|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 8:57 am
How long had it been since he had been in the mountains... alone?
There was a fuzziness to Huojin's memory now. It was something that haunted him at night, a dark feeling that he could not escape from even when it was light out. A loneliness he could not overcome, even when strangers offered to help him on his survival or through his depression. He had made a mistake years ago, venturing off to prove he could survive the mountains on his own, and in a beat of laughter, and that he would return as swiftly as he had left. Immature idiot Huojin, the strongest stallion alive, fearless in conquest. No landscape had ever been as threatening as that one day.
He never belonged here. The slopes that day weakened his stride, and how many levels had he fallen? How many days did it take him to get up, not knowing where he had been? Nature made it very clear that it did not want him to survive. Leaving him weakened, alone and on his own for a god forsaken amount of time, Huo was at his last bit of life effort. He needed his strength back and his love for life, and there was only one way to get there.
He had to find her.
Even with his whole life being complicated, and many truths in his life not making sense, there was one creature he had no reason to live without. All of this time he spent in loneliness on those mountains made him realize even more how much he needed her, and that he never wanted to leave her again.
She was the only reason he escaped any dark thoughts through the days alone or truly did not give up. How much time had he spent wandering through the mountains, hoping to see her again? His eyes would play tricks on him, taunting him in his dreams, waking him with tears of sorrow. How many times did his mind race going back and forth, wondering why he didn't act like the best mate he could, why he wasn't more mature like other stallions, and brought her a family and children to love and raise together. Why he thought showing off that day was such a great idea, when it had left him in his current deathly state.
Had she moved on from thinking about him? He imagined she had such grief at first, but then what would she choose in her life? As much as it ate at him to think otherwise, all he cared about was the best for her. If the loneliness was too much, he hoped she had found new friends, or went back to her family.. or even sought a new comfort from someone if she needed it...
Every single day he was reminded of something he didn't do in his more immature days, and every day he told himself he would find her and make up for it. No matter where she was in her life, he would still be there for her. It was a vow he had made, and he wouldn't give up.
Today was another warm muggy day, where he would walk on whatever trail he could find, and hope that he would find her. It didn't matter anymore how many days it had been, how tired his legs were, how bruised his heart was. He was going to find her, even if it took him his whole life, and when he did, he would never leave her side again, if allowed.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 9:30 am
She had never been entirely sure of why he'd left; he had wanted to prove something, to do something that she didn't entirely understand. Perhaps it had been naivety or an unwillingness to accept what he may have unwilling to say, but with a laugh and a smile he had left her. She hadn't known what to expect, or if he was really going to come back, but the mare had never left the home they had found. Even in a short time she had come to love it and its vantage point an even distance between her family and the lands below...
She had sent out search parties, requesting that her adoptive family aid her in the search when he eventually didn't come home. Yet months passed, then years...and it soon became apparent that he was not going to come back. Her father had been gentle in the news, advising her that the hostile environments that he had wandered in to made it unlikely that he would have survived his trek... it was unlikely he had found another to dote on, but even so, it was advised that she continue with her life.
He wasn't coming back; for all intents and purposes, he had been killed.
While his body had never been found, she had entered mourning and then continued about her life on the slopes. She had delved into the role of healer, acting as a diplomat between wandering herds and a guide for those who were just a touch turned around. Yet even with the many encounters she had with other soquili, she had never found anyone who to replace Houjin... In truth, she had never even looked either.
Thus her life had been relatively predictable, she had continued with her routines and had been left to her devices.
To anyone who knew her, it should therefore have come at no surprise that the mare was where she always was at this time in the day - cultivating her small garden near her cave. Head bowed to the sun and horn healing leaves that had been harmed during the early morning by wayward snails...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:14 am
As Huojin trudged along a trail that looked like every trail in existence, he continued to keep his head low and his eyes only on where his legs would be stepping. He was much more cautious on what land he walked on now, and where slopes would rise and fall. Step by step he took and time continued to pass as it always did. He wasn't exhausted but he wasn't full of energy either, which was a normal state for him these days. He just went on trucking along as if hope would carry him to where he needed to go. Or basically until his legs stopped working.
When he did decide to pause for a moment and look up, the world seemed as bland as it always was... until his eyes started playing tricks on him again. How cruel his mind was to taunt him like this...
He thought he saw her in the distance in what looked like their home, busy at work and tending to a beautiful garden, a garden he was not familiar with. That was when he assumed his mind was playing tricks on him as it always was.
He stood silently watching, and wondering why the image wasn't vanishing. He closed his eyes and opened them, and found himself doing this repeatedly, waiting for the image to vanish. Could it... no....
Even though he couldn't see her very closely, he could still feel her beauty. And suddenly it felt like he was feeling a presence of some sort. Was this for real? His heart started beating rapidly. Why wouldn't his legs move? Nothing but sweat filled his frame, and he thought he might collapse at any moment.
Finally his front legs initiated movement, and the back legs followed. His mind may have been a huge mess right now, but at least his body was inching forward. Each step felt longer then his entire journey to get there, and the frame of his love ahead became more apparent, her scent back in his memory. It was her.
"Far...sss..." Why wasn't his mouth working as his brain was telling him??! Tears started rolling down his face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:29 am
Tweekend [[Please excuse me while I melt in a corner over...here. ]]
Nevertheless, she wasn't completely oblivious to her surroundings and as she moved her head towards another plant she caught a glimpse of a leg and then the sounds of footfall upon the grass. Her ears quivered and she placed the genial, warm smile on her lips that was reserved for all visitors. They often had a way of sneaking up on her, she had often thought of putting a bell of some description nearby but her ingenuity had never extended far enough to ensure that the contraption would have worked.
She completed a final sweep of the leaves of her plants and then lifted her head, straightening, she turned to face her visitor and soon found her mouth agape. Eyes wide as saucers she could do nothing more than stare at the stallion before her for longer than was appropriate. She had been certain that after her period of mourning she had slipped into a mindset of acceptance, so how was it that she was seeing ghosts?
"H-huojin?" she choked and took a number of steps closer, her head tilting to the side as she regarded his battered and rather broken form. If he were a ghost then surely he would have been in a state of health, surely she wouldn't have smelled his scent and felt what little heat he had left.
"Is it...are you..." she was at a loss for words as she came to a halt, a gulp slipping down her throat. "They said you were dead..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 10:52 am
Whatever brought him back to this exact moment, standing in front of her, even being a mess... Huojin would have kissed its feet in gratitude.
Her reaction was what he imagined in all of the days and nights he spent alone wondering what it would be like to reunite with her. He wanted to be better in this moment and hold her and tell her it was alright, be the better stronger stallion.. but he couldn't stop his tears. He didn't care. For once he was feeling an emotion he wanted to feel, and he would not be ashamed in front of his love. He was so happy. How long had it been since he had felt this?
"Its felt like I've been dead, and I probably should be dead." he crept closer, but not too much to startle her. "But its me, I promise." He tried to regain some composure after he finally spoke normally, and he felt a strange energy roll back into his veins. His expression molded into a more familiar one, and a smile crept on his face, so big it hurt his jaw. "If anything kept me alive and strong, it was wishing for this day to come... it was all thanks to you. I'm so sorry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:03 am
Farsiris had been rendered utterly speechless at the revelation that this soquili was indeed Huojin. Granted he looked like a complete and utter wreck, he'd been through the wars and back, but her family had searched so thoroughly and for so long. They'd always kept watching and waiting so how had they missed him? She was overwhelmed with questions and did immediately appear to be receptive to his tentative approach - torn between an array of emotions she wasn't entirely certain of what to do first.
She'd never been at a loss like this before...
Thus it was in those moments that the more fiery elements of her personality came out, courtesy of her adopted mother who had never been one to keep her opinion to herself. How dare he vanish without a word for so many years, allow her to assume he was dead when he was standing alive and in front of her!
"Sorry?" she whispered and shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes and jaw tightening. "You're 'sorry'?" she repeated and sucked in a breath. "Where the hell did you go? Do you have any idea how many times I looked for you, how many times I asked them to keep looking?!" she snapped, her voice uncharacteristically high pitched.
With so many emotions coursing through her it wouldn't have taken a genius to see she was relieved but the one defining emotion at this moment was evident.
Rage.
"You left me and I don't even know why!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:13 am
If only she knew. He completely understand her response and pain to the situation. He didn't expect her to open up with arms wide open and forgive him. But rather then him being upset with her emotions, they only made him more happy.
She still cared. He couldn't believe it. The emotions were there.
He would have completely forgiven her if she decided to move on with her life, but she hadn't. She waited all this time and with hope when no one else did. That was the girl he dreamed of every day, and finally she was back in front of him again.
... even with all of the yelling, he would still kiss whomever brought him back here.
"Well, I will admit my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I'll always remember that day. We were having fun, and I decided to be an idiot and show off. You had warned me about staying safe in these parts... but I don't even know how far I had fallen until I realized I was far away from here." He paused, and shook his head. "Embarrassing, isn't it? It was not my intention to leave, never ever, ever. I am so thankful you kept looking for me."
He understood if she didn't believe him, but he hoped that she would. "Every single day I've been alive I've been trying to come back. You always warned me that I wouldn't be the best mountain folk..." finally he felt a chuckle come.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 11:48 am
How could he joke at a time like this? She was reeling at the possibility that some of the guilt lay with her and he was making a joke! A JOKE! She didn't know whether to laugh or cry, for she too remembered that day and her words - with everything that had happened she was now of the opinion she should have been more forceful and insistent. She shouldn't have let him leave her sight, not until she had shown him the lay of the land and he had memorised it to the point he'd be safe.
Much to her great distress she gave a small burble, a choke of laughter through the tears in response to his ill timed and inappropriate joke. It was certainly a way to make light of the situation...
She shook her head and closed her eyes, sucking in a few measured breaths as she attempted to calm herself down. Anger was, surprisingly, subsiding quite rapidly to be replaced by another set of emotions but she simply couldn't identify which wanted to come out first; in fact, she wasn't entirely sure if they weren't about to all come out at once!
"It...it was so long ago though," she said huskily, shaking just a touch as shock finally set in. She blinked rapidly, surveying his battered form with a touch of discomfort. "How - how could you be so u-unwell after so long...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:22 pm
Every breath she took and every movement was entirely noticed. He could see how hard this was for her, but she was handling it remarkably well nonetheless. Now that he was here and in front of her he'd be the first to admit he was an idiot. He just wanted her calmed and happy again.
Even though he had such memories of her looks and beauty, they were no comparison up close and in the now. She was maturing into something he could marvel at, and he knew he did not deserve her. How foolish he was as a young stallion to take any of their moments together for granted. If she would even forgive him, he would never be so foolish again.
"I don't know how I managed, and there were many days I wanted to give up. But I met helpful strangers on the way that tried to lead me in the right directions, anything to help. While my legs were still working I had to try, and obviously it was the best choice I could have made." He inched forward a bit more and continued to stare at her with big eyes.
"I know this isn't how you remember me, but I'll get my strength back. That is if you'll take me back. I understand if not, you've been through enough with me." He still refrained from nuzzling her, he wasn't sure of his place yet. The impulsive stallion would be on hold for now until he knew his judgement with her.
No matter what happened or what she decided, it was all worth seeing she was ok, even if he was the mess here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 12:42 pm
Age had certainly taken its toll on the mare and she wasn't as sprightly as she once was, nevertheless she maintained a calm grace that would only become all the more evident as she matured. That being said, Huojin would be relieved to find that she hadn't changed that much in the years and she was still as demure as ever... she might have picked up a hobby or six but in the end, she wasn't adventurous and remained predictable!
Nevertheless she still wasn't happy with him and her decidedly unimpressed expression made this evident. As she listened to his explanation it shifted, twisted and then she finally frowned. So he hadn't found any help whatsoever? Common sense surely would have instructed him to find someone to tend to his wounds so that he wasn't in this state... Her lips pursed and she fought back the urge to chastise him.
"If they are old wounds they won't heal properly," she murmured quietly, finally regarding his battered legs with concern. If he had fallen from a great height, then it was a miracle from the gods that he wasn't crippled. "And I haven't been through anything with you, you haven't been here," she stated, lifting her gaze to meet his again.
"And it wasn't the strength I loved," she lifted a brow and shook her head. "To be quite honest you were never very strong anyway, you were simply healthy," she pointed out with a tentative smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2013 7:37 pm
Was he starting to win her back again? He wondered how much time it would take for her to completely trust him again. If only she knew.. it may have been idiotic how it all happened, but he had NEVER meant for any of it to happen. It was all a nightmare he couldn't escape until this very moment. He would own up to all of it though...
.... even if he realized how exhausted he was. Within a moments notice, he felt himself fall and bend his legs, and take a big breath of air as he hit the ground. It wasn't the most graceful of 'sitting' positions, but damn, he need to rest for a minute. Maybe the adrenaline of seeing her was wearing off, or he realized for once in a long time he wouldn't die in the wild.
"I'm glad its not strength. But if its health I will get that back, I promise." He smiled back at her, wondering how funny life was. Was he really still sitting here, in front of her?
"Now the question becomes if you will take me back, hopefully one day. Whatever I need to do to earn your trust again I will. I know it didn't seem right at first but I am so sorry for how all of this happened, I never in a million years meant to leave you and bring you this much pain." It hurt to say those words, but a weight needed to get lifted off of his shoulders. Apologizing was not his favorite, but he would do anything in this moment now to make it all better for her.
"Loving you is the only thing I have ever done right, and I can't mess that up again."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 11:42 am
Could she take him back?
It had been such a long time, time in which she had gone through periods of denial, grief, mourning and finally, acceptance. She had fallen into a life of spinsterhood, had found herself a few hobbies and she had been, or rather was, content. She hadn't gotten the happy ending her mother was always harping on about, but she hadn't ended in tragedy either... But now she was thrown for six. In essence, it was almost as though she had stepped directly into the shoes of her mother and father.
...Had it not been Yei who had been presumed dead for years? Was this how her father had felt when he found her for the first time?
She had so many questions and unfortunately for her, neither parent was around to provide a single word of wisdom in those moments! Yet if she gave it a moment of consideration, her parents were together and love was one of the most obvious emotions that was shared between the pair. At some point they had reunited, they'd worked things out but...
Urgh.
She shook her head and grimaced, staring at Huojin with what could only be described as wariness. He had walked back into her life, ruffled her feathers and shaken everything up. She should have felt resentment and yet all she could truly feel was disbelief and an overwhelming sense of relief. She should have been angrier, but she wasn't.
What would her mother do?
"You're going to have to learn how to look after my plants," she said quietly.
When in Yei's shoes, the answer was obvious, she followed her instincts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:11 pm
She was studying him a long time, which didn't bother him too much. He was having a hard time reading her emotions, which did bother him though. It had been ages since he'd seen her, everything up until now had felt so far away in his reality. Even if she was making up her mind at this very second... he was just glad to be staring back. That was better then about twenty minutes ago.
When time continued to pass he was starting to lose hope again. He knew that he had failed her. Maybe it was for the best to be rejected. He deserved it. Maybe she should move on and find someone who would be better to her. Maybe her life was at a good place without him...
Maybe the adrenaline was starting to fade, but something felt fishy in his brain. It was all becoming a bit fuzzy...
Until he heard her speak. The lights suddenly turned back on. Was that an invitation back? "I can learn." His big boyish grin appeared again. "As long as you'll teach me of course." Perhaps they needed some time to be together again, so he could remind her why they moved up in the mountains as one in the first place. Why they had taken such a huge step together. He could be better. This was a second chance.
"I just want to spend my days with you, in our home, with the garden. Anything else that happens, I'll be at your side."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 2:58 am
He was certainly going to have to work towards reassuring her that she was safe in his company. They would never return to the way they were, it would be naive to assume as much, but instead what they had would be replaced with something warmer and stronger. They were more mature now, had both experienced certain events that would change them for the better and it was something they were going to have to explore together.
"I'll teach you," she confirmed and lifted a brow. "But I'm very picky, so you best learn fast," she pointed out. It was obvious that she was teasing him, even after all this time she was still patient and softly spoken... to think she would become a stern teacher was ridiculous! Alas, she did love her plants a great deal so maybe she could be vicious? Only time would tell!
"And you better not be wary of snails, you have to pick them off too so if you don't like creepy crawlies..." she peered at him searchingly and then clucked her tongue. "Then I may have to re-evaluate my decision," she murmured in a foreboding, yet teasing tone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2013 6:55 am
He let out a sigh of relief. He was thankful to see light humor coming back into the situation, and Huojin was also grateful that emotions were changing and becoming a bit more mild around them. Every step forward would help them overcome any doubts, anger or fear that may have been in their minds.
"I don't mind snails." He finally admitted, with a hint of bravery, "I think they are kinda cool actually. So I'd be happy to pick them off." He had dealt with a LOT of creepy crawlers while traveling around, so nothing really phased him anymore.
But there was something that did make him a bit nervous as he was coming back into reality. There was a long list of items to do, and he changed his breathing a bit in response. "I'll have to apologize to everyone in your family soon, as well as mine" He suddenly realized. Their own little bubble may have felt nice at the moment, but Huojin realized there was her family and his own family to mend things right with. Even after all of his traveling, he was most scared of what was to come from others.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
