The sand swirled with the wind, the dry heat baking down on the dark-pelted stallion. His hooves sunk in slightly with each step and it was a rather strange feeling, but strangely freeing, being out here in the wide open. It had taken...well, awhile to get here without a pair of wings, but he was used to it after all. Now that he was here, though. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted out of this adventure, besides the chance to re-find himself.
Seems he lost himself more than he thought. Tavarii rolled his eyes at his rampant, scattered thoughts as he made his way over a dune. He passed a small cactus with a single, beautiful pink desert rose and he thought of his great-great (etcetera, god he was getting old) grandson, Destry. His family line was long and spreading, and yet Tav himself was alone.
He didn't used to mind it; he actually liked the freedom, the ability to stray off on his own and make a joke out of life, but lately life decided that the joke was on him. "Typical," he said aloud, tossing his head. Maybe he'd get lucky and some sand dragon would erupt from the ground and swallow him whole?
xxx
There. A jack rabbit. Judah's head snapped around when she caught the scent and she turned in that direction, sneaking over the sand, her bright eyes looking out for the rodent. It would be hard to see against the sand, but she was prepared.
The scent got stronger and she crouched down closer to the sand, folding her wings tight against her back. It wouldn't do for the rabbit to see her now, and she wasn't exactly inconspicuous with her dark pelt and brilliant spots.
Ah. There it was, nibbling on a very sparse patch of grass. Judah narrowed her eyes, tensing her muscles, ready to spring. Before she had a chance though, something startled the rabbit and it darted away. Judah let out a curse and leapt to her feet, chasing after it.
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He wasn't taking care to be quiet--why should he?--but when a sleek-furred jack rabbit spooked from a patch of scrub grass and darted between his legs, he leapt several inches into the air with an almost comical yelp of surprise. He was expecting a sand monster, but NOT a tiny harmless rabbit. He spun around to watch it flee and only then did he hear the soft hoofbeats pounding against the sand.
He twisted his neck around in time to see a lithe kalona coming straight at him and his first emotion was shock. He stood there, deer in the headlights style, watching her gun after him. "Whoa!" he barked, leaping out of the way.
She was going after the jack rabbit. He hoped.
xxx
Oh, so that's why the rabbit bolted. Judah scowled at the idiot stallion standing in the way, her tail lashing about. "Out of the way!" she sneered, sand kicking up behind her as she darted around the dumb brute. He was between her and her dinner and she was not having that.
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He reared back, sand spitting underneath his hooves as he vyed for puchase in the soft terrain and bolted to the side. "Jesus," he huffed, moving from her way, but not before the jack rabbit seeked shelter in a small burrow. He looked at the mare--spiked leathery wings, horns that speared from her skull, and a mouth full of razor sharp fangs. Maybe he should learn to pick his battles... But it wasn't his fault she damn near ran him over! "Sorry, dollface. Wrong place, wrong time apparently."
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"No!" she roared as the rabbit got away, hiding in the safety of its home. Who knew when she would find another food source? This was the first rabbit she had seen in weeks and she was so tired of eating tiny lizards. They weren't exactly plentiful either.
Stomping her hoof in frustration, she whirled around to face the stallion. "You idiot! You just cost me my dinner!"
Xxx
Tav pinned his ears and looked at her with a scowl on his face. “I said sorry. Not my fault, really.” Still…he felt the beginnings of a twinge of guilt at making her probable dinner get away… His gaze flicked over her and then up to the sky. “Can I…find you something else to eat?” Hopefully it wouldn’t be him. His head tipped to one side. “Why don’t you catch birds? You have wings.”
Xxx
She snorted at him. At his idiotic offer and his also moronic question. She looked up at the sky exaggeratedly. "Do you see any birds? This is a desert."
Xxx
Tav replied to a snort with one of his own. Gah. She was like a desert snake, deadly and beautiful… “Aren’t there… Vultures?” he ventured. “Sorry if I don’t know the damn desert like the back of my hand. First time visit, probably last time too. If you can’t find food, why do you stay?” He eyed her.
Xx
“There are vultures, but they aren't exactly everywhere." She frowned at him, her tail flicking irritably. How clueless was this guy? "I stay because this is my /home/," she sneered.
Xxx
He breathed in slowly, anger ticking up the scale. He was typically patient… Typically. He blamed the heat and this damned sandbox. Note to self: Never come back. “Alright. Jesus…” He shook his head, his neck damp with sweat from his mane’s weight. “Like I said, gimme a break. Never exactly hunted for food in the damn desert.” He bared flat teeth at her. “Grounded, with a bit of unicorn in my background. No meat for me.” Sigh. “Sorry. I really didn’t mean to make you lose a meal…”
Xxx
Mm. Judah swatted her tail at the ground, her sneer lessening a bit. Of course he hadn't meant to. It really had been the wrong place at the wrong time. Still though, because of him she was going to go hungry. That didn't exactly instill a sense of forgiveness in her.
"Yeah. Got it."
Xxx
Tav didn’t expect to be forgiven. “Alright. Just…” He scuffed at the sand with a hoof, shaking his head. “Alright. Good. I’m Tavarii, if that’s any condolance--not that it will be. Sorry.” Hoof in mouth, the minute his words weren’t fueled by anger. He let out a low sigh. “I don’t know why I came, honestly. To see the world.” Great, and now he was sharing his feelings. Upon realizing it, he chuckled. “Again. I’ll shut up.”
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