ROWTAG
Anyone standing where he stood in that moment would have proclaimed that he was blessed. The day was perfect, birds sat perched upon branches, singing songs of merriment, their voices carrying through the forest like a symphony. Rays of sunlight filtered down through the canopy, dappling the ground in intricate patterns of shadow and light. Spring flowers had bloomed and everywhere he stepped he had to take care as to not ruin their beauty. And he was free to enjoy the forest in all of its Birdsong glory.
But he was not enjoying it.
He was miserable, and so, everything was unbearable. When Rowtag was in a bad mood he saw the world from an entirely different perspective. To him, the birds were not singing in tune, rather screaming in unison, their voices echoing through the woodland. The sun was scolding hot against his skin and if he even dared to look up, it blinded his vision. The flowers were most likely covered in thorns and so he had no choice but to avoid them. And he might have been free, but free to enjoy what exactly?
He had no home, no family, no friends. He could feel no joy with those three key essentials missing from his life. And yes, perhaps it was his fault that he had been exiled. Perhaps it was his fault that he had taken the prize jewel of those diamond worshiping freaks, so what? It had merely been a practical joke. And in his defense he had given it back to them— eventually. But exiled?! Did they expect him to live on his own? Alone in the wilderness? They had sent him to die, surely! Kicked him out without so much as a “Best wishes for the future Rowtag!”
Even his mother had not wished him farewell and he cursed her, she had never been approving of him. But his father had shown up to bid him farewell, didn’t even utter a word. He had looked down upon his son and had sighed in disappointment, shaking his head solemnly before turning away. And that had hurt— more than any words could have. Of all people, his Pa was the one he admired the most, he was the one he would have thought might have stood up for him. The one he had hoped might have come to the rescue like he had when he was a colt, stuck in the mud by the river. But he had walked away and not once had he looked back.
So Rowtag had held his head high, pushed the heartbreak aside and had marched away from his childhood home, away from those who did not value his peculiar talents. It wasn’t until now, a season later that he even considered turning back, to run home to his parents and to plead forgiveness to the elders. But he was a stubborn creature— under no circumstance would he give them the satisfaction of seeing him beg.
So there he was, picking his way through brambles and thorns, muttering obscenities aimed at the screaming birds under his breath; homeless and hopelessly lost.
i'll be your light, your match, your burning sun
open to others but wanting to get him to the Edge asap c:
| World's Edge Sleuth atk: 7 | def: 10 | dam: 4 |
| Mare :: Pegasus :: 16.1 :: 3 :: Tallsun HP: 65.5 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Petyr :: Bornean Green Magpie :: Ashen
Rottie |
WE HELD TOGETHER THE FRAGILE SKY TO KEEP OUR WAY OF LIFE Once again, the girl wanders - leaping over the remains of the glass wall and heading east towards the forests once again. This time, she leaves her young bird, Petyr, at home with mother's owl. Without Hemlock (the owl), Petyr would have surely died. Naerys didn't have a clue about how to hunt for the small bird or how to feed him, and truthfully she still doesn't. Instead, she simply relies on her family to help care for him. She knows he is safe with them. Safer, perhaps, than he is with her while she gallivants across the countryside desperate for adventure.
Adventure the burned through the blood in her veins, calling her out and away from the World's Edge. Long, slender legs move with a slightly unusual amount of grace for a filly just shy of a year old. Once the trees make way for open field, her pace increases to a full on gallop as she stretches out her wings. With a few hard thrusts, her small hooves raise above the ground. From there, her wings beat against the wind lifting her higher until she's soaring high enough that she should be able to pass above the trees of the deep forest ahead and, further, the threshold. After encountering her aunt, Iona, in the threshold just days ago, the girl finds herself curious as to what other family members she might discover crawling out of the woodwork. It had been a coincidence, no doubt, but it's difficult to convince children of such things.
Naerys flies until she reaches the area where she found Iona but what she quickly discovers is that the landing here is a far more difficult task than she's ever undertaken before. The trees are separated enough to make it possible and yet close enough to make it uncomfortable. Concern etches her tender, young features as she finds the largest gap her teal eyes can see. Tucking her legs, the girl swoops down, attempting to flap her wings just so in an attempt to slow herself down and land more gently. It fails, of course, and as the girl attempts to place her small hooves and long legs on the ground beneath her, the force of the impact causes her to stumble. Before she can fold her wings, the tips scrape against a few trees and a few branches grab onto a few of her feathers, ripping them out as she stumbles gracelessly forward. The young girl practically squeaks as she attempts to regain her footing, only to fail and trip over a low-lying bush.
She catches herself with her folded forelimbs, her back legs spread a little wider in a desperate attempt at gaining balance. For a moment she remains in this awkward position, her chocolate forelock hanging messily over her vibrant turquoise eyes. Snorting softly, the girl shifts and places her front hooves beneath her once more. That's when she sees him and a familiar feeling of heat rises up her neck and to her cheeks. Her wings clamp tightly against her sides and she lightly tosses her head, sending her forelock to the right of her face. Every ounce of her hoped he hadn't seen anything but somehow, she knew that was an unlikely occurrence. She hadn't exactly been subtle.
The girl swallows hard then shifts to stand a little straighter, taller. Teal eyes mask the embarrassment churning in her stomach as she moves towards him, her long legs covering ground fairly easily. "Hello." she says, her voice soft yet sweet. "I'm Naerys. I...uh...is there anything I can help you with?" she asks, desperately trying to not be young and awkward...and failing. Well, this certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting and it definitely wasn't going the way she'd thought it would. Too late to back out now.
N A E R Y S | |
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Image Credits
@Rowtag
IN YOUR HEART SHALL BURN AN UNQUENCHABLE FLAME
![[Image: 2PHncqI.gif]](http://i.imgur.com/2PHncqI.gif)
permission for all except death and dismemberment.
** please tag naerys in replies **
replies slow? check here for status updates.
Eyes focused solely on the ground where his hooves would surely fall next, the painted stallion did not notice the silhouetted filly swoop down upon the clearing. It was not until the branches gave way beneath her weight, snapping and catching her wings did his head shoot up, wind tossed mane flying from his eyes, he was able to catch a glimpse of what were rather obviously wings and nothing else. Rowtag did not wait around in plain sight to find out what kind of bird would be big enough to break trees— he ducked into the shade of an old oak, forever the coward— birds fat enough to destroy branches would surely not be satisfied with eating just worms…
Eventually the cowering thief finds within himself enough courage to poke his head out from around his oak, fiery eyes ablaze with delighted surprise when he discovers that his big fat bird is no bird— nor is it fat or rather big at all! He brushes aside his moment of panic and practically dances towards the filly. “You’re not a bird!” He exclaims, approaching her, nose outstretched as he examines her wings. What a curious little creature! He does nothing to return her greeting and almost misses catching her name, instead he offers inquisitive babbling, “How do you have wings? Did your mother love an avian?” He circles her, both bewildered and astonished. She had the build of an equine and almost the same pallet of colouration he did (almost), as far as he could tell she was an ordinary horse— you know, besides the wings. “Did you hatch from an egg?”
As satisfied as he could hope to be, he quickly calms himself, collects his cool and composes himself, stopping to stand in front of the young girl. “Rowtag,” He proclaimed proudly, “I am Rowtag.” He looks upward to where the Naerys had made her entrance into his life, before once more surveying the clearing. The forest and sky had remained the same, yet in under the span of mere minutes his world had changed drastically. Horses could fly— and even though the envy for not having a pair of plumed limbs himself had not yet set in, he was overly excited about having discovered something that no one from his old herd would ever fathom in their lifetime! With that he added, “I’m not from these parts.” And then a correction to the former, “I’m not really from anywhere anymore, I suppose.” He spoke lightly with a humorous tone sugar coating his words, he would not burden the filly with the knowledge of his crimes. “Would you mind telling me where I am? Or rather where you are from, that is I take it you are from here?”
He was curious as to if there were more of her kind flying around these skies. Hopefully he would be able to charm her into taking him with her; if he had not yet frightened her off with his excessive prying questions.
i'm headed straight for the castle
they've got the kingdom locked up
image credits
@Naerys so sorry this took a while for me to get up!
| World's Edge Sleuth atk: 7 | def: 10 | dam: 4 |
| Mare :: Pegasus :: 16.1 :: 3 :: Tallsun HP: 65.5 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Petyr :: Bornean Green Magpie :: Ashen
Rottie |
WE HELD TOGETHER THE FRAGILE SKY TO KEEP OUR WAY OF LIFE Fortunately for Naerys, the stallion didn't notice her rather graceless landing. Dirt clung to her knees where they'd collided into the ground when she felt her bulk tipping forward and off balance. When she finally righted herself, firmly planting all four hooves on the soil beneath her with an emphasis that betrayed her frayed nerves. She attempts to hide it, outwardly pretending that she hadn't just practically fallen out of the sky. The stallion's presence rattled her a bit, threw her off kilter for several heartbeats. His approach is one of a youthful excitement, laced with a level of surprise she'd shown so often in her earliest days. With her first birthday rapidly approaching, the filly had grown more self-conscious, more careful to contain her reactions so as not to appear vacuous. His voice bursts towards her with a proclamation that has her confused. Not a bird? Is he daft? With a mischievous gleam in her brightly hued, teal eyes she gives him a look of complete and utter surprise. Her eyes widen, her mouth opens ever so slightly. "I'm not?!" she gasps, her voice slightly squeaky. Frantically, she whips her head to the left, then the right, and then back to him. The girl fights off a grin and bites back the giggles building in her chest.
She schools her features under his scrutiny as he begins to circle her, the filly portrays an air of calm. Question after question is thrown at her, but he gives little room for her to respond. When he asks if she'd hatched from an egg, she lost the battle. The girl breaks into a fit of giggles. "An egg?!" she asks, dramatically gasping for breath in an attempt to regain her composure. Her? Hatch from an egg? Now that's a silly thought! (And a painful one, were she older and more knowledgeable of such things.) By now, he's moved to stand in front of her, his excitement suppressed. She inhales deeply, her breath a bit shaky, and once again she is composed. Breathing a soft sigh of relief, her gaze once more returns to search his face. "I'm sorry." she replies, her eyes meeting his. "To answer your questions; I was born with them, no, and no." she adds, her voice softer and sweeter.
Standing a little straighter, she allows her gaze to drift over him. He looks strong and young, though not quite as young as herself. Perhaps he'd make a good addition to the World's Edge? Though what would mother say if she saw her just-shy-of-one year old daughter waltzing home with him? If they got the wrong idea, she could be taking this unsuspecting soul right into the lion's den. "Nice to meet you, Rowtag." she states, her manner shifting unbeknownst to her to one far more demure. He looks up then, up to where she'd come crashing clumsily down. While he's distracted, no matter how brief, the girl drops her gaze to focus on the passionflowers blooming around her hooves. Flowers that were there because of her. Gazing into one of the large purple and white blooms, she regains her focus, calming the strange swirl of unfamiliar emotions churning inside her. It only took a few moments, a few beats of her heart but by the time she looked up at him once more, he spoke again. He speaks with a bit of humor behind his words, a lightness that - were she not so naive - might cause her to question him. Instead, she resists the urge to comfort him. The thought of not belonging anywhere, darkening her heart with sorrow. "You're in for a real treat then." she replies, her tone cheerful to compensate for the sorrow shining in the aquamarine pools of her eyes. "This-" she begins, spreading her wings momentarily to gesture to the surrounding lands. "is Helovia." she adds proudly, beaming at him as she once more folds her wings to her sides.
N A E R Y S | |
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Image Credits
@Rowtag <3
IN YOUR HEART SHALL BURN AN UNQUENCHABLE FLAME
permission for all except death and dismemberment.
** please tag naerys in replies **
replies slow? check here for status updates.
A smirk graces his dark lips, drawn out by her sarcastic response to his earlier remark about her not being a bird; the child had a sense of humor and one he could appreciate. He rolls his eyes with the same gusto as she had shown, a dry “Ha ha, very funny,” rolling off his tongue with ease. Her playfulness wins over what is left of his youth and the chestnut feels a stab of pain shoot straight through his heart as he recalls his childhood. Battling against the memories that come flooding back, he can’t help but shake his head as if attempting to physically remove them. It felt so long ago that he had been with his friends and family, reminiscing only made matters worse. Nostalgia was a bitch. So he channels those juvenile thoughts and memories into an attempt to return her mischievous banter, “You’re at best a chick, a fledgling at most!”
As she answers the rest of his questions a disappointed expression crosses his facial features, “Oh… It would have been much more interesting if you were, indeed, hatched from an egg.” He finishes with a wink, his smirk once more returning and lifting the corners of his lips as he laughs merrily. “Well, we certainly don’t have any winged, not-bird horses flying around where I hail from. You’re a delightful discovery, Naerys.” Especially since you’re the only soul I’ve come across in months, he does not add this however, simply sighs deeply, contempt, drawing in a deep breath of crisp forest air, finally beginning to truly appreciate the strange new land he has wandered upon by chance.
“You’re full of surprises,” He mutters, breathless. His eyes had wandered toward the ground where her flowers bloomed by her dainty hooves. He watched them with a fascination similar to that of which he had displayed earlier when discovering her wings. He lifts his head when she speaks again; his mother would have demanded he look at her when he was being addressed, it was polite; but he yearned to stare a moment longer at the passionflowers. Helovia, she says and suddenly he isn’t so interested in her magic flora.
“Helovia…” He breathes, the word hushed, filled with exhilaration, “Helovia…”
This new world was strange, what with bird horses that grew flowers by their hooves as if by magic, but it was those qualities that were enchanting, that drew him in like a moth to light. He looked around behind her, craning his neck in an attempt to see past the dozens of trees— he wanted to explore. “May I stay here awhile?” It seemed silly to ask a filly permission to do anything. What authority did a child have? Alas she was the only one present to this occasion. “Please?” He quickly adds, remembering his manners a moment too late.
i'm headed straight for the castle
they've got the kingdom locked up
image credits
@Naerys
| World's Edge Sleuth atk: 7 | def: 10 | dam: 4 |
| Mare :: Pegasus :: 16.1 :: 3 :: Tallsun HP: 65.5 | Buff: NOVICE |
|
Petyr :: Bornean Green Magpie :: Ashen
Rottie |
WE HELD TOGETHER THE FRAGILE SKY TO KEEP OUR WAY OF LIFE His smirk causes her stomach to turn somersaults, though the sensation is unfamiliar and it causes her to falter - a brief mental hiccup in the grand scheme of things. The slender girl mirrors the expression with a smile of her own, though hers is softer, more gentle; more feminine. "Ha ha, very funny." he declares with a dry sarcasm that has her laughing again, gleeful and free. His next statement has her narrowing her eyes in mock disapproval. "Ohh-ho-ho!" she exclaims, gazing at him through long dark lashes as she dances towards him a few steps. "Is that so?" she adds, raising her head in defiance and snorting playfully at him. Her eyes sparkle with laughter as she attempts to meet his fiery gaze. "At least I can fly. What can you do?" Her voice, though sweetly feminine, is filled with the playful haughtiness; her challenge clearly a jest.
Naerys examines him in the silence, her closeness to him forcing her to breathe him in. He'd willingly entered her game, flooding her with pleasure and shifting her sweet smile into a smirk. The age difference is long forgotten, any worries or trepidations she'd been plagued by were gone - faded, hidden by a mist not unlike the one that cloaked her home in the Edge most of the time. And then his expression shifts; disappointment marring his handsome face. Just as quickly, her smirk fades; the girl listens quietly as he speaks, her focus entirely on him. He winks, then smirks and within seconds he's laughing. Naerys' eyes narrow, her lips set in a hard line. "Oh! You devil!" she replies, resisting the urge to playfully nip at him. Then, just as quickly as it disappeared, she's smiling again. If he keeps this up, there's no doubt in her mind that her face will grow sore from smiling so much. "Fortunately, Rowtag, you're here now." she begins, then she adds with a wink, "Best get used to it."
'You're full of surprises.' he says, his fiery eyes dropping to the ground at her hooves. For a second, she can feel the heat rising to her cheeks. Everyone noticed her flowers, she'd grown accustomed to the varied reactions. So why did embarrassment color her cheeks when this stallion notices? It leaves her flustered, confused but she shakes it off when he lifts his gaze back to hers. She shifts, dips her head and grasps one of the blooms by the stem. With a gentle tug, she pulls it free. The girl returns her gaze to him. Cautiously, she steps forward and stops so close that she can feel the heat radiating off of him. Carefully she reaches up in an attempt to slide the bloom into the pale locks of his mane. She steps back then, placing a careful distance between herself and Rowtag.
The girl is silent as he speaks, quiet and more pensive than she'd been before. A smile softens her features once more. Perhaps it was because he seemed so intrigued. Or perhaps it was because he seemed like he was going to stay. Her excitement returns when he asks her if he can stay, a grin curling the corners of her lips and a lightness shimmering in her teal eyes. "Follow me." is all she says as she turns herself around to face west. Glancing over her shoulder, she waits to see if he is going to follow her. As soon as he confirms, she's off. She keeps her pace slow as she walks through the forest, knowing somehow that he'd want to take it all in.
N A E R Y S | |
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Image Credits
@Rowtag
IN YOUR HEART SHALL BURN AN UNQUENCHABLE FLAME
permission for all except death and dismemberment.
** please tag naerys in replies **
replies slow? check here for status updates.
Flaxen hair falls across his eyes as he tosses his head back, a deep laughter rumbling from his chest. “It is so, little bird!” He frowns for a moment in thought, what exactly could he do? He could acquire specific items that he technically had no business taking… But what good would telling the girl that bring him? He had no physical attributes that could match her skill of flight. So he decided to tell the truth, “Ah! You’ve got me there! There’s absolutely nothing abnormal or special about me.” There’s a twinkle in his eyes when he finally thinks of something— even if it is ridiculous, “But I bet I can eat more berries than you. I could eat more berries than anyone in my herd!”
The stallion’s chest puffs out as he boasts of his ability to devour sweet fruits, however the air that had been filling his lungs in order to do so was quickly released as he continued to laugh when the filly pronounced him a devil. It fitted him oh so well. And deep down it almost stung, because even though the little bird had not meant it to be harmful, there was a truth known only to him that lay behind her jesting words.
He quickly ceases his laughter when she continues to speak and he notices the smirk that she mirrors from him and he catches the wink, “Oh I don’t know if that’s at all possible! Why, I’m assuming there are more of your birdy kind just waiting to jump out at me! I bet they’re all just as cheeky as you!” Once again he became the entertainer, putting on an act for her, though this time he could barely withstrain his giggles. He became the forlorn, not-so-much-damsel in distress; his eyelashes fluttering as he spoke, “What’s an equine to do! I will never be safe from you feathery fiends and your quick wits!”
His laughter subsides as his curiosity for her flowers grow and he watches the girl closely. He can’t help but stare as she dips her head to pluck a single bloom from the earth, his gaze never once leaving her as she reaches toward him. He dared not move, but he blinks at her and turns his head to gaze upon the gift once she has retreated. The fragrance that the flower carries reaches his nostrils and he inhales deeply, allowing it to fill his lungs. “Thank you,” He almost whispers, he cannot remember the last time someone had given him something. It was such a simple gift, one that would surely wither and die in time, but he couldn’t have felt more touched by her offering. He clears his throat to thank her once more— properly this time, “It is truly the most precious treasure I have ever had possession of.”
Beyond their small clearing, the wilderness calls, beckoning him to go forth. Helovia. Oh, Helovia, how blessed I am to have found you, he thinks to himself as the patchwork filly turns to leave. Follow me, she ushers, and so he does. He doesn’t think to ask where it is exactly she plans to take him, he simply follows in silence.
i'm headed straight for the castle
they've got the kingdom locked up
image credits
@Naerys woooooo! Thanks for rescuing him from the Threshold! <3
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