|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2014 1:17 pm
 The battle had all been a blur. Even the days, weeks and months that had led up to it were unclear in her memory. Some may have thought the battle happened over night, the balance of the herd tipping suddenly. But Amarice, among a few others, knew the truth. Their side had been plotting for a while. They had known that they would need to be completely ready in order to take over the herd. If hey jumped into battle unprepared they would lose. So for weeks on end they had gathered, though not in an obvious manner, patrols were often done in pairs then and so they would make sure to be paired with the right partner to discuss things away from the prying eyes of the advisers and other high ranking herd members. But there were also some in those higher positions that had secretly joined and had fed them information.
Then the battle had begun. Amarice had been young then, but had still taken enough lessons to hold her own in a fight. But she was also naive and overconfident. She had been certain that she had joined the right side, that the mares claims were right and that if they didn't do this here and now the herd would be no more. So Amarice had thrown herself into battle with those thoughts, never really considered the Sisters on the other side.
The battle was long and for quite some time neither side made any ground. They were fighting their equals and it would take a great deal of effort to push through to victory.
Amarice hadn't been sure when things had started to turn badly for both sides. She remembered hearing a cry of the Queen's guard that the Queen had been injured, then several of those loyal to the Queen had rushed to her aid. It was a bit after this that the leader of the opposing side had called a retreat. Retreat had not been in the plan, but Amarice did as she had been told. The Sisters raced off into the night leaving the Queen and those loyal to her to their fates. She had followed her new leader without question up til then, she followed her even after that.
And then one day Amarice was left behind. She was told that she was of no use anymore.
That was several months ago. Now Amarice was lost in life. She knew nothing but that old life, of training and sisterhood and yet she had betrayed that life as much as she had betrayed it. She did not know the fate of the herd, if the Queen had survived, if the opposing side had ever returned to try to take the place of power. She only knew defeat. Could she even return? It would depend on a number of factors, the main one being who was in charge, if the herd had even recovered from such a devastating battle. Had she been gone long enough for those to forgive her choosing the other side? Or would she return to find those who had abandoned her in power? There was only one way to find this out and it was with this thought that Amarice finally, after all these months, decided to make the journey home.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2014 6:29 pm
Amarice had traveled hard for several days and she was feeling it. After months of being away from the only life she had know she had fallen out of shape. Her days had once been filled with training throughout the hours of the days, but over the last few months while she sorted out what to do with her life she had gotten lazy, had not stuck to a routine like she should have. And now look where she was. Landing near a small pond the dark colored mare folded her wings against her side giving them a much needed rest. How could she return to the herd in such a weakened state? She may need to fight to prove herself to the herd or to fight for her life depending on who was in control now. Coming to a stop at the edge of the pond the mare lowered her head and drank deeply.
She was still quite a distance away from the herd lands, even if she traveled hard and fast it would take many days to get there. And what good would it do her to rush? She would arrive alright, but she would be tired and even weaker than she currently was. That would not do. Lifting her head she walked away from the pond and into the shade of a large tree. What she needed to do was recoup her strength. She had already been gone for several months, so what was a few more weeks if it meant being strong upon her return.
Yes, she knew what she had to do now. It would take time and commitment. Well she had all the time in the world really. It was now just a matter of sticking to the plan. And that would be the part she would need to work on the most. Amarice had not been the most diligent of herd members when it came to sticking to things. She would do what was asked of her, but if left to her own devices then she did very little. It was not that she didn't want to be an active member, she just often times lacked the motivation to do things. Well she would have to change that, she had no choice in the matter.
Amarice stamped her foot. "You will stick to this." She said in a firm and loud voice. She would tell herself that every morning when she woke up, every time she thought about quitting and with time and stubbornness she would see this through to the end.
Then and only then could she truly go home. Tonight though, she would rest. A days travel had worn her out and her muscles needed a solid rest to be ready for what was to be the first day or a long training regiment to get back to where she needed to be. Knowing she needed energy she nipped at the grass, mentally going over all of the old training routines. She could remember nearly all of them clearly. Those that she couldn't remember, she would improvise on. With her belly full and her plan made Amarice lay down near the massive trunk of the tree. Letting out a yawn she settled down for the night and let her body get the rest she so desperately needed.
Tomorrow, she thought as she drifted to sleep, tomorrow my life begins anew.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2014 1:00 pm
A chorus of song bird calls slowly pulled Amarice from her slumber. Cracking her eyes opened she looked around to see the trees and grasses that surrounded her. Already the sun was above the horizon. Damn, she had slept later than she had planned to. Rising to her hooves Amarice gave her muscles a stretch. She had hoped to be away with the sun, using every hour of daylight possible to start her new training regime in order to gain back her previous fighting form before returning to whatever was left of the herd. Lowering her head Amarice began to crop at the grass. She needed to eat plenty if she was to get back in shape, training was hard and it would take a lot to keep her going if she was to push herself as hard as possible.
Her eyes roamed the area as she ate. This spot here was perfect as a temporary training ground. The open meadow would allow her to do laps or race back and forth to strengthen her leg muscles and endurance. She could also work on her flying, performing aerial acrobatics to ensure she was just as skilled on the ground as in the air. The forest would provide her a way to practice moving in closed quarters as well as the trees would provide her targets to use for sparring practice. A sparring partner would have been better but she had to work with what she had around her. It's not like a worthy opponent would wander out here and decide to stick around until she was read to return home. She shook her head at the thought. No the trees would have to do. They had done similar training back home from time to time but overall tended to use actual sparring partners.
Having eaten Amarice now walked across the meadow, counting her steps to determine just how large of an area she had to work with. She would use this estimated distance along with counting seconds to judge how fast she moved now compared to weeks from now when she would, hopefully, be done her training. This also gave her the opportunity to closely inspect the meadow, she needed to know if there were any objects she could trip on or holes that would catch her hoof while running and quickly end her life.
It took well into the early evening to get a good look at every inch of the meadow. She had removed some sticks and a few rocks that would prove dangerous but luckily there were no holes that she saw. It was a good area to work in. All that walking, while not as effective as running, was good for her. She knew better than to dive fully into high level training, it was best to start off easy and work her way up. With a flick of her tail Amarice galloped across the length of the meadow. She breathed deeply and evenly as her legs carried her smoothly across the grass. It felt great to have the wind resisting her movements, to feel the ground solidly beneath her hooves. Sliding to a stop at the edge of the forest Amarice reared and threw a few kicks at an old oak tree. While she didn't put her full strength behind it, trees were solid after all and she wanted to avoid injuries, her body responded well to the motions. Yes, she had a long way to come to get back to peek performance, but she had stuck to it today and tomorrow she would work just a bit harder.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:49 pm
The next morning Amarice woke as the first rays of sunlight were starting to dance across the sky. Good, she getting into tune with the flow of the world and sticking to get plan. Today she would repeat her exercises from yesterday while also throwing in some new moves. It had been too long since she did a regular training routine that it would take her a while get get back to even being close to the level where she had been. But time was on her side. Without knowing the fate of her herd Amarice could take as long as she wanted to get back into fighting form. But truthfully she didn't want to take forever. She wanted to get back to that lifestyle as soon as possible, but of course she wouldn't push herself so hard that she would possibly injure herself.
Stretching her muscles Amarice started off at a trot towards the stream. She would drink first, then do the first set of moves and then eat. She would then take a long walk around this area working her way up to a gallop. The sun was peeking over the horizon when she reached the stream. The water was cool in her throat and it certainly helped to rejuvenate her spirit and body. Now she was ready. Spinning away from the stream Amarice pretended to be approached by an attacker. She reared up kicking her front legs out before twisting to the side to avoid their strike. Her movements were not as smooth as she would have liked but it would get better with time.
If only Varia was here, then I'd be back in shape in no time, she thought with a slight smile. Varia, the head warrior of the herd, was a hard mare to please. She expected perfection from each warrior at each training session and she was not opposed to punished those who slacked in their training. Heck, Varia wasn't opposed to punishing everyone if one of the warriors didn't perform to her standards. As much of a pain in the butt that was Amarice would give almost anything to have the always angry head warrior yelling at her now, telling her to tighten up her defenses, to kick harder and not drop her attention for even a second. Just thinking about that made Amarice try harder. She kicked once more, arching her head to bite her invisible opponent.
After several more moments of mock battle she stopped and glanced about. It really was a shame there was no one around that she could spar with. Training worked so much better when one had an actual target. With a sigh and a slight shake of her head Amarice raced across the meadow. There were so many things she had to work on today. If she did things right and stuck to her plan she would get a bit of training in on each area before night began to set in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 12:07 pm
For almost a month now Amarice had been training in this area building up here strength and endurance once more after being away from training and dueling for so long. She could tell the training had been working, she didn't tire as easily anymore and her muscles felt bigger and stronger. But what she lacked was the social aspect of life. Since she had been a young foal she had always lived among the Sisters, trained with them, eat with them, did everything with them. The endless months of being alone since the herd had fallen to war had been hard on her. Those few strangers that wandered by here she talked their ears off trying to feel once again a part of something, but it wasn't the same when spending time with someone she didn't know.
Amarice wasn't certain that she was fully ready, at least physically wise, to return home finally, but mentally she needed to return as soon as possible. There was still much uncertainty of who would be there when she finally arrived at the herd lands and what the reception would be like, but she couldn't take another day of living her on her own. Good or bad she had to get home and find out if she could return to that old life. If she couldn't...well she would have to figure that out after the fact. Until she knew for certain the only thing she could do was start heading in that direction once more and see what happened when she got there.
Looking towards the sun Amarice got her bearings and took to the air. The fastest way to get home would be to fly, but she would make sure to take to the land once she got closer to the herd lands. There were plenty of winged Sisters in the herd and she didn't want to meet any of them in the air. Though she had trained for aerial combat Amarice had to admit that it was one of her weaker points as a warrior, but hopefully that would change once she returned home and could resume training once more.
Aerial combat was not the only thing she would gain the skill of when she returned. She would also once again be immersed into the traditions of Antianeira and the lifestyle that made the herd so appealing. She love dher Sisters greatly and it had eaten at her even since she had left the battle that she was no longer with them. They likely would not all be there once she got home. Many had died in the fighting and surely some would not be welcomed back for their betrayal to the Queen. The Queen. Amarice sighed, she didn't know the fate of the Queen yet, she only knew that the mare had been badly injured during the fighting. Moving higher above the trees Amarice set a steady pace towards home. It would take days of flying to get there but it would give her time to think of what she would say when she got there to prove to them that she wanted to return and that they should accept her back.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 8:37 am
As eager as Amarice was to get back to the herd lands and see if she would be accepted back or not, she did not rush the journey. She had already been away for months, so another few days likely wouldn't make much of a difference. Plus, and the more important thing in her mind, was that she didn't want to be exhausted from the journey upon arrival. She had no idea who or what would be waiting for her, and how those still there would accept her presence. It could be either side of the fighting waiting, or could be a combined group. There were so many unknowns and she could not risk rushing in headfirst without knowing more. That was something she did when she was younger, rushing off to a fight without knowing what she was getting into. Doing just that had gotten her in trouble with the Queen, as well as the head warrior Varia, enough times that she had to make a choice, change her ways or leave the herd. They could not afford to have someone as reckless as her among them.
It had not been an easy thing to change but with a lot of work Amarice had become a more stable member of the herd. She still felt the urge to rush into things, but now she took the time to stop and think before instantly diving into action. It was likely this change that had saved her life once the infighting had started. Had she just charged in blindly she might have been the first to die. But instead she had analyzed things, picked her targets and fought for a purpose, not because she could. And when things looked back she did the smart thing, like many others were doing, she fled. Of course, she hadn't planned on being gone this long, but it was a bit late to fix that. The best she could do was return and do what she must to prove that she belonged there once again.
This morning she left early, today she would arrive at the edge of the herd lands. The trip had taken more than a week because of not wanting to push herself too much. Spotting the area that was the herd's territory, Amarice tipped her wings and settled down on the ground. Flying in was a good way to get herself attacked. But walking in, she posed less of a threat. She stood there studying the border for quite some time. The markers than had once been there were gone, save a few. She didn't know what that meant, perhaps the herd was still scattered or they were too few to maintain such a large area anymore. "Here we go." She said softly to herself. There would be no more delaying, she just needed to get this over with. Whatever her future was to be, she wouldn't know until she returned home and faced whatever consequences waited for her. Stepping into the trees Amarice kept her senses alert but her body relaxed, she didn't want to look like a threat.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2014 10:20 am
It was so strange not seeing another Soquili yet. If this was pre-war then she would have seen at least one patrol or a border guard and certainly wouldn't be able to walk so freely and unchallenged. It made the whole thing so much more nerve wracking. Every twig snap or rustle of leaves made Amarice pause. Was it possible the herd lands had been taken over by another herd? Or had they settled in a different area and she was simply returning to nothing? It was all very unsettling. Her progress was slow. She didn't want to rush into this, but the longer she went without seeing any of the Sisters the more Amarice thought about turning back and finding some new life. But where would she go if she chose that route? Certainly she couldn't live within a normal herd, one that treated mares and stallions equally. Everything she knew was based upon the herd and those few months of being out on her own after the war. She wasn't sure another life was even possible. Every day she was away after the war had been tough and the first and last thing she thought each day was how she would do anything to go back home and have things return to normal.
Amarice glanced behind her. Many of the Sisters could move almost silently through the forest. She needed to keep all of her sense open and make sure no one snuck up behind her. If she wasn't careful she could be surrounded before she even realized it...that was if there were any Sisters even here. After another pause she continued forward once more, following a trail that would eventually lead her to the central herd area. If she didn't see anyone by then she would know she had returned to an abandoned land. But that couldn't be. Even with a lack of presence from others Amarice refused to believe that no one had returned. There would be plenty of survivors, and it had been months now since the infighting, surely some had come back to rebuild what had been lost. That thought was what had kept her going all those months on her own, that when she did return there would be a herd waiting for her and her life could start again.
Reaching a spot where this path was crossed by another Amarice stopped to closely inspect the ground. Finally after a few moments of searching she was rewarded with signs that there were Soquili in the area. Hoof prints, thought faint, could be seen. That didn't guarantee that it was her Sisters, but it was the first sign of any activity since entering the herd lands. Now that she knew others may be about she really had to keep her wits about her. Altering her course now Amarice continued down a new path, though it would still eventually take her to the central area this particular path would allow her to search more of the ground for signs of activity, allowing her to get a good idea of how many others may be here before finding herself smack in the middle of things.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 5:18 pm
Penthesilea stood still as she watched the mare from some distance. She had heard movement while on a patrol and checked it out. To her surprise she found an old herd member moving through the forest. It only took a moment for her to remember who the mare was. Amarice had been but a young mare when the war had happened and unfortunately for her she had been sweapt up into the side that opposed the then queen. Was she returning a a scout for those on that side or coming back to ask for forgiveness and a place within the herd once more? Fro now she was willing to simply watch and see what the mare was up to. She was also curious to see how long it would take Amarice to realize she was here.
She should have realized it soon, but she had been distracted by looking for signs of recent activity to try to judge how many members the herd consisted of now. Also had her training been a bit more complete when she had left the herd, and had she kept up with training in the last few months, she might have been able to pick up on things sooner. But eventually Amarice began to get that uneasy feeling that comes with being watched. Her muscles tensed, ready to fight even though she couldn't quite see who was out there just yet.
Scanning the trees Amarice took a moment or two longer than it should have taken to spot the pale hide among the trees. She had no idea if this was an old member or a new member, or if it was just someone passing through, but she wasn't taking the chance of letting her guard slip now.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2015 5:20 pm
A slight smile crossed her lips when she saw that Amarice had finally realized that she was here. She watched the mare go into battle ready mode. Her stance was a bit sloppy but otherwise she seemed to have remembered much from her time with the herd. Walking forward slowly Penthesilea allowed the mare to see just who she was up against, most importantly she wanted Amarice to see the decorations that she wore indicating rank. Why the mare was here was still unknown but perhaps being faced down by the reigning queen would bring that information out quickly. "So, you have returned." She said as she came to a stop a few paces away from the younger mare.
It took Amarice a moment to put a name to the face. The mare approaching her was Penthesilea, a well respected adviser to the previous queen. Speaking of the queen, Amarice noted that Penthesilea now wore the markings of queen. Well that answered one question, but there were many more yet to be asked and answered. She remained ready for battle just in case Penthesilea didn't approve of her return or she was expected to prove herself.
"I have, my Queen." She said with a slight dip of her head. Now was not the time to forget how things worked. If she ignored Penthesilea's rank then she would likely be in for a fight. "I should have never left, but...I was afraid." She admitted begrudgingly. Being afraid was a sign of weakness and she didn't want to be weak. But during the war she had been young enough to be afraid having seen true bloodshed for the first time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:55 pm
So, the mare noticed the markings of rank. This was a good sign. That meant that in the time that Amarice had been gone that she had not completely forgotten everything that had been taught to her. Of course, some members chose not to display their rank in such a way, but a Queen always marked herself. It was as much a way to show her rank to others as it was a badge of honor at achieving such a rank. It was hard not to smile when Amarice gave the reason to her disappearance.
"You were young and foolish when the war broke out." Penthesilea agreed. "Such a thing can easily lead to fear. You made bad choices, none more so blatant than picking the side that you chose to fight with." In Penthesilea's mind, as well as many other herd members, those who chose to fight against the queen were in the wrong. "Tell me, what kept you away? Why have you returned after all this time?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:57 pm
The truth hurt, but Amarice would not deny it. She had been more than foolish, she had been downright stupid. When the fighting had started Amarice was quickly swept up into the wrong side of the conflict. She had not questioned why that side was fighting against the queen, she had simply listened to why she should join and was so eager to see battle that she jumped in without hesitation. It was only after the blood began to flow and the bodies began to litter the ground that she had realized her mistake. But there was no switching sides in the heat of battle, she had placed herself on one side and everyone knew it. So she had done the only thing that could get her out of it, and that was to flee. But by then many others were also fleeing, those on both sides.
"I did not know if I would be accepted back. I had made a mistake in choosing that side and I worried that returning would see me punished. By the time I stopped running away in fear I was so far away I didn't know if I would ever make it back." She paused to take a breath. "When I did decide to return I took it slow, training as best I could along the way to prove that I was still a warrior. And so that I could defend myself if anyone challenged me." They could still challenge her, and she had no idea if she would win such a challenge or not.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 3:58 pm
"We all were uncertain of what awaited us upon our return." Penthesilea began to explain. "Those few of us who stayed, to see Marpe into a proper death, were all that was left. We waited many months for anyone to return, and when that did not happen I made the decision to leave and try to track our herd down. I searched many months and only found a few members. Most were from Marpe's side of the fight but some are from the other." There were still many missed from each side of the conflict but Penthesilea hoped that one day they would return. "I will not overlook your past choices, neither will the rest of the herd, but I am willing to let you back on a trial basis. Our numbers are still small, I cannot bring myself to turn away any who know our ways. If you prove yourself to be loyal to me and to follow the traditions of the herd then you will be fully accepted back." Pausing Penthesilea took a step forward, staring down the younger mare. "But if I see any sign of conflict coming from you I will strike you down myself."
Amarice was surprised to hear that those from the side which opposed Marpe had returned. Perhaps they had realized their mistake as well, or maybe they were hoping to return to see their hopeful queen taking up leadership. It didn't matter to Amarice why they returned, what mattered was that she was accepted back. Bowing her head slightly Amarice was willing to accept whatever Penthesilea set before her to gain entrance back into the herd. But it turned out that she needed to fight no challenge today. Of course the threat was not missed, one wrong move and Amarice would be dead. "I live only to serve, my Queen." She inclined her head further, showing respect to the older mare.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:09 pm
"And serve me you shall." Penthesilea told the younger mare. It was the perk of being Queen, all others served under her. But Penthesilea was not one to shrink away from doing tasks with her Sisters, if they needed an extra set of hooves then she would be them. She was a ruler and an equal at the same time. It was how and why the herd had been so successful since it began. There were ranks, yes, but at the end of the day everyone helped out equally.
"There is work to be done. Come I will accompany you to remainder of the way and see that you get settled in with the others." Turning Penthesilea began to lead the mare. They were not far from the main portion of the herd lands.
Amarice vowed silently that she would do whatever was asked of her to prove not only to Penthesilea, but to the others as well, that she deserved to be here. There would be a lot of work and training ahead but she was willing to put in the time and effort. As she began to follow Penthesilea along the trail, Amarice wondered who all would be there. There had not been many signs of activity in the herd lands as she made her way though, and Penthesilea had mentioned they were small in number, but what exactly was small numbers. The herd had been so large before that it was hard to imagine it at a lesser strength, and yet she knew that many had fallen during the battle, and thus many would no longer be around. And there were others who were still gone. Only time would tell if those members returned to them or stayed away, hoping for something better perhaps.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2015 4:10 pm
She led the way to the main area. It was pretty much deserted at the moment, but there were patrols out, and a few were gathering some supplies. Soon enough they would return and Amarice could see who had returned. Coming to a stop Penthesilea eyed the mare more critically. While she still had muscle tone it was obvious that she would need intense training to return to true fighting form. "Training occurs morning, afternoon and evening." She said, though it was the same as before. "Between these sessions you will be required to run patrols, gather necessary items that we need and tend to whatever duties myself or your Sisters require of you."
"You may sleep in your old grove if you so choose, or you may take another." She told the mare. "I will leave you to that, but soon the call for training will come, and I expect you to be ready." With that Penthesilea turned and walked off.
Amarice listened closely to the instructions. Regular trainings like before and plenty of duties in between them. She would be pushed hard over the next little while, likely her sore muscles would keep her awake at night, but in the end it would be worth it. This time she would not shrink away from the pain, she would stay and fight for her right to be here, and finally she would become a full fledged warrior. She had been waiting a long time for this, since before the war broke out.
"I will be ready, my Queen." Watching Penthesilea go, Amarice gazed around the are for a moment. She was eager to see who all was back in the herd. But first she would decide where to sleep. Her old grove was not all that far from here, as most of the sleeping groves tended to circle the main area. Setting off Amarice went to inspect her old grove, to see what shape it was in. Regardless she would sleep there, it would be familiar, and so what if it needed some cleaning up, it was her rightful spot to lay. She would see to that while waiting for the call to training.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
