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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 12, 2016 19:37:12 GMT -6
Chirin - BlackBee23
Froya - QuirkyLynx
Setting:
Two Weeks into Fall, Year 1700
It's mid-morning and the sky is mostly cloudy with the sun peeking out at random intervals. The frost refuses to melt and there is a slight breeze. |
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 12, 2016 19:38:50 GMT -6
He ached everywhere. His sides hurt, his back hurt, his eye hurt, his legs hurt, just everything hurt. The attack had been months ago, but his scars and wounds were still tender and on the mend and the frosty weather of early winter wasn't helping. The trek had been long and slow, especially with Maple limping slightly. He wanted to go home and curl up by his warm fireplace to heal, rest and get good food, but that wasn't going to happen.
Chirin's head hung low as he walked wearily behind Maple. He coughed a bit, his throat and neck hurting where the wolf had taken a chunk out. He didn't complain about it, instead he just dealt with it quietly and kept walking. His right eye was still a bit blurry from were a claw had struck him. He didn't doubt that the eye would loose it's sight entirely in a few more months, or even a year if he was lucky.
He sighed and kept walking across the frosty grass, keeping an eye out for the shapes and sounds of Skeldr Market. It had been a full nine months since he had departed from Froya's Clan back in the summer. Now that it was winter again he was making his way back to them. He enjoyed his time there. It was always so full of energy and Maple had improved a lot in terms of her behaviour and manners towards other horses.
He wondered at their reactions when they saw what state he was in now. A brief ray of sun broke through the thick clouds, casting his shadow. He stopped to look at it, eyeing the refracting specs of green light his horn cast. His horn... who would have thought that something so nice to look at would end up being Chirin's greatest weapon.
Before he could start travelling he had to pick something up from a Tanner. A horse that processed animal hides to make wearable pelts. This winter was going to be hard on him and he didn't need his injuries to tell him that. He had left his flock in a secure corral back home, only a few hours away from Skeldr Town. It was sheltered and well supplied with food. The walls of the corral were woven tree branches and were well above the Apanas heads.
Maple had been hurt by one of the wolves too when she had tried to defend the flock from the three that had chased after them. She had gotten away with a small bite to the shoulder and a ripped left ear, thankfully.
Finally, Chirin's hooves landed on Skeldr Market's cobblestone streets. He got some stares from Merchants tending to their booths and other horses who were perusing the wares and items. No one said anything to him though and he just ignored them, trotting straight up to the Tanners. The Shop Keeper noticed him and asked Chirin what he wanted. The colt told him that he had dropped off a skin earlier in the summer, a wolf skin, and he was here to pick it up. The Shop Keeper chuckled at him and asked him to be more specific. There were many wolf pelts in their Shop.
“Mine was black with a white underside and ginger accents on the shoulder area.” The colt told him. The Shop Keeper thought for a second then smiled at the colt,
“Ah yes,” he said, turning around and entering a back room, “The Timber Wolf pelt! Gotta say kid, it was a professional pleasure to work with something so rare to this part of Onea.” he called from the room, “How you managed to get a Timber Wolf skin is beyond me.” the stallion walked out of the room with Chirin's pelt and placed it on the table, “There ya go, kid.”
Chirin took the pelt and said thank you. Walking away from the shop, he flung the pelt over his back, the fur hiding his scars and doing up the two fangs at the chest to close the pelt and keep it on. He looked up the street and decided to go take a look at the booths. Maybe there was something new here.
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 18, 2016 23:24:26 GMT -6
A rarity, it was, to see Froya meandering through the streets of Skeldr. The mare didn't much enjoy mingling with the townsfolk, believing her time was better spent training and learning the ways of war. But those at the fortress encouraged her to take a walk among the civilians from time to time, it was good to remember what you were protecting.
She snorted at the thought, startling a stallion that had passed beside her. Taking no notice, she continued down the cobblestone hills towards the market. Froya knew what she was protecting. She didn't need to be reminded, but if she was desperate for a refresher the markets of Skeldr was not where she would find it. Away from the bustling town is where she would go, to the wilds and the quiet, where farmers and grazing apana could be seen in the distance. That was what she was protecting. One mustn't misunderstand, Froya did not dislike the people of Skeldr, she would die for them, but they were not as close to her heart as those who made their homes in the wild. A sigh passed her lips as she glanced over the roofs, catching patchwork pieces of a spectacular view of wild Onea.
Leaves of fall swirled around her hooves in a flurry as she stepped into the market. Quiet perhaps by the standards of some Aodhian, but normal for a Skeldr citizen. Her expression was seemingly sour, per usual, and so she was approached by no horse. Silently she slipped from stall to stall, occasionally peering at wares she had no intention of buying. She paused for quite a while at a stall with tapestries made from apana wool. Some of these could have come from Froya's clan, but she would not know, having been absent since spring. They made her homesick, those colorfully woven draperies. Turning her eyes away from the hanging textiles, full of stinging memory, her brown orbs found themselves resting on something that was drenched in nostalgia just like those cloths. This, however, was a living memory and did not bite at her heart in longing.
A glittering, green horn, sunlight dancing through it. It adorned a young stallion, woollen and covered in fresh scars, scars that were unknown to Froya. But as quickly as she had seen them, they were covered by a unfamiliar pelt, shimmering and free of wear. The valkyrie approached, stopping just behind the colt as he fastened the pelt.
"And what have you been up to?" she said as she hid a smirk.
Word Count: 426
Total: 1,131
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 18, 2016 23:49:24 GMT -6
The voice made Chirin jump, startling Maple as well. He had a very brief flash of Deja Vu, but it was fleeting and had vanished almost as quickly as it had come. But that voice. He recognized that voice! He smiled as he turned around to face the dark mare, “Froya!” he said happily, holding back the urge to hug her. Maple, however, did not posses that amount of self-control. She gave the mare a few gleeful barks and put her front paws up on her strong leg, wagging her tail like mad.
The roan colt ceased his grinning and gave his head a quick shake when his right eye began to sting a bit in pain. He looked back at her, resuming his smile, “Nothing much really. We miss you in the fields, but this is a nice surprise!” he answered, “I'm glad I chose today to visit the market.”
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 19, 2016 1:37:00 GMT -6
"Is that all?" she questioned, gently lifting the wolf pelt with a mental hand, peeking beneath. "It looks as though more adventure has befallen you with these marks on your hide." She let the pelt drop, golden dust lingering briefly where she had held it, as she brought her eyes to meet Chirin's. " At least, this pelt must have some tale to it. It's not from a wolf that calls northern Onea home."
She smiled at him. It was good to see the young unicorn, Froya had grown quite fond of him while he was under her clan's wing. He'd grown then, but he had grown more now. Perhaps not greatly in height or girth, but there was something new behind those green eyes ... experience. Something had happened to this young colt, something horrible and spectacular all at once. A flash of a memory crossed Froya's mind, reminding her of her own experience as a teen that brought her into adulthood. It seemed as though Chirin met his challenge at a younger age than she.
Having ignored Maple thus far, Froya bent her neck to meet the dog, snorting a quick gust of the chilled autumn air into the dog's nose, causing her to sneeze. A slight smiled crept along Froya's lips and quickly vanished in the northern breeze. The small canine was a little worse for wear as well, a torn ear catching Froya's attention. Briefly she rested her muzzle upon the dog's head in a fond greeting before she again rose to gaze at Chirin, taking notice of his injured eye.
Word Count: 265
Total: 1,547
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 19, 2016 21:53:42 GMT -6
Chirin tilted his ears back at Froya's words. He had been hoping she hadn't noticed his scars. He avoided her eyes and sighed, undoing the teeth and slipping the pelt off, allowing the mare to see them in more detail. From a distance they didn't look too serious. Just minor flesh wounds were the fur wouldn't grow back. But from were Froya was standing, it was evident that they had been deadly.
Chirin looked back at the mares brown eyes, his vision all but a blur on the right side, “You say adventure, I say bad luck,” he told her, “It happened back in the summer. Me and a friend were spending the night in the Alder Grove my parents are buried in, waiting out a thunder storm, when a pack of Timber Wolves attacked us. There were thirteen of them.” He looked to the pelt and gave a slightly smug, uncharacteristic grin, “This one I killed myself. I had impaled it through the neck.”
His expression faded to one of shame, “I'm sad that I had to kill it, but at the same time, I'm proud of myself.”
He looked up at Froya, “Is that wrong?” His question was genuine, although slightly childish. He truly was very conflicted about how to feel in regards to killing the wolf. It had tried to kill his friend but it had also just been trying to find food. It had been trying to survive. How could he feel pride for that?
RP Total: 1,789
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 20, 2016 3:07:36 GMT -6
Following his words with a furrowed brow, her eyes slipped over and traced the shapes of his fresh scars. Distant worry was in her expression, these wounds had been bad. How this young colt had survived was beyond her. But as she met his gaze, painful as it was, her ears swiveled back into shock, disbelief, and anger all at once when he disclosed the size of the pack. "Thirtheen?!" she exclaimed, emotion erupting from her like a mother betrayed by her child, an uncommon display from the brown mare. Merchants and patrons alike glanced over in brief confusion before returning to their bartering. Shock left her as quickly as it came, her eyes were distant, yet stared at Chirin like he was some new wonder to behold "Timber wolves at that ..." she murmured, trailing off and lost in a moment of thought.
As if no outburst had occurred, her natural, sober state engulfed her once more. "It's curious to find Timber wolves so far north, but outlandish to think that a pack of thirteen had been wandering through our lands. To say it is unheard of would be an understatement." She looked over Chirin once more, devastated more so by his wounds knowing what had inflicted them. "Kaia was surely guarding you that night, your parents' spirits would not allow you to be injured on their resting ground." She paused, looking down at the newly marred colt, disapproval and pride fighting for dominance in her eyes. "You should have ran Chirin ... but no, I don't think you need to feel shame for your pride. You protected yourself, Maple, your friend, your flo-" she cut herself off, noticing the lack of apana around the young stallion, and quickly diverting her speech "Wear the pelt with pride, for you have conquered, but also wear it with respect, for you have taken."
Word Count: 312
Total: 2,101
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 22, 2016 16:38:06 GMT -6
The colt smiled slightly and nodded in understanding at what the mare had told him. Her words gave him some comfort about killing the wolf. He chuckled at bit afterwards though, “Relax. I only lost three Apanas. I have six now instead of ten. And umm... I... actually.. I did run away at first. But then I saw the wolves going after Maple and the flock and started to run after them. Wolves took me down right beside mother and father's trees, oddly enough.” He explained glancing down to the ginger puppy. “Its funny that you say Kaia was watching over me,”
The colt turned and looked at Mt.Skeldr behind him, “My father once told me the words engraved in stone beneath her statue in the Temple,” he looked back at Froya,
“My children, you bow before none, for it is the mighty Earth that lends you it's strength and that shapes your destiny. Those who stand in the way of that destiny shall be crushed. You are of me and you will be great.”
Chirin's eyes were calm and focused, “They inspired me to fight back. Foal or not, I couldn't just run away and leave my friend there to die alone. That's not who I am, Froya,” He thought for a moment, eyes now turned to the road. He didn't know how she was going to react if he told her, but he figured she should know. It did concern her family. He took a deep breath before meeting the mare's eyes,
“I'm going to ask your father to teach me how to become a Shield.”
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 26, 2016 0:19:46 GMT -6
"Three apana in a flock as small as yours are vital." Froya said, correcting the young colt sternly, but managed to not sound scolding. Nodding, she voiced her agreement in his actions "Yes, running was a good choice, but I understand why you turned. Protecting one's family is just as important as protecting one's own life." She smiled down at him, seeing the beginning of the transformation from colt to stallion.
As he spoke the sacred words, Froya's eyes found their way to the hidden peak of Skeldr. She would take him there, if he agreed and if her superiors would grant her a few days leave, which she expected them to. After all, it was a holy journey. Who could deny a horse the presence of her Gods?
Suddenly, Chirin's words broke Froya's far off thoughts. Her face snapped away from the divine hold of Mount Skelder and locked onto Chirin's face, her brown eyes glittering with pride and honor, reflecting in his green pools of hope and determination. "It would be his honor, Chirin. I guarantee he will say yes." she paused, the glint in her eye fading "Well, he will agree to train you. He may not be too happy about your decision to become a Shield. He made an oath not to rejoin them untill mares and stallions were seen equal, as they are in Kaia's heart, and may not be too keen to send them a fresh stallion to their calling." Concern engraved itself on her features, subtle to a stranger and obvious to her kindred. She wanted the best for Chirin and the idea of her galloping into battle one day with him flaking her made her heart swell with pride. It was then that she realized she had adopted the young stallion as a brother, whether he knew it or not, and she was sure her clan felt the same. He had been accepted as one of their own, Gegnir would train him, he would not deny his kin the honor of fighting for the War Lord.
"He will accept you, Chirin, I am sure of it. He will teach you to harness the power within yourself and be strong like Kaia's earth." Bowing her head in reverence, for her father, Kaia, and Chirin's new journey, she looked almost as if she was blessing the young stallion, passing some of her warrior heart to him. After a moment of silence she rose her head again and captured his gaze. "Will you go with me to Kaia?" she said, leading his eyes to Skeldr.
Word Count: 430
Total: 2799
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 26, 2016 18:53:02 GMT -6
Chirin felt his chest swell with joy when Froya guaranteed that her father would train him, however, some of that joy died down when she said that he night not be all to happy of his decision. It wasn't in sadness or disappointment though, but in understanding, “That makes sense. I don't suppose I would be either. But mare's and stallions are already equals in my eyes in terms of daily life and the ability to fight. My mother was what made my father change his mind about mares, and I myself have never had a reason to see mares as lower than myself,” he told her with a light smile,
“You are one of the reasons why, as well as my inspiration. I mean you're a Valkyrie! You and the others are the best line of defense for our War Lord. If that won't earn a stallion's respect for mares then nothing will.” he was truly proud of and inspired by Froya's accomplishments. She had gone from herding Apanas to becoming one of the War Lord's personal warriors.
He couldn't help but smile when she bowed her head to him. What she said next, however, completely caught him off guard. His eyes widened and his ears tilted back, “You mean...” he turned his head to look at Mt. Skeldr's peak, hidden under a thick layer of clouds, “Go to the Temple with you?” he thought about it for a moment. He would have to leave Maple and the flock in the care of Froya's family. He knew the young dog would obey them without hesitation, and he was mostly sure they wouldn't mind watching his flock.
But did he have what it took to make the climb? Chirin smiled an amused and slightly cocky smile at the thought, 'Only one way to find out,' he thought, 'Challenge accepted.'
He looked back to the dark mare with his usual gentile smile, “Ever since that day you and your family took me in, you've been like a big sister to me. Despite all the times I may have annoyed you, and I know I have, you never quit on me nor pushed me away. I hope someday I will be able to do for you, half of what you have done for me.” his horn caught a stray beam of sunlight, the various shades of green it held within becoming an emerald blaze, “Froya,” he said straightening his posture and bowing his head to her, his horn nearly touching her shoulder, “To travel to Kaia and Alya's Temple with you would be my genuine honor.”
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 26, 2016 20:59:03 GMT -6
Froya pushed his horn aside and wrapped her neck beyond his in an embrace shared by those of kin. "I am sure my family see you the same way, my brother and their son, though our time together has been short. You will do great things, Chirin." she pulled away, shining with glory. "You will be a Shield-brother, more than in title, that I will greatly welcome by my side in battle and in the tides of life. I await your ascent to the title of Shield." If Froya had been one for tears, they would be soaking the fur of her face in channels. But instead she stood firm, like Kaia's mountains, and reveled in Chirin's brilliance, the brilliance of a blooming warrior and stallion.
"The climb is long," she began, taking her eyes from the subject of her affections before her and gently laying them on the mountain once more, soft with holy adoration "I have successfully done it twice. The winds will try to thwart us, the clouds will mean to confuse us, and the mountain itself may attempt to reject us, casting rocks upon our path or over our heads, but we will persevere."
Once more she looked at Chirin, taking in each and every scar, fresh and pink, his coat of triumph and trophy, and finally his eyes, swirling with promise. "Kaia will bless you with guidance on your journey and honor your path." Suddenly her demeanor changed, she was no longer a mare basking in the glow of a rising sun, of a colt becoming a stallion, of a warrior's birth, once more she was Froya. Froya the Valkyrie, serious and impassive, with eyes that observed, but rarely betrayed her inner thoughts. "I will have to address Hira before we make this journey, I will need her permission for temporary leave of duty."
Word Count: 309
Total: 3542
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Post by Coffie-Buzz on Jan 27, 2016 1:52:35 GMT -6
Chirin stood there in shock. Froya was hugging him?! The action was so unexpected that he didn't know what to do other than stand there until she moved away. He stood there staring at her with mild shock. She had just called him brother. She acknowledged him as family, something Chirin had been without for years. He just listened quietly but smiled at her when she voiced her feelings on him becoming a Shield. He wasn't aware that the scarred mare was capable of expressing this much emotion, though he had assumed she was able to. She had always kept her softer side locked away in iron and steel. To see her like this was.... oddly pleasant. Especially since it was directed at him.
He could see glints of pride in her brown eyes. He remembered getting the same look from his mother and it made him feel just as happy as it had back then. He followed her gaze to the mountain taking in the information. He would make it to the Temple or proudly die trying. Although, he doubted the mare.. his sister, would allow him to do so in her presence.
He looked back to her and cocked a brow, smiling and dropping his right ear. She had done a complete emotional 180 in a matter of seconds. There was the Froya he knew. He chuckled at her a bit, but it was quiet, barely escaping his throat, “I understand. I'll be back in Skeldr Town in two weeks. I still need to grab some things for home.” He told her, expression now back to his usual soft smile, “I could meet you at the foot of the path to the Stronghold around noon.”
The roan colt hoped that Hira grant her leave. He was almost positive that she would, though. Froya would be going to the Temple and he didn't see the War Lord as someone who would deny her own Valkyrie that journey. He briefly glanced down at Maple, who had been sitting quietly at his front hooves the whole time, “I take it you have noticed my injured eye by now. Unfortunately I can't promise how well my sight will be in it, the next time we meet,” Chirin met Froya's eyes again, “It may or may not be slow going at first, but I'll try my best.”
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Post by Quorkbirb on Jan 29, 2016 13:27:35 GMT -6
"I will be there and I will bring provisions; though if you could spare a few Apana wool blankets, they will serve us well." She fell silent, feeling their meeting nearing its end, but then added. "If your count of scars is doubled in two weeks time, I will never let you from my sight again." The rare joke fluttered from her lips, light, but with weight soaked behind the words. Looking up at the falling sun, she turned to take her leave, hoping that Hira would be available for discussion of her plans. "Tell me what my father says, if you visit him before our next meeitng." With a nod and a lingering glance, she left him alone with the echoing, deep thunks of her hooves against cobble. Sun specks kissed her coat, illuminating small hidden strands of gold in her brown fur. Within moments she was out of sight, slipping behind buildings of stone and wood.
She would search out Hira, who would approve her request with little worry. Only Kaia oversaw Hira's hold on her Valkyries, a call that even the War Lord could not deny. Should would request supplies be available to her on the morn of her trek, not wanting to be blindsided with shortage of supply. Within an hour she returned to training, the fire within her stoked with the embers of Chirin's growing flame. Together they would burn hot, seering any that dared challenge the children of Kaia. They would turn them back to Kaia in the form of charred earth, smoldering with the heat of their fury.
Word Count: 265
Total: 4201
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