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Post by InTheDappledRain on Jul 25, 2017 18:33:52 GMT -6
 Autumn had come too quickly. That much had hit Edmond like a ton of stone as he had stepped out into the crisp and cool air that morning, his cloak pulled around him in it's slightly warm embrace as he waited for Addy to follow after him.
It had recently come to Edmond's attention, after several complaints had been brought to him over the course of the past few weeks, that some of the bridges leading up to Alya and Kaia's shrine at the top of Mt. Skeldr needed to be looked at, and while he was far from the strong stone builders that used to take the trip up and down the mountain, he still felt it was his job to check out the whispers and see if what was being said was true.
After all, he had known many of the stone masons in his younger years. Addy's parents, for instance, had been some of the best builders he had ever known; their bridges were impeccable, and he found it difficult to believe that their works were the ones that had fallen into disrepair.
The appaloosa stallion let out a short huff, his breath billowing in the morning air before he took in a slow and steady breath. The smell of pine needles filled his nostrils, allowing him to relax slightly.
One of the many reasons he was going on this trip, aside from it being a part of his duty, was that he wanted to speak with his youngest child alone. He spent much of his time doting on Ales and Aly that sometimes the older stallion couldn't help but feel he didn't give his two adopted children enough time in the lime light... and today he hoped to at least attempt to fix that with Addy.
Quietly, the stallion glanced back towards the zonkey, a warm gleam in his eyes despite his somber expression. "Ready to tackle the mountain again so soon after your last visit?" He asked, remembering how she and Aly had both gone to the very top to pay their respects to Kaia.
He needed to that himself soon. After all, if both of his daughters could do it, there was little to no reason for him to shirk the responsibility as well. He sighed.
There was so much that his two daughters were doing, sometimes he couldn't keep up... and sometimes he couldn't help but feel as if he wasn't doing enough to turn them away from the dangerous lives they were living. Yet, here he was, quietly encouraging them while giving them stern looks, reminding them quietly that he didn't approve of what they were doing... even if he was proud of them.
Gods, why was he such a hypocrite?
Word count: 459| Post #1
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Post by notadonkey on Jul 25, 2017 19:00:20 GMT -6
Excitement filled the little zonkey as she worked to tie the front of her fur cloak as fast as her teke could, fumbling a bit but eventually tying the knot with a quick and secure tug. Addeva was elated when Edmond asked her to come along with him to check out an old bridge. She hadn't been out with the old stallion one on one in ages, in fact she couldn't remember the last time.
She slipped on her bracers, giving one huff and nod in satisfaction. About ready to go Addy paused, glancing at her dagger. She knew Dad wasn't the biggest fan of the bronze dagger that was gifted to her by Hira, but she grabbed it anyway and shoved it in it's holster.
"Bye Aly!! Bye Ales!!!! Bye Lad!! We'll be back later!" She shouted up the stairs before shutting the front door. A breeze ruffled through her "fur", the air smelling like fall already. Addeva had mixed feelings about the season, after all, all of her favorite plants usually started to die. But at least they go out in flying colors. Dad tries to save the ones that she loves the most in the house anyways.
She stood next to the much larger stallion as he looked on, giving a huge grin as she looked up to him. "You know I am! I can't wait to see the bridge, I haven't seen it in ages. I'm sure it's not as bad as everyone says it is, I mean my parents worked really hard on that one." Somehow, when Aly and her had taken the trip up the mountain, they went across another bridge. That one was newer, but not as spectacular as her parents' work. Her smile didn't falter as Ed had his usual somber expression cemented on his face. This was going to be a great day, she knew it already!
Word count: 316| Post #1
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Jul 25, 2017 20:02:15 GMT -6
The stallion chuckled, amused by just how excited - and optimistic - Addeva was for their adventure. Quietly, he side eyed the dagger Hira had gifted her. He knew that she felt more comfortable with it, so let his glance drop after just a moment.
He didn't want to make her feel as if she was making him uncomfortable after all. If the dagger was her protection... so be it.
"Let's get started then, shall we?" He asked, nodding as he himself said a final farewell to the family and home he loved so much. "We won't be going through Skeldr Town this time around, as it's a bit faster to start heading up the mountain path that's closer to home. I hope you don't mind." He smiled warmly. "If we need to pick anything up before we head home, we can easily stop by before coming back."
He paused, not wanting to break the filly's heart by telling her to prepare for the worst. He wasn't exactly sure how damaged the bridge was himself, and if it was a mess, he'd be heartbroken to see the excited Valkyrie break down a little. She was always so tough... so determined, and had the kind of personality that could easily melt your heart.
It had already melted his a few times over. Despite the difference between her and Aly, the two wonderfully independent and strong fillies had a chance of becoming something great.
Why it had to be something Hira made them into, Edmond would never know.
But he needed to push those thoughts aside. After all, continuously complaining to himself about the fate of his children would do nothing but make this trip bitter, and he wanted to spend some wonderful quality time with Addy.
"So, what has Hira taught you recently?"
Word count: 300| Post #2
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Post by notadonkey on Jul 25, 2017 22:13:35 GMT -6
Addeva nodded vigorously before following after Edmond, trotting alongside him with her smile never fading. Her hood bounced happily between her shoulders as she drank in the scene around her. Some trees were already turning golden, while others remained in their forever green state. Addy loved the variety of Kaia's earth, she sure was creative when it came to all the species of the land.
"I don't mind at all, I haven't taken that path in awhile! I think the last time was with Kathra last winter, we saw bear tracks in the snow." Her large ears flicked forward in sudden realization, "Though...now that I think about it, maybe she was just testing me using her blessing...I mean why would there be bear tracks in winter?! Ahh I shoulda known!" She giggled, making a note to tell Kathra about that.
She glanced up to Ed, another glint of excitement blooming in her blue irises. She's been meaning to show him her new moves to see what he thought about them. "I thought you'd never ask!"
Addeva galloped a bit forward in the direction they were heading, whipping out her dagger. "Hira always says that I have to rely on my small size rather than brute strength to get the job done" She got into a makeshift stance while still moving forward as to not slow down their journey. "So I've been practicing with my trusty dagger lately and how to move with it! So say there's an enemy charging right towards me, I'd swoosh to the side just in time to get him to loose his focus!" The zonkey swiftly danced to one side, "Then, of course, the guy will be like 'Hey you get back here!' and charge again, and then nyoom!, I dance to the other side, and before he can turn around again swish! I strike like a hawk!" She moved quickly with sure feet while she gave the imaginary bad guy a slash and jab.
"What do ya think?"
Word count: 335| Post #2
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Jul 26, 2017 11:52:48 GMT -6
Edmond watched as Aly... no Addy. Gods, all of his children had A names, why did all of his children have A names?
Maybe he'd get lucky and the next kid he adopted wouldn't have an A name. He had already decided to give Lad an L nickname so that he wasn't constantly trying to sort between Ales, Aly, Addy, and him. Instead, he would just struggle with the three younger members of his family. He sighed softly at the thought, knowing full well that he still sometimes screwed up on his name, too.
Addy's voice broke his concentration, forcing him to focus back on her. Good, he needed to remember that he had asked her to show him her moves. With a stiff nod, he watched as she moved in the snow, trying her hardest to show him exactly what she'd do if she went up against another horse. He chuckled at her sound effects.
It broke his heart sometimes, knowing that such a young child was out in the real world fighting for his herd. Both she and Ales were so young, yet so strong. They were like mountains, even if they were nothing more than children.
Once the demonstration was over, Edmond made his way over to her. "Hira..." He had to bite the acidity that had begun to drip into his tone back. "Gave you some solid advice..." Not something Edmond would say every day... at least not when he was around others. However, his children were always the exception.
Something he was more than certain Hira was aware of.
"The only thing I'd have some concern about would be if you came across a faster horse. Your size can most certainly be an advantage... but you should always consider what your enemy may do in advance." He nodded at the dagger. "Keep practicing, I'm sure you'll get better over time. That small thing has yet to see much of the world. I'm sure one you've bloodied a few creatures, you'll have a better understanding of yourself and your weapon."
Gods forbid that ever came to pass. "In the meantime, I can always act as the larger horse if you would like to practice. Obviously that dagger would need to be put aside, but a blunted practice dagger... or a stick would work just as well against me."
As much as he hated Hira and her Valks... he wasn't quite willing to let his children go out into the wilderness without knowing how to protect themselves. Word count: 420| Post #3
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Post by notadonkey on Jul 26, 2017 13:14:04 GMT -6
A little giggle broke out as Edmond seemed to approve of her moves and of Hira's teachings. She never understood his feelings towards the War Lord. Like when she first came to their house to announce that Addy and Aly were to be trained as Valkyries, and how angry Dad was. No matter how low key he wanted to be, the girls knew it bothered him. A lot about Hira seemed to bother him. Which made no sense, because Hira is awesome and the best and super amazing and-
Oh, right, she should listen to Ed's critique. Immediately she got into student mode as she paid attention to what he had to say. Right, quicker foes... She looked to the ground, remembering the Vagabond she fought not long ago. He was pretty quick.
She nodded obediently, glancing at her dagger she held with her signature soft blue teke. She didn't have much "real" practice with it, though it did see blood once. Hopefully Addy would be able to take down someone without the help of her sister, though it was greatly appreciated and she did love Aly for throwing her own dagger into that guy.
Addeva quickly looked back up as the stallion as he offered to be her "foe", a brand new grin growing on her face. She loved sparring with Dad, he was as tactical as they come and wasn't afraid to tell her what she was doing wrong. "That sounds great! Oh, right, sticks."
The zonkey quickly placed her dagger back in place before trotting towards the tree line, scanning the white ground as she looked for a good sized makeshift weapon. "Aha!" Finally she spotted a decent one, picking it up and testing it with a few flicks and jabs. She glanced at another good sized one not too far away, and grabbed it for Ed to fight with. She ran back to his tall figure, handing him his stick before taking up her stance with her brand new weapon. "Okay, let's go!"
Clearly, she couldn't do the exact same moves she just showed him, that'd be too easy, so this time she ran straight for him with a proper Valkyrie battle cry, coming close to him only to dash to the left keeping light on her feet.
Word count: 382| Post #3
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Jul 26, 2017 20:33:17 GMT -6
Edmond smiled as he charged at the filly, his mind racing as he tried to out maneuver Addy. He had to admit that she had been taught well, better than he had expected, seeing as she chose a different set of tactics than what she had just shown him. He chuckled, moving to "attack" her as she jumped to the left.
Her cry reminded him of his younger years, when a sword had hung at his side. He needed to purchase a new one; he had been telling himself this for ages, and yet still he hadn't bothered with it. Instead he often spent his time reading.
It felt good to work on his fighting skills again. As a member of the Stone Circle, he had grown soft. By Argus, he had grown soft when the war against the bloody flanks had ended. May be now would be a good time to change that.
With a quick flick of his teke, he struck at Addeva, hoping to catch her off guard as he moved to lunge at her with his body.
"Remember that daggers are not the only weapons you have at your disposal. Hooves and teeth can also play a part in your strategy." He instructed as he waited for her next move.
Word count: 214 | Post #4
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Post by notadonkey on Jul 28, 2017 1:03:31 GMT -6
Laughter could be heard as the filly maneuvered around Edmond. She couldn't help it, Addeva loved to spar with all her little heart. Fighting against Aly and especially Dad was different than when she went against her sisters-in-arms. With them, she could be completely herself and have fun. While it was fun and motivating to spar with fellow Valkyries, it was also nerve-wracking. She had to be her best around them. She had to be the best around Hira.
But here, she could spend time with her family and kick their butts at the same time! That's a win win!
Addeva slipped to the right after his little teke tap, agile with her little body. Ed's words echoed through her mind.
She knew teeth and hooves were important to use in battle, but she always felt as if her small stature would never do much damage to a foe...Kaia saw it herself as she blessed Addy. If only her blessing wasn't so damn hard to call upon! She daydreamed about being able to control her weight at will...so far it hasn't awoken in her yet. Maybe she should express her concern to her siblings...Addeva was the last in the family to receive a blessing after all, maybe they had problems connecting to their respectful blessings as well.
She mentally shook herself out of her concern, determination flaring up in her eyes. Until her blessing showed up, she would try her best with what she has. As Ed lunged at her, she also leaped forward, mouth wide open as she aimed for the soft part of his neck, ready to chomp down.
Not too hard, of course. She still needed Dad.
Word count: 283| Post #4
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Jul 28, 2017 11:27:12 GMT -6
A smile played on the stallion's lips as he heard laughter erupt from his daughter, and for a moment, he couldn't help but think about Addeva's parents and just how proud they would be to see their daughter become what she was. They had always been such hardy workers, and even though they had passed, Addy had a way of bringing them back into Edmond's life in the smallest of ways.
He wished by all the gods that they could see her now, as the two of them spared together in the mountains of their home.
It was hard to believe that three years had passed since the avalanche that had put and end to their lives, but Edmond didn't dare let his mind stay on the thought for long. He needed to focus, as Addeva had lunged in to attack his neck, her teeth softly chomping down on him for a moment. He let out a deep and throaty laugh before shaking slightly, being as gentle as possible on the zonkey. "Now, a normal enemy would obviously try harder to hurt you. They will shake and try to rattle you off... and maybe, when your blessing gets stronger, you'll be able to take them off guard by pulling them down with a heavy weight." He smiled easily.
Though he was far from aware of her concerns about her blessing, Edmond couldn't help but continue his guidance with a gentle reminder. "It takes time for those things to grow, though. Even your old man hasn't mastered control over plants, and I've felt connected to Kaia's earth since birth." He let out a short breath. "I'm sure that some day you and your sister both will be as strong as the mountains around us..."
He paused, remembering how Alyshia had been blessed with Ignacio's force fields... Thankfully, it seemed that the fire-god had known about the father's concern over his children... Word count: 320 | Post #5
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Post by notadonkey on Jul 30, 2017 15:53:32 GMT -6
The little valkyrie's giggles were muffled as she bit down on Edmond, his gruff laugh filling her ears. She took a step back after he shook her off, sticking her tongue out as his comment. "Daaaad, I wasn't even trying hard! They wouldn't even know what hit them if I bit as hard as I could!!"
A lie, her physical strength wasn't.....the best...but she wanted Ed to not worry about her.
She looked down at her hooves when he spoke of blessings, her ears drooping slightly. It's like he subconsciously picked up on her worries about her newly acquired blessing with his...dad vision or something. But it was true that he hadn't fully mastered his own blessing, Addeva still found it amazing that he was blessed by Kaia at birth.
This still didn't stop her from worrying so much about it. Even if it has shown itself, she didn't really notice. Addy had tried concentrating really hard to try to connect to the earth, asking to pull her down or lift her up. But so far...nothing.
"Dad, how long until you think it will take for my blessing to show up? I mean I've tried everything, but so far nothing. I remember Kaia's words so clearly, and ever since then I feel different, but I just can't seem to make myself change weight." She kicked a bit of snow underhoof, sending a small amount of powder flying.
"I'm sure that some day you and your sister both will be as strong as the mountains around us..."
She lifted her head back up, remembering her mother and biological father telling her the same thing when she was a much younger filly. A small smile grew on her face to match Edmond's.
"I'm gonna make you proud dad! Mastering my blessing or not."
She spoke this to both her dad standing in front of her and her father that was buried in Kaia's earth.
Word count: 326| Post #5
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Aug 1, 2017 21:17:15 GMT -6
The stallion fell silent, mulling over his words as he considered his potential responses. If he were to be honest, he didn't know. Blessings had a habit of coming when they wanted to, though sometimes it had to do with the horse and their own personal growth.
"I can't tell you when, but I'm sure that if you give it time, you'll be more than capable of shattering the world around you." He said after a moment. "I know it's not the answer you want to hear." It wasn't exactly the answer he wanted to give either, but he didn't have anything better to say to the filly. Sometimes life was like that, which sucked, but there wasn't much else for him to do on the matter.
However, her exclamation over how she'd make him proud made his heart swell with more than enough pride. "You and your siblings make me proud every day." He said simply. It was the truth, even if he didn't agree with ether her or Aly's position within the herd.
He had a habit of pushing aside ranks when it came to his girls. He chuckled lightly, flicking his tail back and forth for a moment as he thought about how much his kids had grown. "Come on, let's get going." Word count: 216 | Post #6
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Post by notadonkey on Oct 3, 2017 20:53:59 GMT -6
"Why do you gotta always be riiiiiight?" She sighed with a groan. The zonkey knew Kaia wouldn't have said she gave her a blessing and not actually bless her. The Earth Mother is unmoving but not unkind, after all.
Addeva then stepped closer to the much larger unicorn, bumping her head on his chest. "Thanks Dad, I'll just have to wait, right? And then I'll be as cool as Alyshia!" She giggled, rubbing her head on Edmond in a nuzzle.
"Come on, lets get going."
She nodded once, eager to continue on their small journey. Addeva leaped off, crunching the snow under hoof as she bounded, looking behind her shoulder for her companion.. Addy laughed before shouting "C'mon slowpoke!!!"
---
They walked for quite awhile, though Addy didn't really notice. Ed filled the time with lecturing about battle tactics and ways to outsmart an enemy, which the little valkyrie absorbed like a sponge. She asked him questions, he answered in full length detail and even demonstrated a few things.
It was not long before the old bridge came into view. Addeva stopped mid-sentence, a long and happy GAAAAAAAASP filling her lungs in excitement. "We made it! It's there! It's over there!" She took off, her antler-ed hood bouncing as she ran. The sheer bright feeling she felt in her heart could light a fire.
Addeva halted in front of the structure, panting but grinning nonetheless....until that grin slowly disappeared as her eyes drank in the scene before her.
Once steady and well crafted, the bridge that stretched out before her was in shambles. The rock that made the overall base of the crossing was deteriorating, the intricate rope weaving that protected those that wanted to cross was cut and broken. Her eyes followed every broken crack, every missing piece of the bridge that was once her parents' best work. Addeva closed her eyes tightly, dropping to the floor with her legs folded under her. It was years before, but she remembered standing in this spot with her parents as they unveiled the bridge and opened it to the public. "It should be out of the way of an avalanche." Her father had said. "This one should last awhile." Her mother added. Addy didn't know what happened to cause it to deteriorate so rapidly. Was there an avalanche? Or did someone do this? The zonkey's ears were pressed tightly against her neck, her nose touching the cold snow. She didn't notice that she was slowly sinking into the earth, the weight of her emotions dragging her down.
Word count: 426| Post #6
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Oct 18, 2017 10:49:02 GMT -6
It was always gut wrenching to see somebody upset, even more so when it was a child that you cared deeply for. Edmond felt his stomach drop slightly at the image of his friends' work laid to ruin. Maybe an avalanche had destroyed it, but Edmond couldn't be certain. With a light sigh, he stepped forward, gently pressing his head against Addy's neck in comfort.
He didn't really have any words for his adopted child, but he knew just how terrible it had to be to see something your parents had been proud of destroyed. Addy had such pride in her parents' work, and Edmond couldn't really blame her. After all, both of her parents had been wonderful stone workers... the best that Edmond had known, really.
"Nobody will be able to replicate what your parents had made here." He finally murmured, trying his hardest to keep his own sadness hidden. After all, Addeva didn't need to know that he was being affected by this as well. "They were amazing stone workers... even if we commissioned somebody to fix this, it won't be the same." He sighed. "I'm sorry Addy, I know you were hoping that it wasn't destroyed..."
He paused, taking in a short breath in.
"I was too."
Post #7 | Word Count: 210
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