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 Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:41 pm
'He's a river rat.'
Catacus had heard some man use the term once, way back home. Of course, he thought the old timer had literally meant a river rat, a rat that would clearly live in the river.
That struck him as odd. He'd seen many rats, far less rivers, and the two of them had never been together.
He trotted up to the running water and peered into it. Nope, no rats. Just one gorgeous horse peering back at him. He smirked and winked at his reflection. "That's a fine looking guy you've managed to capture, Mr. River."
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 5:57 pm
 Stay near your guardian, don't wander off, keep by the river, blah blah blah.
Daze was gettin' just a little bit tired of the lectures. Or, to be more specific, he was forgetting to remember them. After lying outside the teepee, running around the teepee, and rolling around (and nearly into) the teepee, it had worn out its welcome in his mind. The river proved not much better. Until, of course, he realized that he could stay by the river and still go somewhere.
Rather slyly he had taken his first steps away from the boundry given to him, false justification in his small mind. After a moment though he forgot he was breaking the rules as he caught sight of a small branch floating down stream. With intense, firey interest he followed behind it, until then again getting distracted, this time by a really shiney rock. Thorough investigation of it proved that while shiney, it was still just a rock, and that the fish in the water was ten times cooler then that.
Following this train of distraction, Daze had wandered farther down the river then he really meant to, ending up near nothing he recognized. Being as to how he tended not to over-think things it didn't worry him too much, but he was growing bored and a bit hungry. The foal attempted to find his way around, turning in circles a few times before he thought he saw something a bit away and past some bushes.
Wrangled back into exploring he stumbled upon a much bigger male, apparently having a conversation with the water.
"Who'sit captured?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:06 pm
Catacus's ears pinned back and his eyes widened. The river was talking to him! What was wrong with this place?! He took a few, cautious steps back and turned to run.
Flee in the face of danger, right? It only came naturally.
But when he turned around, there was a foal, which made him startle a second time. "You shouldn't linger around here, the river is--" Haunted. That's what he was going to say. But then he realized what common sense would've told anyone else right away...
"--a dangerous place for young ones like yourself to be alone," the stallion finished cooly. Just ignore it like nothing happened.
He approached Daze and gazed him over curiously. "Somethings caught in your mane," he pointed out. "Do you want me to get it out?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:19 pm
Daze flicked his ear at the strange stallions reaction. Now, he hadn't met many other Soquili, actualy, he'd never met anyone he wasn't directly related to, but he was pretty sure that wasn't natural.
Really, something that big being afraid of him?
"The river is where I'm supposed to stay, says my mom," Daze answered smugly, proud of avoiding punishment and rule breaking.
He flicked his tail back and foreth as the stranger aproached him, studdying him.
"Hmm?" the foal flicked his head, trying to see something that would be caught in his short mane. Nothing but his dream catcher. Was that what the strange guy was talking about?
"No, I like it."
Daze suddenly stopped, nostrils flaring, "You're a STRANGER," he said, with slow realization.
He was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:25 pm
"Oh, well, you should listen to your mother," Catacus said in a proud voice. Why shouldn't he be proud? He was such a good infleunce, even in this place. Already he was telling the foals to eat their vegetables and listen to their parents.
This one probably needed to be told it a few times, since he seemed a bit... special to Catacus. "Suit yourself." He snorted and eyed the foreign object. What was that? It wasn't a twig or anything. Whatever it was, he was glad one wasn't all tangled up in his beautiful mane, thankyouverymuch.
Catacus peered at the colt curiously. His head turned to the left and the right. Who was he talking to...? "Me?" he ventured. Oh, most certainly not! "No, you have it wrong. I'm Catacus. Ca-ta-cus?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:39 pm
"Then why are you by the river? If you say it's an unsafe place isn't it because you mom told you so?"
This twisted logic from the same foal that assumed his bunny friend had been un-born and that he'd have to wait for it to come back out of the seed again before they could play.
Sniffing the stallion slightly he noticed that he didn't have a dream catcher or feathers or nothin. Perhaps he lost them. He seemed like he might have.
"Yes you!" Daze said intently, not really scared, but assured he was most certainly breaking a rule this time. He stopped again though, considering the last statement.
With a tilt of his head he asked," You're Catacus Ca Tu Cus? Tha'ts a long name. Nice to meet you Mister Ca Ta Cus, I'm Daze."
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:51 pm
"I don't have a mother," Catacus answered casually. He thought it over quickly and added, "Well, I guess I'd have to, but she isn't anywhere near here." She could be dead, too, for all he knew.
This colt was strange, and getting stranger. Catacus watched as he seemed to be looking over him, looking for something. But what would he be looking for? It hit him that, obviously, the youngster was just admiring his beauty. He was quite a sight.
Poor, poor special foal. "Catacus is fine." It was a bad habbit he'd picked up, among a few others, from living with humans back home. Those that were nervous or unsure of how to handle horses often lengthened the sounds they made.
'You want to go out, horse? Ouuut-siddeee?'
"Nice to meet you, Daze," he echoed politely.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:58 pm
"Hmm, I'm surprised that she doens't tell you to stay with your two legger then. That's what mine want's when she's away."
Growing bored with this standing and talking thing Daze moved to circle around Catacus Ca Ta Cus, admiring how weird he was. Great big weird dirt colored patches everywhere! It looked like he was kinda dirty.
"That's good, if you weren't fine I wouldn't know what to do Mister Ca Ta Cus."
He stopped again standing next to his new aquatience and nodded, "Uh-huh. Do you play in the dirt?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:05 pm
"Your two-legger...?" It took Catacus a minute to grasp what the weird little foal was saying. When he realized, he blurted, "Oh! Your human? Well, mine told me it was alright for me to come out here." As long as he came back, which he would, no matter how many times he was tempted to just suddenly 'run free'.
He knew he'd never make it alone, deep down, plus he was loyal to that girl.
"The dirt?" His mind immediatly rang: Goodness no! But he mused it over to himself silently. Usually, he wouldn't. The humans had never appreciated him getting flithy when he was younger. Besides that, it was truly a shame to ruin such beauty as his intetionally, wasn't it?
But if he did roll around some, his human would be forced to give him a bath. Pay more attention to him, which she needed to.
"Sometimes," he finally answered.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:18 pm
"Human? Yeah, you Isi. She didn't make you stay near the teepee?" he asked, wide eyed. Catacus was LUCKY! He wondered if he got big and dirty if she would let him wander around like that. Except...
"How do you get home again?" he asked, feeling the question more then relevant considering his prior problems.
"Yeah dirt."
Daze wandered back closer to the water again, watching the way the light shone off it with interest. Did fish ever get caught in the sun like that? Perhaps it made them too warm.
"Really? That explains it," he said with finality, looking back up at Catacus. Yep, definitely dirt. He should go for a swim or somthing.
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 7:24 pm
"What's a teepee?" Catacus questioned, confused. Thoughts of dirt were forgotten. His expression suggested the stallion was rather distressed suddenly. It was a sad, crestfallen smile that had shadowed his face now.
"I can't go home," he answered. He missed home. Even though this place was more beautiful, open, and he could move around freely in pastures instead of weaving in a stall, he missed home. "I'm from far away."
Just as quickly as he'd fallen in the pit of despair, he'd crawled back out of it. Curiousity killed the cat, but it also distracted the horse. "Explains what?"
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:10 pm
Daze twisted his face into a look of annoyed confusion. What kind of question was that? Catacus wasn't a foal, he shouldn't ask questions like that, or what's trees, or clouds. Silly silly.
"It's a TEEPEE, you know, wood, leather, stuff?"
He dipped his nose into the water for a second, hesitantly sipping. Ew, not nearly as good as milk. Lifting his head and shaking it he returned to the bushes, having mostly forgotten the other Soquili.
"Really? Well then, where is your two- human, is she far away too?"
He turned to face Catacus, his nose wrinkling, "It explains why you're so dirty of course!"
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:32 pm
Wood and leather...? Interesting combination.
"First off, I'm not dirty, this is my natural color," Catacus explained in the same prideful tone he'd spoken to his reflection with. He struck a pose in which one of his front hooves lifted off the ground.
It fell back down. "Secondly, she's not far from here, but she is far from her home, too. I'll tell you more about another day, and show you things from where we're from." And maybe he could look over this teepee thing. "For now, I really should be going."
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Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 8:40 pm
"Really? Are you sure? Because I've never seen anyone dirt-colored before..."
With that thoughtful little comment he nodded his head, certain it was true. And it was, because his family was mostly grey. Certainly not dirt colored. He then noted that the other soquili seemed to have something wrong with him, as he was lifting his foot in an odd manner. Exparimentaly trying it out himself he found it really didn't change anything about his color so he really didn't get it.
"Oh, I see," Daze mummbled, not really understanding at all. He imagined that they must sleep different places every night, or in a tree? Perhaps then NEVER slept!
"Well, I guess I'll see you later then."
He swung one leg around uselessly before facing back down the river. He was going to be in SO much trouble.
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