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Post by kerarose on Apr 9, 2019 19:18:58 GMT -6
Following Delta's loss of a leg, Kelby comes to comfort her, and get her back into fighting shape.
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Post by kerarose on Apr 9, 2019 19:51:46 GMT -6
 Kelby had had enough.
She hadn't seen or really heard from Delta in a long while, and she was starting to get worried. Delta had always been the center of smiles, jokes, and puns galore in the Valkyries, and now everyone felt her loss. Kelby, perhaps, most of all. They had loved joking with Delta, and grown close to the tall mare. Kelby was worried, and she would not let her friend suffer in silence.
Coming off of a rough training session, armor still on, Kelby clanked her way to Delta's new home, down by the harbor. Forest-green teke rapped sharply on the door once, twice, three times.
No answer came from within. Kelby repeated the process, wishing to be polite. Perhaps the other mare was sleeping. However, they quickly grew impatient and antsy, shuffling hooves near the door.
"Delta?" Kelby's alto voice pierced the air. "Are you in there?"
Still no response from the other side. That's it, Kelby thought. Time for some tough love. Green teke gently tried the handle. It gave, meaning it wasn't locked. Good, they thought again. I always love a good entrance.
Pressing on the handle, Kelby put all of her might into a push with her shoulder, blowing the room open, sending the door banging against the wall. Inside, they could see a kitchen, a living room, and, there- a cracked door, inside of which they could see blankets. A bedroom. Kelby waltzed toward it, slamming the door in their wake. Delta's large form lay inside, on her side. Kelby took a deep breath, then put as much force behind their voice as possible.
"Rise and Shine, Delta!" they called out to the stirring mare. "The Valks are all worried about you. So how 'bout you get up, wash up, because you do not smell good, and join us for some post-training dinner?"
They chuckled at the other mare, watching as she rose- or tried to. She did not make it all the way to her feet before slipping again. Kelby's heart began to race, their stomach fell. What was wrong with Delta?
Then they saw it.
Just below the knee on her right front limb, Delta's leg was just gone. The wound looked older, perhaps two weeks at the most, and was clearly still healing, the skin still soft and tender. All of Mama's training rushed into Kelby's head as she frantically rushed toward her shield sister. Her emerald teke gently lifted the limb towards her, and she examined it. Looking up, she saw a golden prosthetic in the corner.
Kelby's earlier mirth vanished, instead replaced with sadness, and pain. Why had Delta not told her about this?
Meeting the other mare's gaze, she schooled her face into an expression of calm. "What happened, Delta?"
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Apr 10, 2019 11:16:28 GMT -6
 It was scary how fast ones life could be flipped upside down.
Nightmares about traps in the woods plagued the dappled mare's mind whenever she attempted at sleep. She hadn't slept in almost two weeks and she knew her health was suffering. In the time she had shut herself indoors she had developed a slight cough and dark circles were visible under her once bright eyes. Her silver dappled coat that once shone like armor when the sun touched it had now lost it's healthy luster. Her finned tail now dragged on the wood floor whenever she hobbled to get herself water or food. Her mane, usually so perfectly kept and braided, was now an unwashed, tangled mess that shadowed her eyes.
Currently, the only bright thing about her was her tattoo, it's glowing blues lit the semi-darkness of her bedroom, if only slightly. Jeremy, her small Pallid bat, sat patiently on the side of the mare's shoulder as she lay on her side. Cicero, Delta's Snow Leopard, laid at the foot of the bed, occasionally cleaning her fur. The two familiars had been so incredibly patient that Delta felt bad for not paying attention to them like she used to. It was hard to feel any kinds of happy when your leg was missing.
A series of knocks came to her front door, followed by a voice,
“Delta? Are you in there?”
Curios, Delta's ear turned to the direction of the sound. Was that Kelby?
The mare gave a grumpy, blunt snort, “Maybe if I ignore her, she'll go away...” she mumbled to herself.
When the knocks came again Delta had half the mind to leap out of bed at tell her to fuck off. If she wanted visitors, she'd send for them.
There was a brief moment of silence and the silvery mare was about to declare victory when the door was blown wide open and crashed into the wall behind it. Delta clenched her teeth, stifling an angry growl. As Kelby blatantly made her way into her bedroom and shouted her invitation (and blunt honesty) at the top of her lungs, Delta had had enough of this trespass on her privacy. She tried to get up off her bed but managed to forget her other leg wasn't there and slumped to her belly again. Hearing Kelby chuckle at her attempt was rage-inducing.
Jeremy left her shoulder for the curtain rod, glaring at Kelby, “Momma don’t want friends over. Go away loud lady.” his voice came out in tiny squeaks to anyone who couldn't decipher them.
Cicero got to her paws and flattened her ears, giving a low, short growl, pale green eyes fixed on the bay mare, “My Lady want's to be left in peace. You were not welcomed into the home.”
It only took a moment for Kelby to notice the missing limb. The mare's green teke wrapped around the stump to examine it but Delta quickly yanked it back,
“What happened, Delta?” came the younger mare's question. Delta pinned her ears and shoved herself off of the bed and onto the wooden floor, balancing using her three good legs, “What the fuck does it look like?” she spat, her voice venom, “I lost a leg. What else you want?”
When the bay mare didn't respond, Delta hopped across the room, quickly drawing Arbiter, her Claymore, out of it's sheath that had been tied to her foot-board.
She pointed it right at Kelby's head.
She might be crippled but she was still a valid threat. She out-weighed and out-skilled the younger Valkyrie.
The dappled mare gave an aggressive motion out the bedroom with her head, “Now get out,” she demanded, her muzzle wrinkled into a silent growl, eyes glaring acid from behind dark bangs, “I don't remember inviting you in.”
634 words || post 1
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Post by kerarose on Apr 10, 2019 19:25:31 GMT -6
Kelby pulled back slightly at the bat's squeaks and the snow leopard's growl, but what really shocked them was Delta pulling her claymore and aiming at their head.
And on top of that, she wanted Kelby to leave.
Hell no.
"I won't, Delta," she said, kindness laced with stone-like stubbornness infusing her tone. "How long have you been in here, in the dark? Days? Weeks?"
Their voice dropped a bit then, and Kelby looked up to meet the mare's eyes. She knew how often she had wished to mourn in her room after her Father's beatings, his scoldings, his screaming matches, breath reeking of alcohol. But Mama had always come, or sometimes Mom, to give her a little tough love and force her to continue to live, not lay down and die.
"Laying in the dark isn't good for you. Your body, or your mind. It won't change anything, and it won't bring your leg back." She hated being blunt, but Delta needed to listen. Kelby refused to let her words meet unhearing, uncaring ears. "Moping in the dark won't do anything but lead to loss of muscle and an unhappy mind."
Kelby stepped closer to their friend. Their ears pinned back as they recalled every single incident with Father in the past. When they spoke again, it was with a harsh whisper. "Do you think I don't understand what you're feeling right now? How every time after I was beaten, I wanted to do nothing but lay in my room and die? Father almost killed me on several occasions but I got back up. Mama and Mom refused to let me lay in my room and stop living."
Another step closer. "That's what you're doing right now, Delta," they said, some of the anger leaving their face. "However you lost your leg- tell me or not, in the end it doesn't matter- that didn't kill you. But you're not living right now, hiding away in here. You're closer to dying now than you were then. I know you don't want visitors, but it's time for some tough love. You've had your time to mope. Now it's time to get up and do something."
Kelby backed off then, and went around the room, lighting candles as they went. Even if they couldn't force their friend to get up, she would not lie in darkness, slowly dying. By the Goddesses, Kelby was going to make it better.
Walking over to the mare again, she straightened, making herself as tall as possible. "Now," she said, putting her serious Healer's mask on, "What have the Medics been telling you to do? Any therapy? Keeping the wound clean? How often have you been practicing with your prosthetic?"
They noticed the grumpy expression on the other mare's face. "Grump all you want, but I'm not leaving. I have medical training, and you clearly aren't taking care of yourself. So I'm stepping in, like it or not. So wipe that look off of your face, and let me help."
Kelby threw a cocky grin towards the other mare. "Besides, I miss my best friend. No one else appreciates my puns." |
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Apr 10, 2019 20:09:54 GMT -6
Delta borderline swung the sword at the other mare when she refused to leave. This mare had come into her home, uninvited and unwanted. Now she had the gall to chest up to her.
She wasn't in the mood for a lecture. Her father, Oberon, had already given her quite a few and Jushiro was the only one she had allowed herself to cry in front of, aside from her familiars.
Delta bit back half-a-dozen threats and choked herself out of blatantly bellowing cuss words at her as the brown Valkyrie scolded her. She confused her grieving with giving up. Abuse was something almost everyone could pick themselves back up from. With the right help.
“-But you're not living right now, hiding away in here. You're closer to dying now than you were then.”
'Excuse me!?'
Not Living!? NOT LIVING! How fucking shallow was this mare's perception!? She was MISSING A LEG. She was resting! Trying to get better!
"Grump all you want, but I'm not leaving. I have medical training, and you clearly aren't taking care of yourself. So I'm stepping in, like it or not. So wipe that look off of your face, and let me help."
Delta ignored everything the mare said after that. She watched as Kelby walked around her bedroom, lighting citrus-scented candles as she went. Under her breath, she spoke to the Snow Leopard as Kelby talked, “Leg please.”
The Leopard turned and fetched the prosthetic out of the corner of the room, returning it to it's owner. Still holding Arbiter up, Delta fastened the buckle that secured the false limb to her real one. The silver Valkyrie managed to put a little weight on the leg without faltering. She stared down the dunskin mare with all the fury she had. The temperature in the air spiked unnaturally high. Delta gave a loud, sharp snort that was clearly a threat. At the same time, all the candles Kelby had lit were snuffed out in a blink.
The mare's voice turned dark, “I said,” she took a single step towards the intruding mare, angling the blade to her throat, “Get. Out.”
Cicero growled and bared her fangs, backing her master up with her own show of force. Delta felt her body temperature rise and she readied a Shield. Another step.
When Kelby didn't move, Delta pinned her ears, feeling the fin on her back and tail flare with her rage, “What you think I'm doing, you have it twisted. I look like I'm not “taking care of myself” because it's hard to move. I look horrible because I can't sleep, though try as I might. I'm “Not Living”? Bitch, I'm more alive than you think I am,”
She pressed the blade to Kelby's throat as Delta raised her own head and glared down at the smaller mare, her voice now a blackened growl, “S O W HO T H E H E L L A R E Y O U
T R Y I N G T O F O O L ?”
Delta snorted lightly, the faintest scent of campfire smoke on her breath, “Now, G E T O U T...... I won't tell you again.”
532 words || post 2
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Post by kerarose on Apr 11, 2019 17:14:29 GMT -6
Kelby watched her friend grow heated, felt the room grow warm, as Delta grew angrier and angrier. She had brought light to the room, and with a single snort, Delta blew the candles out. Turning to face her friend, she saw her up off of the bed, standing on... four legs? She heard her leopard growling, and Herja, suddenly determining that Kelby was in danger, stepped forward, a rumble building in her chest. A single ear flicked back at her wolf's growling. This was getting very bad, very quickly.
Pinning her ears, Kelby drew her dagger and shortsword, the steel ringing as her weapons slid from their sheaths. "Stop it, Delta," she said, her voice mimicking the row grumble of Herja, who had come to stand beside her. "You're hurt, you're recovering. Getting into a fight is not what you want to do right now. Can you even bear weight on that leg?" A pointed glance downward- she had noticed how Delta was slow to put weight on her injured leg. Her healer's eyes saw all.
A smirk, a flicked tail. "You're in no shape to face me, Delta. You just lost a leg, for Cascade's sake. Put your gods-damned sword down, and we can talk this out like normal mares. What say you?"
She felt Herja brush up against her side, her fur warm and soft. Under her breath, she whispered to her wolf, "Play nice, Herja." A small smile, directed at the wolf, followed. "Cover me only, pretty girl. I don't want her too mad at me."
Delta still did not yield. If anything, she grew more angry. Her screams fell on deaf ears, though. Kelby would not leave. "I will not," she spat at the other mare. "I only want to help you. You're my best friend, and I won't see you waste away in here. Not like I almost did." A small shake of her head. "I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, and you're my best friend."
Delta screamed again, yelling at them to leave. Staring the other mare down, Kelby smiled, fury evident in their green eyes. "I will not."
A snort escaped the smaller mare as she felt the room warming, so hot that it brought sweat to her skin. So the Dragon of the North wants to play with fire, huh? she thought. She had noticed the smell of campfire smoke in the room, and knew that Delta must have gotten another blessing from Ignacio- perhaps something with flames, given the scent of smoke and how quickly the candle flames had been snuffed out. Well, we'll see how she likes the Ice Queen.
Willing her Blessing into shape, she took the moisture in the air, on her skin, and coated herself with a thin layer of frost. She did the same beneath the larger mare's feet, adding just enough to make it slippery. She truly didn't want to hurt Delta- but she couldn't have her fighting, either. That would do much more harm than good.
In their anger, snow began to swirl around their form. "Last chance, Delta," they said, sliding into a ready position. "Stand down, or I'll make you."
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Apr 20, 2019 20:21:38 GMT -6
Kelby's refusal to leave only fueled her anger more. It was when the mare used a CASCADE blessing on her that she became slightly offended and..... surprisingly.... proud of her. The fact that her Goddess had given her best friend one of her most valued gifts was pleasing to see. The production of hoar frost told Delta that Kelby was new to Frost Manipulation, just as she herself was with Fire.
But this mare was still trespassing in her home.
"Last chance, Delta. Stand down, or I'll make you."
Old instincts told her to fight.
So she did.
Delta pushed forward with her lack legs, front hooves now ablaze and her cleated iron shoes glowing red hot. Her prosthetic hoof made contact with Kelby's unprotected right front shoulder. The hot iron seared through the frost coating the younger mare's fur. The added preassure as Delta's weight settled on her opponent forced the imprint of her shoe into her flesh. As Kelby reacted and moved away, the barbed soul of the shoe raked through the skin in a downward motion, leaving a rather stylish brand on the Valkyries hide.
Delta landed hard, using her non-crippled leg to take the impact, raising Arbiter to block a strike the dunskin mare had thrown her way with her sword.
Delta recoiled when she felt a burning sting spread across her chest. Looking down she saw a thin, bleeding slash run diagonally across her bare chest, starting from her front left shoulder and ending just before the junction of her right leg.
Snapping her attention to Kelby once more, she dodged a blow just in time, but her prosthetic took the weight. Delta let loose and agonizing shout and crumpled to the ground. The air around them returned to normal in a split second and Delta threw up a Shield from her place on the floor, “Enough! Okay! ENOUGH!” she shouted, eyes screwed shut as the pain from putting her full weight on her bad leg shattered her.
Hot tears rolled down the silver mare's cheeks, “Just.. leave me alone..... please.” she pleaded, voice shaking as she broke down into light sobs, keeping her Shied up, “I just...... I was just walking.... checking up on the Farmlands.....I was being a good Valkyrie.... so why didn't I see the trap?....”
She was talking to herself more than Kelby by now, “How could I have been so STUPID? ... I should have been watching where I was going.....” more sobs wracked her body and both Jeremy and Cicero made their ways over to comfort her. Delta's Shield shattered with the slightest touch from the Snow Leopard's paws and she felt the leopardess' warm fur at her side and Jeremy crawling up her mane.
“Please... just... go away.” she pleaded to Kelby once more. "Broken" would be a good word to describe the once powerful mare. She needed to heal and not just her leg...
487 words || post 3
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Post by kerarose on Apr 20, 2019 20:58:59 GMT -6
Kelby did not have time to react as Delta lunged at her. She saw the glowing-hot iron shoes, and tried to move out of the way, but the tight fighting quarters only let her retreat a single step. With Delta being larger, that single step wasn't going to do any good. Kelby saw the point of impact- her shoulder, and tried to force more frost over the area. She succeeded, but it wasn't enough.
Fire met frost, turning it to liquid and then to steam. Burning hair hit her nostrils, followed by heat, then burning, searing pain. Delta put so much pressure behind the blow that her horseshoes were branding her, like an Aodhian slave!
That's it, they thought, barely hearing the sharp cry of pain that escaped their lips. You want to fight rough? We'll fight rough.
Tearing herself away from the larger mare, she cried out again as the horseshoes, still red hot, tore into the skin around her shoulder. She gritted her teeth, letting no more cries escape, other than a low grunt. Forcing her rapier up, she aimed a blow at the other mare's neck, forcing frost around the burning pain in her shoulder as she moved. The blow from her sword was blocked, expertly parried by the other Valkyrie, but it didn't matter. Kelby was already moving, lightning-fast, with her dagger, slicing quick across the other mare's chest. The blood began to flow, quickly, and Kelby heard a harsh intake of breath from Delta.
Fury flowed freely through Kelby's veins. A gods-damned brand now marred their skin, and although the frost kept the pain at bay, Kelby knew they couldn't keep it up for much longer. This fight needed to end, thirty seconds ago.
Throwing her blades back into their sheaths, Kelby rose, aiming spiked horseshoes at the other mare's shoulder. Delta moved, though, and all of a sudden Kelby wasn't aiming for the meaty part of her shoulder, which could easily take a hit, but for the prosthetic, and she couldn't stop, couldn't divert her course-
Delta's cry pierced the air as she finally fell. Kelby stood, shocked, and was easily pushed back by her best friend's Shield. Then, as she finally lay bare how she had lost her leg, tears pouring down her face, Kelby began to cry, too, for all that her friend had been dealing with, alone.
Kelby's tears turned to ice as they fell off of their face, shattering on the floor. They turned to Delta, the mare now being cuddled by her familiars. "You've been dealing with all of this... alone?" they asked, their voice hardly above a whisper. "Why didn't you ask for help?"
Slowly, Kelby moved closer, until she rested her forehead against Delta's. "You should have told me, Delta," she said, her voice hoarse and beginning to crack as she wept for all of her friend's pain. A gentle, friendly bump on the mare's forehead followed, and Kelby settled down in front of her, Herja sitting near her tail. The wolf let out a small whimper as Kelby hissed as she lay down, the wound on her shoulder still fresh and tender. Right now, though, she'd push that pain aside. There were more important matters at hoof.
Pressing her forehead against the other's, she spoke, whisper-quiet. "You are not stupid, or worthless, or broken," she said, closing her eyes and willing her friend to believe her. "You are brave, and so, so strong. I saw you on my first day in the Barracks, and I knew immediately that I wanted to be as strong as you, as brave as you, as smart and cunning and talented as you."
A small chuckle escaped her, then. "You remember what I looked like, right? A scrawny little slip of a thing, covered in bruises and keeping their head down. You were the exact opposite, and I would've given anything to be like you."
They pulled away, using their teke to gently braid Delta's forelock. "And now you lost a leg while doing your job. So what?" They smiled. "You're still the same talented, fiery, strong, beautiful mare, with or without that leg. If anything, losing that leg has only made you more worthy to be a Valkyrie. You made it through hell and survived. And you'll keep on surviving, because I know you."
She rose then, turning to grab a few herbs and bandages from her belt. "You helped me believe in myself when I couldn't." She knelt, staring into the other mare's eyes.
"Now, please," she said, moving closer, bandages and salves in her teke, "let me return the favor."
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Apr 21, 2019 17:44:34 GMT -6
Delta choked back sobs as she heard Kelby speaking,
"You've been dealing with all of this... alone? Why didn't you ask for help?"
The silver mare sniffled, shaking her head a little as she avoided her friends eyes, “No... Not alone. Jushiro knows. And my parents. They've been helping me.”
"You should have told me, Delta,"
Delta nodded slowly. She should have told her, “I thought I could handle it...” she mumbled, hardly loud enough to hear,
The dunskin mare continued, “You are not stupid, or worthless, or broken. You are brave, and so, so strong. I saw you on my first day in the Barracks, and I knew immediately that I wanted to be as strong as you, as brave as you, as smart and cunning and talented as you."
Delta met Kelby's eyes, teal-blue peaking out from beneath her thick bangs. She hadn’t known that. Out of all the Valkyries for Kelby to idolize, why her? She was nothing as special as the other mare had described.
"You remember what I looked like, right? A scrawny little slip of a thing, covered in bruises and keeping their head down. You were the exact opposite, and I would've given anything to be like you."
Delta managed a weak, breathy scoff, “I remember you being a pain in my ass...” she joked quietly. As Kelby continued, Delta just listened. She made several valid points and Delta found herself giving the young mare a genuine smile.
When Kelby offered to treat her wounds, Delta shook her head, “I appreciate the offer, but I don't deserve it. Let it scar. It'll remind me to listen more often,"
The grey mare shifted, moving her back legs underneath her. With a surge of renewed power, she hauled herself to her hooves, tenderly placing an incredibly small amount of her weight on her prosthetic, “Besides..... you didn't cut me that deep. Work on your knife skills. You hit like a pansy.” she said, a playful tone on her voice, still thick from her sobbing.
Delta cast her eyes to the seared flesh on Kelby's shoulder, tilting her ears back, “Sorry about the uh-... the brand,” she said, averting her eyes to the floor.
After a moment's though she cast her friend a sideways glance, “Though, it does make you look like a bit of a bad-ass....”
Jeremy suddenly scrambled up to the top of Delta's head, his tiny wing claw slipping on the smoother fur there. He ended up falling a bit and hanging from the Valkyrie's braided forelock for support, “Pa! Pa! Mamma, Pa's here!” he squeaked excitedly, looking out the ajar bedroom door.
Cicero let out a warm purr as she sat, covering her paws with her long tail.
Deep, heavy hoof falls were heard then soon felt. They vibrated the wood flooring in the house the closer they got, the weight of the one making them easily relayed. In the shadow of the doorway, backed by the light from Delta's lit hearth, stood a huge, towering stallion.
He was dappled grey, yet nearly black at the same time. His long beard was scattered with white hairs and braided and strung with colorful beads, His long mane was the same and piercings adorned his ears in copper, brass and silver, as well as a gold ring on his left eyebrow. Tattoos covered his chest and shoulders, depicting Feathered Serpents and a Hydra. A deep, navy blue, iridescent fin stretched from his mid-back and made up his tail.
He was old, but still ridiculously intimidating. His bright turquoise eyes scanned the two mares and the air seemed to shake when he spoke, “Delta... everything alright?”
His expression and voice were even, but they carried a hidden suspicion.
Delta glanced at Kelby, then back to the old stallion, “Yeah. Kelby was just... helping me sort things out.”
The stallion quirked an eyebrow at the dappled mare, but didn't ask anything else. Remembering her manners, Delta introduced their new guest, “Oh! Uh! Kelby this is Oberon, Captain of The Arbiter. You know? That big Merchant ship with green and gold sails in the harbor?” she asked. “He's my father.”
694 words || post 4
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Post by kerarose on Apr 21, 2019 18:30:37 GMT -6
Kelby nodded at the other mare's apology, and at her insistence that she not heal, she slowly put bandages and herbs away. It was Delta's choice. A few chuckles escaped her at the mare's comment about Kelby being a pain in her ass. Yeah, sometimes I am, she thought, a true smile on her face.
When she insulted Kelby's dagger skills, though, her chuckles turned to a full-on belly laugh. "A pansy, huh?" she cried, her laughs loud and long. "I pulled back on that strike. I didn't want to hurt you too bad, I just wanted you to stop fighting so that you didn't have more wounds to deal with."
She glanced at her shoulder when the other mare apologized. It was still an angry red, but the pain had subsided somewhat, no doubt due to the ice on the nearby skin, bringing down the temperature. She looked at the marking though, and smiled. It did look kind of badass... and the more she looked at it, the more she liked it. "S'alright, Dels," she said, smiling. "I kinda like it. Maybe I'll incorporate the mark into my face paint for our next battle." She gently applied a little salve to her shoulder, hissing as cold salve met warm skin. It wouldn't heal the brand- nothing could, at this point- but it would prevent infection and speed the healing. She sealed the salve in with a thin layer of frost, and sighed in relief.
Deep hoof-falls sounded nearby, and Kelby rose from the floor. A deep voice sounded for Delta, and their ears pricked. After the brief introduction, Kelby smiled. They certainly saw where Delta got their looks from. "Pleasure to meet you, sir," they said, giving a quick nod of the head, as well as a sharp stomp with a single hoof. "Captain of the Arbiter, eh? Must be a fun job."
Turning once more to Delta, Kelby smiled, looking down at the prosthetic. "Your leg certainly looks cool," they said, smiling. "It definitely fits the 'Dragon of the North' aesthetic. Shiny, just like dragons like things." A small chuckle escaped them at that. "Have you been walking on it every day? How's your leg healing, too? Pretty well, I hope."
A bright idea popped into her head. "Are you two hungry?" she said, for she herself was half-starved after training. "I don't know what you've got here, Delta, but I could whip something up for everyone. That is, if your dad wants to stay for dinner."
They winked at the larger stallion. "I have no idea what Delta's told you about me, but even though I shun a mare's place in this society doesn't mean that I can't cook. You interested, or do you need to go?"
They smiled at the two of them. This was definitely looking up, and Kelby couldn't be happier.
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on May 12, 2019 19:33:30 GMT -6
Delta watched as her father turned his attention to Kelby. She saw his eyes flick down at the War-Forged way her friend greeted him. Her father wasn't quite familiar with Onean customs yet but he understood the basics. The hoof-stomp she had done was a stallion's greeting but honestly he didn't really care HOW the dunskin mare said hello.
He raised his front right hoof and hammered it into the floor, the wooden boards vibrating with his weight as the volume relayed the amount of force he had used,
“Pleased t'meet you as well, Kelby.”
Delta gave her father a smile but had to hold back the snigger that bubbled up from her chest when she saw the look of amusement in Oberon's bright blue eyes.
“Captain of the Arbiter, eh? Must be a fun job.”
Oberon gave a warm chuckle, “Haha, Aye, the ol' girl's seen some years. Been in a tad bit o' threats as well, I might say, lass. The job has it's moments, not gonna lie. Though she wasn't always a Merchant Vessel. Those are never bein' as large as my ship,” he told her with a faint sly smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, “Back in 'er youth, the Arbiter flew more... dangerous colors. Still got 'er old cannons.” he told the younger Valkyrie, sounding rather proud of his ship.
His ears pricked up at his expression sobered when he heard Kebly complement Delta's prosthetic. Delta's brow furrowed and her ears tilted back. 'I though we were over this.' she thought, “Uhh...yeah, it ...IS nice but could we maybe stop talking about it? Or better yet, pretend it's not there?” the silver Valkyrie asked quietly, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. She turned her eyes to Oberon, “Not that I don't appreciate it-”
He silenced her with a shake of his head, “I won't be needin' an explanation from ye, Delta,” he told her, his voice calming and gentile, “I understand how others keepin' attentions on a... 'disability'... would be makin' one uncomfortable,” he cast Kelby a stern look, “Especially when they have hardly adjusted to it themselves.”
Delta refused to meet Kelby's eyes. Her father was right. She wasn't even used to the prosthetic. She wasn't mentally prepared for everyone to be pointing it out... not yet.
At Kelby's offer to cook dinner, Oberon cleared his throat, “Actually Miss, that be the reason I came 'ere. Delta's been havin' a tad bit of struggles with that new leg o 'hers. She asked her ol' Da fer help.” he explained, unable to keep the teasing smile off of his face, “How 'bout you let this old Captain teach ye how to cook some Aquorian meals instead, yeah?” he offered. Delta smiled, and walked out of the room and into the short hall that led to the open front room where the kitchen, hearth and living area was, “I'll get everything set up then. I refuse to be useless in my own kitchen.”
As Kelby and Oberon followed her out, the old stallion stopped Kelby and looked down at her, “Actually, lass... I'd like teh be havin' a word with ye. Outside.”
531 words || post 5
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Post by kerarose on May 12, 2019 20:02:08 GMT -6
Kelby tried, and failed, to not be intimidated at the sheer force of the stallion's hoof stomp. How could one not be intimidated at the house-shaking force of a single stomp? She was very glad that she was on the stallion's good side- or, at least, she hoped she was.
His mention of his ship immediately brightened Kelby's eyes. "You must spend a lot of time at sea, then. The next time I go to Cascade's shrine, I'll put in a prayer for you. The Wave Mother must favor you to let you be so successful and safe on the seas." Kelby couldn't help it- they loved the ocean and the open water, and they were a bit starry-eyed at the mention of a sea captain. Oberon definitely had a fan.
She turned to Delta after realizing that mentioning the prosthetic made her friend uncomfortable. "Sorry, Dels," she said, her ears flicking back. She did not mean to make Delta uncomfortable by mentioning her leg- she was trying to give a compliment that, apparently, was not well-received. She never meant it that way. "You know I don't mean to poke or pry."
A loud grumble from Kelby's stomach followed Oberon's announcement of Talorian cuisine, breaking the silence. "You'd be willing to teach us?" they said, hopping near-silently from hoof to hoof. Although she never mentioned her love of cooking to those she did not fully trust, she was always excited to add new dishes to her repertoire. "That would be wonderful, Sir," she added, nearly forgetting her manners in her excitement.
And then he mentioned speaking with them outside. Their throat bobbed- this could not be good. They knew that their rush-in tactics might not be the most tactful in some situations, but they meant well. Surely he would see that, and then this evening could finish on a good note.
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on May 31, 2019 20:59:16 GMT -6
As Oberon lead Kelby outside the front door and onto the stone riddled grass, his teal eyes were quick to locate two pairs of reflective eyes. They were gone in a matter of seconds and only light scampering could be heard as the creatures made sure to stay in the shadows, unseen. When the old stallion had reached the edge of the house's casting light he stopped and turned to face the young Valkyrie, fixing her with a firm look,
“Lemme just start with sayin' that I heard what was said in that room. I arrived only moment's after yerself, though I'm guessin' ya didn't even see me,” he told her, his voice strict,
“Ye may have thought that blatantly breakin' into my daughter's home was a good idea but I assure ye lass, it only made things worse. I understand where ye were commin' from, don't confuse that, but ye need to watch yerself and how ye approach situations. Yer young with a great amount to learn still. Keep goin' at things the way ye are now and you'll end up gettin' yerself and others killed,” his voice had risen from a scolding tone to one that was a forceful rumble. Loud but not quite a shout. His ears tilted back ever-so-slightly, “Hell, ye almost did!” he took a deep breath, catching his temper and closing his eyes.
He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes, continuing with a somewhat calmer voice, but not by much, “You are a Common but Delta isn't. She's a Hippocampus. Her reactions to certain things will be a slight different than how ye would,”
He cast his eyes to the vast sea that stretched over the cliff-side, “As Children of Cascade we share certain traits with our pure aquatic counterparts. Others more so than the rest. Just as other Species do. Some Pagasi will be better at gliding and some will be better at fast flight or swimming, depending on what traits they be sharin' with other Birds. Some Unicorns will have horns made of stronger or weaker ores and minerals or may just simply be flashy rather than practical,” he explained,
“Me and my daughter closely share traits as well as some behaviors with a species of fish called a Betta. It's nickname, however, is the “Briemian Fighting Fish” and for good reason. When you broke into Delta's home without her permission she interpreted it as a trespass on her territory and an attack on herself.”
He stared down at the dunskin mare, letting that bit of information sink in, “She would have killed you, had she not been so crippled.” He took a step closer, “She may be your best friend, but as hers ye should have had the sense to respect her privacy. Others were keeping an eye on her. If the information about the accident was withheld from ye and the other Valkyries in the first place it was by yer War Lords order.”
The dark stallion held the Valkyries eyes, unyielding. He allowed a few seconds of silence then spoke again, his chest heaving as he released a heavy sigh, “Delta was lucky, Kelby. Had Jeremy not gone for the right help it would have come to late. The blade sliced an artery. Took the Medic quite a while to stop the bleeding.” his voice was one of a worried father, thankful that his only child was still alive. Oberon looked into the house through the distant window, seeing Delta smiling as Jeremy attempted to untangle himself from her mane,
“Her stallion brought her home. He has my gratitude and respect for that...” He turned his head back to face the mare, speaking calmly, “You are a good friend, but I meant what I said. Learn about others before you go bursting into their privacy. You'd be surprised how quickly a friend can become an enemy.”
He began walking back to the house and called over his shoulder, “Thorne, Keahi. Quit your skulking.”
Two Aquorian Raptors suddenly emerged from the shadows, falling in beside their master. They were incredibly fast and the creatures hardly reached Oberon's knee but the switch-blade claws on each foot and sharp teeth said that they were capable of giving serious damage.
Just before the two horses entered the house again, Oberon paused, “Oh. One more thing,” he said. He trotted over to the cliff's edge to stand facing the distant lights of the Harbor. He gave Kelby a wink, taking the ship whistle tied around his heck, he blew into it.
The sound echoed across the bay and they were soon aware that Delta had come out to join them. It was only a moment later when a series of scream-like roars, each one a different pitch, echoed back to them. It was a nightmare-inducing sound. Delta smiled and turned to Kelby, “That's the last sound you want to hear while in the water.”
Oberon chuckled, “Oh aye. That be the sound of a Hydra. She guards my ship while it's docked.” the stallion explained, walking back into the house, “Now, about that food.... Kelby, I said I'd teach ye didn't I?”
861 words || post 6
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Post by kerarose on Jun 3, 2019 18:47:37 GMT -6
A wince fell over the mare's features as she was berated by Delta's father. Yes, she knew that she had probably made a bad mistake by breaking into her friend's home. But he did not know the panic she had felt when she could not get ahold of Delta. The last she had heard, she had gone out on patrol, and Kelby had not known if she had even come back. There was complete and utter silence on Delta's end, and at first, Kelby assumed that she had been sent on a mission by Hira, and had begrudgingly accepted the lack of response.
But as days turned into a week, she began to panic. No one at the Barracks could calm her- she would stay up for hours on end, pacing, unable to sleep as her mind went through scenario after scenario where Delta had died and Kelby lost her only friend. Wolf attack? Likely. Targeted by a Mercenary? Possible. Mistaken for a Vagabond and sold into slavery in Eithne? A strong possibility. She had finally gotten the information of where she was, and she had run straight out of training she second she heard to go and see for herself that Delta was, indeed, alive.
Steeling herself, making her stance as strong as the mountain that Kaia and her unicorns had defended a thousand years ago. "Yes, I made a mistake," she said, meeting the taller stallion's gaze. Even now, little patches of frost began to gather around her hooves as her fury raged, just barely held in check. "I should have respected Delta's privacy, or contacted her first about coming to visit. And I will admit that charging in was not the best plan of action. Hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. But I will not apologize for my actions in general. I thought she was dead." Her breathing quickened, her eyes' steel quickly melting into fear. "I hadn't heard anything from her, and my mind kept racing to things that could have happened. I can't lose her, not after what Father-"
Their voice stopped, as if cut off, the frost vanishing into the ether. Delta's father he might be, but even Delta did not know the full extent of what had happened to them when they were younger. The beatings. The abuse: verbal, mental, and physical. The arranged marriage to another abusive stallion, twice their age. Delta had inferred things, yes, but Kelby had never said exactly what had gone on behind the doors of their childhood home. What likely still went on. And there was no way in Hell that a stallion they had just met would be hearing about it.
Their teeth ground together as they continued to speak, softer that before, but with no less passion. "Delta was there for me when I arrived in Skeldr Town. When I thought I could not continue, she was there. She is my absolute best friend and I can't imagine my life without her. She's the light that kept me going- after everything I've been through, losing her would have killed me." They looked up, a single tear rolling down their cheek, which was hastily wiped away with green teke. "So please don't berate me for dropping everything to come see Delta the second I heard she was alive. Yes, I made mistakes, and I'm most likely going to keep making mistakes. In the future, I will be more careful. But she's been there for me since my first day here, and I would do the exact same thing all over again if it meant being there for her."
Kelby was then caught off guard by two Aquorian raptors racing around the building. She jumped at first, but then looked after them in wonder. She had always wondered about them, and seeing them now was incredible.
And then he blew his whistle.
And her jaw dropped.
A hydra, here in Onea?! She started to prance a little on her hooves, her excitement driving her into motion. She jumped again when Delta came up behind her, but excitement drove her near wild. "Oh my goodness, is that really a Hydra?" she squealed.
Yes, she wasn't proud to admit it, but she did, indeed, squeal. Not one of her finest moments, to be sure. As she continued to prance around, she looked longingly toward the harbor. Oh, she wished she could go and meet it! But the lure of learning Aquorian cooking won out- helped along, no doubt, by the grumbling in her belly. "So, what are we making? I love learning new recipes."
Turning, they went to move inside, excited to learn. Maybe after dinner, they could go down to the harbor with Delta and her dad so they could meet the Hydra. It'd be good for Delta, too- she needed more practicing on her leg to bring back the muscles that she would need for fighting.
Kelby smiled. This was what she wanted- to see her best friend up and around and acting alive again. It made her soul sing.
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Post by galekxy on Sept 9, 2019 10:00:32 GMT -6
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