He twisted, head lowering to clear out the space a bit more (for he figured she might feel uncomfortable being so close to him) before laying down, he tugged gently on her tail to let her know he had done so.
She spoke next, her words soft and informative. SO she did not live here, and offspring did not know? He hummed at this, understanding her reasons without having to ask upon it any further. He did however smile at her next question.
"Yes I live in the Tephra."
OOC: okay so i am now going to stop the forgetfulness and post with Zeph's profile <3
The humid air wrapped around Zephyr like a warm blanket. From in front of her, she heard Krigare move the leaves around slightly. They crunched as he moved, and with an involuntary huff, she heard the stallion lay down. From below, there was a gentle tug on her tail. The mare wasn't accustomed to laying down, but she embraced it.
Her body moved swiftly as she dropped to her knees, tucking her legs beneath her and sighing. She felt Krigare's body heat from beside her; it made her feel calm. She turned to the direction of the stallion as he informed her that he did, in fact, live in Tephra. She nodded her head, and smiled at him.
"So I'm assuming you like it, then?" She chuckled quietly. "I do enjoy it here as well."
Dark tresses curled around his leg, his head falling to rest upon his outstretched legs. She too came to lay near him.
"I enjoy it here quite the bit."
He spoke, allowing his fondness of the place to leak into his words. He hoped she could tell, maybe he could persuade her into making the Tephra her home as well.
"How long have you 'secretly' been here Zephyr?"
He chuckled, for somehow he knew that the lands officials knew she was here, though made no move to act upon her wandering.
"And why do you not simply call the Tephra your home?"
The mare's ivory mane fell in front of her face. The warmth of Krigare's body was comforting; she couldn't stop thinking about it. Was it because she had never had warmth from anybody in her life? Memories began to flood back like photographs. They were bright and out of focus; the colors were muted and distant. There was only one point in time she had been able to see; although it was incredibly blurry, she could still make out shapes and colors. Her heart raced as she remembered it.
From the time she was born, she was shunned. Beaten down by her father, ignored my her mother, teased and tortured by other foals...all because of the eyes she had been given. The defect had caused her a life of defeat and abandonment. Her mother had taken one look at her, and it was over...Zephyr was better off dead. The name was given to her as a cruel joke - a soft, gentle breeze it meant. The breeze people crave in the heat of summer, the breeze the blows beautiful scents through the air, the breeze people long for...but, who could want her? She was nothing like her name suggested...to everyone, she was worthless.
Zephyr was barely listening to was Krigare had said. He had asked how long she'd been here, and why she didn't think of Tephra as her home.
Because I don't belong here... The anxiety coursed through her like a raging sea, swallowing her whole and threatening to drown her. This couldn't last...could it? This feeling...the tranquility of being here with him...
"I've been here for a few days," She spoke, trying to mask her feelings. "I just...I guess I just never really thought it would be a good idea...you know, with the volcano and all." The lie was written in her voice. She could've stayed...she could've called out to the leaders, let them come talk to her, let them lead her around and keep her safe - but the fear of rejection was too much to handle.
He sensed her anxiety, engulfed by it. He knew the feeling of the air around you swallowing you whole, the shaking of breath that was hard to take, and the ringing of ears and words unheard.
"Hey,"
He whispered, bumping her side lightly with his muzzle.
"Listen to me, you are alright, okay?"
He rested his head over her shoulder in a protective/reassuring way, breath fanning over her sides. After a moment he spoke again,
"If you stayed here , I could help you around. Like a guide I suppose."
He awaited her reply anxiously, hoping quietly that she would stay here.
The soft touch of his muzzle, the tickle of his whiskers as they trailed along the side of her alabaster pelt.
"Hey. Listen to me, you're alright, okay?" He said to her, and her world stopped. A gesture unbeknownst to her...kindness. Could he have possibly understood? She jumped slightly as he rested his head over her withers. He breathed calmly over her, and Zephyr mimicked him.
In...out...in...out...
"If you stayed here, I could help you around. Like a guide I suppose." Krigare spoke gently in her ear. She liked how compassionate he was, how he was careful with her. A lump formed in her throat, and tears welled in her eyes.
"I will stay," She said, voice choked up. "But why would you...want to be my guide?" She asked. The wave was coming back...she had longed to see him before, but now the yearning was greater. The realization that she would never be able to know what this kind stallion looked like was proving too much for the young mare to handle...she waited for his response, holding back the tears that were just seconds from spilling out.
He stayed quiet and allowed her to calm, the softening waves of her breath assuring him she would be alright for now. Soon she was telling him that she would stay, though she doubted his promise to lead her. For some reason, he cared for the mare, a sort of protective longing.
"Because I care for you."
He whispered this, hoping she would understand. Could she? It felt like brief moments they had known each other, though the stallion was pulled in deep. Head over hoof, though he would take it slow if she asked him to. For that's what he wished to do. Take it slow, like his breathing. In and out in puffs.
"If you wish for me to, I can be your eyes Zephyr."
He could be her eyes.
Only if she wanted him to.
~
"Because I care for you..." The words echoed in Zephyr's mind. Over and over like a broken record, it rang in her ears.
I...care..for...you The record skipped but the words were still there. But why her? Out of all of the beautiful mares in Beqanna, what made her different enough to actually care for? No one had before. She took the deepest breath she could, and pushed it out from her stomach. They had barely known each other, and even with this fact in the back of her head, she knew the feeling was different...he was different. She knew though, she would have to open up and learn to trust him, a feat that usually went unsuccessful.
The world was scary to begin with, but even scarier without the use of eyes. "If you wish for me to, I can be your eyes Zephyr." As if reading her mind, he offered again. Is this what she wished for? A companion to help her navigate the world, slowly but surely gaining what little trust she had in her heart?
Maybe so. She intended to find out for sure.
Instead of answering though, she found his outstretched legs, and laid her cranium upon them. She turned slightly, so her ears rested on his chest to hear the beating of his heart.
He allowed her time to think. When she didnt respond he became worried, though her head fell to his legs and he smiled, allowing it to rest there. He felt as though no more words needed to be said, and as night broke through the clouds, and the sun kissed the lands once more before leaving he closed his eyes, reveling in her presence.
A deep pressure was building in the back of Zephyr's eyes. The mare awoke, opening her milky white orbs. She blinked several times, her eyes adjusting to the tension of the light. She was still laying down, head resting on the outstretched legs of Krigare, the stallion she had met only yesterday. Even though she had only known him a day, she felt like they had been together a lifetime.
From the way he breathed, slowly in and out, Zephyr assumed he must still be asleep. She gently moved her head from beneath his neck, careful not to wake the sleeping figure. She rose steadily, stretching out her legs with a deep sigh. Usually, if she was able to get any sleep at all, she rested standing up...so this morning her legs felt wobbly and weak. She shook her alabaster coat of stray leaves and branches, then allowed herself to bend down to Krigare's sleeping figure.
Zephyr nudged him tenderly, bidding him to wake up. She did not force him, though, instead, she waited patiently. Her ears flickered to hear the sounds of the morning: birds sang their songs high atop their perches, the sea slapped the coastline and retreated, the wind rustled through the long grasses of Tephra. She bowed her head, and sniffed the earth, looking for something to snack on while she waited.
|
![[Image: krigare_by_voltum-dbctewi.png]](http://orig01.deviantart.net/7a05/f/2017/166/6/b/krigare_by_voltum-dbctewi.png)
