Flashback A Day at the Stables

[Palla Frostfawn]

20th of Winter, 508 AV
Palla had felt a bit stressed, for some reason she couldn't put her finger on. She had decided to leave her Arvinta to go to the stables. She often went there when she had free time to help Lusina groom the horses. This wasn't what she wanted to do for a living, Palla wanted to be a woodcarver, but she always loved to see the horses and run the brush over their fur. It was calming, and that's just what she needed. She didn't see Lusina, but another groom recognized her and handed her a brush. "Thanks" Palla mumbled, looking at the ground.
Palla started brushing a horse. She went with the grain of it's hair and groomed the Avanthalian Sleigh horse. Next, Palla picked it's hoof up and carefully picked the dirt from it, careful not to hurt the large gray horse’s hoof. It was abnormally hot for Avanthal inside the stables, and Palla was a bit uncomfortable in the hot temperatures.
Eventually, when she had finished taking care of the horse, she sat down and looked around, trying to cool down a bit. She loved all sorts of animals, and even their presence was calming. She someday wished to have an animal that she could treat as family, something more than a pet. For now, though, Palla was content to have spent time with the horses.
Palla stood up moved on to another sleigh horse, brushing the dirt out of it's mane, tail, and coat. She picked it's hooves and took the bridle that had been on it off. The horse had just been taken outside, and was eager to spit the bit out and go back to its stall. Palla smiled as she watched the horses, sometimes wishing she could be one of them. Wouldn't it be fun to be a horse, galloping so freely? Palla often wanted to be an animal, but at the end of the day, she was just glad to be herself.
Palla walked through the building distractedly, looking at the ground because of habit. She turned her attention to the horses in the field near the stables and wondered about the world beyond Avanthal. Palla had read of a city called Riverfall, but being only 14, she knew she couldn't leave Avanthal anytime soon. Palla still had a wanderlust, even at her young age, and felt a burning desire to see the world that left her feeling empty. She looked back at the horses. For now, she would live with it.

[ooc] Just an FYI for anyone who is familiar with Palla, she didn't stammer until she was faced with a new city, a new life, wondering if she had made the right choice. Also, Lorelle, sorry this is a bit short.[/ooc]

[Lorelle]

The stables. Lorelle stared the building with a slight glare of dark blue in her otherwise shinning gold eyes. Her emotions about being here were mixed. The smell of animal was not one she ever liked much. To strong. To much of it mingling in one place. Like all the Frostfawn homes in her mind, the stables carried the scent strong and steady. And the young Vantha didn’t like it. However, she did like the horses. She found them fun to pet and sneak treats to. She liked running a brush through their coats and dreamed of learning to ride one some day. However, that wasn’t in her mother’s plans for her. No, Liana would much prefer her daughter learned the fine art of playing the flute. Not go gallivanting around with the animals of the Frostfawn hold.

Today was special though. Her father had promised to take her to see the animals and her mother had decided to let them go without stopping them. It was going to be a great day .. till something happened. Colton had gotten called away to do something. The plans were to be pushed back and changed for a different day. Lorelle had been disappointed at first. She sat at home and sulked around till she became mad. Then her mother left the Arvinta and the young Lorelle got a wild idea. Why not just go to the stables herself? She was fifteen, that had to be plenty old enough. Right?

So it is at the stables she went. And if it wasn’t for the heavy smell of many animals all living in the same place, it would be perfect. Exhaling, Lorelle put on her brave face and walked into the stables. She smiles with wide eyes, feeling like a giddy child. Even though she was well into her teens and in not much time at all they would want her to marry. Today however, she planned to forget about that. Pet a few horses, meet some people and hopefully not get caught.

Lorelle walked through the stables. Or more like strutted, proud of herself and her defiance. She didn’t pay much attention to where she was going or what she was doing. She just starred at the horses, awestruck and a bit intimidated by their large sizes. She hadn’t expected them to be so big up close. Having not seen them so close for many years. So she didn’t go up to one right away. Instead she kept walking. That is, till she felt her body run into something. Possibly someone.The young teen felt her body fall till she found herself on the ground. Sitting on her back end.

With eyes that burned dark blue and bright red, she looks up at what she had run into. What she saw a girl probably not much younger than herself, Lorelle’s frown deepened. “What are you doing? Can’t you stay out of the way?” the Snowsong placed blame even though it was completely her fault. And she knew it was her fault. She just didn’t want to admit it. Admit that she made a mistake. That she wasn’t paying attention. She put her hand out. “Help me up, please,” she said, her voice sharp and blunt. Her unhappiness was clear and she didn’t even know if the girl was what she ran into. She just knew it was easier to blame this random girl she has never seen before than to own up to a mistake that was fully her own.

[Palla Frostfawn]

Palla, back in the building, breathed in the scent of horses. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was familiar and reassuring. Palla had been to the stables countless days in her free time. The familiar aura of horses was calming, just what she needed to help calm her mysterious stress. Palla had been feeling it more often now, the unknown stressor. She often went to see animals such as the horses to help cure her ailments, but it soon came back.

Palla had already planned a jouney, one to another city. She would leave as soon as she could, in however many years' time that may be. Palla decided that the wonder of how she would get there, along with her meager wilderness survival skills, were a possible source if stress. She worried quite a bit about that, even though it was far into the future.

Palla picked up a brush and found a horse that another groom said needed to be brushed, starting to groom the horse and temporarily forgetting her worries. Palla started brushing a horse, a pure white one, when a girl caught her attention.

She saw a girl strutting through the stables with an air of confidence. It's just the stables. The girl looks like she owns the world. Oh, well. I'm probably just jealous that she's more confident than me. What Palla didn't realize was that she was standing in the way of the same girl. The girl ran into her and was soon sitting on her rear end. She looked angry, and her piercing eyes burned red and blue. Palla felt as if her gaze was scorching her skin, burning the young girl to ashes.

"I'm sorry." Palla mumbled quietly as she stared at the ground. "I didn't mean to." Palla stuck out a hand just as the girl asked her to be helped up. She grabbed her hand and pulled it to help the girl back onto her feet, then looked at the ground for a few moments, ashamed of herself. Palla's cheeks burned, but it was barely visible through her relatively dark skin. That, she was grateful for.

Palla was quick to try to remedy conflicts, as she hated them. Even more hated was when she was in the fault. After all, that girl thinks I'm the problem, so I must be. Palla stuck out her hand once more after the girl had righted herself. "I'm Palla, of the Frostfawn hold."Palla said in her quiet voice, only loud when she was confident. "Again, I'm sorry for what just happened. Do you accept my apology?" I sound like an idiot, asking if she accepts. If she does, she does, if she doesn't, she doesn't. There's no reason to make a fool of myself by asking.

OOCThat's two threads where Palla met someone by running into them

[Lorelle]

Lorelle’s anger dissolved some when she heard the other girl’s small voice. The way she held herself, looked at the ground once Lorelle was standing once more. It made the slightly older Vantha feel guilty for being so harsh. But at the same time, she wasn’t going to admit that or apologize. Her guilt didn’t stretch that far.

“Lorelle, Snowsong hold,” she said, her voice losing some of its sharpness. Lorelle stretched out her hand and took the girl’s once more. She gave it a slight, easy shake before letting hers drop once more. Raising an eyebrow, Lorelle crossed her arms across her chest. This girl was strange. The shame easy through her body poster and in her eyes to see. The way she spoke, it held a different tone to it. A soft, ready and wanting to please type of feeling. At least, that is what Lorelle was getting. “Yes,” Lorelle assured, “While I am not all that sure why it matters, I accept your apology.”

The young Vantha looked to the ground, wondering what now. She has made a lousy first impression and, by the looks of it, obviously at least flustered the girl in front of her. Not exactly a great way to start her trip to the stables. Looking around, Lorelle tried to find something to distract their minds. Show that she had more to her than just the ability of accusing the girl of tripping her. Her eyes spotted a pretty, calm looking white horse that had small spots of gray speckling his nose. By height and his fragile build, one who knew what they were looking at would know he was a Windrunner. One of the fastest types of horses in all of Mizahar. Inexperienced though, Lorelle had no idea of what kind of breed he was. All she knew is that he could serve as a good distraction from her fall and the awkward meeting with this Palla Frostfawn.

“Know anything about horses?” Lorelle asked, looking back to Palla. Her eyes by that time have turned to a brown color mixed with small flecks of gold and even some lingering pink ones. Showing off that she had become calm with some excitement for being at the stables returning to her and the fact she was still slightly embarrassed by her actions. Just not willing to bring those feels up and wanting to move on. She was just glad very few people actually knew what all the colors of her eyes meant. It was easier to hide when no one knew what all the different colors meant.

Moving over to the horse, Lorelle carefully put her hand on his face. An older horse, used to being touched, the male didn’t flinch. Just kept staring with a dull almost bored look in his eyes. Waiting for his next meal or to be let out Lorelle imagined. Though she didn’t really care. She stroked her hand down his face, feeling the texture of his coat between her fingers. Loving the soft, velvet like texture between the nostrils of his nose. It was so soft. “I don’t,” Lorelle admitted, speaking to Palla if the girl was even still around. Not looking back to check whether or not she was. “Mom doesn’t approve of many activities having to do with animals. I like them though. So pretty to look at. So soft.” The girl smiled slightly, still not checking whether or not Palla is still around or if she is talking to herself like a fool. “Don’t you agree?”

[Palla Frostfawn]

Palla was relived when the girl said she accepted her apology, though she tried not to show it, thinking it would make a bigger fool out of her than it already did. The girl didn't know how much the little things mattered to Palla, although, looking back, Palla realized that she was just making a mountain out of a molehill.

The girl looked around, as if she was trying to change the subject. When Lorelle asked if Palla knew anything about horses, she studied the horse and said "That's a wind... Runner? I think that horse is called a Windrunner..." Palla said mildly, switching her gaze from the horse to Lorelle and back again, not making eye contact for very long. "I know basic care for horses, but I don't think I can even put a saddle on correctly." Palla would have a small amount of trouble putting a saddle on a horse, but she was capable. Palla could probably saddle a horse if she had more confidence in her abilities.They were heavy to her, however, and while Palla was in relatively good shape, she still couldn't hold them for too long. Palla could, however, confidently pick a horses hoof and groom it.

Palla looked again at the disinterested horse. While horses may not seem like much to most, just beasts of burden, Palla had respect for the creatures, being raised a Frostfawn. She looked at Lorelle and listened to her carefully. Why wouldn't her mother want her to spend time with animals? Thats seems unfair! "Oh." Palla said in response. She didn't know what to say, and went with a generic response. Palla put her hand on the horses neck, and was a bit surprised when the horse didn't pull away as a result of Lorelle touching his muzzle, as they usually tended to. "Yes, I love all animals. I don't have one of my own, but I wish to, someday. Horses seem like such a handful, and I don't know how to ride them, so I may get a dog instead. I don't know."

OOCSorry for the short post!