Aten was glad to hear that Loey wished to go and see the Taiga kingdom. Whether or not it proved to be a successful recruitment to gain Ruan's land an additional member, Aten hoped that Loey would still perhaps be his friend. Aten was a kind and friendly stallion in nature. He wasn't thinking of Loey as just another addition to Taiga, or, as his sire or other stallions might have thought, an additional mare for the herd. He thought of Loey as a friend already and would be glad to show her around, to see if he could help her find a home in the Taiga if she did like it.
The mare stretched her nose out to bump his, a show of affection that Aten returned. He lightly bumped his muzzle against hers, his nostrils slightly flared as he took in the mare's scent. He did notice the smile briefly disappearing, a small display that many might not notice.
Had she suddenly grown worried about venturing to a new kingdom? Was she having second thoughts? If perhaps she was, Aten wouldn't chase after her if the mare decided to abandon the journey while on the way to Taiga. He would let her go off and explore if she chose to, if she wished to go to another kingdom and find a different home.
But for now, he'd give her the opportunity to see his own home. The stallion gave the mare a gentle smile, "I am glad to hear that. It is not that far of a journey; I think you will like it a lot once you see it for yourself."
Content that Loey wanted to see Taiga, Aten turned around and started walking in the direction of his home. He looked back a moment to encourage Loey to follow before turning and focusing on the path ahead, his instincts already pointing him back toward the kingdom he'd come to know and love so well.
x - x - x - x - x - x
As Aten had promised, the journey from the Field to Taiga land was not very far of a journey. Being one of the closest kingdoms to the Field in the first place, and the fact that it was still early in the morning when Aten met the dappled mare, the duo reached Taiga's borders just outside the forest by the time the sun was beginning its descent to make way for the dusk's light.
Taiga was beautiful during the dusk hours, just as much so in the dawn. Unless you had seen the kingdom at every time of the day, you wouldn't be able to appreciate all of its beauty. After they managed to pick their way through the thick trees of the Forest and hit the edge of the Taiga kingdom, Aten looked back once more to make sure Loey was still following, his weight causing the pine needles beneath his hooves to crunch with a thick sound as he shifted around.
Once he was sure she was, he crossed the Taiga's border, his eyes lighting up when he spotted the outstretched meadow in front of them, marking the main portion of Taiga's land. Off in the far distance, one could barely make out a sparkle of blue, signifying the Taiga's main drinking source that the river flowed into before breaking off and going toward the ocean.
At the dusk hour, there wasn't a lot of fog rolling in from the ocean. The sunlight stretching out over the horizon blanketed the land in a beautiful sea of gold and orange rays, further making Aten's coat stand out among the greenery.
The stallion turned his head to look at the dappled mare that had followed him to the Taiga, "It is not the entire kingdom, but I figure you should see this first. It is one of the most beautiful sights, in my opinion. What do you think?" he asked with a grin.
- x - x - x -
OOC: The italicized part at the beginning signifies a section that took place elsewhere; in this case, the Field. I figured it would be easier to do one big post rather than break it off into small, little and kinda poorly written ones.
@[Loey]
@[Ruan]
06-19-2017, 08:51 PM
(This post was last modified: 06-19-2017, 08:52 PM by Loey.)
Loey pranced after him, eyes often wandering into the trees, and the greenery that grew about them. Occasionally she would slow down to watch something, falling far behind the golden stallion. At these times she would have to run to catch up with him. At one point she bumped his rump with her nose silently asking him to slow down.
When the sun almost kissed the horizon, and the light faded into a golden bath they reached his home. It rolling plains welcoming them. Her eyes blew wide at the sight of it. The sun bathed the land in a warm glow, casting their shadows long across the grasses before them. Her gaze traveled from Aten to his home. It was gorgeous and massive, a river flew through its center, splitting the land like a knife.
She picked up the thick scent of the stallion next to her, as well as others mixed with the smell of the grass they stood upon.
She whispered a breahtless 'wow' her ears going side ways in pure amazement. She had a feeling that she would like it here. Though the feeling of anxiety pressed on her heart like a heavy stone. Aten's home was beatiful for sure, but many more were yet to be seen.
Others whom she would have to impress. Others whom she would have to suppress herself around. She was a spitfire, headstrong and loud. Somethings many didnt find appealing in a friend or (if this went well) 'herd' mate. The fear deepened when she remembered something. Where there was land there was power.
She smiled non the less , her head turning towards Aten as he spoke.
"Your home is gorgeous."
Light danced across her eyes, and over his golden coat as she spoke. Her pale tail curling around her legs as she shifted.
"Aten," he greeted him with a smile - a slightly less rare occurrence now than they had recently been. The golden stallion had been easy enough to find, his coat shimmering like a gilded statue in the saturated sunset; all fire and halo across his skin.
Ruan, on the other hand, passed through the shadows, dark hair draped across an equally dark face. His eyes were bright and blue, seemingly glowing with the magic of his ice. There was a wildness to them, though, the sharp edge of a predator held in check behind the cage of his body. The season made it worse, made it stronger, but he kept his piercing gaze carefully on the newcomer's face as he acknowledged her. He inclined his head politely, his body at ease and welcoming as he introduced himself.
"Hello, welcome to the Taiga. I'm Ruan." His eyes softened slightly as he turned to Aten again, a quiet sort of pride for this young stallion that was not his son, yet so often felt like it to him. Aten was continually proving himself to be incredibly dependable and always ready to lend his aid anywhere he was needed. Faithful, so loyal. This mare couldn't have chosen a better friend, if that's what they were.
"If you've come for a visit, you are in perfect company. Aten probably knows these woods as if he were born in them," he said, turning to her again. She was dark and dappled with a flare of milky hair, and his head tilted just slightly much like black wolf he used to be. "Would you like to see more?"
Aten smiled at Loey, glad that she seemed to like what she saw of the Taiga so far. He was eager for her to see more of the land's beauty, but the leader seemed to have other plans.
Ruan practically materialized out of the shadows, his dark form a complete contrast to Aten's shiny gold coat. He remained quiet as Ruan greeted Loey with a warm smile, introduced himself, then went on to sneakily offered a compliment by saying that Aten was a good guide for leading her through the Forest and showing the rest of the Taiga to the dark milky-maned mare. The stallion surpassed a surprised cough; clearly, he hadn't been expecting Ruan to say anything like that.
In an effort to avoid embarrassing himself, Aten cleared his throat and offered a few words of his own, first to the leader of Taiga, "This is Loey. I found her when I made a trip to the Field. I offered her to come and look at the Taiga when she said she was looking for a home, and I wanted to see if she would like it here enough to stay. So far, she seems to like it," he added with a cheeky grin.
He then turned to Loey, "But, as Ruan says, there is a lot of the Taiga to see, and either myself, or Ruan I'm sure if I know him, would be glad to show you around," he said with a smile.
Loey fell silent as the dark stallion approached , an air of importance wafting off of him. She glanced over him quickly, eyes softening as he began to speak.
"Hello, welcome to the Taiga. I'm Ruan."
His words were kind, no hint of malace behind his eyes. The mare relaxed, bowing her head to him. He offered compliments to the golden stallion beside her quickly. She smiled at Aten briefly, before looking back to the stallion that stood before the both of them. When Ruan had finished , it was Aten who spoke next. A cough escaping his throat.
He offered them both up to show her around, her lips tugging into a smile at this.
"How kind of you Aten,"
Loey spoke, voice still timid with the new presence.
"And lovely to meet you Ruan,"
For, it had been. The large stallion seemed kind despite his size and the air that surrounded him. She felt comfortable in their presence , comfortable in the Taiga. At this she turned her head, looking at what she had already seen.
"As much as I would love to look around more.. I dont think it will be necessary,"
She smiled as she glanced between them both, confident with the words to come.
"If you'll have me, I'd love to stay here. At the Taiga."
06-25-2017, 01:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 06-25-2017, 01:29 AM by Ruan.)
Aten introduced their guest. Loey. From the Field, he offered, and Ruan nodded in understanding. A visitor, then. A possible new heartbeat for this forest of theirs, if she so chose it. He nodded again, in agreement, when Aten told her either of them would be glad to show her around to see more of the Taiga, and his bright blue eyes slid back to her again.
She was almost.. timid, under his stare. Sometimes he thought others saw him as a bit colder, harder than he really was. Before, when he was married, he'd been the Heart of this forest, filling it with adopted children that he sheltered under his wing, raised them to be strong and confident and loving. But he didn't have his wings anymore, vicious scars left in their place where they'd been torn from him by a demon. Didn't have his wife, or many of his kids. Wasn't much of a Heart of the Taiga anymore.
More of a ghost.
Mostly, he had Aten. And Jinju, the eldest daughter. Enfys and Polaris, the youngest girls. There were others here, but most kept themselves hidden for the most part. Or traveled out during the daylight hours.
"As much as I would love to look around more.. I don't think it will be necessary. If you'll have me, I'd love to stay here. At the Taiga."
He tried for another warm smile, pleased that she already seemed to love their home as they did. They were often particular about who was welcomed into the forest, but he trusted Aten's judgement completely, and knew Loey had been a great choice. He hoped she would feel immediately at home and free to wander as she pleased. She was safe here, protected by the other Guardians. They were all Guardians, each one. Now she was as well.
"We would love to have you," he told her honestly. "Explore all you wish. Be wary of the beasts, not all of them are shape-shifters, though we have a number of those. If you ever need anything or just want to talk sometime, feel free to call for me." And if he didn't happen to be around at the time, someone within earshot could fetch him. He wasn't often called for or needed, but he tried to remain available regardless.
He dipped his head to Aten, Thank you, but he didn't say anything. Didn't really need words every time with the gold stallion. Their eyes or expressions or body language spoke for them so often, and they both seemed in-tune to the silent communication. His was learned from the wolves of his former home, and Aten was a natural, incredibly observant and intuitive. Good job, he glanced to Loey and back again, I like her.
|
