[O] [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Printable Version +- HELOVIA || The Way to the Sun (http://helovia.com) +-- Forum: Out of Character (http://helovia.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=1) +--- Forum: Archives (http://helovia.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11) +--- Thread: [O] [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives (/showthread.php?tid=20088) |
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[WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Ashamin - 07-13-2015 Consider this: the wind that blows furthest, the cold that strikes hardest, these are the elements persistence begets. "Let us walk," Ashamin had said to Demothi, long prior and without much thought to a warning. Perhaps, though, he realized as they came to the Basin and night fell swift, he should have offered a preamble to their journey. But that was no matter, and now the pair had arrived at Ashamin's favorite, coldest place in Helovia. Lochan had slept most of the way, curling up in Ashamin's sarong among the sticks and dried grasses the Haruspex had gathered along the way, and so when night at last arrived the cerndyr seemed eager to rid himself of the cloth confinement. Ashamin lifted Lochan with care by the scruff, setting him down on the permafrost and unclenching his jaw. Thus, the pair came to stood between the magnificent sentinels and turn in unison to face the one who had chosen to follow them so far. "We've arrived," Ashamin said, his voice swept by the night wind and back to Demothi, perhaps echoing louder the further it traveled. The Haruspex looked back out to the valley, his eyes narrowing against the cold and the dark, and smiled with pride. This was his home--there, faint in the distance, was the glowing entrance of his cave, lit inside by the faintest of fires. "Welcome to the Aurora Basin, Demothi!" He shouted, fighting with the current of the air and nickering, whinnying, with pleasure. He circled, moving from the Western sentinel to the Eastern, and his tail flew behind him like a banner. Lochan followed in a dance, struggling to stay up as the wind threatened to push him over. "There are caves, nearby!" Ashamin said, his black eyes searching for Demothi's in the dark. Lochan pressed himself against Ashamin's legs, bracing himself, and in the haruspex's mind an image of the cave the bonded pair called home was flashed. "Follow me!" And as Ashamin walked, head low, ears pinned, tail flying and heart full, he only hoped Demothi would follow. For this was a harsh land to live in, but every part of it... every part of it was worth the trouble. [[Crappy is crap crap, sorry @[Demothi]. I suck at starting. All are welcome to join and welcome Demothi to the Basin!]] Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Demothi - 08-09-2015 Wherever graceful hope descends bumbling irritation rises to meet her. What a potent pair they are. Somewhere along the way to the Basin my mood went sour; overwhelmed by the weight of my hope for the future tainted by my bitter feelings towards the same. I have not the energy to be bothered with trying to overcome my irritability. "Great." My expression remains unchanged. Low lidded and straight faced I meet Ashamin's eyes whenever he looks back. Such warmth spills forth from his dark orbs. The boy truly loves this land. Had it been anyone else he dragged in his excitement would have probably been infectious. A hesitant whisper tickles my inner ear. Show your thanks. Show that you are grateful. Ah. My conscience. How nice of him to show. With a flick of my tail I send him bouncing away; I am not in the mood for that sort of nonsense. Even my rubbed out mane is tussled about by the Frostfall's gale; it rakes it fingers through Ashamin's mane and works towards toppling Lochan right over. I lower my head and walk closely behind young Lochan ready to catch his weight should his footing be stolen from him by the wailing wind that grasps at the blanket of snow below hoof. I am sour, perhaps bitter; not cold hearted. "These caves," I have to speak forcefully in order to shove my words past the covetous winds, "do you live in them?" I narrow my eyes and look about for some other life within the herd. Ashamin looks to be normal enough but I am not signing up to live with reclusive cave dwellers straight out of a foal's nightmare. Suddenly I cannot help but grin, no matter what these cave dwelling souls may be I will be one of them. This land is the beginning of my legacy. A joyful, almost goofy, looking smile spreads my lips. Ah, these mood swings; they will be the death of me. A chuckle edged in dark humor slips unnoticed into the night and snowflakes huddle together on the warmth of my tongue. RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Hotaru - 08-10-2015
@Ashamin @Demothi RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Ashamin - 08-10-2015 Is this unexpected company, a boon, a blessing, or mistrust? This lady, clad in pinks and whites, will she cast judgement as the gold? Or are we all just wanderers, gathered in the cold? Ashamin walked with care, each step a cold burden burying him deeper in layers of ice. But to his pleasure and slight surprise, Demothi stayed beside him every step of the way. Here in the winterscape the white stallion was almost invisible, but Ashamin could still see the blue of those eyes and the bulk of that frame. The larger stallion's stance, meant to protect young and wobbly Lochan, did not go unnoticed. Ashamin smiled, the expression hidden by a sheet of falling snow, and filed away the kindness. Yes, this was a good sort to have brought home. And in time, they were home. As they drew closer to the haruspex's cave and Demothi's question came to Ashamin faintly through the storm, he was thankful they had made such progress. Standing at the entrance, half in the threshold and tempted further by the firelight, Ashamin nodded. "Many of us take shelter in caves, they serve well to protect from the elements," he called back to answer, blinking as the snow threatened to blind him and the thin locks of his hair were tossed in front of his vision. As a result, Ashamin heard Hotaru before he saw her. And with the storm and the winds so loud, her approach was as silent as her golden fellow, Thranduil. His own name came through the whistling blizzard and his ears perked forth. The voice was familiar, but it was not until he shook the snow from his features for a moment that he saw her: Hotaru, lady of the Basin. He had not had the pleasure of speaking with or meeting Hotaru privately, and had seen her only at the head of the Basin meeting. Still, he treated her with the utmost kindness and respect, as if they had known each other for quite some time. He bowed his head, extending his cheek to her chest in greeting, before pulling away. His long tail, sparking, waved at his back. "Hotaru, a pleasure to see you again. This is Demothi, he is seeking asylum," the haruspex clarified before bending down to nudge Lochan closer to the cave. "Come, let us take shelter!" He did not hesitate, too bogged down by the snow and cold himself to wait for his company, and hurriedly rushed inside the cave. Deep inside the fire flickered and sputtered, and the Haruspex made haste to feed it with the dry grasses and kick away the snow that had blown in. When the fire was leaping again, Lochan settled beside it contentedly, he turned back to greet his company properly. "I am sorry you had to be out in such weather, the both of you. But you may consider yourself home now, Demothi, and perhaps this Basin's lady and myself can help you find your place, here." Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Demothi - 08-10-2015 I turn briefly to make some sort of passing acknowledgment but I am stilled by the faint figure in the veil of snowfall. My breath fogs before me obscuring my upturned lips. Gone are my thoughts of slimy cave dwellers. Those musings seem frivolous now. She is a faint blush upon the ivory face of Frostfall. Her eyes cut into me like blades of ice yet warm me like the breath of midday Tallsun. Before I can utter some word to her Ashamin is dropping neck. Blue eyes glint questionably at Ashamin's gracious reception towards the mare. She is elegant, but I have seen trees sway with elegance; yet none of sane mind grovel to a tree. Mere elegance does not warrant such a response. Who is she? The Lady of the Basin. She is their lead. A smile filled with charm tilts itself onto my lips, "An honor." I am of few words but I drench those I do speak with meaning; if there is a worthwhile mind in that pretty little head of hers she will grasp the respect I put into my speech. If I am to make a mark on this land it is of utmost importance that I inspire trust between those with rankings and myself. Once in the cave I shake the clinging snow from my coat. Exhaustion pulls at my eyelids but ambition drives me ever onward. A snort from my loose lips leaves an echo to dance around the cave. "A place of my own.." A remember my time in a land I was told that I belonged to. I remember faces that told me who they were and that assured me of how I loved them. The pity in their eyes is a sight I am cursed to see with every closing of my lids; with each blinking of my eyes. My gaze travels to Ashamin. He seems to be an upstanding lad. I do not have worry that he will tell my secret, but I do wonder if any will be able to read it from his actions. Will he treat me different and blunder my chances here? Thus far he has treated me as an equal. Nonetheless I have no time for worries. Worry is for those with all too much time on their hands. It belongs to those ignorant to the brevity of life's breath. I address them both but look at neither in particular, "What are the problems this land faces?" I give no preamble to my question and no elaboration. They can make of it what they will and in turn I will put all of my efforts into fixing whatever they might bring forward. I will better matters or I will make them all the worse. I will leave this world as the bringer of salvation or the scoundrel of damnation. All hope to be heroes, as do I; but it isn't always a hero that is remembered. I will not be forgotten. I will make sure of that at whatever the cost. I wince at Ashamin's amiable nature. Wholeheartedly he welcomes me to his home completely naive to my thoughts. He would dance with the devil while grinning. Guilt softens my features and my resolve. "You have my thanks Ashamin. I hope to do your name well as he who brought me." I look pointedly at Hotaru, The Lady of the Basin, "Consider yourself blessed with your Haruspex." @Ashamin @Hotaru RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Hotaru - 08-14-2015
RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Ashamin - 08-16-2015 She trusts me he trusts me not I trust her I trust the lot she trusts me I know her not So this was his lady, Hotaru, was it? Well, he liked her. And he knew that because of how she spoke to him, and how he smiled back without thinking, easily. He didn't feel the burden of rank or the heaviness of a bow impressed upon his back, he felt only the relaxation of being with a kind and understanding ruler. He had missed her display at the herd meeting; had he been there, he likely would have respected her even more. And her subtleties of speech and gesture were not lost on him. This company was all smiles and compliments, this experience thankfully much different than the struggle to accept Caleb under Thranduil's scrutinous gaze. In the end it had all been a trick, a misunderstanding, but Ashamin had still felt uncomfortable standing between the hybrid and the Laurelin. The haruspex attributed the comparatively simple interaction with Demothi and Hotaru to be to personality. To attribute it to a matter of species, mistrust, and prejudice, was something he could not bear to do. Lochan watched, white eye brightly lit up by the flame's flickering, and Ashamin stood close beside him. This was a peaceful gathering. Demothi asked questions, good ones, and Hotaru provided loyal and straightforward answers--and approval, too. And her comment to the haruspex himself, well, it made Ashamin feel trusted. And if Demothi was Ashamin's choice, his contribution, then Hotaru apparently had faith in that. The painted seer wondered if her 'temporary approval' was just an act to maintain the sort of loftiness many leads desired. Ashamin wanted to say many things, but the tide of compliments overwhelmed him. He only looked down, locking black eyes with Lochan's white ones, and mumbled out something to change the subject. "I see a future as a healer for Demothi," he commented absently to Hotaru. Was Ashamin preoccupied by whatever was to end the white stallion's life, was he hoping following in the steps of the time menders might aid whatever pain of death was drawing upon him? Or was he simply pleased with the gentleness his new comrade had displayed? "It is up to you what path you choose," he said then, looking vaguely in Demothi's direction but still too embarrassed by flattery to lock eyes with him. "The paths of mender, weaver, thief, soldier, and scholar all lie before you, if you wish to take up rank." Ashamin's long tail wound about in the air--his gaze travelled cautiously to his lady's. She trusted him. She valued him. He was a part of her family. And he believed that, it was her sway as a leader that made such so. But did he really even know her? Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Demothi - 08-22-2015 There is more to the Lady of the Basin than what she veils with prettily woven words. I wonder what it is that sparks in her eye so? In a land of ice and snow her eyes tell of passion and fire. It is Ashamin that seems to be cool and collected like the drifting fall of the snow; but there is no ice in him. Two souls profound in their difference stand before me. My thoughts on the pair leaves me to mull over what they have made of me. Ashamin's absentminded suggestion only furthers my wondering at what he think of me. What thoughts go through his head? What is it in me that he sees as a healer? I had considered the possibility of being pushed towards guarding and living the life of a warrior due to my bulk. But I had not seen this decision coming. "Who do I need to speak with to begin my learning?" I know nothing of healing. That of my life I have memory of has the persistent shadow of the reaper in view. I had never taken to learning that which would only be a painful reminder of the healing I will never receive. "Having rank would be important to me. I thank you both for opportunity." "Evil?" My thoughts slow at the word. A protectiveness has grown in me quickly and unnoticed for this pair. "Evil is not easily disbanded. Does it not lie dormant?" My emotions are not entirely made of the noble desire to protect. There is also the selfish desire to be the one to salvage this region from heinous forces through my own efforts. The mighty wind shrieks at the burden of the cumbersome snow. It slows the passionate wind's wandering with its weight. Even the wind is tied to duty; and what a double edged sword it is. A strange trio we are; taking shelter together is a queen, a rags to riches story, and a beggar wishing to become the hero. Where is the punchline to this joke or the moral to the story that has brought us together? RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Hotaru - 09-03-2015
@Demothi RE: [WELCOME] In Our Short Bitter Lives - Ashamin - 09-09-2015 It is easier to remember what I never thought I knew. Like the habit of shutting my mouth, watching you. The haruspex found the conversation difficult. And though he knew it was his duty to move past such uncomfortableness and query, he was willing to let Hotaru take the lead. She explained away her misstep easily enough. She was deft and a skillful spokeswoman for the herd. Ashamin could only speak of its greatness and what he knew. With news such as this reaching his ears, perhaps it would soon become difficult to say such things and be speaking truth. But nonetheless, he could watch over their meeting now with contentedness and quiet curiousity. He was perfectly happy to fall back into his old silent habits, for the time being, as Demothi and Hotaru volleyed grander questions. He could learn from such a conversation without being an active part of it--he could go back to how he had been, before. Lochan's bright eyes were carefully observing their company through the yellow tongues of flame. He would take in what his bonded did not. Someday, he could tell Ashamin all the things he missed. Like the wavering doubt in the words that were spoken, the faint traces of manipulation. These were all shifts in tone the young cerndyr could recognize. These were all things Ashamin could willfully, unconsciously, ignore. When their words died down, Ashamin lifted his head slowly and set his tail against the cave floor. "Last I hear, Demothi, Lena and Enna were planning a lesson in the Heavenly Fields for all the healers. Perhaps, when the season turns to a warmer time, you might find them there," he advised quietly, hoping the new recruit would follow the suggestion. It was good for the herd to have such frequent lessons, but what good would they be if they went unattended? Ashamin on his own rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot on deviantart @Demothi @Hotaru |