[PRP] Another Turning Point (Caelen & Flower)

[Lilly_Foxx]

It was another warm day on the meadow. The sky was blue and the sun shining brightly as fluffy clouds rolled across the heavens. A gentle, cooling breeze ruffled the grasses and blew the dandelion seeds asunder. All in all it was a very lovely day. Wild flowers were scattered here and there but if one looked hard enough they could find a very large patch of white daisies.

Flower laid amongst the flowers on her back, her sapphire blue eyes peering up at the clouds, the sun's rays warming her body. Above the line of flowers one could see four small legs and possibly the tip of a muzzle. The mare sighed contentidly and tried to see what sorts of things she could make of the clouds.

A soft song escaped the mare's lips. Her tone was rich, and velvety. She was most definately a baritone. It was almost startling to find the melodic sound coming from such a small creature. She sung an old love song she had heard her grandfather sing to his mate.

"Alas, my love, you do me wrong, o cast me off discourteously. For I have loved you well and long. My mate was all my joy, my mate was my delight, my mate was my heart of gold, And who but my lady, my love." She sung so softly that if you weren't listening for it you wouldn't catch it.

She was very shy by nature and thus, didn't like to draw attention to herself.  

[`Swirly]

The area around Caelen seemed lovely and bright to him, but sometimes it seemed too bright, too cheery, and too hard of his mint-green eyes. Shaking out a curly mop of hair he sighed softly, he was just being cranky. Finally after a long long absence from Lovey Dovey he had decided the mare probably would want to know just where precisely he had gone and disappeared to.

Not that that was what made him cranky. The time spent with what was to become his mare, (not to be cocky) had done wonders for his tempermant and leaving didn't do anything to make him smile. What sort of weird obsession could one mare prove?

Never before had he cared if a mare had come or gone. In fact.. right now he was losing his mind listening to the sound a soft sad love song... Wait, that wasn't his mind it was a tiny mare?

"Fer the love of all the saints in Ireland! Lass, ye nearly got smashed. I'm glad ye were singing!" His voice was a jovial mix of laughter and sun-warmed daydreams, "The name's Caelen, and what might I call the singin' grass-dozer?"  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower eyes grew as large as saucers, a look of utter suprise on her face. "B-Blimey!" She breathed as she threw her weight over so that she could scramble to her feet. Her breathing was slightly ragged as if she had seen a ghost. But her dialect was distinctly English. It wasn't formal sounding as a Londoner's it was more relaxed, and carefree sounding.

The mare craned her neck backwards so she could better look at the stallion. "F-F-Flower." She said hurriedly, swallowing hard and taking a few steps backward. "You g-gave me a right start, y-you did." She told him, making sure to keep a healthy distance.

He seemed nice enough but then again so had Tiffany, well before she opened her mouth at any rate. "I-I didn't mean to be i-in your way." She added, always very apologetic, even for things that weren't her fault.  

[`Swirly]

The flighty little... mare-thing certainly made him want to laugh. Although laughing at her probably wasn't the best way to go about making friends. Instead he permitted himself an easy self-indulgent grin while he pondered what he wanted to say to her, "Och lass, I wouldna think ye'd blend inter the grass with yer colorin' but ye managed it, eh?" She had an accent too? Well it was about bloody time.

"Flower, eh? The name's Caelen unless I already said that then ye can call me... Caelen." In the hub-bub to not step on her and the furious flurry the little critter seemed to enjoy putting herself into he'd lost strack of the words he had and hadn't said, "Ye managed ter give me a wee bit 'o a start too lass."

"Ye werena in me way. Tis a big meadow in theory I coulda gotten inter yer way, no?" Oh god, did he have another mare to bring out of her shell? Az was cranky and distrustful.. Was Flower just shy to the point of speechlessness or useless stammering?  

[Lilly_Foxx]

She forced a smile. "Aye. y-you've said t-tha." She said with a nod. "I-I s'pose y-you could look a-at it that way." She agreed.

In fact he had, so it was a moot point all together. She was never too good with introductions, or conversation for that matter. She had just now started to meet others besides her two-legger. "N-Nice ta h-hear some one's g-got a different speech p-pattern." She said referring to his Irish dialect.

"I-I guess I'll j-just have t-to mind where I d-decide to have a l-lie down then eh?" She offered with a small, almost genuine expression of joy. If her logic remained intact there was no way this male could hurt her, in such a way that she was dreading.

But the more she thought on it, she realized that with some finesse it was possible, heck, plausible. That didn't sit too well with her. Oh how she wished she hadn't thought of that!  

[`Swirly]

Caelen's own expression was one of friendly blandness. As much character as he had to show the world the little mare probably wouldn't fare too well with him being boisterous and explosive. Not that he minded being quiet at time, it just didn't suit him for the most part.

"Oh aye, it's nice. It gets old havin' young an' old tell ye that ye sound funny. Have they nae thought ter figure that ter me their barbaric slang makes me wince?" Maybe the tiny mare would relax if he kept talking and didn't force her onto the spot, "Indeed, me current an' only herdmate, Lovey Dovey, gets teased from me fer her tongue. She's a lady as mcuh as a young mare can be, but her soft voice needs refinin' aye."

"Jest the same I'll have ter make sure I dun smash up anything save fer the grass, eh?" What? An almost-smile? Well, his own rambling probably put the little thing at ease. His voice was quite nice to listen to if he did say so himself. Ahh, being an "impudent male" had it's perks.

"So miss Flower, would ye care ter walk with me or would ye prefer yer solitude either or are yer choice. Neither will please or displease me more or lass, ye ken?"  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower scoffed and feigned a look of anger, but it was clear she was only fooling. "Ah, I-I get it...the big I-Irish bloke c-can take or l-leave the English l-l-lass." She said.

It was her first real attempt at a joke. Something about Caelen told her that he was trustworthy. But she wouldn't dare act on it. She had to prove to Ahote that she was happy. This was as good a way as any to start.

"T-tell me abou' it. They s-s-sound horrid a-an' their s-speech is ghastly." She agreed. "But I-I'm a fair one to t-talk." She paused at looked to him.

"S-Sure I'd f-fancy a walk." She added trying to sound convincing. If he got too close to her, heaven help the lass. But she'd do her best to seem normal. It was clear however, by her body language that part of her was hesitant. He was still a male.  

[`Swirly]

Grinning wickedly Caelen shook his head and winked, "Are ye crazy lass? In a land of slang-swingers I've found a proper english lass an' ye think I'll jest leave ye? Jest don't fall asleep or I might tie ye ter me back. Yer small enough fer it."

Hopefully the little mare would realize that he wouldn't actually tie her to his back, but she was shy enough. Time would tell, as in the next few minutes how precisely she took to being joked around with.

"Ahh some'r worse than other alright, but the longer I'm here the more I adjust ter it. Afterall I've several colorful words that none o' the others here seem ter understand. Makes life interestin'" He looked back down at the little mare for just a moment before beginning to walk again across the meadow.

"Weell then, we canna jest stand 'round all day now can we? Let's high-tail it ter wherever we want ter go." Impersonal but friendly. That was Caelen to a T right now. Unfortunately for him he found it ungodly boring not to be able to bounce as usual. But she was a nice mare, it'd just take a bit of patience and it'd be worth it most likely.  

[Lilly_Foxx]

A slight chuckle escaped her lips. "Aye, I'd c-certainly fancy b-b-being tied to some r-random, yet c-charming, bloke's back." She said sarcastically, but in a good natured way.

"I-I called some b-bloke 'mate' a-and the more I t-thought about it t-the more I understood the i-i-implications of saying s-such. H-he might 'ave t-thought it w-wasn't platonic." She admitted. "That'd 'a-ave been real m-mess."

Of course, being little, she had to go at a much faster clip to keep up, but for now that was just fine with her. A little brisk exercise wouldn't kill her, in fact, she welcomed it. "Just don' g-get goin' too fast or you're a-apt to loose me." She told him.

Maybe there were both good and bad stallions, like there were mares. Perhaps her father had just been a bad one and Caelen seemed to be a decent bloke. But then again, her dad seemed decent at times as well.

Thus, she had no idea what to make of this encounter. Maybe he was trying to lull her into a false sense of security? Yes, that had to be it. She glanced up to him as she walked, every now and again.  

[`Swirly]

Oh-ho, she was gradually gathering up some spunk and managing to backsass him, "Now lass, where did that "Aye" come from? Don't tell me that I'm rubbin' off on ye already!" Grinning down at her before his true laughter began.

"Now then, that takes the cake. I've nae called anythin' in these lands mate, amigo, or friend yet but trust me. I know jest the mare ter use it on. I may have ter give ye a frong row ticket ter that argument."

Slowing his pace subtlely enough for her not to see blatently what he had done, Caelen gazed up into the bright sky for a few moments before deciding on what his next words would be. The little one would keep up just fine, that he was positive enough in.

"So little Flower, what's a suspicious skunk-striped little mare doin' out an' about. I must say I managed ter hide me surprise as I'm sure yer sick 'o hearing "Oh my yer jest too tiny" but wouldn't ye be out with yer herd instead o' in a field?"  

[Lilly_Foxx]

Flower's eyes widened in mild suprise a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "Y-You know...I-I haven't the f-f-foggiest." She told him.

The mare quirked a brow. "W-Why on earth'd y-you want t-to an' have a r-row with s-some l-l-lass?" She asked curiously before looking down for a moment. "S-S-Sorry, s'not m-my place to ask." She added, fearing she was becoming nosey.

She laughed lightly. "T-That's all righ'." She told him with a soft smile. "J-Just so save you the q-question I-I'm a Usdia." She told him before dawning a rather pensive look and trying to hide any negative emotion.

"I-I d-don't have a h-herd." She said simply, allowing him to take that as he wished. Sure, there were reasons she didn't have a place to be but it wasn't the end of the world. Hence, why she lived with her two-legger who wished nothing more than for her to be happy and with other horses.  

[`Swirly]

"Ahh because havin' a row 'er two with a lass is the most fun a lad can find. Sometimes, actually, most of the time lasses get so flustered they canna make a sensible argument. So I enjoy findin' 'em when I can."

"An Usdia, eh? I'll probably be seein' more and more of 'em around here eventually." Shaking out his mane before looking the little mare over, Caelen nodded his approval. Sometimes it seemed too many damned Soquili roamed the area.

"Ahh, well at least ye've a two-legger most like ter make sure yer taken care of." His own body was moving in a smooth rythmn, even if it was about two or three steps slower than what he was accostomed to moving. Perhaps it'd be called ambling. "I've a herd o' me own formin' slow an' sure. Soon enough I've a feelin' it'll only be growin' through breedings. Such lovely babes."  

[Lilly_Foxx]

The mare laughed lightly. "Ah, well...I-I take it t-the lass you've g-g-got a mind to torment h-has e-enough sense to know s-she's not the greatest t-thing i-in the world." She said, hoping he wouldn't routinely consort with mares like Tiffany. Heck, maybe he hadn't met her, and if so, lucky him.

"I-I've only m-met one other thus f-f-far." She told him. "B-But I've met my f-fair share of S-Soquili. O-One I w-w-wished I hadn't but..." She trailed off thinking she may as well not finish that. What if the male liked the mare of whom she was speaking? Well that wouldn't do at all, to go and bash her.

Flower nodded. "Mhmmm. S-She's a sweet lass. B-But she'd like m-me t-to find a herd and s-s-such...n-not that I b-blame her." She added. A slightly dreamy look slipped onto her face at the mention of foals. "T-They certainly a-a-are a blessing." She agreed, wanting nothing more than to settle down with a stallion and have a family, a better one than she'd had.  

[`Swirly]

"Oh yes.. Az knowns precisely what she is and what she isna. Which is why I like ter tease her that she either is what she isna or that she isna what she is." The Irishman's tongue felt surprisingly tied up for a moment and he began to chuckle, "Oi lass.. I'm confusin' meself."

"Ye've had a run in with a few bad Soquilis, eh? Jest try not ter group us all in with the baddies!" Grinning lightly he decided that if at all possible he'd steer the conversation way from talking about someone that made the already stuttering-shy mare even worse. Although truth be told her stuttering seemed to have lessened the move relaxed she became.

"Ahh foals. I've one that needs me ter raise it up right. I heard via hawk not too long ago that I've a little filly I need ter get to." Lovey would probably have her named by then and acting just like the mare did. "Jest humer yer two-legger... They seem ter enjoy it."  

[Lilly_Foxx]

"Eh, y-you c-could say that I s-suppose." She said. "A-And I know...t-that'd be like s-sayin' a-all two-leggers are h-horrid, e-evil things." She agreed. "Ah well w-wee ones a-a-abound this time o-of year." She added brightly.

Two robins began to fly in the air as if they were dancing and singing together. "T-T-Twitterpated." She said nodding to the birds with a soft smile on her muzzle. "L-Like so many o-others I've r-run into as of late." She added. She often wondered if she was meant to have that sort of relationship. She now knew friendship was attainable at the very least.