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 Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 6:47 am
 It had been so great to see his parents once more and while it meant turning his attention from Atlantis to them for a part of the time Cergen was certain that she would understand. After all it had been five years since they had seen him and like the other members of the herd they had assumed he had died when they couldn't find him. After catching up with them and assuring his mother that he would never run off like that again he returned to Atlantis and with her at his side he became reunited with the rest of the herd. Like she promised, they all seemed quite happy to see him, each one of them curious about how exactly he survived so well out in the jungle. He had shared his story with them all, proud to be accepted among them for the first time and any time he started to feel nervous with all the attention turned his way Cergen only needed to look at Atlantis and everything was alright.
As things wound down and many of the members left to call it a night Cergen bid his parents goodnight and promised to return the next day to spend more time with them. Now he planned to spend a bit more time with Atlantis before the adrenaline of the night wore off and he would be forced to sleep. He didn't want to sleep, he wanted to stay awake forever looking at her, talking with her. As he led her down the beach away from the others who still stood about he glanced out over the ocean, it's water dark as night drew upon them, silver stars twinkled overhead and he let out a content sigh. "Thank you for being there with me tonight. I'm not sure I could have done it without you." He might have been able to, but why would he try to go it alone when he had such beautiful and willing company. Plus during his time with his parents his mother made several positive comments about seeing him come in with her. "I feel so fortunate to have been accepted back. I had been worried, but you were right, they were happy to see me." He was grateful they had put the past behind them and accepted him for the stallion he was now and didn't bring up the ugly past beyond the odd mention of how long it had been since they had last seen him on this very beach.
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:22 am
 It had been a long evening. Like really long..almost unending really and while it was heartwarming to see him reunited with his parents, it was the envious looks she had spotted from some of the other mares..and the comments from Cergen's own family, that had made the whole evening worth while to her. She had made the effort to be warm and supportive, keeping close to Cergen so that the others knew just who he belonged to And while it had certainly gone a long way in feeding her ego...she was still quite glad when the happy gathering began to disperse and Cergen had expressed the desire for some time alone.
Good..now she would get the chance to further ensure he was her. All hers! Not that she thought she had much to worry about but Atlantis wasn't going to take any chances....and surprisingly she was finding that she kind of liked his company. Maybe even for more then just his looks. Maybe.
"You would have been fine." She told him in a soft voice. "You are strong enough to have seen it through...Though I am glad to have been there with you as well." She added after a slight pause. she had to chuckle a little bit at his next comment...simply because she could think of no way in this world they would ever have turned him away. The lost colt miraculously returned? Why he was the herds prodigal son, a story to be told for generations! Atlantis was bound and determined to make sure those stories contained her as well.
"They would never have turned you away. To find you after such a long time? Why it is like a herd miracle!" She went on as they walked along the shoreline. The tide was rising she noted and the water had begun to lap at their hooves, Soon they would have to move further inland but she kept the thought to herself for the moment so as not to ruin the moment.
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:38 am
He smiled at her and nodded his head. "Yes, I could have done it without you for I do have the strength and courage to face this now but...why would I do that when I had your company? I would be a fool to turn you away just so that I could walk in there on my own and show them that I had lived and survived after what had happened those years ago." He would have done so had he not happened to run into her before hand, but since that was not the case he was so glad to have returned home with her by his side. Luckily for Atlantis he had completely missed all the envious glares from the other mares tossed in her direction. Even if he had have seen them he would not have given those mares any other attention other than the hellos he had shared with a few of them accompanied by his story of survival which he was fairly certain was heard by the entire herd.
He couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the herd miracle statement Atlantis made. "I don't know if it is a miracle. I could have been all sheer luck that I survived and returned." It honestly didn't matter how or why things had turned out like they did, what mattered was the here and now. He walking with her for a while longer enjoying the feel of the cold sea water lapping at his legs. In the jungle the water was always warm and while he had gotten used to it the feeling of the cold ocean once more was such a welcoming thing. As the water began to come higher up on his legs Cergen gave Atlantis' shoulder a small nudge with his nose and began to lead her away from the water. "I don't have a place to stay." He stated suddenly and with a slight laugh. "Mother offered to let me sleep with them tonight but I know she would have just kept me up all night asking me about every detail that happened over the last five years." He couldn't blame his mother for being overly happy with his return.
"Should probably find a place before it gets too dark." And then he wondered about where she slept. "But first I should escort you to where you sleep. Make sure you get there safely in the growing darkness." It was partially a reason to stay with her a bit longer and also it would allow him to find her easily come morning.
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Posted: Mon Mar 25, 2013 7:59 am
Atlantis listened to his remarks quietly. She was rather glad that she had happened to run into him before one of the other mares had snapped him up, concocted some sort of story about her if he asked..and some of them would have, they were a catty bunch some of the mares in the herd. Atlantis had often fantasized about leaving, running off to find her own place in the world..new targets..new treasures. Something had always held her back however, she told herself that knowing the land and all of its hiding spots was an advantage she wasn't willing to give up and perhaps that was partially true. But there were other reasons as well..reasons she wasn't about to admit just yet. Even to herself.
"Well miracle or luck..I don't think anyone will complain about the results." She told him with a warm look before heeding his gentle nudge and steering their path away from the slowly rising water. His next statement made her pause slightly as she considered the best way to answer. This had to be handled carefully..was Cergen the type who would think it too forward if she asked him to stay with her? He kind of struck her as a romantic stallion who wanted to woo her slowly, court her properly..and in such situations one sis not spend the night with the other right off the bat. At least that was the impression she got as she consulted her own experiences in wooing stallions so that she could steal their various items. Yes she expected Cergen was of the gentlemanly chivalrous type.
"There is a nice grove beside the place I stay...no one else uses it." She suggested, deciding to try and hit two birds with the same stone. Let him have his chivalrous manners..but keep him close at the same time.
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:04 am
Cergen couldn't help but laugh at that. "That is true. Though I think some of them may be thinking or wishing that they had ran off into the jungle at such a young age so they could return and get all the attention." He was almost sure of it by some of the things the others stallions had said as he retold his story so that everyone could hear it. In fact at one point he almost stopped telling his story to tell a relatively young stallion, one who had clearly been born after he had left, that the jungle was not some dream place to live in, that it had been a struggle from day one and that if it wasn't for him befriending a monkey he likely wouldn't have survived a week. But he had continued on with his story, knowing the young stallion hadn't meant for his comments to be heard. Perhaps he would speak to the other in the next few days and let him know that running off into the jungle is a terrible idea. Whether the young stallion would listen or not was unknown to him.
He forced himself out of his thoughts as Atlantis spoke up about a place to stay. A grove close to where she slept would be perfect. That way he would be close enough to protect her should any harm come her way, not that he expected that to happen, but it also gave him a private place to sleep. Much as he wanted to spend all his time with her it wasn't appropriate to lay in the same grove as her on his night back home after five years of being away. He did not want to sully her reputation or his own by doing so. Turning his gaze back to her he gave her a smile. "That sounds good to me. And when morning comes we can spend more time together, I would really like to wander the herd lands a bit, see all that has changed in the years I was absent." Of course that exploration would give him plenty of time to catch up with Atlantis. "That is as long as you are free tomorrow. I don't want to get in the way of any of your responsibilities."
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:18 am
Atlantis was more then positive that what Cergen said was true - indeed she had seen the envious looks of the younger stallions, all of whom were quite enamored by the tho"'t last a week before coming home all bedraggled and forlorn. It would be hilarious.
But she kept these thoughts to herself knowing that Cergen likely wouldn't approve..he was far to tender hearted, always had been...part of the reason he'd been picked on so much as a foal. He was just to darn nice for his own good sometimes. She was also pleased to hear that he was willing to take over the grove near her own resting place..it meant she could keep an eye on him, make sure none of the other mares tried to steal him away on her and since she had pulled off her newest plot it was prudent for her to lay low and stick close to home for a few days anyways so really this was all just perfect timing wise. "I'm free tomorrow, I'd love to explore with you." She told him in a sweet voice "Was there anywhere in particular that you really wanted to see again?" Honestly she thought the herdlands were a bit dull herself, at least compared to some of the places she had visited during her 'jobs'...but she supposed after being away for five years they might be exciting to Cergen again.
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:29 am
As they continued to move up the beach away from the ocean Cergen turned his head to look back at the large expanse of water. He had been away from it for so long that walking away from it now felt wrong, but then he reminded himself that he was home now and every single day that ocean with it's sandy beach would be there to greet him. He did not need to fear never seeing it again, not any more. He was home, the ocean was here, Atlantis and his parents were here, everything he needed was here. Then he thought of his monkey Clever Hands, would his friend want to stay here or return to the jungle. He hoped the monkey would stay, he had known his friend most of his life and having him leave would break Cergen's heart. But he would also understand, the beach wasn't an ideal place for a monkey to live.
When she announced that she was free tomorrow Cergen tore his gaze away from the ocean and smiled widely at her. "Excellent." Then he paused considering her question. What did he want to see in particular? He honestly wasn't sure at the moment, there were too many places to see, to revisit and remember from the short time he had lived here. "I'm not sure. I supposed I shall give it some thought tonight. After living among the jungle for so long I can't fully remember everything about the herd lands. I think I will need to eventually explore every bit of it just so I can relearn the lands and what they hold." It would be not much different from when he had first stopped running in the forest, there was so much to see and learn that it took quite some time for him to learn all that his new home had to show. The beach wasn't completely foreign to him though, he could remember a few things, perhaps that would be where they could start and work their way out from there, map his old home starting from the areas he did know
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Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:41 am
Atlantis followed Cergens gaze towards the sea, it was actually quite lovely tonight with the moon shining upon it..it would have been a good night for wooing a mark on the shoreline, but not a very good night for making a getaway, far to bright for such things. But she quickly banished such thoughts from her mind, she was supposed to be laying low remember..and with Cergen here she suspected she would need to take more time off then she typically did. She had to make sure she was completely and utterly hers before going off for any time away.
"Well we have plenty of time to figure it out." She assured him "Perhaps some place will come to you tonight, I often find ideas strike right before sleep." She told him in a warm and encouraging tone. They were nearing the small grove she had spoke up..and she hoped it would suit him, there were trees for shelter and a comfortable place to lay. "I do hope this is nice enough..I don't know what sort of place you are accustomed to sleeping in.." Where had he slept in the jungle? Her own visions of the jungle were filled with imaginary scenes of flowers and waterfalls shared with her by marks...she suspected this was likely far from the actual truth and although she had lived close to the jungle for all of her life she had never dared to venture far within it...certainly never farther then the sound of the ocean could carry in order to bring her home again. Not many in the herd had.
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Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 7:26 pm
"I hope you are right, I can't say that night time has ever proved worthy of great ideas in my past but perhaps tonight it can be." Out in the jungle his main concerns at night were a safe place to sleep, his home there had been safe for the most part but predators did roam the jungle quite frequently and so he always had to make sure things were safe before bedding down. Here though it was different, they were in the herds territory, albeit close to the edge, but he knew, or at least remembered, that guards would patrol night and day to ensure everyone was safe, so he could rest easy tonight.
He brought his hooves to the stop as they reached the grove. Cergen gave it a quick look over, it was of a decent size, plenty of trees to keep him not only safe but for privacy as well, Clever Hands would be happy with that - speaking of the monkey he hadn't seen him for quite some time. He hoped his friend was alright and that nothing had happened to him, even more so he hoped that the monkey hadn't decided to return to the jungle without him. Not something he could think about now. "I think this will do nicely, somewhat similar to what I had in the jungle although...." He paused and glanced back towards the ocean, though there was only a light breeze tonight one could clearly heard the waves, gentle as they were, reached and then receding from the shoreline. "...it may take me some time getting used to hearing those waves. Jungle sounds I can sleep through but this will be new to me for a while." Not necessarily new but something he hadn't experienced in many years. With a shake of his head he cast a smile at Atlantis. "I will just learn to live with it just like I did the noises of the jungle." The heavy smell of salt from the ocean would be another thing he would have to readjust to, but he was willing to do that to be home and to be with Atlantis.
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Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 6:54 am
"Perhaps you have simply been too far removed from a relaxing place to sleep." Atlantis suggested, it made sense she supposed for there to be a lack of ideas striking if you were constantly fretting about predators and the like...and she couldn't help but think sleeping in the jungle night after night would be anything less then stressful to some degree. Although she kept that thought to herself since Cergen seemed rather fond of his previous jungle home.
The waves? Atlantis was slightly puzzled for a moment before she realized that yes..she supposed the sound of them crashing into the shore could be a hinderance if you weren't used to them..she had lived on the beach so long that honestly she didn't even notice it anymore. "I'm sure that you'll adjust to it again quickly, your mind won't have forgotten your time here as a foal..why I bet you barely noticed it after tonight." She assured him with a warm look. It was good he seemed to like the grove..it would keep him close, but not two close. "Was it hard to sleep in the jungle? I always hear the birds and strange howls when I venture a ways in..I can't imagine trying to sleep through all of that."
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Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:06 am
"I think you might be right." He told her with a smile. The jungle was, at least in the beginning far from a relaxing place and while he learned quickly enough what was safe and what wasn't one could never truly fully relax out there. There were too many things to keep track of, food to find, shelter to find, predators to worry about and though the trees helps to provide shelter when really bad storms blew in the jungle was a far more dangerous place to be than out here in the open on the beach. He watched as a slightly look of confusion crossed her face when he mentioned the waves. Of course she wouldn't think of the waves, she had lived here her entire life, they would be normal to her, practically nonexistent to because they were such a constant presence.
"It will be no different than having to adjust to the sounds of the jungle years ago. Though I think the waves are more of a relaxing sound even when I'm not used to them." Her question made him pause for a bit. "In the beginning it was really hard. I was so scared, both of being so deep in the jungle and of the thought of trying to return home that I didn't sleep much those first few nights...and every sound had me on my hooves and running even though I was dead tired. But overtime I learned to ignore a lot of the sounds, they became like the waves are to you present but rarely acknowledged. Of course there were plenty of sounds that woke me up even recently but those were the types of sounds that all the forest woke up to, at least the smart animals did, those that didn't..." He gave his head a shake. He didn't want to scare her and make her think the jungle was dangerous. Oh it was but that was no reason to avoid ever going in it. In fact that gave him an idea. "Perhaps some day you will let me show you that world, show you where I lived and the many beautiful and wonderful things that can be found in the jungle."
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Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:16 am
Atlantis nodded politely as he spoke of his early time in the jungle. She shuddered to think of being there alone as a young foal, why it was scary enough to consider going into as an adult thank you very much! But of course she couldn't tell him that..he would think her a right chicken if she refused his sudden offer to show her around and Atlantis wasn't about to be thought of in any such way.
Besides the other herd mare wouldn't quake in terror at the very prospect and that was just another point in her favor. She - Atlantis - would be the only one braver enough to try and share his previous experiences. Really how hard could it be? Certainly it couldn't be any worse then dealing with some of her more difficult clingy marks. "That would be lovely..I've heard tales of some rather spectacular sights in the jungle." And hidden treasures as well..but she would bring that up later. Perhaps as an innocent story and see if it sparked any sort of memory. That prospect was an exciting one and suddenly Atlantis could see Cergen as not only one more notch in her 'I'm better then you' stick but as a possible source for more treasure and sparkly things. How absolutely lucky she had been to run across him first..and even more so that she hadn't been cruel to him as a foal. Of course she must have seen something in him as a foal...some unconscious sign that she was going to grow up and be something important. Yes Atlantis you really are just that amazing! She mentally congratulated herself for such forethought.
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 6:44 am
Cergen couldn't help but smile. He had wondered if she would accept his offer to show her the jungle. Not every mare would accept such a thing, it was after all as dangerous a place as it was beautiful. He was glad to see the Atlantis was willing to venture out with him to see that world, a world that meant so much to him in the last five years and would always hold a special place in his heart. "There are a number of beautiful places in the jungle that I can show you, sights you might not see anywhere else." He would miss places like that now that he had returned to the beach, but since the jungle was only a short journey away he could always make trips back to visit them. Plus it would be good for Clever Hands to get to see their old home now and then as well. His monkey friend had kept a low profile since he had returned home but even now he knew he was out there at the edge of the trees waiting.
"Not only are there beautiful sights but there is also some of the most delicious fruit you will ever eat out there. You might not want to return to the beach once you experience the jungle." He teased her with a light chuckle.
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:02 am
Well at least she had that to look forward too - Atlantis did enjoy seeing pretty things, although the knowledge was slightly dampened by the knowledge that these pretty things were not really objects that she could possess. Still she would just have to cling to the fact that she would be the only mare in the herd to see them and that was a type of possession right? It would be bragging rights if nothing else.
"I am sure that you know of many such places and having seen the various flowers in the jungle..even from the beach I look forward to seeing what else such a place can hide." She told him with a sincere enough smile. At least she could eat the fruit he spoke of, hopefully they would be tasty enough to satisfy her desire to have only the best.
"There are some very beautiful places here on the beach you might not recall as well..shallows with coral, shells and oasis...perhaps I can show you those and rekindle your memory of them in return for you showing me this jungle home of yours,"
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:28 am
Yes, he had made the right decision to offer to take Atlantis into the jungle and show her the many great wonders hidden there. She would certainly appreciate and up close and personal view of the jungle and it would give them more time to catch up and develop a relationship. "The ones you see from the beach are nothing compared to the ones deeper in the jungle." The more solid the jungle got, the more wonders one found.
He gave his head a nod as she mentioned some of the interesting features of their beach home, a home he was still very unused to after only being back a few hours. "Some of those I can remember vaguely, others I can't remember at all. I would love for you to show them to me." With the tours of the jungle as well as the beach they would be busy for some time exploring and remembering, but it was time Cergen was willing to spend with her by his side. "But I feel that it has drawn too late to do much of this today." The sun had nearly set now and soon the beach would be dark until morning, Atlantis still needed to go to her own grove, which she had assured him earlier was not far from this one. "It was so good to spend my first day back with you, and I look forward to being reunited with my old home and showing you my jungle, but what I need right now is some rest. It's been an exciting day and much as I want to stay up for many more hours talking with you I think it's best to end the night here." He stepped closer and gave her a nuzzle. "I look forward to seeing you in the morning. Have a good night Atlantis." With that he took a step back.
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