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 Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 4:59 pm
A grunt echoed through the trees in the darkness. Complete silence, save for reverberated snorts sang out through the night. All seemed stationary, except for one travelling figure, where the snorts and grunts were coming from. Though they were soft, quiet noises, the stillness of the night had accentuated its volume. A gleaming silvery, almost pure coat of white flashed through the trees, looking for its way out of the forest almost hastily, though it wasn't in a rush. It just loved moving through the earth wildly, freely, and speedily. This gave it a feeling of dominance; of control. White golden-yellow-tinted hair streamed after its body gracefully as it walked on through the night air, and it finally came to a nice clearing overlooking a cliff. Trees had stopped fifty feet back from the edge of the rocky cliff, so the glory of the moon fully penetrated the area. The figure withdrew a calm, deep sigh, basking and taking comfort in the refuge of the moonlight.
As he stood still in the moonlight, he almost looked like another moon himself. His pure coat of silver and white hair glew faintly in the presence of the moon, and whenever the moon came, a peaceful tranquility washed over him. The night had brought about a full moon, too. As this only occurs once--sometimes even twice a month, Shadowfax enjoyed travelling to places that seemed closest to the moon whenever the annual sightings came, and simply sat in the company of the full moon. Whether this ritual had any actual meaning or not didn't bother him. He just did it out of pure instinct. That was him - a stallion of pure instinct.
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 5:42 pm
Her name meant "dawn"... she sometimes despised her name, having wished instead to be named something after the moon. The night sky, with its beautiful blanket of the stars with the Lady Moon watching over them protectively, had her longing to become one with the sky. She often wished to fly away, to produce wings so that she could join the sister stars and the mother moon in a dance of pale light. But alas... it was not to be.
Instead, she merely ran swiftly, to feel the wind, its furious breeze, in her mane and tail as she imagined herself flying and cruising with the moon. As she ran, sharp golden eyes saw a flash of white... silver, even, nearly the same color as the moon itself. Her eyes widened as she realized it wasn't another moon, but a stallion. Not only that... she was running straight toward him. She couldn't stop her legs. She was going to fast! "...Wa... WATCH OUT!" she cried, closing her eyes tight.
It just had to be the night sky.
...After all, it was the only time she expressed herself.
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Posted: Wed May 24, 2006 7:07 pm
The stallion simply sidestepped the mare that had been running at him like a stampede of buffalos with natural grace. He had heard her headed in his direction right before he actually saw her thundering hooves come at him like a bee targetting its flower. How dare she--disturb the peaceful moon and himself, especially on a night like this!.. But she was a lady; a mare, so he must be polite. "You watch out -- you're going to run off the cliff," he stated matter-of-factly before reaching his neck out to her as soon as she had passed him, snapping his jaw lightly on her trailing tail so it wouldn't hurt that much while being effective. "Bwe mwore qwerfwul," he said, mouth full. How did she manage to run directly at him, anyways?
This was a strange night. When was the last time he had seen a mare running towards him so desperately, seemingly, under the moonlight's watch? Never. Actually, he hadn't seen many around lately. When he had parted with his own blood many moons ago, he hadn't met anyone at all. He had gotten used to roaming around the fields by his lonesome self... but now there was company. Ah, well. Change was nice sometimes.
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 4:25 am
"Oh..." Aruna said, managing to stop when the stallion caught her tail. Settling herself, she nodded to him. "I'll be more careful, thank you, let go of my tail now please, and yes, I know there's a cliff there, I was doing this on purpose, now would you mind?" For some reason, although the stallion had been kind enough to help her, he raked on her nerves. It was a good thing he had sidestepped her. She was already embarrassed enough that she herself had to be stopped.
Okay, so her mind had led to her near demise, but she hadn't exactly been the best of moods lately. Hardly, actually. Truthfully, she could use someone to lash out at. Now that she could see again, she stared at the stallion to eye him over. He was actually quite handsome--practically the opposite of that stallion--and far more handsome at that; added to the fact that he sounded kinder than the other one. Now, where was she? Oh, yes, wishing to fly with the moon...
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Posted: Thu May 25, 2006 6:51 pm
Shadowfax let go immediately of the mare's tail. "Easy there, m'lady," he said soothingly, cocking a brow. Did he say something wrong? "I was only worried -- for your sake, mind you." He stepped back from the mare, sensing that he had somehow caught her at a bad time. He didn't enjoy confrontations very much. He was a peaceful, free stallion, and did not like to get tangled up in complicated webs of drama. Carefully, he offered a slight smile to the mare to perhaps appease her; calm her down. He then closed his eyes and bowed to the mare, remembering his manners; since he hadn't encountered any others for a long, long time, old habits were only now beginning to be realized again. "My sincerest apologies, m'lady, I am called Shadowfax."
While bowing, he let one of his eyes open to a small slit, taking in a secret glance at the mare. One couldn't be too careful, nowadays. But when he did, he saw that she had been staring at him, as well. He closed his eyes shut again, hoping she didn't catch that small flicker of movement about his face. What was she doing, looking at him? Was he that interesting to stare at? An uneasy cough escaped his mouth. He didn't enjoy others looking at him, unless he was actually acquainted with them.
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Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 4:32 am
Aruna blinked as he bowed, slightly startled. "I... Forgive me," she whispered, suddenly nervous. She never could deal with stallions like him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Shadowfax. I'm called Aruna... and thank you for helping me earlier. I... I apologize for seeming so... snappish... earlier..." She couldn't believe she was starting to babble. Babble!! She hated to do that, but all she could do was stare at Shadowfax. She tried not to, though. "Like the Lady Moon..." she suddenly said, unbidden, "...You remind me of Mother Moon." Her eyes widened considerably at her sudden comment. "I... Forgive me once again... I might have spoken out of turn..."
She hadn't meant to say that. But it was true; Shadowfax did remind her of the moon.Lately, she had been so... emotionally unstable... ever since that night with Ra--no, don't say his name!--that stallion that she could use the company of anyone else. Anyone at all, even if she didn't want company... she knew she could use some. The feathers in her mane all fluttered with the soft, night breeze as she finally pulled away her--most likely piercingly uncomfortable--golden gaze to look at the moon. It felt that the stars and the moon were her only friends anymore.
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Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 7:29 pm
"Forgive you?" Shadowfax asked, suddenly confused. He got up from his bowing position and stood rigid again. "Apologize?" He laughed. He sensed the mare's anxiety, and couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. "No trouble, no trouble, Aruna," he said, adding emphasis to her name. He smiled. He liked that name. "It is a pleasure to meet you, as well. And... Lady... Mother Moon?" he repeated. That was odd; he had never been described by anyone as the moon before. But that may have been because he was rarely with company whenever he went for strolls in the moonlight. He took a moment to ponder at the thought. Was his coat really that luminescent? And... Was he that intimidating? He sighed softly after Aruna apologized again. "There is no need for apologies, or forgiveness. You need not apologize in my presence," he winked, "I am just another like you; we stand as one under the night sky." He continued smiling, gazing at the moon as well. "The moon is pretty tonight, isn't it? But... I remind you of Mother Moon?"
He was flattered. He loved the moon so much; almost like a mate. But the moon was so far--the moon was not his kind. But yet, it still allured him. He turned to look at the mare after a while. She seemed troubled. He frowned slightly, a little concerned for her, even though he had just met her. Hesitating a bit, he took a few steps towards her and looked into her eyes. "Is there something the matter?" The curls of his lips moved upwards in a smile; in an attempt to perhaps infect the other soquili. "You need not keep any secrets under the moon."
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Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 7:55 pm
Aruna's emotions were all in a whirl. She flushed when Shadowfax smiled, but managed to fight it down. "I... Yes, I won't apologize anymore..." she said, relaxing. This stallion made her feel a lot better. Better than she knew. He looked so wonderful, under the light of the beautiful moon. "Ah... That's what... I call the moon... She... Lady Moon... or Mother Moon... She... has been a very good friend to me all my life," she said, barely loud enough for him to hear. She felt shy suddenly. "Just... another like me?" she blushed and looked away.
She never expressed this much emotion, but she couldn't help it under her current condition. The stallion nearly felt like a god sent to her by the moon. And when he looked straight into her eyes like that, she couldn't help but confess, especially after what he just said. "I... Yes. I... I'm..." she stumbled over her words. "No... secrets..." she said breathily. "I've just... been under a lot of emotional stress lately..." she finally said. She had kept so much under her mask... she still wish she could. Shadowfax somehow managed to drag the information out of her. "...yes... I... I've been under a lot of stress..."
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 1:22 am
Shadowfax tilted his head at Aruna as her reply drifted into a barely inaudible string of words. He let it go, knowing that whatever the mare had said was obviously not meant to be heard. He didn't like poking into other people's businesses, especially if they were not as well acquainted with him, and especially if they did not seem so open about themselves. He simpered as he sensed the mare suddenly go warm and turn away. "You know... Your eyes shine out beautifully in the moon's embrace." He took a moment to turn away from her himself, looking back at the glowing white orb in the sky. "You have two eyes, two ears, one mouth, four legs, and," he paused, "we both have the same passion for the moon, it seems like." He took a moment longer to look her over while she looked away. He hadn't really seen her until now--she had the same long, flowing tail as he, and her hair was adorned with feathers that seemed to bring out her eyes. In his eyes, her figure stood quivering, unrelaxed in the moonlight, hidden by a false facade.
"Stress is no good," he stated simply. "But solace can be found in the most simplest of things -- I take it that is why you're here now, hm? The closest peak to the moon?" He sighed. He didn't enjoy watching others in distress, as deep inside, distress from others pained him as well. It was good that she had found her way here with him, though. The moon sometimes manages to bring unlikely companions together. Ah, that sly one!
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 4:38 am
Shadowfax seemed so cool and confident... his stance was like that of a proud, towering tree who would only bow before the moon. She turned back to him, flushing, and unable to hide that she blushed anymore. "My eyes...?" She slowly allowed her mask fall, allowing a soft smile to appear on her face. "...Thank you... but I'm sure I'm no comparison to you, Shadowfax." She looked him up and down, silently appreciating the pale coat and the strong looking muscles. His color slightly reminded her of Calamity, the Kalona that was rainbow-ish and white. She was beginning to relax. "Yes, I came up here to the best place to see the moon." She turned to smile brilliantly at the pale white orb. "I always come this way when I'm... troubled..." She allowed a soft laugh at hearing his words. "Two ears, two eyes, four legs, one mouth... a mane and a tail... and yes, I do agree, we both have a passion for the moon." She knew her body still shook, whether from excitement or fear, she didn't know.
"I can't help it..." she said, somewhat sounding pouty. "The stallion I used to be in love with threw away my feelings like they were nothing--which they probably were to him--so now I can't help but feel... strange. I don't know what to feel at times, so... then I met him a few months ago, and things turned out horribly... and I've been... alone for a long time..." It was the truth. After meeting up with Rahu and her mother and brother, she had not returned to the teepee. She figured Miakoda and her father would understand, but the human was probably by herself in the teepee by now, as Hania, her father, would be visiting Mahiri, her mother, Bairn... Artemis... Swafi... and probably anyone else he knew. He knew several Soquili, actually, but she could never remember who they all were. His nature probably allowed him to find so many friends it was actually making her envious. She didn't have as many friends, but she figured she probably had enough. She glanced toward Shadowfax--having turned her gaze to the moon--and nodded to herself. She probably had enough, good friends.
She then turned to the moon. So sly, Lady Moon. Did she guide her up hear this night for this meeting?
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Posted: Sat May 27, 2006 2:23 pm
Shadowfax hesitated as she turned to him, seeing her face brighten more red, even though her orange-brown coat faintly hid it in the dark air of the night. He didn't know why exactly she was blushing, and it was all too new for him. If he had seen anyone blush before him in the past, he had never noticed it. He nodded truthfully; her eyes did seem to glisten with beauty in the light of the moon. "No comparison to me?" he chuckled lightly, "Perhaps so, perhaps not; beauty, is, of course, in the eye of the beholder." Troubled, he thought, after hearing Aruna. What plagued the mare's mind so much? He snorted softly, though not loud enough for the mare to hear. He hoped she would be at peace soon--if not soon, at least with him now, under the full moon. He looked at her form--almost seemed shaking, shivering in the moonlight, but there seemed to be less tension in the air, now. He hoped his presence calmed her somewhat.
As he took in her words, he couldn't help but feel pity for Aruna. He himself had never been in the same position as her, though--and he himself has never been in love. He enjoyed the unrestraint freedom and carelessness of life that came with the emotional bearing of having had no love life in the past. And he didn't plan to seek out anyone, either. He was happy as a wild, untamed, unchained stallion. "It is... sad misfortune that you happened to cross paths with that one," he solemnly said. "How inconsiderate of him. You must take care of where your heart seeks refuge in, at times... What name does he go by? Perhaps I myself will see him one day, and..." He stopped. He had a deep hatred of stallions that had no regard to anyone else but themselves, but what would he do anyways if he had met this fellow stallion? "...and you never know, life may be horrible for him as well. You can't be so sure of the feelings of others. Perhaps he exhibits same feelings as you do, too. Solitude has also been a friend of mine. You are the first one of my kind that I have seen for a long, long time." He sighed contentedly. "It is actually nice being able to meet you. I've only had myself and the moon for company since who knows when. I suppose it was bound to happen one day--but tonight, on a full moon? I haven't had the chance to share this experience with anyone. Thank you," he said, honest of his appreciation for the mare's company.
The moon had its ways of weaving the tale of the world together, and Shadowfax was indeed a character it used in its plays. "Look," he said suddenly, pointing his head at the sky. It was a faint, barely visible, but strong streak of light--a shooting star. It grazed by the moon passionately, and continued on its invisible pathway, towards the end of the horizon. He had rarely seen comets, and when he did, he always took it for granted--until now. Mesmerized by the star's stream, he started to softly sound a hymn he had learned in his days of young in his tribe.
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Posted: Sun May 28, 2006 4:42 pm
Aruna's blush soon faded, and now she only smiled gently at the stallion. "Rahu is the stallion's name, Sir Shadowfax," she said quietly, her smile a bit shaky as she said his name, "...and I suppose you're correct. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... how true can that be?" She had slowly stopped shaking, and blinked a bit, golden orbs observed the stallion. "I'd rather you not pity me, Shadowfax," she suddenly said, looking irritated. "I would not mind it if you offered your sympathies, but please do not pity me. I'm... not used to such a thing." That, and she absolutely hated it when someone pitied her. It made her sound... cowardly. And, as Rahu would put it--and she would actually agree with him on this one--she sounded so... weak. She wasn't weak! No. She just couldn't handle the emotional turmoil that this... feeling... was giving her. "I believe Lady Fate wished for my misfortune," Aruna said dryly, although she was merely joking, if that was possible.
"Rahu has his own issues, something about his mother abandoning him as a child, though I'm inclined to claim that I'm probably not allowed to say that, for it is his secret to tell, not mine." Her smile grew a little at his words. "I'm glad it's nice you met me. I'm also quite glad that I met you. I... feel better than I've had in days..." When he thanked her, Aruna fought back another oncoming blush of embarrassment. "No, Sir Shadowfax, thank you." She turned to look at the sky as he suddenly pointed out... a shooting star. Breathless, she watched it fly across the sky, and her secret wish for wings sprouted once again. "If only I could fly..." she whispered, more to herself than to Shadowfax, "...I could follow the star to its destination... and see many things beyond this place." She turned to him, a little startled when he starting to hum a tune, and she, in turn, listened. It was a nice tune, but it sounded oddly like that of a human's song, nearly like her bonded's song at times when Miakoda sang. "...A pretty sound..." she whispered, gold eyes glistening intently as she listened.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 2:23 am
A slow silence came over Shadowfax as he tried to make out what had made the air grow more tense between the two from his last words. Perhaps it was his inquiry to know that stallion's name? Or was it his words filled with sorrow at Aruna's situation? Did his appearance give himself away that much? "Ah--" he started, unsure of what to say. This was quite awkward; perhaps even a first. The mare had seemed so cool and comfortable with him before, but now--what did he do? "My apologies, Aruna, I did not mean to..." he stopped, choking on his last few words. He had meant to offer her his sympathies, but his eyes--his tone--his something must have made it seem like he pitied her as if she were inferior--but he had never thought that. The new change in the air between them slowed down Shadowfax's reactions, as his mind was bubbling over in confusion. "Sir Shadowfax...?" he questioned slowly, almost laughing. "Please, Aruna, just call me Shadowfax." He even managed a weak smile. "I don't believe a title suits me, considering the type of stallion I am." But his smile soon turned into a frown when Aruna joked about her misfortune. He shook his head slowly, unknowing of what to say, having never been in this situation.
"Do not fear," he said warmly, "Any secret of anyone's is mine to keep as well. If he has issues from the past that still bothers him to this day, then it is his to keep, not yours. If he is blinded by the act of one single mare, let it not fall upon you as well. Simply, if he cannot move on..." He took one secretive glance at Aruna, admiring her solid beauty and her wistful soul. It took a moment longer for Shadowfax to realize he was in the middle of speaking, and thus he continued, "...then you must be at peace with yourself and move onto higher places than he."
Now it was Shadowfax's time to blush. He rarely--or never blushed. The feeling he had gotten when the mare had told him that she had felt likewise about their meeting made him--cheerful--joyous--blessed--not a word described it! He wished to say more, but somehow, his own body prevented him from doing so, and he remained speechless. "The pleasure is all mine..." he finally managed to utter quietly to himself; far beyond the limits of Aruna's hearing.
He quietly turned to gaze at Aruna once his short hymn was complete, and the shooting star was no longer within sight. He had heard her words earlier when the comet was still in sight, but he had only fully realized them now. The hymn had reminded him of his past; it was indeed a human's song, but he had spent many of his young days surrounded by things that walked on two legs. Even so, he was still wild and free--for the most part, no one could ever, or will ever tame him. The song spoke of, ironically, being free and able to explore the far reaches of the world. Odd how Aruna had brought up the notion of being able to fly. "But you don't need wings to fly, Aruna..." he said, a fox-like smile forming on his face.
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 6:59 am
She laughed softly. "Ah, I do not want your apologies, but I forgive you." She shook her head. She was feeling startlingly better; significantly better, she dared to say. She decided she'd tease him a little. "Sir Shadowfax sounds more elegant, don't you think?" She said, trying not to laugh. "I suppose I can call you Shadowfax, then..." She was cheered up now, and she knew. Thank you, Mother Moon. You're always watching over me. She managed to fight back a giggle. "A title can suit anybody, no matter what kind of mare or stallion you are. Many call me 'dear Aruna' quite a bit." How true that was. She could only fight back her laughter so much, and as a result, her face flushed--again--and this time she couldn't fight back the blush. She finally decided she'd just better laugh, and laugh she did.
A soft, gentle laugh--for she didn't laugh a lot--and she soon calmed down. She knew that there was still a slight tension in the air, but it was starting to dull. That, and the silence that had reigned over the both of them after her last outburst was starting to go away, too. She didn't want to make this free, wild, stallion feel chained down because of her. It wasn't... right. Not when he was so happy and free... "Thank you," she replied, when he told her he'd keep the secret, even though she didn't quite understand why Rahu thought it should be a secret. "A higher place? Where would that be? I've never quite climbed a mountain..."
She turned to him, with the moon at her back now. She cocked her head at him, questioning him a little. "You're kind of red, Shadowfax," she decided she'd just drop her teasing with the title thing, "Are you all right? Did you say something?" She could have sworn he'd spoken something, but she probably just heard the wind. Oh, great, she was hearing things! His song soon faded, and she had to smile. The song was really quite ironic, but she wouldn't say more than that. "How do you mean? Of course you need wings to fly!" She blinked, and cocked her head again, confused. She was practical to the end...
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Posted: Mon May 29, 2006 10:50 pm
"Oh?" said, a childlike smile flashing over his face. "I apologize for apologizing again, then, m'lady--m'dear Aruna. Elegant my bottom. Call me Sceadu-faex if you'd like, my name in the old tongue; the tongue that manages to twist even the most skilled of tongues. But..." He paused in mid-thought, analyzing a few things in his mind. "If many call you 'dear Aruna', then that must mean you must have many that find you the most dear in their hearts?" He sniffed, feeling somewhat jealous. But the wave of jealousy only brushed by momentarily, as when Aruna had started to laugh, he did as well. Boy, was he having a good time with the mare. But that could also have been because he hasn't had good company, or any company at all for that matter, lately.
A quick automatic nod came as she thanked him, and he stopped laughing and started to smile again. "A mountain?!" He chuckled, shaking his head heartily. "No, not a mountain, dear Aruna," he said with a wink, "By higher places I mean... You must..." What did he mean? There were some things that he couldn't quite put into words, but nevertheless he tried. "You must prove yourself to be better than he is by living a more fulfilled, happier life." He nodded at his words, his nods getting more vigorous as the time passed as he was sure that he had explained it somewhat well enough.
He turned away from her, slightly embarassed by his situation. What had caused him to blush? He scolded himself inside for allowing himself to. "I am?" he said slowly, hoping his cheeks would wash off and become their same silvery color again once he turned back to Aruna, "Am I all right? Did I say something? What did I say?" He chuckled to himself as he repeated after her. Attempting to provide a distraction while the foreign feeling was still over him, he gazed over to a tree some few yards behind them both, and blinked curiously at it. "Trees are peculiar," he said, throwing off random comments from his mind, before finally turning back to Aruna. He smiled. "No, you don't need wings to fly." He breathed in deeply, and exhaled, closing his eyes, a calm feeling of tranquility washing over him. "You can fly anywhere, at any time..." He let it go at that, hoping the mare would one day realize that his words were indeed true. One, of course, cannot explain freedom or flight, or flight in freedom like experience can.
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