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 Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:55 am
He nudged a tree branch out of the way with his nose and snorted as all it revealed was more trees. He was starting to wonder what the appeal of a place like this was. It all looked the same and if it hadn't been for Tony he'd probably have gotten lost.
"You'd think something red would be a lot easer to find in all this green and brown." He snorted as he looked over to his friend. They'd been looking for Tony's father for a long time now. His friend hadn't been kidding when he'd sad that his dah was hard to get a hold of.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:34 pm
Grinning, Antony looked back at his friend as he shouldered his way through the greenery, his muscular wings being used to their fullest extent to hold apart the branches that seemed to crop up everywhere. It WAS a pretty cruddy part of the woods as far as ground travel went; Guilian tended to fly in, which was one of the the reasons that he was so fond of it. Not a lot of unwanted company. Granted, a lot of Soquili had wings these days, but this seemed to be more regular territory.
Traveling with Dodger had proved to be an interesting exercise in being a regular, though; it took longer than ridiculous to get anywhere, and relying on your legs...yeah, he was glad to have wings. Dodge seemed relatively philosophical about the whole thing, though, for which Tony was immensely grateful.
"Well, the trees are so thick back hear it's hard to see much of anything. You'd probably try to bury yourself away if you were on the run from a pissy kalona, though, so keep that in mind."
Still, he was optimistic. Guilian hadn't been in any of his easier to reach haunts; the glade that the two stallions were currently on their way to was one of the few places where the black roses that Guilian so adored grew wild. Hopefully, possibly, he'd be there...
Even MORE hopefully, he'd be there alone.
"How're your legs holding up?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:40 pm
"... right i'll just hope that you're mother is not around than hoping i can dive under a bush." He chuckled as he ducked under another branch. This tract of forest was much thicker than the trees around the lake. Those he could get though easily since the natives had kept hunting trails open.
He looked down at his legs once he had a chance. They weren't too bad. "As long as i stay away from another thorn bush i think i'll be fine." He'd have to remember what those things looked like. "Probably would have been easier if you'd just flown. Wouldn't have to slow yourself down to keep up with me"
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:53 pm
Even if Dodger was joking, his idea for escaping Izusa was pretty smart. She'd never cared for 'lessers,' never forgiven herself for mating with one, and DEFINITELY never forgiven herself for developing feelings for one. Seeing another lesser about would likely do nothing to improve her mood, although her moods were so changable that that could potentially be a positive...
Oy. Whoever said that familiy was complicated wasn't kidding.
"Yeah, those were some nasty ones, weren't they? I'd have thought you'd be used to getting past thorns, but I suppose you aren't terribly forest bound yourself, are you? Oh well, live and learn, right?" As to the very idea of flying... "What, and miss all the fun of crawling through the brush? You are a silly fellow, Dodger, that you are!"
~~~
Farther ahead through the trees, past a thick scrubby hedge, the glade the two stallions were heading for sat, shady and inviting. Stray bits of sun managed to burst through the canopy, but for the most part the glade was shady.
Beside the small pool that occupied a large potion of the cleared space, Guilian stood, attention focused on his reflection as he deftly manuevered a black rose into the mane by his ear. Placement was everything, after all, and it had to be just right.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:00 pm
"More used to having to walk though fast moving very cold water." which was not pleasant under any circumstances. "The woods near where my parents live are much thinner than this and there are trails cleared." Plus he didn't wander though them all that often anyway. He walked around or just went places that didn't involve trees.
"Oh yes. This is just so much fun how could i even think of you wanting to get out of it." He shook his head and regretted the move as a lock of his hair caught on a branch for a moment. The careful application of teeth got it free and soon the branch free as well.
"Have i expressed my hate for curls yet today?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:11 pm
"Only a half dozen times or so since we got into the woods, but who's counting?" Managing an almost straight face, Antony gave Dodger a shrug of the shoulders as he watched his friend attempt to distangle himself. Hair was exceedingly bothersome in that sense...which might be why so many Soquili had short hair. Not that he'd ever cut his own that short; while practical, it was simply ugly.
At any rate, once Dodger was free it was time to push on again, and push on he did, right through the branches up to the very edge of the clearing. Cocking his head, he listened for a moment to see if there were any sounds of occupancy; hearing none, he nodded at Dodger to follow him, then plowed/hopped right into the clearing itself.
Understandably, the sound of a fully grown stallion flopping through a hedge was hardly something missable, especially not from a few yards away. Without taking his eyes off of the face in the water or lifting his wings from the rose, Guilian chuckled at the unmistakable entrance of his son. "So, you still haven't learned how to handle a hedge, eh Tony? Perhaps you might want to consider flying more often, to save yourself the scratches."
Success!
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:17 pm
"Half a dozen is nothing." He spit the branch out and followed after Tony. At least this way the larger stallion could make a path for him for the most part.
Seeing the hedge that his friend had crossed he sighed. That was most defiantly going to be a rather painful expierence since there was no room for him to get a running start. That was going to mean a few more scratches and at least another ten knots in his curls.
As he pushed his way though after the other he heard a voice. That must have been Guillian then. At least that would mean no more trees until they had to leave.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:27 pm
Grinning, Antony brushed off the few stray leaves that had stuck to his body and hair in that little manuever, then trotted across to where his father was standing. Considering how nomadic Guilian's lifestyle was, it could be any length of time before Tony saw him again, so he was always quick to make the most of the situation.
Knowing his father as he did, Tony nevertheless snorted at the occupation Guilian was currently busy with. "You know that that flower will look fine wherever you put it, right? The least you can do is LOOK at your son when he's talking to you!"
He was teasing, but both of them knew he was right. WHAT was right depended on the listener, however...
Laughing, Guilian turned to give his son a smile, his dark eyes shining proudly. "Aye, it always does turn out charmingly, doesn't it? Practice, Tony, practice and you'll be able to pull of anything. But what have you been up to??" This as Guilian took note of Antony's appearance, the grass stains and scrapes of their journey evident on Tony's white coat. "You've been walking in THIS part of the forest? What on earth possessed you to-"
The sound of another body forcing its way through the hedge caused Guilian to break off, however, first in surprise, then understanding; glancing at his son, Guilian's smiled devilishly in a way Tony knew all too well. "Would you care for me to leave, by any chance?"
Typical Guilian. Still, Antony was quick to disabuse him of that notion. "If you left right now, I might just die of shock, Dad, since you're the reason we're here. Right Dodger?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:33 pm
Whatever those two were talking about sounded mildly funny. Probably would have been even better if he could actually see things rather than just more leaves. Sticking his nose out of the hedge followed by the rest of him he looked up at the last words. "If you leave now i'll find you later and kick your a** for making me go through all that for naught."
He sighed as he saw a few curls, now tangled horribly with leaves, fall in his face. "Figures..." He nipped at what he could as he walked over to join the other two. It was going to take help to get his hair clean after all this.
"Dodger .... pleased to meet you." He bowed his head slightly to the older stallion once he'd stopped by his friend.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:45 pm
Guilian had once made the mistake of assuming a stallion to be a mare due to hair; he'd been disappointed upon getting closer to learn he was mistaken, but had gained a lifelong friend as a result. Now, even though he immeadiately noticed the rather abundantly curled mane, he knew immedaitely that it was no mare he was speaking to. Oh well, obviously overly optimistic again today.
"Ah well, perhaps next time, Tony." Chuckling, Guilian turned away from the water to look at Tony's friend, noting that, unlike his rather large son, Dodger was roguhly his own height. No wings, either, which explained why Tony was all scratched up if they'd been traveling together...and apparently no sense of aesthetics, as he too was quite bedraggled. A pity, because he was probably a handsome fellow when tidy, but such was life.
All these things Guilian noted and thought in a matter of seconds before sweeping back his wings and bowing slightly to Dodger as well. "Well, I should hate to have to waste the time on a fight, so perhaps it is for the best I stay, no? But it's a pleasure to meet you, Dodger; I've always liked meeting my kids' friends, rare as such meetings are!" This was accompanied by a wink at Tony, albeit a gentle one and not an overtly snarky one. "I'm Guilian, Antony's father. What brings you boys out here?"
Antony hoped that Dodger hadn't picked up on Guilian's original assumption; however, given he hadn't commented, either he hadn't heard or he hadn't realized. Good thing, too; even though they'd talked a lot about family, Tony didn't think that they'd really gotten around to discussing his father...much.
But yes, the meat of the matter! "Well, we came for an opinion, naturally, right Dodge?" Nudging his friend with a wing, Antony gave Dodger a look of amusement, clearly indicating how far they'd come for such a little thing. But it wasn't the point, it was the principle...right?
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 3:56 pm
"I'd rather not get in a fight. Getting my hair out of this mess is going to be hard enough." He may not have liked all the curls but it'd be the death of him when he didn't make sure they looked nice as often as he could. He'd probably have to get Mama to help him get all the foliage out.
"Correct. We came to find you hoping to inquire as to winged creatures such as yourself." That had probably been a bit wordy but at least he wouldn't look stupid in front of his friends Dah. That was better than looking girly right?
He'd defiantly figured out what the red stallion had thought but figured it would be best to just not mention it.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:04 pm
Not quite what the stallion had been expecting. Upon hearing Dodger's request, one of Guilian's brows arched upwards in a graceful fashion, almost completley disapearing behind his forelock. "I see. So, what is it you specifically wish to know? After all, I'd hardly say that I myself am an authority on the history of the winged breeds."
That idea had appeal, though, and Guilian was grinning just thinking about it. An authority, huh?
That was Antony's cue to jump in, however. "Dad, we were curious if the different races of Soquili tended to stick to certain regions. You know, like how there were only regulars back around the place we grew up?"
That was nice and ambiguous. "Dodger says that there weren't a whole lot of winged ones back there."
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:15 pm
"Until i'd met Tony i didn't know about any winged ones. There were just ones like Mama and Dah." Though now he'd seen both and his parents said they'd seen some.
He continued trying to pull things from his curls as he waited for Guillians response. If he was right he'd be happier though from what his own Dah had said he could be horribly wrong.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:26 pm
Glancing from one boy to the other, Guilian had to give them what was on his mind. "You two came all the way out here through the woods this time of year in order to get the answer to that? That certainly must be a burning issue in your minds, but I myself would have just waited. Either that, or asked someone closer!"
He might flatter himself that he was knowledgeable enough to be sought after, but it still seemed a bit...excessive. "Still, I myself would probably have to say that, as a rule, there weren't that many winged ones in that neck of the woods. The only reason you were there was because that happened to be where I met your mother, Tony. Why SHE was there..."
Hrm. Why HAD Izusa been over there, anyway? Something about the village, if he remembered correctly... Regardless, it wasn't that important. "I myself was just looking to see what I could find, which is why I was there. I can't say about others, though. Come to think of it, I've encountered winds more around the lake than anywhere else, so perhaps that is the secret?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 4:32 pm
"But .... i live by the lake and have never seen one aside from you." He tilted his head slightly and thought about that. Maybe he'd just never seen them though with how much time he'd spent wandering that seemed like bad odds. He would have had to run into someone.
"I would think that with wings you'd like the open plains more. I see more of the unwinged kind around the lake than anything else."
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