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 Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:12 pm
It seemed that everday little Urd was growing more and more independent, straying farther away from her mother's side. Some cows might be tearing up a bit atthe prospect. After all, this did mean that the calf was growing older, and would soon not need her mother dear to care for her anymore. Aderyn, however, was not the average mother, and was honestly a bit relieved that her child was gaining a bit of independence. Urd had never been a clingy thing, any how. She'd always go off to 'break dance', as she called it. Ade, being quite the young mother, had been very pleased that the younger of the pair was able to venture on her own without feeling that maternal chord tugging at her heart. Suckling had been quite the pain, however. Now that young Urd was practically weaned, life was getting better. Of course, it did mean that she would soon be fertal again, and fully ready to be once again bred by some bull whom she'd never really stand with again. Unless she had her way.
Nosing up the newly springing vegetation beneath the snow, the young cow snuffed in annoyance. Once Urd was a cow, her hormones would start kicking back into high gear... and the bulls would notice. Getting pregnant again was deffinatley not on her to do list. She had bred far to early, most would say, and the result had been an unexperianced mother with zero ability to care for her offspring. They had also said the calf wouldn't survive. Ha, she showed them. Despite the odds, she had raised her daughter, even though she was a bit of a social misfit. In many ways, though, this entire herd was. That was what had prompted Aderyn's move. The main reindeer herd was too full of 'regular' personalities. Here, however, there was a rich diversity of sizes, colors and mental capacities. The leader was a bit nuts, but he was likable. It was the perfect place for her to live... and Urd, as well.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:35 pm
Spring, hormones, breeding, and calves were very close to the last thing on Sesilida's mind. The whole issue only came up because it meant that Glosoli was off spending time with other cows. She was standing perfectly still, head lowered so that her antlers were out in front of her, listening. Of course her brother said he would not go far, but it was that time of year and she was going to do her best not to be a burden on him. Still she listened, comforted by the idea that when she heard the sound of snow crunching under hooves, it might be Glosoli walking back. Everything seemed very lonely and far away, as if she stood alone in the center of a vast field. For all she knew, that might be the case.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:45 pm
Muttering to herself about those good-f'r-nothin'-bulls and they're good-f'r-nothin'-friends-down-south, Aderyn didn't even notice that she was not alone in the field. Most of the riendeer were off courting eachother, getting themselves into a vicious cycle she did not want to be a part of. Urd was most deffinatley off showing the one other calf of the herd her dance. There was no reason to pay attention as she grazed, right? It took some time, as she muttered to herself, for her to even scent another on the bitter breeze. By the time such smells did reach her nose, the other cow was already in sight. At least, partly in sight. She was hard to make out, what with being the exact color as her surroundings. How annoying, the young mother thought. Of course, it wasn't this poor soul's own fault she was such a nasty color. But was it really nasty? Surely she wouldn't be gobbled up by some predator like herself and Urd might... Oh dear, Urd. What if some predator got to her? Maternal instincts kicking in, Aderyn lifted her head quickly, her eyes scanning the surrounding area as fast as her heart was beating.
...Nothing. Nothing but snow, snow, a bit of grass, some more snow, that white cow, and a bit more snow. The quick search exauhsted her instinct, however, which quickly gave way to logic. The herd was strong in testosterone. About half of the members were full grown bulls, for goodness sakes! Urd was surely near at least one, and if any predator were to loose their minds and attempt her baby's life... she would be protected. Life was good. A wave of calm washed over the brown cow. She completely forgot about the other for a few moments. After several minutes of complete, blissful nothing, the scent was filling her nose again. Oh right, that cow. With a sigh, she strutted towards her, figuring she should meet the rest of the herd if she was going to live the rest of her life with them. "Hey there." Her voice was some what unfriendly, but hopefully the other wouldn't be offended by it.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 7:57 pm
She heard a reindeer walking toward her and tensed, trying to figure out who it was from the gait. It was not Glosoli. That she could tell. When she realized this she politely raised her head and turned in the direction of the sound, though her bright blue eyes still did not focus on anything. Then the other cow greeted her, and while she did not recognize the voice and it was not the most cheerful of greetings, there was some amount of relief in knowing that at least she was not in danger. "Hello," she replied softly, hoping that this cow would not be offended by the fact that she was not looking at her.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:03 pm
Aderyn took a moment to stare in awe at the cow's elaborate antlers. They were really quite the sight, she had to admit. Far better han her own. Why had she not seen this female around before? She and Urd had been traveling with the group for at least a season or two now... It only made sense that she would've met most of the members. At least, she would've seen them all. Then again, this cow did sort of blend in with the tundra. That white coat didn't help her stick out very much.
Breaking her thought pattern, she noticed that her greeting had been replied to. She had to be a shy little cow, seeing as her hello was so soft and brief. "I'm Aderyn?" She offered the name, not sure if that's what the other really wanted. "Why are you out here by yourself? Not interested in getting yourself a manly bull to knock you up?" Her desciption of Anlach was quite crude, but it was the way she had come to look at things. She'd never take back her breeding to that one bull, of course. Urd was a gift from above, that was for sure. She just... wasn't in a hurry to have another little break dancing calf.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:21 pm
"Ahm... no. Not really." She shifted her weight, slightly embarrassed at the idea of being 'knocked up' by a 'manly bull.' "I'm waiting for my brother to come back." Aderyn sounded like a rather young cow, so why wasn't she off looking for a bull herself? But Sesilida didn't feel comfortable asking this question, first because it was none of her business and second because she would have felt extremely awkward, so she kept quiet. Straining her hearing again, praying that Glosoli would return soon, she remained inert for a moment.
Then she remembered that the other cow had introduced herself. "Oh... my name is Sesilida." She guessed the location of the other reindeer's head and pointed her eyes in that general direction, giving a small smile. "Pleased to meet you, Aderyn."
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 8:34 pm
Oh yeah, she had a shy one on her hands. It had slowly come to Aderyn's attention that this ghostly white cow wasn't even making eye contact. "That's nice." She moved a little to the side, experimenting with the other cow. Would her head follow, or would she remain staring off into space? In the mean time, she could at least enjoy conversation. Though, it was probablly going to be a bit one sided, since this 'company' she had come across was a bit on the quiet side. "I suppose it's nice to meet you, too, Sesilida." She waited a moment, unsure of what to say. "Attatched to your brother? I'm not so sure I actually know my siblings. Mummy dearest only popped one of us out at a time. Poor dear is probablly still makin' babies." She sighed lightly, looking off at the vast nothingness that surrounded them. What a pitiful life, to simply breed each year. It wasn't the way Aderyn wanted to live, that was for sure. She might not ever breed again, if she had any say. Urd was surely enough calf for a lifetime.
Comming back to the here and now, she cleared her throat some. "That breeding stuff isn't my thing anymore, either. Been there, done that, got a calf for my troubles. She's a bundle of joy, don't get me wrong... Just a bit much is all." She was prepared for some judgement from the white cow, seeing as she was still indeed rather young. Just about the right age to start breeding, but certainly not the right age to have already birthed a calf. Then again, did a shy cow ever judge verbally? Ade was about to see. "What's keeping you from the lovely line of chaps?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:07 pm
Sesilida did not react at all to Aderyn's head movement; her unfocused gaze drifted downward gradually as she lost track of where exactly the other cow was. "Yes, Glosoli and I are very close." He had always been her protector, and even when they were in captivity he was the main reason she had survived this long.
She thought it was very sad that Aderyn did not have the chance to know her siblings. Now that her brother was off searching for a mate, Sesilida felt lost. She wouldn't tell him that, of course, because she did not want to hold him back; she simply stayed where he left her and kept quiet. If she didn't go anywhere she would be fine. So she hoped.
Ah, questions of breeding again... It was taking over the herd's life. It was taking over Glosoli's life, and for that she was bitter. She considered her answer carefully before voicing it. It would not be prudent to dump all her worries about Anlach taking her brother away onto this cow whom she had just met. It was much easier to stick with the obvious.
"I suppose that since I cannot see these... chaps... I haven't much interest in them."
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:19 pm
Seemingly pleased with the very short responses, Aderyn nodded and looked around her. "I don't think anyone can see anyone else right now." She sighed lightly. The white was starting to get to her. In the old herd, there had been at least some grey and at least some green. The moss and the rock were heaven for her. Now, however... it was all colorless. Hopefully, this area would brighten up a bit come spring. Perhaps even the shy cow before her would be in better spirits surrounded by green. Little Urd would certainly be pleased. Flowers might amuse her. A slight smile tugged at her mouth. She could picture her daughter dancing with the birds, skimming the flowers and moss. That calf really was adorable. A pain in the behind, but adorable.
"So none of the fine specimens caught your fancy? That's probablly for the best, y'know. Calves aren't all they're cracked up to be." She had to admit, Donner was a handsome stud indeed. Just... not for breeding with. Besides the obvious point that she simply couldn't[/] breed yet, due to her still mildly young daughter, she really didn't want to. There probablly wasn't a single harem out there that could accept such a fate. What bull wouldn't want to breed his prize? With all this hype about anlach, she almost felt left out. Almost. At least now she had the wordless wonder with her. "So what do you do out here all day?"
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:45 pm
She smiled at that bit of wisdom. It made her feel less alone, the idea that during Anlach everyone joined her in being blind. "Yes I think it is for the best. I would not be a good mother." She scratched idly at the snow with a front hoof. There were plenty of bulls around, but of course she had not been approached by any of them. And she was glad of it. Of course it left her standing out here in the snow by herself, but that was better than trying to raise a calf in this treacherous country. She could hardly even take care of herself, never mind another. "I just wait, and think, and keep quiet." She was very lucky that she was white or some wolf would have eaten her by now.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 9:54 pm
Aderyn skirted the topic of sight, though she was rather curious. It wasn't in her nature to not just come out and say something, but she figured it was a touchy subject. Despite how she may appear, she did have at least some respect for others. "I'm not much of a mother myself. Urd deserves more out of life." If she had known when she was younger that she would one day be standing with a blind cow talking about how bad of a mother she was, she would've never mated so early. Go figure, how you see these things only in hindsight.
"That's all you do? Sounds a bit boring, if you don't mind me saying." Then again, what else was there to do in all this white? She shuddered a little, getting a slight feeling of claustrophobia. You would think such a thing was impossible out in the vast openess of the tundra, but indeed it is quite possible. The young cow felt as if all the colorless matter in the world was closing in on her. She could hardly breathe for a few moments. It came back, though, like it always did. She regulated her breathing before moving on in the conversation. "You don't talk to anyone while you stand here? That sounds nearly impossible. I don't know if I could go a day without talking." It was true; she really was overly talkative.
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Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2007 10:05 pm
Hearing Aderyn's breathing change she was curious and a little alarmed, but it returned to normal and she chose to let it go and answer. "Oh, I talk to those who stop and talk to me." There were not many who did, but that was generally okay with her. She was used to relying on her mind to keep herself busy. Still, she had to admit that it was nice to have some company. "Thank you for stopping, by the way." Ruefully she smiled and turned her head a bit toward the other cow's voice. "It does get lonely."
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 5:25 am
For some reason, she was growing fond of the cow. It did seem this herd was made up of a group of social outcasts, but since they all were, it wasn't much of an issue. It was almost refreshing on some levels, that they were, for the most part, able to get over those quirks that had cast them from the regular reindeer herd. Aderyn had never been in captivity like the majority of the clan, but it had seemed the right place for her from the start. And now, standing here with the purely white cow for company, she felt as if she had made the right decision.
Despite her uncaring nature, she was a bit taken back by the sad realization that many would not stop to talk to a shy, blind cow. At least it didn't seem to bother the poor dear. The pity, however, didn't stay. Aderyn wasn't one to pity herself, and she certainly wasn't one to pity others. Everyone had at least one thing good going for them, and it could always get worse. "You're welcome. I don't really get along with many of the other cows anyway... It's nice to find one that I do." She smiled warmly for a moment, but it quickly disappeared.
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Posted: Sun Mar 11, 2007 6:54 am
It made sense to her that Aderyn didn't get along with the other cows, considering her particular outlook and her apparent tendency to say whatever was on her mind. Sometimes speaking up created conflict -- part of the reason that Sesilida shied away from doing it. But thinking of the rest of the herd she began to wonder why she had never met this reindeer before. Surely Donner kept them all close enough together and isolated enough from other animals that it would be hard to miss any one of the herd members. Well, perhaps it was the fact that she did blend in with the snow and that she frequently stood around like a statue of ice.
Whatever the case was, she knew that Aderyn was not one of the original captives and she also knew that it would be awkward if she simply stood there in silence, gazing at nothing, so she went ahead and asked, "How did you come to join this strange herd of ours?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 5:51 am
((ooc sooooo sorry this reply took forever. <33))
Aderyn shifted her weight a bit after hearing that one. She was instantly glad her company couldn't see uneasiness, as it was plainly in her eyes. She was a confident young thing in almost every aspect of life, but joining this herd had been a bit of a low blow. She was still unsure if Urd and she fit in with this mismash of feral beasts. They had been born wild, as opposed to the norm for the herd. Fitting in wasn't on her priority list, but being accepted secretly was. "Well..." She fiddled with the snow beneath her, sloshing it around with her hoof. "Urd and I didn't really get along with are last herd. Something about my being too young and her break dancing." The cow shrugged with and gave a fake chuckle. It had not been easy for her to make the decision to leave everything she had ever known behind. "We decided it would be better to... dismiss ourselves from their judging eyes and join up with your little group."
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