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Post by hydrus101 on May 6, 2019 20:47:00 GMT -6
Strangers Such As We •Shepherd & Danaë•
“Have faith, you never know when you may need it.”
Location: The Oasis
Time: Mid Afternoon |
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Post by hydrus101 on May 6, 2019 20:52:27 GMT -6
 S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
The Oasis was busy, as always. Admits the chaos, Shepherd found her usefulness in her work as she usually did, flittering about the tiny section of the sanctuary she now called home, writing and delivering the odd letter or two that found its way into her satchel. She greeted familiar faces and unfamiliar ones equally, a gentle lift of her wings and a nod of her head to accompany the quick step of her gait. The crowd thickened as the pegasus found her way into the center of the throng, suddenly catching the eye of a horse she recognized. They were a hippocampus, a savior, and rather devout to Digend, a rarity in these parts. They shared a knowing look but little more before they became separated by the crowd again, the temporary link severed. As Shepherd shuffled away, he was hit by that odd feeling again, the one that crept into his chest whenever he was reminded that he was no longer a simple Mullah. He was reminded of his new mission, his new ulterior motive. The feeling wasn’t bad, per se, just different, and Shepherd shook it off and kept walking.
The sun had begun to sink ever so slightly towards the horizon by this time, but there was still plenty of daylight to burn. Checking his satchel again, Shepherd noticed his paper stock had dwindled to a single sheet after all those letters. With supplies running low, the mullah would have to wait until another shipment came in to continue his favorite category of work. With a sigh, the mullah decided this was a sign that their job was done for the day and that they should go home and get some rest. Shepherd wasn’t one to argue with divine signs and headed down a side street to get back to the caravan.
A handful of horses milled about inside the clearing at the center of the caravan ring, chatting and sharing snacks to pass the time. As Shepherd passed by, they looked up and greeted them with a customary “Wind beneath your wings!” and the pegasus returned the greeting with a smile. Setting their bags down on the crates piled to the side, Shepherd let out a sigh and dropped onto the blue mat set up beside his cart. The mat was safe from the searing mid afternoon sun thanks to a sheet that was hung haphazardly from the cart, held up on the other end by two wooden poles shoved down into the earth. It wasn’t the prettiest, but it would do. Finally able to wind down a little, the harbinger shuffled through their papers and decided to spend a little time people watching, idly observing the horses that came and went by their tent. A few stopped to say hello, some fledglings begged the mullah for a story of Alya’s great deeds, and an old friend came by to drop off a peach he had snagged, but besides that, Shepherd saw little activity. He knew it wouldn’t be long before another weary traveler found their way to him though. They were always guided to her side eventually, but for now, the mullah closed her eyes and waited.
WC: 533
Post: 1
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Post by Luneby on May 24, 2019 6:03:25 GMT -6
= D A N A Ë =
"Of fire and gold."
WC: 534;| Post #1As Lucie recovered, Danaë had been slowly exploring the Oasis on her own, leaving her daughter in her mother’s care, finally breathing a little. Walking among the familiar and new faces filled her with life – she was not one to stay alone so long. She had been drifting through the fragile homes of cloth and shaky wood, expert eyes inspecting all the little ways she could find to possibly improve those habitations. She was quite content of the work she had done on her own – although it would never be anything like the comfort and security she had back in Osulas. Peals of laughter and stories overheard met her as she made her way through the crowd, a chiming trail of golden bells chiming as she walked.
She walked among other horses but couldn’t help the feeling she didn’t belong. She greeted a few known faces here and there and kept making her way to Alya knows where all alone. She was technically out to find provisions – the truth is that she was looking for something else, although she couldn’t quite put the words on it. Words had never been a thing she was good at. Something caught her attention, though. As she walked by a caravan, a gentle voice tickled her ear. There was a large equine, whispering stories to young foals that seemed to listen with excitement. Now, the horse seemed familiar. She knew she had seen them somewhere. Until it struck her: this was the Mullah her mother had been seeing since they made it into the Oasis. Vesta had been visiting a couple of sanctuaries, struggling to find a Mullah she could trust enough to be guided into Alya’s ways since Arlon passed away. On her own, Danaë hadn’t been searching spiritual guidance and was rarely ever seen praying. She found excuses where she could, so her mother wouldn’t suspect a thing: she had been very busy taking care of Lucie, building their home from dust, helping whoever she could. She purposefully kept busy, hoping it would make her forget this crippling feeling of not belonging. This crippling feeling of being an impostor as her eyes drifted away from Alya’s starry skies to watch in awe the blue flames of the Fire Lord. Guilt had been plaguing her for weeks, and no one knew what was on her mind. She had the advantage of not having a voice to let her make such a mistake. But there was something in that gentle voice that felt so… understanding. As she watched the Mullah, an overbearing desire to trust them crushed her. And at the same time, overwhelming fear. As the foals left and passersby came and left, as the Mullah closed her eyes, she stood there, walking by, again and again, questioning whether she should approach them or not. Curiosity took the best of her, though. She walked by the tent, ever so cautiously, wondering what to tell them, if there was even a chance that she could be understood. As she abruptly changed her mind, the bells at her ankles rang loudly. Startled, she shuddered, before slowly looking back at the equine in apprehension, hoping she didn’t wake them up. |
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Post by hydrus101 on May 25, 2019 14:45:54 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
The respite was short, but sure enough, another wayward soul found themselves beneath Shepherd’s guiding wings once again.
It was Lockbox who saw her first. The tiny homunculus sat perched atop the caravan’s bow like a fragile gargoyle, surveying the area for any potential threats. Lockbox hadn’t noticed anything suspicious as of yet, though they did notice the nervous circuit a certain golden mare was making around the caravan. With empty eyes, they watched Danaë, though they didn’t know that was her name yet, pace back and forth, pausing just out of sight before hurriedly moving away then back again. Strange...
With practiced grace, Lockbox leapt off the opposite side of the caravan and landed in the sand below, quietly making their way to Shepherd’s side unseen. The mullah felt the gentle press of the creatures body next to him but didn’t stir from his meditation. Someone was coming.
A few moments later, the soft sound of bells drifted into his ears and Shepherd opened his eyes slowly, catching sight of the cautious mare shifting on her hooves in front of him.
“Good afternoon! Wind beneath your wings,” Shepherd chimed, breaking out in one of her famous, award winning smiles. “My name is Shepherd, what can I do for you today?”
WC: 211
Post: 2
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Post by Luneby on May 31, 2019 2:50:39 GMT -6
D A N A Ë
"Of fire and gold."
WC: 341 Post # 2 Danaë jumped as the voice rang in her ears, mortified to have been caught. She stayed frozen for a fleeting moment, unable to find her composure, mind blank as she found herself not having any idea what the answer the mysterious equine. Her eyes drifted on the side as she noticed the strange creature at their side, a creature unlike any she had ever seen. This must have been a Homonculus: although she had never seen one before, Sirius had told her about them back when they were traveling. The quite strange, metallic creature immediately found grace in her eyes: she did see in them a captivating, ethereal beauty. It was a unique familiar, especially for a Mullah.
What could they do for her? She had no idea. What was she even doing here?
Shyly, her body started to talk, hoping the Mullah would understand. Most Mullahs knew sign language thankfully, but she could never be certain that she would be understood upon meeting a stranger.
“Wind beneath your wings.” She signed tentatively. As the other horse seemed to understand, she kept going.
“ I… My mother… has been visiting you lately if I’m correct… her name is Vesta, and she is a Savior…”She started, signing slowly, thinking as she spoke, unsure still of what to say.
“I did not receive religious instruction in a long time and… I guess I would like to remedy this issue. I don’t want my connection to the Sky Mother to be lost.”
Her body had been suggesting the name of the Goddess as she reared lightly, bells ringing in response. She hadn’t felt so insecure in a long time and was praying for the Mullah to understand what she was trying to say as she didn’t currently have anyone with her that could speak in her name. Furthermore, this was such an intimate matter to her that she did not want anyone else to witness this conversation. She observed the Mullah in both defiance and hope, not knowing what to expect from them yet.
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Post by hydrus101 on Jun 3, 2019 15:04:49 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Shepherd’s steady eyes followed Danaë as she moved, well, danced rather. Her way of signing was elegant, fluid, and obviously practiced. The mullah’s own signing wasn’t nearly as good, but being able to understand a language and being able to speak it were two different things. Some of the mare’s signs were different from what he was used to, but Shepherd understood her loud and clear regardless.
It was his job to take in weary souls and patch them up with wise words from the gods. It was an easy remedy really, but few horses were able to swallow it whole. Luckily, Shepherd had learned how to cut down the pill. He didn’t want to make any harsh judgements yet, but this mare looked like she needed it bite-sized.
“Aye!” Shepherd said in a quieter-than-usual-exclamation. “I know of Vesta; she and I have spoken as friends many times. Of you, once or twice, if my memory serves.”
Throwing a sly wink her way, Shepherd quickly got to his hooves, snatching up his crook as he went. “I hope you don’t mind me speaking verbally. You seemed to understand me well enough and my signing is rather rusty. I’m afraid it’ll cause more confusion than it’s worth, eh? Not to worry though, I can understand you perfectly well.”
Now back at his full height, Shepherd turned back to glance down at the shifting mare that seemed as though she wanted to turn tail and run, noting the contradictory determined look in her pale eyes. This lass certainly had some issues bottled up and Shepherd wanted nothing more than to uncork it.
“As for Alya, I usually prefer to hold my sessions more... privately,” he began passionately, a soft look crossing his features. This was obviously a horse that loved their job. “Of course, that all depends on you, and what you’d be comfortable with. My vardo’s just nearby, I’ve got some tea brewing, or if you’re up for a bit of a walk, we can head over to a little clearing just west of here. Get closer to the Gods, if you know what I mean.”
WC: 368
Post: 3
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Post by Luneby on Jul 8, 2019 6:09:53 GMT -6
D A N A Ë
"Of fire and gold."
WC: 287| Post # 3 The golden mare truly felt impressed by the eloquence of the Mullah. Their soft voice gently lulled her into trusting them, as if each of their word removed a weight from her shoulder. She looked into their eyes, disarmed, sheer confusion lurking within her colourful irises. She shook her head, letting the Pegasus know she was fine with them talking verbally. She could understand him perfectly well. She admired the passion she could read in their eyes – this was someone who loved what they did, and who seemed incredibly competent simply by the confidence they carried themselves with. A private session sounded like just what Danaë needed at this very moment. She was in dire need of personal attention, although she failed to see it and would be baffled about if pointed out. Her tail swept through the ground, lifting rich orange sand up as she did so around her, showing obvious signs of nervousness as her bells rang to an uneven rhythm.
“A walk sounds very nice…” she signs shyly, waiting for nothing more but to get away from the crowd. Getting closer to the gods. Maybe that’s what she needed. It had been long since she last felt Alya’s presence within her heart – She was scared it might vanish forever after what she had done. She didn’t know how to feel – did she betray the Sky Mother? Unlike her own mother, Danaë had nothing that would justify being blessed by a bloodthirsty god such as Ignacio, especially in times of conflict with the herd he funded. There was so much conflict within her heart and she hoped Shepherd could bring her a new light to reflect upon. She hoped their name did match their ability.
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Post by hydrus101 on Aug 23, 2019 18:36:55 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
“Excellent, lets get going then,” Shepherd chimed, tilting his crook at an angle so Lockbox could scuttle up it onto his back.
Jerking his head in a ‘follow me’ sort of gesture, the harbinger moved off into the crowd, keeping an eye on Danaë as to not lose her in the throng. He lead her through the moving maze of horses to the edge of the action, using his crook as a guiding hand. As the crowds thinned out, Shepherd began to speak again. He’d never been good with silence after all.
“As much as I love the Oasis, it gets a bit crowded for my liking,” he chuckled and threw a smile her way.
As they walked, the monumental rock forms around them gave way to a nice secluded clearing. A group of children ran past, throwing a ball around and calling out to Shepherd as they went.
He greeted them with a gentle lift of his wing and dip of his head before turning back to his current client. Directing her to the edge of a small spring, Shepherd took his place on a rock overlooking the water and gestured for her to do the same.
After they’d settled, Shepherd looked towards Danaë kindly and in his gentlest voice asked, ”So you said you were feeling like you were drifting from Alya, yes? Would you like to tell me more about that? You don’t have to tell me everything of course, just whatever you feel I should know.”
WC: 253
Post: 4
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Post by Luneby on Sept 17, 2019 9:24:16 GMT -6
 D A N A Ë"Of fire and gold."
Danaë’s eyes were locked on the Mullah’s crook, focusing on its swirled shape in an attempt to distract her mind from the rush of anxiety that blurred her vision. Danaë was usually a social butterfly – the crowd never bothered her at all. But in the state of emotional instability she currently found herself in, everything was too much – the guilt crushed her as she couldn’t stand to look in anyone’s eyes, especially not the children. She could finally breathe as Shepherd led her to a spring. As he invited her to- she joined him on the rock. Her eyes got lost for a moment in their reflection in the steady waters. The sand-colored Pegasus was nothing short of a textbook Seroran, the angelic face of a perfect child of Alya. As she stood besides them, all she could see were her own fire-colored locks, her hooves grounded into the ground, her eyes that glanced back at her in fear. She couldn’t help but feel guilt as she felt nothing like the quiet figure that had so kindly decided to deliver their guidance to her. Their voice gently dragged her out of the self-degrading spiral she had just got herself into. Tilting an ear towards Shepherd, she couldn’t bare to look at their face as she spoke, bells ringing dully. “ I have …. Sought another god’s blessing. A god whose name is barely ever spoken in these parts.” She remained silent a long moment – certain he already knew who she was talking about. No other God was quite as disregarded as Ignacio after all. “ I have always felt voiceless before Alya. Everything I aspire to be makes me drift away from her – and I have never felt any connection to her, unlike most people in my close circle. But Ignacio he… he understands me. He gave me a power I would be ecstatic about if I was not so ashamed.” Ears pinned against her neck, she shyly looked up towards the Mullah, expecting to be crushed with his judgment as soon as their eyes would meet.
***
WC: 345| Post # 4
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Post by hydrus101 on Oct 6, 2019 18:15:57 GMT -6
S H E P H E R D• Vagabond | Harbinger •
”The phoenix must burn before it can be born again.”
Shepherd nodded slowly as Danae vented, a small smile edging its way onto his face.
“Ah, so that’s what this is about... Danaë, let me show you something.”
Gesturing skywards, Shepherd flicked an ear and a barrier of hard light appeared above them, twinkling and refracting as the golden sunlight hit it. Unmistakably, it was Ignacio’s gift, and no more than a few moments later, it had vanished.
“Now we both know something secret about each other,” Shepherd winked at her before pausing to take on a more serious tone.
“You’ll find I am one of the few mullahs in the entirety of Sedo who prefers not to turn a scornful eye upon Ignacio, my friend. Though he may have done terrible things in the past, he is necessary to maintain balance. He cares about his children, wether they wear his fireproof scales or not. There is no reason to be ashamed of him, or his gifts, Danaë, just as there is no reason to be ashamed of Cascade’s touch or Kaia’s blessings. Ayla understands this as well. She will not shun you for seeking her brother’s help because she understands you. She loves you just as she loves all of her people, regardless of the gods they worship. She will not love you less because you drift away from her embrace, as she knows how to care for us from afar. Every time her winds tousle our hair, that’s Alya, and every time we bask in the sun, that’s Ignacio, caring for us all from afar.”
As Shepherd finished, a gust of wind swept by, playing a melody on the valley, as per this place’s namesake. He turned back towards Danaë and smiled.
“Seems like she heard us.”
WC: 289
Post: 5
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