I knew much more than I do now. - 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: I knew much more than I do now. (/showthread.php?tid=23279) |
I knew much more than I do now. - Ichab - 03-15-2016
This was indeed a strange and unusual, yet spectacularly beautiful land. Dark legs picked their way carefully through the underbrush, the rust-colored stag choosing the path less travelled. That was the way he had been taught to travel through unknown territories as a youth; stick to the trees, away from the roads, and see others before they see you. Not that he didn't want to talk to anyone. He was sure that he had to come across someone soon, and he fully intended on making himself known to whoever's path he crossed, but his family had told him it was safest this way and they had reminded him of it just before he had left is valley home. A pang of sweet sorrow, nostalgia, flickered across his mind. He missed his father and mother, all of his siblings, and the other stags and does of his herd. He thought about them often in his travels, and the thoughts always brought a smile to his face. He wondered idly how they were all doing. Mother must have given birth to his little brother or sister by now. How long had it been, exactly? He wondered how the little one was getting on in life. He imagined a little fawn prancing happily through the fir trees of his home, carefree as the rest of his herd. Shaking himself out of his daydream, Ichab let out a tiny sigh, a smile still playing across his lips. He had to get his mind out of the past and back to the here-now. He was entering a new, unknown, and wondrous land, which was surely full of amazing new experiences and friends. His trajectory led him to cross a well-traveled dirt path, wider than the deer-trails he was used to. He skittered across it, back into the trees on the same side, and then paused. A light laugh bubbled from his throat. He was being silly, surely. His parents had taught him to stick to the trees, stay out of sight, until her knew the lay of the land, but surely he was in no real danger here, in a land so grand and majestic where all around him swirled the scents of others like him. Other equines. He turned his head back to the path, now behind him. It ran a twisted path westerly, the same direction in which Ichab was, however indirectly, travelling. There could be no harm in sticking to the path for a little while. "Sorry, Da," he murmured, sending apologies for is disobedience to his far away adoptive father. Turning himself around, with more perceived elegance than actual, he put himself on the path and trotted forward with confidence. It was only a couple of minutes before a sound in the trees startled him. He stopped abruptly, his hind feet tripping over his forelimbs and nearly sending him into a heap on the ground. He caught himself, barely, off-balance and turned to face the noise. His tail flung itself over his back, the white flag underneath becoming vividly apparent. He paused a mere moment to stare in the direction of the rustling and as it became louder, closer, he leaped away, back into the cover of the heavy foliage. Why? Why couldn't he just be a good stag and listen to his parents' lessons? Why?! "Talk." Ichab the end is not as fun as the start, please stay a child somewhere in your heart. RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Ki'irha - 03-15-2016
Through the fields, somewhere there's blue Oh, time will tell, she'll see us through.
The girl picked her way down the beaten path. Certainly many believe the path less travelled is the preferred route, but if taking the common route prevented the girl from having to pick brambles from her curly mane later on, then it was worth it. The thin dusting of snow covering her path was marred only by the scurrying paws of squirrels and the hopping steps of crows. It was a beautiful day, the mild chill in the air was welcoming to the girl who lived in a world carved from stone and ice. Her ears swiveled and twisted, listening to the backdrop symphony of winter birds, but still alert for noises of creatures large enough to cause concern or curiosity. She diverted her trajectory, slipping into the more heavily wooded area. A brook ran, clean and clear, just a few paces off, and she dipped her head down to pull in a few sips. Her desire to recruit newcomers often brought her to this place, and the tranquility she found was cathartic. A subtle noise a ways off caught her attention, and she drew her head away from the water. Silver eyes scanned the trees, and though she saw no one, it was easy to assume her solitude was broken. She turned back towards her path, and a dry branch snapped impressively beneath her cloven hooves. Well, there went her element of surprise. As she returned to the well-worn path, she entered an easy trot, eager to meet whoever shared her trail. It wasn't long before she noticed heavy hoof prints pressed into the trail, first crossing the path treeline to treeline to treeline, then returning to walk down the footpath. They didn't linger long however, and soon re-entered the forest. She slowed her pace, sculpted head turning eagerly to look into the woods. Part of her wished to follow the trail, but she was hesitant. Why did the creature stay hidden? Many reasons could lead one to prefer anonymity. Perhaps the horse (she could assume as much due to the hoofprints, though perhaps he was some other sort of hoofed beast) was a recluse, preferring the shadows to travel by. Or were they scared, unsure if they were trespassing? The thought crossed her mind that perhaps the horse had ill will, and she was simply lucky he had taken to the woods before her arrival. But she was brave and quick, and had yet fallen victim to teeth and claws within these woods, and decided to hang around at least long enough to see who the prints belonged to. "Hello?" she called out, voice light and airy. Her tail flicked back and forth as she narrowed her silver eyes in an attempt to further her vision. The slightest movement caught her eye, but it simply was a branch disrupted by someone's movement. Should no one answer, she would simply continue on her journey with unrelenting curiosity. But should someone answer, it would make this trip all the more worthwhile. Talk @Ichab ~ RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Lyanna - 03-18-2016 @Ki'irha, @Ichab RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Nymeria - 03-22-2016 Nymeria - the raven casts the longest shadow -
The Threshold was not her domain. She wandered north, south, east, west—from the coldest reaches of the Frostbreath Steppe to the nebulous warmth of Helovia's Heart, passing through every imaginable biome in her travels. Never had she had the desire—or had wanted to bother with the effort—of seeking her fortune in the Threshold. Every native Helovian knew what the Threshold meant: a sea of smells, a swarm of bodies, a thousand hungry voices pulling the new meat every which way. Why would she (elegant, a composition of swarthy shadow and white teeth) bother herself with the tedium of recruiting? That is the question, she mused, picking her way through with forest with fierce carefulness. Where others blundered in their anger, or simmered in their rage, she instead became agonizingly crisp in her movements, every twitch of her hips a call to war and her every lovingly-placed hoof a demand for battle. Her dragon (instead of doing something useful) lounged upon her withers in regal disregard for everything. You can think of it as hunting. No. I don't hunt horses. (Who was who? It is always hard to say.) Nymeria lifted her head, ears flicking forward to catch a crash of movement, a murmur of voices. As much as anything she wanted to leave the scene before the vultures came swooping in—but instead, disgruntled and dismayed at her own initiative, she broke into a languid, long-strided trot. (She was headed towards the scene.) The first Nymeria corrected herself: vultures, not victims. Her head swung in a poisonous arc to the left, contemptuous and vaguely bad-tempered (but perhaps spared the adjective of venomous) and she flared her nostrils wide, drinking in the scents of those at hand. And a third: there was a third scent, quite clearly distinguishable from the rest. Lilómiel, curiosity piqued, rustled his wings, jaws snapping together in a sharp and happy bark; Nym glanced back at him, snorted viciously, and cast her gaze back to the bushes. The others were painfully gentle, and Nymeria was ferociously tired of being here already, so she kept her mouth shut. table by neo ♥ @Ichab OOC: I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this up, and I apologize for bitch!Nymeria. I'm not sure what got into her... >> This is our first time in the Threshold and apparently she strongly dislikes it. RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Ichab - 03-23-2016
The stag-horse's ears were tightly pricked, swiveling nervously at each sound of a hoofbeat, each intake of breath from beyond his forested hidey-hole. Voices reached out to Ichab and he immediately felt foolish for his over-reaction. Not predators, he realized, but people. Equines. He peeked through the foliage to confirm this before her stepped forward, his antlers breaking through their cover and becoming visible before the rest of him. His blue eyes sparkled in greeting for a brief moment before he really began to take in the three strangers and his draw dropped to the floor. He seemed to have wandered into a land of giants. Three bizarre and, compared to himself, enormous bodies stood in front of him. The first was a mare that sparkled like spirits in the night sky, a delicate single horn upon her head. Ichab had met a few unicorns since leaving his family's land; he had been told by his parents that he himself belonged to that particular race of equine. The second mare, slightly taller than the star-covered girl, was stunningly pretty and upon her back sat a thick layer of feathers. Ichab could not help staring at the feathered mare for a moment longer before turning his gaze to the third and final member of the trio. He felt it necessary to take a step back again in order to see the entirety of what, to him, was a monstrous figure. The mare has a body as dark as the night and across her face was a mask of white, under which gleamed red eyes and, if Ichab could guess, a sour expression. He tried to not be intimidated by the huge woman as he took her in, along with the strange little creature upon her withers. His mother and father had told him much about his people but never had they mentioned that horses could be so... big. He cleared his throat, delighted despite the adrenaline pumping through his system to have his fellow equines here to, he assumed, greet him into this land. "Hello!" he greeted, a touch too loudly than might be appropriate for such close quarters. He lowered his head, presenting his forehead to the strangers for them to sniff, a gesture of introduction he had learned from fawnhood in his herd. "Oh, I'm so glad to meet you," his voice grew higher with excitement as he stepped closer to the gal with the feathers, the pretty one, aiming to bringing his forehead as close to her nose as he could. "I'm Ichab!" he stated, eager to know the names of the others. "Talk." Ichab the end is not as fun as the start, please stay a child somewhere in your heart. @Ki'irha @Lyanna @Nymeria Poor baby doesn't quite know what to with himself and all these strange and sexy girlies. Also, we can assume mister Ichab has never seen a horse, or deer, over 14hh. Quite shocking. <3 RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Ki'irha - 03-27-2016
Throught the fields, somewhere there's blue Oh, time will tell, she'll see us through.
Certainly she didn't think she would be the only one to happen upon the newcomer. The blue girl was joined by two others, and happily so - the last newcomer she had intercepted captured the watchful eyes of too many recruiters, and it had turned into a massive gathering versus a simple meeting. She gave a small nod in greeting to the two girls who arrived not long after she. The two who joined her were unknown. That seemed to be the new trend. Typically she had the same few souls join her in the Threshold, but recently everyone was unknown to her. It was for the best, she told herself, since she had gained the poor habit of being reclusive recently, so new faces were refreshing. One girl carried wings upon her sides and the color of the ocean in her hair. She seemed friendly enough, calling out gently into the woods to whoever seemed to be hiding. And the other who joined was remarkable. Something about the skull she wore upon her face and the way she held herself painted her with a macabre beauty, and her height was impressive. Though she wore no crown upon her brow, Ki'irha couldn't help but admire her strictly on aesthetics alone. Her eyes followed the slope of her neck until they fell upon the dragon, and her heart skipped a beat. What a lovely creature, she thought to herself, marveling at him with curiousity for a moment. A beautiful creature for a beautiful girl. She averted her eyes, making sure to not allow her gaze to rest on woman for a rude amount of time, and allowed her stormy pools to land back onto the treeline. From those very trees emerged the newcomer, and he certainly was something. Though she had met a stallion shorter than the one who stood before her, (even though the wonderful Johnny was something else entirely) it still was an uncommon sight. A soft smile landed on her lips. Though his voice was a bit louder than she would have expected, and she didn't quite understand why he presented his brow in such a way, she was sure it had something to do with his previous home. Many who entered here had their own unique customs, and she was not one to judge on the pieces of home newcomers carried with them. "It's very nice to meet you, Ichab," she replied, dipping her head in a welcoming and respectful gesture. He smelled unfamiliar, and she assumed he was not from Helovia. He would certainly correct her if he was wrong, so she allowed her assumption to direct the conversation. "I am Ki'irha, and I hail from the far north. I don't believe I've ever seen you before. Are you new to Helovia?" Certainly the question was clunky, and a small frown tugged at the corner of her lips for a moment. This spiel never sounded quite right, and she hated sounding like a spokesperson. But her herd was hurting for numbers, and there were many roles within their heirarchy that needed to be filled. The smile relit itself upon her lips as her ears turned to capture the sounds of the others who had gathered, and she waited patiently before offering him an invitation to the Aurora Basin. There would be time for that, and she had no desire to sound desperate. Talk @Ichab @Lyanna @Nymeria Sorry for the wait! Not great, I just wanted to get something up so you guys didn't need to wait any more <3 RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Lyanna - 03-28-2016 @Ichab @Ki'irha @Nymeria RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Nymeria - 04-02-2016 Nymeria - the raven casts the longest shadow -
Nymeria shifted her weight, snow crackling beneath her hooves. Her scarlet irises flicked over the brush, seeking out the source of the thin scent threading through the air. So far she had had little luck, but surely the two others wouldn't be here without reason. So she waits (impatient, almost wild-eyed) until foliage rustles and parts to reveal something she certainly wasn't expecting. Antlers? Yes—two antlers, dark, conspicuous bone. Then there was a face following the antlers, the color of sun-baked earth enveloped by an ivory blaze and silver lining around dark eyes glinting with royal blue. (That wasn't the first thing she noticed about Ichab. The first thing would be his size; he was the tiniest thing she'd ever seen.) More white markings stretched across his diminutive body in a way reminiscent of a deer, complete with a dual-toned tail. Bright, almost irisdescent blue speckled his spine. (Is he even a horse?) The wolf, however, offered the decidedly strange looking fellow a smile. It wouldn't do to be rude, she figured; that would only exacerbate her death-like markings and villainous gaze. In return, he cleared his throat and threw out a cheerful greeting a notch or two louder than was altogether necessary. (Alright. He was definitely weird. Still... he'd shown up in Helovia. She had to do her herdly duties or whatever.) Then he became even stranger to Nym's (silently judgemental) eyes; he lowered his head and barged forwards towards the pegasus. Her sympathetic nervous system screamed into high alert—she could feel a kick as the adrenaline flooded her veins, and the grullo reflectively flinched away from Ichab. Except instead of preparing to defend herself against what was clearly an attack, the pegasus lowered her head, sniffing at the foreigner's forehead. This time Nymeria couldn't help it. One of her brows arched upwards in savage confusion, snorted again, and shook her head in utter bemusement. It was the dark unicorn who responded first to Ichab's questions, her mellifluous voice matching her night-sky coloring. Nym stayed silent; this, this felt like a ritual, and she would wait her turn. And so she tucked away Ki'irha's name, and decided to remember that she hailed from the far north—she also noted that she liked to ask decidedly idiotic questions. If the Basiner had any ounce of sense, she'd see that the deer-like unicorn was a foreigner. Instead of giving voice to her thoughts, Nymeria stepped forward, cutting down on the distance between her and the others. Emulating all of Lyanna's grace, she attempted to replicate the gentle touch of her muzzle to Ichab's forehead. (What better way to show, after all, that the Hidden Fall members were respectful of unique customs and desired not assimilation but individuality?) With a smile that'd melt any heart, Nym takes her turn in introduction. "I'm Nymeria," she says cheerfully; "I'm from the Hidden Falls. If you're seeking a place to call home, the Falls are the place for you." table by neo ♥ @Ichab RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Ichab - 04-04-2016
A tingle of utter excitement cascaded through the tiny stud as the muzzle of the dark mare with the hair dipped in blue touched his forehead beneath his antlers. He smiled at her, Lyanna she had said her name was, and then backed away a step and turned his forehead next to the large mare. This one felt so far from him, so he leaned himself upwards and lifted his head to her, careful that his antlers did not mark her in any way. He certainly didn't want to accidently impale his new acquaintances! "The Hidden Falls?" he echoed as he presented his head next to the starry mare, in case she wished also to smell him. "Is that where you are all from?" he asked, oblivious to the silence between the three of them. He addressed Ki'irha specifically, to answer her question, next. "I am, indeed, new to this place. Helovia?" he asked, rolling the name around in his mouth and in his mind. It seemed a simple enough title, he supposed. Ki'irha, Lyanna, Nymeria. He looked from each to each, remembering their names. His brightest smile was still upon his face as he bounced on the toes of his front hooves. He was unsure what to say or ask next. He wanted to know everything, see everything! He wanted to meet more horses, make friends, learn the ropes of this land, this Helovia. Where to begin? Hmm.... "I would love to see more of, well, everything, I suppose," he said, his eyes fixing themselves upon the gaze of the big, dark-coated mare, Nymeria. "This Hidden Falls, is it near to here?" he asked. Then his attention turned to Lyanna. Something deep in the pit of his abdomen churned as he looked upon her sweet face and blue-tinged locks. "And you... will you also be going to this Falls?" he asked, with no thought of masking the hopefulness in his voice. "Talk." Ichab the end is not as fun as the start, please stay a child somewhere in your heart. @Ki'irha @Lyanna @Nymeria RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Lyanna - 04-17-2016 @Ki'irha @Ichab @Nymeria RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Ki'irha - 04-17-2016
Throught the fields, somewhere there's blue Oh, time will tell, she'll see us through. Both the skull-faced woman and the Pegasus mare extended their muzzles in greeting. The gestures seemed to be appropriate based on the small stallion's reactions. Still, the blue wasn't sure how she felt about pressing her mouth against a stranger's forehead, so she was alright with missing his unusual cues. Perhaps the others were more well-versed in foreign customs. She had never interacted with other herds or lands prior to her arrival at the Threshold, so she was unaware of international greetings that perhaps others were privy to. As Nymeria leapt into the recruiting spiel, Ki'irha settled back and waited for her turn. This interaction somehow felt particularly forced. Perhaps it was because she already had a strike against her for not understanding his greeting? Either way, she was simply content that she didn't need to start that cycle. The teal-dipped girl hailed from the World's Edge, and Ki'irha marked her down as another eager recruiter from that neck of the woods. All they were missing from the party was a delegate from the Throat. Still, five was a crowd, and one less recruiter only made these meetings easier. Once her turn arrived, she shook her head. "Oh, no," the star girl replied. "I am from far north, from the Aurora Basin. I hold the rank of General there. My herd lives in a valley within the mountains, and though we harbor the mild feeling of Frostfall year round, it can be as wonderful and hospitable as any other place." Silver eyes found Ichab and remained, unwavering, waiting for his response. It wasn't unusual for her invitation to be turned down, as many newcomers did not want to find a home in the far north within glacial passes and frozen stone. Still it was at least worth the attempts. So she stood and waited and wondered if she would be returning home empty handed. Talk @Ichab @Nymeria ~ RE: I knew much more than I do now. - Ichab - 04-24-2016
Ichab listened with rapt attention to each of their introductions. The starry mare was from a land called the Aurora Basin, a land that, from her description, sounded as it it was always under the harsh bite of Frostfall. He doubted that would suit him. Winter had forever been Ichab's least favorite time of the year. He much preferred the new warmth of spring, the blossoming of flowers and growth of foliage. And the fawns. He had always loved to see the newly born and timid fawns finding their feet and their courage and flitting about his valley home. He let out a sigh and pushed that nostalgic thought from his mind. The other mare, the one with the blue hair and the impossible feathers on his back, spoke of her home as well. The World's Edge, she had said it was called. The name, more than anything, piqued Ichab's curiousity. The very edge of the world, he thought, fascinated by the thought. He had wanted to see the world, the entire world. Well, we better way to do that than to travel to the edge itself? His ears pressed forward eagerly, he bobbed his head at the thought of it. How absolutely wondrous for the World's Edge be? What sort of things might he find there? Though he very much wanted to explore the other lands these mares talked about, and he was certain they were just as beautiful and just as spectacular, he could not deny his desire to see the place the pretty mare called home. "Well, they all sound marvelous!" he said, a huge grin upon his face. "But I think I would very much like to see the Edge of the World." His gaze tried to meet that of Lyanna, his eyes bright and excited for the continuation of his adventures. "But, um, thank you all for offering me your homes," he added quickly, feeling awkward to send the other two home without a new recruit in tow. He pranced lightly on between his fore hooves, his energetic curiosity barely contained within is small form. He would see the land they called the the World's Edge, and, if he was honest with himself, it wasn't just the land he was excited about. For after all, he would be traveling there with the pretty creature he'd ever laid eyes upon, a creature decorated with teal in her hair and feathers upon her top line. He offered Lyanna another wide grin, giving his antlers a little toss. Having made his decision, he had eyes only for her, the other two having fallen from his attention. It wasn't that he ignored him, for he didn't have a rude bone in his body. He simply had only the attention span for the coming adventure, now. "Talk." Ichab the end is not as fun as the start, please stay a child somewhere in your heart. @Lyanna Blech, sorry it's kinda bad. -_- |