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 Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:45 am
He'd wrongfully assumed that upon hearing his approval, Izefiah would get up and go find Nalani. Now he wasn't sure what to do. He would have to go find her himself, he assumed. Tell her that he had lied and beg her to come to Izefiah. He needed her. She was the only one that could pull him out of this deep depression. She was the only one that could save him.
Casting his son one last sorrowful glance, Auster turned and trotted to the river. When was the last time Izefiah has drank? He didn't dare to think. Lowering his head he took a long sip himself, preparing himself for the journey.
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:07 am
 Elisheva was flagging finally, tired muscles finding it hard to work her wings, a dry mouth and a sore neck from constantly craning it to look below her at the ground as she flew.
She didn't want to take a break, but it was becoming necessary, and when she caught sight of a band of winding blue, she changed direction, tilting her body and partially folding her wings, going into a controlled nose dive that she stopped with a wide open snap and spread of her wings, bringing herself to a slow glide for the last few yards. She landed a few hoof-steps from the river and it was then that she caught sight of the large stallion.
'Spirits..' she muttered, taking in the four wings (check), imposing stature (check), and colouration (check) as described by her sister. She took a deep breath, folding her wings at her side and marched straight over, thirst and fatigue forgotten.
'Excuse me.' she said, getting straight to the point. She was fired up over her sister's upset, but she would just as soon know for definate if this was Izefiah's father before she gave him a piece of her mind.
'Would you be Izefiah's father by any chance?'
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 4:59 am
Auster was surprised when the mare dropped out of the sky, landing gracefully a few yards away from him. If he'd been less dignified he may have let out a squawk. He was even more surprised when she marched straight over to him, demanding to know if he was Izefiah's father. Keeping his cool demeanour, he finished his drink and straightened, looking down at her cooly.
"Perhaps I might be," he said, taking the moment to study her carefully. He hasn't seen her before, he was certain. Could she be another mare that Izefiah had met? She had wings! She had wings as perhaps she could draw Izefiah out of his gloom. He felt hopeful for a moment. "Are you a friend of his?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:18 am
Elisheva felt like adding 'rude' to that little checklist she had gone through on seeing him, biding her time and biting her tongue whilst the older stallion finished his drink and then deigned to reply to her.
She shook her head at his question.
'No. But I am sister to one who called him that at one time, that and more.' she said, her tail swishing as her ire grew the more she talked. Thinking of her sister's current heartbroken state spurred her on.
'I'm sure you remember her. A lovely mare, kind and gentle of spirit and ways, who you informed of your son's duplicitious ways.' she said, a scowl marring her usual genial expression.
'See, now I'm not sure whether I should thank you for being honest, or ask what kind of father you are that raises a son who could toy with the feelings of my sister in such a manner. What do you think?'
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:37 am
Oh. Auster felt his cheeks colour under his dark coat, heat rising to his cheeks as she slung her (perfectly accurate) accusations. His nostrils flared and his first instinct was to insult her back, especially when she called Izefiah's character into question, but he managed to keep his tongue in check. He was the one in the wrong here after all. Perhaps this was his redemption.
"I do remember her," he said, his voice low. "In fact, I have hardly stopped thinking of her. You should not thank me, that much is certain. I have done a terrible wrong toward your sister. And my son," he added, drawing himself up much taller than he felt at that moment. He had to right the wrong, just as Mahdi had said.
"You do not know the truth of what happened," he said earnestly, not a hint of malice in his voice. "I am afraid I was not honest with your sister. I told her a grievous lie. Izefiah is not betrothed to another."
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:00 am
Elisheva thought she knew what this stallion was going to say; she'd pegged him as acting as if his son had done nothing wrong, defending him even, and then maybe calling her sister's conduct into question, which would have been a scandalous falsehood on his part.
What she hadn't expected was what then followed, a confession of the full story, and his part in it. There had been duplicity, but it had been on this gentleman's part, and not the one that Nalani's happiness was so dependant on.
'How..?' Elisheva stammered at first, and then got a hold of herself.
'How could you? What possessed you to do such a thing to a mare who had done nothing to you, to your own son?'
She really could not understand how it was possible that a father could do that to his son, and she paced a few steps, her head in a whirl with what she had found out.
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:13 am
Auster watched as she gaped at him. If Mahdi had not already chastised him for his behaviour and had he not felt so guilty on his own, he would have been annoyed at her. As it was he simply watched in silence, a rather morose expression on his face.
"I did not do it to cause your sister or my son pain," he said, shaking his head. She would not believe that, he was certain but he did not care. It was the truth. He had done it to protect his son and keep him close. Too bad it would likely be the thing to finally drive him completely away.
"My son was born with the gift of flight, albeit as limited as it may be. Your sister was not. She is beneath him." Auster spoke flatly, anticipating her objections but he did not care. "I told her what I did so she would leave him and he would return home to me where he belongs. I did not foresee the impact my actions would have. My son is inconsolable."
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 7:34 am
Elisheva snorted at that assertion. How could he believe that? You would have to be a complete fool not to realise the consequences of such an extreme action.
When he spoke about her sister having no wings, being 'beneath' Izefiah, she did more than just snort, she let rip in a way that she didn't believe was inside her. The nerve of him! To stand there, spouting some feeble and nonsensical prejudicial rubbish about Nalani not having wings.
'How dare you..' she hissed, wings rustling in her agitation.
'She is not beneath him, she is worth ten times ANY winged mare you can name, including myself. Nalani is the sweetest, most loving, and kind hearted Soquili you will ever, EVER meet, and your son is beyond lucky that she thought to bestow her affections on him.' she paused for a breath before continuing.
'Do you know that she wouldn't even blame Izefiah after you told her that lie about him being betrothed?! No, even though her heart was breaking, she managed to wish him well, she couldn't bring herself to think ill of him even knowing what she did.' Elisheva let out a long breath, taking a moment to glare at him.
'That is the kind of mare she is. So she doesn't have wings.So what? She has a big, warm heart and a loving soul. She would make him happy.'
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 8:12 am
Auster watched her wearily as she ranted and shouted at him. He'd long learnt that most didn't agree with his views but now wasn't the time for him to be defending them. He wasn't going to have an argument with her right now on the qualities of ground horses. Sighing impatiently, he waited for her to finish and finally stop talking before he opened his own mouth.
"I do not know your sister," he said, his voice rather listless. He was not enjoying this conversation in the slightest. "But I'm certain you mean what you say. What I did had nothing to do with your sister's lovely personality. I'm sure she's delightful. Nor did I realize how deep their feelings for each other ran." Not that it would have made a difference, but still. He really hadn't.
"You need to understand something. Those are my beliefs. They are not my son's. He has never agreed with me in this matter. I created this problem, and I mean to fix it. I was about to go look for your sister myself, actually. I can only assume she does make Izefiah happy since he's been miserable since he returned."
"Whether you believe me or not is of no consequence to me. I don't care in the least what you think of me. But do not look down on my son. He is a gentleman, and he cares for your sister also. Help me reunite them."
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:16 am
Elisheva was far from mollified, but she could not lose sight of the reason for her seeking him and his son out. Her sister was back at home, unaware that her heartache was for naught, that Izefiah was as unattached as when Nalani had first met him, and that there was every chance of her to have the happiness she had long sought.
'You will accept her as Izefiah's mate then? You will show her the respect she deserves? I will help you, for her sake, as it pains me to see her in the state she is in.' Elisheva said, her tone speaking volumes. If he could do neither he would not be able to bring any comfort to his son as she would refuse to take either of them to see her.
'But only on those terms.'
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Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 11:57 am
Tone or no tone, Auster would have quite easily agreed. The sight of Izefiah in such despair cut into his heart worse than any kalona's or skinwalker's tooth ever could. His son was miserable, anguished, downright wretched. He couldn't bear it any longer. He would do anything, absolutely anything to reverse the damage he had done. It mattered to him naught what he had to allow in order to do so.
"I accept her as his mate, if that is what he wants," he ceded, bowing his head in a gesture of respect. "If Izefiah truly loves her and wishes for her to become his mate, then I will stand aside and let that happen despite my personal beliefs. I simply want my son to be happy once more. If your sister will make him happy, then she is what I want for him."
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Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:10 am
Well, it was good to know old dogs could learn new tricks, though Elisheva wasn't completely taken in just from this initial declaration. It was a start in the right direction though, and for now she would accept what he had said, though she would continue to look for, or keep an ear out for any sign of behaviour that was contrary to what he just said.
'I suggest you go fetch your son, and ask him.' she replied. She wanted to satisfy her own curiosity about this Izefiah fellow as well, and of course vet his countenance and see if he was as distraught as his father was making him out to be.
'Let him know it all..and then I'll take him to my sister.' she didn't add that he owed her sister an apology as well, that could wait another day when Nalani was in a lighter state of mind.
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Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 8:14 am
Auster watched the mare for a moment, trying to decide what he should do. He didn't want her to see Izefiah in the state he was in, but Izefiah would not come to her. He also didn't want to tell his son the truth of why Nalani had left, but he knew that he had to. Heaving a sigh, he nodded his head and turned back toward their home.
"Follow me. Izefiah is in no state to come to you." He flicked his tail irritably and started off, not looking to see if she was following him.
Izefiah was lying underneath his favourite tree as he had been for many days now. His head was resting on the ground, his eyes closed and a forlorn expression on his face. He didn't look up as they approached, not caring who it was. He didn't even flinch as Auster stood over him.
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Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:42 am
Elisheva shook her head, causing a few strands to fall across her face. She shook them out of her eyes and then followed the older stallion, eager to see Izefiah, and for his father to tell him the truth.
She knew who he was straight away when she saw the morose looking stallion, lying under the tree. She got an eerie sense of deja vu, realising it was because he looked about in the same state as her sister.
'Izefiah?' she said, a statement and a question rolled into one.
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Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:49 am
Hearing a stranger's voice, Izefiah lifted his head and turned to look at the source. Seeing a mare he did not know, a mare with wings, he assumed it was just a ploy of his father's to attempt to coax him out of his misery. One that would never work, of course. He would not forget about Nalani just because his father introduced him to another mare.
"Go away," he mumbled, looking directly at his father. "Leave me be."
Auster sighed and shook his head. He had expected this. "Izefiah, this is the sister of that mare you were seeing. She would like to speak with you." Glancing over at Elisheva, he added, "And I have something I need to admit to you."
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