|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:07 pm
The land of D'ob had been kind to him; the white coat that had been scruffy now shone with health and the previously slightly skinny Reya had filled out. At the very beginning of spring, this valley had allowed him to look and feel as well as he did in the kind summer months back in his home. The heavy rainfall helped too as, for much of the day, the sun that hurt his eyes and damaged his skin was hidden by clouds. It was a good place to be.
Normally he wouldn't have risked walking blind in an unknown palce but here the land was so smooth, the few slopes so gentle, that he felt safe. The worst he would encounter was a bush and he could easily stop before he entangled himself moving at this pace.
Morthan smiled to himself and bent to nibble at the rich grass.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:26 pm
A large bush was coming up fast, but she didn't want to slow down even the slightest to go around it. Instead, her well-muscled legs carried her right up to the obstruction and she unfolded her wings to aid her. With a powerful leap of her hindlegs, she soared up and over the foliage, but continued to glide for a few yards due to her speed and momentum. She landed gracefully, her gold hooves still pounding the grass beneath her, and she continued.
But, what was that in front of her? Why, surely, it was another nequus, pure white it seemed. But was it a reya? The mare's heart soared as she approached this creature. Could it be her mother? Could her long search end now? In her excitement she came to a more sudden stop than usual, halting only a few yards from the other. From its curved horn and bat-like wings, this was surely another reya. She took a few steps closer, but noticed that this creature was male, not female, and her heart, as well as her excitement and joy, sank like a rock. She should introduce herself, she figured, but she was unsure of herself for the first time in quite a while. She watched the stallion closely, her pale green eyes studying him carefully. He seemed healthy, she observed, and he had lovely, bright blue eyes. Perhaps this misfortune wouldn't be so bad, after all.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:40 pm
The sound of hammering hooves reached Morthan's ears and he paused in his grazing, raising his head and turning his ears to listen better. The sound halted for a moment but soon, after a louder thump, the rhythm began again. Leaping over an obstacle perhaps? Abruptly, and not far away from him, he heard the other Nequus come to a halt. Well, conversation might be nice even if whoever this was did end up working out that he couldn’t see a damn thing.
Whoever it was however didn’t seem keen on conversation.
Well, that didn't matter too much; perhaps they just weren't good at introductions. Still, it would have been nice to have some clue as to the gender of this owner of pounding hooves. Ah well, he'd find out soon enough with luck.
"Greetings," the albino smiled at the patch of air where the hooves had stopped. "A fine night for travelling, isn't it? My name is Morthan, yours?" From the sound of the hooves, they had been quite heavy, he doubted that this person was Bae or Ichsa. Jala and Aeri however were quite possible. His own kind was about the right weight to make such hoofbeats too but he knew well that his sort were rarer than the un-horned. It could even be a crossbreed. If it was, he hoped it wasn't one of the ones he'd met not long ago; he wasn't sure he liked the idea of the red-white knowing how night robbed him of sight.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 1:59 pm
She watched as he raised his head to observe her, not noticing his nocturnal blindness. She regained her lost composure, willing herself to lighten up and consider the shock as a blessing in disguise. She would find her mother soon, she knew. Tonight just wasn't to be her night.
"Greetings, Morthan. And yes, it's a wonderful night for travelling. Perfect for seeing objects in one's way, for certain. My name is Cressida, sir, and I assure you the pleasure is all mine." She dipped her muzzle in a polite greeting, pale eyes locked on the albino stallion before her. "Please excuse my silence after stopping; I had spotted you after I jumped a bush back yonder- " she motioned with her muzzle to the spot, "and I mistook you for.. for someone I'm looking for. However, it's a pleasure to meet you, all the same. Meeting others is a wonderful experience, especially if they're the same breed. I hadn't seen any other nequus for years, and any other reya even longer. And within the past day or two, I've met two other reya besides yourself," she said, unable to hide a chuckle. It was rather amusing, not to see another reya for a long time, then see three within the span of a day, maybe two. "Where do you hail from, Morthan?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:10 pm
Ah, so it was a mare and she was one of his own sort. It also appeared that the way he had pictured the night was accurate which was always nice to know. The stallion smiled and gave a nodding bob of his head. "Yes, I've always liked full moons. I live in a pine forest not far from Casa Tiner and until recently I hadn't left all that much." The old stallion gave another smile. "Glad I decided to," he murmured, wondering vaguely what the creature before him looked like and how old she was.
Wait. She'd said something about looking for someone? "Looking for another white Reya then?" he quizzed the mare before him with a questioning tilt of his head. He didn't think he'd passed such a creature but it was possible that he had one night during his steady walking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:26 pm
"A full moon is a beautiful thing, as are its companions, the stars. Crescent moons are wonderful, as well. Night is one of my favorite times, besides sunsets and sunrises. It's beautiful how nature can paint such a beautiful horizon that it does each morn and night," she said with a nod and a smile. Yes, it was fortunate to have met this stallion. He seemed kind so far, and even though he hadn't turned out to be her dam she was still glad to have met him. She thought she heard him say he was glad he decided to venture out from his home, but she was unsure. "I'm sure the forest is a beautiful place. I'm sorry to say I've never been there before, even though in my lifetime I've done a great deal of travelling."
"Yes, I am," said she, ears twitching slightly as she was reminded of her missing mother. "I was looking for my mother, in all honesty. We were separated when I was just a foal, because a c**k-sure ichsa stallion decided to try and claim my mother as his mate, or some such. He found that she was too devotedly attached to me and so rid me from the scene, hoping to attain her affections, but knowing my mother he probably got damn well what was coming to him," she said with a bitter smile. "But, that's all and done with, and now I'm searching fruitlessly for my mother. I heard from a reya mare before that she had seen a white reya up north a ways, so I came this way in search of the white creature in hopes it was my mother. Whether it was you or my mother that the mare had seen, I don't know, but I'm glad for her advice, all the same, because if I hadn't followed it I probably wouldn't have come this way and so wouldn't have met you," she said with a smile. It was always such a pleasure to meet more kind nequus, especially, as she had told the albino stallion before, one of the same breed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:39 pm
He'd never seen the stars. The pale stallion found himself unable to concentrate on the rest of the female Reya's comments on the beauty of nature as the thought took root in his mind and tried to sap at his mood. The pale stallion pushed the bitter jealousy aside however as he realised that his companion was speaking again, this time about the one she sought.
"Your mother eh?" He remembered losing his family as a colt. It hadn't been nice. He'd never really thought to look for them as this mare was for her dam. Perhaps he ought to have. "I'm sorry to hear that," the blue-eyed male said with a slight bob of his head. "I got separated from my family when I was young as well so I understand as well as anyone can understand someone they’ve only just met. Had dealings with cocky Ichsa buggers, too." Morthan smirked as he recalled the palomino's look of horror when he realised he'd been bested. "He certainly got what was coming to him," the white-winged male chuckled, "I hope the one who split you away from your mother did too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 3:08 pm
She nodded, watching him curiously. "Yes, my mother. It feels nice to have someone who had a similar experience that can understand. And, I'm sure he got what was coming to him, and a great deal more," said she with a laugh. Yes, he probably got his just desserts three times over, if not more.
"Have you, by any chance, seen a white reya mare in your travels? If you have and could tell me where, I'd be eternally grateful to you, Morthan," she said with a bob of her head. Unsure of what would be appropriate to say next, she decided silence would be best. She lowered her muzzle to the soft grass, plucking a few of the blades and began to graze in silence. After a few moments she swallowed and lifted her head to watch the stallion. "You told me you almost always kept to yourforest home. What then, praytell, happened to cause you to yearn for other lands?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 3:16 pm
The albino shook his head regretfully. "I'm afraid I haven’t, Cressida, but I'll keep my eyes open and if I do happen across her, I'll tell her you're looking." He almost wanted to ask if she'd seen any of his family but then decided against it. It had been far too many years now to seek news of parents that might well be dead and sisters that would have their own lives by now. No sense troubling himself with a probably pointless search or them with a ghost of the past if he did find them.
"To be honest," Morthan went on, "I left because I met a young Reya lad who'd just taken territory nearby and realised how bloody boring my life was compared to his passion and ambition. Before him I hadn't even seen another Nequus since my last daughter left with her mate and that was quite some time ago now. I decided that I wanted to find something to do with my life again and that I wasn't going to find it in that forest so, here I am."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:20 pm
"Thank you, Morthan," the gilded mare said with a nod. She doubted he'd seen another white reya, but it always was good to ask, just to make sure. I'll find her one day soon, she thought to herself with a nod. "Well, at least you decided to do something with your life again instead of pining away in your forest," said she with a smile. She couldn't imagine staying in a forest for one's whole life. It seemed so... so... so boring. "It's always wonderful to see new places and meet new nequus. As it is, I'm glad to have met you, Morthan. I don't really have a permanent home, myself, I travel a lot. I plan to live close to the seaside, though. I met an ichsa stallion there, actually; he was very nice, nothing like my first impression with the breed. He lives by the sea, too. Have you ever seen the ocean Morthan? It's a beautiful place. My mother used to take me there when I was younger, and we'd sing songs until way past sunset, said the mare with a dreamy smile, recalling days past when she actually knew where her mother was. "I really do miss her, and I plan to find her someday soon," she said with a nod. "Maybe even by the ocean.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:29 pm
Morthan smiled but shook his head to the mare's query. "No, I've never been to the ocean but I've heard about it from lots of people. Maybe I'll go and investigate it at some point during this little holiday of mine." A nice Ichsa? Well it was possible, he supposed, but the leather-winged stallion preferred to avoid his horned cousins. They were too proud by half for his tastes.
"I certainly hope you do find her," the blue-eyed Reya went on. "I'll ask the people I meet if they’ve seen her, too. Two of us wandering around and asking questions gives better chances of finding her than just you." He wasn't usually the sort to act on altruistic impulses but it was little trouble to just keep his eyes open, when they worked, and to ask a few questions. Besides, he couldn't help but identify with the mare's plight.
"If I do find her, or hear news of her, where ought I to say she could find you?" the pale-coated stallion quizzed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:41 pm
She smiled at him, taking a few steps towards her new companion. A closer study of this stallion wouldn't hurt, she didn't think. "Oh, you should go visit it sometime. It's such a beautiful place. During the day the sun reflects off the surface of the water and it's painful to look at sometimes, but during dawn and dusk the rising or setting sun paints a beautiful picture of color on the water's surface," she said with a smile.
"Thank you, Morthan. It really means a lot to me," she said with a nod and a smile. She heaved a small sigh, her mind drifting to her mother again. Would she find her? Would she ever see her again? No, it didn't do any good to think like that. She would see her dam again. She blinked several times, brought back to reality by his question. "Hmm? Oh. Tell her to find me at my tree, in Shrilal. I usually visit there at least once a day, but on occasion once every two days," she said with a nod. She smiled at him again, muscular tails twitching behind her. "Thank you again, Morthan. It really is very kind of you to offer to help me find her."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:51 pm
The pale stallion tried not to worry when he heard her coming closer. If she came too close she'd see that, whilst they were pointing at her, his eyes were looking through her rather than at her. It would be useless to deny that he couldn’t see a damn thing in she did notice "It's no trouble," he assured the female of his kind with a nod. What did it matter if she found out anyway? She didn't seem like the kind to shun him for the weakness, nor the sort to pity him. Besides, even if she was the sort to do so he’d earned her good opinion and a lack of night-sight was probably not about to change that.
"Oh, it occurs to me to ask your mother’s name," the Reya stallion said, twitching his tails at something that had ticked his flank. "A name to go along with the description would be helpful," he concluded with a nod, settling the muscular strands once more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:38 pm
"If you're sure," she said with a smile, stopping a yard or two from him. Upon a closer look, she saw that while his coat was smooth and healthy, it bore traces of having been unhealthy until recently. She could see a few sore spots almost hidden by his white pelt, and his eyes.... His eyes? A chill ran down her spine as she looked into his eyes, feeling as if he was indeed looking through her, rather than at her. Blind? She shook her head a bit to rid herself of the uneasiness that had no place in such a situation, and moved the thumb of one leathery wing up to rid herself of an itch on her neck.
"Her name?" She asked, blinking, and replaced her wing in its proper place. "I... I don't know her name. I always called her mother, and I hardly ever heard her name." This fact saddened her slightly. She was looking for the dam she'd missed so much over the past few years and she didn't even remember her name? "I might have heard it once or twice, but whether I did or not her name hasn't stayed in my memory, unfortunately," she said with a frown. "Which is really sad, I think. I've been looking for her for years, and I don't even remember her name," said she with a bitter smile, the statement in the same tone as her smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2007 3:56 am
The pale coated stallion smiled again and nodded. "Yes, I'm completely sure." Well she hadn't commented but he thought something had distracted her for a moment. It was possible that it was just paranoia but... Well, things would sort themselves out, either she knew or she didn't and either she'd comment or she wouldn't. He had no power to change either of those things and might as well just wait to see what would happen.
As the Reya mare went on the albino couldn't help but feel sorry for her. A name wasn't so large a thing, true, and one seldom called one's parents by it, especially when young but it still wouldn't be a nice thing. Not knowing the name of the person you sought might make you feel that you didn't even know who it was that you were truly seeking. How well did any foal know their parents? He knew that he himself had kept things and parts of himself from his children when they’d been small.
"Don't worry about it," Morthan said with a nod. "We're scarce enough that a pure white mare is quite likely to be your mother, nothing else considered. Anything else you remember could help though; build, any distinguishing mannerisms and such." He was, the pale stallion considered as he awaited an answer, really rather poor at being comforting. Oh well, bitter though her tone was the old Reya thought it likely that Cressdia didn't really need comforting. Being alone from a young age either made you tough, as it seemed to have with her, or skittish and weak. He wasn't quite sure which it had made him. Possibly both; that would go with his unstable personality quite well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
