[PRP] Adjusting To New Life (See Inside)

[She-Ra of Etheria]

It was so refreshing to have a foal within the herd once again. It had been some time since any foals were seen running around, be them dream creatures brought to life or foals of a pair from the herd. Freyr had certainly adjusted to life in the herd quickly and ever since the ceremony to make him real he had been learning all that he could about the herd and what it meant to be a part of it and to obey to Oneiroi. Phasianidae was very pleased to see how well the colt fit into the herds way of life and how he didn't balk from any challenge that was thrown his way. They still needed to be careful of course, he was new to real life and they needed to make sure he didn't do anything to upset the Oneiroi, but so far they couldn't have asked for a better member.

Though Ramiel was his guardian, the entire herd took part in raising Freyr and teaching him all that he needed to know. Seeing the wonder in the colts eyes made Phasianidae glad that he had come through the pass as a dream creature and chosen to stay. "Let us make our way to the Oracles." She told the colt as they walked the ground. She had been showing him some of the gifts of nature that were also gifts of the Oneiroi while Ramiel was busy with his patrols and other duties. But the stallion would be done shortly and be ready to gather up his small charge.


















Freyr was enjoying life. The ceremony that had made him real had gone off perfectly according to the herd and now he could speak to anyone and they could speak to him. Which was good because he still had many questions to ask and much to learn about the herds ways. Each day he would go out with one or more of the herd members and be taught something new, and also be quizzed on the previous days knowledge. So far he was loving every minute of it. There were times, especially as night fell, that he dearly missed his parents but this new life was so wonderful that he was glad he had found himself in this mist filled world.

Following Phasianidae as she led him about showing him some things that he hadn't realized were hidden among the mist filled area the herd called home, Freyr was very happy. "Okay." He loved visited the Oracles. In truth he loved spending time with each herd member and learning about the different ranks and tasks that they preformed. But of course his favorite herd member was his guardian, Ramiel, and he would always get especially energetic and excited when the stallion showed up after a long day of being away attending to duties. Ramiel would be here soon and Freyr could already feel the excitement coursing through his body.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drifa had been quite pleased by the way things had gone during the Ceremony, indeed it had all gone without any problems whatsoever and she could only assume that meant the Oneiroi were pleased with their efforts. In past years they had shown their displeasure over one thing or another in various fashions..winds that blew herbs away, storms that ruined the feasting. This year there had been none of that and Drifa was pleased, all of the Oracles were.

In high spirits the mare trotted down the pathway, for once without any clear goals in mind, she had finished her duties for the morning and decided to head off and see what the rest of the herd was up to. As she went figures began to emerge from the mist, the smaller of which could only be the herds newest member. Quite pleased to see the colt and Pha, who appeared to be taking care of him while Ramiel was off doing ..whatever it was the stallion needed to do.

"My lady! Freyr! Its so nice to see the two of you! The Oneiroi have given you a blessed day I hope?" She called out a greeting as she approached.



Ramiel eyes the open pass warily, listening to the reports given to him by those in his command as well as the blessed creatures who could venture further then they down into the valley of dreaming. All was quiet they said, aside from the colt, his colt now, there did not seem to be anything stirring. It was quiet, almost too quiet and that worried Ramiel to some degree.

Were the Oneiroi truly so pleased? According to the Oracles it was so, the ceremony had gone off without a hitch and that was promising but Ramiel was ever cautious, ever fretful and he had a hard time believing that they would get away with such an easy spring season. Surely something would happen...at some point.

"Keep your eyes out, make sure it stays quiet." he finally instructed the gathered Soquili dismissing them back to their duties with a slight shake of his head before turning and heading down towards the main herdlands. In past times he might have elected to stay and help keep watch but he could no longer afford such luxuries with his free time - he had to pick up Freyr and while he was worried about the herds security the stallion couldn't say that he was upset with this new change, Freyr was a good colt and he was fun to take care of, despite his worries about taking on such a responsibility Ramiel was finding himself growing quite fond of the little foal.

 

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Freyr couldn't help but smile upon seeing the Oracle coming towards them. "Hello Oracle Drifa!" He called out happily. After a moments pause he answered. "The Oneiroi have been good for us today." He hoped that was the correct way to answer the question. He didn't want to offend the Oneiroi by speaking of them incorrectly. But he was still learning as well, so hopefully if it wasn't entirely correct they wouldn't mind. "Has your day been well?" He asked of the Oracle. Perhaps one day soon he would get the spend some more time with the Oracles to learn more about them and their contributions to the herd, and of course they would be able to teach him plenty about the Oneiroi as well. There was so much to learn that some days Freyr hated, well not truly hated but it was the word that popped into his head in this moment, when night well and the herd went to sleep. If only he could learn more!

Seeing Drifa coming through the mist Phasianidae dipped her head in greeting. "The Oneiroi have been sharing their many gifts with us today." She informed Drifa. "The fruit frees are producing well. It won't be long before we can send the gatherers out to collect the bounty to preserve for the coming winter months." It may just be spring and they still had many months to go before winter gripped the land again, but one this Phasianidae and the herd knew was that they could never start preparing for winter soon enough. It would be something that even Freyr would participate in, his role in the activities may be small this year due to his young age, but in time he would be a full contributor to the herd. It made her wonder what path the colt would choose when the time came. Right now the herd was busy exposing him to each rank along side the daily teachings of the Oneiroi, but in time he would be expected to choose what rank he would pursue and beginning training for that.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drifa dipped her head politely back to Pha before beaming at Freyr as he answered. "That is very good to hear young sir, I hope you are listening closely to your lessons?" She asked, glancing up at Pha to see if the colt had indeed been behaving. Freyr had thus far proved to be a fairly well behaved colt but he was still young and all young foals had their moments from time to time. It was important to remind them to behave and pay attention to their lessons from time to time.

turning her attention back to Pha Drifa nodded slightly in agreement. "The trees have certainly done well this spring and the herbs have come up nicely as well, it seems to be a productive spring this year, no doubt due to the nice weather we have all been enjoying this year." It had been a warm and happy spring, the entire herd had reveled in the warmth after winters cold and while Ramiel continued to fret about something bad happening Drifa was more then happy to take the Oneiroi's gifts as they came and be thankful for them.

Ramiel moved quickly down the trail, Pha had been watching Freyr for quite some time now and while the stallion knew that she didn't mind keeping an eye on him he did not like to take advantage of her generosity for longer then necessary and he was sure that she had duties that she herself had to attend to without a colt shadowing her along the way.

Since he didn't know exactly where they might be locating the pair in the misty landscape took a bit of time, finally however with a few questions asked here and there the stallion caught up, finding them in the company of Drifa. "Of course he is behaving." The stallion. "Freyr always behaves himself." He stated proudly leaning down to nuzzle the colt in greeting before nodding to the two mares and falling silent to let them finish discuss plants and other such things that he had no stake in.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Freyr smiled widely at the Oracle. "Oh yes," he said with a nod, "I have been listening and learning lots." There had been the odd distraction along the way, but he couldn't help but ask questions and sometimes those questions led to him asking questions about other things or wanting to go see something when he should be doing something else. He fell silent then, listening to the two mares talk about the weather and the things which were growing. While Freyr knew these things were important to the herd he couldn't help but feel just a smidgeon of boredom, since nearly every other herd member they came across also spoke of these things.

Of course he couldn't help but perk up when Ramiel made his appearance. Freyr returned Ramiel's nuzzle with one of his own. He had missed the stallion during these hours away but he knew that Ramiel had an important role in the herd and for the time being there wasn't much Freyr could do if he tagged along, expect perhaps slow him down or get in the way. But one day he would get to see Ramiel in action, since he would learn first hand about each roll within the herd.

Phasianidae gave Drifa a slight nod to let the other mare know that Freyr had been paying attention to the lessons. Of course foals would be foals, and sometimes his attention drifted, but overall he was a very good listener and was proving himself to be a fast learner. "I am glad to hear that. We will have a fine crop in a few short weeks if all continues along this path." It would all depend on what the Oneiroi planned for them. There could be a drought or too much rain or just about anything else that could increase or decrease their store depending on what the Oneiroi felt, whether they would punish or reward the herd. And that was why Phasianidae, and all the herd members, did their best to keep the Oneiroi happy at all times.

Turning at Ramiel's words Phasianidae dipped her head. "He was very well behaved today." She confirmed with the stallion. Certainly Freyr was a very good foal, but it didn't hurt to keep a close eye on him while he was still learning the ropes. She couldn't help but smile when seeing the affection shared between the stallion and foal. They may not share any blood but there was definitely a bond there and it had grown over the short time that Freyr had been in the herd."All is well with the patrol?" She asked.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drifa nodded slightly in agreement with Pha's words - barring any sort of disaster it seemed the herd was poised for a nice and bountiful spring...or course that didn't mean that either she or any of the other oracles could relax, there was never time for relaxation as one could never tell when the weather would change or the Oneiroi's moods shifted...but she could continue to hope that all would be well.

As Ramiel arrived Drifa offered the stallion a warm look - for someone who had, at first, resisted the idea of becoming a parent the stallion was certainly doing a good job - of course Pha was helping quite a bit as well...which wasn't unusual, Ramiel and Pha had always been close, it made sense that she would help him when he needed it, regardless of her position in the herd. In the back of her mind Drifa considered other possibilities between the two and while they spoke to Freyer she spent some time comparing them to once another..yes they complimented each other nicely, perhaps the Oneiroi would see fit to bless them if she put her mind to encouraging such things. A gleam entered the mares eyes as she looked at the pair before her but otherwise she kept her mouth shut..for now. Some thing's were better played as a long game rather then a short one.

Ramiel was pleased to hear Pha's report on Freyr - even if he had been expecting it, the foal was always well behaved, curious..sometimes a bit on the talkative chattering side but Ramiel considered those aspects of a healthy foal, certainly it was preferable to the sulky withdrawn foals he had meet in the past. Those types rarely amounted to anything when they grew up and as his first foal Ramiel truly wanted Freyr to grow up and be the very best that he could be.

"That is good to hear, perhaps ,as a reward I will take him out to play by the stream." The stallion offered with a warm look towards the foals. It was, sadly, still a bit too cold for swimming but there was still a good bit of fun to be had at the stream..fish to chase, mossy rocks to jump about on - it was typically the favored playground of the herds foals. Looking back up at the two mares Ramiel caught a suspicious look in Drifa's eyes but when he tried to figure it out the mare's face went abruptly blank and innocent. I don't even want to know Ramiel told himself as he refocused his attention on Pha and Freyr - the less he knew about whatever scheme Drifa had in her head the better off he would be.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Freyr's attention perked up when Ramiel mentioned the stream. He immediately wanted to go, but held back from begging to leave right away because he knew that there may be things that the three adults needed to discuss before they could go. Even so, he had to say something. "I would like to go to the stream." He told Ramiel with a broad smile, excitement obvious in his tone. There herd lands were quite large and he hadn't yet seen it all, and while he enjoyed being shown around by all of the herd members, his favorite guide and teacher was Ramiel.

Though she was looking at Ramiel, Phasiandiae could see Drifa out of her peripheral vision and she could see the mare was cooking up something. It could be just about anything, but Phasianidae turned her gaze slowly to the other mare and gave her the barest of smiles, as if saying 'I see you plotting over there', before returning her attention to Ramiel and Freyr. Whatever Drifa was thinking about, she would eventually find out, through direct or indirect means.

"I think that would be a lovely reward for him." She told Ramiel and looked down at Freyr to see the colt beaming with excitement. "He has done well with his lessons today and could use a break before evening duties are upon us." Mostly, Phasianisae wanted to encourage whatever one on one time could be squeezed in for the two males. Though the two had a strong bond it was important to maintain and even strengthen that bond further.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drifa gave Ramiel a blank look as he glanced at her, giving Pha the same 'I have no idea what your talking about' expression when the mare sent a look her way as well. Let them ponder the mare thought to herself, they would thank her for it later she was sure. Turning her attention back tot he conversation at hand Drifa beamed at the foal and his excitement before remarking offhandedly

"Perhaps the three of you should go, the stream is a very relaxing place for adults even as it is an exciting place for foals and you have both been working very hard lately, down time is important for your health." She reminded the two in a serious tone. Yes some time together by the stream would be quite lovely she thought and she knew that there was time for it now before the evening duties.

Ramiel nodded his head slightly to Freyr. "Very well then ..we shall go for a little while." He agreed before looking up as Drifa made her suggestion, giving Pha a sideways glance before formulating his response, surely she would rather have some time alone then waste it spending it with him...not that he would mind, they had known each other far longer then either of them had held their positions in the herd and he had always enjoyed spending time with her, it had just become harder since their respective positions took up so much of their time.

"If you would like too...you are more then welcome." Ramiel finally responded to Pha, hoping that she wouldn't feel obligated if she didn't feel like it, or had other things she would rather do.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

At Drifa's suggestion Freyr's ears perked up. While he always looked forward to the time he got to spend with Ramiel, he also really enjoyed spending time with Phasianidae. After all, when he first came here she was the only one who could actually speak to him until he was made real. So there was no denying that he had a strong bond with her. He liked to think that he had a strong bond with most of the herd members, as they shared their time with him fairly equally, but certainly Ramiel and Phasianidae possessed the strongest of bonds with him. As such he would love to have her come along to the stream.

Turning he looked up at the lead mare. Ramiel had already said that she could come along if she wished, so not he just had to stand here, looking excited, and wait to see what her answer would be. He wondered if she would play with him at the stream. While he had spent a fair amount of time with the herd leader, he had yet to see much play out of her. But then again, he understood why she didn't. She had very important things to do each day and didn't have the time to play. But maybe, just maybe he could convince her and Ramiel to join in him a good romp in the stream. It would almost be like when how it was in his previous life, with his mother and father taking care of him. He still missed them terribly, but was happy that he had this new life to lead.

Phasianidae turned her attention to Drifa as she suggested she going to two males at the stream. She couldn't help but smile a bit. Down time was important. She knew that all too well, but there were days when down time was next to impossible. Those times were usually in early spring, such as this year, when everything seemed to be happening all at once. But now things had settled down for a while, and though they were still busy, it was a manageable busy. At Ramiel's agreement to her coming along if she could spare the time, Phasianidae thought over what she had already accomplished today and what still needed to be done.

For the most part, she was done with her duties. Oh, there were always things that needed to get done, and members who would seek her out for advice, but right now she had little that needed her immediate attention. "I have some spare time." She finally said looking between Freyr and Ramiel. "It has been some time since I have visited the stream for the purpose of relaxing." She glanced back at Drifa. "When I am done I have a few things I wish to discuss with you." It was the normal things, so there was no rush to get to it now, plus from the look of Freyr he was about ready to collapse from excitement if they didn't get going soon. "Shall we?" She asked, turned back to the two males.  

[JetAlmeara]

Seeing the colts additional excitement when she suggested that Phasianidae also join them at the stream Drifa felt that she had all but won this battle..because really who could resist such an excited cute little foal? It would be next to impossible...even for Ramiel who always managed to squirm his way out of such be-spellings. Giving the three of them a pleased look Drifa nodded her head in agreement with Pha's request. "Of course, I plan to be in the orchards until this evening, some of the sapling's still need blessings." She told the other mare "So no need to rush yourself, have a good time." She went on.

It was true that she had to bless the saplings - but only a couple of them, however if Pha thought she was busy until later on then she would be more likely to spend a decent amount of time with Ramiel and Freyr rather then fretting about whatever she had to discuss with her and any other work that still had to be seen too. Herd work was important of course and Drifa would never dream of shirking anything truly important but she also knew that a stressed out leader was not a good one. Yes..it was her professional opinion that Pha have some down time.

Ramiel was slightly surprised by Pha's quick agreement to join them. Like him, she was often loathe to take time off from work..or at least they had been...Freyr seemed to be changing that somewhat. He shouldn't be surprised really, many of his guards had looked after foals over the years and Ramiel knew well that the addition of a foal tended to change one's outlook on things..time had to be made for them, it was simply a part of the process.

Confident that he had found the reason for her ready agreement and his own acceptance about not returning to check on the pass himself until later this afternoon Ramiel nodded his head slightly. "Yes I expect we should before Freyr returns to the dreamworld from sheer excitement." He stated with a long suffering but slightly amused tone as he looked at the young colt. "Come along then." He nudged Freyr before turning and heading off down the path.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Freyr practically danced with excitement when Pha agreed to join them. He had hoped that she would, but would understand if she couldn't. She was the leader of the herd after all and that meant she was busy day and night. He was actually impressed how well she kept everyone and everything organized and how she managed to fit everything in each day. While he still needed to spend time with others of various ranks to learn all about herd life and decide upon his path, it was always entertaining to watch Pha tackle her daily duties with efficiency.

At Ramiel's words Freyr went to follow and then paused, a shocked look on his face. "That can happen?!" His voice was curious with a bit of horror mixed in. Could he really return to the dreamworld? Oh, he didn't want that to happen! He enjoyed life too much here to ever leave. Not wanting to be left behind, and also wanting to hear the answer to his question, Freyr hurried after Ramiel.

Phasianidae nodded to Drifa. "I will see you in the orchards later then." Blessing the saplings was an important duty, as it ensured the trees would not only grow strong, but would provide well for the herd in future years. An improper or forgotten blessing could prove disastrous. It was good that Drifa was keeping up with these things.

Turning she went to follow Ramiel and Freyr to the stream. The colts question made her laugh lightly. "Now you have done it Ramiel." She lightly teased the stallion. While she could easily answer Freyr's question, she decided to leave it to the stallion to reply to it, let's see how he handles this situation.  

[JetAlmeara]

Drifa watched as the trio made their way down the path a sly look on her face as they disappeared into the mists. Once even the glow of Ramiel's antlers had been swallowed by the ever present fog Drifa turned and made her way towards the orchards. She hoped that they had a good time at the stream, it was quiet at the moment in the herd but Drifa had learned while quite young that such quiet times didn't last very long and it was always best to take advantage of them while you could.

Some had never learned that lesson however and would just continue to slave away - like Ramiel and Pha. A little prodding here and there though and they could be persuaded...and Drifa did so love to prod.

Ramiel paused slightly at the colts question, glancing back to see if Pha was going to answer it - nope...she seemed content to let him squirm in the mess his own words had made. Very well then the stallion turned back to continue down the trail while he attempted to formulate his thoughts before answering. He didn't want to confuse the colt with an answer he wasn't old enough to understand..or make him worry about things that colts really shouldn't be worried about and yet he didn't want to lie to him either.

"No...at least not from excitement I don't believe." He finally assured the colt "It is merely an expression, that you are so excited you might expire because of it....you will return to the dreamworld someday when your body is old and the Oneiroi call you home ... but that is a long ways off and you need not worry about it, I'm sorry for frightening you." He told the colt sincerely.

There were other ways that one could return to the realm of the Oneiroi but those ways were better taught by the shepherds and Ramiel didn't want to confuse or frighten the colt.  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

Freyr stayed close to Ramiel's side as he awaited to hear what his fate might possibly be. He tried to keep all of his emotions in check, just in case what Ramiel had said was true and that if he was excited or frightened enough that he would return to the dreamworld. He could not afford to go back there. He knew sometimes one didn't have a choice, but he only recently had been made real, so going back now would shatter him.

When Ramiel finally said it wouldn't happen...at least he didn't think it would, Freyr let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Good." He said and gave the stallion a nuzzle on the shoulder. "Cause I don't want to leave." With his fears subsided Freyr hurried ahead, looking forward to his time with the two older herd members, but stayed close enough to be called back if needed.

It was hard to keep her face neutral as she watched the pair walk. It was clear Ramiel wasn't sure what to say given the bout of silence before he finally explained to the colt that he would not return to the dreamworld over being too excited. She smiled at Freyr's affection towards the stallion. True, there had been some doubts about Ramiel's ability to raise the colt, but it was obvious that he was the right choice.

As Freyr moved ahead Pah looks towards Ramiel. "You handled that well." Then she laughed slightly. "Though having a bit more caution with your words in the future will prevent such things from happening again." Honestly though, he was doing very well with Freyr, and even those who had plenty of experience with foals made mistakes from time to time.  

[JetAlmeara]

Ramiel nodded slightly at Pha's comment's. It was true that he would need to be a bit more careful of his words in the future. It was a habit that was proving to be hard to learn - perhaps it came from spending the majority of his time with his Champions, they were a rather blunt and joking lot at times though he hardly blamed them - such attitudes were a way for them to release the tension that their jobs inevitably built up within them.

"I sometimes forget that he is so young and so new to our world." He admit tot he mare "It is hard to learn to censor oneself when you are so used to spending time with older and rougher temperaments."

Watching the colt run along ahead Ramiel sighed fondly before continuing "And yet already I have a hard time envisioning a life without him in it. I understand now why so many pray for a foal in their lives. It truly is a gift..even if at times an exasperating one."  

[She-Ra of Etheria]

"It is easy to forget that he is new to our world. Most foals who come to use only know our way, but being that he had a life outside our world changes everything. And it is he too, that needs to adjust to things. He is doing well, and the bond between you is strong, yet I see in him at times how badly he misses his old life." The colt had spoken of a family that he had had before coming to them, but more so of the monster that ended all of that. "Your censorship will come with time. Even those well versed in foals can say or do the wrong thing. I would say you have adjusted well to raising him so far."

Her gaze turned to Freyr, as the colt moved ahead, still within site but his form was blurred by the fog. "They are blessings in more ways that one. But like everything that the Oneiroi provide us, they have positives and negatives to them." She wondered who would pray for foals this year, and which prayers would be answers. One day she would like to have foals of her own, yet her duties as Luminary kept her busy and thus she often pushed the thought of having her own foals to the back of her mind.