Some would say of Tempest’s birth, that she had hit the ground running. Tempest would agree, she was born to run, to chase storms, to feel her life’s blood pumping through her veins as the wind tore through her mane. A hoof-ful as a foal, Tempest’s parents decided that she would be there last, utterly worn out by their youngest offspring. Everyone would be well meaning when it came to young Tempest but she was certainly misunderstood and there was many a incident. Tempest wouldn’t know, but the day she was old enough to walk herself to the GrandfatherTree, there was a collective sigh.
However, adulthood seemed to do everything it could to slow Tempest down. Finding an abandoned foal on her way home from the Grandfather Tree had her sticking close to Homewood instead of doing what she wanted to do. Travel. Tempest wanted to see the world, her world, Vykeli. Not just stories but in real life. Barely old enough to bare foals of her own and fresh from the tree, Tempest found herself in charge of another life. This was how she and Cordelia met. The foal was easy going, even tempered, patient, curious and proved she could keep up. While Tempest had no qualms with raising this abandoned foal til she was old enough to look out for herself, staying close to Homewood had it’s cons.
Like meeting bucks and actually getting to know them. Apparently finding someone who was willing to overlook her hyperactivity and being prone to boredom wasn’t too hard. This was when Tempest and Cordelia had met Dryxel and his similar situation foal, Twix. Everyone hit it off as they traveled through the ruins in search of Dryxel special sapling. While both foals played, Twix bringing Cordy out of her shell so to speak, Dryxel and Tempest hit it off in a different way. A way which landed two more foals into their lives and another life for Tempest to look after. Motherhood was starting to slow her down more and even mellow her out. She had barely seen a smidgen of her world and was already mother to three lives.
Bipin was, oddly enough, just as easy going as Cordelia except he wasn’t all that curious. He seemed to accept life as it appeared but didn’t go looking for more. His sister, Mahpiya, was more like her mother. High energy, spirited but also… buck crazy. Tempest did her best to raise and prepare the foals for life beyond their youth. Once grown, Tempest knew she was free to finally travel. Her young had all grown up and a couple had already received their gifts. Cordy shared one thing with Tempest and that was a love of travel. She was off on her own adventures, seeking answers to life’s many questions and honing her gift. Bipin was more than content to stay near to Homewood and experience life leisurely. He had his trees and saplings.
So what was really holding Tempest back from finally leaving Homewood and seeing the world?
She was working on building her stamina and endurance and speed to be the best herald possible. However, becoming a wanderer as well seemed a close second. Her familiar, Basalt would love to travel with her but he had a mate that he liked coming home to. Would she end up going out on this journey alone?
Tempest and Basalt found themselves at the edge of Homewood, staring out towards the barrens. Basalt was happily munching on his breakfast while Tempest was deep in thought. He casually gaze up at her and paused in his eating.
“What’s got you so distracted this morning?” Basalt looked back up at her, “Tempest!”
She blinked and looked down at the stormy grey jack hop. “Hmm?”
He sighed, “You seem troubled by something. Care to share your thoughts?”
“Oh…. It’s nothing,” she merely sighed, her gaze returning to the barrens.
“Doesn’t seem like nothing,” he remarked as he pawed through their selection of fruits. “Seems like something really getting to you and you’re too young from the lines developing on your face.”
“Lines?” her head whipped around and she looked at him, eyes livelier than before.
Basalt smirked and tapped his chin with a berry. “There you are. I was worried you got lost somewhere.”
“I’m not lost,” she muttered, glowering at the jack hop. She watched as he popped the berry into his mouth and chewed. Her eyes softened and previous thoughts swam back to her mind. He glanced up at her, “Care to share now?”
“Do you prefer knowing you’ll be back home after a short period of time? Or do you prefer the unknown?” Tempest finally asked as she turned fully towards Basalt. He paused his eating once more and looked rather thoughtful before glancing at the purple noul.
“Honestly, I’d love explore the unknown, but I am committed to my love and would rather be here for her as often as possible. Besides, we’re getting to the point where we would like to start a family too. Raise some little ones here in the safety of Homewood.”
Tempest’s expression showed disappointment in the answer she got but she had a feeling that was the answer. The quiet between them stretched out for what seemed an eternity but soon was interrupted by Basalt. “I would love to be the one who goes with you on your epic journey. Life just doesn’t work out that way some times,” he said soothingly. “We’ve grown close and if it wasn’t for my committed relationship with Clay, I’d even say lets go through a bonding ceremony. I don’t like the idea of you going out there on your own, even though I know you are fully capable of it. It’s just more fun with a companion at your side to share in the adventure. Maybe that special companion is out there waiting for you to find them. Just don’t let anything else hold you back from leaving and living your life, Tempy.”
Tempest wasn’t one to cry but she felt tears stinging the back of her eyes something fierce. She didn’t want to go alone, she did want to share this journey with someone and selfishly she wanted to share it with Basalt. Life was certainly teaching Tempest some hard lessons and she was sure it wasn’t even remotely close to finish. What she was starting to feel was abandoned, everyone was leaving to go on their own journeys. In then end she merely nodded at Basalt and turned away to gaze towards the inhospitable land.
Basalt quietly watched Tempest as he finished up his breakfast. For once, Tempest hardly touched her’s and it was a bit worrying. Change unsettled the purple doe and she wasn’t very graceful about it. As a foal, she threw tantrums that would appall anyone and embarrassed her parents horribly. By this point in life, Tempest switched from dramatic outbursts to sullen silence as she tried to cope. It was the rare moment in life that she was so still, only those that knew her well enough would be concerned and others wouldn’t know better.
As the sun climbed into the sky, Basalt and Tempest packed up the remains of their meal and headed back into Homewood. They were headed to the foalhood home of Tempest where Basalt and Clay had set up a burrow nearby. Tempest was planing on packing up her things that she would need and additional supplies. Basalt was going to stay back and wait for Clay to return on her outing with Cordy. Basalt wished Tempest would engage in conversation with him while she prepared her satchels and harness, but she had withdrawn deep into herself. He kept an eye on her from the entrance of the burrow he shared with his mate.
As the sun moved across the sky and began its descent towards the evening hours, Wicasa and Candra, Tempest’s father and mother, returned home.
“Evening Basalt,” Candra said softly as she approached with her mate. Both were gardners and worked their days away in a large patch. They produced some of the most delicious berries in the area and Basalt was overjoyed when they would bring home selections of their harvest.
“Evening Candra. I trust your day went well?”
“As well as could be. The plants are on well on their way to a bountiful harvest and the new sprouts are looking fit and healthy,” the solar noul smiled brightly at Basalt. “How was your day today? Go on any adventures?”
Basalt looked excited at the prospect of a bountiful harvest. He even rubbed his paws together in delight. But his expression fell when asked about his day and his gaze went towards Tempest would was curled up on the far side. Candra followed his gaze and frowned slightly before looking back at him.
“We only managed breakfast but even that didn’t bode well. Tempest is ready to leave on her long journey to see more of Vykeli but I had to tell her I wouldn’t be able to go. She didn’t take it well.”
Candra pursed her lips and nodded, “She was never very good with change. I do think going out on this journey will be good for her though. She’s had to grow up really fast but hasn’t had time to really mature as an adult. Hopefully she’ll perk up before she leaves tomorrow.” With that Candra inclined her head towards the dark jack hop and went to her mate.
Basalt hoped Tempest would be better tomorrow. Good byes are hard enough.
The sun had finally sunk below the horizon, allowing the air to finally cool down. Tempest had drifted off to sleep some time during the afternoon but she now found herself wide awake in a darkening world. Nouls had primitive ways of lighting up dark areas and some of them now lit common pathways. Tempest found herself rising from her spot, feeling mentally drained but physically energetic. It was going to be a long night. Her brain, in it’s exhaustion, wasn’t willing to slow down as it spun on its melodramatic axis.
Instead she found herself quietly wandering the nearly empty pathways of Homewood. She needed to get a hold of herself, going out into the barrens required one to have their full wits about them. Mental exhaustions was liable to get her injured or killed. So she forced her mind to go over her mental list of necessities. She’d have to double check her bags in the morning but she went over what she thought she had to distract herself.
Basalt wasn’t entirely wrong, there could be someone new for her to meet out there in the barrens. There could also be new discoveries, new places as well. The mysteries of Vykeli would unfold before her as she traveled it’s vast landscapes. Well...the vast barrens. Tempest’s eyes focused on a bouncing light and it distracted her momentarily as it grew closer. The light was soon revealed to be the horn of a solar buck, bounding his way through Homewood to wherever. Tempest watched his approach and then his vanishing form. The distraction was enough to fully relieve her brain of it’s burden and she felt back to herself once more. It was time to try and get some sleep again, this time through the whole night and not just part of it.
The morning sunlight dappled her backside through the canopy of the trees. Tempest got the much needed rest she required to return her brain back to its fighting form. She stretched out her long racer’s legs and shook off the night’s dew. Basalt was already up and helping himself to breakfast with Candra and Wicasa. He was happily chatting away with Tempest’s mother, her father was quietly nibbling his breakfast, listening to the conversation. He was a buck of few words. Tempest approached and was greeted cheerfully by her mother and Basalt. A look to her father and he nodded quietly. Tempest smiled, she was going to miss her parents and her brother too, who wasn’t here.
“When do Cordy and Clay get back today?” Tempest inquired of Basalt.
“Clay said they would try and be here this afternoon. So long as Cordy doesn’t getting to distracted by something new.” He shrugged and tossed a berry into his mouth.
Tempest nodded and broke her fast. Once the morning meal was finished, she said her good byes to her parents. They were headed back to their garden and she was heading off soon as well. She didn’t know when she would last see them and made sure to nuzzle them twice.
“I’ll miss you guys,” she said quietly.
“We’ll miss you too, sweetheart. Be sure to stay safe and explore all you can. May Grandfather bless you on your journey,” her mother replied. Wicasa nodded and smiled.
Tempest watched them leave, Basalt hopped up to her side and watched too. After a moment he looked up at her. “Ready to get your harness on?”
Tempest watched a second longer before looking at Basalt. “Yeah, let’s get that on.”
With help from Basalt, Tempest was able to wiggle into her harness and get her satchels attached. She wasn’t going to be able to get it back off on her own again but so there was added padding to the straps. Each satchel was secured after the contents were double checked. She had food rations, some maps and some items from each of her offspring, Clay, Basalt and Jade for memories. Those items stayed in a satchel all it’s own with a special symbol marked on the flap.
“Will you walk with me to the edge, Basalt?” Tempest asked of her friend.
“Of course. Let’s get going before it gets too late into the morning.”
Tempest paused just outside her foalhood home and looked back. So many memories here. She turned away and continued her walk towards the edge of Homewood and the barrens. But so many more to be made, out there. She found herself at the edge once again, so many times she has found herself here before something momentous. The journey to find Wanderlust, the first trip to Grandfather tree, the second trip and the small over night journey with Specterdust. Here’s were she said goodbye to Basalt and hello to the unknown.
She nuzzled the little black jack hop and felt him hug her muzzle. He patted her nose. “You keep yourself safe. I want to see you again some day,” he said quietly to Tempest. “I wanna hear all your stories, stories I can one day tell my descendents.”
Tempest nodded, “Will do.”
Basalt cleared his throated and backed away from the purple striped doe. “Now go on with ya, Tempy. Race the horizon.”
With that farewell, Tempest stepped out of Homewood and took off into the barrens. She didn’t look back this time, he wouldn’t want her to. Especially since he was now quietly crying, salty tears wetting the fur of his cheeks. Tempest’s long legs ate up the ground before her, she wasn’t full out running but she had built up her strength to long distance run under the hot barrens sun. As an atmos gifted noul, she would be able to find relief in her abilities if the temperature grew to be too much for her. She would grow stronger on this journey, physically, mentally and magically. That was something else for her to look forwards to, a flash of wings and feathers tickled the back of her mind. Grinning she reared and bucked and couple times as she lightly ran across the hot cracked earth into the unknown.
WC: 2,619
