[PRP] A Promise Kept [Branwen, Astúcia, and Veraç]

[Celestial Requiem]

They had followed the jagged trail at the base of the mountains for several days now. The difference between here and where they had started this journey was a bit staggering. The flat, warm lands speckled with dense forests was nothing compared to the cold, towering giants that loomed over Branwen and her familiar. She had never seen anything like them. Or, in the least she couldn't remember having seen mountains before. She quite enjoyed them, honestly. While it was intimidating to look up and only just barely see the shadow of a peak hidden in the clouds, something about them was comforting. Branwen felt as if someone was up on one of those high peaks watching over her. It was a reassuring thought.

Gethen, as always, had to be the pessimistic side to Branwen's coin. He didn't trust these mountains. Too many tales of falling rocks and huge waves of snow crashing down on unsuspecting travelers made him suspicious. Not that he wasn't suspicious of anything and everything all the time. His trust had to be earned, and you had to jump through hoops. traverse a labyrinth, and make a deal with a demon to earn it. He'd rather be wrong in his assumptions of others than run the risk of himself, or even worse Branwen, getting hurt. The owl had a great deal of pride, but others' opinions of him didn't factor into it, apparently.

What did play into his pride was winning an argument. And as the days passed, Gethen was glad he had convinced Branwen not to climb the mountains. It would have taken them at least a week to get over the top and back down. Would they have been able to find suitable places to rest while climbing? Or would they have perilously slept on a sliver of an outcropping with a sheer drop below them? The mere thought made his blood go cold. No one belonged that far up in the clouds, even while flying. They were undoubtedly much safer down here.

~Twilight...Angel~

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia had been traveling with his son for a while now. They were taking a bit of a break away form the herd, not uncommon for ones who traveled a lot. There were often times when members of the herd disappeared to either look after another member of their family, ones who were not a part of the herd. Or simply because they needed some time off from the crowded life of moving around in a herd. He was sure that most of them missed their home, if even just a little bit. But most enjoyed the herd life perfectly fine. They had a leader who would never let them down, and that was a plus. Not to mention how kind she was to allow so many different kinds among her. This included Kalona, something that most wouldn't allow within close quarters of their herds. He believed that this was due mostly to the wars themselves. Wars that he had played no part in, but had lost track of his own family because of. This was often the reason for his own travels. To try and find some kind of sign that his family was alive and doing well. Oh how he missed his mother.

It was actually on one such outing that he had met his son's mother. She was kind, if not a little bit nutty. Believing that she could talk to the forest she lived in. It was kind of silly, but he respected her and if she truly felt that she was able to communicate with the forest, then she was able to. She was certainly a joy to be around. And he made sure that he stayed by her side the entire time she had been with their children. Had even made sure that they all stayed together until their children were older foals. He wanted to be sure that brother and sister had a chance to get to know each other. One more interesting thing he found out about her was the fact that she was actually half Kirin. Though this didn't bother Astúcia one bit, it was strange to see a Kalona mix of something like that. Of course, you wouldn't know much of their mother's heritage by looking at the children. Though she bore the scales of a Kirin, the children both looked of full blooded Kalona as well. He was never sure if this would be a good thing or not, but it never seemed to stop their mother. Which was a wonderful thing indeed!

As of now, he and his son were simply trying to find a place to rest at the base of this mountain. This rather large mountain. Though they had scaled some rather tall mountains, probably more like hills, before, they were not feeling the need to end up so light headed in the clouds. They already had enough of a journey back to the herd ahead of them without adding the light headedness that came with climbing mountains as well. This had been a decision they had made together.


=========================================================================================



Veraç was often found with his father when he decided to head out and about. There were very few times that he was allowed to stay behind with the herd. He imagined that these times were simply because his father knew where he was going. Which made sense considering that he knew of his father's long journey to try and find his own family. Veraç himself was rather interested in meeting them. Interested in seeing what his father had seen when he was a child. What it is that he grew up with. Though he imagined that it must have been along the same vein as what he raised himself up with. The same kind of stories and histories. There certainly wasn't a reason that they wouldn't be! His father had even given himself and his sister the same kind of teeth that his own parents had given his father and siblings when they were young. He much considered it to be a family tradition of sorts. And his mother had allowed it, which was nice of her considering that they had eventually left her and his sister behind in the forest. They went to visit her sometimes, which was nice. He loved his mother and sister.

This time, however, they were simply out to be away from the herd. His father hadn't even been looking for his lost family! Not one single question about them. This upset Veraç a bit cause he had asked his father if he was allowed to stay behind, but he had told him that a son's place was next to his father. The journey had been nothing new, but it was certainly nice to stretch ones legs!

Celestial Requiem

Sorry it took so long! I meant to do this a few days ago but I somehow misplaced the link :/ I remembered about it today when I was going through my RPs again and dug it up from the forum :'D <3

 

[Celestial Requiem]

There had been no chattering, no twigs snapping under hooves, nothing. Not a sound to warn either of them that they were not alone at the mountain side. That's why Gethen went into high alert instantly as he only just caught a flash of color between the trees. How could he have missed someone approaching? It wasn't as if his view was obscured by a thickly packed forest. There wasn't much more than sparsely scattered trees at the mountains' base. He'd let his guard down and now strangers were far too close for comfort. The owl gave his usual warning cry, as he always did in these situations and took off to get a closer look at this new threat.

By now, Branwen had become quite accustomed to this routine, though the sharp screech her familiar always gave was still a bit startling. Every time they came across someone new he had to do this. It was honestly tiring for the mare. After multiple encounters with completely harmless and- mostly -well meaning Soquili, one would think the owl would relax a little bit. But you couldn't trust anyone, he'd say. The moment you do you end up with someone else's teeth at your throat. Or something along those lines. Branwen could help but roll her eyes as Gethen flew off to harass yet another poor soul. She just wanted a nice, calm meeting for once. Was that so much to ask for? Though, according to Warning Call protocol, she should have stayed put, the mare continued forward and prepared herself to apologize for her familiar's rude behavior.

Meanwhile, Gethen had silently perched on a tree near the strangers. Yes, multiple. Two of them. And not just some unfamiliar ground Soquili either. Their sharp horns, cloven hooves, and serpentine tails made his heart pound against his chest. They were both kalona. Pure-bloods as well, from the looks of it. One with armor too! This was worse than the owl could have even imagined. These were fierce kalona warriors and he had allowed his bonded to get dangerously close to them. He had to get her away from here immediately. And as he turned to tell her to flee...

There she was. Standing not ten yards from the brutes. What was she doing here, why hadn't she stayed put? The owl a momentary internal struggle of frustrated anger and absolute panic before the latter finally won over. He flew over the mare, crying "Run!" as he passed over her head.

But she didn't run. Branwen knew from what Gethen had told her that kalona were dangerous. So, of course when she laid eyes on these new Soquili and realized what they were, a spark of panic flared up in her as well. But someone else, someone like her with kalona blood running through his veins too, told her not all of them were bloodthirsty monsters. She wanted to give them a chance. Afterall, at least half of her was like them in some way. She called out a greeting to them, hoping her voice wouldn't betray her fear.

~Twilight...Angel~

It's fine. I've been pretty busy this past week anyways. :'D

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia snorted and pricked his ears back as he heard the sharp cry of the owl. He knew that it was unusual for this time as owls were generally nocturnal creatures. The only times he had ever heard of an owl being so active, when normally they would only just be awakening, was when they were bound to another Soquili. This thought quickly made his teeth form up into a snarl. He had never had anyone sneak up on him before and he certainly wasn't going to make this the day it happened. Looking around, his eyes followed the owl carefully. He knew enough not to make it too obvious that he sensed something was out there. He had allowed his senses to dull a bit on this long walk and he only now realized what a fatal mistake that could have been. Though, both he and his son being trained warriors, the mistake probably would be fatal for the person trying to sneak up on them. Dull though their senses might have been allowed to get they were not dull to the point of complete unawareness. They would never allow such a thing. They had plenty of enemies out and about. Not only others who hunted Kalona themselves, but enemies who knew of their herd and would do anything to try and take them down.



Veraç had been watching his father carefully. He wanted to be sure that the older Kalona was going to pay attention to him when he decided to tell him how he felt about going on these long trips with him. Though, no matter how much he watched, it never seemed to be the right time to tell his father. It was troubling really. Though he should just be happy for the chance to leave the herd. And he knew that. As he continued to watch, he saw his father's eyes catch something in the sky, so he too moved his eyes to the same location. He was sure that he and his father were having the same thoughts about the owl. The owl who was so clearly misplaced in this point of the day. Snorting, he kicked up a bit of dirt to show his father he had seen it as well. This was a tactic that they had done much of. This silent communication had become very important in certain places they traveled often. He continued to watch the owl with his father. It certainly seemed to have a purpose out here in the woods, even if they didn't know it yet.



As his eyes followed the owl, he saw it come to a point and seem to call out to someone. Following more, he noticed the mare that was approaching them. Though she didn't seem to be very threatening, Astúcia suddenly flared up his wings and stood to his full height. Not only with his Kalona blood making him large, but being of draft built made this a very intimidating look indeed. More so if the one took into account that his son, who was not draft built, but still pretty large, was doing the same next to him. His wingspan was much more impressive than his fathers, having inherited his mother's wings, but neither looked any less intimidating next to the other. Baring his teeth and getting ready for whatever might come, he watched the mare. He could sense the fear coming off of her, something he was sure his son could as well, to them, this didn't make it any less important to keep up flaring out their large wings and standing tall.



Next to his father, Veraç looked small, he knew he looked small. Though his wing span was always more impressive. It made it much easier for the younger Kalona to add a good amount of flourish to his greetings when they met new Soquili. His wing span aside, he has found that a good way to make himself just as intimidating when standing next to his father was to whip his tail back and forth. His father's tail was always kept still, looking as though it was a snake ready to strike at any moment.



That is until he heard a voice. It sounded small and meek. Certainly not a voice that someone would use if they were coming over to hunt he and his son. Or even a voice that would be associated with an enemy of the herd. Those ones were more often confident and sure of themselves, even when the fear of the Kalona's before them crept into their thoughts and the smell of fear radiated from them. Snorting again, he allowed his wings to relax slightly, though never relaxing down from his full height. He didn't want to give this mare any ideas that she might be allowed to have the upper-hand in anything that may happen there.



He had heard the voice as well, though only stood down once has father had done the same. Keeping his tail going behind him as to till appear threatening, even with his wings at half mast.

Celestial Requiem

I figured that at this point it would be easier to simply mix them as such, since they are going to be reacting to things at the same time xD LOL! But then I can add and split information a lot easier for you! <3

 

[Celestial Requiem]

The display from the two stallions did exactly as it was meant to. Branwen was terrified of all these sharp teeth and large wings and thrashing tails. Her muscles were growing tense from the adrenaline seeping into her veins. So much of her wanted to obey the owl's command, to turn around and run. But if she had heeded his every warning she would have gotten nowhere. She would still be with Ethan's herd. She would never have been able to help those young mares with their troubles. She would be no closer to finding her family- though even now she wasn't so sure they'd made any progress. And if she ran now she wouldn't be giving these stallions the chance they deserved. Because even with this show of their sharp and dangerous bits, they made no indication of attack. If they had intended harm, they could have done so immediately and quite easily.

And as she spoke they seemed to settle, if only a little. That was a good sign. It seemed they were willing to talk, or at least listen. Too bad she really didn't know what to say. Here she was, standing before two rather large Kalona stallions, with their full attention and she was drawing a blank. As a reflex, she gave the pair a small, panic-riddled smile as she tried to hold back the nervous laughter threatening to emerge. She would have to think of something quickly if she wanted to avoid making everyone as uncomfortable and anxious as she was.

"I...I hope I'm not interrupting anything." It wasn't much, but it was better than silence. Though the fear was still present, the flight response was slowly dying down. That meant her mind had just enough space to marvel at exactly how intimidating the two of them looked. And the fact that in some way, they shared similar blood. Maybe, if she tried hard enough, she could be just as intimidating. Though why she would ever want to was beyond her. Branwen was anything but a fighter. She would much rather appear friendly and inviting than as a dangerous threat. It must have its advantages, she had to admit. Look scary enough and you might be able to scare off even a skinwalker. That certainly was a pleasant prospect.

With her mind distracted but her senses still on high alert, the sound of something landing behind her sent her heart into double-time. A look back reminded her that there was a very angry owl watching her every move. She'd never hear the end of this. He would scold her for a week for ignoring him. Hopefully she wouldn't regret that decision. Very cautiously, she lowered her head slightly, "I'm Branwen. And this...is, ah, Gethen. It's nice to meet you."

She could practically hear the internal screech her familiar was giving at this moment.

~Twilight...Angel~

That's fine! Do whatever works for you! c:

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia carefully watched the mare as she seemed... apprehensive... of himself and his son. Which he certainly found to be understandable. They put on a good display of show. And what they were showing the mare was no illusion or lie either. They were just as strong and fierce as their showing when need be. Trained warriors for their herd Queens guard was a very important task to them. Something that they took much pride and training in. He himself had been rewarded for his loyalty to the Queen with the armor placed on his head and neck. This was his most valued possession. Here it glistened in the sun as they stood there. He believed that it added to the fierce look all the more.



Veraç relaxed a lot more, probably more than he should have visually, but he didn't feel quite as threatened as his still seemed to be. He trusted others far more than his father did. This could be from anything between his slightly naive nature to his tendency to not pay attention to his surroundings when his father, or the herd, aren't around to watch him. He is simply a trusting sort. There couldn't be anything complicated about it, especially not in his mind. But he also had to be sure that his father didn't visually notice his guard drop, or it would be him he would be snarling at. As silly as such a thing sounds, his father was prideful, above all else, that he and his son were trained warriors. That is something that will always be important to him.



As his son and himself stood there, he noticed Veraç seem to relax a bit more than he should have been at that point. It upset Astúcia a bit, but also worried him. He wondered if his son would be attacked one day while he wasn't around. While he wasn't there to keep track of him and protect him. Without him around to provide back up, what kinds of terrible troubles would his son get into! All of this swirled around in his mind as the spoke again. This caused Astúcia to snap his attentions back to her. He was then ashamed for a moment for allowing himself to forget about the others presence there. "You were not interrupting anything mare..." He lowered his wings and relaxed fully as she spoke. Clearly if she intended to be a threat to himself or to his son, she would have launched an attack instead of choosing to speak to the pair. "We hope that we did not frighten you too much. Or, in turn, interrupt anything important you may have been doing as we came through here. We certainly meant no harm." He bowed his head low to show his apology rang true. It was not his intention to go around seeming to torment lessers. Though, as he brought his head up, he did note that she had a tail and the horns of his own noble breed. Certainly something to be admired!



Veraç frowned to himself as he saw his father's eyes give him a backwards glance. He had noticed. Which meant that later, if his father remembered or had the time, he was sure to get a long and dull lecture. They were not things that he enjoyed. Especially because he felt that he was better able to... feel out the intentions of others. His father has been dulled to the sense of trust because of what happened with the Kalona Wars and having helped defend lessers all his life in his journey to find his family once again. But not Veraç. He was not sullied in such a way as of yet. Didn't have such a traumatic event as losing his family happen to him. True his mother and sister weren't around, but they were safe in their forest. He knew where they were. His father had no idea where his extended family was. As these thoughts passed through his mind, he heard the mare speak. Then heard his father respond in a very polite fashion. He decided that it must be his turn to speak as well. Coming a bit closer to the mare, he bowed deeply in apology, "Yes. We are truly sorry if we have frightened you. Not harm was meant in our display. Well, unless you had meant us harm first." For some reason this caused the stallion to giggle. Which, in turn, caused his father to snort at his uncouth reaction. Clearing his throat, he continued. "We were merely passing through on our way back to the herd we came from. Having been away from them for such a long time. Is there someplace we can help you get to first?" He smiled and settled into a very relaxed state, feeling this mare was one of the nicest Soquili they had met outside the herd in a long time. Or at least afraid of them enough not to try and attack.



Astúcia rolled his eyes at his son. Though he expected him to be just as proper as he always taught him to be, it was almost silly that he seemed to be so trusting of such a mare. That he didn't expect her to attack them even a little bit. It was good to keep a small amount of doubt in the back of one's mind after all. Just in case what you thought was true, turns out to be a falsehood. He would, however, give his son the credit where credit was due, he had been trained well within the herd. His son was almost better than himself in his reaction times. And usually twice as quick to catch onto a foul misdeed. It was something that he was extremely proud of his son for. Especially since he needed it with his trusting nature. Suddenly a thing came down from the sky near the mare. It gave a dull thump and when he brought his full attention to it, it was the owl that was in the sky earlier. It was not completely unexpected to see it land near the mare, but rather in the sense that it had hidden itself away from the conflict for a bit. As he stared at the owl, the mare continued to speak. This time introducing herself and her owl. Astúcia gave a small nod before responding with his own name. He expected his son to introduce himself in a moment, "I am Astúcia Protecció," He gave another small bow of his head before continuing, "And my son is correct in saying that we will escort you to wherever you are going. Or perhaps we will find shelter for the night together. It can't be a good thing for a mare such as yourself to be out alone at night." His tail swished in what he hoped was a soft manner, but in truth he was rather nervous that something might try and sneak up on the lot now that it was getting darker and the three had been standing there for such a long time.



Veraç too bowed his head, "My name is Veraç Lili Protecció," A little more bowing, "It is an honor to meet you. And my father is correct in saying we should all find shelter if you are not heading someplace in particular." Slowly he was feeling the hairs stick up on the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if this was a reaction to his father's nervousness, or that he sensed something. But he didn't like the feeling he was starting to get at that moment.

Celestial Requiem

 

[Celestial Requiem]

Branwen felt a great relief when the younger of the two stallions seemed to relax a bit. That was a good sing. So far things seemed to be going pretty well. The start might have been a little rocky, but these stallions didn't seem interested in brining any harm to her. Hopefully that display of wings and teeth was just to ward off any potential threats. Which she certainly was not. Branwen hadn't hurt a single living soul in her life. At least, she hoped she hadn't. It was hard to say with so many lost memories. But knowing what she did of herself currently, she couldn't imagine ever bringing harm to another. And definitely not to anyone as fierce looking as these two.

And then the other stallion relaxed as well. The panic slowly faded from her smile as he spoke, genuine amity taking its place. There was something rather exciting about finding this pair. Not just the event of meeting new Soquili, but a pair of purebred kalona who weren't living up to the bloodthirsty rumors. Rumors spread by her over protective owl, granted, but it was still nice to know that he was wrong. Of course, she had never entirely believed Gethen's exaggerations to begin with. After all, Ethan was half kalona and he had shown her such kindness. A breed of Soquili as evil as her familiar made them seem couldn't have sired such a polite stallion. There was also the fact of her own bloodline. Surely such viciousness didn't run through her veins, right?

In all her musings, she had nearly tuned out the two. She tried to hide the embarrassment as she focused fully on them again. Obviously she didn't feel too threatened by them if she was able to lose herself in her thoughts for a moment. And with their unexpected offer of assistance, she had fewer and fewer reasons to feel uneasy around them. "Oh, no you didn't interrupt anything. We were simply traveling, nothing more."

Their names were strange to her. There was an accent and their pronunciation that she'd never heard before and the idea of multiple names was completely new to her. But she enjoyed them, something about the names made them rhythmic and almost musical- a rather interesting juxtaposition considering the Soquili these names belonged to. Branwen only hoped she could do them justice when her turn came to speak them.

"I appreciate your offer...Astúcia and Veraç." She looked to her familiar, who had been unusually quiet this whole time as he sat in the nearest tree. The owl had become twice his normal size, feathers fluffed as much as possible and wings held away from his sides to look as intimidating as possible. He would never allow her to accept their offer. No doubt he was convinced this was some sort of trick the duo was planning. They couldn't have good intentions, kalona never had good intentions. No matter how much she may have wanted to accept, Branwen was already in a good deal of trouble with her familiar as it was. The disappointment was clear in her tone. "But we're quite alright, really. Thank you, though."

~Twilight...Angel~

Sorry for the wait!

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia watched the mare carefully. Though she certainly seemed nice enough and he was pretty sure that she wasn't going to attack them, he didn't like to let his guard down. It was just something he always practiced. Something that was pretty much ingrained into his head. The time he spent away from his family had been hard for him. Having to learn how to fend for himself against the many different predators made him hard. Made him learn everything there was to know about taking care of himself. He had, of course, passed all this along to his son. It was important that he too understand that they needed to be aware. Needed to make sure that they wouldn't be take advantage of by any others. Especially not any other Kalona. They would happily take down either of them, he was sure of that. Take them down like they had his family.



Veraç carefully considered his father. He was certainly deep in thought over something. Shrugging a bit he figured it was probably his father being his worrying self again. Always worrying about who was safe and who could protect themselves. Though that's not necessarily a bad thing. Making sure that everyone is safe is something that they even do in their day to day lives within the herd. It was something very important to his father. And, in turn, very important to him. Though he sometimes has a different way of doing things than his father. He did learn everything from him though. All of his various techniques for defense and how to use his hooves and horns to the best advantage. It was very useful information for something who ended up in a bind. Thankfully that didn't happen too often to either of them.



As these thoughts came through his mind, he actually wondered to himself if the other knew how to take care of herself. Knew how to defend against anyone. Knew what kind of dangers there actually were. Watching her further as she looked over at her owl familiar. Astúcia had vaguely forgotten about that owl. It wasn't too terribly hard since it hadn't made any kind of sound for a while. Looking it over, he watched the puffy thing seem to make itself more so right before his eyes. It was a strange thing for it to do he thought. He was dumb after all. He certainly knew how large owls were naturally. The only ones that he was sure were probably larger were if they belonged to an Owlwalker. They were usually larger than the actual animal.



Watching as his father seemed to stare at the mare intently. He could only assume why it is that his father was watching her with those eyes. Probably wanted to make sure that she looked fierce enough to continue on. Always had a good way of sizing others up. It was certainly a gift. Then the gaze drifted over to the owl. Veraç couldn't help but to giggle a bit as their eyes came to rest on the fluffy owl. It was so silly that the owl was all puffed up. Making the fluff of feathers seem larger than it is. Or at least trying to make it seem larger than it is. It was certainly a hilarious sight for something like that. Something so small trying to look so large. He wondered if that actually worked on others. Certainly wouldn't work on his father. He actually studied wildlife in his times out in the woods.



This thought made him look around. He really shouldn't worry too much about Walkers. He didn't notice any smell of them, but thinking about them just made him extra aware. This would probably look strange to the others. Eyes darting all about. But hopefully they didn't worry too terribly much about it.



Seeing his father's eyes dart back and forth made Veraç extra aware for some reason. He wasn't sure why though. There was no danger, of that he was sure.But he couldn't really help looking around and following his father's gaze. Chuckling a bit at himself, he figured his father must have spooked himself. It happened from time to time when he was thinking of something bigger than themselves. Or something that simply wanted to eat others maybe? He had seen the expression before when his father was thinking of Walkers, so maybe that was it. Though he couldn't understand why he would think of such things when there wasn't even a slight whiff of them. His father was silly sometimes.



Coming back into his mind, he concentrated on the mare again. "I'm sure that it would actually be better for you both if you walked with us for a short way at least. With anything that could be out there. It would certainly be a shame if something were to make a snack of your owl friend." At that remark he shot the owl a look. A look that simply said it was being silly if it really told her that she couldn't accept the help of anyone. After all, she was at least half lesser. And lessers weren't all that great at getting around and protecting themselves. That's why he went around and helped them out. They needed it.



"Don't go and say things like that. I mean, there isn't anything around here that would attack the owl and her. Nothing as far as we can tell and you know it." He looked at the mare with a bit of a smile, "I'm sorry that he says such things sometimes..." Veraç shot his father a look, "I don't know why anything would attack your owl while you are there thought."



Looking at the mare again, he smiled a bit, "I'm sure that at least walking with us a bit won't bother much. We just like to make sure that others are safe and won't run into trouble on their own." He thought on it a moment, "I know this may seem like a trick, so what would we be able to do to prove that we aren't out to get you or some such nonsense?" He looked between the mare and the owl thoughtfully.



He nodded a bit too hard. It certainly seemed like a good idea after all. Seemed like it shouldn't take too much to convince someone that they weren't after them. Or at least under most circumstances. He wasn't sure about these ones. "If you do decide to come with us, it really wouldn't be a problem."

Celestial Requiem

 

[Celestial Requiem]

Branwen watched the two stallions as they all stood in a moment of silence. It was a strange thing to witness, really. Not a word was spoken between them, but they still seemed to be communicating with each other. The father's eyes darted around and suddenly the son became a bit more tense and alert. It was as if he knew his father's exact thoughts simply by reading his body language. Their bond must have been a strong one for such a deep level of understanding. And in spite of the potential for danger nearby, Branwen gave a small- albeit rather sad- smile. It must have been nice to be so close. She wondered if she had ever been as close with any of her family. How much closer- or farther away- was she to finding them?

It had been such a lonely journey so far. Gethen was poor company and they often parted from the few other Soquili they'd encountered mere hours after meeting. Branwen longed for a lasting companion, one she could have an extensive conversation with and know that once it was over she wouldn't be alone again. She doubted she'd find such a companion in these two stallions, but at least the opportunity to stick around a little longer had presented itself. And in spite of her familiar's wishes, she was going to take advantage of it. She wasn't a solitary creature like him, Branwen needed to interact with others. She needed the safety and comfort of a herd. Some part of her wished she hadn't left Ethan's but ultimately she knew she wouldn't have been happy staying. Somewhere out there were Soquili who knew her and were missing her. Who had answers to a lot of her questions. She couldn't have stayed with Ethan's herd knowing that.

But two Soquili were hardly a herd and, in all honesty, there were some questions that they might be able to answer. Not about Branwen herself, obviously. The two of them were full kalona, however and there certainly were some things about the breed that she wished to know. The decision to travel with them and seek shelter for the night would have been an easy one, if not for the fluffed up ball of rage at her feet. "You don't need to convince me of anything. I would be more than happy to travel with you two for a while. So long as you don't mind being screeched at for breathing the wrong way, that is..."

As if one cue, the owl gave a quiet sound of displeasure as he looked up to his bonded. Branwen gave her familiar a sheepish smile, knowing he was not happy with this decision and would make it very well known later. It seemed like she was doing everything possible to upset him today. She would have to find a way to make it up to him. But for now she turned her attention to the two stallions. "And, if you wouldn't mind, perhaps we could talk some while we walk? I have...some questions I'd like to ask."

~Twilight...Angel~

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia snorted a bit toward the owl at the mares feet. Certainly the silly little thing couldn't really hold this much sway over the mare. Even if he was trying to protect her, if the two had wanted her gone, she would already be gone. And no small owl was going to stop them. Certainly not an owl who's only tactic seemed to be to puff himself up further. "I'm sure that you can understand it's fine to accept help from others. Especially since we clearly mean no harm."



Veraç lifted an eyebrow at his father's tactics against the small ball of feathers that was with the mare. Sometimes he really did wonder what it was that went through his father's mind. Though he was sure that at this point he was simply trying to assure the safety of the mare and, begrudgingly, her owl familiar as well. It was actually a more funny sight than anything else to see the stallion trying to break down an owl into trusting the stallions. Really he wasn't sure if the tactic was even something that would work. The owl certainly seemed like a rather stubborn little thing. It would be easier for the three to simply start on their way. He was sure that the owl wouldn't be too far behind.



He nodded to himself a bit and continued, "There are plenty of others out there who would probably be much more inclined to take advantage of an owl and a mare in the woods alone." With this he came closer to the mare, walking around her to get a good feel of her physical stature. This probably looked odd to anyone who would have been passing by... Or to the owl and the mare, but he really didn't mean anything by it. Astúcia really just wanted to make sure in his own way that the mare would be able to hold her own as they made their way to their sleeping place.



"Do you really think there is a need to be quite so gruff? Really and truly?" Veraç now had both his eyebrows raised toward his father's activities. He knew why his father was walking around the mare, but after all these years it was still a strange sight to behold. The large stallion circling others almost like he as a predator and the other was his prey. This was probably the only thing his father had taught him about that he never used. Instead he merely used his father's teachings about muscles and such to view others from afar. Gauging their abilities from a distance always seemed a bit more logical to him personally.



Stopping in front of the mare again, he brought his hoof down a bit closer to the owl than the creature would probably like. This thought caused him to smile, just a little bit. The little creature was making it a bit hard on his companion to make such a simple decision because of paranoia. Though he can respect the paranoia of the small one, often having his own thoughts of such things, but the creature hadn't even suggested anything the others could do in order to gain his trust.



Shaking his head he walked over to the mare and his father now that the look over was done. "I'm sure that we can answer any questions you might have for us." He nodded at the mare in response to her question. His father had really been far too wrapped up in convincing the owl to bother listening to the other two that were there at that point. It was silly, but that was just the way he was sometimes. Again he addressed the mare, "Although we may not know much about you personally, we know the areas pretty well around here. And we know a lot about different breeds of Soquili too I think!" He wiggled a bit excitedly. Really it would be fun to have someone to talk to other than his father.



Huffing Astúcia leaned down to look at the owl. "Will you trust us? Or tell us what we need to do in order to gain your trust?" He looked the creature in the eyes, "We would both prefer that you stay with us so that we know you are safe. And we can each go our own ways in the morning if you insist on it."



As Veraç heard his father speak again he looked toward the larger stallion. It seemed as though he had already made up his mind on if the mare was coming with them as well. So really it was simply a courtesy to the owl at this point that he even bothered to speak to him. He wondered to himself a bit if the cave he and his father often used to sleep in on these trips was too much further. He was sure it was close by, but his father was the one who knew the location for sure.



Standing and watching the owl, the large stallion waited for the stubborn creatures answer. He hoped that it would be a wise decision in the end. Though either way the mare had made up her own mind. He just figured it would make the owl feel better if he were a bit more included in the talks of what the mare should do.



With another vague look over at his father, Veraç decided it was best to keep his attention on the mare while his father talked to the owl. "Is there anything specific you were thinking of now that you would like answered?" He smiled at the mare widely, sure that this would improve his trip a lot!

Celestial Requiem

Sorry it took so long!

 

[Celestial Requiem]

All of Astúcia's attempts to win Gethen over were having pretty much the exact opposite effect. Every step closer felt like a threat. Every word sounded as if it were laced with hidden ill intentions. And circling around Branwen certainly didn't seem like just ensuring she was well enough to follow. No, Gethen was now convinced this stallion was nothing but a bad apple. The owl hopped back in a flustered frenzy as the stallion's hoof came much too close for comfort and a quiet hiss could be heard as he leaned down. Gethen was not a happy bird.

Branwen, on the other hand, was beginning to feel more relaxed with the two. Sure, the circling was a little unnerving, but she had a feeling that the older stallion had an unusual way of going about first meetings like this. The son seemed a little more socially aware and actually interested in having some company. She just hoped Gethen's behavior wouldn't color their opinion of her too much. She gave a tired and apologetic smile to Veraç -since Astúcia was a little too preoccupied with her familiar at the moment. "Really, you shouldn't pay him any mind. He does mean well, he's just...a little overprotective. He'll come along if we just start moving."

Now that the opportunity had presented itself, Branwen wasn't even sure what questions to ask first. She had no clue where to start. Her basic knowledge on the matter was so limited and it felt like there was so much she wanted to know. It was overwhelming. "Oh, well. Ah..." The best she could do was start at the beginning, she supposed. "I...would like to know about kalona. About what it means to be a kalona. The traditions, the beliefs, the...expectations." She was starting to worry this would be a little too much.

"I just. I know basically nothing about them and I feel like...I mean, I probably should considering-" She glanced to her cloven hooves and spaded tail. Then she looked back to Veraç with another apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I know that's a lot to ask. I just feel like it's important. Something I should learn about myself." -among the many other things she was still learning- "And, well...You and your father seem like you might know a thing or two." Her laugh was small and nervous. Not because of Veraç or his father, but out of fear that she might have asked too much of this stranger she'd only just met. She tried to distract herself by moving the party along towards their destination. "This way...?"

~Twilight...Angel~

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia snorted in the owl's direction again. The creature was beyond stubborn. He was just annoying. One would think that the protection of his ward would be the most important thing. But he's much too busy in his own little mind thinking that somehow he or his son were going to hurt her. Really, if they had wanted to do anything to the mare, they would have struck already. There was amble opportunity and the owl certainly wouldn't be able to stop two fully grown Kalona stallions. Or even any fully grown stallions. It was a funny thing.



Veraç rolled his eyes as the owl ignored his father and flew off into the sky again. Clearly there was going to be no convincing this animal that the two of them weren't going to hurt Branwen. Even if it should be clear as day at this point. Two stallions would really have no problem taking out a mare and her owl. He snorted a bit thinking about it. It really was silly.



As he focused his eyes on the owl fluttering off he heard Branwen talk about getting moving and he had to agree. Even if he didn't voice the opinion right off. He was sure that Veraç would voice that fine for the two of them. After all, his son knew how much he enjoyed getting to where they were supposed to be going in a rather timely manner. It was important to be on time for things after all. And with everything that the three of them, or four if you counted the owl, had to get done on their own... It was just a good plan to get going as soon as possible.



As Branwen responded to him, he turned his attention back to her. "I don't have much problem ignoring such things. But my father..." He gave the back of his father a bit of a look. "Just starting moving sounds like a good idea. I'm sure that my father would prefer to get going. It's important that we can make it to the shelter after all." He smiled at the mare a bit.

Veraç laughed a bit as she seemed so unsure. "I'm sure it's a lot to take in. But I'm more than willing to answer any questions that you have! I'll answer them as we start off."



As Branwen seemed to start off, Astúcia cleared his throat a bit to get her attention. "We will be going this way." He tilted his head to what seemed to be a small path through a much more dense area of trees. "This is the quickest way to safety for the night. It might not seem like it, but I've timed it." He stood and waited for her and his son to go ahead of him. The back of the group was the most important. Needed the most watching. He would stay there.



His father took up the position he thought was best, as per usual. Veraç was fine with that though. After all, he had just told Branwen that he would answer any questions that she might have. It's going to be important for her to actually learn what she wants, and needs, to know. He can understand and respect that. Smiling he considered his first question as he started moving onto the trail.

"Well, for most Kalona it's a bit different than for our family. Most are mean and don't see those who are devoid of Kalona blood as worthy of living." He cleared his throat a bit. Sometimes the topic made him uncomfortable. "Our family though, sees Kalona as protectors. We need to work to help the lessers to be more than they are. To find their places in life. Everyone needs to have their place in life after all!" He smiled widely at her as he continued on his way, his father following right behind the other two. "The traditions are a bit harder... I don't think there are any that are terribly long standing. But I didn't grow up in a herd of them." He nosed in the direction of his father, "My father grew up on the outskirts of a larger herd with my grandparents. They didn't like what they stood for, so they stayed as far away from the most active parts." He laughed a bit, "I guess in those things I can't be too much help. But you can certainly be whoever you want to be!" He cleared his throat a bit, embarrassed by what he had said, "What else would you like to know?"

Celestial Requiem

I have been terrible at this lately :V

 

[Celestial Requiem]

A few paces behind them the sound of a rather disgruntled hoot could be heard. Very little attention was given to it.

Branwen was relieved to see that Veraç seemed more than willing to answer her questions. It was nerve wracking, the whole situation. Meeting new faces, trying to decide how to feel about them- about Kalona in general. How to feel about herself... It made things easier to have someone who was so forthcoming and polite about everything. What didn't make things easier was trying to go in the wrong direction. She gave an embarrassed 'Oh!' as Astúcia pointed out a better route then fell in sheepishly behind Veraç as they set off into the trees. Best to trust the experts here. Branwen had absolutely no idea where they were going, let alone which way was the fastest.

She listened intently as Veraç started to explain. Already he was giving her a lot to take in, and this was only the tiniest tip of the iceberg. Branwen had plenty of questions just waiting to be asked. But for the sake of both of them she tired to take things very slow. She could tell there was going to be a lot to think about tonight. He started off how she expected he would: Kalona were unpleasant purists who didn't think highly of any Soquili not of their kind. It had started similarly when Ethan had spoken about Kalona. The difference was that Ethan hadn't said much more about Kalona as a whole- not to Branwen, anyways. Veraç, on the other hand, was trying his best to give her as much information as he could, even if his knowledge of the breed wasn't exactly scholarly. Branwen appreciated every little bit she could get, though.

And while it was the more traditional Kalona she had initially been trying to understand, Branwen found herself quite interested in the ideals of Veraç's family. Something about it sounded so noble. There was still that slightly air of superiority- the use of the word "lessers" made her a little uncomfortable. But their intentions were to help those in need and that strongly resonated with Branwen. It made her feel more secure with the two of them, and on a deeper level with herself as well.

As Veraç gave a bit of history on his father, Branwen looked back to the older stallion. He was certainly what one would expect of a typical Kalona. Strong, intimidating, dangerous. It was interesting to hear that this idea of helping, not disdaining, non-Kalona went back at least few generations. Obviously it was not a new concept. That was somewhat comforting.

She turned her attention back to Veraç as he was ready for a new set of questions, completely unfazed by his slightly corny remark. "Oh. Well...Hmm." It took her a moment to sort her thoughts out, but eventually a thought came to her. One that had been bothering her for quite some time now. "I've heard that Kalona have magic. Magic that...makes others sick." The question wasn't stated, but it was there nonetheless.

~Twilight...Angel~

No worries! If you hadn't caught me in a sudden spurt of inspiration it probably would have taken me five months to respond orz

 

[~Twilight...Angel~]

Astúcia just walked slowly behind the other two, listening carefully. He didn't mind the mare, but wasn't really feeling chatty. It wasn't in his nature. Another area where he son was so unlike him. Veraç really had no problem just saying whatever was on his mind. Though he guessed that was why more Soquili liked his son over himself. Not that he didn't have his own... friends? If you will... He just didn't have a lot of them. Though the Queen of his herd and the stately mare he had saved the first time meting them was really all he needed. Though maybe this mare would open more doors somehow. Thinking this he scoffed at himself a bit. Really, what was going on in his head.



Veraç tilted his head a bit. "That's not something I've actually heard of before. Though that sounds strange to me, perhaps it is something that is spread around?" He tilted his head to the other side, "Or maybe it could be something that the Kalona do themselves? Everyone knows that plenty of them aren't too nice, so it could be more the case of what the specific Kalona might be doing to give the impression of such?" Turning his head to look back at her again, he smiled brightly, "Though fear is something that can make the body itself do strange things. And certainly there is enough fear instilled in the minds of lessers about Kalona in general to make such things come to life on their own." Slowly he raised his eyes up to look at his father. Though the older Soquili didn't seem to notice. Clearly this was going to be all his unless Branwen directed something at him herself. And he didn't see that happening. His father was intimidating... And he was always the first to admit that...



Slowly Astúcia's eyes went to find the owl again. Maybe he could get it to land on his head or something. Just to make sure it was out of the way. He really didn't want it to attract unwanted attention. It was pretty much for the same reason that he and his son didn't simply fly everywhere. There were plenty of things out there that were far more frightening than two fully grown Kalona. "Hey... Owl... If you are willing to listen... I would like you to land." He spoke calmly. Easy. Trying to keep his voice as even as possible. "If you need, you can land on myself. I have no problem with such a thing." His eyes grazed the sky, "If you need reasoning, I simply don't want anything... scarier than us... finding out where we are. It would be unusual to see an owl flying such as you are after all." Slowly his bright eyes scanned around him, meeting his sons bright eyes for just a moment before continuing on their way.



Flicking his tail lightly, Veraç had to agree with what his father was saying. "If you don't take any stock in him, you must trust myself to some degree... Or at least land on Branwen if nothing else." He thought for a second, "But, remember that my father has the best view of everything from where he is. So if you want to watch better, I would stay in the back with him." He smiled to himself a bit. "Now! What else would you like to know? Would you like to only know of Kalona? Maybe you were wondering about us at all?" He smiled back at her wistfully. "You certainly seem interesting enough to go ahead and just go where you would like. Do you have a reason for your traveling?" His step seemed to gain a bit of a sway. Anyone looking onto it could probably see it as a rather confident step. And that he was kind of dumb for letting his guard down as such. His father would certainly think that if he had noticed. Really it was his one weakness...

Celestial Requiem

BAM! I really like this RP :'D

 

[Celestial Requiem]

Branwen pondered over Veraç's response for a bit. She didn't actually remember where she had even heard about the kalonas' magic. Probably from Gethen, which meant the validity of it was highly questionable to begin with. But maybe if it were a widespread rumor those who were truly afraid of kalona might just believe being in the presence of a kalona makes them sick. It sounded like there was also a possibility this was completely true and simply not something Veraç himself had ever experienced before. Branwen was beginning to feel that she had been given even more to ponder on this question instead of an actual answer, but that was quite alright. She had a feeling she had a very long journey ahead of her with lots of time for pondering.

Gethen looked quite offended at the older kalona's suggestion. Did Astúcia think he was stupid? He wasn't about to be someone's snack, that was for sure. And Veraç's request was hardly any better. Really, the only option the owl would even consider was the one that didn't involve the flesh-eating Soquili. And he knew Branwen would side with them and make a fuss until he complied. So, in what could have easily been taken as an act of petulant defiance, Gethen did a wide, swooping circle around the small group before carefully landing on Branwen's back. Though he wouldn't admit to it, there was some legitimacy to their argument. But even if they were showing some concern for the wellbeing of himself and his bonded, Gethen was still going to watch them like a hawk. As far as he was concerned they were the only real threat. Presently, anyways.

Relieved that her familiar didn't make much of a scene over this, Branwen smiled apologetically at the two stallions and returned to their conversation. She hadn't intended on talking much about herself, but it did only seem fair to answer some of their questions after asking so many of her own. "I do. I'm searching for my family. It's been a bit difficult. I don't remember anything about them and I have no idea as to where any of them could be." It was always strange admitting to this. She was searching for Soquili whose names she didn't know, whose appearance she didn't know, even whose general location was a complete mystery to her. She must have sounded like an orphan, lost as a foal seeking out the family she'd never known. But that wasn't the case at all. At least according to what little Gethen had told her about her history. Branwen still wondered why he was so tight-beaked about it.

~Twilight...Angel~

SLAM DUNKS THIS REPLY LIKE A YEAR LATER