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 Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2015 6:49 pm
After the ashes of the Kawani village had become one with the earth beneath them, Inola had resolved never to allow such a travesty to occur again. Not so long as she drew breath. The warrior spirit inside her was easy to harness. Less easily grasped, however, was her unicorn nature. She had traveled far and wide attempting to find a balance between the two. Thus far her travels had been in vain.
Try though she might, the mare could not right the wrongs of the world alone. Without the guidance of the spirits she was blind to the deepest wounds around her. Unlike her mother before her, she was no true shaman. She could not walk that path, and the wisdom she had gained could only carry her so far. Still young, Inola did not know where to turn.
More than once she had attempted to journey, to find a guide that might aid her in her quest, but thus far she had found herself unable to discover one. The confused images she had received had pushed her further onto the path of the warrior, reminding her that she could not ever truly wash away the stain of the deaths her negligence had caused. Surely she had not been forgiven, just as she had not forgiven herself. With tired hooves, she stopped at last by where a spring-fed pond met the mountains. Perhaps here she could find a renewed sense of purpose.
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Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2015 3:01 pm
And to make matters worse, he was falling into a slump. He was losing interest in many things in his life that he had once cherished or enjoyed. He couldn’t find enjoyment in what he once considered to be the love of his life. He couldn’t deny that he was starting to feel surly around her the longer the two were together; he could spot every difference between the two of them and how their values clashed and it irked him. Instead, he longed to be by himself. To be able to go forth and do what he wanted. To feel like he was not tied down. Teutates inhaled sharply. Perhaps though, it was just he was tired of being the black sheep – of feeling as if he was the shame upon his family name. But he wasn’t. He knew he wasn’t. No matter what they thought of him, he knew they were wrong because he still believed in nobility, acting with honor, and having a purpose; he still believed in doing what was right. Just… perhaps his sense of honor was different from the rest of his bloodline.
His mouth curled into a small frown. What he truly needed was a partner – an equal who he could rely on. Someone that wouldn’t turn on him, and would understand his sense of code. He inhaled the cold air greedily. Yet the one he had relied the most on had turned against him a long time ago, and his love and him were two different and would never understand him. Bristling slightly, he shuddered against the cold weather and took a pause for a drink of water and rest. As he slowed down, Teutates looked around – it was a familiar pond he went to frequently when he wanted time alone. There was an unfamiliar element there today though: a mare. He grunted a greeting to her as a form of being courteous as he neared the water and proceeded to lap some water up thirstily.
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2016 1:06 pm
Their goal was the same. Their thoughts, too, were unknowingly similar. A bitterness born of frustrated dreams. Inola spared a glance for the newcomer, giving a slight whuff of air in response, too tired to manage more than that for the time being. Not when she needed the refreshment that awaited her. She lowered her head and drank. It was a relief, at long last, to have found a clear, clean spring. The watering holes that she had hitherto discovered had been occupied.
One stallion would not dissuade her from this one. She had not wanted companionship, not in the form it had been offered before. The warrior needed to return to her duties, if only she could discover a way to find a balance within them. When cold, fresh water invaded her musings, she let it wash them away. She had lost so much. Forgetting, even for a moment, was the only balm that she knew.
Yet even that had a sour bite to it. Her parents had been great people. She'd understood that theirs was a strange arrangement: she was a unicorn, after all, and not one of their two-legged kin. But it was that same strangeness that had demonstrated for her that love could transcend such boundaries as breed or kind. Inola plunged her head back in the water to clear it of such thoughts. Love, whatever its shape, had no place here.
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Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2016 11:46 pm
Feeling fully hydrated, Teutates withdrew from the pond. Now all that needed to be sated was his need for companionship. That won’t ever happen, he thought bitterly. It did give him an idea though. Maybe he could make a temporary friendship out of the other occupant of the pond. Maybe that would make him feel better… Though he was not sure of the mare's reasoning for being here or her thoughts or anything - He glanced at her and decided he wouldn’t care. Why invest time into her life when she would more than likely not invest time into his?
She had responded to him with even less effort than he had put into his greeting though and pestered by it, he harrumphed at her. "I haven't seen you before," he said, his words coming out sharply. Perhaps she could misinterpret what he had said - see it as him being defensive of this area, as if it was his territory. Figuring he might have come off as unfriendly, he quickly quipped in, “I’m Teutates. You are?”
But he could not deny he was a little desperate to exchange a few words with an unfamiliar being. A chance to talk an outsider to his situation. Just someone he could have a conversation with and pretend like none of his troubles existed for the time being. He wasn't aware of her problems and for now did not want to be. He was feeling selfish right now – he needed a distraction from his thoughts in the form of this unwilling volunteer and did not care if he reciprocated the act for her. The stallion was positive she was probably just some… regular mare or something, one that would just phase in and out of his life. Just someone he would meet once, have an impersonal chat, and then be on his way. Just... someone he could pretend to be a different guy to.
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Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2016 5:09 am
Water alone could not give her back the energy that she'd lost in her recent travels, but Inola decided it was enough. She had been prepared to leave when he began to speak. She might still have done so, except that at this point it would be blatantly rude. "Nor I you," she replied, for that was very true. They were strangers to one another. Perhaps that bothered him. He certainly volunteered his name swiftly enough.
After some consideration, she spoke once more. "My name is Inola." If there had ever been an appellation appended to her name, she could not remember it. Teutates. It was a foreign sounding name, but she'd come to expect that. Kawani and strangers alike seemed to cleave to such names, these days. In any case, he seemed rather irritated, although she could not imagine why. Perhaps that was the wrong assumption. She waited for him to continue.
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Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2016 11:44 am
"Very keen of you to notice," he said, a bit of sarcasm in his voice. Teutates nodded curtly at her introduction. Inola. It was a nice, strong sounding name. "You are right, though. I'm fairly new to this area. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Inola," he said, removing the previous edge his tone had and injecting a more courteous tone. While he did not believe in showing a gentleman-like facade like his brother and most of his family did, it was something ingrained into him from birth, and removing it now was certainly difficult.
His spade tail curled around one of his back legs as he studied her curiously. She was pleasant on the eyes, the stallion decided; dark body with light hair and markings, she was adorned with the features of a uni. Perhaps she was as pleasant as one stereotypically was. Taking a step towards her, his eyes scrutinizing her, he asked, "Just a curious guess, but you don't frequent this areas often, do you, Miss Inola?" He was sure if she had, he would have seen her before. Even if he had recently settled in the area, he had visited this spot plenty of times to notice that it was generally isolated from the rest of the world - a quiet, empty spot that seemed frozen in time compared to the surrounding area. It was a pleasant spot to refresh himself as well as have some time to himself.
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Posted: Thu Jan 28, 2016 12:58 pm
His sarcasm did not pass without notice. However, rather than responding directly to it, Inola merely raised an eyebrow. What, after all, had she done to warrant such? Ah, but perhaps it was simply a part of his nature. There was no sense in taking offense, in any case. She waited for him to finish speaking before making her reply, observing him with the eyes of one who had seen too much. "It will not surprise you to hear that I, too, am new to this area." Perhaps she had been a bit rude. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said, the words a bit foreign in her mouth, though not insincere.
After all, what pleasure had she taken in anything in recent times? He watched her, approached her, and she wondered at his motivation. Friendly? Better to assume so, for the time being. "I am not from these parts. My home lies within the Kawani Lands." Or... it had, anyway, before the fire. She took a step forward, taking her turn to look him over, trying to suss out where he might be from. The conversation that they shared in just now was a stilted one, and she knew herself to be to blame. Small talk was not her strong point. "And you? Where might you be from?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 5:37 pm
He could tell that she seemed wary - or at the very least, watchful of him. Perhaps he came off too strongily? He didn't want to scare her off so quickly, so he excused himself quietly and said, "I apologize if I came off aggressively - I mean you no harm, Miss Inola." He wanted to curse himself. He wasn't used to communicating with others - especially strangers. He had grown used to spending his time and company with solely one - his 'beloved,' and that had made it easy for him. He knew her ins and outs, all her subtle mannerisms... All the strengths and flaws. But she was not here, so he could not rely on that knowledge; glancing at the mare that was before him, she seemed to have sized him up. Perhaps she was tougher than he initially believed.
But hearing her question his whereabouts made him bristle ever so slightly; 'home' was not a place he liked to think about. 'Home' was...well, not even a home to him. His eyes seemed to glaze over momentarily - clearly caught up in his thoughts - before he realized himself and shook his head. "Not from here, that's for sure... I came here for some godforsaken reason, and I've yet to figure it out," he said, his tone somewhat bitter. He tried to fake a smile, something that could be seen through easily by anyone paying attention. "Regardless, I'm sure there's a purpose for me here. I just need to figure it out."
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Posted: Tue Mar 29, 2016 5:57 pm
For a long moment, Inola stood in silence, contemplating what he had said. There was something familiar in his voice. Something that spoke of a deep, concealed pain. An assumption on her part, to be sure, but... perhaps not an incorrect one. He had apologized. Societal expectations dictated that she should respond to his apology. She did not wish to. Not because she was angry with him, but because of what else he had said. Or rather, what he had not said.
"I know why I came here," she replied, aware that he had not asked her. "I came here to leave my failure behind... and to reforge my destiny." The mare glanced at the surface of the water, where her own image currently dwelt. "Perhaps you can relate to that?" Sharing a point of commonality with another might help her to overcome such fears as she had sought to leave behind, though she was loathe to admit to weakness. She glanced back up, observing that smile. The look didn't suit him. It seemed... insincere, though she suspected such insincerity was not directed at her. A false mask to place before his own face that he might pretend at comfort. He was not comfortable with himself, perhaps. That, if nothing else, she could relate to. "Well. I hope that you find your purpose."
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 11:38 am
Teutates raised an eyebrow. This mare was very different from others he had encountered, for lack of a better word. She was mysterious but felt so familiar. Something about her reminded him of something... It was holding his attention firmly. And the more and more he talked with her - however brief it was - he could tell there was something more to her. It was a little intoxicating for the stallion; he wanted to press her more and more for details, to see if she'd let something slip so he could get more insight on her.
Dropping his fake smile, he opted for a more serious look, something that probably better suited him and looked more natural. "Failure...? How so?" he said questionably, hoping she would elaborate. There was no denying that he could relate. His mind flicked to his brother and family for only a moment before he shook his head. What really stood out to him was her wording of it. Forge a new destiny. It was definitely something he wanted, though he was never truly sure on how he could achieve it. He toyed with ideas... But when he brought it up to his love, she was generally unfavorable of them.
Teutates glanced at the mare. "Failure could mean anything, and anyone can dwell on a failure, no matter how small. So, yes, I can relate. But is there not one who has messed up at some point?" he replied.
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Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2016 1:29 pm
No one had messed up as much as she, of that Inola was certain. Perhaps there were those who willfully brought harm upon those that they loved, but their crimes did not fall in the same categories as her own. She inclined her head slightly, appreciative of the more sober aspect the stallion had taken on. It rang with more sincerity than had his prior expression. "Very few make such mistakes." Holding his gaze, she pondered whether she would answer his questions. Well. There was no hiding it. No point, either. Her mistakes defined her past and she would not forget them.
"I am a unicorn. Naturally a healer, but trained to be a warrior as well." That in and of itself did not answer his question. She paused, weighing her words carefully. "Yet my innate healing powers were not enough to save my parents when the fires came. And I did not awaken swiftly enough to drag them to safety. My two legger parents had no healing abilities of their own. I failed them. They died." Oh, how bitter that defeat truly was. The great fire had taken many lives, but those two would never be forgotten. "I dragged as many to safety as I could." Until she'd been too weak to stand. Yet still... "It was too late."
Inola watched this stallion, this other who had appeared in her life. There was something about him that made her keep looking. Something which made her curious. Perhaps she would not have been willing to speak so candidly to another, had that other been anyone else. She didn't know. "So. I seek to change my fate." To become the warrior her father had been. That she should have been. To make it all right.
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