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 Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 7:52 pm
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Posted: Sat Dec 31, 2016 8:42 pm
“Are we almost there? Why is it so far? Can’t they live closer? Then we could visit every day, like all the time! That would be way more fun. Can’t you make Kel move back and live close so we can see him every day? I know Zeib would like that. They could do, brother bonding type stuff. Whatever boys think is cool. But then Kel would be close and could tell us stories, and that’s like the best part!”
For all that she hated to awaken early, Casalure Duskbringer skittered eagerly along at her mother’s heels as the indigo mare led her through the woods, chattering all the while. She was clearly excited to be visiting with her and her brothers’ older sibling Kelakohr, and rather hoped that they would see their sister Seriav again too. Now and again the flutter of feathers or the rustle in the brambles caught the dusk-coated filly’s attention, and she would sprint to one side or the other to investigate. Invariably her mother would call her back again, leading to Cassie reigning herself into a mincing prance and then once again exploding into a canter that carried her beyond her mother’s reach as she chased yet another fascination.
Eventually the path curved under their hooves, and waiting up ahead along the path her big brother and nephew (wasn’t that silly, being younger than her nephew?) stood, their cyan horns glowing in the dappled forest-light. Cas gave a peal of delighted laughter and sprinted toward them, her glowing hooves flashing over the emerald grass.
“Casalure Duskbringer, you return here this instant.” Whistle called in a disapproving tone, stopping on the shaded path with a flick of her long tail. “Such behavior from a young lady… What would your father say?”
Shaking her head, the mare sighed. "Why do I even try? All of my children are just terrible to their poor mother, bolting off after adventure at the shift of the breeze. Leaving me to worry."
Seeing his father shift uncomfortably at his grandmother's words, Arioso grinned widely and shuffled a half-stride closer. "Not just your children, remember Nana Whistle? I'm afraid the whole of the family is like that, you're doomed."
Her mother’s soft call had her circling back before she could reach Kelakohr or Arioso, and she sped back to the indigo mare’s side to lean against her with a grin. “Awwww, that’s not fair! I’m right here, Momma! It’s such a long walk and I’ve been here for most of it, really I have! And they’re right there, can’t we just go ahead and see them? Please, please, pretty please? We promise to stay on the path and everything.”
Cas glanced at Arioso and grinned widely, wagging her tail before turning pleading eyes back to her mother. “Come on, please Momma? They’re right there!”
Casalure Wordcount: 365
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 5:29 pm
"Oh please can't I go, Mama?" The filly wheedled with a flash of glowing eyes and and flick of her tail. "They're right there, in sight of you and everything. I promise I won't leave the path."
Sighing wearily at her daughter's seeming unending energy, Whistle shook her head. "Stay where you are for the moment, my dear. We'll catch up with the boys soon enough. I do not think another moment will break your heart."
"But Mama, that's no fun at all!" Casalure muttered, shifting idly on her hooves and glancing back up the path again. Arioso was fast becoming one of her favorite souls to be around, for he frequently told her all kinds of stories and had trinkets from his travels to share with her.
And he was right there but her Mama wouldn't let her go see him. It just wasn't fair!
Whistle did her best to level a glare at her grandson, her mock-scowl less than intimidating if one went by the sound of the golden stallion's laughter. "Yes, you do make a valid point that my grandson is just as troublesome. You learned it from your father, there can be no doubt of that."
"Thank goodness I have grown into a strong individual, else my heart would be crushed by my mother's harsh words." Kelakohr murmured, glancing at his son with an air of companionable humor. "My mother's words, fit to destroy mine own heart."
"I am sure we're all thankful you've grown out of it." Arioso mocked gently. "For some of us the words do still hurt. What would we do if she decided she wanted nothing to do with her troublesome relations."
Giving his father a final grin, Arioso paced further along the path. "Come along, Cassie, and greet your favorite nephew. I have missed you!"
Giving her mother a final grin, Casalure spun and cantered toward the golden stallion awaiting down the path. The indigo mare said nothing to dissuade her, perhaps distracted by Cassie's brothers, so she frisked a happy circle around Arioso before sliding to a halt before him. Rearing up just enough to gently head-butt at his muzzle, the filly gave a soft peal of laughter.
"Good afternoon, Arioso. It is lovely to see you again. I trust you have been well? Do you have more stories to tell me?"
"And you, Little Aunt, and you." Arioso grinned, craning his head down to hug her to his chest. "I take it you have been running from your mother and tutors again, if she doesn't even want to let you race ahead when in sight?"
He glances toward the indigo mare slowly progressing toward them, then dropped his tone to a whisper. "Have you enjoyed your adventures? Made friends?"
"I may have." Casalure murmured with a playful slyness to her tone. "But if they were not ever so dull, I wouldn't have to leave all the time. I try to be good, Arioso, truly I do. But they get to talking about things that are so dull I can't help but want to run away."
She glanced back to her mother and brothers, then hummed. If any of her elder relatives would understood it would be Arioso... Though maybe not in front of the family, since he wasn't really supposed to encourage her bad habits. "Yes... I might have even met someone like you once did... Do you remember of the story of the Pawed Princess in the woods?"
Arioso froze for a moment, glancing at his grandmother and then back at his sire before bowing his head down to the filly's ear. "Of course I remember the story of the Pawed Princess... I lived it and I told it to you. But have you been running off and getting yourself into danger so that a pawed one had to rescue you? Your mother is right to worry, Cassie, you know you're very dear to her. You should be careful."
"And so you did." Cassie murmured, shifting faintly on her hooves. As soon as Arioso took on the patented 'worried adult' tone the filly closed down, her silver eyes going distant. "I may have, but it was not dangerous... Come on then, here comes Mama... What are you teaching us today?"
Frisking over to greet Kelakohr before Arioso could speak again of her adventures, the filly grinned wide. "Hello Big Brother... I trust you are well?"
Casalure Wordcount: 391
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:38 pm
Riddle was distracted while on the way to see his older brother. It wasn't that he didn't want to see Kel and Arioso. He was still young enough to be full of enthusiasm for just about everything. That maybe was the problem. The previous day when everyone else was busy, he'd found a moment to slip off on his own. He hadn't gone far, only barely out of sight, really. He just had wanted to steal a moment all for himself, something secret from the rest of his family. He liked secrets. On his secret trip, this time he'd found an even bigger secret: A snake.
He told the snake that his name was Riddle and he said his name was Jest. That sounded fake. They hadn't spoken long, but he was pretty sure that the snake had been lying in just about everything he told him. Probably. He had a hard time judging the emotions of snakes and lizards and other scaly things. It probably had to do with them not having eyelids. Somehow though, the snake lying to him just made him want to know more about the snake. About Jest, even if that wasn't his real name. He was already plotting ways to see Jest again, and that's why he was barely paying attention as his sister ran around in excitement as they drew closer to Kel's home.
He only really tuned in again when suddenly there Kel was. Not just Kel either, Kel and Arioso! Cassie got to him first. Riddle was determined to make it there second. He bounded over with all the gangly grace of a foal, stopping when he stood by Cassie's side.
"Hey, hi!" he blurted out. It wasn't a greeting with dignity, but in his excitement he lost the rest of his words.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2017 8:11 pm
Giving Riddle an impish grin as she slid to a stop before Kel, Cas craned her head up at her elder brother and gave him her best 'I'm an angel' smile. Waiting for him to answer, she gave up the ruse a heartbeat later and grinned widely, flicking her tail and cocking her head curiously. Like his son, the indigo unicorn stallion had a glowing horn, the light of it matching his kind eyes. As she was not a unicorn, Cas knew she couldn’t learn to heal from them, but sometimes Kel would tell her about herbs that were useful when someone was sick or injured, so she thought that was good enough. He said that those that healed with herbs were different, but still important. Maybe she’d do that when she grew up. She hadn’t really decided yet. She still had plenty of time.
Kelakohr watched Arioso cast a furtive glance around the clearing, then attempt to murmur something to Casalure that the filly quickly shook off. Instead of continuing her discussion with her nephew, Cassie skittered over to her brother and beamed up at him instead, wide and guileless.
Kel didn’t trust her for an instant, but it made him laugh even as she herself dissolved into a wide smile that was more humor than sweetness. So then, she realized how ridiculous she was too. “Hello, Little Sister. I am well indeed, and you look like trouble from your nose to your tiny tail. I hope you are not stressing our mother out too much, hmmm?”
“I? Trouble?” Casalure murmured in mock hurt, though it dissolved into giggles a moment later. “Maybe, maybe not, Big Brother. I do not think I stress mother out too terribly much, she has lived through you and Arioso. How could I possibly be worse?”
The filly hesitated, feigning intense contemplation for a few moments. “Hmm, maybe I should make that a goal? Do you think Arioso would be upset if I broke his records for being most troublesome? Going on the most adventures? Most times escaped without anyone noticing? Everyone should have goals, he might be amused that I was applying myself to overshadow his earlier achievements. I guess asking him for pointers would be cheating, but it might be fun anyway. Maybe using them as inspiration would toe the line without stepping over it.”
Arioso grumbled in annoyance at Casalure, watching the filly frisk off to greet his sire before he could even attempt to impart more cautionary words. Well, maybe he’d try again later, when there was less of an audience that would be inclined to look on her wanderings with disapproval. Then again, one would think the whole family would be used to matters by now, since they all had the tendency to range. Shaking it off, he craned his head down to fondly nose at the purple colt standing before him.
“Hello Riddle, Little Uncle. It is good to see you.” He grinned, lipping at the colt’s mane in a playful greeting. “I hope you at least have been staying out of trouble? Or if you are not, you're enjoying your wanderings.”
Watching her children interact with her grandson, Whistle slowly paced up the trail. It was good that her family was growing, made something in her heart lighten. True she still missed the children she had yet to reunite with, but maybe they would find their way to her soon. Maybe... If the fates were kind.
Kel shook his head as he watched his little sister dance and twine about, her thoughts running rampant and sweet voice spilling them out without hesitation. Heavens help his mother, not only did she have three children to deal with, but these three children. Cassie was difficult on her own, and unless he missed his guess, he was thinking Riddle was just as adventurous but probably sneakier about it. So, that was at least two of the band to give his mother more gray hair.
"Do you ever settle, Imp?" Kel teased, nudging Cassie's cheek as she paced back past him murmuring about advice for adventure. That was probably the last thing Cas needed, and the last thing their mother would want. "Can't you just be content visiting all your loving relatives?"
The question made her laugh, shaking her head. “Settle? Why would I ever want to do that, Big Brother? The world is such an interesting place I should definitely be allowed to explore it! There’s too much to see, how could I just wait? No, nope, settling is boring and not fun at all. I’ll never learn anything that way.”
She hesitated, giving him a concerned look. “Which is not to say I do not love all of my loving relatives. Of course I do! You’re wonderful and I love you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to travel and to wander and to learn things. Things like all the plants that grow in forest and in field, and the best places to go wading or swimming on a summer day. And won’t someone take me to the ocean? I’ve heard some stories about the ocean, so I definitely need to see it. If I see the ocean I should see the desert too, right? Sand as far as the eye can see, instead of water? I want to know all those things.”
“Maybe, if you would behave yourself and if your brothers want to, we’ll go on an adventure.” Whistle murmured as she watched her daughter dance around. "We'll ask Riddle and Zei if such things are interesting to them."
Casalure Word Count: 464
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:01 pm
At the tail end of her flurry of words, the cool tone of her mother’s voice broke through. Spinning to face her, having forgotten for a moment that Whistle might even be listening, Cassie gazed up at the indigo coated mare with wide eyes. Aw but she had almost had Kel talked into it, she was sure she had! And if not, Arioso was one of the most well-known wanderers of their family, surely he would have been up for a bit of a trek.
Determined to salvage the matter, Cassie picked up a sweet, softly convincing voice. “But Mom! I want to go see new things, and learn things and explore. I don’t want to wait around for others to want to do it. Can’t I just go now? Kelakohr and Arioso are both here! Surely one of them could take me, then I’d be safe and sound. They’re healers and warriors all at once, and it’s family.”
“I don’t recall either of us offering to take you on an adventure, Little Sister.” Kelakohr smiled faintly. “It is probably a better idea to wait for your brothers before we go tearing off on an adventure.”
"Now you see, to me, that sounds like your older brother advising you to listen to your mother..." Whistle murmured with an arch look.
"Doesn't he sound clever and mature?"
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Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2017 8:10 pm
“From what I understand of my father, that certainly wasn’t always the case.” Arioso pointed out with a smile, sidling over to Cassie and giving her a faint nudge of support. “I think, given the circumstances, it is only fair for me to offer my services as a guide and escort. While visiting the desert would take a significant amount of time, it wouldn’t be too long of a journey south to the coast. We could certainly go see the ocean, and if the whole family didn’t want to go, Cassie and I and a few friends could make the trip.”
Casalure spun to face Arioso with a wide grin, leaning fondly against his side when he joined the conversation. “See mom? Can’t Arioso show me the sea! He says it isn’t far and he’s been there before and it would be good for… for bonding!”
"I fail to see how a visit to the ocean needs to occur so immediately that you can't wait for us to bring your brothers and all go." Whistle murmured, frowning now at the team of her daughter and grandson. "Arioso...."
“Awww, come on Nana Whistle." He grinned widely. "It's two of your favorite relatives asking, how can you say no? Besides, I have friends that live between here and the coast, and another who lives practically in the ocean. Maybe we can even get a message to the mers or kelpis to visit. It'll be good to visit them along the way, Cassie can meet some new allies. A bunch of new experiences and stuff, it'll be great!"
"Awww Mers and Kelpi too! Come on that's the coolest! Please mom? I promise to be good and listen to whatever Arioso says!" Cas chimed in. "I'll even bring Talfryn along, and if there's anything going on I can send you messages! Arioso will have Ossia, I'll bet, and like he said we'll be visiting friends!"
Casalure Wordcount: 260
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