az'aja: why make life such an annoyance?

[Vel]

Phantom stared up to the sky as Az'aja moved past her and brushed his lips on her side. She did not momve, nor did she look at him, she kept her eyes trained on the stars. She soon drifted into her thoughts.

I wonder what position Az'aja held in his own herd. Hmm, perhaps I will have to ask him sometime. Maybe he was a warrior like me, or maybe he was a nothing. I know if he choses to come with me when I go back to Terra de Rocas, Fiana will want to put him through a harsh test to see where his place in the herd is. I mean there are a lot of positions open with only three of us in the herd, he is basically assured a high position, but with Fiana, I am not to sure about that.

she was pulled out of her thoughts as she heard a screech. She turned her fine head to try and find where the sounmd had come from. Next thing she knew, an owl swooped over her head. How she hated owls. They knew it too. They would always try to get on her nerves. She whinnied in an annoyed tone at it, she also reached up and pulled a few tail ffeathers from it.

Bloody owl! Why don't you scare the living daylights out of me. Filthy creatures they are. she then drifted off to a light sleep, still staying alert.

ooc// better

[ciiel]

I fell asleep rather quickly, physically worn out from the travel, having the water to swim against for days, mentally worn out from having to put up appearances of some kind for the first time in a long time. I awoke some time later, though not too much later, to the sound of Phantom whinnying. She sounded annoyed, maybe frustrated, but definitely not the sound of something attacking her. Assured that all was fine, I let my lids droop heavily over my blue gazers and fell back into a dreamless sleep.

--

The rising sun came far too quickly, I thought. It semed like as soon as I had drifted off, the bright lights had started to stream through the canopy. Granted, we were fairly sheltered here beneath these trees, but the change in atmosphere and brightness woke me. I looked over to Phantom, who seemed the same, pretty much, as always. She was asleep, though just barely. Dozing perhaps might have been a better word for it. Her eyes were closed and she had one hoof picked up daintily, pointed, resting her weight on the other ivory pillars of grace. Everything else though seemed as it was yesterday: ears twitched ever so slightly at sounds coming through the forest and her body was as tense as ever.

Shaking my grey head, ear moving back to check behind me, I broke my stare from her form and walked out of the grove as quietly as I could, heading back in the general direction of the beach. I enjoyed the sound of the surf hitting the sand and there was plenty of chance to catch up on some grazing from the pockets of tough grass that so often grows on beaches such as this. I ran some, when I wanted to, going back and forth on the sand before the mighty sea, and I ate whenever it came to me, all while waiting for the glowing ghost, that Phantom, to waken and find me.

[Vel]

Phantom awoke at the crack of dawn. She glanced around for a few minutes and themm dozed back off agian, propping her hind leg up and putting her weight on her other three. She sighed as she turned ever so slighlty so her head was under the shade of a tree.

A few minutes later, her audits turned as she heard a noise behind her. She cracked open a dark chocolate orb. It was only Az'aja walking towards the dirrection of the beach. A soon as he was out of sight, she moved and rolled in the grass. She got up and snorted a few blades of grass off her muzzle. She bent her head down to graze for a few minutes.

I wonder what he could be doing at the beach. Maybe he likes it? I don't know, well I'm surly going to find out.

With that thought she turned her moon coloured bodice in the opposite dirrection of which she was facing at the moment. She picked up her ebony daggers and moved into a nice jog as she made her way to the beach. As soon as her daggers hit the red sand, she broke into a canter and then into a slow gallop. She galloped to the water and went in until it was up to her knees. She let out a buck and continued to gallop in the surf for a few minutes.

Her dark chocolate opticals soon located Az'aja's form. She slowed to a jog once again and then stopped a few metres from him.

[ciiel]

I continued to make my little dance across the beach, back and forth, back and forth, kicking up my heels, as they say, and letting myself go free. I wasn't so much running for speed but more like running for the exhilaration that only letting oneself loose completely allows.

A whinny escaped me from time to time, the burst of energy that came from this little show pushing it out of me, rather than making me tired. I knew that later on, even if I was practically hyper now, I would be paying for pushing myself so much so soon after an exhausting journey. Oh well, it certainly is worth it, most definitely.

On one of the sprints back down towards where I came out of the woods, I spotted her. Phantom. It was hard to say whether she looked more unreal in the sun or moonlight; no matter what the light source was, the mare glowed, almost literally. I slowed down considerably as I came closer, breaking from the all-out gallop to an extended canter, down to a long trot, finally coming to a smooth halt about 3 metres from her, the fine sand jostled slightly little as I became almost completely still. I breathed heavy now, what I had just been doing catching up to me the longer I stood there. I stomped one of these grey hooves, red sand flying, and snorted. "It took you long enough to get up. I had begun to wonder..." I said to her, trailing off slightly. I hadn't, in fact, been thinking much of her but now that I started to come out of the numb bliss that comes from running, runners high they call it, so I did start to think about it. Had she really been asleep all this time? It wasn't quite midday, but the sun was shining fairly high above the horizon now, casting a white reflection on the crystalline water, a cloudless day.


ooc// sorry it took so long to respond. real life caught up on me for a few days and I became cursedly sick at the end of it. I'll try and post something if I find out I'll be out for a while again. but until then...happiness! long posts!

[Vel]

Her white twin towers flicked forward as Az'aja began to speak to her.

I was awake the whole time you... oh stop Phantom how would he know that. You had your eyes cracked a bit. I guess he could guess that I was asleep. I mean of he was like that I would assume he was asleep.

"I have been awake for quite a while now." she simply said to correct him. He must have run on the beach just as she had, for he was a tad sandy and a bit wet with the smell of salt on his coat. She had already had something to eat, but she dud not know about him. "Did you get something to eat this morning Az'aja?"

ooc// just got back. I have to get back in the swing of things. So sorry for shortness

[ciiel]

Slowly, slowly, my pulse returned back to normal, racing heart replaced slowly with calm. There's always something about taking a morning "walk" to make one feel at peace...like all problems are gone for a while at least, everything just..gone. Perhaps it was in contrast to the difficult journey getting her but that little exercise certainly wasn't as body-stressful as usual. Maybe before I had been too much of a spoiled little prin-no, no, I certainly made sure I rebelled against that particular norm among my family; sloth and greed and all the other terrible sins rolled up together. No, I must have gotten stronger, somehow despite the weight loss I'd gone through. Ah, well, a couple months of eating right should cure that right up.

I nodded at her words. So she hadn't been asleep...like I really cared though. ha! I smirked slightly at the inward conversation I was having, a change in attitudes and a bit of a difference in confidence from the night prior. "I've eaten, yeah," I replied casually. "And, supposing by your question, either you are asking permission to do so or you have too?" Quick to think, curious always in alterior motives, I spelled out my thoughts to her on her words. I didn't mean to sound offending, really, but sometimes things just go to my head.

ooc// no problem, love, I completely understand ^^

[Vel]

As Phantomm waited she got lost in her own thoughts.

I wonder what Fiana and Torchwood are doing now. They might even be out looking for more herd members. Or for all I know they might be mozing around the land. They wouldn't moze about. Would they? They are to spirited to just gaze around, at least I know that Torchwood is not grazing around. He is much to spirited.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts when Az'aja started to speak once again. He then spoke. "I've eaten yeah. And, supposing by your question, either you are asking permission to do so or you have too?" Were his words.

Ha! Why would I have to ask permission to eat?

'No, I do not have to eat. Where would you like to go now?" She looked off to the sea as a few dark clouds could be seen in the distance. she flicked her ghostly tail at a few bugs.

[ciiel]

I shifted my weight, left to right, back to left, over to right. I was restless, horribly and terribly restless. What the hell is wrong with me today, I though to myself, my ears flicking back in annoyance of myself. Today was strange, that was for sure, but why?

My lips twitched slightly at her words; they held, what was that, contempt? sarcasm? Ah, Phantom....
oh, but she did bring up a good point next. Where was I headed off to? Or, rather, where were we gong? I followed her gaze out to the sea; was she thinking about her past, perhaps, or just the ominous looking clouds on the horizon?

"Well," I spoke finally, "You know this place far better than I. Where do you suggest we go off to?" I was just about to add on 'allah knows I need a bit more of a run' but stopped myself. Whatever todays...attitude had brought, I did not want to be the over-kill sarcastic.

[Vel]

She turned her head back to him when he asked her where she suggested they should go. With one more glance out over the sea, she said "Well if you would like to we could start making our way to the center of the island."

If he really wanted to see how diverse the island really was, he would have to journey more to the center and to the other shores. She flicked her white banner. The air was still warm, but it gotten much, much cooler than about thirty minutes ago. She knew the dark clouds were rolling in, and soon there would be a storm. The air was cooler and it felt and smelt like rain on the way. She did not mind the rain at all. In her old herd she had used the rain to her advantage during battle. Obviously there was not a battle going on now, but she still wait waiting for it to rain.

She stamped a ebony dagger into the red sand. The flies were getting worse as the summer was just around the corner.

I wonder what his old herd was like. Maybe I should ask him. He seems like the type who would want to make small talk or something of the sort. I guess I'll ask him.

"Az'aja what was your old herd like?"

[ciiel]

I nodded my head at her words. The center it is, eh? Two things were becoming quickly apparent in the time since I had met her here; first, was an observation from the night prior and that was that the island seemed to change appearances very quickly. It was beyond diverse...strange, but a bit nice. The second was that it was about to storm. Not sure what I thought about this, I just kept my little anxious movements, shifting my weight from side to side, ears moving back and forward. Something was going to happen soon. Perhaps it was just my foreboding of the storm...they always meant before floods and usually death, but also prosperity from the precious liquid, fertilising all that is necessary to life. Yes, that must be it...nothing else seemed wrong, I was just psyching myself out for no reason. Assuredly, these storms would not be like the ones before.

I still was wondering a tad about her herd, where it was she belonged, all that she was now abandoning for the moment for little me. I was practically nobody, nothing..I guess in the right hands I could serve some purpose, but to most I could imagine just seeming like another to take food...but then again, was this place like that or was I still thinking back like before? Probably the latter....hopefully the latter. Slightly bemused that her words had matched my thoughts so well, I smirked up at her; "My herd was a whole bunch of...well, I can hardly count them a herd really. But shouldn't we be off?" ha, how was that for a quick change of subject? I think I did myself a bit right. It was true, my last herd was barely a herd, those tame little ponies, but that wasn't really what I was trying to avoid.

ooc// dun-dun-dun XD this is total improv for me. I really need to write down/think of some kind of history for this kid. bahahah I'll get to it eventually.

[Vel]

She watched him with her dark chocolate optics as he flicked his audits in all directions, and shifted his wieght from one side of his bodice to the other side. Was he uneasy about the oncoming storm? She did not know. she decided to ignore the fact as her auds flicked as he began to speak.

I wonder why he did not say much about this old herd of his. Maybe they did not like him or he was an outcast. It could be that they were dull from being pampered by humans their whole lives. Or maybe he just did not like them. He just might be one that does not like to talk much about his past and who was in it.

She got pulled out of her thoughts as he then asked her if they were ready to get moving. She looked a bit puzzled as to why he changed the topic so very quickly. She once again dismissed the action and said. "Yes. Just follow me. I will take you throught some small forests and a pine forest. That will then open to a small, hilly, grassy valley." She moved past him her ebony daggers hitting the soft red sand of the north beach. She turned her fine dial and motioned him to follow her.

[ciiel]

With one last look out at the sea, from where I came from, I nodded back to her and followed at a loose pace. I had had enough, far enough, there was no regrets in my decision to leave- it had been so difficult to do that any regrets would surely have made it impossible- yet there was a slight feeling of nostalgia. I had basically no friends before, family that I had cared enough about to stay were dead or as well as...I had to accept there was nothing there and this was my future. Surely, it has to be...

I couldn't tell if Phantom was wanting to talk during this little journey or not. At first she brought up my family....was she trying to chat with me? I laughed in my head, though still thinking a bit back. My, I am a jumble of emotions today, yeah? Ah, Az, why are you talking to yourself?

"Wow, thats a bit of a...mix,"referring to the terrains we would be crossing. After some time, forcing myself to at least try and seem a bit...alright, I asked, hesitantly,"So, might I ask about your former herd? Figuring that you had one, of course.

[Vel]

She walked quietly along, looking around very alert to her surroundings. Her ivory towers turned as Az'aja spoke about the land and how mixed it was. She smiled to herself.

This land is very mixed. It is wonderful though. I'm glad I landed here instead of back on a land with humans. I have grown to love it. I hope he will to since he is basically stuck here for the rest of his life. Kind of a strange thing, although if he really did want to get back, he could ride the current to the beaches of Italy. Most horses would not make the long journey though.

She turned her snow coloured crania as he asked her about her old herd. She was never one to make small talk, only the important things mattered to her. But if he wanted to talk she would tell him what he asked her.

" Well I had two old herds. The first herd was not really a heard at all. They were a group of Arabains and a couple other breeds on a breeding farm in the land I came from, England. I never really liked the people. It was fun to make them angry, do th opposite of what they want you to do."

She smiled to herself for a minute.

"When I came to this island, a stallion by the name of Jester brought me into his heard. A fighting herd. We conqured many other lands. I was a good fight and was moved up the ranks to lead warrior, a very high position. One day there was a grand battle. That was about six months ago. I got seperated from them some how and never found my way back."

She paused then decided to add that she was the same position in her new her.

"A vixen by the name of Fiana took me in. She is the only essa around here to own her own land. So far she only has two herd members, Torchwood and I. Torchwood came to the island with me. He was from the same stable in England. I find him quite of an annoyance, but Fiana seems to fancy him quite a bit. I am still lead warrior in her herd. she knew of me from others equines telling about the battles with my old herd."

She hoped that was what he wanted to hear. She had not put much detail into it, such as how she got on the island and what not.

[ciiel]

We walked together, Her leading mostly, though at times it seemed like neither of us were really in charge, both wanderers. I knew better than that of her, she belonged someplace. Again, again, I questioned myself.

I was stunned by all she had said. Whereas I had cut myself short, literally no description of before, she had delved right in, as if practiced. It blew me away, frankly. I was walking along behind her now, drinking in her words. She seemed so sure of herself....what was wrong with me? Hardly ever had my confidence faltered. Was that bubble earlier just a hoax, a trickery of myself? I looked in front of me at Phantom, sheepishly almost. Why was it that I was so afraid to reveal myself to her, someone clearly not at all connected to my past? Surely I wasn't that scarred. No, I couldn't be. Ah, and here, Aja, you're just over-thinking things, as always, I said to myself. ignore it all. live for now.

So, swallowing my feelings, blocking it out, I said, just barely a whisper, unsure of whether Phantom heard or not, one of the things I had been trying to hide, to put behind me, "I lived upon a farm too, once." My heart was pounding, adrenhalin from spilling into my bloodstream from revealing my little secret. I'd told myself before I left that none would know my past, yet here I was; first pretty girl I chance upon and she knows what I was, no am, ashamed of, barely a day into knowing her. Silly, silly, silly me.

[Vel]

They walked in silence for a while. Phantom was perfectly happy being quiet and not talking. She looked around. She knew the would soon be out of this forest and into the pine forest. She looked up to the sky, which she could see since the trees were thinning out a bit. The sky was even darker now. The wind started to blow harder, and the scent of rain filled her flaring nares.

Her twin towers flick back as she heard Az'aja speak. She had detected his almost silent words. He said he had once lived on a farm to. She wondered if she should ask him about it. She never asked many questions unless she needed to know. He had brought this up so he must want to discuss this topic.

"Ah so you are also from a place with the humans. Tell me what was you farm, herd mates and human companions like."

She could only hope he would talk about it. Even if he asked her about her life at the stables she would tell him what he wanted to know.