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 Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:49 pm
Everything was going well in Telyn’s little world. It was her first Anlach as a hind, she was in the harem of a damn fine stag, got along with the other two hinds in his harem, and that same stag was planning on challenging the Lord of the Herd. Any female herla would have been delighted to find herself in the gray hind’s place. And, yet, Telyn wasn’t exactly happy. Sure, she was content, but not totally happy. Maybe she was too young. Maybe she shouldn’t have accepted Brychan’s invitation so quickly without thinking about it. There was a lot of the world to discover, after all. The idea of being pent up here forever and ever and ever until the day she died old and rickety just didn’t sit well with the rash young female.
Tossing her head a little, she trotted briefly back and forth, almost pacing. It was simply a way to get rid of some of her excess energy. She needed something to doooo! It was just boring staying here within Brychan’s realm all day. Thank Herne that Anlach wouldn’t be much longer and she would once again be free to prance around the edges of the herd as she always did before.
Which reminded her of her old plan to explore the world outside the herd. She smirked back at the memory of herself and Aithne eagerly plotting the grand escape, like two fawns trying to get out of bounds of a playing area. Actually, this was very similar. Only, the ‘fawns’ were older and the ‘playing area’ was much larger. And, of course, she was much smarter.
Whatever had happened to Aithne anyway? Telyn wasn’t quite sure, which was sad. She had gotten fond of the red hind, seeing her as a like mind. Speaking of like minds…
Brychan and Loreena were busy being all lovey-dovey somewhere else, which meant Telyn was free to talk to Rhomae and discover just a bit more about this mysterious hind who had so recently joined Brychan’s harem.
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:12 pm
Said hind was getting a bit better acquainted with her own solitude, a thing she still held dear to her despite the addition of two hinds and a new stag to her life. Despite being a fairly social hind, it was just..something she enjoyed. Rhomae could think more, deeper. That, and it was lovely, listening to the sounds of the earth...
Alas, a living being was catching her eye.
It was Telyn. Rhomae smiled lightly, watching the uncharacteristic antics of the hind. Well..maybe not uncharacteristic, exactly. More along the lines of strange antics due to a new form of energy release. Theere we go. Yes, she looked as if she was unsure of what to do, and simply dancing back and forth would solve her problem. Entertaining hind, that one.
Perhaps she should be sociable?
Rhomae lifted herself, quietly making her way t'wards the antsy herla. her words were soft and kind. "The butterfly dances over chosing which flower is the most beautiful..what has you in such a fuss, Telyn?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:24 pm
Telyn laughed at Rhomae’s choice of words, finding the flowery way of speaking to be very amusing. “Well, at the moment I’m busy fluttering about flowers that aren’t there. They haven’t yet grown back after winter, sadly. Perhaps that is why I am fluttering, Rhomae.”
She trotted quickly to the newest addition to Brychan’s harem, glad that she had some form of company right now. Not to mention, the grey-striped hind seemed more akin to Telyn’s mind than Loreena did. That is, she had a backbone and knew how---and, just as importantly, when---to use it.
“It is nothing much, actually. I suppose I am simply nervous about Anlach and… well, you know. Whether or not I should have a little calf or fawn this season. I like the idea of having Brychan’s child, but I also like the idea of just… living for myself.” Of course, she had done that for a while now. Maybe it was time for her to settle down into responsibility.
“Walk with me, Rhomae; I need to burn off some energy and I can’t do that while standing still,” she invited the other hind. “Nor do I want to walk and talk alone. Talking to oneself tends to cause rumors about one’s mental state.”
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:14 pm
"No, the flowers are there, they're just harder to see." Rhomae tossed her head a little after that statement. Hopefully, Telyn caught the double meaning.
"Is this your first Anlach?" Rhomae asked, consenting to her request that they walk and talk. "Not that it really matters in your predicament...but I would not worry too much over it. When you need to know, instinct will tell you. That's my belief, anyway."
Indeed. She never tried to put such thought into those matters. Odd, since she normally enjoyed pondering over many a topic. The reason why she'd rather avoid deep thought on things like breeding and being free was because she believed exactly what she said - one only knew how to handle matters of life when they were presented them. Before that, it was all speculation. Perhaps good speculation, accurate, even...but nothing was for sure. So, she let instinct and gut-feeling guide her.
It hadn't had the pleasure of doing so yet, except in the event of moving to this new harem. She had never had a calf or fawn - never had the desire to, before now.
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 8:31 pm
Telyn did catch the meaning, but didn’t think it fit in with the current situation. She had already noticed the positive parts of her current situation, after all and had considered them often. Brychan was very, very sweet and far better than Telyn had ever expected (not dreamed, mind you, but she had kept her expectations about stags practical rather than fantastical). The other hinds were, if not her friends, at least tolerable. There was no pressure from Brychan for calves and fawns this Anlach. It was very… well… nice.
“Yes, it’s my first one,” she admitted with a small sheepish sort of smile. “I didn’t actually think I would ever be invited into a harem, to be honest. I’ve always been a very… argumentative type.” That was putting it mildly, which was just another word for ‘lies but in a prettier way’, which Telyn had a reputation for not doing at all. “Of course, my youth could be the issue here. Could be I’m just not mature enough to consider this life forever…”
The gray hind was silent for a moment, listening only to the soft noises that their hooves made on the dirt before speaking again. “Do you ever wonder what the world outside of the herd is like? About other deer? Or about what the Outriders see while they are out defending the herd?”
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:15 pm
"You? Argumentative? I would have never guessed." Rhomae said with a light bit of humor behind her voice, chuckling at the argumentative comment. "And if you weren't mature enough, I think I would have distanced myself from you by now. That kind of maturity usually spills over into more social instances."
Was she just trying to make Telyn feel better? Perhaps a little, but nothing she said move away from the truth. Even so, Rhomae dropped her gaze to the grass as they walked. She knew how it felt to be unsure of what you thought of a situation that you may have to face very soon. It was tough, especially for a hind in her first Anlach. Telyn was tough, though. And she had that mouth of hers - she'd be find.
Her next question brought Rhomae out of her little self-induced trance, looking to the grey herla as she spoke. "I do, and I have. My mind wanders often, and that's usually the area it finds itself in. What are they like? Do they live like us? And of the forest - just how little do we really know of it? Of the outriders...well, I believe every hind wonders what really occurs out there."
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:24 pm
“I’ve always been told that I’m immature. I don’t know if they---that is, other hinds---meant it mentally. I think they mean… you know. Physically. Because I wasn’t amazingly interested in stags until very recently. And herd politics, and the grand mysteries of ‘ohmygoodness, have you heard what he has said to her’ and ‘ohh! Who is that handsome stag on the hilltop?’ bore me. I suppose that’s why I’m immature.” Oh, and she was rash, with a tendency not to think about things until after she had rushed into them. Ironically, that was her current situation… sort of, anyway.
Her interest swung back to the gray-striped hind as Rhomae explained that she did wonder about such things. Now that brought a smile to Telyn’s muzzle. “I asked Brychan about it the other day. He told me about this… this reindeer he encountered. He said she had antlers! And that all reindeer hinds have antlers! Can you believe that? If I had antlers, I would be all ‘heavy-head’ and fall over. How do they do it, do you think?”
Oh, yes, Telyn was definitely feeling talkative now.
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:50 pm
"Perhaps. But I do not attribute such things to a lack of maturity. In fact, I believe that if they were acting in such a way, gossiping and such, they were the ones who were really immature."
Rhomae never cared much for any of that either. She liked stags, but she could last without them. Gossip? Well, her own thoughts were more interesting, usually. She was sure that, similar as she and Telyn were, they had their broad differences. Like the ones probably lying in the reasons why neither seemed to like gossip, or be obsessed with stags. Too bad Rhomae couldn't really put a name on those differences. They were there, though!
Oh, Rhomae wasn't rash. That was one big slightly-unrelated-to-the-gossip-thing difference. At least, she wasn't rash about...99% of the time.
She smiled as Telyn went off on her excited tangent about reindeer and antlers. Rhomae nearly laughed at the hind's excitement. "I have heard such stories, of the females with antlers just like a male. Smaller, but antlers still. And I, too, would think that one would fall over..I suppose they are simply used to it? Since it seems to be a species-wide trait. If I were born with antlers, I'd like to think that I'd be used to them by now." she said gently, laughing at the mental image such a statement brought.
"They probably wonder how we walk without antlers, you know. That's even more amusing to think about."
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Posted: Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:05 pm
“Do you really think that they know about us?” Telyn asked. Almost immediately after she had asked the question, though, she realized how stupid it actually was. Why wouldn’t reindeer know about red deer herds? It made sense… after all, the red deer knew about the reindeer. Why wouldn’t it be reciprocated? She followed this line of thought even further and found it very… strange to consider. Interesting, but still strange.
Hmm… she and Rhomae were a lot alike, weren’t they? Telyn looked at the other hind sideways, a small smirk coming onto her face. Well, the more the merrier, right? Rhomae didn’t seem like the type to run off and tell the nearest Outrider that a hind was planning a grand escape or something. “You know, earlier this winter I met Aithne; she’s another hind like us. You know, slightly bored with all the gossip and more than a little interested in the outside world. She and I cooked up a crazy plot to escape and explore a little. I haven’t spoken to her since though. We’ve both been… well, busy I suppose…”
“What do you think of the idea? Not leaving forever, of course! Just for a few hours. Just long enough to get away from the herd and see the world.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:53 pm
Rhomae nodded, sensing that Telyn already realized the answer on her own. "I believe so. I wonder how long it will be before our two societies collide. It will happen one day, that is inevitable...I only wonder how soon."
That would be an exciting day. Whether such an excitement would be welcomed and friendly, or shunned and hostile, no one could guess with any sort of certainty. Nevertheless, it would indeed be thrilling. She hoped she was there for it, that it was during her lifetime. Her and Telyn, that is. Rhomae was sure that her companion would love to take part in such an event as well.
The hind with the black running along her top from ear to tail listened as Telyn told of her friend, the one she had dreamed and schemed and plotted with...the friend who seemed to be awol. Hmmm.
"Getting away for a little while?" she said softly, rolling the thought around in her mind. "It would be an adventure, but the outriders would catch us, no doubt. We would be unable to go very far out of the outrider's range without getting into territory we wish to avoid. And if we cannot go to such territory, we could not escape the outriders' gaze. Not to mention the danger involved."
She was not adverse to the idea - far from it. However, she wondered if Telyn really understood all the danger in such an outing. If not the danger of predators, then the danger of getting lost or trapped. Honestly, she was more worried over the latter than she was over the former. You could run from a predator. Running from being lost only got you more lost.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:03 pm
“That’s what I thought too! I thought that the Outriders would be sure to catch any hind who snuck away… but, think about it! Brychan said that this reindeer hind was inside the herd’s territory! She had gotten past the Outriders into our herd! Not very much into it, I admit, but that doesn’t matter. The important thing is that she got past them!” And, it went without saying, that Telyn imagined reindeer to be thirteen feet tall with great blazing antlers and were as secretive as a stag during Anlach. If a reindeer hind could get into the herd, it seemed perfectly possible that at least one Firebringer hind could sneak out.
While Rhomae’s words were intended to be a warning (or perhaps intended to make Telyn think of the dangers) they had the opposite effect. Instead, the gray hind only got more excited, dancing from foot to foot slightly. “Exactly! It would be a grand adventure, Rhomae! We could go out and do things that no hind has ever done before! We could be the first!”
Well, alright, realistically some other hind had probably already done something like this. But, Telyn never let reality get in the way of her little dreams. “And we wouldn’t go far. We would just… you know. A mile or so.”
‘We’? When had she brought Rhomae into this? Well, she supposed she had the moment she opened up her muzzle. It was too late to go back now. The unspoken invitation was out there, waiting to be accepted.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 6:52 pm
"You can very easily get in to trouble, and have a very difficult time getting out of it." she pointed out with a humorous glint behind her eyes.
The herla laughed at Telyn's excitement. "Indeed, we could...are you prepared for Brychan's worry, though? You know how concerned he would be." she said softly, nudging Telyn a little.
It was enticing idea. Rhomae was a quiet one, but she was also bold enough to consider such an escape. Consider only for the moment - her mind was still running through all the variables, as it often did. As soon as that process was complete, she'd make her decision.
Not that her decision was likely to deter Telyn any. The hind seemed heart-set on making her escape.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:01 pm
“And that’s the beauty of it, Rhomae,” Telyn laughed. “If I get caught, the worst thing that can happen is the proverbial slap on the rump. They can’t do anything worse than that. As a hind of breeding age, they’ll want me around for next Anlach or whenever I actually am ready, so they can’t throw me out of the herd. Even if they tried, Brychan would stop them.” That is, if Brychan wasn’t the Lord of the Herd by that point anyway. If he was, that could make things a wee bit trickier, since others would be more willing to keep an eye on her…
But, she was confident in her ability to slip away simply because---and this was the beautiful part---no one expected a few hinds to slip away. It wasn’t as if a lot of them really wanted to, or even thought of it! Because of this, Telyn was certain no one would be watching all that closely. Outriders prevented others from coming into the herd, not from leaving it.
“Brychan will worry. I can do nothing about that. Well, I suppose I could stay here, but then I would just be bored. I think that a little worry on his part is better than boredom on my part. He’ll just go off and take out his worryness on Loreena or something.”
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:27 pm
Rhomae remained silent for a while, considering her words. Telyn had some valid points - a little bit too idealistic for her tastes, but valid all the same. Telyn was making it seem easier and less-painful than it actually could be. Though, she was being a little inconsiderate of Brychan. Having faith in him was one thing, taking advantage of what makes you have faith in him is entirely another.
"A slap on the rump for you, at the least. A blow to the reputation for Brychan." she said quietly, inclining her head a little in Telyn's direction.
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Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:33 pm
The look on Telyn’s face was worth a thousand words, most particularly synonyms for ‘guilt’. Clearly, she hadn’t considered the effects on Brychan’s reputation. The stag was challenging the Lord of the Herd! If his hinds got into trouble… well, it would reflect badly on him. If he couldn’t even keep his hinds in line, how could he control an entire herd? Telyn frowned and scratched the earth with one hoof, trying to think of a way around that little problem without actually giving up her plans.
“Weeeeelll… that’s only a problem if we get caught, you know? So long as we’re really careful not to get caught, it’s not a real threat.” Her enthusiasm was returning quickly, although it was clear that Rhomae’s words had struck a chord in the gray hind. “And by that, I mean you help me spot problems with the plan so that we can patch it up so that nothing can go wrong.”
There was some sort of saying about this, she was certain. Something about fools, and plans, and fool-proof and how nothing could ever be thus. She would remember it eventually.
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