Leaving Ethan's herd had been a difficult decision for Branwen. They had taken such great care of her when she was wounded and were kind beyond words. But as she watched their family grow and reconnect, she felt less and less a part of their herd. It was through no fault of their own, really. But Branwen knew that somewhere out in the vast Kawani lands was her own family. Seeing Ethan's own family only made the desire to find hers grow with each passing day. Gethen had tried to convince her to stay in the herd. It was safe there. Traveling on your own was not. In the end, the owl knew he wouldn't be able to persuade her otherwise and begrudgingly agreed to keep her company. Someone had to keep an eye on her, after all.
And now they had been on the move for four days. The distance between them and the herd must have been quite large by now and it was only going to get larger. Neither of them knew where to even begin in their search for Branwen's relatives. They were in unknown lands. Well, for Branwen all lands were unknown at this point. But even Gethen had absolutely no bearings on their position in relation to where he had last seen familiar faces. So they wandered without direction in hopes of finding, if not the Soquili they were looking for, then at least maybe someone who could point them in the right direction.
belloblossom
Sorry I didn't get to this when I said I would. Got kinda sick this week bleh.
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 12:03 am
Thalia Veraldi
Thalia's parents had raised her to be kind, to be honest, to be forgiving. They taught her all about love and acceptance of others and not to judge a creature by their coat. They were good parents, her father of the noble Veraldi line and her mother a soft-spoken Wind mare, who had captured the heart of her father. She had learned so much about how to treat others, but she knew so little about the world itself. Her parents nudged her in a good direction and she knew where to find them after she'd finished her travels, but...
She had never been on her own, before.
She walked in boldness and confidence when she first started out and for the first few days, she blamed her excitement as the reason that she couldn't fall asleep. After the first seven, she was beginning to realize how scared she was about traveling on her own. She hadn't come across any other Soquili yet, even though her parents made it sound as though they were everywhere. The mare felt the safest out in the middle of clearings or in large fields, but trees seemed to crowd around her. She'd stumbled into a forest a night ago, and already she was beginning to wonder if it ever had a name.
Her voice was hoarse for calling out to others, but she was a hopeful mare and she wanted out of this forest. "Hello?" Thalia called, "Hello, hello? Please, is anyone there?"
Mare and familiar looked to each other as a cry reached them. Branwen's first reaction was that of concern. This was a dense forest and though the pair of them weren't headed in any particular direction, even she felt a little lost in it. It was no stretch of the imagination to believe someone might be truly lost in here. Gethen, on the other hand, was instantly skeptical. He'd heard one too many stories about Soquili fooling others into perilous traps through feigned distress. He'd managed to keep Branwen alive for this long and he wasn't about to risk that streak on the off chance this cry for help was a ruse.
"You stay here. I'll go see what the deal is." Before the mixed breed could even protest Gethen disappeared into the foliage of the trees. It wasn't just the concern for whoever might be in trouble out there that made her uncomfortable in this situation. She feared being alone. Especially now that she had become so accustomed to the owl's ever watchful gaze being on her constantly. It was unsettling, but she knew it was safer for him to scout ahead first. Just in case.
The other mare was quite easy for Gethen to spot. Her white coat stood out between the dark trunks of the forest. Without a word, he settled onto a branch and watched her closely, taking in all her features with intense scrutiny. She was a wind Soquili, that much was obvious. But it took him a moment to notice the slightly rounded shape of her ears and her cloven hooves, both of which suggested there was cerynei blood in her somewhere. All of her suggested she shouldn't be a threat. Shouldn't being the key word. Never judge a book by its cover goes both ways. An innocent looking Soquili could be just as harmful as the most fearsome kalona. Even so, she did look quite distressed and it would be wrong not to at least try and offer some assistance. With all the caution of a rabbit that's caught the scent of a fox nearby, Gethen cleared his throat.
"Are you in need of some help, young mare?" Every aspect of her response, even the tiniest of twitches in an ear or eye, would determine wether or not he believed her. He couldn't afford to put his bonded in unnecessary danger.
belloblossom
Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:07 pm
Thalia Veraldi
Thalia's voice was truly beginning to get tired from all of this endless calling and the mare's mental state was starting to suffer as well. What if she never found her way out of this wood? No one would ever hear her calls, no one would come find her, and she would never see her family again. She would remain lost and alone and she should've never left in the first place and...
Then there was the sound of someone clearing their throat and Thalia looked up with wide eyes as she saw a large owl settle on one of the branches. She had never seen a familiar before and as a day-time Soquili, she'd never seen a proper owl either. If not for her parents stories of them, she wouldn't have known what to look for. If there was a proper way to act around an owl, Thalia didn't know it. She only knew that now, for the moment, she was no longer alone. This made her immensely relieved.
"Oh, thank goodness!" She released a shaky sigh, "I was really starting to believe I would be alone forever here!" By his voice, she assumed he was a Mister, but he seemed like a proud creature, with smooth feathers and round eyes, so 'Sir' would do just as well. "Yes, Sir. I do need help. You see," She raised her wings and one shoulder in a sort of a shrug, "Well, you see, I'm lost. I came into the forest looking for... Well, I don't know, really. I just want to see the world, but now..." Her wings and shoulder dropped, slumping. After a moment, she looked up to the owl again, smiling hopefully, "I don't suppose you know a way out of this wood?" She asked him.
"A way out?" His pride told him to say Yes, of course I know a way out!. He hated not having an answer, but he was getting more and more used to it. Or, at least pretending he didn't know. There were still questions Branwen asked that he didn't think should be answered yet. In this case, though it would simply be wrong to give a false answer. This poor mare didn't need any false hope.
"Well, no. Not exactly." Of course, there was a simple way for them to find out where this forest ended and that was for Gethen to fly above the trees. And of course, he had done just that. And of course they were heading in that general direction. But it felt like it had been hours since he'd spotted the edge of the forest and it didn't seem to be any closer now, "We know, generally, how to get out. I've seen the edge of the forest. But the trees are thick and it's been tough traveling."
He hadn't intended on revealing that he wasn't alone, nor did he even realized he had done it. Clearly, he had gotten too relaxed while in the company of Ethan and his family. He'd let his guard down around them and now he was letting it down around strangers. And maybe the mare's genuine tone had already lulled him into a false sense of security. Regardless, he would soon realize his mistake and double his efforts in being an over-protective and slightly offensive watch-owl.
belloblossom
Glad you're doing better!
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 1:25 am
Thalia Veraldi
Thalia slumped a little when she heard that the owl didn't know a way out, but she reminded herself that in his company, she was no longer alone as she was moments before and this comforted her. Her ears perked up when he went on to saying that they knew where the edge of the trees were, but she tilted her head to one side, confused. Wait a minute... "'We'?" She echoed and looked around the other trees, wondering if there was another owl watching her nearby. "Are you travelling with someone, Mister Owl?" He hadn't told her his name, after all, so what else was she supposed to call him?
On the thought of names, she realized she hadn't given hers yet. This was a mistake that just had to be fixed and soon too! "Oh dear, I'm so rude! I haven't introduced myself yet! I'm sorry for that, really I am." She bent her knees forward slightly and stretched her wings out as much as they could go without brushing against a tree's trunk. Dipping in a successful bow, she introduced herself formally, "My name is Thalia, Thalia Veraldi. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." There, she'd done it just as her parents told her. She was sure that they would be proud of her, had they been here to see her. Now straightening, she went back to the matter at hoof: getting out of the woods.
"Mister Owl, you know more about getting out of here than I do, and it's awfully scary on my own, so... May I travel with you and your companion?" She didn't know what his companion would be like of course, but the owl himself seemed rather friendly, so surely his travel mate must be too? Oh, she did hope that he accepted her request... She didn't want to be alone in the woods again.
Gethen fluffed up immediately as the mare repeated his mistake. One could see, in those large, round eyes, his mind working to find a quick fix to this problem. Would she believe him if he lied and said it was nothing more than a slip of the tongue? He could make up an elaborate story about having just separated from a traveling partner and not being accustomed to flying solo quite yet. Yes, that might work. She did look a bit naive after all...
And just as he was about to feed her this tall tale, she solved the problem for him. Temporarily, at least. If nothing else, introductions would give him some time to come up with a slightly more convincing story. He could only hope to be half as convincing as this mare was, if she really was putting on a farce. Her manners and grace almost gave her an air of nobility. She was slowly chipping away at his suspicion. Maybe, if she were lucky, he'd stop suspecting her of foul intentions in a few years.
"Ah, yes. Well. Ahem." The owl took a moment to, somehow, managed to appear even more proud than he already did, "You may call me Gethen. It's a....pleasure to meet you." He was rather unconvincing in how pleased he was to meet her. And she managed to rack up a few more points on the You-seem-like-a-shady-character scale when bringing up Gethen's 'companion' again. This resulted in more defensive fluffing.
Meanwhile, Branwen was becoming increasingly anxious and impatient. The solitude was unnerving and she worried about something happening to Gethen. And though she knew nothing of this creature calling for help in the woods, she worried for them too. If they were hurt or trapped or just scared, she wanted to help them. All she wanted when she was injured and wandering around in a terrified stupor was a bit of comfort. That's what Ethan offered her when he found her and now she wanted offer the same to others. Starting with whoever was out there calling for help. Tired of waiting for her familiar to return, Branwen set off in the direction she last heard the voice, hoping to not become even more lost.
belloblossom
Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2015 7:49 pm
Thalia Veraldi
Thalia didn't quite know what she'd done to upset the bird, but her posture seemed to droop a little at the owl's introduction. She was trying to remain positive, but this owl... this Gethen fellow, didn't seem to like her very much and it was rather tiring to be cheerful all the time. She shuffled her hooves and let out a small sigh.
"I've upset you and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I don't even know where I went wrong..." Another sigh and then she straightened up, an apologetic smile on her face, "Could you just point me in the direction that you think the break in these woods are...?" She asked, though she had already begun to walk towards the way the owl had come, for just then she'd heard the sounds of hooves coming towards them and she'd turned hopeful.
"Hello, hello? Is someone else out there?" She called through the trees, ears perked. Perhaps it was Gethen's unnamed companion, or perhaps it was a new creature who knew a clear way out of the wood.
Large eyes narrowed into thin, skeptical slits. Was this mare trying to guilt him over his distrusting behavior? Admittedly, it was rather rude behavior that he should feel guilty about, but that was beside the point. She was the suspicious one here. Any abrasive words thrown at her were undoubtedly well deserved. That's what he told himself anyways.
The owl was far too glad to send Miss Thalia Vervaldi on her way. The direction was almost out of his beak. Then his heart sank to the bottom of his gut as the sound of hooves reached the pair of them. Why hadn't she stayed put?!
Without even a word to Thalia he took off. There was no way he would let that mare reach Branwen first. He would protect her. After he scolded her.
"What are you doing?" He hissed, perching on a branch as his bonded spotted him and came to a halt.
"I got worried! Is everything alright?" Branwen looked around anxiously for any sign of the other lost soul in the forest. There was no sight of them, but there was a sound, "Yes! Hello."
A loud hoot of protest from Gethen got little more than an irritated glance. Branwen continued on towards the voice, finally spotting Thalia's white coat through the trees, "Oh, there you are! Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?" She looked the other mare over quickly, relieved to find a lack of injuries on her.
Gethen quietly watched the two with blatant displeasure.
belloblossom
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2015 12:12 am
Thalia Veraldi
A wave of panic rushed over the winged mare when Gethen so abruptly took off and she tried to dash after him, only to stop when the trees became too thickly pressed together in one direction. She wanted to let out a loud wail of despair at such a fate. He hadn't been the most pleasant bird to converse with, but he had just been about to give her some sort of direction out of this wood, and that would've been better than anything. Oh, but she had interrupted him for a rustling sound and now he had gone and she was alone again!
"Hellooo?" She called out again, hoping that the rustling had been another like herself and not some new foul-tempered avian. "Hello, hello?" And then someone answered! Someone had very distinctly said, "Yes, hello!" back to her! She followed the source of the return call for a moment, hoping that it wasn't her desperate, anxious imagination, when another mare appeared through the trees!
Thalia felt incredible relief seeing the other Soquili, her tone warm and friendly as opposed to the owl's cross tone from earlier. She let out a sigh of almost hysterical relief as she moved closer to the other mare. The mare's appearance was not one that Thalia was familiar with--even her wings seemed to be smaller than Thalia's were, but in this moment, Thalia could care less about inquiring to species. She was just so, so happy that there was someone else beside her!
"Oh thank goodness there is someone else here, thank goodness! I was truly starting to believe that I was going to be left on my own. I'm so glad we've found each other." Her wings were quivering with relief and excitement. "No, no, I'm not hurt. I'm just horribly lost and I came across this owl, Gethen, and he didn't like me very much, I don't think, but now you're here and oh, you seem so nice!" Her ears perked up in sudden concern, "What about you? You're not hurt are you? Did you see the owl too? Oh! I don't suppose he's your companion or something, is he? He sort of hinted that he was with someone, but he got so angry when I mentioned... it..."
It was only now that Thalia saw Gethen glaring down at her and the other mare in such displeasure. That answered her question then, but she suddenly felt so put on the spot and so unwanted when he looked upon her that a flash of homesickness and a stronger wish to be out of this wood came over her.
"I didn't mean to make him angry." She said forlornly to the mare and then realized something silly, which caused her to speak in cheery tones again. "Oh my! I haven't yet introduced myself! How rude of me to do so! Ahem," Taking a few steps back, she leaned forward and spread out her wings to either side of herself as much as they would allow, given the closeness of the trees, "My name is Thalia, Thalia Veraldi. It is so very nice to meet you, Miss...?" She looked up from the bow at the mare expectantly, waiting for the other mare's name.
A soft, empathetic smile spread across Branwen's face as she watched the other mare go through the paces of relief, realization, and then embarrassment. None of which lasted long, as Thalia seemed to bounce right back from it all in an instant. She seemed like such a young thing, full of so much life and vibrancy. But also a lot of worry and uncertainty. Though, in these woods, anyone would start to feel uncertain about everything too, after a while. But Branwen was just glad to have found someone else caught beneath the thick boughs of this forest. Someone else who seemed quite sweet and was, thankfully, unharmed.
"It's Branwen. I'm very pleased to meet you, Thalia." She bowed her head gracefully, but didn't put on a display like the other. The space just wasn't large enough for that, and she wasn't one for formalities. They were a trio of very lost travelers, there really wasn't a need for such courtesy right now. Her eyes turned to the grumpy fluff of feathers glowering from a branch. Gethen hunkered down, faltering under her disappointed gaze, "And don't worry yourself about him. Gethen is always angry. Give it some time and he might warm up to you. Maybe."
There was an indignant "hoo" of protest from above as the owl turned away from the pair, putting on a display of offense at the suggestion. Branwen did what she usually did when her familiar was in this state and simply ignored him. He'd get over himself eventually. She was much more interested in speaking with Thalia anyways.
"I'm fine. Just a little lost like yourself. What are you doing here? Is there somewhere you're trying to get to?" Branwen realized these questions might have been a little invasive, but if the mare knew where she was trying to get to, then maybe she had some idea as to where it was they all were. Obviously she wouldn't know exactly where they were. If that were the case she wouldn't be lost too. But she might know the name of this forest, or maybe even some of the surrounding areas. Or maybe she was being overly hopeful and the only one of them who had even the faintest idea as to where they were was Gethen. And that idea was so faint neither of them were even sure it was actually there.
Leaving Ethan's herd had been a difficult decision for Branwen. They had taken such great care of her when she was wounded and were kind beyond words. But as she watched their family grow and reconnect, she felt less and less a part of their herd. It was through no fault of their own, really. But Branwen knew that somewhere out in the vast Kawani lands was her own family. Seeing Ethan's own family only made the desire to find hers grow with each passing day. Gethen had tried to convince her to stay in the herd. It was safe there. Traveling on your own was not. In the end, the owl knew he wouldn't be able to persuade her otherwise and begrudgingly agreed to keep her company. Someone had to keep an eye on her, after all. 
