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 Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:35 am
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 6:43 am
It had been several weeks since the loss of her mother, and Little Red was still wandering around the thick woods of the forest. It didn't help that she didn't know where she was going, or what she would do when she got there. She had never, ever been outside her little thicket where her mother raised her.
Spring had some and gone, and when the heat of summer had finally set in, Red decided to take charge of her fate and leave on her own. Gathering all her possessions in a little wicker basket her mother gave her - and wearing her precious red cloak she had since she was a filly - she set off into the woods on her own, looking to make her own life somewhere out there.
But now what? Fall would be coming soon, and even though she was several seasons into marehood by now, Red felt like such a inexperience little foal once she had left her thicket. She shook her head, tossing the red hood off her head; freeing her thick chocolate locks and trying to cool off a bit. Perhaps it was a good time for a break...
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:02 am
It was late summertime, and a heat seemed to swaddle everything in a thick, sticky drowsiness. However, to the seasoned hunter, he knew that despite the seeming lull of security of the heat and plentiful foliage, it was a sign that summer was in its dying days and the lean time would start soon. It was time to reap the bounty while it was still available.
He lifted his muzzle to the air, closing his amber eyes to see if he could scent out any prey. His ears pricked and swiveled. Birdsong wafted to his his ears, but birds were fast and even if he COULD catch them, they were hardly more than a feathery morsel. Small scurryin in the underbrush.. With a bitter whuffle, he continued on, senses alert and scanning these familiar woods for any signs of movement or the presence of others.
He kept his hooffalls quiet, keeping to the dappled patches of shadow and then he heard something - different, and significantly larger. He crouched lower, pausing to listen and smell. A deer...? No... not quite.... another soquili...?
Carefully, he began to shadow it, wary. If it were another soquili, Bloodmoon wasn't sure if he wanted to deal with a confrontation, but this was his territory.
He crept closer, vying to see what intruder came into his woods - was it just a deer - a potential meal.... or...
A flash of red caught his eye, and as he peered closer the slender body of not a deer - but a very cervine mare caught his eyes. There was an innocence in her eyes, a bounce in her gait, and thick curls over her neck and flank.
He had come across adventurous young stallions in his territory before - and had no issue barking a challenge and driving them off. Even a few older mares that had fled at the "skinwalker" they thought they had run across. But this one seemed different.
Curious, but still wary, the wolf began to shadow her to discover more about her intentions before deciding to reveal himself.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:13 am
Red found a little clearing in the otherwise thick, twisted forest and settled down into a springy bed of grass. Enough of the sunlight was filtering through the trees to cast a dazzling dance of bright patches of light and dark, writhing shadows. At least it was shading the blistering sun a bit.
The young mare nosed open her basket and snuffled around. Carefully arranging in her checkered napkin she pulled out an apple, a small clump of ripe summer blackberries, and a little tied bunch of especially flagrant clover. There, that should make a good mid-afternoon snack!
She went to close her basket and spied the little container of sweetened oats. There were only a few of them left, and she had been trying to save them. But Little Red had a horrible sweet-tooth and she felt her tummy rumble and just the thought of those crunchy, sugary treats. Giving a fervent look around, she quickly took just a small bite to curb her craving before forcing herself to close the basket and eat her more healthy arrangement.
She nestled into the grass and began to tuck in when she got the sense she was being watching. Her cerynei ears swiveled around, and she lifted her head, her mouth full of clover, and sniffed the air.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:29 am
Oblivious. Bloodmoon thought to himself with a huff, finding a sense of bemusement settling over him. The slight mare was hardly a threat. But Bloodmoon found himself oddly conflicted as he watched her set out a prim little meal before herself as if she were doing nothing more than having herself a little picnic. She must be unawares of the dangers that stalked these woods.
A part of him wanted to make her very aware of the dangers... to make himself a fine meal that would keep him full for weeks... but on the other hoof... he found himself intrigued... how naive was she? What would she make of him? Would she scream and run like most of the rest - that would be no fun. But if not...
Impulse finally shook Bloodmoon to action. He pushed himself back to his feet, and, before showing himself, he spoke up, ladeling as much charm as he could over his rumbling growl of a voice. "Why Hello Little Girl... a fine day for a picnic, is it not?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:43 am
Red's eyes went wide when the massive wolfbeast showed himself, and she felt a fear well up in her chest as her cerynei instincts were driving her to get up and turn tail, however...
...she caught a glimpse of his hooves and a quick scan on his face. Was this truly a monster? He seemed to be -at least partially - a Soquili like her.
When he spoke, a wave of relief flooded over her. Completely oblivious to the predatory overtones of his words, she finally allowed herself to swallow the mouthful of clover. Shame on her for judging on appearance, he was just trying to make conversation. "Hello..." what to call him...? "Mr. Wolfhorse." She looked down at her meal ahead of her, "Yes, it is! I've been walking all morning and thought I would have some lunch."
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:07 am
For a moment - there it was - the acrid smell of fear that welled up from the slight mare and Bloodmoon's ears lay back, prepared for her to be like all the others. If she were to run, he would give chase. His muscles tensed.
But then, to his surprise, she put on a smile and relaxed. Bloodmoon's head cocked for a moment, betraying his surprise and confusion before the smarmy smile crossed his face again and he patted forward to the edge of her little spread of lunch.
"So tell me, little girl, where are you off to this fine day? What brings you into my woods?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:15 am
"I'm not a little girl" she whined with a pout and huff that did nothing to dispel the accusation. But with a little up turn of her nose, she kept talking to him regardless. "I don't know, to be honest," she said, leaning down to take a bite out of the ripe red apple she had placed for her. "I'm just exploring." She gave a little nod, proud of how 'grown up' that sounded. But then her ears dropped to her head again, looking alittle ashamed.
"Oh, this is your forest?" she asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I swear!"
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:47 am
"Oh I seeee..." Bloodmoon growled with a smile, his tail swishing behind him. "A little grown up mare, then." He chortled.
Something told Bloodmoon that the little adventuress had not had many adventures before. "well, what will you do when your basket runs out of goodies?" He postulated with feigned concern.
He paused, looking around the trees and then back to the mare, "Then... I suppose... your transgression will be overlooked..." He looked to her out of the corner of his eye. "But maybe you will owe me a favor." He grinned, exposing long teeth.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:25 am
Red looked down at her basket and tilted her head. She was looking at it like that hadn't even crossed her mind before. I mean, she had been refilling it with summer berries when she had found them; but the thought of all of it being gone? Berries were easy enough to find but what about oats and hay? Those weren't just hanging about and she vaguely remembered her mother mention something about two-leggers and it all just flooded to her: she didn't know where any two leggers were or how to get oats from them?
The panic was evident in her eyes that she almost didn't even hear his proposition about a favor. "Huh?" she said, finally snapping out of it and looking back up at him. "Favor?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:04 am
Bloodmoon circled the mare, appraising her with a wolfish grin. "That is a real pity," He almost purred. "There are no sweet oats growing in the woods.... and shiny apples can be very hard to find."
She was certainly a stranger to surviving in the woods.
"What else might you have in that basket of yours, little mare?" he pressed, "So that you might repay my kindness. Or... perhaps there is something else you can offer to me..." Bloodmoon thought that perhaps he might enjoy what was under her velvety cloak more than what was tucked away in her basket.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:13 am
"Not much," she whined, not wanting to surrender the last of her sugary and crunchy oats to the wolf. Not for an accident. She gave a pitiful sigh and pulled the napkin back, revealing the basket's contents. There was a small purse of oats, some more bunches of clover, another apple, a little tied miniature bale of sweet-smelling hay, various flowers, a spool of red thread, satin ribbons, and a small collection dried herbs and such, including wolsbane.
She looked up at the wolfstallion with large, plaintive eyes.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:42 am
Bloodmoon had leaned in - more out of curiousity than honest interest in whatever she had. He placed serious doubt that the herbivorous mare would have anything he considered tasty in her basket, but as his wet nose began to work, he caught the scent of something truly fowl.
He snorted, backpedaling a few steps at the pungent, poisonous herbs.
"I want nothing to do with anything in there." Bloodmoon growled with distaste.
"You'll have to come up with something else." He grinned.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 11:48 am
Red looked confused and starting to look a bit panicked as well. She had no idea what wolfsbane was or what it did; it was simply something her mother had told her to always keep with her while wandering along in the woods.
"I.... I don't know what else to do," she whined, standing up and stamping her hoof a bit in frustration. "Can't I just leave? I said I was sorry," she pouted.
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Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2013 1:00 pm
Bloodmoon shook his head a few more times, trying to shake the cloying remnant of the disguting scent from his sensitive nose.
He eyed her cautiously. Was her innocence a mask? Had she purposely deceived him?
No.... no... Bloodmoon couldn't buy that. Not with her doe eyes and genuine sincerity to her apology, and the delicious way she believed herself to truly be in his debt.
An ear flicked back as he considered his options. Certainly, he wasn't just going to let her go.
"No... no, that will not do. But if you have nothing in your basket I want... and surely you are utterly helpless here in these woods to even do the basic procurement of food... but... how about something else, little mare... how about a game?"
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