[PRP] Winter's Heart ( Calamity & Pachu'a )

[LunaRei_SilverBlood]

The winter seemed to be a bit harsher than the previous year. No, there wasn’t more of that white stuff that was called snow, but the coldness. Calamity looked up at the sky from the place she and Pachu’a shared. Her wings stretched out but then quickly pulled back in against her. To cold… Her haunted eyes looked up, she wondered who was watching her from the heavens. She wanted to go back one day… She missed her home.

Turning to look over her should inward of the cave, she saw the shadow of the stallion. His shadow was caused by a flickering yellow dancing heat source that the two leggers had shown her to make. Well they didn’t ‘show her’. She saw them and was able to replicate it. But Pachu’a’s shadow was a wonderful thing. Everything about the stallion was wonderful. Sure they didn’t agree on everything, but they seemed to complement each other in most ways.

 

[Bardess Ookami]

Pachu'a glanced up, almost as though he sensed Calamity's gaze. His eyes followed hers, traveling over his shoulder to his shadow. What did she read in that dark form? What clues did she get? He knew not.

He stepped carefully around the hot light she had created the night before. He had reluctantly accepted that they had needed it. He loved the cold, but the drenching rain would have left them both ill had they slept outside. But now he was dry, he was rested, and he wanted cold air in his nose, not the heat of a musty cave. He moved to get past her, nudging her gently with companionable affection.

They had been together a while, longer than he could recall ever having been with anyone. She had not flown away. She sometimes spoke, but not as much as he might fear. And even when they went their own ways for a time, they always found each other again. It was odd, for him, but not all together unpleasant.

He stepped past her and looked out at the winter world before him, wishing they had snow the night before, rather than rain. Rain clung differently from snow, and while the air smelled fresh immediately after, there was an almost cloying scent this far from the event. The sun had not yet burned away the scent. Still, he could feel the cold air, and he could hope for snow. He had companionable silence. There was little to concern him.

Only one thing truly bothered him about his friendship with Calamity. He didn't understand her sometimes, and that confused and frustrated him. It made no sense. Any other Soq and they need not speak, he knew their minds from the set of their ears, the motion of hooves and flank, the set of eyes and teeth. He could tell at a glance if someone was annoyed at a fly for bugging them, or if they were upset over something real, no matter how good their control. Communication without words was something he always felt he excelled at. And more, he always knew it to be easy, one only needed to be observant.... And for every other Soq he had ever met, this had been the case. So why... why was she so much harder to read? He could read the set of a rabbit's ears to know how the carrots were growing in, so why did her gentle signs of affection confuse him?

No matter, they were friends without need of words. If he did not always perfectly understand here, there was no harm in it. She did not seem to mind, near as he could tell. No, they hadn't had any miscommunications large enough to truly matter, and she was quiet and pleasant to be around. It was odd, having company so oft, but it was an odd he could become accustomed to. A small part of him still worried that this comfort now would make it hurt all the more when she left. Just like...

... No. He'd not think of her. He wouldn't. He wouldn't let himself hurt so, because it shouldn't hurt. He had made his peace long ago with not needing anyone. And he didn't.

His eyes caught sight of her as he glanced back. He didn't, he tried to convince himself. Didn't need anyone, but the argument was weaker than it had been, and so, thankfully, was the fear of her leaving, the certainty she would. He could almost believe that maybe, just maybe, she'd be the one who stayed.

He turned forward again and took a good breath of cold air. The barest hint of snow on the wind? Or was he imagining it because he wanted it to be true? He wasn't sure, but he could follow it and find out. He flicked an ear at her, an invitation to come along as he began walking. He glanced back, almost against his will, to see if she would follow.
 

[LunaRei_SilverBlood]

Calamity felt the stallion nudge against her as he passed. She watched him with an expressionless face, her eyes just taking him his form. His ear flicked asking her to join him. She glanced back to the fire, no one had bothered the cave. She knew that Pachu’a disliked it, but it was easy enough for him to stay outside while she stayed in where it was a bit warmer. She should go with him, she had been hunkering down lately because it’s been so cold.

She twitched her wings and then walked forward to join him. She could tell that he was smelling the air, it was just something he did. She sniffed at the air wondering what it was that he was smelling but she wasn’t able to tell. The smell of rain was distinct, but the smell of well… Anything else weather wise was hard for her to tell. The air was pure smelling and it seemed quiet. Maybe that was what he wanted to investigate?

She decided that she would tag along, as left the cave the cold air engulfed her body. She give a shiver as she quickened her pace to be able to walk next to him.
 

[Bardess Ookami]

He slowed his pace until she caught up, then matched his pace to hers. He saw she seemed chilled, and so he dipped under her wing, to press his flank to hers, to help warm her. He walked with her, following the scent of snow. He wished to feel the cool comfort of the ice and snow once more. It was nearly the only thing missing. He had quiet, he had cold. He just needed snow.

.... And Lian....

He pushed that thought away and looked off in the distance. Snow, he would find snow. Then he'd be fine.  

[LunaRei_SilverBlood]

Bardess Ookami

Calamity blinked and looked over at him when he moved under her wing and he touched his flank to her. She was happy for the warmth but such a close... She looked away, a strange feeling filling up inside her. She felt like she could burst it was hard to keep her pace and legs stable. She stumbled over herself in a minor way. She had to focus as she followed his lead. He was the only one that knew where they would be going. She followed his motions and stuck close to him after she managed to calm herself down.

As Calamity;s eyes looked out she could see dark clouds starting to fill the sky and would be coming in their direction. This made Calamity feel nervous. She had gotten stuck in a storm when she came to Earth and that was how she injured her wing. Since there, storms always made her feel timid.

She glanced back to Pachu's and his mind seemed to be distracted with something.

 

[Bardess Ookami]

As close as they were, physically of course, he could feel her unease when she saw the clouds, and he slowed, glancing at her when she glanced at him. He flicked an ear questioningly at her. He could smell the snow, and longed for it. He too had seen the clouds, but had no idea that they were, in fact, the cause of her distress. He knew that they were getting closer to where the clouds would soon yield their bounty, if they were not already in the process of doing so, and he wanted to be there, to rush ahead and let the cold wash over him, freezing away everything else. There was solace in snow, always had been, for him. In snow he could almost forget all those who had left him, all those who were gone. Almost, but never completely.

But she had not left him, at least, not yet. Further, she wasn't chatty, she wasn't annoying. He appreciated her company, and even could almost... no. He didn't care for her. didn't, couldn't wouldn't...

....Lian.... his daughter... missing her was a scar on his soul, and of all those whom he missed, that ache was the fiercest. No, he lied to himself vehemently, told himself he didn't care, not about her, not about Calamity.

However, he had stopped, and there was concern in his eyes as he looked to the mare, trying to figure out what worried her so. He absolutely wasn't tensing in preparation to face down whatever danger she had sensed. No sir. And even if he was, he had to defend himself at the least, so of course he would defend her, it was self preservation. He didn't care about her, he certainly didn't love her...

Pachu'a had gotten really good at lying to himself, recently.  

[LunaRei_SilverBlood]

Bardess Ookami

Watching those clouds made her wing ache in remembrance. But she couldn’t help it, clouds, harsh winds, lighting. Those are what those clouds represented. But little did she know that it simply meant snow was coming. It wasn’t going to be a huge hard blizzard but a gentle heavy snow. When she looked at Pachu’a she could see his concern she and she flexed her wing lightly, it had was almost healed. She’d be able to fly again soon. But she tucked them close unconsciously, as if a wind would come and pull them away from her. Her ears lowered lightly and she rubbed her cheek against his neck, a surprising move even to herself. But the warmth caused her to shiver.

“Hurt my wing a storm.” She whispered. Because of that storm, her injured wing has kept her here for almost 4 full seasons. She closed her glowing eyes for a moment and just listened to the world around them. There was something that Pachu’a spent a lot of time thinking about and she didn’t think it was her. Was it possible there was another mare? But in that moment she thought she understand why he liked the cold, the snow.

When was stranded in the forest with her hurt wing and the snow was falling. She remembered the world was silent. She could barely hear the scurrying of smaller critters, there was a calming sense about that. Pachu’a really liked the silence… Could that be why he liked the snow so much? Maybe she should have stayed at the caved, the storm would come to a head at any moment.
 

[Bardess Ookami]

LunaRei_SilverBlood

(Sorry I've been so slow at... everything. Trying to get back into my routines after months of crisis after crisis.)

He flicked an ear, trying to too be too irritated at her words. The motion of her wings had given him almost enough clues alone. She could have communicated without speaking. But... he let the irritation go. Or did his best to, at any rate. Something about her face rubbing against his neck made that easier than it would have otherwise been.

He flicked a concerned glance towards her wing, then looked her in the eye, which was interesting given the close proximity. It was a really pretty eye.... Still, he felt his question was clear... did her wing still hurt?

Close after it was another question, one he didn't ask, and was afraid of the answer to... If her wing still hurt, would she leave when it healed? Was she only staying with him because she had no choice? That... was not an idea that he liked. Not in the least....

But... it made sense. Everyone left him when they no longer had a use for him.  

[LunaRei_SilverBlood]

Bardess Ookami

Sorry that I took so long. I apparently forgot that you had posted ._.

Calamity looked up as he looked into her eye and she could see the question there. And the answer was yes, her wing still hurt. Well rather, more like the wing still had an ache in it. But that would soon go away. She'd have the sky open to her and the heavens would welcome her back home. But the only issue was, coming here she was suppose to learn to care of others and let them care for her. Well she had succeeded in that... Though she was still worried that the bad luck that seemed to follow her would latch onto Pach'ua at some point. But regardless of all the bad that followed her he stayed by her side.

Sure, she was dependant on him right now. But she wasn't sure that she wanted to leave. Well sure, she wanted to leave, she wanted to see what else this earth had. But she didn't want to do it alone. She even wanted to go home and see the heavens again and the Elders that sent her here. But something deep down told her that she would come back. She wondered if that feeling would make it through translation to Pach'ua. Though the feeling was still something new to her and not sure she was willing to admit it to herself.

Calamity's wings ruffled against his side as she lean against him, her eye staying on his. She wasn't abashed to make eye contact. She knew that the eyes were the window to the soul. And she could see Pach'uas' loneliness. He never turned her away but she wondered if he wanted her to stay. Whatever it was that occupied his mind had Calamity curious. She would never ask, but she wondered if she would never be the one that occupied his mind so much.

As she finished that thought a flake of snow fell the from sky and landed on Pach'uas' nose. Calamity twitched her ear and raised her eyes to look up at the sky. There were a few other flakes falling from the darkened sky. Just as the snow started Calamity noticed that all the forest sounds had faded away. It was like they all knew the snow was here and it was time to get hunkered down and stay warm. It was kind of what the mare wanted to do too. The air was cold and if it was possible she tried to step closer into the stallion. She kept her head against his neck trying to keep close to the heat he emitted. Calamity thought it might be good if she left him to spend time along with the snow and she could go back into the warmth of the cave.