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 Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 8:54 am
 The storm had come in swiftly, cutting her tour of the herd lands and forcing her and Calfuray to take shelter. She was glad that she had decided to stay here for a while, as they storm proved itself to be quite powerful. It would have been dangerous be have been caught out in the open in this kind of storm. Of course after a myriad of lightning and pounding rain the storm disappeared as quickly as it had come. Once the weather had cleared the tour resumed. The herd certainly was an interesting thing to encounter, and like Calfuray had told her the others proved to be normal, so thankfully Yakut was the only oddity in the herd as far as she could see. Well the lack of stallions was a little odd, but not entirely considering how she had been told enough about the herd to know why they were not around. She enjoyed seeing the lands and learning about how the herd functioned, and then it was time to leave, for she had not planned to stay beyond seeking shelter from the storm.
But that was several days ago and Kaikea was still here among the Sisters. Being around others, being openly accepted from that first day had meant that when the time had come to leave Kaikea made an excuse not to. And then the same thing happened the next day and then the next. Now she wasn't sure if she wanted to ever leave. True, she missed her family, but having lived a wanderers life for some time now she was used to not seeing them for long stretches of time. With another day now dawning Kaikea rose with the sun, she knew many of the Sisters would already be up and busy with training or patrols but this gave her time to collect her thoughts. Walking to the edge of the herds land Kaikea took in the new day and made the decision she had been considering for a couple days now. She would need to seek out Calfuray soon, and of course Penthesilea since she would be the final deciding factor but she wasn't too worried about that. Though she wasn't sure how well she would do with things like training Kaikea was nonetheless excited about the prospect of starting a new life, and most importantly having her friend Calfuray there along the way.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:10 am
 Calfuray couldn't say that she was disappointed in Kaikea's desire to stick around so far - quite the contrary she was pretty pleased about it, although they had only known each other for a couple days the purple mare already felt like she had known Kaikea much longer, it was like they had been friends from foalhood. Perhaps it was because Kaikea only knew her as she was now not as she had been before she had lost her memories like the rest of the herd. Kaikea wasn't constantly comparing her to the old Calfuray, the one who had disappeared back on that beach and it was refreshing, it made conversing with her much easier, almost soothing and as long as she was willing to stick around Calfuray had decided to enjoy her friendship.
Having woken early to attend a morning training session Calfuray now found herself stretching out sore muscles after, although she was in pretty good shape the training sessions were always hard work and typically one walked away with at least a few sore spots - according to the trainers you weren't trying hard enough if you didn't. Calfuray enjoyed the sparring and the training, it was a good way to get ones blood flowing in the morning but afterwards..she thought she looked forward to a morning swim even more.
With her thoughts on a cooling dip in the stream Calfuray angled her path to take one of the trails leading through the woods. After her swim she would go and find Kaikea and get the chore list for the day, the two had fallen into a pretty easy routine of working together and Calfuray found she enjoyed her chores much more with someone to talk to while she did them.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:21 am
As she turned to seek out her friend and let her know of her decision Kaikea began to feel nervous. It was a silly notion to feel nervous about such a thing. She was an adult, she could make these decisions. It's not that she was rushing into anything, these last few days she had spent taking in the life and way of the Sisters and considered all that information before coming to her conclusion that this was where she was meant to be. Of course a large part of her decision truly rested on Calfuray and their friendship. She had made many friends during her travels but never had she felt so free and happy around another as she did with Calfuray. Just that thought brought a smile to her lips. And thus her nervousness was just silly. This is what she wanted.
With a slight shake of her head Kaikea set off back into the tree to seek out her friend. By now Calfuray should be done with her morning training but that didn't mean the mare would be easy to find, depending on the herd needs she could have been sent away for a patrol, though she hoped that was not the case. She had been helping Calfuray with daily chores whenever she could and it was something she looked forward to. Maybe that would help her brooch the subject of staying. Weaving between the trees Kaikea headed back towards the centre of the her lands. She almost missed the purple moving among the trees as she was thinking over exactly how she would say things. "Calfuray." She called out, not even able to hide the happy tone in her voice.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2014 9:32 am
Calfuray was somewhat lost in her thoughts when Kaikea's voice broke through and skidding to a stop Calfuray spun around to spot her friend a touch of surprise on her face. "Kaikea!" She said with a slight laugh "I wasn't expecting to see you out here so soon - I was just off to the pond for a quick dip before chores - training was extra harsh this morning." she shared with her friend.
"Would you like to join me?" She asked after a few seconds of silence, a touch of hop in her voice. "Then afterwards maybe we can help out with the daily chores." If they were lucky they would get a patrol or one of the gathering chores, something relaxing and easy to do while they talked, Calfuray rather preferred the patrols since they were more like long relaxing nature walks then anything else, the herd was generally secluded enough that the patrols were more a formality then a necessity in her mind, of course that didn't mean she wasn't observant while she did them... but she wasn't constantly worried about being attacked either.
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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:22 am
"I had nothing else to do so I thought I'd come see you." She admitted with a shrug. But with her decision to stay, she wouldn't be so free anymore. That was a terrible way to look at it, she would still be free, but unlike now she would having training and duties to attend to just like the others in the herd. Kaikea was actually looking forward to truly immersing herself into everything that made up being a part of this herd. Having already watched several training sessions and gone on a few border patrols with Calfuray she was certain it would be an easy adjustment - for the most part at least. "I'd love to join you." She said with a smile.
She moved closer to her friend. "Do you normally have such harsh training sessions?" Kaikea asked. Training would be the part she would need to work the most at once she was accepted into the herd. She had never fought before, outside of a few play fights she had had with her siblings when they were younger. She wanted to say right now that she was going to stay here but she held it back for now, enjoying her friends company and waiting for the ideal moment to drop the news.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 5:03 am
Calfuray could barely contain the inward joy she felt as Kaikea agreed to join her for a swim, although the mare had only been with the herd for a short time Calfuray already felt far closer to her then she did to any other member of the herd, it was... nice. Calfuray couldn't really recall the last time she had felt as strongly for another - of course it would all lead to heartbreak whenever Kaikea decided to leave but Calfuray pushed those thoughts aside. She would cross that stream when she came to it, for now she would just enjoy the other mare company.
"Well, not always - and not everyone has to put themselves through so much training, all of the sisters know how to fight and have some training which they keep in form for with regular sparring, but not all of them specialize in it so much, I have devoted myself to defending the herd but there are healers and nannies and gatherers and such positions where Soquili place their focus on things other then fighting and tactics." She told Kaikea as they walked towards the stream at a leisurely pace. It was still early there was no need to hurry.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 5:58 am
Hearing Calfuray's explanation it gave Kaikea more hope that staying was a good idea. While she didn't think she could ever fulfill the role of warrior, there would be other ranks within the herd that she could attempt to fill. Yes, she would still need to do some training but not to the extent that Kaikea and some of the others went through. "So you all learn to fight but depending on your position the training is either lessened or increased." She thought out loud to make sure she understood everything Calfuray had said.
As they walked she thought about the herd dynamics and what she had learned from Calfuray and the others. "Were you a defender of the herd before?" She asked, wondering if Calfuray was following the same path now that she had been before she lost her memories in the war. She could see the stream now in the distance, but there was no rush to get there still, though it would be nice to take a relaxing swim.
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Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2014 6:09 am
"That's right." Calfuray confirmed with a slight nod of her head. "it' important to know how to fight and defend yourself if you need to, but not everyone wants to focus on such things and Penthesilea knows that, she's a wise leader and she wants us all to be both safe and happy." She told Kaikea sincerely.
Considering for a few moments Calfuray nodded again "I...think I was. It feels right, like something I have done for a long time though I have never asked anyone in the herd and they have never offered. I think they were just letting me find my own path in this new start." she told the other mare before sighing slightly "Well, that's not entirely true, to e honest I'm a bit afraid to ask - I am worried that I might have been on the wrong side of things before and while the others go to great lengths to act normally around me I sometimes get the feeling that they are waiting for me to do something wrong." She shrugged slightly "If I was on the wrong side then I was wrong and I can't fathom why I would have been, nor d I want to find out really."
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 7:30 am
"She really does seem like a great leader." Kaikea agreed. Though she hadn't spend a lot of time with Penthesilea, it was clear that the mare truly wanted her herd to thrive and continue on in the way they had for generations, but was also willing to make changes to adapt to new ways as well. It was another reason that staying here and becoming a member of the herd had been so appealing. It would take time to adjust, but already Kaikea was feeling accepted here and with time she would find her place in the herd and contribute to it as best she could.
Kaikea considered Calfuray's words as they continued along the way, it would be only a little bit further before they reached the stream. "My mother once told me that even the best Soquili make mistakes. If you were on the wrong side...then maybe it was just a mistake. I'm sure in a time of war it's not always easy to make decisions and know what is right and wrong when you are trying to survive."
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Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2015 9:52 am
Calfuray gave the mare beside her a warm look "your mother was a wise mare - and it seems you have inherited her good sense and wisdom." Calfuray complimented sincerely, it was nice to hear such sentiments and even nicer to be near someone who didn't seem to judge her for whatever she had or had not done in the past. Kaikea seemed content to just be happy with who she was right now.
Glancing ahead of them on the path Calfuray caught sight of the stream just ahead and her hide shuddered in pleasure at the thought of washing off all the sweat from training which had dried to be somewhat itchy and irritating. "this is going to be so nice...perhaps a bit bracing, its not exactly the perfect time of year for swimming but it shouldn't be too chilly."
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Posted: Sun Jan 11, 2015 4:01 pm
"She really is." Kaikea agreed with a smile. Her mother had given her a lot of great advice growing up, and while some foals ignored what their parents and other adults told them, she had soaked up every word. Staying here with the herd, while a good thing, meant she wouldn't be able to run home to her mother every time she wished for advice, but surely the mares here could help with that. She would make sure to get away every now and then to visit her mother, as long as she wasn't too difficult to find given her wandering ways.
Kaikea let out a laugh. "A bit on the chilly side can be fun. Gives you a nice little zing through your body when you first get in, but afterwards...it's perfect." But even so, they wouldn't want to stay in the water too long, not just to avoid getting a bad chill but also because there would be other duties to attend to today. And one of her chores would be to ask about staying and becoming an official member of the herd...speaking of which. "Do you know if Penthesilea is available to speak with sometime today?" She thought about keeping her plans secret for a bit longer but couldn't anymore. "I want to talk to her about staying here...becoming part of the herd."
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Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2015 11:30 am
Calfuray nodded "True and the cooler water helps keep muscles from stiffening up to much after a hard workout." She stated - which had been her first reason in coming out for the swim today in the first place.Reaching the waters edge at they spoke Calfuray stepped into the shallows with a slight sigh. She was , in fact, so focused on the cool water on her sore muscles that she almost missed what Kaikea said next.
When the other mares words finally registered Calfuray jerked her head around to stare at the other mare/ "You want to stay?" She asked carefully somewhat afraid that she might have heard wrong "Forever? Truthfully?" She went on and couldn't quite hide the hope in her voice as she double checked to make sure that she had indeed heard correctly.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 11:41 am
There was no denying that Calfuray was happy with the news. Kaikea slipped into the water after the mare, cringing slightly at the cool water before turning her attention to Calfuray. A wide smile came across her lips. "Truly." Finally she was taking a step in the right direction. All that time wandering looking for her place in the world and it was right here the whole time. But more importantly Calfuray was here, as long as Calfuray was in the her then so would be Kaikea. "I feel at home here. I had been worried at first but it didn't take me long to realize this was where I belong. For a bunch of warriors, the herd is quite welcoming." She said with a laugh as she swam closer to the other mare.
It's true she felt at home here. But she felt the most at home whenever Calfuray was around. She had thought it was a strong friendship right from the start but as time went on Kaikea was beginning to realize what she felt for Calfuray was more than that...and while she believed the same was true for Calfuray towards her, she was a bit nervous about breaching that subject. But she wasn't sure she could keep quiet about it much longer. Especially if she was going to stay here with the herd now.
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:10 pm
Calfuray could have whooped in delight as Kaikea confirmed that she was going to stay, for some time now she had to admit that the thought of the other mare leaving have been a constant source of anxiety and sorrow, feelings that had been instantly lifted like some great weight from her shoulders at the mares news. She had even attempted to speak with Yakut about the feelings but the cryptic mares responses had been vague and ..well..cryptic..as usual. Calfuray was fairly certain that the gist of them had been not to worry but it had been hard to follow such advice.
Until now at least. Now it all made perfect sense. Of course she had yet to actually speak her feelings and thoughts outloud to Kaikea...but there was such a bond between them, really a bond that had been there almost since the moment they first met that Calfuray hard a hard time thinking her feelings might not be reciprocated and having already learned that there was no time like the present to act on such things - I mean whose to say your memories won't get wiped out tomorrow right? She was willing to actually do something now that she knew the other mare wanted to stay. As Kaikea swam closer Calfuray reached out to nuzzle her "I'm glad your staying." She told the other mare sincerely and warmly. "I really didn't want you to go...I wanted you to stay, here, with me..but I didn't want to ask you too unless it was something you wanted as well.."
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Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:55 pm
When she saw Calfuray reaching out, there was a moment when she thought to pull away, that this whole thing was crazy and that she should just run while she could. But then her reasonable side kicked in, reminding Kaikea what she felt like whenever Calfuray was around and that clearly the mare was trying to show her that she felt the same way. After all, her words seemed to echo that exactly. So she did the only logical thing to do...she pushed herself into Calfuray.
"I was scared I wouldn't be accepted by your herd and that it would break our friendship. But now I see I was foolish. This is my home...you are my home. I want to stay here because of you. I would only leave if you went with me." She doubted Calfuray would want to leave the herd, but she wanted to make the point across that they were together now, for better or worse, this was their life now. "You make me whole and I never want to lose that." There was another flicker in her mind, wondering what her parents would think when she shared this news with them. Surely they would support her once they say how happy Calfuray made her. It wasn't your typical love story, but it was the right one for Kaikea.
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