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 Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:42 am
 The stallion was feeling weary once more. He hadn't really had a good rest in a couple days since checking the herd boundaries were still a daily chore for him. He hadn't been able to shake that part of him and the more he tried the more irritated he got. Though he had to admit, he really enjoyed doing his usual rounds. It was pretty much all he had to do now. He flicked his hair up and over his other shoulder. His hair was getting too damn long and it was something that was becoming very hard to manage. He would have to deal with it. Apparently long hair was a dominant gene in the family.
Snickering at the thought. he walked through the deep forest, weaving though the trees a little bit. Uneventful was how one would describe today and every other day. He remembered back in his youth, he would fight off outsiders and make sure they weren't trying to cause any harm to anyone in the herd. It was so different then. He use to battle and fight with Gabriel's father and he supposed that was why he treated the stallion like a son and even still does. It was something he never truly got over. The death of so many in the herd as time went on, but here he was. Alive and old. He scoffed at his thoughts before stopping slowly and looking out into the distance.
Someone or something was coming towards his area. He could feel it even though he couldn't really see it. "Hmph...does a challenge await me?" He said in a low grumble.
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Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2013 12:07 pm
 She felt something in the air. Maybe this place was important. Maybe it had meant something to her. No. It was different. Something not related to her. She couldn't remember anything about this place...but she couldn't remember anything about any place. But this was wrong. She didn't belong here. She actually felt like she was imposing somehow. As if she had walked into someone else's memories, someone else's life. She shook her bangs out of her eyes and continued to press onward. If she kept moving, she would soon be rid of these feelings. She lept forward over fallen tree stumps and streams of water, she wound around tall trees and through the forest. She didn't stop to see the beauty around her, she had a purpose. She had to find herself. She had to find someone who knew her. She stretched across another, rather larger stream of water and knew immediately that was the wrong way to go.
She stared up at him, his long dark hair flowing slightly with the breeze. He didn't look very happy and she backed away slowly, hoping that he hadn't seen her. This was doubtful, her colors were too obvious against the natural colors of the forest for her to not be seen.
"Where...where am I?" she asked him, trying to escape from his stern glance. She stared at him, thinking hard and trying to determine if she knew him. Nothing sparked in her mind. No recognition sprang forward into her memory. She sighed and lowered her glance slightly, upset that things in this area still remained unfamiliar to her. That meant she had more searching to do. Or perhaps she had skipped something where she had already been. She would be wandering in circles endlessly and for the rest of her life. She felt the usual wave of hopelessness sweep over her and bit her lip to avoid crying in front of this stallion. She didn't want to embarrass herself, especially not in front of him.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 7:50 pm
Once the stallion saw the mare come into his view, he kept a fierce glare on her not sure if she was friend or foe. Though most outsiders of the family weren't to be trusted anyways and he wasn't going to start with this mare. So he kept his eye on her even though the mare probably couldn't tell who or what he was looking at since his bangs were covering those white-gray orbs of his.
Should he answer her? His comment probably wouldn't be one she wanted to hear and the mare didn't exactly look all that tough. She seemed frail and weak, but he would try his hardest not to judge others just by their look alone. "You are far away from your home.." He managed to grumble out in a ragged tone of voice. He wasn't exactly the most gracious male and his voice wasn't angelic like most believed it was. "Your near my herd's territory and we don't take kindly to strangers in our homeland. Is there something your after or in need of some direction?" He asked her furrowing his brow a little bit under his bangs. It was nice sometimes to be hidden away from the gazes of others. Mainly because he wasn't the prettiest stallion in the world. His age shown, especially when one saw his eyes.
Then again, Hania would probably look down upon his behavior and he didn't want that. Even though he had more age and experience over the herd leader, he wouldn't go against him in any circumstance. "Don't get upset..you are stronger then that." He told her as he took note of how she was acting as well as her features. Maybe he would help her..it was either that or he would have a bawling female around. That was the last thing he wanted.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:05 pm
Her ears perked at his response. You are far away from your home... For a fleeting moment she thought he knew her. For one second she thought that he knew where her home was. She almost pounced on the idea of knowing where home was, but then logic kicked in. He didn't know her. He didn't know where she belonged, he was only warning her away from his territory. "I apologize for intruding...but I don't know where I am...nor do I know where I am going," she said, "May I be allowed to pass through?" she asked politely, hoping that this grumpy stallion would show some kind of mercy for her.
Don't get upset...you are stronger than that. "Am I? I wouldn't know," she said, giving him a little half-smile and an innocent shrug, joking with herself more than anything so as not to cry as he had commanded. Now that she looked at him a little more closely, he seemed older. But not old in a physical way really, just mentally old. He seemed almost bored, or perhaps he had just seen a lot in life. That was probably why he seemed so hostile. She wondered what his memories were like, wondered if she would have had anything in common with him if she had her own memories. Perhaps if she could remember something, she would be grumpy from the weight of the many adventures in her life as well.
She secretively tried to peer under the bangs of his mane, wondering what his eyes looked like. She could feel them burning holes through her skin despite the bangs, and wondered if they were as ferocious as his attitude. She blinked her own bright blue eyes at him curiously, for once not worrying about her own life. "Perhaps you could escort me away from your herd's territory, sir?" she asked. She knew the answer would probably be an abrupt no. He had other things to do besides give a lost and confused mare a tour of his lands, but he intrigued her, so she asked anyway to see how he would reply.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:21 pm
Raising his brow a little bit at her question, he shook his head. He wasn't going to let her through even if she was the nicest mare in the world. He didn't trust her and there wasn't any trust between the two of them. She was a stranger and he wouldn't allow any stranger to nonchalantly wander through the herd land. "No.." His voice was solid like a rock and less rugged this time. He meant it when he said it and anyone would be taken back by how harshly he put it. "We don't allow strangers into the herd land, but there is other ways to go. Around the forest is one of them." He told her narrowing his eyes under his bangs before stomping his hoof into the dirt to give off a bit of a threatening demeanor.
"You wouldn't know if you are strong or not?" He questioned her feeling a bit taken back by that comment. She showed no confidence in herself all ready and that made him think this mare truly was lost. Not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. "Is that how you think of yourself? Such low self-esteem won't get you anywhere." He told her honestly with a small snort.
"Escort you?" He shook his head and looked at her more with a relaxed gaze this time. He never was an escort before and it would give him something to do. "Fine, but keep close..if you get injured or attacked...well it's on you." He told her bluntly as he began to wander away from her. This wasn't how he pictured the day going. "Do you have a name or should I call you stranger?"
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:39 pm
She was only a little surprised by the blunt responses and gruff snorts, jumping slightly at his protective stomps. She expected as much from someone who was defending his territory. But she was surprised that he had agreed to escort her, and he was walking before she had even fully registered what he had said. She blinked awkwardly and jumped after him in one graceful leap, catching up as quickly as she could.
She laughed hollowly to herself in desperation. Low self-esteem did not even come close to covering her situation. She thought about telling him that she had no idea who her actual self really was, and therefore lacked high and low self-esteem. How can one trust something that they don't have any idea about? She thought about it, but enjoyed the new esteem his straightforward advice was giving her and decided to keep quiet for the time-being. She didn't need to share her pathetic story with every being she came across. She didn't want the pity, only a little kindness.
"My name is Isi Anowa. But you can call me Isi," she called after him, speaking to the back of his head as he walked, "what is your name?" She found herself trotting to keep up with him, and not just because he was taller than she was. For seeming so old he certainly was mobile. But he wanted her out of here, and she knew that. She wanted out just as badly. She wanted to move on to new places to collect more information about herself. He had given her one thing at least, and that was a small sense of direction. She knew that she definitely didn't belong here, so this was a nice starting point. She thanked him silently for his accidental help, avoiding trees and hopping over rocks as they went.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:06 pm
Jeremiah let the name settle in his mind for a little bit. This mare was a little on the awkward side and he couldn't help, but keep a close eye on her. It was as if he was protecting a young filly or something. That was at least what it felt like to him. Thinking about it, that was a fun time in his life. He wasn't fond of children, but each child had such different and vibrant personalities that none were the same. Then as they grew up, they matured into amazing adults. It was something he was at least happy he had a chance to see. Letting out a small sigh, the stallion stepped over some brush as they moved into a less dense area in the forest. The sun beaming down through small cracks in the treetops above. When the sun passed over the stallion's silky aging coat it was evident he had his fair share of fights or scuffles if you want to call them that.
"Hmmm...Isi..Anowa.." He finally opened his mouth to speak as they moved closer and closer to a small clearing. "It's a name I might remember. Not sure what will stay in my aging head anymore." He told her giving a small flick of his mane as he slowed his pace just a little bit when he heard her trots become more evident. He didn't want to tired her out, he was just use to moving quickly. "My name is Jeremiah. Unlike you I will only want to be called Jeremiah." He told her in his increasinly serious tone of voice. "So Miss Anowa..how did you get lost?" His head turned to the side giving her a long stare through his thick bangs before looking ahead of him once more.
The journey would be a long and tiring one. He already knew this. "If you need to stop for anything..let me know." He knew she wasn't as journey hardened as he was. He had enough adventure under his belt and she looked old enough to be his grand-daughter or...eh maybe he was just pushing this old thing way too much.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:32 pm
"Jeremiah," she repeated quietly. It worked for him, was fitting to his atmosphere. She observed his battle scars in the shine of the light and wondered at the memories behind each one. She was curious if there was anything missing in his life, if he was satisfied with his memories and scars. She couldn't help but look down at her own body to see if she had any scars that could carry meaning for her. She examined her chest and legs, but saw nothing but smooth blue fading into silky purple. She stumbled a little bit and looked up quickly to see if he had noticed, blushing fiercely. Noting her own physical appearances should have been the first thing on her list of things to do in her quest for answers about herself, she realized that now. But it was all in hindsight now, and she moved forward and further out of the forest with him.
How did you get lost? She thought hard about that question, just like she did every morning that she woke up and knew nothing about herself. "I...I don't know," she replied honestly, wishing he would change the subject to himself before she would begin to embarrass herself by crying. She nodded obediently at his command to let him know if she needed to stop, though she didn't intend to do so.
"Tell me, Jeremiah, have you had to escort many out of your herd's territories before?" she asked curiously, finally breathing now that his pace had slowed. She peeked around him to see where they were going, noting that the trees were thinning here.
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Posted: Wed Jan 02, 2013 10:47 pm
It wouldn't take a blind person to see that this mare was examining herself. He wondered why she was for a moment before coming to the assumption that she was a bit naive as well as shy. It probably wasn't a bad assumption either because it was appearing more and more to be that way. "Is something wrong?" He asked her giving a long stare in her direction before shifting his gaze forward curiously examining everything around him to make sure he was going the right way. Getting lost would be such a bad omen for him right now.
"How don't you know? Are you a sleep walker or something? Do you have blackouts?" He curiously asked the mare moving slower and slower so that she was at his side now. "I won't pry and in no way do you need to answer my questions. After all it's none of my business how you happened to get lost." He shrugged continuing on until they moved right back into dense forest once more. The trees were beginning to look the same to him, but luckily he knew where he was going.
"Your the first. I don't usually escort anyone. It's not really my job." He snorted in an agitated manner. "Most of the time I rough them up or scare them off. You on the other hand seemed to need more help and would probably have had a heart attack if I attacked you." He wasn't telling the full truth there. He would never harm a mare no matter how much he hated them. He wasn't like Gabriel. He treasured them and thought they should be protected rather then abused. But he wasn't going to admit that. As they neared a narrowing path, he stepped ahead of her giving a small nod. "Be careful. We have to cross a small ravine and I don't want you falling." He gave her a firm nod before walking further seeing the ravine come into his view. The only way across was a thick moss covered trunk that was lodged tightly into the ground.
"Follow closely." He commanded her as he slowly began to cross it. If one wasn't careful they could slip right off and go tumbling into the waters below.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 1:56 pm
She shook her head at him. "No, nothing wrong," she said with another innocent half-smile under the glare of those hidden eyes.
For the first time she was slightly offended by his words. You would probably have had a heart attack if I attacked you. She looked over at the tall and battle-scarred stallion with sad blue eyes. Did she seem that pathetic to him? But when she thought about it she supposed she did. He was tough and rugged, tall and strong, and he had been through a lot it seemed. In his eyes she was a lost and hopeless mare...in her own eyes that's what she was.
Would she have approved of this mentality in her past life? She wondered what she had been like before losing her memory. Had she been this fragile? Or had she been as grumpy and abrupt as Jeremiah? She practically clung to him while crossing the ravine, following as closely as possible without knocking him over the edge. Her legs shook despite her perfectly capable balancing skills and despite her will for them to stay still. Don't look down, don't look down...She closed her eyes slightly in a wince until they reached solid ground.
"I lost my memory...I have no idea who I am, where I came from, or how I got here," she said quietly and slightly shakily after they had finally reached the other side. She decided it would be best to tell her escort what was the matter with the low self-esteemed mare whom he led out of his territory. She looked back at the ravine they had crossed. What had seemed terrifying only moments before, seemed so small now. She sighed. He was probably right to think she was so delicate.
She suddenly realized that she still had herself pressed up against his side and quickly corrected herself by stepping to the side a little before he could get too angry. "How far is our journey?" she asked, hoping to change the subject from herself, even though he had said he would not pry.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:02 pm
This was a first for him. He hadn't met anyone who had lost there memory before and it was quite interesting. Sad, but interesting. Though he didn't know if he should be prying at her about it since she could have some kind of amnesia or a memory disease. It could be damn well anything. "Memory loss? That has to be very annoying. So your pretty much trying to find yourself then? Most spend a lifetime trying to figure that out while others it comes to them gradually. If your strong enough then you will figure it out sooner then you think." He gave her a firm nod as he continued on the journey. The atmosphere around them was getting a little darker letting him know the day was turning into night very slowly. He needed to quicken his pace because once nightfall came it would be much harder to travel.
"Night fall is approaching so we better hurry. Unless you want to be stuck with me even longer then necessary." His voice was ragged and harsh. It usually sounded that way when he didn't want to do something. He was sometimes so easy to read.
He didn't realize the mare was pressed so closely to him until she moved away. With a grunt following, he looked over at her still hiding his eyes under his charcoal bangs. "You aren't scared are you?" He asked her feeling his patience thinning more and more with her. He liked distance and the closer she would get the more he would feel uncomfortable. This was probably the closest he had gotten to a mare in a long time. "The journey isn't too long, but it can be a bit tiring. As long as wolves or other creatures don't attack us then we are fine. No need to worry though. I made my rounds earlier so there shouldn't be anything in the area." He gestured to her as they continued on seeing the forest break into a path. "We follow the path now all the way down to where you want to go. It leads to an open plain if that is where you want to be?" He asked peering over at her with a stoic expression.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 8:47 pm
A lifetime...her heart fell at the idea of spending the rest of her life searching for herself. Although she desperately wanted to discover her past, was it really worth wasting a lifetime? If there was someone out there waiting for her, then yes. But how could she be sure that there would be someone waiting for her when she remembered herself. She went back and forth with the subject in her mind, until she finally decided to drop that particular subject. She needed to know who she was, end of story. "Afraid of what? You? No," she said defensively, "but I am afraid of not finding my memories. Do you think I'm strong enough?" She knew the answer already, and then decided to rephrase the question.
"Do you think I could be strong enough?" she asked quietly, falling behind for just a moment as his pace quickened once more. She looked at the sky and shivered at the thought of night time. She didn't feel strong enough, she had barely even convinced herself to pursue her memories through searching. She looked down at her slender legs once again, this time noting how thin and fragile they seemed to be.
"Will I be in danger on my own in the open plain?" she asked hesitantly, knowing that he did not care. She felt that she was asking too many questions, and fell silent after this last question. She could tell that he was growing tired of her company and wondered if he was this way with everyone in the herd he protected. She wondered if he had a family of his own to return to and felt a small pang of jealousy towards him at the thought as they followed the path away from his home, and possibly away from hers. Am I even going the right way? She thought to herself sulkily.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 9:23 pm
The stallion shook his head at her words. He wasn't talking about himself, but more the creatures that might attack them at any moment. He was sure it wasn't going to happen though. He didn't feel like they were in any immediate danger. "I am dangerous, but no I will not attack you. I was talking more about the other beings that hunt for sport or simply hunt to make a living. You need to be cautious of beings like this. You never know what may be lurking out in the woods." He told her truthfully as he listened to her speak more wondering how he should answer this one. "You shouldn't be afraid. If you truly cannot remember your past then it wasn't memorable to begin with. Start anew or you will drive yourself crazy trying to remember something that might be lost forever. But that is only a choice you can make. If it comes back with time then let it, but if not then just create a new life for yourself." He told her honestly in a serious tone. He was joking around and honesty was one of his strong points.
"But to answer your questions...no I don't think your strong enough right now, but yes I do believe you can be strong enough with time. You don't come off as a weak minded mare. Maybe fragile and a little dependent on others, but not weak." He nodded giving her a definite answer on the subject. He was starting to not mind the company of this mare too much, but he knew never to get attached to someone even if for a friendship. They could be there one minute and gone the next. It wasn't a good way to think, but it was what he was raised on.
"If your not careful then you will be in danger. Keep your ears clear and your eyes looking forward. If you do this then you will be fine." He gave her little pointers on how to listen for others in the area. It was something he was good at. "Are you sure your alright though? Not resting?" He asked her looking over and without thinking, he flicked his long mane upward causing his bangs to fly up away from his face. His eyes locked on Isi in that moment. For once, even if for a brief time one could see his white-gray eyes that definitely didn't show too much emotion behind them. If anything they were eyes of a lonely sad stallion which is why he hid them as much as he could. Once the bangs fell back into place, he gazed forward watching as the forest broke and the open plain came into the view. He paused his movement and dug his hoof into the ground.
"It's getting darker.." He mumbled unsure if this was the best time for her to be wandering off through and open area. "Maybe rest until morning?" He was trying. Not because he enjoyed her company, but because he didn't want to end up finding her corpse one day when he knew he could have prevented it.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:04 pm
She took notes mentally on all of his advice, practicing listening to the forest around her and scanning the area with her eyes. She felt her face form into a stern and focused frown, and hoped he didn't think she was making fun of him. Peering suspiciously at the thicker trees behind them, she searched for the movement of any predators as the sun went further down in the sky. She thought for one fleeting moment that she had seen something move, but figured that her inexperienced eyes were making things up. She decided not to alarm Jeremiah with her ignorance and returned her eyes ahead of herself on the path.
His advice about making a new life was what stuck in her mind. What was it about this stallion that made her think so much? She didn't know how to start a new life. She didn't know anyone to do that with. She had met a few others on her journey so far, but they would not be a part of her new life any more than they were a part of her old life. She didn't want to be alone in her new life, she hated being alone. No, she needed to find out at least a little about herself before moving on.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as his bangs revealed white-gray and piercing eyes. They met the deep blue of her own eyes and penetrated them right to the core of her mind and heart. She froze for that brief moment, holding her breath. They told so much. Told the story of his battles better than any of his scars, showed the loneliness in his heart. They were like windows into his soul. They pulled her in, and seemed to transport her. She saw her reflection in those glassy orbs, and felt as if they were pulling her in to the whiteness.
She stood in a forest, different from that of Jeremiah's. The trees were shorter, their leaves were thin and needlelike, and snow covered the ground. There was a sense of panic in the air, a sense of dread. "Run! Run!" she was screaming. Blood on the snow. Run....run.
The scene became fuzzy, and faded completely. And then his bangs fell back over the windows like a dark curtain and she was left feeling rather shaky and nauseous. She pretended for his sake that she had not seen such a personal part of him and herself and looked at the ground immediately. What on earth had just happened? Did he know it had happened? She tried to appear as normal as possible, while trying to keep her legs from collapsing.
"Yes...rest...rest sounds nice. Would you permit me to sleep near your herd's territory, Jeremiah?" she asked quietly, looking back up at him after regaining her composure somewhat.
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 7:37 am
The stallion remained halted like he was some kind of statue when he looked out to the open plain. He was only making sure she would be safe. Turning his head slightly, he saw the mare didn't look like she was standing on her feet quite right. This made him a little nervous, but he knew immediately what he needed to do as if it was implanted in his brain. All those battles and all those times where he had to help his other companions help shape what he is today. Without even thinking on it, he quickly moved to the side she was listing over on the most and pushed lightly against it. It was more so like he was catching her before she fell and he did a damn good job at doing it. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked her tilting his head slightly and stared at her through his bangs. He already knew she seen his eyes and even though he wasn't blind or anything, he just didn't like anyone seeing them. It had become a habit to keep them hidden.
"Yes you should rest. You don't appear to be well." He said simply to her before moving away and keeping a close eye on her to make sure she was fine. "You can rest here as long as you promise me you won't go back that way and enter my herd territory?" He asked her and it seemed like a goodbye forever by the sound of it. He was cold with others and this was just a passerby. "If you are that afraid of being attacked...." He paused and looked out into the distance very calmly. He wasn't tense for once and wasn't always worrying about if something was out there lurking to kill him. "I can stay until morning, but once you wake up...I won't be here." He gave her a firm nod.
It was as simple as that for him. This was his goodbye to her if she would take it. Though it didn't mean of course she had to fall asleep right at this instant. If she grew tired enough then it would happen and he knew that. He looked back to her with his usual stoic expression. Even though he didn't show it, he wondered what happened in her past that made her forget.
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