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 Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:35 pm
 It had been too long she had had last visited her friend Kamakana. Far too long. Why last time she had spoken with the mare Kamakana's children were still foals. Now they would be fully grown and possibly even left to seek out their own life. In fact that was one of the reasons why Liella was returning to her friends home, to see how those children had grown and see if any had stuck around. She hoped that some had, and yet she knew all too well how children disappeared from a parents life shortly after they became adults. Sometimes they left even before that stage in life. Liella hadn't initially wanted her thoughts to move to the topic of children, even if one of the reasons why she was visiting her friend was to see the mares children if they were still around. Thinking about others children made Liella think of her own. How long had it been since she had last seen any of them?
Far too long.
The white mare let out a sigh. Would she ever see them again? Perhaps she would, if she kept looking and never gave up home. But ever now and then her hope waned, and this was one of those times. What she needed was to talk to Kamakana about this. Surely her friend would understand, especially if her own children had left by now, which more likely than not they had.
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:36 pm
 Kamakana was considering going back to her life of wandering. Her children had grown and left, and the stallion she had thought she would spend her life with, Naoki, had also departed from her life. Perhaps the rumor she had heard once was true, that a first love wasn't always a true love and therefore it would not last a lifetime. She was not as heartbroken as she had expected to be. Yes, it had hurt in those first few hours and days when Naoki had left her. But he had stayed around for the children, helping to raise them and it was only after they hd left to make their own way in the world did he tell her it was over. She didn't begrudge him for his choice. But it didn't stop it from initially hurting her.
Glancing around the area she had for a while now called home Kamakana wanted to put space between her and it. There were plenty of happy memories here, things she would cherish for a life time and she would return here to remember more clearly those moments. Today she would leave. She had lingered long enough and now there wasn't much reason to stay. This would still be a home to her in a way, but her true home had and always would be the road, something she had learned and inherited from her mother.
Taking a final glance around Kamakana set off down the path that would lead her away from this stage of her life and into the next one. It was not long after she left the sheltered area where her children had first played when she spotted a familiar mix of colors coming her way. Kamakana smiled and trotted to meet her friend. "Liella! It is so good to see you again."
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:38 pm
Her heart lifted when she say Kamakana coming out of the trees and a laugh escaped her as her friend closed the gap between them. "It is good to see you as well Kamakana. I was on my way to visit with you, but I wasn't expecting to have you come and meet me here." There was something about reuniting with a friend that brought on a special kind of happiness. The happy feeling did not solve everything and Liella still hoped to talk at length with her good friend about several things, but for the moment she could smile, laugh and feel like everything in the world was right.
"I had hoped to visit you again sooner, but I felt the pull of the lands to go out and see what awaited me." Now that she admitted that Liella took her first close look at her friend. The mare had seemed happy at first, and yet now Liella could see that there was something on Kamakana's mind. "Is everything alright?" She asked, concerned over her friend and knowing that she would do whatever she could to make it right.
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 4:42 pm
She smiled at her friend and though she felt joy in seeing Liella there was also an undertone of sadness to that smile. Her life had reached a major turning point and she was not sure what lay ahead of her. However, Liella's presence would help. They had been good friends for a long time now and she knew she could count on the pale mare to lend support or simply be there as a shoulder to cry on when necessary. "I was leaving actually." She finally admitted after her friend asked if everything was alright. It wasn't of course, but it would be again soon one day.
"They've all left Leilla. Even Kaikea. I had thought she would stay here, join me in my travels but she decided that she wanted to experience the world on her own." She looked back towards the place that had been home before returning her gaze to Liella. "Naoki was the last to leave me. I had thought perhaps we could stay together longer but he has moved on as well. Now it's time for me to move on, leave this part of my life and find what awaits for me." She looked down the trail. She knew where it lead, and yet once she got there there would be an endless supply of different directions that she could take. "I don't know if you had any plans of your own, but I would not say no to a travel companion at the point." She truly hoped her friend would come along, she needed a familiar face and the support Liella would give for the next little while.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:02 am
"Oh Kamakana." Liella stepped forward and gave her friend a comforting nuzzle. She knew how hard it was when children left, some days she still struggled over losing her children. "I'm sorry. It's hard at first but it does get better, and you will always have them in your heart." It was that thought that had kept Liella going when her children had left her life. She had known it would eventually happen one day but having Cherish taken from her by that Kalona had been harder than the others leaving simply because they were ready to live their own life. It was really the only downside to parenting. Oh, she had heard of some Soquili that stuck with their family their entire lives but not many did that anymore. The allure to strike out and create a life of their own was often too strong for young adult Soquili to resist. Had she not done that exact same thing? Yes, she had and she had not looked back after a while, loving the open road.
"The only plans I had were to come and visit with you." She assured her friend. "I would be happy to come along with you, you know I will always be here for you when you need me." And that was true sicne she had shown up at a time when Kamakana needed her the most. "It will just be like old times, you and I out on the road, nothing but the land before us." Perhaps that's exactly what her friend needed, a bit of her old life to distract her from the sad feelings and knowledge that her children and mate were now gone from her life. "Come on, we'll go as far as the trail takes us today and then tomorrow...well we'll do whatever we wish tomorrow."
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:12 am
Hearing her friends words of comfort did help. She knew that Liella had had a hard time when her children left, but more so over the daughter than was taken from her. Kamakana had been told all about what happened with Cherish and she could not imagine going through that. It was bad enough to have her children decide they wanted to start their life away from her and Naoki, but to have one taken away, why it would completely break her heart. "You're right. I will always treasure the time I had with them and all the fun things we did, especially when they were younger. I know they are not gone forever, one day they will be in my life again." Even if it was just a meeting out in the meadow or finding them back here some months down the road she knew it would be nothing but happiness.
"You always know just what to say and do Liella. I don't think I could have ever asked for a better friend." She was so glad she had met Liella all that time when traveling with her mother. They had bonded almost immediately even though Liella was more closer to her mothers age, but the friendship had stuck and while she knew Liella also visited her mother from time to time, she tended to spend more time with Kamakana. "Just like old times?" She asked with a chuckle. "I don't know if the world is ready for that again." Already she was feeling better. Yes, she was still saddened by what had happened but she had a life to live and with Liella at her side she could do just that. "You think that ornery beaver is still living at that one stream?" She asked, remember having actually been chased off by the vicious little creature.
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:22 am
"Of course you couldn't." Liella said with a firm nod of her head. "And if you had...you still would have ended up with me." She let out a laugh and then began down the trail. They could lend each other the support they would need to get through whatever they faced. There was sure to be moments along the way where either of them would be haunted by their emotions and loses, but with a good friend nearby that time would likely be very minimal. She knew how much Kamakana had helped after Cherish had been taken, even just talking or crying about it with her had made Liella feel better.
She couldn't help but let out another laugh. "I don't think I'm ready for that either. I'm not as young as I used to be." She smiled while looking over at her friend. Really she wasn't that old, but joking was a great way of turning things from sad to happy. "I guess we will just have to see how much of our old selves we remember and can still do." They had been very active then, traveling many miles in a day just to see what was on the other side of a forest, meadow or even mountain. Now she was looking forward to doing that again, even if it was a slightly lesser version of their old days. "I don't know if that silly beast is still there or not." She looked over at her friend with a mischievous smile. "But I know one way to find out."
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Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2014 8:29 am
"And you know I wouldn't have it any other way." She had other friends in her life but Liella was the best friend she could ask for, the one who would always be there and the one who likely understood the most when it came to whatever Kamakana needed help with. She follower her friend down the path that lead her away from the home she and Naoki had made and out into the world that awaited them. She did not look back, there was no reason to, that part of her life was done and looking back now would only make the sadness return.
She laughed at her friend. "I think we could still do what we did...it just might take us a bit longer in our old age!" The laugh came easily to her, already her spirits were lifted and she was looking forward to the days ahead when they would only have to concern themselves over where to sleep or whether to take a right or a left at any fork in the road. Ah, it had been a bit too long since she had taken to her wandering ways. Raising her children had made her turn away from that life for a while, and then she had returned somewhat to it was Kaikea, but now she was truly back to her roots, ones that her mother had given her. "Oh Liella, you're going to get us in trouble." But she didn't care, and really now that they knew ahead of time that there might be a raging beaver at that river they would be ready to run for it if he was indeed still there.
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:36 pm
"I thought that was why we went on all those adventures together...to find trouble." She said with a laugh as they continued along the path. Not that they got into trouble on a regular basis, but the life of a wanderer was often interrupted by unpredictable things such a weather, impassible objects and the odd encounter with some less than pleasant individuals. Really over all it was a great way to live, but every now and then Liella craved something different, something that would keep her in one spot. She wasn't sure what that thing would end up being, but she figured that if she was destined to do it then she would find it among her travels. Perhaps she would find it now, with Kamakana by her side, or it could be something she would find while out on her own. It didn't matter when she found it. What mattered right now was being there for her friend.
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:38 pm
Kamakana sighed but let out a laugh anyways. "We don't do it to get in trouble." She jokingly chided her friend. "We do it to fulfill our sense of adventure." Of course Kamakana started her wandering ways at a young age with her mother, so in a way she also continued on with that life as a sort of tradition. She wasn't certain if anyone else in her family had gotten that unscratchable itch to constantly travel or if it was just her because it had been her whom her mother had chosen to share that life with. Now that she thought about it, that certainly explained why Kaikea had left. She had shared her love of wandering with her children at a young age but it was obvious that Kaikea had taken a true shine to it. Perhaps the other two had as well, but to a much lesser extent. Realizing this, Kamakana was less sad over her children leaving her, it still hurt yes but that was because she loved them so much and wanted to be a part of their lives even as they grow older.
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:39 pm
The continued traveling well into the day. Over the hours they talked about what they had been doing since the last time they had met and some of the things they wished had been different. It was obvious that no life was perfect, but when looked at all the positives in each of their lives they had to admit their lives had been pretty damn good so far. With the sky turning a mix of orange and red Liella looked at her friend and traveling partner. "We better find somewhere to stay for the night." In all their travels together they had both agreed to only ever travel at night when it was absolutely necessary. One could never know what dangers or obstacles were out there in the dark that could not be seen until it was too late. "Perhaps those trees over there." She said pointing out a small cluster a bit further down the road. As long as it wasn't already occupied it looked plenty big for the two of them to spend the night in.
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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 12:49 pm
It was funny how quickly the time passed when they were on the move. It felt like only an hour or so had passed since they had first set out and yet the sun was already setting and night would be here soon. "I think you are right." It only took her friend a moment to spot a possible spot to rest. "We'll check it out, but it looks like a good place from here." If by chance it turned out to be not ideal when there were a few other spots that they would be able to reach that they could spend the night at instead. Even so, she didn't want to be still finding shelter as night fell, so Kamakana increased her speed to a trot, knowing that Liella would easily keep up.
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:38 am
They continued on for the relatively short walk to the grove that had been spotted. Once there the pair had a quick look around. There didn't seem to be any recent activity in the grove, which meant that it was no ones home and not regularly used by travelers either. "I don't think we could find a better place further down the trail without chancing it getting dark first."
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:39 am
The small grove was indeed a perfect spot to spend the night. There was enough space for the two of them to lay comfortably without crowding into one another. The grass was long and soft so it would made a nice bed as well. But mostly it was the lack of evidence that it had been used lately that was the greatest appeal. Areas that showed lot of wear were either homes to someone or rest spots for travelers like themselves. This grove had all the comforts of home and little chance of them encountering anyone during the night. "You're right." She said as she finished giving it a look. "We'll rest here and get a nice early start come the morning.
She looked around the grove once more. The only other creature that seemed to be here was a small songbird but it didn't seem to mind their intrusion on it's home within the trees. She settled down and enjoyed the scent of the freshly broken grass from their hooves. It was such a wonderful smell.
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Posted: Tue Sep 02, 2014 9:41 am
Liella nodded her head. "It's settled then, this is where we will stay." The white coated mare followed suit and laid down among the thick carpet of grass. "We better get as much sleep as possible tonight...we both need to be well rested if we are to be fully prepared for an encounter with that beaver." A smile crossed her lips as she settled further into the luxurious grass and closed her eyes
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