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Post by mariahwhy on Nov 13, 2015 21:20:14 GMT -6
A private RP between Ozzer and Icabod
Setting: The year 1686 - starting at the base of Skeldr Mountain, just outside of Skeldr Town
"Oh, noooo. You can't possibly go to the shrines in the city. Too easy. Too convenient. The gods won't be as impressed." The words came out as a mocking hiss from the young donkey's mouth, but had no ears to fall upon. "Fine, father. Whatever. I'll climb this dumb mountain. Better yet, I'll die on this mountain. What will you do then? How will you explain that to mother?"
Ozzer continued talking angrily to the ground as he walked, not caring that his words seemingly had no audience. His father, to whom the spiteful words were directed, couldn't possibly know of the tension rising in his son. The older donkey was currently in the middle of Skeldr Town, fencing off some petty trinkets he had acquired in their travels. He was completely unaware that Ozzer had left the city, thinking him instead to be wandering the markets for items that would assist them both in climbing the mountain the following day. However, tired of his father constantly pushing him to try and receive a blessing, the stubborn adolescent had figured he would show his father just what would happen if he had to climb this mountain. Failure was a certainty, and perhaps then he would allow his son to continue as a normal, non-special, little donkey. No god would bless him, no matter what mountains he climbed.
But he trudged along, resolute in his spite. Tall, yellow grass parted gently in his wake, as he walked through one of the many meadows in the forests below the mountain. The grass was almost as tall as he was, yet he could still see the mountain looming ahead, very close now. It was impressive and horrifying all at once - jagged rocks and cliffs could be seen even from here, and the peak was lost among swirling clouds in the gray sky. He would have to touch the clouds to speak with the gods. It was a far reach for such a little donkey. But his stubbornness left no room for second guessing. He would get up there or die trying - just as his father wished.
Rocks were now beginning to dot the landscape, quickly becoming more and more prevalent in the grass. As he walked they even began to replace the ground itself, and he knew that soon everything around him would be made of stone. On top of that was the snow. He was not a big fan of snow, but he and his parents had been traveling the northern regions of Hireath for long enough now that his winter coat had grown in. However, as he gazed up at the upper reaches of the mountain - distances his eyes could barely see - he could tell that even his shaggy coat would not be good protection against the freezing winds. He had "borrowed" one of his father's cloaks, but was not sure how helpful it would be either. Nor was he sure that he had packed enough food into the small, inner pockets. But oh, well. It was too late to turn back now.
The meadow gave way to one last line of trees, and as he exited the other side he took another look at the slope before him.
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Post by Superior-Caesar on Dec 28, 2015 13:02:03 GMT -6
Icabod was resting in his tent near the bottom of the mountain. He was finally able to sleep for once in a long time. The large stallion yawned as he woke up. He slipped out from under the tent to stretch. The roan walked towards a small stream and lapped up as much as he could take in. The morning was quite cold, as usual. It was always a lucky thing for him that his fur was so thick. "Thank you mother." Icabod chuckled to himself. His ears swiveled at the sound of hooves on rock.
Icabod looked around, not seeing anything. "Hey! Who's there?" He called out to the strangely empty mountainside. That's when the small donkey appeared before him. Icabod raised a brow and looked at him curiously. "Oh, hello, sir. What brings you up here on this fine day? I don't think I've ever seen you around." He smiled down at the small stallion. Icabod hadn't been around any donkeys before, it was interesting to meet one.
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Post by mariahwhy on Dec 28, 2015 15:10:10 GMT -6
Ozzer had heard the first call, but had not registered it before he had emerged from the trees and the second call rang out. Taken by surprise to be interrupted so early in what was sure to be a long journey, he turned to the speaker without changing the annoyed expression on his face. It was another young stallion who approached him as he spoke.
"I don't come here often," he offered, looking the larger horse up and down. It certainly took a moment, given that the young horse was already so large - compared to the little donkey anyway. He looked like some sort of draft mix, tall and muscular. The usual touch of envy ran through Ozzer. Pushing it away he turned his eyes back up to the mountain. "I'm going to climb Mount Skeldr. My father thinks it's necessary that I take time to pray to Kaia at her largest shrine while we are in Onea." It was a half-truth. Without turning his head from the mountain he cast a sidelong glance at the other. He must be part of the War-Forged Herd, and therefore would more than likely pray to Kaia as his patron god. Perhaps he had even been blessed already. He should be careful not to offend the stallion just in case.
"You wouldn't happen to have any tips for climbing the mountain, would you?" he asked, still stubbornly believing that it was a task he could undertake on his own. He could see the stallion's tent set up just a short ways away, so surely he knew what it took to survive in these conditions.
(OOC: Just to clarify, this takes place in the past, so Ozzer is 14, and I think Icabod would be about 17. And I just realized they both are blessed with Tremor Sense! When does Icabod get blessed?)
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Post by Superior-Caesar on Dec 29, 2015 3:16:45 GMT -6
Icabod smiled down at the young donkey. "Visitor? I haven't met many visitors to Onea before. Name's Icabod." He dipped his head politely and looked up at the mountain. That little stallion wanted to travel to the shrine. He obviously didn't have any experience with things like that. It could be quite dangerous for him. He reared up pretending he was getting a better view when, in fact, he just wanted to show off his muscles. The roan stallion stood back down and grinned. "You know what, I think it'd be best if I took you up there myself. A little guy like you is gonna have a hard time reaching the top of the mountain. I mean it's difficult for outsiders and all. Your lungs aren't trained for it." Icabod stopped his off-hand bragging for a moment. Then he started walking up the trail. "Safest way up is sticking to the path. Pretty straight forward as well. But, it's pretty dang slow. If you really wanna prove yourself to Kaia you'd take the quickest way up. That's how I travel, jumping rock to rock." Icabod eyed the stranger with a raised brow. "What do ya say, fella?" (He only recently got blessed, too busy running around.  It'll be fun to play young Icabod, though. He's a bit of an ass back then.) |
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Post by mariahwhy on Dec 29, 2015 11:17:20 GMT -6
Ozzer rolled his eyes as Icabod reared. The muscles bulging under the bay coat were noticeable even when the stallion was simply standing, and standing next to Ozzer and his scrawny legs they were particularly impressive. "My name is Ozzer," the donkey mumbled as Icabod settled back to the ground.
His mood changed very little as Icabod continued speaking. He obviously thought Ozzer could not handle such a task, and his hide especially prickled at being referred to as a "little guy." This stallion was quickly pushing all of his buttons. He opened his mouth to politely decline the offer, but Icabod had already started up the nearby trail. He huffed under his breath, hurrying after him. "You know, I think I'll be ok on my own," he said, pushing past Icabod. "I'll be sticking to the path, but thank you for the advice." He began stiffly up the trail, eyes locked forward. He didn't need this other horse lording over him, both physically and mentally, the whole way up. No, thank you.
One of his hooves landed on a loose pebble, and being so stiff it slipped forward. He stumbled, catching himself before he fell, but long ears burning knowing that his proud exit was ruined.
(haha Ozzer is a bit of an ass all the time. ;P )
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Post by Superior-Caesar on Dec 29, 2015 15:25:46 GMT -6
Icabod frowned as he was declined. He watched Ozzer running away, trying to look like a badass, obviously. He started cracking up as the donkey stumbled on a pathetic little pebble. With that the roan cantered after him. "That was just sad. Ya sure you don't need any help?" He chuckled louder than he meant to. Icabod gently nudged the donkey on his shoulder. "You know what, nevermind. I won't help you. Now we just happen to be travelling the same direction. Not my fault if you do something stupid." He sneered at Ozzer and snickered to himself.
Icabod looked up the mountainside again. He then diverged from the main pathway and bounded up the rocks alongside them. The large stallion was now standing on the second ledge and looking down at Ozzer. It was really fun for him to watch the short legged creature try and scramble up the trail. Or at least that's how he viewed it.
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Post by mariahwhy on Jan 2, 2016 22:53:08 GMT -6
Ozzer opened his mouth to protest again, but it seemed to be a moot point. The draft seemed pretty set on making this awful journey, so who was he to stop him. But he couldn't help but jab back. "If I do something stupid, I'm sure it'll be from following your directions."
As if on cue, the larger horse began leaping up the rocks. Ozzer's steps slowed as he watched Icabod's hooves balancing precariously on the mountainside. His mind kept switching back and forth between stubbornly sticking to his path, or proving himself to Icabod. But as the stallion turned a smug look down at him, the exaggerated height difference fueling his fire, it was clear what he would do. It perhaps wasn't the smartest choice, as he was more accustomed to traversing flat plains, than climbing steep cliffs, but he couldn't be shown up on his own "quest."
Setting his teeth and bunching his muscles, the donkey began jumping up the rocks behind Icabod. His small size and inexperience limited his jumping, so he had to add a few extra rocks between those that Icabod had climbed.He wasn't as graceful, and he certainly wasn't as fast, but before long he was standing next to Icabod on the ledge. "You make it look so hard," he mocked, standing straighter. He'd show this stallion what he was made of. A thought crossed his mind - perhaps he wasn't only proving himself to Icabod, but also to Kaia. Perhaps she had sent this show-off to test him.
If that was the case then she better have a blessing waiting for him at the top. He would deserve such a reward if he made it to the top with this horse traveling alongside him the whole way.
But after that performance he had really ruined his chances at any sort of easy journey. There was no way he could take the trail for a while. He began scrambling up more rocks, his hoof placement careful but as quick as possible. "Well, come on. I don't have all week," he called over his shoulder, though he knew Icabod would catch up easily.
"You are in the War-Forged herd, I assume?" he asked, his mind going back to test the theory of Kaia. Surely she would only pick one in her own herd to be his guide. "Have you lived on the mountain your whole life?"
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Post by Superior-Caesar on Jan 4, 2016 14:36:50 GMT -6
Icabod watched as the donkey worked up the guts to jump after him. He couldn't help but laugh so hard. He loved watching the smaller creature try to prove himself. The roan stallion had to admit it was pretty impressive. He might be one to judge but he also knew when someone was actually good. "Nice job, kid." He snickered.
Icabod watched as Ozzer continued upwards. He turned to watch him. He was clumsy but, quick. He didn't fall over. Icabod tilted his head as he watched. Then he bounded after him. He easily reached the next trail up. He waited for Ozzer to catch up. Soon enough he was there. "You know, you're actually not that bad. I'm really impressed. As for me, yes. I was born on the mountain, raised in the herd. Someday I'm going to be a raider!" He nodded proudly. His front hooves stomped a couple time to show off how his muscles flexed.
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Post by mariahwhy on May 25, 2016 15:44:38 GMT -6
A surge of triumph filled Ozzer as Icabod complimented him, and his growing ire towards the larger stallion eased up a little - though he still wouldn't let himself slow down just yet. Not just because he had to keep up his tough facade, but also because Icabod had just bounded past him. He set his teeth and kept going, focusing on the precarious stones beneath his hooves.
As a donkey his stamina was naturally rather good, but moving up these rocks in such sporadic jumps was not something his body was used to, and he knew he would tire soon. They had been traveling for only a short while, but already his muscles were protesting each jump. Once he finally reached Icabod's side on the next trail, he looked up at the stallion. He did not speak, but gave the other a look that meant he called a truce - they had both proven themselves, and now that was out of the way they would take the trail. Like sane horses, Ozzer thought.
He started up the trail, his legs grateful for the lack of jumping they were have no longer having to do. He looked sideways at Icabod. "What exactly does a raider do?" It didn't sound particularly good - having your home raided was not a good thing, he knew. He took a small step away from the other horse. "I'm not that familiar with the War-Forged. I'm a Vagabond, and probably will be my whole life. We don't really have jobs, in the same sense that the herds do. We simply wander." He didn't mention the small bits of thievery that his father and other Vagabonds did every now and then - the reason that a lot of herd horses didn't look too kindly upon them.
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Post by Superior-Caesar on Jun 14, 2016 20:13:37 GMT -6
Icabod watched as Ozzer reached his side. He glanced down at the donkey, ready to make a snarky comment. Then he saw the look. He nodded a little to show he understood. The stallion started to walk on the pathway. It was a nice break from his usual routine of pushing his body way harder than he should. He smiled to himself a little.
"Raiders do all kinds of stuff." Icabod explained. "They escort horses, they chase away intruders and vagabonds. Like... bad vagabonds. Not cute little donkeys like you." He teased with a playful wink. "Basically, they keep the herd safe. It's a job full of excitement. And you gotta be big and strong to pull it off. Exactly what I am!" He grinned at the thought of becoming a raider someday. "Not to mention raiders get all the pretty mares." Icabod laughed softly.
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It'll be fun to play young Icabod, though. He's a bit of an ass back then.)