The river was rushing wildly in front of her, careening past rocks and around shallower sections of the river bed. Cally watches with a calm mind, her limbs curled beneath her as she rests her body against a tree trunk, the grass cradling her gently, even as a crisp breeze brought the scent of the season's change to her nose. Leaves were carried to and fro, swirling on the winds in a dance of orange, red and yellow. It was a peaceful scene tempered by the rage of the river as it passed over and through the fresh deposits that created the rapids that violently splashed past. A cry of a bird above had Cally's attention turning off of the water, looking up to the blue-hued sky sprinkled with whispy white clouds that barely offered shade from the sun above. Midday had arrived, and with it, the heat was climbing - which is what had lead the deer hybrid into moving towards the shade to begin with.
But now the sun had passed the apex of it's climb and was starting it's decent - and as the seasons change with autumn continued, the days would be growing shorter, as would the warmth. Cally stood with that thought, deciding at that moment it might not be too bad of an idea to enjoy the heat of the sun while they still had it. The river bubbled and gurgled a greeting to her as she climbed to her cloven hooves, and her gaze turned towards it curiously, following the curves of the rocky, treacherous shoreline. Those same adventure-worn green eyes also tracked the layout of the land that made up the shore, where the loose gravel and dirt changed into grass, the ground was sure to be a little more strong there, especially if she stayed a bit of a ways into the grass, where the roots were likely tangled together to aid in the interlocking defense and strength.
A grin crossed Cally's face, and she moved towards the edge of the river, peering down at it curiously, excitement flooding her system. Her muzzle touched the surface briefly, a quick sip of water to counteract the heat, and the crisp autumn air to keep her cool . . . getting into position, the doe found her footing and testing the area she had chosen as close to the river, but more stable than the shorelines. With a final nod, the little hybrid deer-horse took off with a bouncing gallop that seemed far more like the bound of a deer than the graceful canter of a horse. Her hooves carried her along the curves and divets of the water's edge, eagerly following along it to see what she might find along the river. Her laugh bubbled from her as her cloak fluttered in the airstream created in her wake, her quiver and bow strapped tightly to the satchel at her side.
The adventuring deer smiled to herself as she allowed herself to play and race the river, running for a long period before finally slowing down and catching her breath, taking a second much needed drink of water, even as she telekineticly shifted her cloak back into place, and her mane ruffled by the autumn breeze that continued to cool her against the rays of the sun.
"Speech"
@Sloane ;; I'm so sorry for the wait my dear!
Let's jump on the sun and ride it to tomorrow together, where everything is brighter and sure to be better.
Autumn was a far superior season to spring or summer. Spring and summer offered flowers and bright colors, tall grasses and green leaves. Autumn practically killed all of that, turning the leaves brown before they finally fell to the ground. It left the trees bare in preparation for winter, the grasses slowly dying. It was a wonderful season of the beginnings of death and destruction. If all that was not fabulous enough, then the cooler temperatures surely put the season above spring and summer. Without the rising heat, Sloane could keep her coat looking meticulous. She rarely sweat which kept her coat sheen and beautiful, not wet and stuck to itself.
But then there was winter. Winter was by far her favorite season. By that time the snow was falling and trees appeared dead. There was very little plant life and the overall aura of the sky was dreary with the cold. Winter was by far her favorite, but autumn was a close second.
As the temperatures began to plummet, Sloane began to move around Delumine quite a bit more than normal. No longer did she sequester herself onto her little island, watching those fucking fire squirrels burn down the dry logs. She was able to move about a little more freely, enjoying the cooler weather that autumn brought with it.
This particular morning, Sloane decided to she would venture down to the river. In the cooler months, it was far crisper to drink, the feeling far more pleasant than the luke warm waters of summer. Not only that, but with the recent rains, the river was heavy with rapids. The sound of the rushing waters over the rocks was calming to her. There were very little things in life that made Sloane feel at ease, but this was certainly one of them.
As she stood along the edge of the water, she sighed in contentment. Eyes closed as she simply listened to the sound of the river, of the birds, and of the wind. She could already feel her body releasing its pent up uneasiness from the relic hunt, from her own court going to shit with Somnus stepping down. What a coward. Thankfully, no one had asked he opinion of the matter because they certainly would not like what she had to say.
But there was a sound that caused her eyes to flutter open, slit pupils looking hard at the activity from across the river. And there, frolicking along the river bed was something. What the fuck was that? A deer? A horse? Some sort of mutant? "What the fuck are you?" Voice was loud enough to be heard over the roar of the river, her eyes settled on whatever was frolicking on the other side of the river. Leave it to Sloane to be the best welcoming committee that Delumine had to offer. With her frank greetings, no one would ever question the welcoming nature of Delumine…or would they?
There was a certain joy and serenity that Cally never failed to feel, to possess when in the midst of the natural world. It was never a perfect feeling, missing the welcoming touch of the branches, or the whispered greets of the foliage, but there was still a certain tranquility to be breathed in, a breath of life from Nature herself. But even the tranquility, the peace she felt did little to mute the subtle but constant pain she felt with how silent the world felt to her when she closed her eyes and forgot about anything else around her. Before she'd feel the hums, the welcome of the forest . . . but when her eyes close, when she lets herself go to the forest . . . now there was nothing there.
She did as much as she could to distract herself, though. And that was what had led her to rushing with the river, feeling at least a little more free as she played along the currents, following its curves and flows. At least until a voice called out over the river, causing the doe to spin around in surprise, What the fuck are you. How many times had Cally heard that over the passed many weeks? Maybe not that phrase, but . . . in general. Perhaps it was the constant repeat that had the little doe responding with more sass than one might thing able to be held in such a tiny body, "That's up for debate!" She called back in amusement, turning from the river to approach the stranger, or at least stranger to her.
She tilted her head as the loose waves of her messy forelock danced infront of her bright gaze, dual sets of ears perking, one set towards the stranger, the second set circling the surrounds to keep an ear out for danger (an aspect of her deer upbringing that she couldn't break). The tiny doe grinned brightly, eyes sparkling with mirth, "Names Callynite, but Cally's easier to say. As for what exactly I am . . . I'm growing fond of the term 'hybrid'. I was a deer, but I got kinda caught up in a portal that sent me spiralling to Novus. That magic didn't like my magic and after a bit of fighting - I'm sure - I ended up looking like something caught in the middle of horse and deer." She added with a bit more detail, though avoiding any chance of admitting that it wasn't so much as getting caught up in an unknown portal but rather foolishly entering said portal in a need to explore. A portal that led to who knows where - what better adventure than that. "So, what's your name?" She added after a short pause, so as to continue the conversation - after all better to have someone to talk back than to remember the forest that no longer did.
"Speech"
@Sloane ;; She just be like 'It's up for debate, call me as you see me!'
Let's jump on the sun and ride it to tomorrow together, where everything is brighter and sure to be better.
The creature that was currently frolicking along the riverbank was something she had never seen before. Her appearance was remarkably like a doe…but held some equine features. It was unusual to say the least and when Sloane asked her what she was, she expected an answer. She thrived for knowledge and now that she was coming across something she had never seen before, she wanted nothing more than to understand her, to understand what she was and what she lived for.
But the answer she received was not at all what she was expecting. She expected to be schooled on exactly what she was, but instead, she answers with a nonchalant phrase that indicated even she had no idea what she truly was. "How do you not know what you are?" It seemed pretty simple enough. She was a horse. A red and black horse with a sour attitude. At least she knew and accepted what she really was. But this girl? She couldn’t even tell her what she was.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, the thing kept talking. This time, it was like the song that never ended or the energizer bunny. She just kept going and going and going. But Sloane listened, trying to sort out the useful information from the nonsense. Most of what she said was unimportant. But her name, she supposed was one of the more useful things. While Sloane didn’t think she would ever truly need to remember the girl’s name, she supposed that someone somewhere might want to know it. "So some magical portal fucked you over?" She thought she understood that right. She was a deer and now was something in between. Seemed like a strange story, but she supposed she had heard of crazier things.
But then the conversation changed to her. Believe it or not, Sloane didn’t like to talk about herself. She didn’t care for the attention it brought, but she supposed that at a minimum, pleasantries were warranted. "Sloane. People call me Sloane." There was no shorter name to go by, no nick name that others found endearing. Her name was short and harsh, not rolling off the tongue as Cally did…not that she cared, anyway.
A few moments of awkward silent settled between the two. Sloane had never been one for friendly conversation and usually, she was very quick to exit a conversation. However, the deer-horse-thing seemed oddly interested in talking to her, for reasons Sloane didn’t quite understand. "So…why Delumine?" There were other courts in Novus, other places that she could have called her own. Why here? She wondered why she had chosen Delumine and she supposed that at the root of the answer, it was simply the first place she landed. Perhaps this girl had some other sort of flowing answer that made a better story than “I stayed here because I could.”
The young doe knew she was odd, unfamiliar - different. It's what happens when magic decides to mess with you. She had heard every variation of the 'what are you' question as well; and unfortunately she wasn't too sure what she really was either. How do you not know what you are? Cally grinned easily, her expression amused as she took in the other, "Well, to be honest, there's a bit of debate on the topic. I still identify as a deer, but . . . well, let's be honest; I don't look like your standard doe anymore," Cally admitted with a faint laugh.
It was a better reaction to the question than when she'd first come to Novus. No longer was she as bitter about her change in appearance, she'd come to accept her reflection as her own, even if she refused to go any closer to 'horse' than a hybrid. At least even claiming herself a hybrid she could make sure focus was put on the 'deer' aspect. A deer first, a horse second. Then this other gave her own name, Sloane. It had a pretty, though strong sound to it, as Cally rolled it through her thoughts, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Sloane. A pleasure." Her smile was as warm as her tone, before returning to the topic of the magic portal.
"Eh, it certainly did a number on me; but then again maybe I was askin' for it. Who walks through a mysterious and clearly magical portal that they are unfamiliar with in the first place? Not my smartest move, I'll admit." The former druid admitted, before tilting her head when Sloane asked her why she'd ended up in Delumine. This time, Cally's gaze turned softer, almost gentling, "Familiarity. It reminds me of home. The forests and meadows . . . it's similar to where I came from. And I guess, I wanted something familiar to cling to when everything else - even my reflection was so different." She explained softly. It had been familiar, when nothing else in Novus was.
It’s nice to meet you, Sloane. A pleasure. Someone forgot to mention to this doe/horse/thing/whateverthefucksheis that Sloane was probably the worst welcoming party. It was rarely, more like never, a pleasure to meet her. The mare could be sour and crass, direct and sometimes insulting. Nothing about Sloane was pleasurable, but she supposed she would let the other think what she wanted. Couldn’t hurt, could it?
The topic easily switched from pleasantries to the magical portal that brought Cally here. Sloane couldn’t ever say that she had seen a magical portal before, let alone walked into one. Then again, she didn’t remember exactly how she made it to Novus, one giant fucking island. Perhaps she had stumbled on a magical portal by accident. One thing’s for certain, Sloane would have never knowingly walked through an unknown portal. She was smarter than that, clearly smarter than Cally. "Pretty stupid, amateur move." That was a nice way of putting it. Sloane could have said so many things. And yet, Sloane was trying to install a filter in place and while it worked on occasion, for the most part she still said what she felt - harsh and direct or not.
But besides the fact that she had stupidly walked through a magical portal and gotten her doe-self warped into some sort of funny looking thing, she was still in Delumine. Novus was not exactly a small place and there were tons of other places she could have ended up, perhaps some place with a more friendly welcoming committee.
Her answer was long and drawn out, probably unnecessarily long with information that Sloane probably didn’t care much for. But she said nothing, her yellow eyes only resting on the girl, judging her as she spoke. "Watch out for the squirrels…they set shit on fire." While most, if not all the squirrels had been contained on the island next to her own, she didn’t put it past the little bastards to swim off the island and back to the forest.
Cally wasn't the sort to let a sourpuss rain on her parade, and so even someone as unwelcoming and abrupt like this mare, this Sloane wasn't going to have any effect on Cally's warmth, her sunshine disposition - well, as long as she remained only verbally abrupt and didn't push the wrong buttons. Cally, despite her warmth was as sassy and sarcastic as the next horse and wasn't afraid to release those aspects either. As it was, though, Sloane was a touch more amusing than anything else for the moment and Cally's curiosity had been peaked.
Cally knew her actions to arriving to Novus might make one question her actions, but Cally saw it as an adventure. She had seen all of what the Thicket had to offer, and when she stumbled upon the portal, well there was no way she wasn't going to take that adventure on as well, and so she shrugged at the mare's dismissal of her actions being amateur, and instead spoke simply "Perhaps amateurish to most, but I was no rocky splunker in my home land . . . and while the earth begged me not to leave, not once did it come across as the portal being dangerous." She didn't explain her words, there was little to explain about the magic she had once held and hoped to one day grasp at again. She had been part of the earth itself, and she had known instinctively that it would be a new adventure she hadn't found before.
And so far, Novus hadn't been to upsetting - beyond locking her magic and . . . altering . . . her appearance. There was so much to see, so much to explore, so much to witness and she was enjoying her time her thus far. When the other spoke again, Cally raised an eyebrow before tilting her head. "I don't know if I should take that seriously or not." She stated after a moment, watching this Sloane with open curiosity, "Which squirrels?" And why would they set things on fire?
Sloane, no matter how much she might be irritated by the doe-like creature, she had been trying to offer her a little advice when she warned about the squirrels. The squirrels had lit the whole forest on fire shortly after she had come to Novus. She had suffered through smoke and ash while those little shits just started fire upon fire upon fire. The little mother fuckers came ablaze at even the smallest notion of fear.
She sighed, knowing that not everyone might believe that the squirrels had once ruined the pretty forest she loved to frolic in. However, she would do well to believe Sloane. It was one of the few things that the black mare actually told the truth about. "You probably should…" It was a warning and she could choose to believe her or not. No matter what choice she chose, she would be forced to suffer the consequences.
As if her warning had not been enough to convince the doe-like creature that the squirrels needed to be avoided, she continued on, asking exactly which squirrels. "They are currently on a small island off the cost, burning that shithole to the ground." She shrugged it off as a matter of fact, offering no other explanation.
However, as she looked back to the other, she could clearly see that there needed to be some sort of explanation because she looked like a doe in the headlights, pun intended. "The forest you like to frolic and be merry in…have you noticed that it’s all new growth?" The trees were still young, still blooming. While magic had helped to cure the earth, it still was young. There were even a few charred trees that remained as a reminder of what the squirrels could do. "There are squirrels that when frightened, burst into flames. Then they run through the underbrush burning shit. They burned the Viride Forest to the ground just last year. I’m talking big ass flames that killed people." She shrugged it off as nonchalantly as she could, not enveloping the seriousness that these squirrels posed. She didn’t care if the other believed her or not - perhaps she would run across a squirrel who had managed to swim away from the island. "What you believe is your choice, though." She huffed lightly as she looked down the river.
Cally knew fair well her personality was on the obnoxious side of abrasive. Some melded well to it, able to handle her level of sass and sarcasm and treated it like a grain of salt to be tossed over their shoulder. Others grew more irritated and would grit their teeth while searching for an escape. Callynite suspected Sloane fit well into the second category - which is why a part of her was extremely grateful for the advice of the squirrels - even if the much more adventurous side of Cally wanted to see them up close, find out if they really could start fires. They sounded neat!
Still, she accepted the warning with a smile, as well as quietly hoarding the information that they now lived on a small island that was being burnt to the ground. Night time search, looking for the lights of a fire could help her pinpoint where the island was, if it was real. She'd have to find out how far away it was of course. Then the other spoke of the forest, and Cally's nature suddenly turned serious. She was silent when the other spoke, but did nod her awareness that the forest was new growth - she just hadn't thought much about it. Forests naturally went through burning periods, where the dead tries were burned and provided new nourishment to the next generation after it.
She was silent still as she heard about the squirrels bursting into flames only when frightened, running through the bush, burning the Forest to the ground. She tilted her head to the side for a moment, "The forest is doing well in it's regrowth at least. But that does sound absolutely terrifying . . . ." And a part of her, the part that sung in tune to the natural world wanted to know more about these squirrels, as if their side of the story needed to be shared just as much as any others. She glanced back at the mare, this time her voice portraying the seriousness, and sincerity of her next words, "Thank you, for the warning though. Being new to Novus, I'm still learning a lot about this place. Your warning is appreciated, even if I kind of want to see their new island myself." Of course, an explorer can't ignore the call of an adventure, and flaming squirrels definitely sounded like n adventure worth taking to her.
As much as this little doe-mare creature-thing seemed to understand her warning, she didn’t seem to be really taking the warning to heart. Every time she offered up more information on the squirrels, this goon seemed to grow more excited with each syllable rather than fearfully cautious. Was she stupid? She probably was. But Sloane reserved her judgement. Well, that’s not entirely true. She judged her well and good, she was just keeping most of her thoughts to herself. Sloane was trying to be a better Dawn Court citizen. After all, she was trying to warn her of the squirrels. That had to count for something, right?
When she mentioned that she wanted to see the new island with the squirrels living on it, Sloane looked at her like she was stupid. This girl was insane. She was asking for a death sentence. "If you want to risk your life, go for it. I won’t miss you." Okay, that wasn’t exactly the nicest thing to say, but the filter was just about used up.
Realizing that her words were not exactly “New Sloane” approved, Sloane sighed as she turned to look at the other. "It’s on the coast, just east of here. Follow the river." Well, if she was going to get herself killed, then Sloane might as well help her get to her graveyard. It was only courteous, right?
The more she thought about the directions she was giving, the more she began to realize that she lived next door to the squirrels. If she wasn’t careful, she was giving the mare an open invitation to come waltzing in on her private island. Lord Jesus that could not happen. "Keep in mind, I live on the non-destroyed island…and I don’t take kindly to visitors. I like my solitude…if you haven’t figured that out by now." There. Her warning was given. It was now in her hands whether or not she chose to abide by this warning. After all, Sloane would only warn her once.
