The tiny wings settled against Novella's back gave a quick flutter as she stared at the expansive world before her. She was a bit anxious, but more than anything she was excited. At last she had ventured forth from her secluded home in the forest and could see the world outside with her own eyes. Not through the old scrolls or stories from the herd's elders. Already she'd had some interesting encounters. Nothing too exciting. Just a couple of friendly Soquili willing to have a short conversation with her curious mind. But it was exciting enough just to come face-to-face with actual beings that weren't members of her herd. To have some of the knowledge she's been taught from such a young age confirmed. And to even have some small amount of new knowledge given to her. Even if it only really pertained to those specific Soquili, it was still something new. If she'd already experienced that much in the short amount of time she'd been away from home...Well, the prospect of what was to come sent a gleeful shiver through her body.
But for now she needed to keep her head about her. She was alone on this, and while she was quite certain she knew where she was currently, and where she would be going, there was no telling who or what she might run into on the way. She had to be prepared for anything. At any moment a kalona, or worse a skinwalker, could leap in front of her and she had to be ready to act accordingly. She'd already concocted a plan of escape should such an event occur. There were plans for a wide range of events just waiting for their moment. Novella had been thinking about this pilgrimage for quite a while. In spite of the potential for great danger though, she couldn't keep a smile from her lips. Her whole life had led up to this journey and, for now, there wasn't much that could kill the buzz of finally setting out on it.
Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2014 11:38 pm
Thane flew for the first time in a long time. Really flew. His wings strained as he pumped himself higher, feeling their muscles ache as they carried his muscular body farther, gliding and soaring. It was dawn, and he felt the rays of sun light warming his dark fur. Flying towards the sun, the stars met the ball of fire head on. Grinning and squinted eyed, he watched the ground below him silently. He wasn't looking for anything in particular today, no. He was just enjoying himself, trying to find something different to corrupt his monotonous routine he hadn't even realized had formed.
Most soq must have still slept, because there was much of nothing on plain. He saw Kadyn running some ways behind him, his beloved familiar. She kept her distance most times, and it being dawn, it was approaching her bedtime--nocturnal creature, she was. Eventually she pined off to find shelter to sleep, and Thane was alone again.
It was some time before anything else caught his eye. A stream glittering in the sun is what drew him to the ground. Tilting his wings, the stallion began his descent, absolutely parched.
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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:42 am
If memory served her correct-and it almost always did- there was stream nearby. Now, while she wasn't particularly thirsty at this moment, Novella was well aware that a source of water was also a great source of encounters. Every living creature needed to quench their thirst every once in a while, right?
That made the decision for her next destination rather easy. She certainly wasn't going to learn anything about these lands keeping to herself. So, to the stream it was! The petite flutter opted to let her wings carry her the distance, though she chose to remain little more than a few feet from the ground.
It was rather disappointing to arrive at the small flow of water and see not a soul. Not even so much as a rabbit or songbird. Novella's body slowly fell along with her expression. Surely if she just waited for a while someone would show up. This area couldn't be completely devoid of life. And as her hooves touched down on the stream bed, she turned her gaze upwards to get an idea of the time. That's when she was struck with absolute confusion. Suddenly her eyes were full of stars, of the night sky. Which was completely absurd because it was very obviously early morning. It was a moment later that she finally registered that this night sky was contained in a very distinctly equine shaped. And that shape was definitely descending upon the stream. With renewed excitement, Novella quickly moved aside to give this Soquili plenty of room to land and eagerly waited to introduce herself.
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Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:36 pm
Thane noticed as he was looking for the good place to plant his hooves, that a blue shape with a dark mane was standing beside the water... watching him, as if expectantly. He felt confusion, and at first tried to recognize the mare. She was looking at him with a elated expression, as if she had been waiting for him. Not to be rude, he decide to land just a few feet from her.
Upon closer inspection, Thane was certain he had never seen this mare before. He would have certainly remembered her--her beauty was flooring to say the least. Blinking a couple times, Thane offered a polite smile. "Good morning, ma'am." His baritone drawl greeted her. He watched her expectantly, his curiosity beginning to burn. It was fantastic, having company other than smelly old Cato.
"I'm Thane." He bowed deep, his nose nearly brushing the ground next to his ankle. Straightening, his smile was winning once more. "May I... help you with something?" His wings pulled tightly to his body, folding perfectly at his sides.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 10:44 am
She didn't have to wait long. This new stallion actually beat her to the introductions. And what a polite introduction he gave. Novella could already tell this fellow was going to be a charming one. For which she was glad. A willingness to help made things so much easier. Returning his smile, Novella bowed her head-only slightly as she didn't want to drag her mane through the mud, "A good morning to you as well, Thane. I'm Novella and it's a pleasure to meet you."
It was a little bit of a struggle trying to figure out how to present her quest to others. It could come off as rather daunting or even a little odd and she certainly didn't want to scare anyone off with her thirst for knowledge. She'd just have to start out with a few simple questions if she wanted this to be successful, "Perhaps you can help me. I've never been in this area and I was wondering if there might be any herds nearby?" Herds were always a good place to start. They were always rich with culture and the concentration of Soquili all in once place meant more individuals to provide new information.
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Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2014 7:10 pm
"Novella. What a pretty name." He smiled brighter, admiring the beads in her hair for a moment before she continued. He nodded when he mentioned she'd never been here before; he figured. More often than not he knew everyone in the immediate region that weren't passer by-ers. "Herds?" He thought for a moment, tilting his head. "There is a herd of cerynei nearby. Odd family." He chuckled remembering the one that thought she heard voices. "I've met them a few times...they requested some training to protect themselves against skinwalkers." His eyes grew dark or a moment, fervently wishing he was able to hunt down the walker that tormented them.
"But don't worry. You're safe here. We've never caught the scent of a skinwalker in Cato's territory." He nodded reassuringly, not wanting to chase her off now that she'd only just arrived.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 10:20 am
Skinwalkers? For a moment her heart fluttered with a confusing mixture of excitement and panic. What a thing it would be to see one in the flesh-all fangs and fur and eyes full of hunger and hate. But her instincts, the smart side of her thoughts, knew she should consider herself blessed if she never came face-to-face with one of those beasts in her lifetime. In the very least, Thane's words reassured her she wouldn't be running into any while she remained in this part of the lands. A relief and just a tiny bit of a disappointment.
But there was plenty more here that could satisfy her curious mind. Novella's ears perked up at the mention of this cerynei herd. An odd one, he said. She had to wonder what made them odd. Perhaps they had unusual rituals or traditions. That thought alone was enticing enough, "I see. Perhaps you could point me in their direction some time. I'm interested in speaking with them." But there was another she also had an interest in now, "And...You said this territory belongs to someone by the name of Cato?" She would also like to speak with this Soquili. It only seemed proper to introduce herself since she was passing through their territory.
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Posted: Fri Mar 07, 2014 8:05 pm
She's a curious one, isn't she?, he thought to himself, grinning all the while. He felt a pang of sadness pierce his chest, catching his breath. It so reminded him of Silas, his brother. He missed his family dearly, and had so wished they were together again. Maybe he would pay them a visit one of these days, convince them to leave the ocean, even though he already knew they never would.
Brushing his thoughts away from such depressing thoughts, Thane focused on the mares face again, admiring her hair some more. He felt his smile warm again as she paused. "I certainly shall, Miss Novella. The cerynei are... a friendly group, if you don't damage their land." He laughed again, remembering when one of their mares thought he and Cato had abused their meadow with their sparring. "Ah! Yes, Cato. He's like my brother." Thane said with affection in his voice, though he rolled his eyes. "A brute, if you ask me, though. He found and claimed this land for him and his lifemate, Bernadette. I'm just staying a stint, here with them. I have my own little willow tree and everything." He puffed his chest with faux-pride, obviously joking about his success. A willow tree. How grand. Chuckling, he continued. "They're friendly, enough." He grinned, and as if an after thought, tacked on, "Oh! And then there's their niece, Kalidasa. She's... interesting." A hellian with out restraint, was more like it. But Novella need not know that part.
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Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2014 7:24 pm
Her eyes were trained on him intently as he spoke, taking in his every word. Of course the cerynei herd felt strongly about the health of their lands. She had always been told that the breed was quite strongly connected to nature, after all. Novella would have to tread respectfully when paying this herd a visit. A rule to follow when stepping into anyone's territory, really. And hopefully one she was keeping to while passing through this other stallion's lands.
But from the way Thane spoke of him, this Cato seemed reasonable enough and her concerns were pushed aside for the time being. The affection in his tone as he spoke about the other was endearing, and his false bravado even more so. Novella couldn't keep herself from giving a quiet chuckle and her own smile grew to meet his own, "I see. I think I would like to meet him as well." And suddenly it dawned on her, "Ah, I'm so sorry. I hope I'm not asking too much of you. I do tend to get a bit excited at the prospect of meeting others..." There was an apology in her expression as she looked at Thane, hoping her eagerness hadn't been a bit overwhelming for him. As great as a healthy desire for learning was, she would have to learn to rein in her enthusiasm some day if she didn't want to chase everyone off with it.
Roman Foi
So, so, so sorry for the delay. Things are so crazy irl right now.
The tiny wings settled against Novella's back gave a quick flutter as she stared at the expansive world before her. She was a bit anxious, but more than anything she was excited. At last she had ventured forth from her secluded home in the forest and could see the world outside with her own eyes. Not through the old scrolls or stories from the herd's elders. Already she'd had some interesting encounters. Nothing too exciting. Just a couple of friendly Soquili willing to have a short conversation with her curious mind. But it was exciting enough just to come face-to-face with actual beings that weren't members of her herd. To have some of the knowledge she's been taught from such a young age confirmed. And to even have some small amount of new knowledge given to her. Even if it only really pertained to those specific Soquili, it was still something new. If she'd already experienced that much in the short amount of time she'd been away from home...Well, the prospect of what was to come sent a gleeful shiver through her body.
