|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2012 1:49 pm
 Someone was singing.
The sweet melody drifted over the treetops, stirring to life the animals and birds that lived in the trees. Instead of joining their voices, the songbirds kept quiet, listening. The voice was just as beautiful as their own and they didn't wish to disturb it. At least not yet. They sat perched on the end of the branches, their invisible ear turned towards it. Even the squirrels, scampering around on the ground preparing for winter stopped to lean an ear against the wind.
Besides the singing, there was the sound of water nearby. Running across the rocks sticking out of the clear blue surface. The white spray flew up, landing back in the water or on the pure white tail of a handsome Nova sitting on the edge of the bank. He, too, was listening to the singing, his eyes closed to let it flow over him.
It reminded him of his sister. It would have made him sad had he not just seen his sister earlier the day before he left on a little journey. The voice even sang the same things Sadira did. About a divine force out of the physical grasp of everyone. It made him wonder if the speaker was apart of his herd or the nearby one. Both had their own sets of beliefs. He had not heard anyone else but his sister sing anything. It was likely this one belonged to a herd. The curiosity to see was slowly overpowering his desire to just sit and listen. Maybe if he followed the stream, he would come across her.
Dipping back into the water, Deneb kept his head in the slight breeze of the afternoon and paddled downstream. Before long, the pale shape of a Lyra mare appeared from behind an oak. She was clearly the singer, as her head was thrown back and her mouth open. He moved a little closer. Until she had finished her song, he remained silent. Then when she was done, he made his presence known.
"That is a beautiful song. Where did you hear it?"
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:04 am
 Chiyo was singing. It soothed her soul to sing. She missed her old herd, but she didn't know in which direction they lived. And she was afraid of wandering too far. What if she got lost and more in danger than she had been?
She had been flying in the sky, the prayers of the day tied to her front legs tightly and with care by the wishers. It was her job as a Priestess to carry the prayers to the large tree visible by the herd, but which only the Lyra could reach. There were not many of them, due to the strong winds and harsh weather that raged just outside the protective barrier of the herd's territory. They lived in a valley, protected by the mountains and trees from the harsher of the terrain. Flights were only scheduled on days the weather was calm.
When Chiyo went into the sky, however, the forecasters had been wrong. Out of their sight, a large wind storm was brewing, waiting for the chance to strike. It picked the moment Chiyo was high in the sky, vulnerable to the dangers. It hit her, causing her to steer off course and be carried by the winds far away, with the prayers slowly unwinding from her ribbons. Now she was lost, unsure in which direction she had come from in all her twisting. All the prayers she had been delivering, lost to the wind. She knew her herdmates would know something happened to it. They wouldn't know if this something had before or after she had managed to tie the prayers to the tree. The wind was only allowed to touch them after that deed was done. When the spirits in the tree had read the wishes.
The song she was singing was one the Priestesses did before a flight. Full of their own wishes of a safe flight. She wasn't aware of the quiet around her or even the Nova watching her until he spoke. Her eyes were still closed, causing her to jump at the sound. She heard him apologize as she turned her gaze on him.
"From my sisters," she answered timidly, meaning the other Priestesses. Her grey eyes roamed the strange stallion. Handsome, very much so. But strange. Those two together made her very nervous in his presence. Even though he seemed very friendly. She couldn't find her voice to say anything more and just stared at him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:40 pm
At the awkwardness the Lyra displayed at being confronted, Deneb himself shied away. If only to make her more comfortable. She was obviously nervous for whatever reason and he didn't want to give her more reasons to remain that way. He slid back into the water, using his tail and hooves on the bottom to avoid being swept away.
"I didn't mean to interrupt you," he quickly apologized, splashing at the water with his tail as he moved to hold onto the shoreline with his only two legs. He curled them under him, much like the land walkers would when laying down on their stomach, while his tail kept balance under the waves. "It was just such a pretty song. See, my sister---Oh, you have sisters, too?" he quickly changed the subject mid-sentence, not realizing he had until shortly after. A blush crept along his pale face and he bowed his head slightly, now looking at the ground. "Sorry. I don't meet strangers often with my limitations." He was a grown stallion, why must his mind insist on behaving like that of an excitable foal? His mother wouldn't have behaved that way. If he wanted to be like her, he would need to control himself more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:00 pm
Chiyo, on the other hand, wasn't sure what to make of this stranger. Living in a valley surrounded by mountains, there had been Nova living in her herd. But with her job as a sacred Priestess, she didn't get to see them. In truth, the only Stars she saw were other winged mares like herself. Some had other traits of the other breeds, like Acturus or Algeidi horns. She knew Nova could also have these traits, however their dependence on water kept what winged ones they had to the ground for the most part. The trip to the tree wasn't the problem. It wouldn't be good if they got caught in a draft and stuck somewhere far from water.
Since she was a young foal, she had trained in the mountains to become one of the Priestesses. This was the first time she had set eyes on a water dweller who was not your common trout. If that wasn't bad enough, she was so very shy around those she didn't know and he was talking so much. For her, anyway. And looked so bad for talking so much, like he thought she was offended by it. She wanted to say something, but what?
The Lyra's mouth opened. No sound came out. She closed it, again. Back home she could talk to her sisters, even the younger, newest ones without trouble. Since leaving the protection of her walled herd, she had trouble speaking to anyone. What if their cultures were so different from hers she would be in danger? No one from her herd ever left. They were so closed off, with everything they needed within their bounders, that everyone was just as unsure as her about the outside. Sometimes Lyra would be blown off course. Those who went beyond the mountains never returned.
Her only console is the knowledge that they might not have died. She was still alive, after all.
The silence dragged on, with the Nova now looking at her like he was debating how to leave. She didn't want him to. She was lonely.
"N-no. Don't be sorry. I'm glad you liked my song. My sisters are not my blood sisters. I was a Priestess in my old herd." And now I'm lost were the words she couldn't bring herself to say outloud.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 6:43 pm
Now the Nova stalked a little closer, again, edging along the bank with the aid of his forelegs on the land. He had still been a good distance from the Lyra, wishing to get closer and not near yell to be heard over the rushing water around him.
It wasn't a very rough river. The water over the exposed rocks did send a white spray into the air, but it was nothing the Nova couldn't hold his own against. Still, it was loud enough to wash away words like a strong gust will. If Deneb were to let go of the bank, he would be swept away easily, if not very slowly.
"That's good," Deneb responded, getting comfortable with his legs tucked under his body. Most of him was now out of the water, the rest swaying in the current of the river below. So long as his lower half was submerged, he could withstand the beating sun on his skin. He swore he could always feel himself drying up quickly when he came out altogether. A Nova couldn't survive out of water for long.
"Oh, a Priestess?" At this his tone brightened, his curiosity becoming apparent. "Of what, if you don't mind me asking. I aspire to be someone spiritual in a herd, myself." If I could just master the mystery and stop behaving like a youngster.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 12:03 pm
Chiyo watched with her own kind of curiosity as the strange half fish, half Star shuffled closer to bring half his body from the water. She could guess that the dependence on water made this one nervous about letting go of it completely. That he wasn't living in the ocean, surrounded on all sides by water was inspiring to her. He didn't let his fear of the land hinder him.
Unless it was he was born in fresh water. By the horn on his head, he was descended from land-dwellers somewhere in his family line.
That's good. She repeated the words in her head, shifting on her own feet in nervousness. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay and talk to her. No one but her sisters had ever spoken to her.
Swallowing, Chiyo stood straighter, willing what strength she knew she had to give her courage. "I carried the prayers of the herd to the tree so the wind could take it to the Gods." That was all she could manage to get out. Being this close to a Nova, she wished more to ask him questions of his family. Where his horn came from. If he had wings in his line.
"I'm sure you would make a great Priest. You have the kindly nature required of them." She spoke out of routine with the new Acolytes back home who were nervous they would have what it took. Once she realized what she had said, she blushed deeply and pretended to clean something off one of her wings, opening it and covering her lower muzzle with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 10:05 am
Deneb offered the Lyra mare a grateful smile for the compliment, feeling his own cheeks go slightly pink at the comment. If he was to be any kind of good spiritual being, he would need to learn how to take such things with better grace. It didn't do well to be seen as a nervous wreck with something so simple as a couple of words.
"That is very kind of you to say so," he responded, not bothering to hide himself as she was despite his lighter coat. He did, however, glance up at the sky. He hadn't been speaking to the mare for very long, but his time away from his family to ride the rivers of the world had been much longer. It was high time he was getting back before his mother and sister noticed his absence. These trips were nothing new to them and they should have learned long ago not to worry about him. Never once did he seem to get lost and they were the best to know he had a better head on his shoulders than it appeared he might have. Always so friendly, one would expect the Nova to go up to just about anyone with a smile and naive personality. It was a surprise, than, to learn he wasn't as silly as he behaved. There was only one he had met who gave off a bad vibe and it turned out later in life his hunches about that one had been correct.
"I'm sorry. It was nice meeting you, miss, but I should be getting back. I've been long away. Goodbye." And without giving her a chance to say anything or even react, Deneb slid back into the water and disappeared down the river towards home.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
