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 Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 2:12 pm
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 2:28 pm
'There is no end in sight to the amount of trouble you will be in, if you are caught.' A soft voice pointed out in the back of Arioso's mind.
With an annoyed shake of his head, the colt grumbled some weak reply and then ducked under a low-hanging vine. He paused to sniff one of the hanging flowers in interest, admiring the purple color and fresh scent. He'd have to mention it to his grandmother, once he figured out a way to bring it up in a manner that did not spill the secret of his solitary wanderings. That wouldn't do him any good at all, but the colors reminded him of her... And he rather imagined she would appreciate the blossoms.
'Though not the story of how you found them.'
"Oh enough already!" He snapped with an annoyed flip of his tail. "I just want to explore, what's so bad about that? I know that there are scary things here, but that's the same anywhere... And if what the stories say are true, they can find us just as easily as we can find them. So why shouldn't I explore?"
He was grateful that neither of his grandparent's familiars were accompanying him at the moment. While both the birds were sweet and wise, and could spin wonderful stories... They also had the habit of pointing out how right the adults were. And Arioso was sure that they were right... How could both his parents and grandparents be wrong?
But it wasn't fair, and he certainly didn't want to stay home and watch his sister splash through mudholes or try to drag him into her antics... He wanted to see something new, meet someone different! He just wanted to explore!
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 3:00 pm
Djose moved through the trees with surprising grace given her large stature. Standing nearly 7 feet tall at the withers her legs were almost as thick as some of these tree trunks and she could easily knock the smaller ones over just by leaning on it. She was used to navigating these paths, though, and she managed to move around without crushing much of the vegetation. That was not to say that she was silent. Still, over the sound of her footfalls she heard a voice nearby. That was not unusual but the voice belonged to a child. Djose turned towards the sound and frowned. She hadn't heard any others.
"What is a child doing out here alone?" She thought turning and heading off her regular trail to find out what was going on. It didn't take her long to find out. There was a small colt, both golden-orange and hazy purple in color, poking about. She could neither see nor smell anything else around, he seemed to be well and truly alone. He also did not seem to be bothered by this. Djose smiled softly. "Children." She murmured under her breath fondly. She watched for a moment more before deciding that lurking in the shadows of the trees would only frighten him when he finally noticed her.
"Good day, child." She greeted ducking beneath a branch so that it wouldn't catch her at the throat. "Are you out here by yourself?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 1:51 pm
'Wanting to explore is all well and good, but if you get hurt because you didn't listen, then where will you be?'
His grandmother's soothing words lilted through his mind, and some of the wind went out of his sails. It was hard to argue with how much they loved him, his parents and grand-parents. It was hard to ignore something like that. Shaking off the childish sulking, Arioso dodged a low hanging branch and leapt another felled log, giving his tail a cheerful flick. Maybe he could talk himself into a more carefree state of mind, and actually enjoy this little foray. 'Might as well enjoy it while it lasts...'
As the ground smoothed out again, he picked up a high, parading trot, dusk-colored knees stretching chest-high and strides carefully rhythmic. The glint of sunlight through the trees dappled his path, and he rejoiced in the beauty around him instead of sulking about the adults he'd once again managed to dodge.
'You're going to be in trouble for wandering... Might as well enjoy it while you have the chance, hmm?'
Faythrens stick together.
Faythrens have wandering hooves.
The two facts jarred and danced about in his skull, crashing into each other at each coil and twist of the forest path. Each collision made him flick an ear, consider turning back to find his father or grandparents... But at the same time, he was happiest when he was wandering. When he was exploring. When he looked for new sights and new friends. And his family wanted him happy, right?
'Happy but safe.' The soft voice again appeared, the tone bland as it reiterated the obvious. 'Papa would agree there is no harm in wandering... It is the fact that you wander alone, that is where you get yourself into trouble. Grandma Whistle is very likely to scold you, if you're caught.'
The sudden silence, lack of bird or squirrels or any other small prey animal, made him slow to a hesitant walk. That was one of the first signs of danger in the forest, his father had warned him. A hint of Skinwalker or Kalona or one carrying such blood. Something that was a hunter, that could hurt him.
'Oh no... I'd rather not prove Papa right...'
The sudden greeting made him jump, eyes wide and ears pitched forward, his little tail flagged and legs locked straight with sudden tension. The voice was kind but the shape that spoke it large, larger than any family member or even stranger that he'd crossed paths with yet. This mare was, towering, incredibly tall.
"Good..." He coughed, ducked his head shyly, and cleared his throat. "Good day, Lady of the Forest... I... I am sorry if I disturbed you."
'Please don't eat me.'
He blinked at the question, glanced about, and then gave her a weak smile. "Yes... My family says I shouldn't, but I love to wander and I'm afraid I'm rather terrible at listening to their wisdom."
'Please, please don't eat me.'
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Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2015 4:12 pm
Her greeting hadn’t gone over quite as well as she might have hoped. It was clear that she had still managed to frighten him but at least she would no longer be giving the impression that she was lurking about. She had to admit that she was relieved that she hadn’t frightened the voice right out of the boy. The way he had jumped and then locked up Djose had been under the immediate impression that he wouldn’t be speaking with her at all. How nice it was to actually hear his tiny voice, it reminded her somewhat of her own son Grimm when he had been younger.
The fondness she felt for the familiarity the boy offered only grew at his words. ‘Lady of the Forest.’ He was well mannered, especially for a young child. He’d been brought up well. It was strange that parents who would so lovingly educate their young would also let them wander off alone. It didn’t seem like they would be so negligent. As he answered her question, all became clear. Ah, to be so young and foolhardy again. At least he seemed to realize that he was behaving recklessly. It hadn’t stopped him, of course, but perhaps one day he’d decide wandering off alone for an adventure wasn’t worth the danger it posed.
“Your family is right to say such things, little one.” Djose said with good humor. “For one so young as yourself it can be quite dangerous to wander on your own.” She gave him a stern look to make certain that he understood what she was saying. It was like looking at a very bright version of her own son. She couldn’t hold the expression for long and soon it softened into a new smile.
“Of course, you are not alone now. So would you like to accompany me through the trees for a bit before I return you to your parents? Or would you prefer me to return you to them now?” Either way Djose would make absolutely certain that the young colt made it home in one piece. All things considered he would be safer with her than with many others. There were few creatures so stupid as to attack her or anything in her charge.
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Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2015 4:12 pm
Arioso could admit that he wasn't the best at keeping his cool when surprised. There was no real point in arguing it, considering the way he had spooked when she appeared. Still, he hadn't run. He had long ago learned that it wasn't smart to run away from something dangerous, it just served to get their attention that much faster. So he stood firm, and gazed up, up, up.
He smiled up at her, cautiously trusting, and a little bit shy since she'd clearly caught him disobeying an order from his parents. She somehow had that look, that expression that told him she was a mother. It was the 'you are clearly doing a thing you know you aren't supposed to' look. But the look was more amused disapproval than any real sort of censure.
He gave a flick of his tail, a cautious wag, hoping to edge her more toward amusement than disapproval. "That I know, Lady of the Forest... But I'm not very good at staying still. My father says that is his fault, and that he blames my Grandfather and Grandmother for instilling that trait in him."
He gave a soft laugh, shrugging slightly and then gave a serious nod when he saw the serious expression she sent his way. "Right... I know.. I'm sorry."
The next moment, he grinned at her smile, visibly straightening and brightening. "Ah, no, I guess I'm not now. Lucky me! Yes, I very much would like to walk through the forest with you for awhile... Maybe you could teach me something? My Nana gives me woods-craft lessons when she can, I'd like to learn anything you care to teach me."
He didn't think Nana Whistle would mind, she was always talking about making the best of situations and learning all you could. And the Guardian of the Woods would be the best to teach him, right? Besides, he felt safe here, in her shadow.
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Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2015 12:25 pm
Oh the things that children overheard. Djose smiled inwardly at the colt’s recount of what his father had said. It only seemed to prove that if you ever wanted to learn secrets about a family you only needed to speak to the children. They may not always understand what they knew but they certainly seemed to hear everything. As it was it seemed this little one came from a family with wandering feet. No wonder he had gone off on his own with a history stretching all the way back to his grandparents and probably farther than that. Despite the need to go off on his own he seemed like such a well behaved child, quick to apologize and accept the things he had done as his own doing… Even if his family history did seem to have a hand in it.
“Teach you?” Djose asked both surprised and amused by the request. It drew a warm, rumbling laugh from her chest. What a family he seemed to come from. Lessons from the grandmother seemed to encourage him to ask a complete stranger for more lessons. Djose wondered what his parents would think of him asking such things. It was a safe enough thing from her but she doubted that his parents, or any parent, would want a complete stranger instructing their children. A child’s mind was quick to absorb information and bad information would only lead to trouble down the line.
“And what sorts of woods-crafts are you learning, young one?” she asked. Djose didn’t want to reject his request flat out and inadvertently stifle his desire to learn but she certainly didn’t want to step out of bounds and give the child unwanted lessons. If he was learning something that she knew about in the same way that she understood it she might be able to expand upon that knowledge without crossing lines. That was the best case scenario. The worst case would lead to her simply trying to distract the child from his request.
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Posted: Mon Apr 06, 2015 7:08 pm
 “Fayth stick together… Fayth have restless hooves.” Arioso echoed softly, smiling up at her as he swished his tail. “And I’m a Fayth, I can’t much help it.”
It probably wasn't the wisest thing to be telling a stranger that he inherited wandering hooves from at least two previous generations... Though there were far worse things -far more revealing things- that he could have said. And it was the truth, which his family had taught him was always important to tell, though the scenario certainly escaped their mentioning. And he rather imagined they wouldn't want him talking to a stranger... Considering that, it probably wasn't smart to tell a stranger much about his family at all, but for whatever reason Arioso felt reasonably sure he could trust her. There was something in her manners, in the way that she was amused by him. It seemed, gentle, fond... She reminded him of some other adults he knew, and all of them were good, and trustworthy.
‘She sometimes reminds me of Nana Whistle… Maybe Nana was a Guardian too…’ But that was a thought for another time. Regardless, he didn't mind at all the way she looked down at him, with amusement dancing in her eyes. And even though he told her his family wanderers, he hadn't shared any great secrets. But she felt like someone he could trust them to, if he had to.
"Yes." He replied simply when she echoed his request, tilting his head up at her as he waited for her to make a decision. Her laugh made him flick back an ear, somewhat annoyed that she was laughing at him. It was a somewhat fond sound, like she was amused at his audacity. It made him bristle on his family's behalf, and he puffed up a bit before answering.
"My Nana was teaching me how to identify the various trees, herbs, shrubs and the like, and making me learn their properties. She is showing me which plants are poisonous, which plants can make you sick or kill you. Plants that heal. The different herbs. How to track water by observing the patterns of plant life in the forest. How to track, how to tell direction by the moss on trees, how to tell time by the sun." He drew a deep breath, then exhaled. "We're also working on memorizing star patterns, and navigating by night, and how to move without leaving a trail..."
He shifted on his hooves, then gave a faint shrug. "Stuff like that? Since you’re the Lady of the Woods, you probably know all that stuff, right? Is there any of it you can teach me?"
He took a few dancing steps, filled with restless energy. “My father has been teaching me, Unicorn things. I’m working on healing… I can do small scrapes now?”
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Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:10 pm
Djose tried not to laugh further when the colt puffed up, clearly laughing at him was striking a nerve and it wouldn’t do to push it. Instead she schooled her expression into a warm and attentive look. It was an easy look to achieve upon hearing all the things the child was already being taught. It sounded much like the early days of her own education before her parents had started drilling her on more complex matters like the balance of life and death.
“It sounds like you’re getting quite the education young one.” Djose commented amiably noting that everything on his list dealt with facts rather than philosophy. She could likely give him a few pointers on a few things without crossing any boundaries. She’d just keep world views to herself. “I’m afraid I can’t offer you much wisdom about healing.” She smiled wryly. “I’ve no skill in that at all, not even with the help of herbs.” Djose could keep herself alive easily enough and treat smaller things with healing plants but she wouldn’t trust herself to look after another creature. That she tended to leave to her son, Grimm had no training but the healing energy seemed to come to him instinctively and he was already becoming quite skilled. An idle thought of introducing the two at some point crossed her mind before she rapidly shot it down. She loved Grimm with all her heart but that love typically wasn’t found in other creatures. For now she still needed to settle on a subject that she could teach the child.
“Let me ask you a few questions. Have you learned much about the wildlife or other soquili kinds?” Knowledge of plants was very important especially for herbivores but knowing about animals could be just as important. They could help predict the weather, lead you to water, and even alert you to food or danger. As one capable of eating both plant matter and other animals her knowledge on the subject was quite extensive.
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Posted: Sun May 03, 2015 4:08 pm
Somewhat appeased by the fact that she recognized he was studying hard, Arioso relaxed. He certainly didn't want anyone thinking his Clan were raising their children without purpose. By the time he was grown he would be a skilled healer with a respectable knowledge of herb craft, he would be able to track and to evade, would know all of his family stories and be able to memorize and share new stories, would be able to find his way in whichever desired direction day or night, and know quite a bit of history and mythology.
And then he would begin working on behalf of the Clan to promote balance and harmony wherever he could. But a Guardian of the Woods was bound to know other useful things... Things about Balance within her own environment, perhaps she'd even have a different view on right and wrong, be better able to describe some of the intricacies of nature within the forest and how everything circled back on itself. Any of that would be interesting, would be useful and new.
"My Nana has no horn to heal with, but she knows herbs that can make you better." He replied, somewhat cautiously. "She said that sometimes it is a practical knowledge, a little thing, which is more useful than actual healing magic. Papa always looks a bit chastised when she says stuff like that, like it's a lesson he had to learn the hard way when he was young, and he's never going to forget it. I'm not allowed to ask for that story."
"I know how to identify some of the wildlife we see during lessons." He offered after a moment of thoughtful silence. "I'm leaning how to determine what made different tracks, and I know how to follow deer-trails to good grazing or water. I also know some of the bird songs and what they like to eat, but that's because Nana's familiar is a Songbird and Granda's is a Hummingbird. So, they talk to me now and then."
He wouldn't mind meeting other types of wildlife here, but he hadn't the first idea on how to go about that. "As for other types of Soquili, I don't know much... Most of the Clan walk the Ground, though my father is a Unicorn and my mother of the Wind. I know that Kalona are scary and should be treated with caution, and I know some of their traits... But I once met someone who had wings sorta like a Kalona, but not, and he had a Unicorn horn... And I don't really know what he was or how to tell the difference or any of that."
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Posted: Mon May 04, 2015 10:38 am
Djose had to stave off her curiosity concerning the child’s father. There was definitely a story to be heard there and it was likely to be a bloody one if the young colt wasn’t allowed to hear of it yet. Djose could imagine any number of things that could have happened to result in hearing such advice but she doubted that any of them would match up with the truth of the subject. It was better to let the subject go all together. If the boy didn’t know the story then she had no way of learning it, asking his father or grandmother about it would be rude and an invasion of their privacy. Whatever had happened it certainly seemed to have resulted in some good advice. She hadn’t spent much time teaching Grimm what little she knew of healing plants but perhaps it would be a good idea after all. It would allow him to spread the information if nothing else, provided that she could get Grimm to speak to others of course.
“Perhaps one day, when you’re older, your elders will see it fit to tell you.” Djose said reassuringly though she didn’t know if the lack of information actually bothered the boy or not. All she knew was that young ones were curious and didn’t take well to having secrets kept from them. Or at least she had hated it and Grimm did on the few occasions where she tried to keep things from him. He was old enough now that Djose preferred to keep an entirely open dialogue with him and not just because he got huffy when she tried to hide information.
The more the foal said the more Djose believed that his family also tried to be open and informative with him. He was learning quite a lot more than Djose had anticipated. It seemed that every time he opened his mouth he was adding more to an already impressive pile of facts stored away. She was really running out of ideas for what to teach the child. He likely knew all the native species to the woods already. Perhaps he wouldn’t know all of their tracks yet but it was a lot easier to find a deer trail than it would be for Djose to locate the slim markings of a squirrel or rabbit to share. He would likely know those already anyway. He even knew birdsong which was something Djose had never bothered to learn at all.
Djose found herself laughing after a short time. “I’m not sure what’s left for me to teach you, child. Your family is doing an admirable job at educating you.” She smiled at him then finally picked a subject. It wouldn’t be as informative or unusual as what she would have liked but if he didn’t know much she could go with that.
“I suppose I could help you with identifying the predatory soquili breeds. There are a few and it’s always a good idea to be able to identify them quickly and be on guard even if they prove to be kind. Would that work for you?”
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 2:20 pm
Arioso was more than passingly curious about the stories his family told him he would need to wait to hear. Perhaps because in the grand scheme of things, there were not many of them at all. The Fayths believed in knowledge, in sharing it, in family stories and a legacy of song. They told him things, taught him things, sang and spoke and shared. And then, every once in awhile, there would be something they didn't say, something they didn't share, something he needed to wait to learn about. It made him achingly curious, but he knew better than to push. What few secrets eluded him now, he knew they were kept out of reach for a reason.
And so, for the most part, he would wait patiently. For every one thing they would not yet tell him, there were a dozen more they would. Arioso had long ago decided it was best to drink up all readily-available knowledge, and then if it was necessary, he would push for more.
"They will." He agreed softly, nodding at Djose's words and smiling up at her. "I just... I have to be good, to be patient, until then. I can do that."
Mostly.
He tilted his head as she laughed down at him, wondering if he'd managed to amuse her by his foolishness or if she was just delighted with the lessons he was happily accepting. From what he knew of Guardians, they liked knowledgeable souls... Favored those who thought and felt and did more than just act.
"Thank you." He murmured, giving a happy flick of his tail. "I will tell Papa and Nana and Granda that you said so... I think it would please them to hear that a Guardian thought well of my studies."
"Predators?" He echoed, a little apprehensively. She didn't.. She wouldn't push him into a herd of Kalona and tell him to figure it out, right? "They're scary."
The admission just sort of slipped out, his voice soft and small and eyes very wide as he looked up at her. "I would like to learn, so that I can stay safe... As long as I don't have to learn by meeting them, you know... Up close."
At least not today. They could save that for another day, right?
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2015 11:38 am
Djose somehow doubted how well the child could be patient with his family. He was young after all, time felt so long to the youth of the world, a few days wait could feel like an eternity to them. Djose remembered that very clearly from her own foalhood. Nothing had ever seemed to come fast enough for her. However, while she doubted his ability to remain truly patient, Djose did believe that he wouldn’t press for an answer ever. He’d simply wait impatiently until they finally spilled the secrets. Until that time Djose would try to occupy his mind with her lessons and perhaps his family would do exactly the same thing.
“Yes, predators are scary.” Djose said without a trace of condemnation in her voice. Fear was nothing to be ashamed of. It had kept creatures of all forms alive for as long as they had existed. Admitting fear was usually the first step to being able to understand it and work around it.
“And no, you will not be meeting them up close. Getting thrown into a fight is never a good way to learn how to fight. This is much the same.” Djose explained. She had often heard that the only way to learn something was to dive right in. In her experience that was only a good way to find yourself bleeding out with no help in sight. It was better to learn the information first or to practice in a safe place until everything was instinctual. Then when you found yourself in the middle of the fray you’d stand a much better chance of coming out the other side.
“Now the first I will tell you about is the rarest of the dangers you will probably ever see if you ever see one at all. It is also widely regarded as the most dangerous. It is known as a ‘skinwalker’ and you have likely heard of them before.” Skinwalkers were often spoken of like a boogeyman. Everyone had a tale or two and they were almost all used to warn the young away from doing anything careless and dangerous. Real skinwalkers were almost always worse than the stories. They were vicious, devious, and completely heartless. A feral one that killed on instinct was usually the least dangerous of the bunch and those still left a bloody trail in their wake.
“A skinwalker is a soquili kind that can transform itself into some other kind of beast. There are two kinds, pure and cursed. Both kinds wear the skin of another animal on their backs, that skin is what they take the shape of when they transform. A skinwalker will always have this skin. If you see a soquili with it take heed and be careful not to approach. So you understand so far?”
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Posted: Fri Jun 12, 2015 4:04 pm
Once again Arioso got the feeling she was laughing... Like there was a gentle sort of amusement hiding behind the words she actually did say... And a wealth of words that she didn't. He wanted to give her his best smile and ask what she was thinking, but he didn't think it would work unless she actually wanted to tell him. That was the 'adult knowing' type look on her face, she probably wouldn't share...
Then again, there was a certain light in her eyes that told him she was onto him. That she knew exactly how patiently he would wait (not very, at least not for long) before he jumped right into the impatient waiting stage. Which, to be fair, he spent a lot of his time in... Because he always wanted to learn, know, travel, grow... And sometimes faster than they thought he should. Ok, most times faster than they thought he should. But that was why he was here, and how he'd met the Guardian of the Forest, and all of that was great!
So he was right, this time.
"Very." He agreed when it appeared she wouldn't think him silly or dumb for being wary. When she promised he wouldn't be meeting them up close he relaxed, slipping back into his basic state of being thirsty for information. "Good, I'm glad. Papa says one day I'll be a warrior but for now my training is basic... And I don't wanna be a snack."
The way she said it sounded like a voice of experience, and he tried to imagine this giant, wise Guardian being a foal, once... It didn't really work but he tried, and then eventually gave up because the mental image was just weird. The mention of Skinwalkers made his hide crawl, the sensation of bugs or lightning zinging up and down his spine. He couldn't help but lay his ears flat, eyes wide and wary.
Everyone heard about Skinwalkers.. And heard about what happened when you crossed paths with one. But not many had heard of anyone that had crossed paths with a Skinwalker and lived to tell about it. Which in itself was telling, in a certain manner. He knew there was a story about them with the family too, but they said he was too young to really know all of it. He knew enough to be scared.
"I've heard of them." Arioso agreed softly, giving her a serious nod before concentrating carefully. He knew they existed and he knew they were here, but he certainly didn't know there were two kinds. "Is... Is one less scary than the other?"
He asked, half-hopefully, but half already knowing the answer... Probably not. Probably really both very scary and always hungry which is why you shouldn't wander. He swallowed loudly, nervous.
"Avoid those that have a strange creature's skin on their back.... Yes, I understand."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:46 am
A warrior. Djose should not have been surprised to find that he would be trained to fight. Being able to fight for yourself was a good skill for all creatures to have but it was still somewhat odd to hear the words come from the lips of a unicorn. More often than not unicorns focused on healing with combat coming as a secondary skill, but it seemed that the colt was intended to learn to fight as a primary focus. Perhaps another day later on Djose would come back to see how his combative training was progressing or if he had chosen another route for himself. It would be curious to see how this one fared especially when her own son, clearly unicorn blooded, had chosen himself to be more of a fighter. Though perhaps that had much to do with whatever else flowed through his veins. Unicorns weren’t known to possess paws and those pointed toward something with a bit more fire and fight in them than a unicorn.
Djose scolded herself slightly as she realized she was distracting herself with thoughts of heritage when she should have been focusing on the child’s lesson. Based on the way his eye’s widened and his ears flattened Djose could tell that the colt had indeed heard about skinwalkers. Good. Everyone needed at least a basic knowledge of those beasts so that they wouldn’t present such easy targets.
Djose shook her head. “They are both quite frightening and very dangerous. However, one is more dangerous even if they are equally scary.” He had the basics down, avoid pelted creatures, it was time to get into slightly more complex matters. That being that there were two overall types of the beasts. “Now, the more dangerous of the two is a pure one. They are born as skinwalkers and have never known emotion beyond hatred. These creatures do not have hooves. They will either have paws similar to mine or claws like a bird.” Djose lifted one massive paw and extended it to the child so that he could take a closer look at it.
“Because they have never known love, and because they have these paws or claws, they are excellent killers.” Djose didn’t want to tell the child too much and leave him with nightmares of the things that purewalkers did. If they left it at just killing you could count yourself lucky. Djose had heard many tales of purewalkers capturing unwitting travelers and keeping them for whatever twisted purpose that they could think of. She had seen corpses of winds and gryphs stripped of their feathers and unicorns with their horns knocked off. It was gruesome and hard to see even for her. She hoped that this young colt would never have to bear witness to such atrocities but in recent years it seemed like the walker population had been growing as a whole. More and more of the pure ones had crawled their way up from hell and Oyohusa had clearly been active lately. One thing was certain, it was a bad time to be alive and defenseless which made it all the more pertinent that she teach this child now.
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