At the end of the road (Laria)

[Vileia]

48th of Summer, 511 AV It was quiet. As quiet as it ever became on a plane as vast as this one, where the wind roamed freely and played at will in the tall grasses. Waves of emerald and gold slowly rose and fell under the gentle touch, danced delightfully in the light of the swiftly rising sun; the dew had evaporated by now, but even so a freshness lingered in the air, promising yet another clear, warm day. Over the ground scurried fat birds with their downy chickens in tow, constantly on the lookout for predators; it was an anxious business to raise a family on the Sea of Grass, because there was no telling who might be hiding in the grass that sometimes grew to reach a grown human to his chest. Today was no difference; ever cautious, ever agile the little critters scurried about on their own business, chattering and chirping; aside from that, really, it was actually quiet. None of the native animals payed much attention to the single horse that slowly made her way over the plain, southbound but seemingly without a real destination. She had been lingering in the area for a while now, sometimes going this way, other times going that. She never harmed anyone or course, it wasn't in the nature of lonely mares to do so; no, the only concern the wild birds and rodents had was that she might attract attention from.. larger things. Dangerous things. But all was well so far, and until something actually showed up, they would ignore her presence best as they could and carry on with their own business. They were polite that way, never bothering the neighbors unless the neighbors bothered them. She didn't seem to care either way. She was small, didn't quite look like the large Striders that sometimes came thundering over the earthy ocean; her coat was gray and shimmering, or could have been at least. At this point it was hard to actually tell exactly what she looked like; the coat was dirty and ragged, pulled taught over trembling and exhausted muscles that had gone past their capacity a while a go. Whatever fat she might have had before looked as if it had been burned away and no longer cushioned ribs and hips; her gray whithers, decorated with black streaks down towards the shoulders, cut the air like a dull blade. The most striking thing perhaps, aside from the white mane that hung heavy with tousles and burdocks, was the eyes. Displaying a pale, almost golden hazel hue, they could have been fierce or commanding, glittering cheerful and overflowing with kindness. They were neither of those things. There was a chill within that gaze, as if whatever soul that inhabited the emaciated body had died or began to rot from the inside. She moved slowly, black-toned legs carrying her painfully forward, ever forward. It really didn't look like she had a goal; whenever she was faced with an obstacle the mare simply turned around and walked some other way, even if it meant that she ended up going back the way she came. She didn't seem to eat much; there was plenty of grass to have in this place, beneath the rougher strands hid soft, juicy roots that were filled with nutrition. Only deeply rooted instincts made her bow her delicate head and take a mouthful now and then, in the same way as it made her drink whenever she crossed a small stream or came across a borrow with naturally rising waters. It wasn't often though, not often enough. This horse was on the brink of dying, and it was nothing short of a miracle that she had survived this far. Only a miracle would suffice to save her life from here on.

[Laria]

The plains were relatively quiet at this time of day. With Syna’s orb almost at its peak, most of the Cyphrus creatures sought shade. Not an easy feat out here. The Sea of Grass was unforgiving; only those who could find cover, or Endrykas, would fare well. The occasional ground-dwelling bird would scurry past with a young family in tow, but thankfully, most predators were dozing elsewhere as is the norm for midday. Laria had been riding for a while now. The horse beneath her was a dapple-grey mare, one of her fathers. This particular mare had been raised from a yearling by Laria and Bolden, and her temperament was excellent. With no Strider of her own, the girl favoured the horse, always chose this mare to carry her where she needed to go. On her back was the small pack she always took with her, a shortsword borrowed from her brother tied to it. The girl’s own dagger was attached to her belt too; one could never be too careful out here. She had set out earlier with Mick. The pair were searching for a horse; one of her father’s yearlings had escaped during the night and it was assumed the colt was now wandering the earthy seas. The siblings had set out together, but had soon split. They both knew the way back to the tent city, and they were both armed. Though Laira was not good with weapons, she knew enough to swing the sword, and she was certain that the mare she rode would protect her. The heat made the land shimmer, almost like she really was riding through the ocean. Laria squinted ahead of her, on full alert for anything that might be lurking ahead. She reined the dappled mare in and they came to a halt as she spotted something in the haze ahead. Her breath caught in her throat for a moment, fearing a predator. But no, it was definitely not a glassbeak, and it didn’t look like anything else that could bring serious harm to her. She urged the horse forward slowly, and the shape became clearer. It was horse. Laria almost leapt for joy. They had found the missing colt! As she drew nearer, she could see something was wrong. The horse ahead was too big and it was the wrong colour. Her heart sank, and she made to turn her mare round. However, something stopped her and instead she moved a little closer. The horse was a pretty thing, not quite a roan, but close. And she looked ill. The girl frowned. Horses should not look as this one did; there was definitely something wrong. She dismounted, sliding off the back of her borrowed mare, stepping closer on foot. The dappled horse followed diligently behind. Laria let go of her as she came within a few feet of the new horse, and it stopped. She knew that the mare would wait there for her, and so she didn’t worry. Slowly, cautiously, she started to close the gap between this new mare and herself. Hands were held up, palms forward in a gesture that read “I bring no harm”. As the gap lessened she made to reach out. If the horse let her, she would gently touch its nose. If not, she would stop, keeping her hands aloft and cease trying to touch her. The girl sincerely hoped the horse would let her help. It seemed malnourished, which was strange. There was grass and roots aplenty here, so perhaps it was an illness? If the mare could trust her enough, Laria was sure she could help. She lived with horses, they were her entire life. The mare before her seemed saddened too, and her heart tore to see a beautiful horse in such a state. But it was up to this mare to accept her help. Laria would not force it.

[Vileia]

The sun steadily grew hotter as she slowly reclaimed her grasp on the heavens, allowing morning to pass into midday. At some point the sickly mare had stopped in her sore walking and was standing still, motionless aside from a few reflexive flicks with the tail as flies and insects bit painfully at her flanks. Her head hung low, the elegantly carved ears sloping limp from the crest of her head. She was so tired. Her skin felt hot under the sun, the faint breeze enough to make her feel cold as it swept over the dirty gray coat. Maybe she had a fever. Thirst burned in her throat, the mouth was dry and she licked her velvety lips apathetically, trying to moisten them a bit.. It didn't work. A distant sound of steps treading at a steady pace over the land caused an ear to twitch. It was a familiar sound, known since long back; hooves. A horse. Step, step, step, step.. The sound was rhythmical and unbroken, and the mare tensed as she warily raised her head a slight bit to look with matte, listless eyes. Only one horse. That was wrong, horses moved in packs. She was the strange one for going on her own; at one time she had tried to merge with a herd of wild ones, but they had rejected her with teeth and hooves, unwilling to take her in. 'Didn't belong' was what they had said, and even though she couldn't remember why, she had agreed and walked away again. There were so many things she couldn't remember, didn't want to remember. Soon the single horse came into sight. A mare like herself, gray too but not the same. Larger, stronger.. She was carrying something. The mare blinked slowly and raised her head even higher, trying to muster some energy to focus with. There was someone sitting on the back of the other. It was a familiar shape, but attached to the back of the horse it was hard to remember what it was, she couldn't quite place it. Then the thing moved down from the mount, and the meager horse was startled into vivid tension. Human. She tensed and folded the ears back over the neck as her head raised higher in suspicion, her sore muscles trembling from the effort of standing still and not simply turning away and running. Something in the back of her mind sobbed and whimpered in fear, and the feeling slowly spread through her until it colored the light amber eyes of the young horse. The human came closer, held out hands towards her; she skipped in place, skittish but still somehow compelled to remain where she were. So tired. Fingers reached out, nudged her dark, velveteen nose. The mare allowed it for a second, a brief, fleeting second before she recoiled, almost jumped backwards from the touch. Nostrils flared, eyes rolled.. but she didn't run. Conflicting feelings clawed within, confused her enough to be reflected through her body. She was scared, humans were dangerous and bad, but she wanted to be close too, wrap herself around the two-legged creature and never let her stray too far. She felt like a foal all over again, fighting a need to plaster herself to her mothers side.. The thought brought a flaring pain through her mind, and she froze in her movements. Her eyes darted between the dappled mare and the human, seeking comfort and advice; a twitch of the other horse's ear suggested that she was being silly, but the the white-maned mare didn't want to believe it. She wanted to run, run, away from this creature and the pain she was sure to bring.. but something held her there, forced her to remain immobile and hesitating. Sorrow-filled eyes looked pleadingly at the human with the sun-colored hair, too vivid, too intelligent.. It was as if there was something else hiding behind them, unable to come out.

[Laria]

Laria could see that the pretty mare was nervous. Her dainty ears were folded back along her neck. Her head held up and away from her. She wondered how the horse even had the strength to raise her head so much, and as swiftly as she did. She seemed weak beyond belief. It surprised the girl to even see a horse appear so sick out here. She would have imagined a mare in such a state would have died or been killed a long time before. She held her had steady, still stretched before her as the mare danced. It was… afraid was not the correct word. It was more anxious than anything. She kept her left hand raised by her shoulder, palm still facing outwards, while slowly inching forward with her right. As the skittish mare paused, Laria’s fingers made contact. The muzzle was soft to touch, and warm. A smile twitched at the corner of the girl’s mouth. It only lasted a second, and she held her hand still as the horse moved back. No sudden movements. Starting the horse would not help in the slightest. Still, the mare stayed where she was, a pace further back again. It was odd, there was something in her amber eyes, but Laria couldn’t quite tell what it was. There was fear, oh yes this mare was scared now. Nervous. But there was something else. Something almost human. She could swear the mare was gazing at her longingly. There was almost a yearning in those eyes, a need to be held. It danced behind the fear like a sputtering flame, ready to cut off at any moment. That was what Laria needed to find. She sensed rather than saw the silent exchange between her father’s horse and the mare. The silver-grey horse before her seemed different to the horses back home; almost as if it were capable of rational emotion. Of course, all horses could feel and show emotion, but the pain and sorrow emanating from this one was so strong, so different. The girl still didn’t move, but she spoke. Her voice was hushed, almost a whisper. It was how she spoke to an angry or afraid horse. The soft tones were comforting, calming. Sometimes a voice was all that was needed. “Hey now, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you pretty mare.” She twitched her fingers the slightest bit, almost willing the horse to press its nose into her hand. She would rather the mare come to her, than her go to it again.

[Vileia]

The voice reached her ears and made them twitch to catch all of the sound that rode on the wind, tried to interpret the meaning. They sounded familiar, the phrasing and how they were shaped within the humans mouth, and it echoed within her in two ways, familiar to the horse, and familiar to.. The mare squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, battling with herself and the conflicting emotions within her. But slowly, surely the instincts of a pack animal overcome her fear of this two-legged being. She had been alone for so long, always running, always moving. She hadn't been still for the entire season, not since.. No. She had been moving for a very long time. It was all. The eyes opened again and looked at the hand that still was stretched out towards her. A small, millimeter step was taken forward, the sensitive nostrils flared and trembled as the silver grullo mare almost shyly reached her head forward and closed the distance. The warmth of the persons hand made her soft nose tickle; she snorted a bit and then lowered the head again, feeling the energy run out of her along with the adrenaline. So, the human wasn't a danger. Fine then, she wouldn't run. She was too tired to run anymore, too ill. Her muscles remained slightly tensed, but it was more to keep herself standing at all. The hooves were sore, all the bones in her body ached and the skin was hot under the sun, burning from inside and outside. She wasn't feeling very well at all. Pale, shimmering hazel eyes watched the sun-haired two-leg, waiting for what she would do now. The mare was weak and resigned to accept just about anything, except pain and.. No. She would accept anything. Maybe. Probably. Right now she just longed for water; again she licked her lips in vain, tried to bring some moisture to the mouth. She hadn't been drinking much at all lately. The sickly animal shifted, the movement causing the bones to shift visibly under the taught skin. On her own, she wouldn't last long.

[Laria]

The horse was listening to her, which was a good sign. If the ears hadn’t twitched at all then Laria would have worried further. She watched and waited patiently, curiously as the softly spoken words sunk in. In a very human gesture, the mare closed her eyes for a long moment. It was almost as if it were thinking about what she had said, processing the phrases. She had never before seen a horse do such a thing, response was usually instantaneous. She looked at the mare curiously, the dapple grey she had been riding also watching from a short distance away. As the horse opened her eyes again, Laria nodded ever so slightly, fingers twitching once more. A smile flickered at the corner of her mouth as she saw the horse nudge forward slightly. Then, a soft intake of breath as the warm, velvety nose made contact with her palm. The head lowered, still pressed into Laria’s hand, and she ran it up the mare’s face till it stopped just under her forelock. “There now.” Slowy, she reached forward with her other hand, moving to the side a little. This hand ran gently down the mare’s neck, the other still resting on her head. The horse was dehydrated and weak with exhaustion and malnourishment. Carefully, Laria rand her hand over the shoulder and then onto the ribcage, where the bones were painfully prominent. “You poor thing.” Both hands then cupped the mare’s head and Laria looked into its eyes. She released the horse’s head gently, so as to make sure she could hold it up herself. Then she let her bag slide from her shoulder, and she rummaged for a moment in its depths. She had a good few skeins of water, and the mare desperately needed them. Not just to drink either, the mare’s back had felt incredibly hot. Another rummage and she produced a shallow dish; her brother had been efficient on packing the bags. She poured some water into the dish and then held it up for the horse to drink from. She stood patiently, holding it till it was gone, and then refilled it. Laria would repeat this till the mare had drunk her fill, and then she would take one the other skeins. Slowly, she would run her hand over the horse’s back and then, if the mare permitted her, she would run the water over her too cool the poor creature down. Her father’s mare grew curious, and seemingly worried about her sickly counterpart. She inched forward, slowly extending her nose the snuff at the weak horse. She then nudged Laria’s shoulder. Perhaps she was indicating that the mare should trust them, come with them? Laria wasn’t sure, but all the same, she hoped that the contact would help the silvery-grey horse before her. She returned the skeins and the dish to her bag, before holding her hands out again. If the mare accepted the pair fully, they would walk her back and find her some real food, some real shelter. They would give her time. Time to recover and time to live.

[Vileia]

She stood absolutely still as the human moved around her, as if she had given up on every thought of running. Her strange eyes lowered halfway between pain and enjoyment at the touch to her feverish skin. She was so sore, but the contact with another living being felt like pure pleasure. It stirred up emotions buried deep within, slowly made them work themselves up to the surface. Memories of things she had forgotten, barely tangible and impossible to completely grasp. A faint wicker came from the gray mare as the two-leg stopped touching her and began to rummage in the bag. She stretched out her head, curiously nosing to see what it was the person was doing... The scent of water came drifting from a bulging sack. It was irresistible, the gray little horse stepped closer on hurting, cracked hooves and tried to get her head in between the humans hands, drawn to the promise of sating her thirst. She almost managed to jut the dish out of the others hands before her lips came into contact with the lukewarm liquid; she began to drink, sucked in the water between parched lips as if it'd be the last thing she ever did. All thoughts disappeared from her mind, she just wanted more and more.. She drank until she couldn't drink anymore, until her sides bulged from the water. It wasn't as much as it would have been to a healthy horse; instead of several liters, it was more a question of a sack or two. Her already small horse stomach had contracted from the lack of eating, and now it was tense from drinking; the mare simply nosed on the last of the water as it was poured into the dish, but discarded it with a snort. No more. Needed no more. Her eyes followed the sun-haired without looking away as the girl moved to her side. The skin twitched under her touch and the mare shifted a bit as if she was ticklish, took a few steps to the side... She allowed it though, enjoyed it even. The water came as a shock at first; against her burning skin it felt icy cold and made her flinch, sidestep once more, before she settled down again. The head of the mare sunk little by little from the comfortable feeling of being cared for, eyes slowly blinking and closing more and more as her trust grew. Gray ears twitched and her nostrils shivered as the other mare slowly came closer. They bumped noses carefully, silent messages passing between them. Was she alright? More now, yes. She was really strange, did she know that? It had been told, yes.. Why? Can't remember, no wish to remember. Silly.. come along? The dappled one nudged the shoulder of the two-leg to include her, and the grullo lowered her head, shaking it slightly in confusion and hesitation. Come along where? To be in the herd? She wasn't sure that she wanted to, last time she had been in a herd.. No. Don't think of it. Best to leave it in the past. The delicate head turned to look back at the girl again, watching as the things were placed down in the bag again. She was being swept away by the events of the moment, a part of her wanted to slow down and think things through a bit. But when the girl held her hands out to her again, the young mare couldn't help herself. She stepped forward and nudged her head in between the waiting palms, humming softly once more as she without hesitation searched for the comfort the touch gave. When it came down to it, it was really simple. If the two-leg wanted her to go, she would go. Her trust in humans had been hurt before, but at the very bottom there was nothing but gentleness and love within her, and this kindness she had been shown was irresistible. Pressing her nose to the palms of the other, Vileia gave in, placed the decision on the other. She could follow if she wanted to lead...

[Laria]

The noise the mare made was encouraging. The wicker told her that there was still life in the horse yet, despite it being a faint sound. The curiosity too was good. Laria could not help but let a little smile grace her mouth as a nose appeared by her bag. She managed to keep a hold on the dish before its contents spilled everywhere, and waited patiently as the dehydrated horse drank. There was still a lot of water left when the mare resorted to snuffling at the dish rather than drinking, but at least she had had her fill. It seemed they would need to feed her small portions to try and expand her stomach again. Laria could feel the twitch of the horse’s skin, she could imagine how sensitive the poor mare must be. As the first of the water flowed over its back and cause it to shy sideways, she reached out with her hand, gently placing it on the mare’s nose. “Shhh, it’s okay.” Gently, slowly she ran more water from the skein, watching as the mare’s head drooped, seemingly growing more comfortable. She was not expecting her own mare to move over, but in the end it was beneficial. The girl wished she knew what silent communication was happening between them, but she would never find out. The dapple grey was not even hers, let alone a Strider. She was even more surprised when the nose pushed against her palms with force. Laria almost beamed. She gently rubbed the sickly mare’s nose, and at that moment she understood that she had won its trust. She reached down to pick up her bag before slinging it over her shoulder. She would make her way back on foot. It seemed like the right thing to do. Her fathers dapple mare would follow, she always did. Laria stepped to the side of the other horse, looping her arm under its chin, her palm resting on the left side of its face. “Come on then.” She then took a step forward, encouraging the stormy-hued mare to step too. The dapple-grey moved with them, raising its head once in a sort of nod. She would walk slowly, give the mare time and let her find a pace that was comfortable. There was still water in her bag, and they could stop whenever it was needed. They were not all that far from her Pavilion. Riding at a steady trot it would take perhaps 20 chimes at most. But Laria did not care how long it took to get back. All she cared about now was getting this new mare back safely, without hurting her more.

[Vileia]

It didn't take much encouragement before the silvery-coated mare followed after the two-legs, her nose always sticking close to the humans shoulder or hand, whichever was more convenient. She had become a bit more alert by the water, but as the walk progressed, the strength she had regained slowly seeped out of her again. Under the ruthless sun the folds of her body dampened with sweat, and her pace was slow; it wasn't that she limped. All four hooves hurt too much, all legs too weak. Her consciousness subsided, until the dullness was draped over the pale eyes again. Following was all she could do, slowly, painfully. She was barely aware of the dappled one that followed along, and only the sensation of her nose nudging the gold-haired girls arm made her remember that she had met anyone at all. Time dragged out, what might have been a few chimes felt like days or seasons. The horse's feverish mind worked its irrational ways, driven by something unknown, something that made her analyze the events in a way that no normal horse would. This encounter had awoken memories within her. Painful ones, grief-riddled flashes of mental images that danced before her mental eyes. Moments of clearness made her realize something about herself, something she had chosen to forget about; it was better to run than to stop and think, because thinking would lead to change. Thus, she didn't think. Feeling was better, which was she had begun to run and then kept on running, until she didn't know to do anything else. The pain had been welcome, the hunger too. The thirst had felt like a blessing as it burned in her throat. Where were they going? Endless grasslands stretched out all around them, and when the fog cleared around her thoughts every now and then, the mare looked around without seeing any noticeable change in the landscape. She didn't know this terrain, didn't know how to navigate through it. All she saw was grass and sky and the endless horizon, sometimes cut by a rising hill before it continued to stretch. It was like a sea, where grass bellowed instead of water and they were the only things that existed. A memory flashed by, an image of a gray sea and a wind-swept shore where gulls cried, where she had run freely. The breeze had tugged at her hair, and she had enjoyed the tickling feeling as the fabric of her dress fluttered against the bare legs... But that was a long time ago. That distant place and time had nothing to do with this sunbathed grassland, where the heat was relentless and she ached from every slow step. Only the girl by her side kept the mare from stopping, only the encouraging dappled one by her side stopped her from giving up and lying down, too weak and tired to really care. She was hungry, she felt thirsty again... Where were they going?

[Laria]

She could tell that her presence and perhaps the gentle hold she had on the mare was the only thing that kept them moving forwards. She felt the touch of the velveteen nose on her shoulder every now-and-again, and she would gently stroke the side of the silvery horses face. She still felt that there was something more to this mare, something buried deep within her. Laria had a sense that it was strangely human; the eyes were so emotional, even more so than those of a Strider. The dappled mare that plodded alongside them did not seem to show any notion that the new horse was anything other that that, but she just could not shake the feeling. When the trio reached the halfway point of their journey, Laria stopped them. She gently let go of the mare and set her bag on the ground again before pulling out the same dish. She could tell that the little energy she had gained from the water had vanished, and so she poured a little from a skein into the dish. She held it up before the mare again, waiting patiently for her to drink more if she wanted to. If not, or if she left any, Laria would repeat her earlier action of running it over her back. When it was done and the dish returned to her bag once more, Laria looped her arm under the stormy mares chin again and proceeded to walk. After a short time, that most likely felt like an eternity to the poor mare, the Pavilions of Endrykas came into view. She smiled and gently patted her. “Hey, almost there now.” Soon, they stepped among the tents together. Larira guided the two mares to her fathers stables, and the dapple-grey peeled away from the two, instinctively returning to her own stall. Laria turned to the silvery-hued mare. “Lets find you a stall hmm?” She stroked her nose and led her down the stables, stopping outside of an empty one. She unlatched the door and stepped aside, letting the mare walk in if she wanted to. If not, then she would be more than happy to try and care for her in the aisle. She had no intention of making the mare uncomfortable. When she was somewhat settled, Laria would gather a small amount of feed, a pail of water and some grooming tools before returning to her side.