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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 14:00:05 GMT -5
Hooves pounding the ground, grey and white-streaked mane flying in the wind, Melody quickly came upon the Volcano. She slid to a stop, pulling her hindquarters underneath her petite body. She arched her speckled neck, eyeing her surroundings cautiously. Although she had been three-beating for quite some time, the little mare had hardly broken a sweat. Now, overcome with thirst, she lifted her feet into a lively, high-stepping trot, searching for some source of water. Her dark, knowing eye soon landed upon a small stream coming from the dark rock of the Volcano. She lifted her muzzle to the wind, staying alert for a minute or so, before lowering her head to taste the water she had been longing for.
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Post by rose on Aug 12, 2007 14:51:17 GMT -5
The sun had risen that morning, disturbing the black stallion's sleep and once Mercy had awoken he found it nigh on impossible to slip back into a carefree slumber. There wasn't much that was carefree these days, after all. Sighing, the stallion slipped from his swampy refuge at the Half Moon Lagoon and picked his way with deliberate care across the island topography. Gradually, the mighty volcano that marked the centre of the island came into view before him and, without really knowing why, Mercy directed his attention towards it. It seemed as good a place as any to travel towards and so, having nowhere else to visit, he picked up a leisurely trot towards it. There was no rush.
As he drew closer to the landmark, however, something made the dark coloured horse hesitate, throwing up his head while his ears pricked neurotically, trying to pinpoint the cause of the disturbance. It didn't take long to locate; as he stepped forward he could detect the slight scent of another horse, as though one had passed by this way not long ago. His interest thoroughly aroused, Mercy slowly picked his way across the ever more rocky ground, intending to take a good look at this other horse before he became close enough to be noticed in return. What he found did not raise his concern. It was a mare that stood drinking from the volcano's spring, lighter and smaller than himself. Not a threat, then. Mercy liked to think that he was not a coward, but he could see no reason to put himself in harm's way when it could be avoided.
At least reassured that it was a mare that stood nearby, no monster, he moved forwards, slipping gently from the shadows and into her line of sight.
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 15:06:58 GMT -5
Noticing the stallion as soon as he moved towards her, Melody threw up her head, her ears pricked as she arched her neck and watched him intently. Not sensing him to be a threat, she bobbed her head up and down, prancing away from the stream she had been drinking from a mere second before. Her multi-colored tail was lifted high, her nostrils flared at the scent of him. There was a certain spark in her eye, seeming to dare him to come close to her, to touch her. She tossed her head, causing her long forelock to tumble down into her dark eyes. She swung around, returning to the stream, though she was still lifting her hooves high, though not uttering a single word.
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Post by rose on Aug 12, 2007 15:18:36 GMT -5
The stallion paused as the mare noticed him, not wanting to alarm her if she was the skittish type. However, she seemed to be comfortable in his presence, and his eyes followed her flowing movements as moved away from and then back towards the stream. The nature of her motions seemed flamboyant, slightly daring slightly teasing and he lifted his head as though to eye her appraisingly as though wondering whether he should become involved with her or not. However, a moment later the female's charms seemed to overtake any desires he had for solitude. He breathed deeply, taking in her scent and commiting it to memory. His ears pricked towards her, though she did not speak.
"Ah, hello," he greeted. His voice was slightly rough, as though he had not used it for some time, but not unpleasant. The muscles of his body were tense and eager, as though he might step even closer, perhaps to brush against her sleek pelt, but self conciousness held him back. If he came further into the sunlight she might catch sight of the scars on his body, and suspect that there was something wrong with him. Then she might flee, and he so much wanted to have some company.
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 15:34:06 GMT -5
The fae stopped her movement, seeing that he was not going to come closer, despite her dancing about. She lifted her long neck at his greeting and extended her muzzle towards him. She nickered softly, the muscles along her spine tightening as she watched him.
"Hello to you," She replied after a moment, her voice quiet, though filled with experiance. He looked to be quite a few winters younger than herself, but she didn't really mind. She lowered her head slightly, looking at his dark colored pelt through her white eyelashes. He wasn't close enough for her to notice his scars, her attention went straight to his rippling muscles. She arched her neck once more, feeling somewhat aroused by his presence, though she would not step closer to him. It had been quite a time since she had been around any horse, much less a stallion and a young one, at that.
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Post by rose on Aug 12, 2007 15:45:24 GMT -5
As the mare extended her muzzle towards him, the black stallion allowed his gaze to sweep across the smooth angles of her body, and he realised with a slight feeling of surprise that she was no naive filly. She'd probably been around for longer than he had, and as this notion hit him he felt himself relaxing just slightly. Mercy was rarely afraid of other horses, but he had a distressing phobia of them becoming alarmed about him. His ears pricked at her voice, and he recognised the subtle experience in it. This mare had seen a lot, perhaps more than he had. He hoped that this meant that she would be less quick to judge him than younger horses often were. He had quite an innocent mind, and it had alarmed him the first time that he met a filly on her own and she fled from him. He supposed that the young and innocent were predisposed to be wary of tall, black shapes looming towards them through the trees, though beauty was often skin deep.
Body language neither threatening nor submissive, he allowed himself another step towards the mare, trying to fight back the sudden irrational fear that she would realise that there was something not quite right with him and shun him, either angry or scared. He swallowed hard, not taking his eyes off of her lithe form.
"I'm Mercy," he told her, and his lips twitched in the semblance of a grin. "Fantastic name, I know," he added dryly, "I don't know what my mother was thinking... Care to tell me your own?"
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 15:55:44 GMT -5
As the stallion stepped closer to her, she dipped her head down respectfully, before returning to her previous stance. She could clearly see his body now, but the scars didn't worry her. She had seen plenty of stallions with "battle wounds", as they liked to call the marks on their flesh; this one looked no different to her.
"I am Haunting Melody, although most call me by just the second half of my name." She said, keeping a close eye on him. He didn't seem as if he wanted to harm her, but she had always been a bit wary of other horses. "So, Mercy," She started, his name rolling off her tongue easily. "have you a herd?" Melody inquired, wondering if she should be so willing to go with him, should he have a terra of his own. However, she had been on her own for a few winters and, quite frankly, was tired of being alone.
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Post by rose on Aug 12, 2007 16:05:41 GMT -5
Haunting Melody. It was an interesting name, and sounded almost lyrical as it strummed from the mare's vocal chords. He would have to remember it; a name to fit with the scent committed to his memory. He gave a nod of his head to her in return, not quite used to tradition and manners, but doing his best in the situation all the same. His attention was trained on her, following her gaze as though she were slightly wary of him. He did not advance any further, not wanting to risk prompting her to back away from him. He struck an imposing figure, but for the most part avoided using the strength his sturdy body gave him against others of his kind. It wasn't that he was afraid that he would be hurt, but events he had witnessed in the past had given him an aversion to violence. He avoided it if possible, though the instinct to protect both himself and those he cared about still lingered inside him.
"Melody," he acknowleged, trying out her name on his lips for the first time, and he gave a slight smile at her question, though it was grim. "I have a home - Half Moon Lagoon," he answered, deliberatley avoiding the real question at first, because that would meant admitting that nobody wanted to be with him. "But no, there is no herd there but me."
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 16:19:51 GMT -5
Melody watched him, noticing how he answered her question. She pranced a couple of steps towards him, coming just close enough for him to reach her in one or two steps. She was intrigued by this dark stallion, Mercy.
"To be honest with you, I've no clue where that might be," She replied softly, her eyes fixed upon his. She was torn between her feelings, wanting desperately to stand next to him, for him to nuzzle her lightly; yet not wanting to get close to him, to be hurt once more. Of course, no one knew what she'd been through, how her life had been before, and as badly as she wanted to tell him, she couldn't bring herself to trust him enough.
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 16:24:11 GMT -5
OOC|| Be back in a few, have to go feed our neighbor's dog!
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Post by rose on Aug 12, 2007 16:34:16 GMT -5
ooc|| Ok. If I dissapear for a bit it's because there's meant to be a meteor shower in a little while where I am (it's night in my time zone). I'm a bit of a geek like that, so I'm gonna go watch it when it happens.
Mercy froze, holding his breath for a moment as the mare took several dancing steps towards him before letting it out in one heavy and yet silent sigh. She was close enough for him to reach out and touch, if he wanted to, but something about the way she lingered just before reaching him hinted at hesitation. He wondered what she would do if he gave into temptation and closed the distance between them, bringing his muzzle to her own. Would she, perhaps, recoil at the feel of his side brushing against hers? Or would she stay where she was, or even return the gesture? As tempting as contact might be, Mercy didn't want to ruin the tentative link they already had by pushing it too far.
"Some way south of this volcano," he answered, glad to have something else to focus on, "At the other end of the island, though it doesn't take long to get there at a gallop."
Here he paused, struck with a sudden thought and met the mare's gaze for a moment while he considered. Then a slight smile appeared upon his lips for a moment and he cocked his head slightly.
"I could always show you, if you wanted. It's a nice place; peaceful."
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 12, 2007 21:00:05 GMT -5
Melody let out a silent sigh as she found herself wishing the stallion had touched her. She knew the reason he didn't, how she looked just as wary as she felt. She arched her neck slowly, trying to forget the confusing feelings she felt towards Mercy. She looked up at him as he mentioned taking her to his terra. He might as well be asking if he could claim her. She paused for a moment, thinking about her choices. She didn't know how many stallions were on the island and if any of them were as kind as the one she now stood before. She quickly made up her mind, replying to him in a voice much more confident than what she felt. "Of course, that would be of satisfaction to me. I'm quite tired of going about on my own," She said, offering him one of the reasons why she'd made up her mind to go with him. Besides, she loved to gallop.
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Post by rose on Aug 13, 2007 12:18:45 GMT -5
ooc|| Sorry I dissapeared yesterday. It was the Perseid meteor shower and I wanted to watch it.
The dark coloured stallion let his breathing slow, the momentary pause before Melody answered his offer stretching on into a lifetime. Perhaps he ought to have left her, to be found by one of the other stallions that lived in these lands, but if he had not come, had not asked her then they would both be alone. His ears flicked in her direction as he spoke, and a glimmer of something, perhaps pleasure, appeared for the first time in the empty blackness of his eyes. She sounded confident in her choice, and even if she was only reassuring herself that she had made the right decision he found it comforting as well.
"It does get tiresome with nobody else around," he agreed, attempting to inject some levity into his voice. The thought that loneliness might plague him no longer allowed him to acomplish just that, so that he appeared content and unworried for the first time since he had appeared here at the Volcano. Perhaps, by approaching this mare, he had put an end to those dull days by himself, the long nights spent all alone. He gave a decisive nod of his head, and for the first time extended his muzzle towards the mare, an offer of companionship.
"I'll show you the way, since you're new to these parts."
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Post by icewillfreezeyou on Aug 13, 2007 14:18:11 GMT -5
OOC|| Yeah, my bf ended up coming over and I couldn't get back on my computer. So, was the metior shower cool?
BIC|| Melody noticed Mercy's change in demeanor, glad that he looked more relaxed. She was starting to relax, herself. The light colored mare was growing in confidence with her decision to go with the black stallion. She tensed slightly as he extended his muzzle towards her, fighting all of the confusing feelings she felt towards him for a brief second. Breathing in deeply, she gave in to her deep desire to be near him and stepped forward, brushing her velvety muzzle against his, arching her neck and looking up at him through her eyelashes.
"Let's go," She replied, her voice so soft, it was barely above a whisper.
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Post by rose on Aug 13, 2007 14:49:16 GMT -5
ooc|| Yeah, it was good. I sat up on my roof with a friend. Lots of shooting stars =] Do you want to start a thread at the Half Moon Lagoon for us?
For one long moment, Mercy thought that the light coloured mare's wariness would overtake any desire she might have for company and he hesitated, suddenly half expecting her to pull away and refuse to touch him. He would not, of course, blame her if she did, but he would be sorely dissapointed. Instead, however, her courage seemed to win out and she brushed her muzzle again his own. A slight thrill, like the tingle of static electricity, ran down his spine in the contact, and he realised exactly how long it had been since he had touched another of his kind. Too long; far too long. But Melody was here now, tentatively returning his contact, and that was all that mattered now.
The spark of life in his eyes seeming to burn brighter as he gazed down at her, it looked as though something had come back to him. Perhaps he had been away from other horses for too long and his isolation had begun to show, but his loneliness had faded now to be replaced with something else. As battered as his trust may be, it wasn't quite dead yet and it began to revive itself again now as he gave a swift nod of his head.
"Very well. It's this way, Melody," he answered and, looking back to make sure that he did not leave her behind, he picked up a trot and then a canter, until he was finally galloping across the scrubland, away from the volcano and towards his own home.
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