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05-12-2015, 11:31 PM
Zahra, Ilham, and Hanna
It was pride that turned angels into devils
Glazed and weary Zahra’s golden eyes slid from the comforting, familiar embrace of her bewildered sister’s. They followed a vague path along the glaring white of the snowy tundra, towards the glittery, black bird who had been naught but lively and valiant for as long as (at least) she could remember. Silas stood there like a severed leaf upon a windy precipice, the brink it seemed, and the trembling filly could think of no way she might be able to draw him back. “Dunno what’s wrong?” she admitted grimly as the little kitsune crept nearer, tucking hesitantly against the bony, rigidness of her sibling’s long leg. There was dullness to his stark violet gaze that she noted quickly upon second, closer inspection, and though the black ball within stared out towards them, it seemed so vacant, or distant – like he was trapped somewhere beneath it, unable to escape…
With all of the gentleness she could manage, the black and white foal ran her lips down the sleek, satin-like smoothness of his back. Zahra wasn’t sure what next she should do about him. Often she had witnessed the proud avian perch upon the back of her mother, and briefly her small face lifted and turned as she sought to assess her own for ride-ability. Wings, still only partly-feathered lifted into the cold air and she wondered how he would arrive upon her, if even that was a possibility. They couldn’t force him, lift him – her mother had said a long time ago, that those blessed with flight knew a brilliant kind of freedom (that Zahra too, would one day understand) - any action against that right would feel too disrespectful.
A loud, snort rattled by her thin, flared nostrils.
That pattern of thought, however, was suddenly interrupted by the movement of a figure between the dim glow of her mother, and their lowly, trailing position behind. Bird noticed the antlered creature first, and alerted her sister with a low, rumbling growl. They were so far from anything even remotely familiar – there was no grass to dress the land, no vegetation into which they could retreat – and both filly and fox felt a similar apprehensiveness. The pallid canine’s lips pulled subtly from her gums as she shrank beneath the dim shade of her sister, and Zahra’s delicate inky ears wavered with new nervousness. Many times she had seen deer about her home; often, she and her mother paused through the later afternoon to watch small herds emerge from the thicket to graze, but never had the wild creatures shown trust enough to approach.
His dark body was a stark contrast to the fresh snow he passed above, and though at first he appeared rather standard in height, it quickly became apparent that he was far littler than his lookalikes from Hidden Falls. The filly cast a curious eye towards him as he neared without the hesitation she naturally expected – carefully she placed herself above her mother’s frail companion, and Bird came to rest at her front with four tails curled in unity against her downy, chest. Still the kitsune rumbled warily, but Zahra touched sooty lips to her sister’s head soothingly. The creature’s stride held not the smooth elegance of those like him she had seen; there was a tension about it, nervousness that seemed not to stem from her existence, alone. “Shhh… Bird.” the child whispered gently, and the younger fell into baited, trustful silence.
For the moment, her focus fell away from the mounting predicament they were in.
He came with a soft bleat to stand in their company, and though still towering protectively, Zahra reached towards the stranger wishfully, curiously, as though at any moment his instincts might tear him away. A light smile danced through her otherwise haggard expression – adding softness as a lure, an invitation – but it seemed he needed no such thing. The deer paused and turned towards the figures in the distance. Zahra too glanced beyond him momentarily, and the sun-like glow of her mother lingered on. Silas seemed to stir below, swaying as each breath filled his lungs a little less, and Bird slithered back to find him; to wrap herself about him like a fine fleecy blanket.
The tiny forelock falling slack across the foal’s forehead slumped left as her skull tilted, heavy in thought. So peculiar was the creature, the stag. As his eyes returned to find her own, he began again to move and Zahra found herself welcoming his slight frame to her side, her bewilderment all the more potent. She turned - puzzled, nervous, delighted - and their eyes met suddenly, a grave depth sinking below his that she could not penetrate, or even hope to comprehend. Oblivious to the weight of his heart, she reached brazenly to perhaps sweep her nose by his; to revel in the most peculiar, but wonderful occasion (as only a child's mind could view it).
An eerie fog began to swell around her hooves - between the cloven black toes of the deer. It was a rolling dark mist that should naturally have provoked suspicion through the souls of all three in his company; so swift was its anesthetic quality however, that the trio began to numb instantly of all worry before felt (as readily as each breath taken). Silas’s eyes closed quietly as he nestled down against the wet, cold snow and a wave of quietude and stillness swept right through him; it dulled instantly the agony ripe between the bond shared with the dying mare out of reach. He took a deep breath and his throbbing heart shuddered softly and painlessly to sleep. He would rise in turn to the heavens, to find beloved Fina, and young Neve – because they surely, would be waiting.
Zahra too succumbed easily and obliviously to the intoxicating magic (like the pair her frame covered), and thought of her father, her mother and far brighter times past, flooded her mind. Vaguely gilt eyes passed between the descending dream-like world she had wandered as a perfectly pure babe, and the scene unfolding in the near distance. Like a mirage she might never touch, vision of her father’s bottomless, golden eyes appeared and startled the foal from her peace – but it wasn’t that dearly missed gaze at all, it was the flames of her dam flaring above the motion of their plunging host…
“MA!” her small voice shrieked, and Bird too woke with a jump. Gangly legs flung forward erratically as she hurled herself into a clumsy sprint, all care taken to avoid trampling the two companions as she went. Zahra’s panicked eyes were set upon the slumped form of the mare, confusion riddling the strained voice as it chimed out again… “Ma! Ma!”
With adrenaline fueling her weak, hungry body’s lunge, the filly was upon her mother (the stallion close by) in barely a minute, fore hooves straddling fearlessly the burning neck draped along the snow. Pleadingly she turned to the tall golden stranger. “Help! Help!” she cried, begged, desperate to spur him into action – to make any decision that might see her fallen family rise again. Zahra’s quivering mouth traced from behind, the bulge of the dappled mare’s barrel before she leapt impressively to the other side. Neat hooves bumped tenderly against each leg as she made a path along the familiar belly back along towards her mother’s face, and when she fell upon it her knees buckled.
“Ma, it’s time to go…” A tear rolled from the burning well behind one eye and she buried her face against the lingering warmth of the mare’s soft jowl.
“Let’s go home now, I don’t like it here. I’m scared Ma…”
With all of the gentleness she could manage, the black and white foal ran her lips down the sleek, satin-like smoothness of his back. Zahra wasn’t sure what next she should do about him. Often she had witnessed the proud avian perch upon the back of her mother, and briefly her small face lifted and turned as she sought to assess her own for ride-ability. Wings, still only partly-feathered lifted into the cold air and she wondered how he would arrive upon her, if even that was a possibility. They couldn’t force him, lift him – her mother had said a long time ago, that those blessed with flight knew a brilliant kind of freedom (that Zahra too, would one day understand) - any action against that right would feel too disrespectful.
A loud, snort rattled by her thin, flared nostrils.
That pattern of thought, however, was suddenly interrupted by the movement of a figure between the dim glow of her mother, and their lowly, trailing position behind. Bird noticed the antlered creature first, and alerted her sister with a low, rumbling growl. They were so far from anything even remotely familiar – there was no grass to dress the land, no vegetation into which they could retreat – and both filly and fox felt a similar apprehensiveness. The pallid canine’s lips pulled subtly from her gums as she shrank beneath the dim shade of her sister, and Zahra’s delicate inky ears wavered with new nervousness. Many times she had seen deer about her home; often, she and her mother paused through the later afternoon to watch small herds emerge from the thicket to graze, but never had the wild creatures shown trust enough to approach.
His dark body was a stark contrast to the fresh snow he passed above, and though at first he appeared rather standard in height, it quickly became apparent that he was far littler than his lookalikes from Hidden Falls. The filly cast a curious eye towards him as he neared without the hesitation she naturally expected – carefully she placed herself above her mother’s frail companion, and Bird came to rest at her front with four tails curled in unity against her downy, chest. Still the kitsune rumbled warily, but Zahra touched sooty lips to her sister’s head soothingly. The creature’s stride held not the smooth elegance of those like him she had seen; there was a tension about it, nervousness that seemed not to stem from her existence, alone. “Shhh… Bird.” the child whispered gently, and the younger fell into baited, trustful silence.
For the moment, her focus fell away from the mounting predicament they were in.
He came with a soft bleat to stand in their company, and though still towering protectively, Zahra reached towards the stranger wishfully, curiously, as though at any moment his instincts might tear him away. A light smile danced through her otherwise haggard expression – adding softness as a lure, an invitation – but it seemed he needed no such thing. The deer paused and turned towards the figures in the distance. Zahra too glanced beyond him momentarily, and the sun-like glow of her mother lingered on. Silas seemed to stir below, swaying as each breath filled his lungs a little less, and Bird slithered back to find him; to wrap herself about him like a fine fleecy blanket.
The tiny forelock falling slack across the foal’s forehead slumped left as her skull tilted, heavy in thought. So peculiar was the creature, the stag. As his eyes returned to find her own, he began again to move and Zahra found herself welcoming his slight frame to her side, her bewilderment all the more potent. She turned - puzzled, nervous, delighted - and their eyes met suddenly, a grave depth sinking below his that she could not penetrate, or even hope to comprehend. Oblivious to the weight of his heart, she reached brazenly to perhaps sweep her nose by his; to revel in the most peculiar, but wonderful occasion (as only a child's mind could view it).
An eerie fog began to swell around her hooves - between the cloven black toes of the deer. It was a rolling dark mist that should naturally have provoked suspicion through the souls of all three in his company; so swift was its anesthetic quality however, that the trio began to numb instantly of all worry before felt (as readily as each breath taken). Silas’s eyes closed quietly as he nestled down against the wet, cold snow and a wave of quietude and stillness swept right through him; it dulled instantly the agony ripe between the bond shared with the dying mare out of reach. He took a deep breath and his throbbing heart shuddered softly and painlessly to sleep. He would rise in turn to the heavens, to find beloved Fina, and young Neve – because they surely, would be waiting.
Zahra too succumbed easily and obliviously to the intoxicating magic (like the pair her frame covered), and thought of her father, her mother and far brighter times past, flooded her mind. Vaguely gilt eyes passed between the descending dream-like world she had wandered as a perfectly pure babe, and the scene unfolding in the near distance. Like a mirage she might never touch, vision of her father’s bottomless, golden eyes appeared and startled the foal from her peace – but it wasn’t that dearly missed gaze at all, it was the flames of her dam flaring above the motion of their plunging host…
“MA!” her small voice shrieked, and Bird too woke with a jump. Gangly legs flung forward erratically as she hurled herself into a clumsy sprint, all care taken to avoid trampling the two companions as she went. Zahra’s panicked eyes were set upon the slumped form of the mare, confusion riddling the strained voice as it chimed out again… “Ma! Ma!”
With adrenaline fueling her weak, hungry body’s lunge, the filly was upon her mother (the stallion close by) in barely a minute, fore hooves straddling fearlessly the burning neck draped along the snow. Pleadingly she turned to the tall golden stranger. “Help! Help!” she cried, begged, desperate to spur him into action – to make any decision that might see her fallen family rise again. Zahra’s quivering mouth traced from behind, the bulge of the dappled mare’s barrel before she leapt impressively to the other side. Neat hooves bumped tenderly against each leg as she made a path along the familiar belly back along towards her mother’s face, and when she fell upon it her knees buckled.
“Ma, it’s time to go…” A tear rolled from the burning well behind one eye and she buried her face against the lingering warmth of the mare’s soft jowl.
“Let’s go home now, I don’t like it here. I’m scared Ma…”
@[Thranduil]
