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 Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:24 pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:25 pm
The night was cool and welcoming as it chased away the warmth of day, painting a beautiful sunset that melted into tones of dusk. Daliu cantered through trails that were well-known to her now, discovered in her foalhood when her legs will still awkward. Now she moved with speed and grace, leaping a felled tree with a joyous sound and an exuberant kick of her heels. This was her favorite time, watching the cool-blue tones of night creep in, seeing indigo and cobalt swallow the light of the sun, watching the stars twinkle into appearance.
Seeing fireflies flicker in the glade.
"Almost there!" She laughed to herself, following the twist of the path toward her favorite meadow. Dusk was just brushing over the emerald grass when she appeared at the meadow's edge. She did not hesitate, surging even faster to sweep through the meadow.
Her arrival startled the native fireflies, and dozens of them appeared in a spiral of light, zooming free of the grass to flutter in her wake. "My own sea of stars."
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:28 pm
Roro Thane panted, the stitch in his side stabbing into his ribcage. Each breath heaved into his lungs, but felt like they hadn't enough room to fully expand. "Oh... jeez...arrrgh." He shoved off the tree he'd been resting on, his hair a crazy tangle and his breath coming slowly but surely. He'd just sprinted a new path, one he had never been on before, exploring. The night that had started off cooling and refreshing was now humid, sticky, and heavy on his body. What he wanted more than anything was to dive head first into a cold lake, but he settled for the near by brook. Dragging his hooves, Thane wadded into the stream, sinking to his knees and feeling the water cascade over his body. (What he could fit, at least.) Rolling to his side, he rested his head on the bank, and sighed happily, keeping his wings from being saturated.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:31 pm
Daliu slowed with a soft huff, smiling as the fireflies swirled around her and some lazily perched on her back or clung to her mane. She had her own light, sure enough, but the company of her tiny glowing friends was also pleasant. After the run she had made to get to the grove from her trip to the sea, the indigo-coated mare felt a drink was in order. Thankfully there was a nearby stream, so without hesitation she turned and wove her way through the trees to the brook.
She hesitated at the edge of the treeline, blinking surprised blue eyes at the sight of a night-coated stallion splayed in the water and half on the bank. He looked as though a piece of the night sky itself has fallen to earth... But his heavy breathing made her worry he was in distress.
"Are you well?" She questioned softly, stepping into view and shaking her head to dislodge the fireflies. Belatedly she realized she probably looked like a half-wild thing, but there was certainly nothing imposing or "kalona" about her... So she rather hoped he wouldn't mind.
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:32 pm
Roro Thane noticed a light out of the corner of his eye and craned his neck upward in curiosity. What he saw was quite the sight. A beautiful, glowing maiden stepped out in a swirl of lights. It took him a heartbeat to find his voice, and his sense, to realize he was lazing about in a water like an idiot. He quickly rose to his feet, blushing furiously under his blue coat. "O-oh, hello." He grinned his crooked grin, his head tilted down in mock shame. "I'm fine, ma'am, I apologize if I startled you."
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:34 pm
Daliu smiled faintly when he craned his head to look at her, faintly tilting her head in a curious glance of her own. A few of the fireflies danced past her in farewell, and she was sure still others lingered, resettling on her back and tail. She let them be for now, drifting a step closer to the stallion as he scrambled to his feet. The slight duck of his head and his somewhat shameful look made her laugh softly in delighted amusement, shaking her head to negate the apology.
"Oh no, quite unnecessary.. I was concerned for you, but not startled. I am sure it was quite refreshing, so I am sorry to have disturbed your basking. I simply worried."
She trailed off with a shrug, ducking her head for a moment. "Well, it all seems rather silly now.. But I am glad you are well, Sir."
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:35 pm
Roro Chuckling, Thane shook out the loose droplets of water, splaying his wings wide. "Are you well? I'm not familiar with the territory, but being out by yourself in the night is almost concerning." His humor was still there, but muted. He was serious about her safety, or anyone's safety for that matter. Playing in the dark could lead to dangerous situations. "Do you live here?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:36 pm
Daliu laughed as she watched him shake off the water, admiring the droplets spinning off like flecks of crystal or falling stars. "I am very well, I thank you.. A pleasant run and a brief visit with my friends has put me in very good spirits. And I confess meeting a mysterious star-coated stranger is equally lovely."
She flicked an ear in the direction of the woods, checking for the sound of stalking kalona or skinwalkers. There did not seem to be anyone about in the surrounding wood, except for the two of them. "I do not live far from here, but I was on my way back from a trip to the sea and I confess the journey has taken slightly longer than expected."
She ducked her head with a rueful grin. "I will be careful on my journey home, but there is still some travel ahead before I may say that my destination has been reached. And you? Do you live nearby, oh Son of the Sky?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:38 pm
Roro Thane's grin spread as he stepped from the brook. "Oh the sea." He smiled wide, looking upward as a fond memory flitted through his head. "I was raised by the sea. My parents absolutely loved the water, and never strayed far." He blinked a few times, then shook his mane, coming back to earth. Looking back over at the mare with a gentle smile, he admired her fireflies strung over her like small lights. "I actually live a ways west, with my brother in his territory. Right now I'm just exploring the surrounding area, though. You mentioned you still have a ways of travel... I could escort you? I assure you, you will arrive safely."
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:40 pm
"It was my first visit." She admitted somewhat-shyly. "But certainly not my last. I thought it beautiful, far more lovely than I expected... I cannot wait to go again."
She was somewhat envious he had grown up so close to the beautiful expanse of water, the few days she had spent frisking in the surf were hardly enough to make up for a lifetime of absence. She imagined a foal's glee over the rush and sigh of the water to be even greater than her own.
Abruptly, she was both sad she had not stayed another day, and glad she had rushed back to visit her favorite places on the route home.
"You are most fortunate, I am sure that was an enchanted childhood." Daliu didn't have a traditional idea of family, as the one that raised her was anything but. Two family bands had taken the time to give her attention and affection as a foal, as well as a nearby Kiwani woman and a wandering mare with a fragmented memory. Still, she had been raised in a way that was full of story and song, her imagination sparked by tales of distant lands and grand adventures. And now she was having her own, that she would one day share with her own foals if fate was kind.
"How lucky for me that you are around then, if this land is not one you regularly visit." She blinked in surprise at his offer, and then beamed at him. "You do not seem to be cleverly hiding fangs behind a kind voice, so I am sure I would be safe indeed. I thank you very much for your offer, and would be glad of the company as I head home... It is very kind of you."
She drifted a stride or two along the bank of the brook, orienting herself toward home with a glance to the stars. "And what do I call the gracious gentleman who is so gallantly escorting me?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:46 pm
Roro Thane watched her, with his relaxed eyes and half smile listening to the way she was able to spin her words into a very beautiful, almost song. Even her voice made him think she would be the most wonderful singer. It took him a second to actually sink in with her words, and he nodded, his smile spreading, his body language coming to attention. "I'm sorry, miss. Thane. My name is Thane. And you are...?"
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:48 pm
He seemed content to listen to her ramble, or to let her thoughts drift as she tried to imagine growing up by the ocean as he had mentioned he was so lucky to do. It was, nice, that there was no sense of urgency or danger. He was merely content to listen to her thoughts, which made her hope she had not said anything he found to be foolish.
"No trouble at all, Thane. It is a pleasure to meet you." She smiled. "My name is Daliu."
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Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2014 2:50 pm
Roro "Daliu." He let the word float on in his voice, and he admired it. "Very befitting you, my lady." He nodded his head forward again, his grin falling back into place. "Its getting very late." he mentioned, glancing up at the stars. "Do you have somewhere to stay for the night?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:19 am
She bobbed her head in a gentle nod as he echoed her name, giving a soft laugh. "I thank you, gentle Sir. You are most kind."
The indigo-coated mare danced on her hooves, her steps light and floating as she shifted in place and cast a glance skyward. The fireflies were beginning to drift off, relaxing after she had riled them with her presence. Their lights retreated into the woods; lazy, glimmering trails amongst the shadowed trunks. She was somewhat sad to see them go, feeling as if the magic of the evening was beginning to slip away with their departure.
"Indeed, it appears that it is." She agreed softly, trying to keep the sorrow from creeping into her voice as she glanced back to him. "I was anticipating on returning home, for though I am familiar with this glade is not one I would consider home. As it stands, I do not have a place to rest for the night, aside from attempting to make my way closer to home."
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Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2014 11:20 am
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