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 Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2014 7:20 pm
 Things had not quite gone to plan for Yara. She had thought everything through, had believed she had planned for every inevitable and chance happening that may or may not occur. She had stayed up late pacing about, double checking her calculations. She had been certain the plan would work flawlessly. She would walk in, smile, say some words and Cergen would be hers. It had seemed like everything had been going smoothly at first. He had been more than happy to talk to a fellow herd member and do some catching up. But then she walked in and spoiled everything! The second that Atlantis had entered the small grove Cergen turned his back on Yara and acted like she hadn't just been talking to him. And what made it worse was the triumphant smile that Atlantis had thrown her way before taking Cergen away.
It had been enough to make Yara want to scream at the top of her lungs. All her life she had been second to Atlantis. When she had been younger Yara had blamed her lack of Kelpi blood on always being second. But she was not the only non-Kelpi member of the herd and so it turned out not to be that. In truth it was just sheer back luck, and the Gods or whatever power was out there, seemed to heavily favor Atlantis in everything she did.
Perhaps it was time to approach things differently. The big question is what could she do differently and how would it work out. Changing tactics this late in the game could prove to be fruitful of course, but there was also the chance of it completely ruining her chances with this and any other things she tried in the future. Looking out across the sandy beach and the endless water of the sea Yara thought over her choices. Really she couldn't stand to keep loosing. But she wasn't about to give up completely either. She had to find a new balance, a balance that would tip the scales and put her on top for once.
The one thing she needed to do right now though was to distance herself from the object of her unhappiness. Atlantis would probably see her leaving as admitting defeat, but it was far from that. Yara was going to let the mare think she had won yet again, and while that was happening Yara would be spinning a new plan, one that would not backfire on her. Wouldn't it be wonderful when that happened. Unfurling her wings Yara took to the air. She circled around the herd lands until she found the loving couple that she would tear apart in her return. She needed to make sure Atlantis witnessed her leaving, it was but the first step of this new plan. The rest of it she would work out once she had cleared her mind. Plotting revenge when ones mind was not focused was a great way to spell disaster. Yara would not rush this plan, it had to work and it had to work flawlessly for once. With a smile of satisfaction she turned away from the herd lands and began her journey to redemption.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2014 6:54 pm
She had flown over the very jungle that Cergen had lived in for so many years. It was a lush and dangerous land. It was no wonder that everyone was so surprised to have seen him return to the herd, everyone had assumed him dead. And now, he was not only alive but the most handsome stallion of the herd. But what bothered Yara was that Atlantis had beat her to him and had stolen him away, and everything she had done to pull Cergen away from that darn mare hadn't worked. But she wasn't done trying, leaving home was only the first step in her current plan to win Cergen and finally beat Atlantis at her own game. And oh she would enjoy the look on Cergen's face when she did so.
For three days she traveled from the first light in the morning until the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. She was exhausted and sore but already she felt a calm settle over her. Time away from the herd would help her completely plan this most recent plan and see that it was completely flawless. Then and only then would she return and be triumphant. Now however Yara was tired and felt like bringing her daily travels to an end. She had just flown over a forest that seemed to stretch on forever, but finally she had reached the edge of the trees and could land in the meadow below. Her tired wings brought her to the ground and she was all too grateful for the rest.
Lowering her head she cropped at the grass. She was not used to this much traveling. Before she had only truly left the herd territory once or twice, but had never gone this far out. It was a whole new world out here and already she missed the beach and ocean more than she had expected to. At least she had the shells in her mane and on her necklace as a reminder of her home. They meant more to her than anything...well outside of finally beating Atlantis of course.
Yara took a deep breath and smelled the heavy scent of the forest. It was not an entirely unpleasant smell, but she missed the salt and sand smell of the beach. Stop thinking of home, she scolded herself. She could not allow homesickness to ruin this plan. It would take a lot of patience to see herself to victory.
Wandering through the meadow Yara examined all the flowers that hid among the grasses. Well, actually now that she was getting a good look at things this place was quite beautiful. She supposed she could understand why so many Soquili made their homes in the forests and meadows. Her own parents had once lived out here somewhere, but then they had discovered the ocean and joined the herd there and had never looked back. They had even raised Yara on the beach, though she was one of the few herd members to have no Kelpi blood in her. That had bothered her as a foal, but now she was unique and that was important to her. For she was one of only a few herd members who had the ability to fly. Most importantly it was something even Atlantis couldn't get her hooves on, and it would be the thing to see Yara come out on top when all this was over. With that thought she made her way to the edge of the forest where she could find some protection from the wind and sun and get some rest.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:22 pm
As beautiful as this land was, and appealing to her, Yara couldn't help but feel homesick. But mostly she was lonely. She was so used to having herd members around, always having someone to talk to, something to do. Out here, while it was beautiful and quite relaxing, she had found it hard to cope. Thinking on this Yara wondered just how Cergen had survived the jungle, a much harsher place, for so many years - especially since he started that life as a foal. Well she supposed he had that monkey, though she couldn't quite understand the appeal of the creature, it was obvious that the beast was important to Cergen. Winning over the monkey would be an important step to winning Cergen.
As lonely as she was Yara needed to experience this. To know what it was like to live on her own, with no one around to help her in any way. In doing this she would have a better understanding of how Cergen lived the last few years and she hoped this would lead to her knowing how his mind worked. Every little step that brought her to knowing how the stallion thought and acted because of how he was raised - by a monkey no less - would help her immensely.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:25 pm
The thing was, living in a meadow wasn't going to give her the right mindset. She needed to find something closer to the jungle. Really she could have just went into the jungle near her home and went the easy route, but she wanted something different, and hopefully safer, to let her know how this all worked. Perhaps she would move further north.
She had heard from a passing Soquili the other day that there was a band of forest to the north of here that was challenging to live in but with persistence one could certainly manage. Perhaps spending a week or so there would work out nicely. She could get a small dose of mock jungle life, learn the ropes and return to steal Cergen from Atlantis' grip. Yes, that would do nicely. With that thought in mind Yara took to the air and headed to her next destination.
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Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:29 pm
It took Yara several days of flying to reach her intended destination. By the time she got there she was absolutely exhausted and was certainly that if she tried to fly any further she would simply fall from the sky. Landing at the edge of the trees Yara gave her wings and much needed stretch before folding them against her sides. So here it was, the place where she would learn all about fending for oneself in unfamiliar territory and with that knowledge she would be able to win over Cergen's attention and love. Stepping into the trees Yara got her first dose of her new, thankfully temporary, life.
Almost instantly she felt uneasy. The trees felt far too close, she was used to large swaths of open area of beach and ocean. The forest was far too restrictive. Why she wouldn't be able to fly at all until she either left the trees or found a grove in which to allow her to open her wings and take off. Not that she wanted to do any flying just yet, her wings were still sore and tired, and more so she just didn't have the energy or drive to go elsewhere now. Alright so what did she need to work out first. After a moment of thought Yara decided that finding where she would sleep tonight would be her top priority. That meant she needed to find a grove or small clearing. Had she been thinking she would have flown over the forest first and spotted one before setting down. But again her wings were too tired so she was forced to find this thing from the ground. With a sigh the mare moved deeper into the trees.
She was surprised by how dark it would get in the forest. Why it was practically midday and yet here with the trees blocking out a big chunk of the sunlight it felt more like it was coming up on evening. This would definitely take some time to get used to.Then there were all the unknowns. She didn't know who or what else was out there that she had to share the forest with, she didn't know what plants she shouldn't eat versus which ones she could. And now that she got thinking about it, she didn't know where a source of water was. If it was this hard for her now, imagine how it must have been for Cergen when he had gone through something like this as a foal. It really was a miracle that he had not only survived but thrived in the jungle all those years.
The further into the trees she got the more challenges she faced. Now she had to find a place to sleep, something to eat, water to drink and make sure that no one was going to come across her in the middle of the night with ill intentions. Yara came to a stop and seriously begin to reconsider this idea. What was she doing out here all this way from home? Was this really worth it? What if Cergen fell so deeply in love with Atlantis is her absence that there would be no pulling him away? With a solid shake of her head Yara banished those thoughts. This had to work, no it would work, she just had to stick to it. With that thought in mind she continued on into the forest in search of all those things she needed to find.
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 7:34 am
It had not been easy to find a suitable spot in the forest to call home for the next few weeks. Many of the clearings she first came to were already home to someone else, or they were too small for her comfort or they would take far too much work to get ready. She had nearly reached the point of giving up when she found it at least. It was a suitable size for what she needed, other than a big of leaf litter that could quickly be move there wasn't much she needed to do to get it ready for sleep. Yara checked for any signs that someone else lived here but other than a few tracks of animals that had passed through she found nothing. It was such a relief after so much travel that she nearly cried. Why was she putting herself through all of this? Well the answer was obvious, she wanted to win Cergen over with her knowledge of living in a harsh climate away from home and mostly to see the look on Atlantis' face when the stallion turned away from her and came to Yara. That would be a good day. No, it would be a fantastic day.
The night had passed swiftly enough and while she at first had trouble falling to sleep, her travel weary body eventually fell into a someone restful sleep. Morning had been a rude awakening as the call of bird and movements of animals had roused her from her slumber. At first she panicked not knowing where she was, but then she remembered her search the previous day and how she had found this place as the suns light began to wane. Getting to her hooves Yara stretched and gave her pelt a solid shake. This would certainly take some getting used to, but if she survived the first night without issue then she could survive several more days. Now the first thing she needed to do was get something to drink. There had been a small pond a short distance away from the clearing but right now she couldn't figure out what direction in was in. Having grown up on the beach she wasn't used to the way the forest restricted how much one could see. After a while all trees began to look the same.
Setting off Yara began to make short trips out and then back to the clearing in multiple directions looking for the stream. It took hew a good chunk of the morning before finally finding it. Not wanting to be caught in this situation again Yara began to mark the way towards the pond. Once she made it back to the clearing she picked up a stone and marked two trees that would be the ones she would need to walk through in order to get to the pond.
Tired and more hungry that ever Yara couldn't help but sigh. Now she needed to find food, but there were so many unknown plants to her it would take some time for her to get a full belly. She could just eat the grass in this clearing but that would take away the sort bed she had. Letting out another sigh Yara set off once more in search of something to eat. Just a few more days, she told herself, just a few more days.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 2:06 pm
By the time Yara made it back to the clearing she had chosen she was exhausted, dirty and still hungry. She had found some fruit to eat, though it had not been at it's prime. Who would have thought that finding food in the forest would be so hard. There were so many trees here and yet few held anything edible - at least in her opinion. Oh what she wouldn't give for some seaweed or even some beach grass. Just the thought made her mouth water. Sinking down into the grass of the small grove Yara let out a sigh. This plan was not turning out like she had planned. How had Cergen managed to survive for several years out in the jungle when she couldn't make it out here for a few days without wanting to give up. Clearly there was some secret that she was unaware of and now she was too far away from the beach side herd to ask him.
The realization hit her. By trying this little experiment she had given Atlantis the time to fully win over Cergen, unless by some miracle the stallion turned his back on her by now, and now Yara would have no chance at all. A heavy sigh escaped her. Atlantis was probably beyond thrilled to have Yara out of her life. Well, she would not give her the satisfaction. First thing in the morning Yara would head back to the beach and big a big thorn in Atlantis' side once more. But not in an obvious way so that Cergen would frown upon it. No, this would need to be done stealthily. If she could slowly pick away at Atlantis' confidence then she would win once and for all. Or she could just find a stallion more handsome than Cergen to bring back home.
Actually that idea wasn't so bad. She still wanted Cergen for herself, but if she couldn't have him then there had to be someone else to have in her life. This far away from her home she could certainly find a suitable stallion. And then she would get to see Atlantis' jealous looks as Yara walked around with her prize mate. Hell, it was worth a shot. Besides it would take a very long time to make it back to the beach, so she would just need to keep her eyes out for a handsome stallion to woo. He would have to be something extremely special. An Angeni would do nicely, but they might also see through her lies. Of course if the stallion was handsome enough she wouldn't need to lie about wanting to be with him. Surely Atlantis would be completely jealous is Yara came flying home with a pure blooded Angeni at her side to dote on her every moment of the day. With that thought in mind Yara closed her eyes and gave her exhausted body the rest that it so desperately needed.
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Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 4:10 pm
Yara awoke the next morning feeling more relaxed and rejuvenated than she had since she had come to the forest on this little experiment. Today would be here last day among the thick trees and unfamiliar lands. For today she was starting the next leg of her journey. This leg would eventually take her home to her beach side herd...or perhaps, if things turned out well, to her new stallion friends home. Of course she realized that it may take some time to find a stallion that was on par, if not better, than Cergen, but she could handle that. Surely there were other stallions out there that she would find as appealing as Cergen was.
With a good plan in mind Yara gave her muscles a stretch. First thing was finding a good solid meal. She would be starting on her new journey later and she would need to keep her strength up. Her dream stallion could live clear across the lands, though if she was honest Yara hoped he was close, that would mean she could get to the next phase of her plans even faster. Leaving the small grove she had called home now for far too many days Yara made her way through the trees. By now she had learned where to find water at a nearby spring and she had also managed to find a few fruit trees near that as well that had the most delicious tasting fruits she'd ever eaten. She only wished that she knew what they were called. Coming up to the spring Yara took a long drink. Looking down at the waters surface she balked at what she was seeing. She was filthy and her hair was a mess. That was no way to win a stallions heart. Okay, new plan. Bath in the spring and then look for breakfast.
Slipping into the water Yara let out a sigh on content. Oh, this felt so good after struggling for so many days in this environment. Her not realizing how bad of shape her looks were in was a clear sign of how stressful this kind of life was. Why imagine what she would look like if she had decided to stay for another week or more. Why she would be so caked in dirt it might never come off. Dunking her head under the water Yara gave her head a shake, trying to free the dirt from her mane.Coming to the surface once more Yara felt wonderful. Already she could feel the dirt, and the stress of the last few days, slipping away. As much as she was enjoying this Yara couldn't let herself get distracted by the luxuries of the bath. After a few more moments to ensure she was clear Yara climbed out of the spring and gave herself a shake. Though still wet she would dry on her way to those fruit trees, she just needed to make sure not to rub up against anything or create too much dust on the way or she would need to take another bath.
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Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:29 pm
Having reached the fruit trees without incident Yara was starting to feel uplifted. Sure she had started this day on a bit of a sour note, but now her spirits were high. She was clean, there was plenty of delicious food for her to have, and soon she would be setting out on a new mission. Could life get any better? Well if she had Cergen by her side, then things would be perfect. But knowing that likely wouldn't happen now Yara had to focus her attention elsewhere. And now she was about to start the search for her own stallion, her own Prince who would spoil her rotten and, with luck, make Atlantis envious.
Munching on the sweet fruit Yara starting deciding on where she would head first. Obviously this area wasn't good since she had seen very few other Soquili while here, so she needed to expand her search area. To the south there wasn't much either, unless she traveled for days and wound up back home. That was not an option just yet.
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Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:31 pm
Getting her fill of fruit and havign made up her mind to travel west, a direction that looked very promising on her way here, Yara made the short journey through the forest to the meadow. Here she could fly once more and take advantage of the faster travel and the birds eye view it afforded her. Now she would be able to see any potential herds to visit and rest spots well in advance.
Unfurling her wings Yara took to the air. This was the first step in her new life and she was thrilled to start it. She could almost forget about Cergan and Atlantis...almost. With the winds helping her along, Yara set out for the unknown with one goal in mind - find herself a handsome stallion to call her own.
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