Horse Play (closed)

[Banir Ironwood]

43rd Winter, 512

It was a dim overcast day with slight snow fall. The pale grey clouds seemed to merge with the white landscape making it hard to tell sky from ground. Even in the murky skies and dull light, Banir found it a nice day for a walk. Though the bitter cold stabbed at him through his thick dirty green coat he persevered. Then a new thought came to him. He remembered seeing the horses once, perhaps a visit there would be nice. Not many people are around, and the animals themselves are relatively silent and kind. Marching in what he hoped was the right direction his heavy foot falls crunched upon the snow. His shoulders and his right arm all clad in iron, it clattered on his person with each step.

Soon approaching the stables he looked around from beneath his hood. The white scarf covering the lower half of his face as his breath pushed through and became a light mist in the frosty air. His anger barely contained behind his deep red eyes as he searched for an animal. Seeing a young horse he walked over and looked at it. Seeing its strong body easily brave the cold with shagged fur and lean muscles. His mind began to wander and he became absent of his surroundings. Thoughts drifting off to what a simple life the must have, how easy it would be to have little responsibility. Little thought of regret, guilt, shame.

'Do these animals even have such thoughts?' His thoughts began to go on its inevitable loop as his silent curiosity moved through his limited knowledge. It was almost silly to see such a large and brutish young man hunched over watching the animals. Like he was a child who was only just now allowed to see them for the first time.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea was taking a few of the horses out into the yard for a bit of exercise when she noticed someone bent over one of the more well-behaved colts. She would have been alarmed, but she recognized the clattering of the armor on his arm. "Banir! It is so good to see you! What are you doing here?"

She brought the horse she was leading up to Banir and the colt. "I was just going to walk a few of the horses. Normally they would get their exercise by having someone ride them, but I'm not a good enough rider yet to do that, so I have to walk them by hand. Would you like to join me? I wouldn't mind the company." She smiled at Banir and she petted the nose of the horse she was leading.

[Banir Ironwood]

Banir was startled by the sudden shout of his name. He stood up rapidly his heel turning on the snow. This however caused him to slip and land hard on the ground. Mumbled protests of pain escaped the usually silent mans mouth as he slowly stood up once again. Having embarrassed himself he kept eye contact to a minimum. Awkwardly he began to talk. It was in his usual gruff and slow way of speaking.

"Hello, Alea. I was just here visiting. The horses, they seem to be in good health." He didn't want to speak of his own silent thoughts. Though Alea's quick way of speaking allowed him to forget of it though. Slowly he walked up and pet the horse's neck, stroking it with a gently brush. He took deep breaths as he pet the horse.

"I, think I will, this animal seems very interesting, powerful, and intelligent." Taking light steps he began to walk with Alea and the horse. He liked them, not over abundantly but they where nice strong creatures, silent, and intelligent. Feeling a small attachment to them as he walked by it.

[Zygaud]

Having removed his large black cloak and stashed it in his pack, Zygaud was like a huge white boulder amidst the snow. He had been meditating for the past few hours, his natural camouflage had managed to adjust well to match his surroundings despite the nearby hold. The sound of voices broke him away from his calm meditative state. 'Is that Alea Davenport? Ah, yes. She spends much of her time near here,' The hulking Jamoura thought to himself.

Snatching his travel staff from the snow and standing up, Zygaud brushed some of the snow away from his fur. "Greetings, Alea Davenport and company!" He rumbled out in his deep voice as he approached the pair.

[Banir Ironwood]

Banir heard movement but was more transfixed with the horse to give care to look. When he heard the voice though he turned to look at what he first thought was a boulder. When his eyes began to realize that it was not a large rock formation, and instead was a person. It took him several seconds to understand that this was a sentient being. While no threatening behavior was shown from the massive Jamoura. Banir's right armored arm twitched the iron clattering with the dangerous metal claw on his hand.

Though his face was hidden behind a hood and scarf his eyes still reflected his emotions. Despite the deep set red in his eyes other colours barely visible twirled at the rim. Slight orange, exuberant green yellow. He was curious of the large being, but cautious as well seeing a potential threat. Deciding to observe how it interacted with Alea first before speaking to the being. If a threat did arrive from their conversation then. 'Maybe I could throw a horse?'

Banir began to get lost in his own wonder of thought, his mind doing its usual loop. 'If I could lift a horse how so would I do it? They're rather fleshy in the middle, its not like I could just lift it like that. Maybe if I lift where there is more bone?' These thoughts kept looping in his mind. Though Banir was brutish large for his age, he spent an awful lot of time thinking more than anything.

[Blizzard]

(Mind if I join?)

Blizzard walked through the ict gates and entered the city. She was in snow leopard form and hope no one noticed. She had hid her clothes back before the gates in a secret spot only she knew. She ran by the stables, but thought she heard... people? She turned around and enterested the stable then stood at the door way and growled forgetting she was in snow leopard form.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea greeted Zygaud cheerily. "Hello! Zygaud, this is my friend Banir. Banir, this is Zygaud." Noticing Banir's clattering armor, she said in a slightly sterner voice, "He's nice." Now that she had even more company, she could walk even more of the horses at once! After voicing this thought to her companions, she handed the reigns she was holding to the Jamoura and said, "You can get to know Firefly. She's one of the friendliest horses in the stables! You folks just get acquainted and I'll go get another horse. I'll just be a few chimes."

With that, she dashed back to the stables and pulled another horse out of her stall. This was one of the more skittish horses, so Alea figured some exercise would do her good. And maybe Zygaud's calm demeanor would relax the mare. Unfortunately, Alea did not count on a snow leopard suddenly appearing in the doorway. As Alea was trying to lead her out, the mare whinnied in terror and reared up, lashing out with her hooves. Alea tried to calm her down while staying to the side, out of the path of the flailing hooves, but she had not yet mastered the art of the calm, soothing voice, and could not help shouting a little as she tried to get the mare under control.

[Blizzard]

Blizzard roared which sounded more a jaguar roar. It probably could be heard for a short distance away though. She growled at the horse's lashing hooves then roared again. She licked her lips then noticed to the human behind her. It was an owned horse. She'd promised ehrself she wouldn't hunt anything owned because then someone would come after her and hunt her. She retracted her claws again and again feeling the frozen earth beneath them. She morphed into a human revieling long blonde hair, blue/grey eyes, and a 6 foot tall girl. She smiled then said "The name's Blizzard. And sorry, I left my clothes in the forest behind the stables. I was in search of food but I now see that you own this horse."

[Banir Ironwood]

Banir was looking up at the Jamoura, he had several questions that he was considering asking the massive creature. His thoughts where broken by the loud whinny and the roar he heard. Worry over took his mind as his imagination conjured events that lead to the worst endings. Alea was far from what he would consider a complete friend, but regardless he felt the need to help her. His heart surged as adrenaline entered his body as he turned to run. A powerful sea blue of worry rimmed his eyes along with the consuming black of fear.

It was rude of him to leave the Jamoura without so much as even a hello to introduce himself. But given the threatening noise that had rung from the stables he was sure an apology would suffice later. With the first stop of his foot upon the winter claimed ground he was off. Sprinting at full speed to the stables his clawed arm ready to pulverize whomever was attempting to harm Alea. On his way he found himself thinking 'what will I do if shes...' the thought drifted off. Working on his basic emotions as his exertion dwindled away his more complex thoughts.

It was barely a few moments and Banir practically burst from the entry way. Both arms raised, his left in a leather bound fist, his right open with the sharp iron ready to hack and slice. Though what he saw before him made him immediately drop his guard. In shock, confusion and embarrassment he looked away. His face a near glowing crimson from the sight of the young nude woman. In fact he almost keeled over from the shock of it.

[Zygaud]

Zygaud nodded politely to Banir as the reigns that were attached to the mare known as Firefly were handed to him. He was about to say something to the large male that seemed to be a Vantha when a series of roars and whinnies could be heard. Thinking quickly as Banir swiftly took off to aid with whatever trouble might be taking place, the hulking Jamoura whispered a few calming words to Firefly which settled her down and allowed him to lift her over his shoulder with some effort. Having made sure that the horse was safe, as she was currently draped across his large shoulders, he ran off to assist in what troubles there may have been.

Stopping just outside the entrance of the stables with Firefly still held carefully aloft, Zygaud noted that a nude human female had appeared... but wait, he had grown up in the Spires... and he knew that look and scent. The being before them was almost certainly a Kelvic. He set down Firefly carefully, whispering calm words to her once more as the horse had been reasonably shocked when the gargantuan Jamoura had lifted her up. He strode forward into the room, leading Firefly behind him.

Coming to a stop beside the skittish horse that had lashed out at the Kelvic, he placed a massive hand upon the neck of the creature and once more whispered words of soothing intent to the beast. This seemed to settle down the powerful equine. Zygaud thanked Caiyha for his closeness with lesser beasts, it could have become a violent situation had the skittish horse continued to panic.

"Hmm, how interesting," the impressive Jamourian noted in his deep voice after glancing about the room once more to ensure that there was no present danger. "It would seem as though this naked little Kelvic startled the horse." He added, thinking that Banir might not understand the situation entirely due to the fact that he was currently looking away. Turning his attentions to Blizzard, Zygaud continued, "You should have smelled the horses if your natural state is one that's able to frighten these beasts. Be more careful or you could get yourself or these peaceful creatures hurt."