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 Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:35 am
 Life had been good, very good. The herd had been a perfect place to grow up, train for their future as upper nobility and reaping the benefits of such a high status. They were not the highest rank in the herd, but they were just one step away from that, which was no easy feat. Even though their ranks were almost assured based upon their families status, each noble had to prove they were worth the title and the luxuries connected to it. Everything had been going perfectly, and then the next day everything was gone. No one had seen the collapse of the herd coming, but when it hit chaos ensued. Many of the nobles tried to band together to keep the herd from completely breaking apart, but the damage had been done and now the members had scattered to the wind.
It was a hard pill to swallow but some would handle it better than others. Kivuli was one of those who made the adjustment a bit more easily. He had always been the type to learn of things outside of his rank, things that were considered only suitable for those of a lesser rank, but then again, he also often treated those lower herd members with respect when other nobles did not. Even so, this was not easy for him. The life of luxury had left them within a lot of things that they needed to survive on their own but he was doing his best.
His biggest challenge was keeping his mate Maua happy. This new life did not suit her, but until they could find a way back into the life they once had they had little other choice. Right now the task was finding someplace suitable for them to live in for the time being, but Maua was hard to please. Even so Kivuli would never stop trying to keep her happy. And so as he led her into yet another cave, he looked at his mate with hope that she would accept this one. "What do you think my love? It has more room than the previous one. There is water not far away." His gaze roamed over the cave, it was bare but they could spruce it up. It might never be the as fancy as the area they lived in with the herd but at least here they would be out of the elements.
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 6:58 am
 Maua's eyes narrowed as Kivuli led her into yet another cave - just like all the others ones it was atrocious, the light was terrible, the walls were jagged and rough, the view outside was ugly and unappealing...but at least they could both hold their heads up properly when standing within it..that was an improvement. Still...she made a face, an 'improvement' was not good enough for them - they were nobles! They deserved more then this squalor they had been forced into.
"It's ugly." She told Kivuli flatly, clearly caught up in her negative mood. "Look at those walls...and that view, I bet the water is muddy too and you know I can't drink muddy water it gives me issues." She continued to complain. "It looks like a servants quarters Kivuli..how are we going to regain our place in the world living like savages!" She ranted...but it was getting dark and as much as she wasn't entirely pleased with this cave the thought of spending the night outside made her hide twitch in anxiety. "...But...it is getting dark." She conceded with a deep and long suffering sigh. Why had this happened to them? Neither of them had done anything to warrant living through this particular brand of hell, she supposed the only thing she could be thankful for was that they hadn't succeeded in having children yet - the only thing worse then this horrific march through the wilderness would be dragging foals along with them.
Snorting slightly she flicked a stone away from her with one claw. Filthy, gods she even thought there were some rotting old leaves in the back, at least she hoped the vague looking pile in the far back corner were leaves and not something worse..like the bones they had discovered in a previous cave. Maua hide practically shuddered at the memory and she turned away from the mysterious pile. It was probably better just...not to know.
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:08 am
By now just about any other stallion would have had enough of Maua's picky ways and just left her. But Kivuli never turned his back on his mate. It's probably why he ended up with her as a mate. Others had certainly had an eye for Maua, and a few suitors had tried to gain her affections but none had succeeded. Kivuli had known her since they were both foals and while they had been friends then, it was when they had grown that he realized his friend was the mare he wanted in his life forever. Perhaps it was his easy way of approaching things, or that he never backed away from a challenge, but something allowed him to win her heart. And now he worked hard every day to keep his lovely mate happy and healthy.
He tried not to smile as she pointed out all the flaws of this cave. It had been the same with all the previous ones. Too damp, too dark, too smelly. There was always something wrong. But it seemed that she may have made her mind up, even if it was because of the waning daylight. "Caves are not know for being well light." He said stepping closer and giving her a nuzzle. "We can continue to look for a more suitable place in the morning. But I think for tonight at least this is the best place we can find." She may not like it here, but he knew she would be completely against sleeping out in the open like a 'filthy commoner' as she would say. "I can collect some leaves from the nearby trees to make a soft place for you to sleep." The cold hard cave floor was not really an option for her, so he had to make it more comfortable for her as best he could.
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Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2015 7:14 am
"I know." Maua said softly, her mates loving nuzzle breaking through some of her dismay. "I just..I miss our old cave with its lovely little opening near the ceiling, the moon was always so lovely in that window and the sun came in just right...and the moss was so soft and the water pool so wonderfully clear...." It had been perfect, how could you replace perfection? You couldn't really and Maua sighed again before pressing her head into her mates shoulder. She wasn't sure what would become of them in this ugly new life they had been forced into...but at least she had Kivuli.
"Do be careful...we don't really know what lives around here..." she told her mate a tinge of worry entering her voice at the thought of him wandering about alone in this strange land, of course she wasn't about to stop him..I mean she couldn't sleep on the floor! ...But she would tell him to be careful!.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 10:03 am
Kivuli nodded in understanding. He too missed their old cave. It had been perfect, both when they first moved in and after they had spruced it up to make it their own little spot. But he there was little point in wishing to have that back, the chance of returning to the herd lands was slim now and even if they did, they had no idea what would await them. "We'll find a new home and make it perfect." He promised her. Whether it was this cave or some other cave, he would do everything in his power to get her the home she desired. But for right now they needed a place to sleep for the night and this cave would have to do.
"Do not worry my dear." But of course she would worry, she would worry until he had returned safely. "I won't be gone long, but if we wish to have something comfortable to lie on tonight I need to gather some branches before I lose the light." Giving her another nuzzle Kivuli turned and left the cave. At least there were trees not far off that he could pull branches off of to make their temporary bed for the night. It might not be as soft as their old bed, but it would at least keep them from laying on the hard rock for the night. After he could either improve it, if they chose to stay, or continue looking for another place in the morning.
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:47 am
Maua watched with anxious eyes as Kivuli left the cave in search of suitable bedding, she sighed slightly and tried to turn her thoughts towards other things, surely he would be safe enough - she doubted he would go far and there had been no hint of danger when they arrived...of course that did nothing to dispel her knowledge that many bad creatures came out during these twilight hours.
Shaking her head slightly Maua did her best to dispel these thoughts and attempt something useful, flicking the stray rocks that she found littering the floor out of the cave so that Kivuli would have a smooth spot to lay down his branches... if only they have been able to salvage some of their own comforts when they fled the mare thought mournfully as she recalled the woven blankets that had been left behind. They would have certainly made this place a bit more bearable. alas it was not to be so and all of her lovely blankets were either in the grasps of that vicious usurper or shredded in the fighting.
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:54 am
Luckily for Kivuli there were plenty of trees and bushes near the cave for him to harvest branches from. But he also knew not any branch would do, it needed to be full of soft leaves for his mate to lay upon. It would not be as nice as their old bedding, but for a night or two it would suffice, even if he had to gather additional branches each night to ensure the softness was there. After inspecting a few different plants Kivuli finally found a suitable tree that had soft needle-like leaves. Of course taking the branches off of the tree was the real challenge, some of the branches were fairly thick but those were the ones with the softest needles.
After struggling a bit, Kivuli managed to free enough branches that he believed would make a decent sized bed. If they were still in the old herd lands he would have sent out one of the underlings to do this, but now it was something he had to do. But he would do whatever it took to take care of Maua, even if it meant stooping to the slave level for a short time. Piling the branches into a pile Kivuli began to drag them back to the cave. It was no easy task but after a fair chunk of time he made it, which was good because the light was nearly gone now. Pulling the branches inside Kivuli looked at his mate. "It was quiet out there." He told her, knowing she would have been worried while he was gone. "Have you decided where you would like to sleep?" Once he knew the spot he could set about laying out the branches into a makeshift bed.
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Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:11 am
Maua was finally clearing the last of the bothersome rocks off of the floor when she heard the telltale sounds of Kivuli's approach, it was wonderful to hear him return and the mare felt a giant burden lift from her shoulders as she turned around to see him framed in the cave's entrance, a warm look on her face. This new life that they found themselves in was terrible...but Maua knew she could do it with Kivuili..if he failed to return one night? Well Maua didn't even want to contemplate that - and thankfully, tonight, she wouldn't have to.
"I cleared off this spot over here." She indicated with a slight motion of her head, "It seemed to be as out of the wind as we will manage...though it seems to be a fairly calm night anyways." It was good to hear that things had been quiet during his trip however..it meant that the surrounding area was more then likely as safe as they would be able to find out in the wilds like this and that was reassuring..Maua had had trouble sleeping since they left the security of lands she knew well.
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:02 am
Kivuli could see the immediate relief on Maua's face when he returned and stated that it had been quiet. Of course she had worried the whole time he was gone, but he had returned quickly and safely, and that was what mattered the most. Turning his gaze to the spot she indicated he nodded. It was as decent of a spot as they could find in this cave, and if they waited too much longer they would lose what little light they had coming in the entrance. Dragging the branches to the spot Kivuli worked on laying them down. He had tried to get the ones with the most foliage on them, knowing that the branches themselves would be uncomfortable to lay on.
It took some time arranging, testing and then rearranging the branches but finally he thought the bed was good. Of course it would not be anything like the bed they had left behind, but considering their options it was the best he could manage. "Here you are my love." He said, motioning to the bed with his claws. He hoped that she liked it. Even if she didn't love it, the main thing was providing her with whatever comfort he could this night.
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:22 am
Maua watched as Kivuli fussed with the bedding, it was taking a long time and she was tired but she was pleased to see he was being so careful in trying to make her happy. It was hard to replace a wonderful perfect soft bed with branches and leaves however so when he finally called her over to look at his handiwork she put a warm look on her face and told herself sternly that she wouldn't complain...even if it was deplorable, which it probably would be. Kivuli had tried and that had to count for something right?
Eyeing the bedding suspiciously she fiddled with a few ends before giving in to the inevitable and trying it out, laying down cautiously as though afraid it might bite her...when she was finally laying there however she found herself pleasantly surprised. "This is...better then I expected." She told him truthfully, giving him a pleased look. "Maybe we will get some decent sleep tonight!"
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:36 am
He had worried that she wouldn't like it, demand that he redo it. If she did, well then he would do just that. This new life they found themselves in was hard, but he was trying to make it as tolerable as possible for them until they could find a more permanent solution. He watched her lay down to test the bed, and then said something he hadn't expected, that the bed was better than expected. At that he couldn't help but let out a bit of a laugh. "I'm glad you approve of it." He said while climbing into the bed himself.
Sure it wasn't their old bed, but it was pretty darn nice. Curling up beside Maua he nuzzled her softly. "Of course we will sleep well tonight my dear, we are well protected in this cave and this bed is plenty soft." Laying his head on her back he allowed his body to relax. "In the morning, we can either continue looking for a new place to stay, or work on turning this one into a suitable home." Whichever Maua chose, he would do.
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:42 am
"It's certainly better then sleeping out in the open." Maua agreed and it was even better then some of the other places they had stopped in so far - of course the cave itself wasn't the only thing they had to take into account if they decided to try and stay, it had been fairly late when they arrived here tonight, there hadn't been enough time to really give the surrounding area a good looking over..was there enough food? Clean water? Was it as safe as it seemed so far or were there hidden dangers they would need to look out for?
"In the morning we can look around the area some more, get a better feel for the land." She promised Kivuli, he was as tired of traveling as she was she was sure and maybe he would be happy to hear she was willing to at least give the place a fair chance. They couldn't wander about forever, they would need to find a place to settle down in and make ready for ill weather and the like.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 7:56 am
Sleep had come easily to Kivuli that night. They had walked quite a good distance and then having to gather materials to make a suitable bed to sleep on had tired him out. He was certainly not used to doing so much physical labor - after all, they had workers in the herd for that very thing, but that luxury was gone now. At least until they could find a similar herd or hear news that they old herd had reformed. Kivuli doubted the latter would happen.
Waking, Kivuli was greeted by the orange hues of the morning sun outside the cave they had sought shelter in the night before. It was quite a lovely thing to wake up to. Normally he would rise before the sun did, and had almost always went out to watch it peek out from the horizon. Today he had overslept, but had not entirely missed the beauty of the coming morning. "Maua." He said, gently nuzzling his mate. Today they would need to make a decision, move on and continue the search for a new home or stay here and start to rebuild.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 8:48 am
Maua had not slept as well as she had hoped - oh sure she had been tired, all of that walking had more then done her in and then stressing about Kivuli as he wandered about this strange land with its strange noises and strange sights. It had all been more then enough to keep her from having a decent nights sleep. Still..it had been better then the nights before when they had been forced to sleep in far less sheltered positions. No where near as lovely as their old home of course but Maua knew there was no point in dwelling on such things any longer.
Like it or not it was just..time to move on. Sighing slightly she opened her eyes, nuzzling her mate in return "Good Morning" she told him warmly deciding to forego the 'its nice to see we managed to survive the night' bit of her sentence today, Kivuli, she knew, had been under a great deal of stress trying to find them a new home and she knew that her dissatisfaction with all the places they had found so far had to be wearing on him.
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Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:04 am
Kivuli was a bit surprised that Maua didn't give her typical negative comment upon awakening. Perhaps this was a good sign. Maybe she had decided to stay here - at least for a short time, or maybe she had gotten a good enough sleep that her negative thoughts hadn't had a chance to surface. Either way, the stallion smiled at his mate before rising from the makeshift bed. If they were to stay, he would need to improve upon it today. He had managed to gather enough branches last night to make a decent bed, but they would need better eventually.
"Are you hungry? I remember seeing some berry bushes not far from the cave." Much as he wanted to find out if she was willing to stay or not, he figured it was best to get them fed first. That way, whether they were staying or moving on, they would have energy for the days activities.
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