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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 14:12:13 GMT -6
Wares in Common
Froya - Quirkylynx
Chirin - BlackBee23
Setting:
Early summer of 1699
A gentle drizzle kisses the land surrounding Skeldr, the lingering taste of spring in its water.
Wildflowers quench themselves in the sky liquor, preparing themselves for the summer that has just begun.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 15:29:40 GMT -6
A small company could be seen trudging along the hillsides leading to Skeldr, slowly closing in on the War Forged settlement. Three herders guided a fragment of their flock, a fourth horse taking up the rear to make sure none of the freshly sheared apanas would stray from their guides' footsteps. Each horse was laden with many natural colored bundles, wool that had been sheared from their livestock only days ago. Their path was taking them to Skeldr Market, where they would not only sell this year's crop of wool, but meet with other herding clans to trade apana, ensuring healthier flocks. This trade of livestock has taken place at the beginning of each summer longer than any living memory, a bond of solidarity between the wandering clans and solitary herders of vast Onea. Six apana clustered behind the three wool burdened ponies , all of them fairly young males, born only the spring before. Their spiraling horns were ripening, as well as their lust for staking their claim to females of their own. They would make these claims in other herds, preventing them from mixing their blood with their mother's and sister's. Their blossoming horns would clash in an inexperienced and clumsy display of strength. Often the rear pony would have to startle the rutting younglings, sending them running back to their brothers, so that they could keep on their trail to Skeldr. Setting their mud drenched hooves onto the cobble road of Skeldr, Froya looked about. She was beside her mother, infront of the small band of Apana. Skeldr was bustling, by Onea standards, with traders and herders coming to sell their wares. Summer was the time for trade in Onea, snow and fierce weather made it more difficult for buyers and sellers alike to be in the same place at the same time during the harsh winter months. Falling into the flow foot traffic, Froya and her two clanmates made their way to the Market. The last pony, who had taken up the rear for the majority of the journey, would stay with the apana near the edge of town, where they could graze lazily. First they would sell whatever wool they could locally, fellow War Forged always had priority, and then they would make their way down to the docks. There they would sell off the remainder of their wool to foreign traders, who would take the apana hair to be sold as an exotic luxury in strange lands. This would take the majority of the day, the sun would be growing low in the sky when they would again ascend from the docks and into the Market. Joining again with their last clanmate, they would meet with other herders and examine their livestock. If the apanas seemed fit and of good health, they would trade. Froya lead the way to the traditional meeting place of the herders. A tucked away corner of the market, less busy, but not extremely out of the way. The clan horses guided the apana out of the way and made a semi circle around them, a wall serving at the back boundary. This way they would not wander off, but they were all still visible to herders who came to inspect them. Froya, along with her clanmates, laid themselves upon the stone floor and relaxed. They would be there till the stars began to twinkle to life, but in the meantime they waited for fellow herders to approach them. Every now and again Deodora and another clanmate would leave to examine other's apana. By mid evening, two of their apanas had found new homes and two unfamiliar ones had replaced them. Froya lay beside them and watched as the woolen animals snuffed at each other, occasionally butting heads. She was weary and ready to begin the journey back to her clan, but first they must trade away the remaining four.
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Word Count: 650 |
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 8, 2016 17:00:56 GMT -6
Chirin was nervous to say the least. He had heard about the Market from other Herders but he didn't ever expect this. He glanced behind him at his Apanas, having to stretch his neck a bit to see past the bundles of wool strapped to his back. There were ten of them. Most of them were white or white with black specks here and there. He had learned that white Apanas were good for making colored wool because the fibers required less bleaching, so he had stuck with them.
He had three rams and seven females, two of which were pregnant. Chirin had decided to try and trade the three rams and three females. All of his Apana were related now, so he needed some new ones or genetic problems might start occurring.
He took a deep breath, gathering his courage and moved to the back of the flock. Chirin gave a sharp, commanding whistle, catching the attention of the small Icelandic Sheepdog that had been sitting off to the side. The ginger dog stood and perked her ears at him.
“Away to me, Maple!” he shouted. The small dog immediately got to work, barking at the Apanas and making them move into a fluid trot with Chirin bringing up the rear. He scanned the path ahead, looking past the Apanas for anything he might need to avoid. Noticing that they were entering the street, Chirin gave another, much calmer whistle to Maple. She closed in tighter and darted in front of the flock moving from one side to the other. This made the Apanas huddle together and slow their pace to a fast walk.
More than once Maple was almost stepped on by a bigger horse who would rather shove their way past them instead of waiting for Chirin to command Maple to move the flock out of the way. Needless to say, Chirin wasn't impressed. He kept his mouth shut though, tilting his ears back in annoyance. Soon he had to stop the flock for a moment to ask someone in a Merchant booth were the Herders gathered.
He had gotten an exasperated sigh and an irritated glare, but they had told him anyways, gesturing up the street and telling him that if he kept going that way he couldn't miss it. Chirin politely said thank you and whistled to Maple to start moving the flock again.
After another fifteen minutes or so of walking, whistling, shoving and getting plain yelled at by other horses who had walked into them, Chirin finally saw the Herder's market. It wasn't as cramped as the rest of the Market, thank goodness, and some of the horses here didn't look so grumpy. Maple's barks echoed though. He noticed that some of the other Apana's flinched at her strong voice. She even startled a few Herders. She was the only dog here, which surprised him.
He could feel the eyes staring at him as he whistled to Maple and she responded with a herding action, stopping an Apana in his flock when it had tried to run off and bringing it back. Looking around the space he found an open gap against the wall between two other Apana flocks. It had rope on both sides that acted as a makeshift fence and an opening in the front. Chirin whistled to Maple once again and she guided the Apanas into the little corral in the corner. The roan colt gave a tired sigh as he stood in the opening and started to remove the bundles from his back and stack them nicely beside him.
Maple sat in front of the Apanas, panting. Chirin walked over to her and scratched her fur a bit with his hoof, “Good girl.” he said with a smile. He looked at his bundles and back at the Apanas. He hoped everything went okay for his first trip to the Market.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 17:27:07 GMT -6
Her ears pricked as her apana startled at a rather irritating sound. A dog had entered the market and was herding a flock towards an empty space, a young colt commanding the canine from behind the livestock. She narrowed her eyes, watching the small group file into the confines of a roped off area. The pony leading them looked young and he seemed to be alone. As peeved as she was at the minor disturbance caused by their arrival, Froya couldn't help but hold a bit of respect for this small, curly colt. She raised her head high and inspected him from afar. It look a lot of courage to be out on your own like that ... she wondered what would cause such a young horse to choose a difficult solitary life.
With a huff, she heaved herself from her resting place and trotted over, glancing at her clanmates to make sure they would take over her guard. Crossing the trading center, her walk was leisurely, but intimidating. Few years rested on her shoulders, but her gate and scars made her appear as a seasoned veteran. Halting in front of the younger colt, she looked down at him despite her similar height.
"That dog won't be bothering other flocks, will it?" she said with an authoritarian air. Traveling from the colt, to the dog, and finally resting upon group of Apana, her eyes examined them with well earned knowledge and made judgement. Two of these ewes were pregnant, a curious decision to bring them to market in such a condition. But if this colt was indeed a lone herder and not simply running an errand for his clan, he would have no choice to bring them. Her gaze flickered back to the young stallion before her, waiting for his response.
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Word Count: 301
Total: 1602
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 8, 2016 17:59:40 GMT -6
Chirin jumped at the voice, spinning around and backing up so as not to accidentally hit the new horse with his emerald horn. His ears fell back in fear and he felt himself shrink submissively to the scarred mare's intimidating gaze. Maple stood and was at his side instantly, hackles raised, ears back and a small growl rumbling from her chest. Chirin straightened and glared down at her, “Maple, fuss.” he commanded. The dog moved to sit by his back legs obediently, though her hackles were still raised.
Looking back to the dark mare, he gave a weak smile, “Sorry about her, miss. She get's defensive.” he explained politely, giving the ginger dog another glare, “And no, miss. She won't touch a flock she doesn't know unless I tell her to.” he answered.
He scratched a hoof at the stone road, “I'm sorry if she disturbed you or your flock,” he apologized, glancing up at her, “The barking makes the Apanas know she's the boss. It scares them a bit, so they listen to her. She's just doing her job is all.”
His meek posture was ridiculously obvious, but he couldn't help it. Scars were what his father had called 'badges of survival', and this mare had quite a few of them. He wasn't going to lie, she scared him a bit.
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[Fuss is the German command word for "heel". it is pronounced "foos" ]
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 18:29:49 GMT -6
The mare snorted, her ears falling back as she clashed a hoof against the stone in protest to the dog's display.
"Defensive you say. I'll be keeping an eye on her, and on you as well. She seems determined to guard you and her flock and while I may admire that, I will not tolerate her disturbing other herders and apana. Unless she calms herself, it might be best to leave her behind during your next visit ... "
Looking over the colt's submissive form, she gave him a frown. She couldn't deny that it pleased her to successfully intimidate another horse, but that does not mean he deserves to be in fear. She made for his apana, pausing to look at him for permission, eyeing the dog as well. If granted, she would walk to the three males. Commonly, her clan would only trade males, keeping their females through generations. They seemed strong enough.
Their white coats were a blessing and a curse. During the winter, when the snow blanketed the land, they blended in more easily. This did ward off predators, but it also made it harder to keep track of the livestock. There were few white apana in Froya's flock, even if their wool did fetch a slightly higher price. This deterred her from requesting a trade, but if they were strong and had other good qualities it might outweigh the cons of a pale coat.
"How old are each of these males, or at least ones you are willing to trade. What are their temperaments, wool quality, and how surefooted are they over rough terrain?" Her questions were factual, showing no desire for idle chit chat.
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Word Count: 280
Total: 2104
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 8, 2016 19:12:52 GMT -6
The colt's posture straightened immediately at the mares words about Maple. He glared, pinning his ears and stepping in front of her, head high and no longer submissive,
“Now hold on a second, ma'am,” he said firmly, “Maple isn't an aggressor, she's a defender. She would never hurt anyone here unless they tried to hurt us first. She growled at you because you startled me. It was a warning, not a threat,” he met her head on, green eyes sparking with a hidden fire than many didn't know he had.
His father's eyes. The eyes of a soldier. He wasn't scared of her anymore. If this was how she wanted to play he would happily oblige her.
“And like it or not, she won't be leaving any time soon. I need her. I'd like to see you keep track of ten white Apanas in the winter by yourself. She won't cause problems. She's a guard dog and a herder, nothing more. And I do stress Guard dog.” he told her firmly, taking a deep breath and calming down a bit. He swished his lion-like tail and stepped to the side,
“Now, I'm sorry for that, ma'am. But she's family.” he apologized lowering his head, his eyes soft once again. He sighed deeply and shook his curly mane, “All three rams are for trade. The two younger ones are three years old and the one with the black specks is five,” he told her, answering her previous question,
“The younger ones are a bit rowdy due to their age, but they take direction well. The specked one is docile and is the easiest out of the flock to control.” Chirin gestured behind them to the bundles, “There is some of their wool there if you would like to examine it. The younger ones give the softest wool and I've had other Herders tell me that it would make for good scarves and blankets when spun. The wool from the older ones is thicker and more resistant to damage. It's a pain to sheer, to be honest.”
He swished his tail again, “They can scale the Eastern cliff pass pretty well, and that's the roughest terrain I know of. Only the babies slip up now and again.” he finished, casting her a look, curious to what a more seasoned Herder would say about his flock.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 20:39:21 GMT -6
Clenching down on her teeth, she bared them slightly. Perhaps she would not be trading with this young colt, he didn't seem to know his place. "Did I say she was an aggressor? No. But things have a time and place. I bear no grudge with her, I understand her position, but taking her into the market may not have been the right choice. She guards your flock and you, but she does have an effect on the apana and herders here. In the wilds where there are predators to hold off, I fully appreciate her readiness to defend. But here in Skeldr, where there are more horses than you can comprehend, it is indeed not safe to have a defensive dog around, family or no. There is no need to threaten with her guarding abilities." The last bit of her speech seethed from her teeth, anger fuming under her thick coat. She did not look pleased, or swayed by what, to her, was an empty threat.
"I have warded off snow leopards, youngling. Your dog does not frighten me. But," she took a step back, having closed in on him a bit in her fury, and took a deep breath. "I do not intend to be a threat to her or you. I am simply warning you that her behavior is not acceptable in every occasion, beneficial as it may be out there." she gestured towards the limits of Skeldr.
Her breath came heavier than normal in her nostrils as she gazed down on the colt, bringing herself back to a state of calm. It was one thing to be snapped at, which would always cause her temper to flair, but by one so much younger than she? One who clearly has not known her experiences yet in the world of herding? Infuriating. But she must calm herself. She could be quite firey when she was young as well, even if occasionally wrongfully so.
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Word Count: 325
Total: 2822
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 8, 2016 21:35:44 GMT -6
Chirin's ears drooped shamefully as the older mare scolded him. He felt bad for what he said and how he said it. Once she explained he realized he had blown the whole thing out of proportion. She had a point though. Maple was territorial and protective. A dog like that in a crowded place like this wouldn't work out well. She needed to learn her place and so did he.
The colt's head sunk and he looked up at her, “I'm sorry, ma'am. That was rude of me. I didn't mean to be so nasty, I just.... she's all I have,” he said in a saddened tone, “And... you probably noticed that I'm not very good at this sort of thing. I'm trying to learn, honest, but it's just so hard when no one is there to teach you.”
He huffed and swished his tail, regaining his posture, holding himself with dignity. Sighing, he looked back at the mare, “I understand if you are no longer interested in the rams. I wouldn't be either, after a display like that.” his voice was smooth and calm, “All the same, I'll keep in mind what you said about Maple, and I'm sorry again for her behavior and my own.” he added.
Sometimes he hated his defensive nature. More than once it had gotten him into trouble and true to form, it had again. He could just hear his mother scolding him in the back of his mind. She would definitely be siding with the scarred mare on this one.
At his feet, Maple whined and stepped forward to sniff at the dark mare's leg.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 22:06:54 GMT -6
Expression softening, Froya gave a small bow of the head, accepting his apology. Glancing down at Maple, she allowed her to sniff her momentarily before she moved to look again at Chirin's apanas. Honing in on the eldest, she look him over very meticulously. Not only was his temperament better, but flecking in his coat would prove better than a pure white apana. Softer wool may fetch a higher price, but it wasn't really suited for Froya's clan. Their apanas were faced with roughness everyday of their lives, soft wool would fray under such conditions and would lose it's quality. Those in the lowlands were more appropriate homes for such fine haired livestock. The wool from Froya's clan was usually used in crafting sturdier items such as rugs, tapestries, and thick woolen blankets. Having such resilient wool is a gene that her clan appreciated.
"This older one, we might be interested in him. I will fetch my mother to see if she agrees with me, if that is alright with you. Then you could examine our bucks."
She stood quietly for a moment, staring at him as if she was forming a plot in her mind. "You say there is no one to teach you and yet you are quite young. Why, if you don't mind me asking, is such a young colt out and about on his own, with his own flock?" Perhaps this was a inquiry best left unsaid, but Froya couldn't help it. The young colt seemed like he could use some guidance and if he had no parents to offer it, well perhaps he could find solace in her clan. There would be many horses to teach him, even if his stay was temporary.
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Word Count: 288
Total: 3382
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 8, 2016 22:34:06 GMT -6
The corners of Chirin's mouth tugged into a smile when she said they might want the specked ram and when Maple sat down beside her, looking up at her and wagging her tail, “That's fine with me miss.” he agreed in a much perkier voice.
His ear twitched up at her question and he looked away from her, staring at the cobblestones underneath him, “See... when I was five my mother and me were leading our flock through the Eastern cliff pass. Y'know? The one with the temporary bridge on a small part of the road? Well... a storm had started up and the pass wasn't as safe as the Scouts had said. My mother and the entire flock died in a rock slide in the spot were that bridge is,” he answered, flicking an ear,
“My father was so full of grief that he stopped eating and neglected his duties to me and the Scouts. He threw himself from a cliff when I was eight,” he then looked at her with pride in his eyes, “Why am I out here with a flock of my own? I want to carry on what mother died for. To prove I can be strong. Plus I planted trees on their graves. This way I can visit them often and show them what I have accomplished.”
He didn't have a problem talking about his parents or why he didn't have them with him anymore. He looked down at Maple again and giggled when the small dog started licking the mare's leg, “I'm Chirin, by the way.” he said with a smile.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 8, 2016 22:58:51 GMT -6
A sadness filled her heart as the young colt told his tale, but it was overcome by pride. "Well," she said quietly, admiration in her eyes "you have had pain past your years and have overcome it. You are strong, even if you have much to learn. It's clear you are from War Forged, herdmate. Your parents would be proud, I feel their pride in my bones." She bowed her head deep before him, showing her respect. "I am sorry for your loss, but grateful for the strength it has given you."
Her eyes flickered open before she rose her head again. Was this dog .... licking her? No more than a few minutes ago it appeared like it wanted to bite her heels off, not caress them with kisses. "It seems your dog, er .... Maple, has changed her mind about me." Watching her for a moment, she then gently brushed her off and took hold of Chirin's gaze. "I am Froya. If you would like guidance, perhaps my clan could offer you refuge, even if for a just short while. You are young and should learn from your elders, they have much to teach."
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Word Count: 196
Total: 3846
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 8, 2016 23:28:26 GMT -6
Chirin felt his chest swell with self-pride as his smile grew bigger, “Thank you. No one ever said that to me before. Not even father. It means a lot. For years I wondered if I was even worthy of being here. So really, thank you.”
The colt then laughed at Froya's reaction to the ginger fluff at her hooves, “Yeah, she does that. Now she's never going to leave you alone.” he joked, “Don't be surprised if she comes over to sit with you for a few minutes. But I'll try my best to keep her over here, if you would prefer that.”
His ears pricked at her offer and his green eyes widened, “I ... really? I wouldn't be a bother? I mean, I wouldn't want to cause your Clan problems,” he said casting a glance down to Maple, “But... there is still so much I don't know. If.... if it really would be okay, maybe just for a wile?” he tilted his ears back as he asked, his slight shyness breaking through.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 9, 2016 18:34:35 GMT -6
"It's no problem. I will, of course, have to discuss it with my clan mates first. If you excuse me, I'll do that now." She turned to stride across the courtyard, but paused and looked over her shoulder. "How old are you?"
Receiving her answer, she rejoined her clan. She mostly talked with Deodora, being her mother, but the other two ponies had much to say as well. At first they would all glance at Chirin, but that quickly ceased. He was young and had skills in herding, there wasn't much debate on whether he could stay. Welcoming a stranger into their midst was not unheard of. After all, Froya's own father was once a stranger to this clan. No, Chirin could stay with them, that was not a problem.
Maple however ... that was different. All four ponies eyed the dog from afar. The clan had never had a canine companion among them or ever considered the assistance of one. This was a big change and they were all worried how it would disrupt their clan's environment. Sure she was well trained, but that simply was not how they did things in their clan. Well, Froya had said that the stay may be temporary ... they would give it a try. If she disrupted anything too much, they would dismiss Chirin.
It was decided. He could join them. Froya signaled for Chirin to come over.
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Word Count: 235
Total: 4255
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 9, 2016 20:24:52 GMT -6
“I'm 11 years old. I'll be 12 this fall.” he answered as Froya walked away. He watched the mare rejoin her Clan and began talking with an older mare. He took a guess that is was her mother. They all cast him a glance and he shrank back a little, once again intimidated.
He watched them talk a wile longer, each of them nodding 'yes'. Then they cast concerned looks at Maple. He winced a bit, tilting his ears. He didn't expect Froya to leave her initial encounter with the dog out and judging by the looks they gave her, she hadn't. He was afraid that maybe their earlier argument had just completely screwed up his chances.
Chirin looked down at Maple, who was panting and wagging her curly tail, looking in Froya's direction. He thought to himself wile he waited for her to call him or something. He couldn't remember ever wanting a home this much, even if the stay was just temporary. The thought of being surrounded by other horses who were willing to take him in and teach him how to do his job better made him happy, but also scared.
He was scared that he might mess up. That he might do something so entirely bad by accident and would endanger their flock and their means of survival. He didn't want to and just the thought of it possibly happening terrified him.
He took a calming breath and looked back towards Froya and her Clanmates. They were still talking, the two horses he didn't know frowned every so often and seemed to be asking the dark mare a question. Their expressions lightened once she answered them. They all stopped after a few more nods and Froya turned her head to look back at him, gesturing him to come over to them.
He pricked his ears at her, and quickly gave Maple a command, “Pass Auf.” He said to her. She trotted over to stand in front of the Apana, blocking them from getting out of the opening once Chirin started walking towards Froya and her Clan.
The roan colt held his head high and walked with a false confidence, hoping it hid how scared he was.
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["Pass Auf" is the German command for "Guard" ^u^ ]
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 9, 2016 20:59:29 GMT -6
It was Deodora who spoke when the colt arrived. "So," she said "thing young one wants to join us. Well, we have all agreed that that would be just fine ..." she gave a brief, small smile, but her expression quickly reverted to it's natural, serious state. "However, we must be sure that dog of yours will not make us regret our decision."
She looked gravely over at Maple and back again at Chirin. Froya watched, she worried that Chirin would automatically become defensive, but this did not show on her expression. "She seems well trained and bonded to you, but she must respect us as well. If it seems, after a while, that we will not be able to tolerate her presence, we may ask you to leave us. Do you understand?"
It was clear that Deodora and Froya were related, both having a very sober air about them, but Deodora had a subtle softness to her. This may have resulted from her time as a mother or perhaps the years have just ebbed away at her rough edges, it would be hard to say. She waited for Chirin to make his choice, gazing at him with eyes clear of bias. Either decision would be acceptable and right, as long as they were true to what Chirin wanted and aligned with what was good for him.
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Word Count: 227
Total: 4799
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 10, 2016 20:38:21 GMT -6
Chirin shied at the older mare's words. Oh yeah. This was Froya's mom alright. He glanced over to the scarred mare, noting a very brief flicker of worry in her dark eyes, even though her facial expression never changed.
But Chirin was his father's son. He will hold himself with dignity before an elder horse, despite how shy and intimidated he was. The roan colt inhaled deeply through his nose and held his head up, meeting the eyes of the older mare, speaking calmly,
“Yes Ma'am, I understand. With respect, Miss Froya has already made that point quite clear to me, and I agreed with her fully. Maple has had little experience with any other horses except myself and I believe she could use a bit of discipline, as could I,” he tilted his ears and gave Froya a small smile before looking back at her mother,
“She's only a puppy still, and while I understand that sounds like an excuse, it also means she is more open to learning. I'll do my best to control her and keep her in check. I'll not hesitate to discipline her if she does something you are not pleased with,” he told her, lowering his head respectably,
“If it would help, ma'am, I could also possibly teach you and your Clanmates how to give her commands. She may respect you faster when she realizes it's not just me she needs to take orders from. As far as myself, I would be honored if you would allow me to join you for a short wile,” Chirin bowed his head to her. The last thing he wanted to do was skimp on his manners.
“I'll not over-stay my welcome though. I'm sure your Clan has better things to do than babysit a colt and his dog." he finished, glancing up at her, his eyes slowly wandering over to the two other horses before finally settling on Froya.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 11, 2016 0:50:02 GMT -6
"Yes," Deodora responded in turn "you will have to teach us her commands. I think that would be best and the fastest way to earn her respect." She looked over Chirin one last time and nodded as she glanced at Maple. "You may join us. Would you bring your apanas here to join ours? We still have some apanas to trade so we should be here till night, I'm sure you still have business here in Skeldr as well. Froya mentioned you still had wool, we can watch your apanas while you go and sell it, if that was your intention."
Froya stepped forward, "I could show you where the buyers are if you're unsure. But it might be nice for you to search them out yourself as well." Deodora was watching her daughter speak, but spoke up before Chirin could respond. "Well, we must remember we might be leaving this night, so don't be late."
Deodora looked at Chirin with sincerity in her eyes, "Welcome to our clan, Chirin, even if your stay may turn out to be short." She turned and laid herself down beside her clan mate, resting among the apanas. Two of the remaining males had been traded for new ones, the fourth clan mate was bartering with a horse across the way who was interested in one of the remaining two. The clan's errands in Skeldr were almost done.
Froya approached Chirin, pressing her side against him momentarily in a gesture of congratulations. "I hope you enjoy your time among us."
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Word Count: 256
Total: 5377
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 11, 2016 16:58:13 GMT -6
The colt smiled at Froya, “I'm sure I will. And Thank you for the offer, but I think I can find the buyers myself. How hard can it be to find a Merchant handling and buying unprocessed wool?” he said over his shoulder as he walked back to his flock.
He picked up his bundles of wool and turned to Maple again, who was still staring at the Apanas. He snorted to get her attention and she turned and looked up at him, wagging her tail. He cast a worried look to Froya before giving Maple a command whistle. She gave a perky woof in response and ran to the back of the flock and growled at them. They all filed out of the makeshift corral and followed along as Chirin guided them to Froya's clan.
Maple didn't bark as much, amazingly enough, but she did give a few yipps to keep them moving. Until one of the younger rams at the back of the flock stopped in the middle of the isle and turned to face the dog in defiance.
He stood firm, pawing at the cobblestone path, giving an aggressive snort. He lowered his head at the dog, preparing for a charge. Maple sank slow, pinning her ears back. She beard her teeth and growled at him. Apanas were stubborn and more than once this had happened with the same ram. Chirin frowned, pinning his ears and firmly trotted up to the two. He was not going to let Maple go head to head with the ram here. In the fields was a different story, but here in the market the spat would most likely send all the Apanas into a panic. Dogs were predators after all.
Chirin blew through his nose, giving an assertive and rather intimidating snort. He stepped in front of Maple and lowered his head to meet the ram. It charged but Chirin struck a hoof on the stones and swung his horn down, purposely missing the ram but coming close enough to scare it back to the rest of the flock.
The colt glared at the ram, raising his head and swishing his tail in irritation as he walked back to Froya, “On second thought, maybe that ram isn't for trade.” he said with a bit of a chuckle. “If you don't mind, I would appreciate you keeping an eye on them for me. I should be back before it gets dark. If not, just leave without me and I'll catch up with you in the meadow, okay?” he asked before whistling to Maple to come over to him.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 12, 2016 0:12:36 GMT -6
Froya gave a nod of approval and then returned to her clan. Watching Chirin head out with Maple, she reflected on him entering the clan. It would be good to have some young blood around again. The older horses would especially like it, it helps liven their everyday lives up and gave them spirit. To see someone as young as Chirin so full of energy and eager to learn, it reminded them of their youth.
The fourth clanmate came to fetch one of the males, replacing him with a ram from the stranger across the way. Chirin's white apanas were sore thumbs among the flock of Froya's clan. Well, at least it wouldn't be hard to separate them out when his time to leave came. If he leaves, she thought. She gave a sigh of contemplation, she liked the young colt, she wished for his success.
The sky became dimmer as the last apana was traded, the newest addition acquainting itself with its unfamiliar flock mates. It would settle down soon enough, especially after the long trek to where the would meet up with the rest of the clan. Gegnir would be happy to meet Chirin, though he might not be the best teacher for herding. That was really Froya and Deodora's area of expertise, they had much to show Chirin. Froya cast a glance up at the peak of Skeldr, shrouded in a thin summer mist, young moonlight reflecting off the cloudy wave. Soon the clan would leave Skeldr, within a half hour at most.
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Word Count: 256
Total: 6069
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 12, 2016 0:40:55 GMT -6
Chirin looked up into the dark sky and cursed lightly under his breath. He had managed to sell all of his wool. The softer fibers had been the first ones to go. The colt whistled to the ginger dog at his hooves as he turned to briskly trot back to the Herder Market. He walked in and searched for his white flock and Froya's clan. Neither were there, so that meant he was late and they had already left.
He turned tail and jogged down the street with Maple padding along behind him. He got to the rise before a small hill and looked out over the meadow at the bottom of the rocks. His white flock mingled with Froya's glinted in the moonlight. He continued trotting until he reached the bottom. He breathed deeply before jolting into a break-neck sprint across the grass. The small dog kept pace with him effortlessly as he raced to catch up with Froya, who he easily picked out, thanks to Maple.
The ginger ball of fluff ran right up to her yipping at her happily and bouncing alongside her. Chirin fell in beside the scarred mare, matching her steady trot, “See? I told you we'd catch up!” he told her, still exhilarated from his run.
He looked ahead at the rest of the Clan. He was excited to see what they could teach him and he couldn't wait to meet everyone properly. He was even more looking forward to getting to know Froya better. The mare had a soft air about her, though she kept it hidden under a layer of daggers. For the first time in his life, he couldn't wait until tomorrow.
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