The light crust of snow crunched beneath his hooves and left a vast canvas for the swath of red he cast behind him. It had snowed sometime in the night, or perhaps the one before. He was having a fair amount of trouble keeping it all straight.
At the very least, he was certain the wounds were centered on the left side of his face, where a pulse of heat kept time with his heart. His eye was swollen to a slit that allowed only shadows and flickers of light to peek though the lashes. His right eye was the only thing keeping him from walking headlong into the nearest tree.
It was difficult to tell if there was anything else wrong. He must've stopped to check, but he couldn't quite recall what he'd found. Perhaps he should check again. But something pressed him to keep walking, though he couldn't remember if he was running from something or running to something. It would come to him if he just kept going, surely.
He coughed as something sticky and hot dripped into his nose, splattering a nearby fir with red. Pausing to blink his good eye at it for a moment, he couldn't help but wonder just how it had gotten there. Such a color didn't belong in the forest when it was painted white and green as it was now.
But he had somewhere to be and no time to dwell on Mother Nature's bewildering color palette. He merely shrugged at the tree and kept moving, one hoof in front of the other.
"Talk."
ooc: has memory loss from a head injury, bleeding freely and a few days old.
I'm walking the long road
watching the sky fall
| Outcast |
| Mare :: Equine :: 14.2hh :: 8 |
|
Herophilos :: Plain Black Dragon :: Toxic Breath
prissy |
01-26-2016, 10:09 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-26-2016, 10:11 PM by Agnodice.)
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She wandered, glass basket between her jaws and a trail of petals and flowers following in her wake as they fell from onyx locks. Orangemoon was cool, and the dainty maiden was struggling to keep warm in its grasp. She fled from her home, the Falls, in search of warmer ground and sunnier skies, but even in the south she found floods. She lingered, then, in the Threshold. It was slightly warmer than her herdland, but still not far.
The prospect of meeting others was never on her mind, though she knew the Threshold as practically the doorway to Helovia. But she wasn't in search of new faces, and therefore, simply assumed she would not find any today.
The doctor was infrequently wrong, and saw this judgment fit as perfectly rational. She ignored any and all new scents belonging to horses, and did the same with the trail they left, their hoofprints and hairs. She only took note of these when she found the smell of blood lingering in the air. She pricked her curvaceous ears forward, slowing her gait to a tentative walk.
Blood?
She had encountered few who had ever needed her healing expertise in this land. But upon her first step into Helovia, she had to heal a giant man. The world outside, she thought, must be treacherous which would explain the injuries she found on its doorstep.
The maiden wasted no time.
She trotted swiftly, deeper into the Threshold, following the smell of blood she knew so well till she found the one it came from. A painted, horned man; another giant in need of service. Why was it always the ones with the hardest exterior who proved to be in need of help the most? Did they purposefully throw themselves into danger, to earn a scar or something equally ridiculous?
"Hello," Agnodice called to the stranger, her lyrics soft and tentative. She approached slowly, delicately, knowing he could still be reeling from what had caused his wounds and lash out at her. The dainty mare was submissive, head low and the flowers that grew in her hair looking rather bright, for she was ready to invoke her healing magic. "You're hurt," she murmured, mostly to herself upon seeing the extent of his wounds, her tone falling into saddened lyrics.
"My name is Agnodice, I'm a healer. Please, allow me to help you," the doctor proposed, not abandoning her submissive, gentle manner.
@Kodiak COUGHING srry she barges in and tries to heal >.>
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Image Credits
You’d stick the world into your bedside lane
It’s boredom makes you callous to all pain
Tiamat the Ocean's Light Posts: 360
| Aurora Basin Lady atk: 8 | def: 10 | dam: 3 |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.2 :: 6 years HP: 60 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Nimue :: Common Orca Leviathan :: Boil
Reli |
no dreams within her heart,
but dreams of love
It is an unplanned path that the ocean mare follows, cloven hooves trailing behind loose threads of direction, carrying her over hills and through forests with only her final destination in mind. It has only been a week, more or less, since she had last departed from her mountain home to wander the wilds of Helovia. The thirst for knowledge and bubbling curiosity is ever present within her innocent mind, and it often leads her to strange and fantastical things, but ultimately it is in the Basin where her heart resides.
Despite the fact that winter is nearly upon them, bringing with it feet of frost and snow to blanket the highland valley, Tiamat is excited for the shift in weather. Each season is beautiful, playing its own role in nature’s beautiful cycle of life. Her lean muscles and satin skin are hardly built to withstand the bitter cold, but the Basin offers many sources of warmth and comfort, ever generous and ever magnificent; she never finds herself wanting.
The Threshold’s forest is reminiscent of the mountains, albeit not nearly as cold, but beautiful all the same. Icy snow crunches beneath dainty hooves, the mare’s warm breath pooling in white clouds that billow softly against her cheeks. Through the leafy boughs, sunlight plays across her back, glittering off of bright eyes as she glances to her surroundings. Tiamat thrives on the comfort of nature, of the sweet smell of damp earth and the hushed laughter of rustling leaves—this, all of it, is her family. It is a part of her, and she loves it.
Breathing a contented sigh, the ocean mare pauses when she notices something—something off. Shifting her weight, she peers at the trunk of a tree, blue lips pursing at the stark spatter of red against the dark wood. “That’s not supposed to be there, cousin,” the unicorn muses to herself, her healer’s heart thrumming against her chest, “Someone is hurt…” And that is all she needs to push herself into action. White eyes sweep the ground as her body follows, tracking the stream of red that is sprayed like angry eyes against the icy snow.
Fortunately, it isn’t long before figures become noticeable between the trees. “Hello!” Tiamat calls amiably out to them, tulip-shaped ears perked forward as she comes to their sides a moment later. She doesn’t recognize either of them, and while a soft smile is cast to the mare, it is the stallion that seizes her attention. “Oh you poor thing! Here, take this; it will help numb the pain,” arching her neck, Tiamat sifts through the herbs in her hair to find an arnica flower. Known to reduce inflammation and ease discomfort, she offers the yellow blossom to the injured man, nothing but genuine in her concern.
notes; :DD (btw she didn't hear Agnodice introduction haha)
“Speech.”
please tag Tia in all replies!
magic & force are permitted.
As he walked, his attention kept snagging on little things. He counted the trees he passed for a while, until some birds swept through and he began picking out their individual songs from the chorus. The flurry of wings loosened a bit of snow from the heavy laden branches, and he watched the way the light caught the tiny flakes. The sun seemed low in the sky, drawing long shadows that stretched on endlessly and divided the forest into stripes of gold and black. He couldn't tell if it was excessively early or late, but he supposed that he would rest when he grew tired.
Kodiak decided that he liked the snow, though he wasn't sure if that was an old realization making itself known, or perhaps a new one altogether.
After pausing for another coughing spell that painted the ground red, he became aware of another presence in the forest. Her coat blended simply into the scenery around them, and he couldn't be certain how long she'd been there. Perhaps she'd been watching the entire time.
She regarded him softly, the blue of her eyes sheltered by her lowered lashes, waiting for him to make a move. He felt the tension of the moment thrumming in the silence, for even the birds had fallen quiet. It took him more than a few moments to work out why she might hesitate to approach him. It was likely related to the fact that he had quite a bit of height on her, he might even be able to step right over her if he exerted himself a little.
He opened his mouth to speak, perhaps to even reassure the timid mare, but nothing came. What was there to say? He didn't know where he was, or even how he'd come to be here.
The moment shattered when another horse flounced into the scene, appearing completely oblivious to the mood. She approached him heedlessly, offering him strange things, starkly opposite to the grey. He startled back a step like a wild creature, pinning his ears for a fraction of a second at the newcomer.
Words jump into his throat, demanding that he snarl a few choice words at the blue mare for her lack of respect. But none of them felt quite right to him, and part of him recognized that they were offering him aid. What had he come here for, if not that?
"I-I don't know what happened," he told them. "I can't see very well."
"Talk."
@Tiamat
@Agnodice
I'm walking the long road
watching the sky fall
| Outcast |
| Mare :: Equine :: 14.2hh :: 8 |
|
Herophilos :: Plain Black Dragon :: Toxic Breath
prissy |
| | |
Silence, normally a sacred gift, she felt as a laceration between them. She tilted her head forward, oceanic gaze peering up at the paint through milky lashes, concealing herself, deepening the depth of separation between them. When he at first said nothing, she then expected nothing. The doctor doubted herself, inwardly withdrawing from him.
Did he not wish to be healed, or rather, was it that she was good enough?
The duchess did not know, and fortunately, she did not have to wait to find out. Words were spoken from a stranger she had not known was present, making the dainty maiden jump, sending a plum of petals and flowers shimmering around her head. Entangled in blossoming plant life and smelling simultaneously of northern mountains and ocean tides came the vibrant blue girl, blooming from her surroundings, wearing a smile and seaweed. Agnodice assumed the girl was a hallucination, a spirit at best, and blinked at her with wide eyes. The stallion, though, stepped back from her, and the duchess realized she was not, in fact, an apparition.
The doctor's nerves settled some, eyeing the blue cautiously as she, too, offered help to the stallion. She glanced back to him, noting his comment on his eyesight. Her brow furrowed as she lifted her head to examine his, peering at the injuries. Cuts marked his eye and drying blood, matted mane behind his ear hinted at the possibility of something being there, too. His eye seemed too far gone for her to do much for his decaying sight, but she knew she could heal the cuts on his eye and poll, perhaps without even leaving a scar.
She said nothing, she found no need to. If he could not see, anyway, then he wouldn't realize what she had done to him till it was too late. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and called forth her magic. The flowers in her hair grew brighter, glowing with a pale golden hue as she invoked their healing properties. She focused on his eye, on the wound behind his ear, and transferred the glow from her flowers to his wounds, hopefully healing them to the best of her abilities.
Agnodice opened her eyes slowly, listening to the sound of a few flowers in her mane shriveling, dying, falling to the ground in a pile of dust as the magic that kept had kept them alive was no longer. She glanced back to the stallion, tilting her dainty head up to match his gaze. "Is that any better?" She whispered breathlessly, features turning instinctively worrisome.
@Tiamat
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Image Credits
You’d stick the world into your bedside lane
It’s boredom makes you callous to all pain
Tiamat the Ocean's Light Posts: 360
| Aurora Basin Lady atk: 8 | def: 10 | dam: 3 |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.2 :: 6 years HP: 60 | Buff: NOVICE |
|
Nimue :: Common Orca Leviathan :: Boil
Reli |
no dreams within her heart,
but dreams of love
Much to her dismay, the large antlered stallion does not accept the herbs that she offers him. The mare flicks her ears back uncertainly, trying to not let herself become disheartened, with her blue brow furrowing in concern at the apparent astonishment on his face. There is nothing but the purest intentions within her heart—she hadn’t meant to overwhelm or surprise him with her aid. Perhaps the ocean mare can get too caught up in her enthusiasm for her work, too excited to help and heal, but she knows no other way.
The dark locks of her tail brush over the frozen ground as it sways, white eyes lingering for a moment longer on the stallion’s bruised and bloodied face, before turning to tuck the herbs back into her hair. Still, she keeps them close, far from convinced that he is better off without some sort of assistance. This is not the first time that Tiamat has encountered a difficult patient, and she doubts it will be the last.
Her gaze rests softly on the stallion’s features, tulip-shaped ears leaning forward to cup his rumbling voice when he speaks. The mare’s heart hurts sympathetically for him. She cannot imagine what it would be like to lose your memories, to wander into a strange place, not knowing what has or what will happen. Granted, there are very few who have their bearings when first stumbling into Helovia. She remembers her own experience in the Threshold—but what a joyous day it had been! Forever guided by her watchful mother and strong father, the ocean mare trembles at the thought of being completely alone.
Offering the antlered stranger a friendly grin, she speaks warmly, “Well I can assure you that your fortune has changed, my friend. You will be taken care of.” Of this, she has no doubt. Her faith is ever steadfast, believing in the goodness of this world, her heart swelling within her breast when it has again given her relief. “Wow—how beautiful!” Tiamat exclaims in breathless wonder, her doe-eyes widening at the sight of the glowing flowers in the white mare’s hair. Another healer—what a blessing!
Shifting her weight forward in the excitement that bubbles just beneath her skin, the blue mare gazes in open amazement. “That is an extraordinary gift you have,” she admires, always caught in awe by the wonders of nature (because, surely, a gift such as this can come from nothing else). Flicking her tail out happily behind her, Tiamat broadens her attention to both of them. “My name is Tiamat, I’m a Medic for the Aurora Basin,” a smile of camaraderie is cast to the other mare before she continues, shifting her eyes to the large stallion, “Does it still hurt? Do you need anything else?”
notes; FUNNILY ENOUGH, Tia actually did lose all her memories XDD -chuckles at the irony-
“Speech.”
please tag Tia in all replies!
magic & force are permitted.
Everything happened rather quickly after that. The grey glowed brightly, a soft echo of the golden sunlight that bathed the forest around them. Kodiak stared at her, uncomprehending, until the dulled ache suddenly vanished and a rush of clarity slapped him in the face.
The crust of old blood and dirt still remained plastered to him, but his left eye was finally open and blinking rapidly. He quickly scrubbed his face against the inside of his knee to clear it. It was no use. The eye no longer pained him, but even while it was open wide it supplied little more than shadows and vague impressions. The realization washed over him in a wave of horror. He was blind. Damaged so deeply that even a healer couldn't restore his sight.
It was only the one eye, tried to tell himself. He still had another one that worked just fine. Other horses lived with far more inconveniencing disabilities, he was pretty sure he'd heard of that somewhere.
He twisted his neck awkwardly to turn his remaining eye on the two mares watching him intently. The grey stood on a pile of ashes, the remains of the flowers caught in her hair. She had expended energy and precious magic on him, a perfect stranger, while he had nothing to offer in return for her aid.
"Thank you," he said simply, putting as much sincerity into the two words as he could.
The blue, on the other hand, seemed far from deterred by his behavior. Behavior that he recalled with a fair amount of guilt. There was no honor in intimidating those weaker than himself, much less someone that just wanted to help him. She was all smiles and cordial words, a contrast to his somber silences. The grey struck him as someone that had either learned circumspection the hard way, or had merely seen too much suffering in the world and sought to right as much of it as she could.
The blue mare, Tiamat, as she called herself, showed none of that hurt outwardly. It was true that sometimes the most painful burdens were hidden by the flashiest masquerade, but something about her seemed genuine.
"The Aurora Basin?" he inquired, if only to keep her talking a little longer. He didn't bother telling her that there was nothing else wrong that she could fix. The damage inside him was far past what any herb could cure.
He tried to think back to his own home, but all that came to him were bits and pieces before Agnodice healed him. Nothing more than flashes and certainly nothing concrete enough to know where to go from here.
So this was to be his fate then, to wander a strange land, half blind and brain damaged?
"Talk."
@Tiamat
@Agnodice
I'm walking the long road
watching the sky fall
| Outcast |
| Mare :: Equine :: 14.2hh :: 8 |
|
Herophilos :: Plain Black Dragon :: Toxic Breath
prissy |
| | |
Relief flooded her senses as the stallion rubbed his head on his knee, a sign it no longer bothered him. She stayed quiet, simply nodding at his thanks. Her eyes fell to the ground, a soft smile resting on her onyx lips. The mare was always willing to use her magic to help others, she simply wished she didn't have to.
The blue next to her seemed quite captivated by her flowers, though, and exclaimed lyrics of admiration. Agnodice took a side-step back, tilting her head down and blushing. She smiled wider, looking shyly to the ground. No one had ever spoken of her magic in such a way, as a gift. She nodded in response, still silenced by her use of the magic, partially due to the way it drained her.
"Agnodice, Caretaker of the Falls," She whispered to Tiamat, the thought of her home instilling a bit of urgency into her her mind. Didn't she have herbs to gather? And lessons to attend, and lessons she had to instruct? Agnodice's brow furrowed, her smile faltering, looking up to the pair with a rather grave expression.
"I would love to stay and exchange words with each of you, but I have other duties to attend to," She stated, her words solemn. "I hope to see you both again someday!" the doctor added, her expression brightening, her lips rising into a bright, beaming smile. She turned away then, bounding off, leaving a trail of petals, flowers, and ash littering the ground behind her.
aggy says my job here is done ttyl @Tiamat
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Image Credits
You’d stick the world into your bedside lane
It’s boredom makes you callous to all pain
Tiamat the Ocean's Light Posts: 360
| Aurora Basin Lady atk: 8 | def: 10 | dam: 3 |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.2 :: 6 years HP: 60 | Buff: NOVICE |
|
Nimue :: Common Orca Leviathan :: Boil
Reli |
no dreams within her heart,
but dreams of love
The mare’s smile broadens across her lips when she sees what nature’s magic has done, what miracle and relief has been given to the large stallion. Although he seems to still be suffering a lack of vision or some irritation by the way he tilts his head, there is already a notable difference in his wounds, and the blue healer couldn’t be happier for it. Her chest swells with pleasure and the length of her leonine tail is arced happily behind her, the long hair brushing against the frozen ground. Tiamat may not be any great warrior or leader, and she is not well-known like some, but she likes to think that every little thing she does—every tiny act of kindness—makes an impact on someone, somewhere.
And that is all the satisfaction she needs.
With her white eyes softening, the ocean mare smiles when the pale mare introduces herself as Agnodice, a healer for the Hidden Falls. As far as she can recall, Tiamat has only ever met two other individuals from the Falls—Ciceron, the gallant knight, and Miykael, the generous healer—both of whom she enjoyed very much. However, before she is able to inquire of her friends, the stallion’s question (as modest and fluttering as it is) distracts her attention in a sudden surge of delight.
“Yes, it is my home,” she gives a dainty nod of her head, the weight of her body leaning forward a little, as though she is going to take a step closer in her earnest joy. Words of praise and admiration for the mountain valley bubble to her tongue, ever adoring of her home and herd, but it is then when Agnodice announces her departure. Swallowing her enthusiasm for a moment more, the ocean mare watches her leave, blue lips curving into a friendly smile. “I hope so too! It was a pleasure, Agnodice,” her voice chimes merrily, truly hoping to see her fellow healer again.
A hushed breath sighs from her nostrils before Tiamat returns her attention again to her painted company, continuing her earlier delight with a sparkling smile. “The Aurora Basin is up north, in the mountains—but don’t worry, there’s enough ways to keep warm. It is a beautiful place,” her voice is threaded with laughter, her lion tail swaying wistfully as thoughts of the pristine white valley, the unfreezing lake, and the smell of fresh pine fill her mind. It is obvious that she utterly adores her home. It is as perfect a place can be in her eyes, so beautiful and welcoming, with herd mates that are not only her friends, but her family. The Basin gave her a home when she had none. To share this joy, this completeness, this sense of belonging with someone else brings her such blissful pleasure.
Taking a step closer and looking up to the stallion with wide, excited eyes, she offers to him what Lena had offered to her, so long ago. “Perhaps I could take you there, if you are searching for a home? Or even a place to just rest and recuperate, you would be welcomed,” her heart suddenly aches for the familiarity of the mountains, but Tiamat dare not overwhelm him. It is not her to push or pry, only do what she can. Pursing her lips, she tilts her head a little. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I caught your name?” She adds as an afterthought, laughing blithely to herself.
“Speech.”
please tag Tia in all replies!
magic & force are permitted.
Kodiak watched, as well as he could, while Agnodice departed. He felt a small twinge in his chest for her, and hoped that she would find her way. The world so often repaid kindness and selflessness with nothing but harsh realities. Small flurries of snow covered her path of petals, almost as if she'd never been there.
Tiamat stole away his attention as she spun an enchanting fantasy of mountains, surely capped with endless snow. She even threw in tempting words like home and welcome, appealing to his potential wandering heart by letting him choose how permanent or fleeting his stay would be. As if anyone could prevent him from leaving, should he wish it.
Certainly then, there was nothing preventing him from accepting? He could lurk within the relative safety of an established herd, learning to live with his new disabilities. Perhaps he could even regain some memory, given enough time. He might even remember what he was doing out here in the first place, or where he'd wandered off from. The idea sounded far more appealing than roaming around out here, alone. He could handle petty herd politics; he wasn't so keen on taking on a bear, or whatever manner of beasts lived here.
Settled, he dipped his head at Tiamat to indicate his assent with her plans. He didn't feel bothered to elaborate; she seemed to talk enough for the both of them.
Her other question stumped him. He must have a name, for any proper horse had a name. A wave of chagrin washed over him as the silence dragged on.
"Kodiak," he offered with an air of finality, and he thought it sounded right in its own way.
"Talk."
@Tiamat
I'm walking the long road
watching the sky fall
Tiamat the Ocean's Light Posts: 360
| Aurora Basin Lady atk: 8 | def: 10 | dam: 3 |
| Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.2 :: 6 years HP: 60 | Buff: NOVICE |
|
Nimue :: Common Orca Leviathan :: Boil
Reli |
no dreams within her heart,
but dreams of love
The blue mare’s heart soars when she notices the inclination of the stallion’s antlered head. It is a small, subtle gesture, one that might have been overlooked if she weren’t so fixated with excitement, but it is more than enough to feed her joy. White eyes sparkle in the crisp, cold air, her bright smile reaching through the silence. From their brief interaction thus far, Tiamat is inclined to say that the painted draft is not one for words. Of course, this could easily be attributed to the rather nasty wounds that he sustained to his head—she wouldn’t be surprised if he is still dazed from the ordeal.
In any case, Tiamat is hardly bothered by his lack of conversation. After all, it’s not like they haven’t been enjoying themselves! (Tiamat, anyway) and she doesn’t doubt that it will continue this way. Sighing blissfully from her nostrils, dainty ears tilt forward to catch the stallion’s low voice when he speaks, uttering a solitary word. “Kodiak,” the ocean mare smiles, “that’s a nice name.” The compliment is genuine, utterly pleased with having found a new friend.
Tossing her head heartily and spinning around on delicate heels, the blue mare casts a glance over her shoulder, white teeth flashing beneath the brilliance of her grin. “Let’s get going then, shall we? It isn’t a particularly short walk we have in front of us,” her laughter peals like rain through the air, mingling with the tinkling of her shells as they chime against one another. The length of her lion tail arcs happily, hovering above the ground while white eyes linger on her company. With Kodiak at her shoulder, Tiamat moves forward, her feet nearly skipping as cloven hooves dance in her excitement to be home.
“Speech.”
please tag Tia in all replies!
magic & force are permitted.
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![[Image: 5694548be0939]](http://images.helovia.net/index.php/view/5694548be0939)
