|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:59 pm
It had been a long walk; not only had Zaphiro managed to dry out from that morning's swim, he'd also started to stiffen. Walking was all well and good, but it was amazing how easy it was to forget about little things like muscle fatigue when you were used to flying to most places. He enjoyed walking, but it had been a while since he'd walked this MUCH.
Slowing to a stop, the dark blue stallion stretched out his wings and extended his legs, shaking them one at a time. Glancing at his companion, Zaphiro offered an apologetic smile...again. "I'm sorry, Hienna; I guess that I forgot what it feels like to walk this far! Hopefully you're holding up better than I am."
And how HE was was disgraceful, honestly. He was horribly embarrased; so far he'd had to stop and shake out his legs a couple times and they STILL weren't there! "It shouldn't be much longer, though, and then hopefully you'll forget how out of shape I seem to be."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:02 pm
Hienna was a little tired herself but she didn't seem to be incredibly put out by it or the fact that Zaphiro had to stop every now and then. Actually, she found it kind of cute.
"I don't imagine you have to walk most places when you have wings, Zaphiro, so I won't hold it against you."
The mare smiled teasingly at him, "This time."
She flicked her tail against him and then gave him an affectionate nuzzle against his neck, careful of her horn. Horns could be so completely bothersome.
"I wonder if my horn can cure muscle fatigue."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:12 pm
"This time? Didn't you say that LAST time? Not that I'm complaining, of course." Chuckling sheepishly, Zaphiro wiggled around his right foreleg, flexing the muscles and rotating the hoof. "And yes, you've got me there. I THOUGHT I did a decent amount of walking, but apparently I've let my wings spoil me."
As he was letting her do, honestly. It was nice to be fussed over, even in teasing.
Her question provoked a thoughtful look, though. COULD a horn cure muscle fatigue? He'd never heard of that being tried, to be honest. "You know, I have no idea. I suppose we could check, couldn't we?" And then maybe they'd actually make it where they were going without having to stop anymore!
Of course, travelling with Hienna was far from being a chore; he was just looking forward to flopping.
Wow, when had he gotten so LAZY?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:18 pm
"Hm? I don't recall. It's possible, I suppose." She shook her head and bent down to examine his legs, "Maybe it will work. I suppose it doesn't hurt to try. After all, it is some kind of injury...At least, I think it is."
The mare tilted her head slightly, touching her horn gently to his foreleg and closed her eyes, willing the fatigue and muscles to heal up and get better. A moment passed before she lifted her head up and looked quizzically at her friend.
"Did it work?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:23 pm
Zaphiro had watched a unicorn heal before, but never had anything healed himself before. Consequently, he watched in rather rapt fascination as Hienna lowered her head, gently touching her horn to his leg. As she did so, a soothing coolness spread throughout the limb...
As she lifted her head, he was looking back at his leg, moving it carefully and then smiling. "Feels great! I'd say that maybe it would be fair to say that unicorn healing DOES work on fatigue. That could be useful for you when you're on long journeys."
And for anyone else handy, if it came to that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:26 pm
Hienna beamed, "Oh, good! Now we can continue and you don't have to hold up my view of the sea." A soft laugh before she pondered, "Do you need me to do the other three legs or did it work on all of them?"
If it had only worked on the one it would likely be a little annoying to have one leg be completely fine and the other three dragging.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:29 pm
"Sure, blame it all on me." Zaphiro was doing his best to sound grouchy, but it was hard to be upset when you were in as good a mood as he was. "If you could fly, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all! Though I think you need to deal with the others first, if you'd be so kind."
As he'd returned the first leg to the groun, Zaphiro had suddenly felt as though all his weight was being supported by that one leg; the others seemed shakey, unsubstantial. "Maybe the healing isn't a full-body thing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:31 pm
"Oh, yes, it's all your fault." She teased before bending her head to the other foreleg and then trotted behind him to work on his back ones. Hie felt just a bit tired after that but she was unsure if it was because of the healing or because she did walk quite a long way and wasn't used to it herself.
Taking a few steps back she admired her handy work, "All better then, Zaphiro? And trust me, I do wish I could fly..."
She'd told him that already, hadn't she?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:40 pm
He'd stood stiff as a statue while Hienna had been about her healing, but once she stepped back he once again checked his limbs. Upon feeling the same freshness in all four legs, Zaphiro turned and gave Hienna a wide smile. "It feels perfect, Hienna; I feel as though I could run for hours."
The comment was accompanied by a nuzzle of his own; frankly, Zaphiro was delighted with the way this had worked out. Though he could have kicked himself for bringing up the flying thing again.
"Had you wings, I'm sure they'd be lovely, Hienna. But as it is now, you can definitely run circles around ME, and that's something, right?" Stepping back from Hienna, Zaphiro smiled and indicated the path. "Now, if you're ready?"
Hopefully they'd be out enjoying the sunlight within...well, soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:43 pm
"Good, I'm glad I could help then. You in pain and being tired isn't exactly the best way to spend an afternoon." She winked at him and started walking again, trusting him to continue with her. The longer she was around the stallion the more at ease she felt.
The more at ease she felt, the more unease wanted to creep in and tell her to stop getting so attached. She simply tried to ignore it.
"You coming, slow poke?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 9:52 pm
Zaphiro was amused yet again; he could agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment about tiredness and travelling companions, though he didn't believe that he was QUITE at that point yet.
The comment about him being a slowpoke caused him to chuckle and start walking, though. "What, you mean you need me to come along? I thought I'd just sort of tag along and see where you wound up heading, since you seem to know the way there so well."
Somehow, he couldn't resist the urge to tease her, a fact that he'd come to realize over the past few hours. Yet another thing about her that he couldn't quite sum up...but know he liked it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:00 pm
Hienna turned her head to look at him and laughed, "I don't know my way, but I figured if I didn't start moving we'd be standing here all day." The free way she was speaking to him now had to speak bounds considering how...carefully she spoke before.
Every now and then she slipped back into the slow careful speaking, however, but now was not the time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:09 pm
"And we all know how much you just hate standing around." This was spoken cheerfully, agreeing completely with what Hienna had just said. Naturally he didn't ACTUALLY agree with it, but might as well go through the motions when she knew he was teasing.
However, as they started up a slight hill, Zaphiro's nose suddenly twitched as a sudden new scent assailled his nostrils; salt. Salt water...
A devilish grin crossed his face as an idea occurred to him; then suddenly he was racing up the path, past Hienna and up the hill. "You want to follow? Follow this, Hienna, and I'll catch you at the water's edge!" And then, laughing, he was cresting the hill and bursting out of the trees onto a grassy plain, beside which lay the glimmering strip of sandy beach and, beside THAT...the ocean.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:17 pm
Hey! That wasn't fair! He had just been all healed and she was tired! Well! Well...She wouldn't let him win!
Hienna took a deep breath and took off running - though she was definitely slower than Zaphiro. Much slower, because she was indeed tired. By the time she caught up he would, indeed, be at the water's edge.
"Hey! That was not fair! I demand a recount!" She laughed and flopped tiredly onto the sand. Hie'd be able to take in the sights as soon as she caught her breath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 10:24 pm
"A recount? How can you recount race results, Hienna? It's sort of a 'you did' or 'you didn't', not really a countable thing. That said...I'll concede that the race was biased in my favor." This was delivered with a grin as Zaphiro cantered to a stop a few feet away from the water, his hooves kicking up sand in graceful arcs. "On the other hand, that means your healing did a GREAT job!"
And THAT was something to be proud of!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
