy of the river.

Although she could see nothing through the wet curtain of forelocks that hid her eyes, her ears twitched at the sound of... footsteps? Was it the demon, come to finish her off? Could it have followed her all this way? How far had the river carried her, anyway?

Unable to move, unable to speak, Avalee let loose a soft whimper, feeling the freezing water beneath her begin to dislodge her light form.

"Please..."  

[Malis Vitterfolk]

The sound of the river was even louder as he trotted close, stooping down for a moment to sniff at the surface and then take a small drink. His stomach had started to rumble but he was putting it off, hoping he was getting closer to home. Twisting his head from side to side a few times, he judged the direction of the water flow and then turned to face it, wanting to move towards the source, knowing that it should lead him home. What he didn't realize that this was a different river entirely, leading him even further away from the Vitterfolk territories and towards the unknown.

A few more hours had passed in his journey, the sun now above him and yet the river kept the air around him cool. The ground had turned from grass to rocks to rocks inter-spaced with wide stretched of sand and he could feel the path he had chosen starting to rise. Still he continued until something caught his attention. The sound of the water changed, as if it was rushing around something and then he caught the whisper of a plea. Halting in his hoof-steps, the blind stallion flicked his ears around, trying to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. Atal realized someone was in the water, someone who needed aid. Moving as quick as he could, the stallion reached down and nosed the other softly, trying to ascertain how he could help get them out of the frigid liquid. "Here, grab a hold of this..." With quick thinking he bit down onto the reeds that had been growing close by and reached them out to the mare, hoping she had the strength to grab them with her teeth so he could pull her out of the water, then at least he could help get her up with his large build and get her somewhere warmer.  

[Kyaishi]

Wet, bloody, and freezing as she was, Avalee could have cried with relief as a warm touch- gentle, reassuring- alighted upon her maw, rather than the harsh pain she had expected. Whoever this stranger was, he did not follow the demon, and she found herself forgoing her usual manner of poetic speech as she gasped a heartfelt 'thank you' to whatever spirits were watching over her in this moment.

Although her mother's side of the family had been bred for strength, for pride and confidence, Avalee was wholly unfamiliar with combat, with hunting or fighting, or even defending herself. She supposed it was her father's influence- her mother still carried the title of Hakanu Protector with pride and grace, while she had only learned her father's lackadaisical disregard for fighting... well, for most anything requiring real effort. Perhaps her mother might be ashamed to know that her daughter was here, whimpering, depending on the help of some random stranger to pull her from danger, when she could have been at a demon's mercy.

With a sudden burst of determination, Avalee took hold of the reeds offered to her, but didn't wait to be pulled from the river- with a burst of her last remaining strength, she used the leverage to pull herself out of the water and collapse on the shore. Panting, she moved her limbs carefully to ensure that the frozen water had not numbed them past the point of recovery, and let her head fall to the ground in relief when each one of them responded to her commands. Through the curtain of her ivory forelocks, she could make out the outline of a tall stallion, his pelt something of a purple-blue, and offered the best smile she could manage.

"Thank you."

The water and blood blurred her vision, and the cold made her want to sleep, but she knew she shouldn't. The blood loss alone would make inactivity dangerous, but coupled with the freezing water and air about her, her eyelids were beginning to droop, and she could feel herself drifting into lethargy. Trying to move pulled a grunt of pain from her lips, her muscles stiff and her skin torn. She was relatively certain she had hit her head, too, and that would only make things worse if she tried to sleep. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again, unsure of what she could ask a complete stranger. He had saved her life already, wasn't that enough? Should she try to rely on herself for healing?

One more attempt to move her rigid body proved that assumption worthless.

Well... rats.  

[Malis Vitterfolk]

It did not take much for Atal'rin to realize the mare was not doing well. Much of what he had been taught came to him as he nosed her softly, trying to work out what was the most damaged. His senses reached out, using smell and hearing to discover her aches. Atal wished Alarion was here, his mother's familiar, as the wolf would be able to see what was wrong and relay it to him. Still he took care in examining everything he could before nosing around for certain things he needed. Bandages were easy, he took the wide ribbon he had been given by his mother from around his leg and, after dipping it in the river, he used the silver material the wrap the wound over her shoulder. Atal was careful not to hurt her wing anymore, noticing she was of the flutter variety, much like Dayunsi. After checking on her again and making sure she was still alert he murmured softly. "Gonna go find some flowers to help wit' t' healing." His voice had a slight accent to it, though not as strong as the rest of his family. The large stallion had smelt some betony and feverfew close by and retraced his steps gently picking the herbs with his teeth and then bringing them back. "Here, eat these, they will help for t' pain."

He nuzzled her again, hoping the herbs would work just enough that he could get her to the nearby tree. She would be protected there and have something to lean against while he went to find better, stronger herbs. He also needed to find some large leaves to cover her wounds after he made a poultice. Again, Atal wished there was someone else who could help out, but he was surprised on how well he was able to find things considering how unfamiliar he was to the currently territory. Maybe if he could get this mare to help out... though she would have to be moved first. She could be his eyes.  

[Kyaishi]

Although she had resolved not to ask any more of him than the attention she had already garnered, Avalee's options were sorely limited at this point, and she could hardly turn away any help that he offered freely. Still, this stranger's kindness humbled her- he couldn't have had the slightest clue who she was, where she'd come from, or even if she meant him harm. Granted, she was hardly in a position to look threatening, and even in peak form, she wasn't exactly intimidating, but her point stood. She had nothing to offer in return except gratitude, but he seemed not even to care for that much.

The warm touch upon her forehead brought the flutter mare out of the haze she had drifted into, cerulean hues blinking blearily before coming into focus again. After a moment, she managed to garner enough strength to move her head, brushing the wet veil of ivory forelocks away from her vision, and took in her first unhindered glimpse of her savior. Strange... he wasn't like any Soquili she had lain eyes on before, with those odd tendrils, thick hair, and the almost transparent quality of his legs- it was fascinating. Was he a breed she had not encountered before, or some sort of hybrid? The question was a rude one to ask, so she filed away her observations for later investigation, and focused solely on his words, oddly accented as they were.

Plants, right. For the pain? He must have been some sort of healer, but for the knowledge he possessed. Aquene might have had a similar skill set, but Avalee had never bothered to learn anything beyond the most basic of remedies. She was dubious about consuming anything she did not recognize, but the fiery pain in her back was beginning to push through the blessed numbness the freezing river water had provided, and she was in no position to argue. Despite herself, at the second reassuring touch to her maw, she found herself warmer than she expected, and once again resolved to repay this stranger's kindness.

Avalee struggled to right herself, determined to at least look her rescuer in the eyes and thank... wait, where were his eyes? Did he... how did he see? The petite mare only checked herself after she realized she was gawking, and the stallion had already turned away, presumably to find more plants that would help her. For a moment, the burning pain and sluggish lethargy that surrounded her seemed to dim, and her gaze was riveted upon the bulky form that moved through the tall grasses, seemingly heedless of his handicap. Was it even a handicap? It was clear he managed just as well without sight, and his other senses were no worse for wear, judging by the easy steps and the way he scooped up what he needed with seemingly little effort. For a moment, Avalee was speechless.

When she found the words, she seemed to drift between wakefulness and dreaming, eyes half-lidded, but words unimpeded.

"I wonder, what colors does one see, when there are no worldly shadows to interfere?"

Perhaps, were she in a better state of mind, she might have offered her gratitude, her name, or asked for his, but her current condition did not seem to diminish her appreciation for the walking riddle that he was, and her delight in waxing poetically about it. Although, admittedly, she might have been more vague than usual because of her state.  

[Malis Vitterfolk]

Atal continued his search for herbs that he could make into a poultice. He was coming to the end of his knowledge of what to do but hoped the little aid he could provide would be enough. The large leaves were not too hard to find but after a fruitless search, the spirit-touched troll was unable to uncover any burdock. While the larger leaves of this herb could also be used to cover the smaller gashes and cuts, the healing properties of the sap would help with keeping the wounds clean. Sadly, the herb smelt just like the grasses it grew in and Atal could not use his senses to separate one from the other. Knowing he did not have much time to dally, the large stallion turned with his bundle of leaves and came back to Avalee, sensing her movements and realizing she had made it upright. His ear flicked slightly as he heard her words but did not catch the gist of them and was more preoccupied with taking care of the wounded flutter.

"Come, I'll lead ya to the tree over here." Moving closer so he could provide something to lean on if she needed it, Atal made sure to stand on her better-looking side, not wanting to cause more damage to her wing. "There is shade there an' I have some more leaves for ya smaller cuts. How ya feelin'?" He hoped what he had done was working, this being his first real emergency, and with him being alone and in unfamiliar territory. He sent a quick thanks to the spirits, still amazed that his previous training had come back to him so quickly. His mother and Dayunsi had worked hard to be able to get him to recognize many useful herbs by smell but it also helped that his father had a strong tie to plants and the like. These days Atal'rin recognized that he had been given a great boon in exchange for his lack of sight something that, when he was younger, he had wished for different.  

[Kyaishi]

Hazily, Avalee watched as her amethyst-coated savior trekked back and forth, absently chewing the herbs that he had offered her. He hadn't answered her inquiry- though, admittedly, the flutter mare was not entirely sure her words had been coherent to begin with. Her world was drifting in and out of focus as the blood loss set in and the herbs began to take effect, and she started abruptly as she realized he was in front of her again. Before she could even open her mouth, though, her attention was riveted upon his face, and she lapsed into silence, scanning his odd features.

Had she been completely in her right mind, the petite mare may have been mortified at how closely she was scrutinizing him when his attention was focused solely on her- but then again, she may have taken the opportunity to study him anyway. Her family had never been as well-mannered as, say, Nanaki's line, and Avalee herself had always let her curiosity and her propensity for being slightly more self-indulgent get the better of her. Besides... it wasn't as if he could actually see her staring, anyway.

She blinked. Even through her clouded mind, Avalee could surmise that that was rude and insensitive, even if he couldn't hear her thoughts. ...Or could he? He was a mutant, after all, and it would be poetic justice for one without sight to...

No, no, that was stupid.

He was asking her a question, now, and she blinked blearily as crystalline hues raised again to meet... where his would be, if he had any. The meaning of his words had floated by her, but she received the gist of his message, hauling herself onto her feet with tremendous difficulty. She found herself stumbling over her own weight, letting out a pained gasp as the movements jarred her injuries, pulling her back into sobriety at the intensity of the pain. Mercifully, her savior seemed to anticipate this, and provided his side as a stabilizer before she could fall and injure herself further. She wobbled slightly, but settled in against his warmth as she found her balance, though she leaned heavily against him as they moved.

"The ground moves beneath my hooves, though it's embrace would be welcome at a time such as this..." she breathed, pouring all the concentration she had- which was not much, at this point- into her footing. She struggled to find words less vague than the riddles and metaphors she usually delighted speaking in; they would undoubtedly make little sense at this point, when she could barely form a thought. "Your shoulder is appreciated, I do not think how I would be upon my feet without an anchor." Again, her legs faltered, and again she caught herself against his steady warmth, gathering what strength she could manage before forcing her muscles into obedience.  

[Malis Vitterfolk]

It was a slow and arduous journey towards the small corpse of trees. Painful too, Atal could guess from the gasps and murmurs that came with each of her steps. This time, focused upon her well being that he was, the large stallion heard her words and answered in his low voice. "The earth may want to embrace ya but it has a finality that I am not willing to accept." There was a slight accent to his voice but it was rather faint unless he spoke certain words. Atal'rin realized the distraction of conversation would probably help her make the short distance they still needed to go. "The grasses are lush close by and will feel good underhoof. There is fruit on the trees, apples I believe by the smell of them, newly ripened." He had not spent much time around others from outside the herd and so did not have the best conversational skills but for the moment it worked.

When he could feel the shadows fall upon his back and their hooves step upon the cooler, softer grasses he paused, letting her choose a comfortable place to rest. Gathering some of the aforementioned apples, he piled a few close by in case she got hungry. "Is there anything else I can do?" The large stallion wanted to stay close but wasn't sure if it would be invading her space at this point. he still worried about her wounds, but for now it would be time that did the most in helping her to heal. He could tell it would be a while before her wing mended from the slight brushes he had used to check her side but the other cuts and scrapes should fare better and she would at least be pulled out of the danger zone.  

[Kyaishi]

His murmured words, though meant to calm her and focus her thoughts more than amuse her, drew an answering smile upon her ebon' maw, despite the pain and arduous effort of staying upon her own four hooves. "Would the earth not wish to keep you?" she chuckled softly at the words, but bit back a gasp as a wrong step jarred her slightly. Distantly, Avalee doubted her words were making much sense, but in the company of her savior, they fell so easily from her lips, compelled to bask in the comfort he provided, and to provide gratitude of her own- even if it was incoherent. What could she give him, besides words? "For all the earth provides us, does it not deserve its final embrace to be a lasting one?"

Again, she stumbled, and again, the steady bulk of his warmth kept her from falling too far, though her breaths were labored and pained. Still, the flutter mare delighted in the care her savior offered, short though his words were- he was clearly making an effort. "And you see, but do not see." That was a disjointed statement, she knew, but the prospect that his senses could tell him how ripe the fruit was when her own eyes failed to do so was fascinating. She cleared her throat with some effort after a moment and blinked, wincing as she felt the pull of her wounds and struggled to make a bit more sense.

"Please forgive my lack of coherency... there are those that would scold me for my words even if I were not lacking in sense at present."

She managed a smile at the words, lucidity briefly returning in full force, and with it, the staggering pain previously ignored. She grunted and stumbled once more, but this time recognized the softer grasses he had mentioned, and allowed herself to drop unceremoniously to her knees. Breathing a sigh of relief at the solidarity of the ground beneath her, Avalee stretched out to lay on her side, fighting not to close her eyes beneath the cold wetness of her fur and the dull ache of her wounds. Despite herself, she managed a dreary smile at his words, though unsure of what boundaries he was currently holding himself to. "Who am I to ask more of you?" Her wounds were bound, her coat mostly dried, and he had already given her kindness and comfort that she scarcely deserved from a stranger.

Stranger. Well, that wouldn't do.

"What is your name, savior mine?"