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 Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 5:08 pm
 The desert was a deadly place. To any who happened to travel upon it, they would learn that quickly. Not only did everything, in general, look exactly the same. But then there was the fact that food and water were limited. That during the day, the sun was so hot and so bright that it was blinding and would drain anyone of their energy. It was death. Then, night. One moment it was so hot, and then as soon as the sun went down, it was so cold that you would freeze to death. Not only that, but then the deadly creatures came out. Scorpions, carnivores, snakes. Anything that could bite and kill you within a millisecond. The desert was death in land location, and anyone would be able to see that, if given the chance to venture forth and get stuck within the desert.
Death was inevitable.
And that was that. But sometimes, there were creatures that could survive there. There was a herd that moved around the deserts, survived and thrived. And then, at the same time, there was some that was… well… enjoyed being alone. Naja was one of the second type. She had learned to live in the desert, very much able to survive all on her own. Her wings helped to hide her from the hot sun during the day, and then at night, she was able to keep her warm. She was quick on her feet, and her tail helped to keep her stable. She was glorious, and looked like one of those deadly creatures on the sand.
But that wasn’t who Naja was. She was a gentle heart, often times helping those that got lost. She had memorized the deserts oasis locations, and enjoyed helping people. Though due to that, she also knew her will and how to protect herself. She had, at one point, run into someone truly vicious. And with that, she fought off her attacker and left. She was certain that her attacker more than likely died to the desert heat; but that was something she didn’t much care to think about.
The sun was slowly setting at the moment, hiding behind a dune and giving her some shade. Naja lowered her wings onto her back, her head lifting up high. She smiled some, before flicking her tail, and moved gradually up toward the top of another dune so that she could watch the sun with prized eyes. She loved when the sun set. It was always so golden and beautiful. Her wings shifted against her bag, before shifting to lay lightly against her side once more. She enjoyed this. Enjoyed the feeling and the life. Everything was perfect. And if she needed to help anyone, she would be there ready and willing to do so.
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Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 7:03 pm
Garret had put quite a bit of distance between himself and his dam since they parted ways. Not that distance, per se, was the young stallion's goal, but exploration in and of itself. He had grown up hearing Dae'Ruil's stories of action, adventure, and distant lands and he was determined to see them first hand... make his own stories... and carry those with him. He loved his mother, and Dae'Ruil, while he wasn't his actual father, was a fine stallion, and he cared deeply for him. But they were Old. Parents. Slowing down. At least, that's how Garret saw it. He wanted to meet more faces, hear more stories, and share his own with people who he hadn't already told them to a thousands times already... and didn't know that he elaborated on his stories with each telling.
Besides... Garret was old enough to see where he and his siblings were just getting in the way of something - a new life for his mum and her "friend".
A season passed. Fall grew cold and new wonders were to be seen in the fall of winter. Food was hard to find, but the stories - the stories were plentiful. And when he found others, he was quick with a smile and even quicker with the hook of a tale to pass the time and help forget the biting sting of the cold.
And eventually, the snows melted and gave birth to the explosion of newness and wonder that was the spring. It reminded him of the days he had played with Dae and his mother, the adventures they had in the forest.
Summer, the scorching heat... and the blissful shade and babbling streams. Each day brought new wonders and discoveries. And as Garret's repetoire of stories built (and changed and elaborated) Garret began to collect trinkets and treasures. All of them with stories of their own... some of them real (or, at least based on a real event) and some of them fabricated by the mercurial stallion. He was thrilled with the traders, bartering and dealing with the clever raccoons and sharp-eyed ravens, and more often than not getting what he wanted from them and only parting with a small trinket he had picked up... that turned into a valuable gemstone that he had to pry from the mouth of a skinwalker or other such tall tale.
It was hard to tell, sometimes, just how much Garret even believed his own stories - the wall between his imagination and reality was a thin one, indeed.
But today, today his travels brought him somewhere completely new. A field of burning sands and beating sun. Where what seemed like solid ground shifted and pooled around him like mud... but without the water. Where the sun glowered down upon him like an angry eye.
It was wonderous at first - beautiful, no doubt - but as he traveled, and one dune began to look like another... and he couldn't quite remember which way he had come from. His fur was matted with frothy sweat, and he panted for water. He had long since emptied the bejeweled skin he carried, and for the first time in a while, Garret was honestly worried. Had he tried to tackle a land that no soquili was meant to traverse?
He wasn't ready for his story to end.... not yet.
He pressed on as the sun began to sink and he whinnied a laugh of triumph as the heat began to leech away... but quickly... so quickly... So much so that the chill began to grip his damp fur and a new worry came over the young stallion...
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:03 pm
At first, Naja was certain she would just be having a normal, quiet night. She would be able to sleep and wake up and travel the deserts once again. She really did enjoy the quiet of the desert at times. Her eyes flickered around, lingering on the sands, before looking back up toward the setting sun. It really was lovely... How was something this lovely so deadly at the same time. Her wings shifted against her back, before flaring for a moment, as if to break off the heat that lingered on her form, before the cold came. She shook out her mane, knowing that she would have to find someplace to settle down for the dead of night. She had a few small areas that were good to keep warm, but that was at least a small travel away. Shifting her tail across the sands, she nodded her head, before turning and heading in the direction of her closest safe haven.
It was then, in the fleeting light, that she noticed something in the distance. She squinted slightly, before focusing on the object. It was dark against the light sand, so she easily could pick it out. And it was moving. Shaking out her body for a moment, the mare moved forward on somewhat fleet feet, aiming to get as close as she dared to analyze a bit better. See if it was a threat or not. As she got closer, she noted the size and style. A stallion, by far. His bright orange mane was shocking against the tan sands, but it was a lovely combination. Flicking her own long tail, the mare moved forward slowly, the sun continuing to drop down past the dunes.
It was then she noted it; the way he moved. He wasn't well. He was sick. Or, well, the desert. He was weak, and falling trap to that. Naja moved forward and wandered closer to the stallion. She smiled lightly, her eyes flickering along his form. He didn't appear dangers; definitely not a Walker... "Are you okay?" She called, her wings folding tight against her form. She needed to get warm, the cold already settling in.
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 1:15 pm
He hadn't heard her coming. Over his own footsteps in the shifting sand... each step was getting harder and harder to struggle against as the cold was stealing all that heat. He never thought he was going to feel cool again, but now he was freezing.
Already the foaming sweat was freezing to his fur. His long tail whipped around, brushing at it, trying to help, but he was quivering.
He thought about turning around... but he had been traveling for hours. There was no way. Ahead... ahead was a mystery. And where there was a mystery, there was hope.
He was just begining to give quivering voice to a ballad he remembered by heart. one from his foalhood that Dae'Ruil had told him.... when he heard a voice.
Was that just his imagination too?
His head snapped up - but no... not unless his eyes were playing tricks on him as well - a marked mare with an intriguing diffusion of patterns across her pale fur that shone in the moonlight.
He blinked, once. Twice. Then with practiced ease, despite his shaking legs, mane plastered to his neck, and coat full of sand, a charming smile crossed his face. "I... have had better days."
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Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:13 pm
Naja eyed the stallion slowly. He seemed to have Kalona blood in him.. or something with horns. Those shapes were often very distinguished. She tilted her head lightly to the side, her hair flopping with her. After a moment, she blinked at him, and her wings shifted over her back. They folded a bit tighter, keeping her even more warm. She liked warm. Warm was good. Hot, not so much, but warm was good. Blinking curiously, she took a step toward him, eying him slowly. The way his hair was matted, and he seemed to be freezing was obvious to her. she could tell he was way too warm before, that he had been traveling the desert with no rest for some time. Shaking her head and wanting nothing more than to tsk lightly, she moved closer to him.
"That's an understatement." She stated lightly. Naja smiled at him all the same. At least he still had it in him to have a rather charming smile. She smiled sweetly back at him, her tail giving a small flick over the sands, before she nodded to the north. "Come on, this way. I'll take you someplace you can rest and wash the sand off your coat... As well as clean up." She said, heading that way ahead of him. She knew these dunes better than anyone, possibility even as good as the Amachi clan. "My name is Naja. What's yours, stranger?" She asked, tilting her head both to look at him and to ensure he was following.
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Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:09 am
It seemed the spirits smiled down on him this night. Perhaps in pity, or perhaps they too wanted to see his story through. Or... perhaps... this lovely, fascinating mare was just another trick of the light by this harsh land. It had already fooled him more than once with illusionary water. Maybe he was so far past the point of exhaustion that he was seeing his heart's desire: a lovely mare... and one that could lead him to safety and water. Regardless, Garret was not about to risk this good fortune. And even if this was some dehydration-induced hallucination... at least it was a nice one and he could enjoy his last moments.
He stood as straight as he could before giving a dip of his head in a gallant gesture also learned from Dae'Ruil. He hated having to be the one being saved, but he was not going to turn away from a kindness. if this mare WAS indeed real, she knew how to navigate this unforgiving land.
"Garret," He said with a fluorish. "It is a pleasure... and a true fortune to meet you." He said with a self-depreciating smile. "And I could not imagine a better idea."
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 3:01 pm
Naja nodded her head toward him, sending him a gentle smile. Garret, huh? It was an interesting name, at the very least. She tilted her head to the side, her ears flicking, before the long tail skirted against the sand once more. She shifted carefully and nodded some. "I agree. Come, I'll show you the way." The mare stated softly. She turned on her hooves, before starting toward the north, her wings moving tight against her back in order to keep her own form warm. She wished she could help the stallion with warmth; but in the current situation he was bigger, and she would be unable to offer her wing for warmth.
The mare moved easily, and quietly. She didn't want to make him use more energy than he needed. Every so often, she paused to look over her shoulder toward the stallion to ensure he was keeping up, and that he was able to keep close. When she finally made her way onto soft grasses and toward a small, crystal clear pond, she looked back at the stallion. A smile shifted over her features, and she let her tail skirt over the ground once more. "Here we are. Sorry for the distance, Garret. The water is pure here, but you should probably look out for the scorpions that tend to hide in the bushes." She said.
She moved forward, dipping her head toward the water to lap at it lightly. It was warmed still from the sun, though growing colder with each minute. Naja lifted her head, peering back at Garret with a gentle smile. She took a step back, before shaking out her wings once more. "The grasses are also good to eat... I don't know if you eat meat or not though.... If so, I could go and search for some food for you." She offered, her voice soft. She didn't like people falling victim to the desert.
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:09 pm
It was perhaps a lucky thing for Naja that Garret was so parched. His lips were chapped and his mouth dry, else he may have spoken ceaselessly on the trek. As it was, stories tumbled through his head - anything he could think of about the great stories of desert travellers or dashing tales of the East. Maybe, some day, his own travels through the desert would make a story to tell... perhaps with some embellishments..
But despite the silence, Garret focused on keeping up with Naja. Using the places she set her hooves as a place to set his - watching how she navigated the sliding sands of the dunes.
But as beautiful as the mare was - seeing a pond of clean water was the most miraculous thing Garret had ever seen right about then. He didn't hesitate to trot forward and slake his thirst. His eyes fluttered shut and he murmured a small prayer to the spirits for saving his life.
Finally, he lifed his head and placed a dashing smile back on his face.
"My lady, surely your kindness has saved my life this day." He would partake of the grass, but his hunger was nowhere near as pressing of an issue as his thirst.
He shook his head, "I have only very rarely partaken of meat. In general, I prefer fresh grass over something that used to be running around." He smiled.
"You surely must have a story. Do you live here on your own? How did you master the deserts? Were you born here?" Garret only realized after he had begun to barrage her with questions that perhaps four was more than enough to begin with. And old, bad habit of foalhood.
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Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:49 am
Naja could see from the corner of her eyes how the stallion reacted to the sight of water. She silently wandered just how long he had been in the desert sands. Her tail flicked lightly as she watched him almost run to the water. She smiled gently, her eyes softening some as she moved over and looked around. She glanced in some of the plants and around trees for any scorpions or snakes. Eventually, she scared a few off, hushing at them to behave and just go elsewhere to hunt for food. When his voice sounded again, Naja lifted her head, and looked back at the dark skinned stallion. She nodded her head lightly, smiling at him. "I won't say it didn't, since being out there for too long can cause death... Be sure you drink more. You may think that you are satisfied, but I assure you, you probably need far more water than you think."
At his declination of meat, she nodded lightly. Naja beat her wings lightly, until she was able to get up toward the top of the large leafed trees. She grabbed one at the base with her teeth, and tugged hard. After a few tugs, she finally got the leaf loose, and lowered herself back to the ground. She walked back over toward Garret, and laid the leaf down next to the water, her tail giving a small sway behind her. She lapped at a bit more of the water, before looking over to the stallion once more. At the questions, she blinked several times, before ruffling her feathers to get a bit of sand from them, and folded them lightly against her back.
"A story?" She almost laughed at that, but Naja knew better. She was raised better than to take the curiosity of strangers and make a laugh of it. "I do. Occasionally I meet up with a herd of travelers; they are composed mostly of Soquili from the Amachi clan, from what I have learned." She paused, before flicking her ears in thought. "I've lived here for a few years now... The desert is an every changing Mistress; the sands constantly change and move. One second there is a dune close to you, the next it is gone. But after you have resided here for so long, you can learn. At night it's easier, because I can watch the patterns of the stars." She said, smiling lightly as she glanced up toward the stars at the moment. She enjoyed the night; as much as she loved the warmth, this was just fantastically beautiful. Nothing to stop her vision of the stars. The last question made her ear flick, and she looked back down toward him. "No.. I was born in a forest. My Mother and Father were travelers, and being raised wandering around, I guess it was in my blood. But when I came here, I fell in love with this place." She explained, moving toward him for a moment, her head cocked lightly to the side. "What brought you to the desert?" She asked, voice curious.
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Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2014 4:04 pm
Garret nodded thankfully to Naja, and forced himself to drink down several more swallows of the water. It was so cool and clean, he didn't think he'd ever tasted anything sweeter in his life. And when he was finished, he unslug the waterskins, and made certain to fill them as well.
And, graciously, he bent his head to take the offered leaf. It was fresh and delectible. His ears pricked and he listened to her explanation as he slowly savored the rare desert greenery.
"I cannot imagine staying in one place, regardless of how much beauty it has," He began, not meaning to be rude about her decision, but not holding back his honesty, "Eventually, even the most miraculous place runs out of stories, and out of its miracles." He hesitated, backpedaling just a touch, "But a place as capricious as you say it is, well, I can understand the enchantment. Your wings must be a great boon to you here, helping you spy water from a great distance. My two brothers were blessed with my mother's wings, but I like to say that being born without them has given me a greater appreciation for detail. I cannot cruise by the flowers, appreciate their beauty, and perhaps even discover secrets that they might be hiding."
He stragtened, nibbling his pouch open and procuring a rather interestingly shaped piece of glass, "Each place in the world has its treasures. Many of which cannot be found in any place but one. The great sands here.. I have heard stories of how lightning in the desert is an artist - creating wonders like this." He carefully put it back. It was a very costly trinket - it nearly cost him his life after he had managed to get himself lost. But, it was a unique thing, a true treasure. "I am a collector of sorts: Of stories, of treasures, and ... well..." The dashing smile was back on his face and he raised a brow as he looked over Naja.
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Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:54 am
Naja smiled when she saw him drinking more. She knew from experience just how often people who didn't dwell in the desert didn't drink enough water. They took a few gulps, and then walked off, and died later. Shaking her head at the thought, which caused her soft hair to shift against her neck, she shoved them away. Her eyes focused once more on the stallion, eyes flickering over him for a moment, before she smiled lightly, tail giving a small shift. She shuffled her wings once more, a bit more sand falling from the feathers, before she deemed them fully free of the particles. That was the one downside to living here; sand everywhere.
She smiled fondly at the thought. Naja didn't always live here; it was only recently she decided to dwell. Her head tilted curiously, before she responded. "I agree... honestly, looking at sand for days does get repetitive. But, I have developed a love for this place; even the heat." She said, her voice gentle. She looked back to him, before smiling lightly and took a half step toward him, her voice shifting into an almost airy, light hearted tone. "I loved the forests, and the meadows. The beach was magnificent; beautiful and gentle. But if I wasn't here..." She glanced up at Garret, her eyes hardening slightly. "You wouldn't be alive right now." Her tone was blunt, and matter-of-fact, as though she had witnessed it before.
When he moved to pull something from his pack, Naja blinked curiously. She tilted her head this way and that in order to get sight of it. When she did see it, she let out a soft gasp and took another step forward, dipping her head to stare at the glass. She listened quietly to him speaking, before lifting her head lightly. She shifted on her hooves, and blinked big eyes at him, as though she was more curious than anything. The last statements, and the look, made her heart skip a beat, and some heat raise into her face. She tilted her head toward the water, before moving toward it, and lowered her front legs down, moving her wings into the water until they were fully drenched. "I have seen thunderstorms in the distance. Perhaps when you are well rested I can take you to the places and see if you can't find your treasures... But um.. What was your... other collecting thing?" She murmured, eyes focused on the water.
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 4:57 pm
"Then I am glad as well for the decision you made... although I have to admit... I'm a little biased." He winked. He knew very well that he owed his life to this fascinating mare. He wasn't quite used to being in the debts of others, and it made him feel a little off center now that he was feeling a little more soquili and less half-dead.
"I found this one earlier in the day that nearly robbed me of my life, but if I were to find another, well, it is another piece that could be traded. Already, this piece has quite the story behind it..." He already was spinning in his head how to elaborate upon it - fell scorpions or snakes that tried to stop him once he did find a drink - or perhaps, even near death, having to stop one from biting the lovely mare that found him.
"I have traveled forests - I was born in the forests, with meadows nearby. I was a knight... a warrior... a prince and a monster in the stories we played as foals," he continued with a lopsided grin, "and as I grew I traveled. I've seen the sea, the beach... and the mountains... but this.... this was my first time in the desert. It seems even the stories I heard about it did not stand up to the reality of the extremes of its heat and cold. I owe you, Naja. I have collected many treasures, and if there is one that I have that catches your eyes... please, just speak it and is yours."
He began to carefully withdraw some of the collection from his satchels - a beautiful spiraled seashell, a necklace made from abalone shell, a finely crafted arrow head affixed to an ebony shaft and tipped with a black feather...
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 9:41 am
Naja watched him for several quiet moments, listening to him speak. His ears swiveled lightly, before she shifted lightly in front of him. Her tail gave a small sway, and her eyes lingered for a moment before she blinked. She almost stood on the tip of her hooves while listening to him speak. What was he going on about? He traveled so much... So much that it had her heart racing. Naja's wings, heavy with water, shifted against her back. After a moment, she shook the thought from her head, and moved toward him, only to have to stop when he began to pull things from his bag.
"Oh... Oh! No, no no no. I couldn't. I couldn't take any of your treasures. They're special to you. They give you stories and remind you of great adventures." Naja stated quickly. She nudged the items out of the way all the same, careful of how she pushed them. After a moment, she lifted her wings over him the best she could ( she had to rear up in order to reach all of him ) and shook her wings over his form, dropping the water along his body. When she got all she could out, she trotted back to the water, and repeated the process, gathering water in her wings, before dropping them over him once more.
It wasn't the quickest way to get the stallion clean; but Naja knew that it would keep the water from being filled with sand. She folded her wings against her back after a moment, before looking back toward him and blinked curiously, her head tilting to the side. She smiled toward him, eyes softening somewhat, before she paused and stared up at him. "Well... you could do one thing for me.." She murmured, lowering her eyes for a moment, before peering back up at him. She took a half step forward, tilting her head up a bit. "I don't remember much about the forests and stuff.. Perhaps.. you could take me to explore some of the places you listed? Or... anywhere really." She asked, voice hopeful.
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Posted: Wed Apr 02, 2014 5:16 pm
"Are you certain? It is not often I find myself in someone else's debt.." Garret said with a smooth brogue. He hesitated for a few moments before carefully packing away the treasures and mementos from his travels through the world... or, at least as far as he had made it so far. It was thanks to this mare, however, he would be continuing those travels.
"Although... I do not need momentos to remember my stories. I could tell you a number of tales... I have a very good memory." And when his memory faltered, imagination took over. Of course, the stories to begin with contained varying amounts of truth ... some were merely embellished.... some were absolutely ficticious or borrowed from another storyteller. But Garret made it a point of pride to never reveal which was which.
He allowed the water to cascade over his matted, sandy fur, preening a bit as she showered him. And as he washed the sand from his coat, his fur began to glisten and elaborate golden markings were revealed criss-crossing his pelt.
However... at her request, the stallion fell silent for a time. He had never had a companion in his travels... and he liked it that way. There was no one to refute the validity of the stories he wove, and no one to hold back his charm when he met a new lovely face. Garret had traveled a far distance... for his age. He was still a young stallion and the world seemed to contain so much promise for adventures and romances.
But... he did owe her.... and that made Garret feel a touch uncomfortable. "I thought the beauty of the desert seduced you, Naja?" He asked with a soft smile. "But... if you would like an escort... much as you have escorted me... I could show you the way to a lush forest... or dark cave... but I'm afraid I'm not looking for companionship."
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Posted: Wed Apr 30, 2014 8:32 pm
Naja watched the stallion with ease as he seemed to be packing away his belongings. It was true; she didn't need anything like that. The main problem would be location. She never stayed in the same oasis twice; not if she could help it. And it would slow her down to carry anything more than she did now. She didn't want to accidentally lose it or have someone steal it from her either. So. The concept of him giving her something, as lovely as it was, wasn't an option after all. She blinked toward him, her bright eyes lingering on his form for a moment, before she tilted her head toward the water and analyzed the way it moved. It was easy to do, after all. She shifted some and tilted her head so that she could see a little farther, as though checking for predators, before looking back at Garret.
The silence made the mare shift almost uneasily. She moved carefully toward the water again, her ears flicking back lightly. She wasn't certain what he was going to say; and for some reason, it was more frightening than she could understand. Generally no one ever paid much mind to her. She saved them; made them right in the world, and they would go off and do what they needed. She shifted on her hooves, her tail flicking behind her, before she moved over toward the water again. She dipped her head and lapped at the water quietly, ears flicking, before she glanced over her shoulder. When he finally did respond, her heart seemed to fall some. Well.. there went that plan. She shifted her wings along her back, before pining her ears for a moment.
Forcing a smile on her face, Naja tilted her head and let out a soft laugh. "Oh no problem at all. I'll escort you out of the desert come morning, if your up for the travel when the sun comes back up." She said softly. She moved toward a gathering of the trees, and sniffed at the bark for a moment. Her tail swished again, and after a moment, she lowered herself to the soft sand. It was chilled, but it didn't take her long to warm it up with her own heat. She ruffled her feathers some, puffing them up a bit before allowing them to settle on her sides and back, warming her body more. "You should get some rest." Naja said, her voice gentle. She laid her head down near her side, her tail coming up to curl around her body as best as it could.
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