Stargazing

[Crow'sia]

Gertrude,

The air bit.

Gertrude stood in a small circle of trees, one of the few in the Fields, and listened to the howling of the wind. Somewhere deep inside, in a nasty and dark little place she liked to ignore, she thought the howling was that of wolves. Those grey wraiths were tales once, rarely seen but often heard. In the last few moons they had become real; villains chasing at her heels. She had only had two encounters , and neither she liked to dwell on, especially not with the cold whistling through the grass like demons.

It wasn’t demons, of course, but that was what the few horses she’d seen had been saying. It was crazy to be in the Fields. Didn’t she know anything? Only a horse from the Shores would be so stupid. Who was she to challenge the dead? Who was she to challenge Denizen? But Denizen was dead, and she was not from the Shores.

Gertrude twitched her ears, catching the thrum of a small night beetle. Was it the same one as the night before? Would she ever stumble on the same tiny creature twice? She did not meet the same horses twice. They moved on from the Fields quickly and without regret. Maybe if she had chosen to roam the forests, or return to the mountains- that was silly talk! Not only could predators hide among the trees, they could trap her in thickets. Why a some horrible monstrosity might just sneak up behind her from a dark tangle of thorns. And the mountains, she knew, had always been treacherous. Had a single valley pass survived?

The cold suddenly intensified. The hum of beetle wings had long stopped. As she shifted her head this way and that, straining to hear the slightest rustle, the sky lit. Everything seemed quiet, meanwhile, the blood in her head pounding and rushing. Stars, one by one, streaked across the dark. The mare drew deeper into the circle. Low hanging leaves brushed against her back and crackled loudly to her feet.

In the distance, the wind roared. The wolves howled.

[♥/tiyre]

PALE moonlight touched the blades of grass, turning green into ethereal silver. Three-toned filly trotted towards the center of the fields, away from the whistling in the trees. Three-toned for she was a blood bay, black and red, and because of the snip on her snout. Something seemed so... right here. It felt off to the young mare. Before, it seemed as though something was always missing, something that was in this new land. Her father and aunt scoffed at the idea of her following a feeling. Who was she to journey to far off lands while still young? She had everything needed at home, for it was a wonderful, rich land, small enough that all forms of terras were close enough that one could find a "perfect" place for them and still be close enough to see family.

BUT it wasn't right for the bay filly.

OTHERS that lived in the same area hated the filly, for she was different. No one in her family had ever been bay, let alone a red bay. There were grays, yellow duns, roans, blacks - but never, ever bay. She shouldn't have been born such a vibrant color unless her mother was stepping high to another stallion. But her mother was a one-stallion mare, and everyone knew it. So everyone just decided strange, impossible genetics, long hidden, were to blame for her flame.

BLACK painted legs moved the young mare farther and farther from the buzzing trees. She shook her head, angry with herself. She didn't understand why she was here, and... she could hear the whisperings of something vicious in the dark shadows. Veri didn't like shadows... they hid what could not be seen, and the bay filly liked, loved, needed to see things. She hated uncertainties.

QUESTIONS burst through the three-year-old's mind like soap bubbles. Why had she come here at all? There was nothing that she could see - the land, though perhaps once populated, seemed near desolate at the lack of equine life now. And why come to this valley, when there were so many other areas that would offer more substance? True, she felt more like going to a cliff, but... she could find the cliff. Nousi did not know that this fabled cliff was the first place Rosethorn's mother had visited - she didn't know of Ardraline at all.

ROSETHORN, daughter of the scapegoat of fighting mares and the forgotten heir of Sandy Shores. Veri Punainen Nousi was a spitting image of this mare, but she did not know. How could she know when she had come from another land, so different from her homeland. But it was, in fact, Rosethorn's blood running through her veins.

EYES caught on a small stand of trees, unusual in this forrest-barren plain. Veri caught her breath, not wanting to enter the hidden recesses of that place. But the wind was cold, biting, screaming. Reluctantly she made her way towards it, barely registering the scent of another until she almost bumped into her. "Oh," she mumbled, looking towards the ground instead of at the other young equine. "Uh, sorry. Hi...."

[Crow'sia]

Gertrude,

Shivering that became worse and worse, fear that ate at her gut. Starlight shone from the whites of Gertrude’s eyes, and she squeezed them shut, pushing it out. When stars fell, strange things happened. The mare tried to clear her head with deep, even breaths even though she could not stop herself from flicking her ears everywhere for the slightest sound. It felt terrible to be alone but she reminded herself, here in the Fields, in this place she knew, she was safe. And yet, she wanted her mother.

She had not seen Teheki for a moon. The mare had never stayed in one place long, even with a foal at her heels. She was always searching for her brother, that elusive uncle Gertrude had never met. In fact, Gertrude might go so far as to call her mother obsessed. She was certain the stallion would have left long ago, had not been killed by the wave or the earthquake or the horrors. He was just another ghost.

Gertrude scrapped into the earth, still soft under the tangles of grass. Her hoof caught in the grass and she left it there, scratching a small hole beneath.

Until a real sound, a different sound, made her head jerk, straight as a tree bow. She’d caught a warm scent. Flesh and fur, and for a moment she feared the worst. The scent belonged to a mare. A solid, wonderful mare- who was about to barrel into her! With a small scream, Gertrude leapt back, a flurry of grass soaring into the air between the two as her feet tore free from the ground. Then warmth seared through her body, the skin beneath her dark fur tingled, she could practically feel the air crackling expectantly. The stars weren’t her enemy, they were friend! Delivering to her a miracle.

“You’re alive!” she cried. She pressed her forehead to the mare’s own and sniffed. The scent was delicious. Vibrant, lively, with only a the slightest hint of fear. Anyone in the meadow should have been terrified, oh weren’t they all. Cowards. Not this mare. Gertrude hardly caught the apology. She snapped her foreleg into the air and danced around. Sense got the better of her. Sense, and the niggling anxiety that this greeting might go terribly wrong. Her voice dropped, it slid, it became a light wistful breath. “You’re alive.”

[riley]

The night was cold and Zoe shivered. Even through her heavy coat, the autumn air chilled the young filly. Loneliness was a part of Zoe. She was terribly home sick and wanted nothing more than to huddle next to her mother again. she missed the warm skin and her scent and the way she would protect her. But now, there was no one to protect her, no one to care for her and no one to care about her. She was alone in the world and it didn't seem likely that anyone would give her the time of day.

Zoe moved aimlessly through the fields under the stars, not really going anywhere in particular. She knew that there were wolves off in the distance and she didn't want to find out just how hungry they were. As she walked, she thought she could hear the speech of other horses. Her chestnut ear pirked up and she grew excited. Despite all she had gone through, Zoe was still innocent and truly believed that maybe this time someone would accept her.

"Hello!"

[/i] she called out into the night as she approaches as to not startle the pair. "My name is Zoe...can I sta with you...?"[/i] the young horse asked when she came closer.[/blockquote]

[♥/tiyre]

VIOLET eyes flickered nervously around, still refusing to the look the other in the face. And then... the mare pressed her head against Veri's. Very odd and awkward. And then the black and white other began dancing around, acting less like a mare and less like a filly. Or a colt. Veri hadn't spent much time around foals, so she wasn't quite sure which was the more happy-go-lucky gender when young. Oh, uh," she mumbled. "Yeah, I'm alive... apparently." And then the shorter mare repeated what she'd said... again. "I believe we already established that yes, I am indeed alive." No one here knew just how odd that sentence really was, not even the blood red rose. She was the granddaughter of the third reincarnation, the fourth body, of a mare who had been born (and died, thrice) in this land, a piece of it clogging her veins thicker than natural blood.

NOUSI was just starting to get (more) awkward when another came lumbering in after calling out. This time it actually was a young filly, though if one simply looked at her height they'd never know. Young, still growing - and taller than the blood bay. Purple eyes glanced upwards before snaking back down. Veri didn't like looking up; it made her feel short. "Hi... Zoe. I'm Veri Punainen Nousi." No need to give nicknames - Veri somehow doubted she would get very close to these two. She may stay with them, simply for company, but the bay didn't believe in giving shortened names unless she truly knew someone. Or truly wanted to. Right now, she didn't.

{ooc;; she's really not a brat, or cold... she just gets awkward with people she doesn't know. ain't she a cutie? :3 and yes, I accidentally modified my post above, but now i'm too lazy to recode it. so there xD

[Crow'sia]

Gertrude,

Gertrude looked at the horse strangely, her blood pounding in her ears now, and that old, mean fear that the mare might leave crawling up her neck like a bat. The mare didn’t seem to understand what a miracle being alive was. She actually seemed entirely unimpressed! Gertrude scratched at the earth and gave a little stomp, even with her ears pricked eagerly forward.

“But, don’t you understand? No one is left!”

Was the mare truly from elsewhere? Those little ears drooped onto her head and the young horse took a small step back. She often had wandered if she should have moved on, all those months ago. There were others far away, beyond the fields and the mountains. She knew it because she had watched them leave. She knew it because surely the whole world had not been woken. It was too great a place! From the corners of averted eyes, Gertrude watched the moon and the stars cast change, moving shadows on the grass and the circle of trees. The sky never ended. Maybe stars moved elsewhere. Then a thought struck her.

“That stars! You must see them! They were never here before you know! Can’t you hear that howling?” Did she sound mad? Her voice had the slightest lilt of hysteria. She took a breath. She almost wished the ground would begin to shake again when a sound punctured the clutter of her thoughts. Another mare, and Gertrude’s stomach did a flip. This time, she contained herself, but she was startled to see, and hear, that the giant horse was barely more than a filly! Gertrude looked between the two, and made space in the copse so the filly could enter.

A filly alone! This was exactly what she was talking about. Where was her mother? Where was her herd? Drowned, probably, or eaten. How could this, Veri, be so unperturbed by such a thing? “I am Gertrude, Zoe. Veri Pounainen.” She gave each a quiet, hopeful nicker. “Please stay? Both of you.”