L e e k a

Twilight was fast descending upon the horizon, quickly molding the bright cerulean sky of the day into a pallet of saturated yellows, violets and reds battered in a field of emblazoned clouds as the familiar curtain of night drew near. Shadows began to smudge indistinctly on the ground, forming a unanimous coverage that detailed nothing as the celestial guards exchanged their places in the heavens, an analogy Leeka once would have considered simple wordplay once - but not anymore. There were Gods in Helovia, beings of not fiction but fact - a fact that disturbed the mare in her heart, twisting it with unease at the thought and the memories that accompanied them. The Goddess was coming into her own in the sky, the great luminous rock of lustrous silver her eye on the world, or so it felt. It sped the little intruders steps that much more when its cold light was upon her, feeling exposed as it slid over her coat while she navigated between patches of shadow on a frail and remote - but not unfamiliar- path through the woods, finding solace in that the trees conspired with the sneak to hide her from that offending sight. Once this was home to her, these hills of misty pine and fern. Once it had been a comfort to claimed that she belonged here ,made her feel safe, and thought things would be peaceful after her own tribulations. How different it all was now.

While the imagery of it all was unchanged, from the very boughs of the ponderous trees to the crash of the ocean on the cliffsides she could not be more estranged from her concept of home here then she was now.  The herd that had sheltered her was scattered and had betrayed their ethics.  In a time of crisis they had become purveyors of conflict and war to the detriment of others when once they had preached peace and nonviolence in the face of evil. It had shattered her faith in philosophy when they sacked the Hidden Falls. Even worse was the Goddess. Where once she had habored feelings for the mystical arts, the Goddess only replaced her admiration with dread. The Moon Goddess that was the patron and protector of the Worlds Edge, a wonder and the first Leeka had ever encountered, a hellion that made game of their mortality and natural flaws just to remind them that they were mortal and flawed.

And Leeka? A bystander in it all, no matter her efforts. It became too much for her when the new ruling King and "Queen" had taken over the void left by Kaj and Kahlua. Though voted in with fairness Leeka felt the northerners nothing more then usurpers but by then she had already had enough of the land and her bitterness for them was more directed at what she perceived as a further tainting of the last reminder she had of her old home. Yes, the Worlds Edge was a near perfect replica of a portion of her homeland, Eoroleen, festered as it was in esoteric mechanisms.  It had been surreal to think she had found a haven to comfort her again in what almost felt like blast from the past, a comfort she could never afford to have again since the lands demise by the malicous powers of a hungry and malevolent curse. To think she had stumbled only into another trap, another land poisoned with magic and worse.

Yet, whatever her feelings, despite what she knew, Leeka could quite give up the ghost of the last reminder of better days that she had. The Worlds Edge still looked like home regardless. She didn't have to think of the politics or magic if she wanted too. She need only daydream and everything was better. It was a direct deviation to her usual analytical thinking but wandering aimlessly in the Wilds hadn't served her any better then trying to adapt to a rapidly destabilizing atmosphere in a hypocritical herd and the massive events thereafter caused by the Gods themselves.

And things were still changing. Things she still didn't understand, or want too for that matter, even though it hung in the air everywhere, the tension. It was suffocating. She was just scared. Leeka had never truly settled since the day Eoroleen had been taken and since then the rug had been continuously pulled from right under her feet without anyone ever noticing.  It felt like being in a constant state of panic and often she didn't know what she was trying to run from or why.

Her existence was a suspension of confusion. Even now she didn't now what she sought to accomplish  by sneaking into her old herdland but her reasoning and logic had failed to proved even an essence of an answer. Now all that was left to her was impulse and somehow that had been bent on one thought - home.  But this wasn't home was it?  She wasn't even legally allowed to be here, but what did that matter? It didn't, not a damn thing. A pang shot through her chest and slowly the spotted mare came to a gentle stop, suddenly timid. Doubt crept into her head  about her choice to come, the pang somehow shattering her resolve to even be here. Apprehension was tightening deep in her chest and muscles, constricting her as if by an unnatural force that slithered deeper and deeper with the intent to petrify her very organic functions.  Simultaneously the heavy, woody scent of pine sap flooded her nostrils and instead of the mounting fear Leeka choose to consintrait of the scent instead, shutting her eyes tight and leaning her head hard into the bark of the nearest pine. The scent was potent and soothing, making her feel oddly clean though the intensity of it made her scrunch her face.

"Don't think about anything, don't about anything, don't think about anything." She chanted in her head. " Just stay for a little bit then go. There, compromise."

She stood there for a small length of time, drawing on the scent in steady breaths and  fell into a sudden dreamless slumber, her constant exhaustion taking advantage of a moment of distraction and seizing the opportunity against all caution.

When Leeka came to it was with a vague awareness of a breeze causing a few strands of forelock to tease at the sensitive skin around her face, prompting a half-hearted shake to cease the offending sensation. She gave a faint jolt when she realized where she was and what she had done and made to quickly survey her surroundings to see if she might be in trouble, swiveling her head and ears in all directions . When there was nothing to be made of immediately Leeka took and deep breath and let it out slowly. It was impossible to know exactly how long she had nodded off for but things didn't look much different from before to be concerning.  The sooner she left the better though, before she pressed her luck too far. 

As she made to turn around, however, a shuffling in the ferns made her pause in mid-step to see a pair of foxes quickly dart past in front of her, startled themselves by something else nearby. That at once made the mare seize, thinking herself perhaps exposed but she didn't move-  not for a few moments at least. An idea sprung in her head and she took the initiative to move first.

" Is someone there?" It was a bright but nonchalant inquiry said in such a way that sounded like it was a second thought  rather then a question. 


________

"Speaking"
Thoughts

L e e k a

Leeka managed to her credit to remain calm when another voice answered her own in the distance, the dim light diffusing almost luminously off the pale body of the stranger as she drew nearer.  It was something of a comfort, an edge, she felt, that the other mare seemed in her own way just as surprised as she was and her greeting had not been unkind or threatening in any way that she might have feared. The brief moment of fear that she had been discovered possibly by Ktulu passed as suddenly as it came for it was obvious that whoever this was was not the fierce Captain of the Edge. And why would it be? She, along with the rest of the herd she knew was in the Hidden Falls. It was only out of habit that she had forgotten that detail.

Absently Leeka wondered who now held that position and what the title might even be called these days given the new management. Leeka only gave it as much thought as she did because she at one time had considered joining into the warrior ranks but was wholly unprepared to dare voice her aspirations to the stark Captain. She still felt regret for that, for not being brave enough to pursue the career despite that the idea itself now was laughable given her current state of mind. It left her wondering if she had been tutored then and learned to fight, would she be the pathetic meek creature she thought herself as now? Would she have had purpose? Would it have been better to be blind and charge forward through the chaos for King and Queen rather then dwell on morals and politics?

Can't find that out now, can I?

The thoughts swirled in Leeka's head, making for the briefest of silences before she in turn regarded the questions asked by Calista. " I am, but its easy to miss people in a herd this large. Can't say I've seen you around either." She spoke almost matter-of-fact but with an inviting tone. Rather then cooking up a complete lie Leeka gave what she considered an evasive truth.   She didn't feel like flat out saying that she was an outcast when she didn't have too, nor she did feel like giving up the chance of possibly making a clean get away by playing with a small deception. In any case, this was a unique opportunity, a challenge of a sort. It'd be interesting to see if she could actually pull it off despite how her better reason was practically screaming at her for playing with fire, so to speak. The prospect was...exciting.

 Besides, Calista hadn't specifically asked who she was and what she was doing here, nor did she seem on the defensive, and she wasn't being dishonest.  Leeka was from this area and genuinely believed it was hard to get to know everyone in a herd beyond acquaintanceship and she hadn't seen Calista around before she had left the Edge not too long before. It encouraged her some as well that Calista seemed to be quite open and friendly for the moment,  so where truly was the harm? Why was now any different then strangers meeting for the first time?

Oh, there are a few major differences but your ignoring them all for the convenience of playing a little game.She thought vehemently to herself. Because, why not? What have you to go back to in its stead? The Wilds. Oh yes. What a pleasure to wander  aimlessly in the  lost world with only your own sullen mind for company. How pleasant indeed.

What makes this so fantastic is that, regardless if this fails or succeeds, it'll be more of a reputation then you ever had hiding in the shadows because for once your mad enough to actually try something against your better reason. Congratulations, this is character development, your conscious is almost proud of you. See this to the end and we'll have something to talk about. Good. Luck.

" I'm Leeka, by the way." She said after a moment, giving a slight and neat dip of her head in greeting. " I don't often meet others so late in the forest. Are you fond of night walks too? I find them hard to resist myself, the urge of exploration is difficult to defeat once given attention to." The conversation came to her as easily as though it were under normal circumstances, part of it prodded on by her self titled game and the other by the genuine opportunity to actually talk to someone for once. It was hard to ignore the fact that she was woefully out of practice though with socializing and hoped she didn't come off as awkward. Hopefully things wouldn't sour from here on out but that was up to chance and fate she supposed. Try as she might it was impossible not to put faith in Calista's friendliness and hope for things to work out, maybe even make a friend. Not even the Gods knew how long she'd been without one of those.
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"Speaking"
Thoughts