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Post by Tiggs on Feb 1, 2009 19:05:24 GMT
Kimba was breathing heavily by the time she thought she was far enough away from the herd below. The sweat darkening her flanks was more from stress than exertion though. She was directly disobeying her mother, putting herself on a path that might end badly for her. But she had to see Darel without her mother's oppressive presence. She would know if he was right for her then, and if she wasn't just interested in the stallion because her mother said not to be.
The first test was if Darel had followed her. At least she would know he had the courage to be with her if he had. As an unrelated filly to the King, she could very well choose to stay with the most prestigious herd in the High Country. Instead, she was smitten with a stallion who was not altogether perfect. He had some sort of illness that she didn't understand. She herself wasn't even sure that she should be making this choice. But it seemed right. Darel excited something in her that no other colt or stallion had. A sense of want, of belonging. She wanted to be with Darel, consequences be damned. |
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Post by { Opal } on Feb 2, 2009 5:00:00 GMT
Moments ago, Darel had spotted Kimba slipping away into the bush. Intrigued, and excited by the chance to meet her again, he had followed. Now Darel climbed steadily up the ridge, his muscles straining as he hurried to get away from the herd. As he reached the top, he was delighted to spot Kimba. She must have waited for him! Darel nickered quietly to her, and stepped closer. "Hi..." he said, a little shyly. He knew what this was heading towards, he knew what he was going after. And it was beggining to disturb him. Taking a breath, Darel spoke. "You know that, uh, I'm not... normal, right? I mean, I don't see how I can have any herd, because I can't protect them properly." Darel glanced earnestly at her, hoping she understood. He wished it could be...
How silly that sounded.
Darel had put all his cards on the table, and hoped that Kimba wouldn't be put off by it. He wasn't normally this open, and it made him nervous. That showed by his ears, which were flicked back with unease. This was just the wierdest situation for Darel, who had lived solitary for a good portion of his life. And he had never been normal; actually, it hadn't bothered him all that much, but now his illness had become the worst thing in his life. Darel sighed softly through his round nostrils.
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Post by Tiggs on Feb 2, 2009 12:33:05 GMT
She was elated that he followed, and she couldn't stop an excited whinny from escaping. She tossed her head, poised and delicate. She had a grace that her mother had neglected in herself, but she had that resolute determinism that she managed to direct into less aggressive ways. Kimba looked on at Darel with eyes filled with what could only be described as confusion.
She knew that Darel was not like other stallions -- her mother had made sure of that -- but something about him interested her. Perhaps it was that gentleness about him, a gentleness she had been lacking for most of her life. Her mother was not cruel, but her affection was sparse and only given as a reward. Darel even looked at her in a way that made her feel as if she had done something right without doing anything at all.
He looked so hurt, as if she had already rejected him. Was he really expecting that? She had to admit, she wasn't entirely sure until then. She stepped up to him, trembling as her nose came to rest on his. "I know." Her words were a whisper, and she closed her eyes, ears drawn in consternation. "But what if it was just the two of us? We could run together, hide when enemies were near. I wouldn't want to leave you. You're special but I don't know why exactly. Yet." She tentatively blew warm air into his nostrils. "We could protect each other. We'd be safe together." She opened her eyes to meet his, hers swimming with fear of rejection. This all made no sense, she should be looking for the best stallion to run with, but Darel was special. She realised she didn't care that he wasn't normal. They could be together, and there was something in her heart that told her they'd be happy. |
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Post by { Opal } on Feb 2, 2009 22:43:15 GMT
Darel couldn't help but admire the mare's quick step, and the grace in her posture. Her whinny sounded sweet and clear. Darel blinked at her, the gleam of adoration in his gaze. But the confusion in her eyes trouble him, and he was tempted to go and comfort her. Again, Darel wondered why he felt such feelings. A faint pain in his heart told him why; he had missed out on a lot of things, and understanding was hard to come by. This mare, Kimba, had ignored his huge faults and had given him love. But that was only a small piece of the puzzle, Darel realized. He had found something special in Kimba; she made him feel different. She was important to him.
Darel came from his thoughtful daze as movement caught his eye. Kimba was stepping toward him, resting her muzzle on his. Darel didn't cringe or shy from the contact; he simply enjoyed the moment, his feelings for her strengthening. "I know." Darel listened to her soft voice, and watched her close her eyes in thought. As she spoke again, her ideas passing into his mind, he felt a shock of delight go through him. She called me special. Darel felt warm air tickle his nostrils. The stallion looked deep into her eyes, and saw sincerity, but also fear. Fear of being left behind? Darel knew that he couldn't bare to hurt her; and he knew that he wanted the same thing as she.
"Yes." As Darel finally let the word out, he felt a wave of relief go through him. This seemed so right. "I'll take you to be mine, if you'll have me." A nicker of happiness slipped from his lips as he finished.
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Post by Tiggs on Feb 3, 2009 14:42:37 GMT
Relief flooded her. He would run with her! She lipped at the snip on his nose, angling her ears bashfully. "Yes, I'll take you." She wasn't sure how to thank him properly, so she settled for resting her muzzle beside his and nickering in contentment. It felt so easy just to stand silently with him. There was no pressure to talk, and she felt so calm.
In the far distance, she could hear the main herd. She flicked her tail nervously. "I don't think I want to go back -- can we go away from here? I know some quiet places, I could take us there." She offered tentatively. Is was as if she were assuming some of the duties generally reserved for the stallion. But they were not a conventional couple. She wanted to protect Darel as much as he wanted to protect her. It only made sense that as she knew a good proportion of the surrounding area from the travels with her mother, that she should lead them to a quiet grazing spot.
It would be hurtful to leave her mother, but she would have a new foal before the end of the day and she would slowly be forgotten. Fira would eventually forgive her, but Kimba was firmly sticking with this choice now. She gave Darel a sweet nip on the shoulder, and nickered softly. "Let's go, we can be alone together. |
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Post by { Opal } on Feb 4, 2009 21:18:26 GMT
Darel nickered happily as Kimba lipped gratefully at his nose, where he knew a snippet of color lay. By her reaction he already knew she agreed, but Darel enjoyed listening to the words anyway. Kimba grew still, small whispers of contentment coming from her soft muzzle. Darel enjoyed the simple moment, and returned Kimba's affection by gentle nuzzling her neck.
"I don't think I want to go back -- can we go away from here? I know some quiet places, I could take us there." Darel suddenly noticed the faint sounds of the herd behind him, and glanced back a little nervously. He didn't want to go back either; Tingara was good to him, but Darel didn't belong there. "Yes, please." The young stallion's voice was relieved, and perhaps a bit gratefully too. Darel knew little about the area, and was glad that he wouldn't have to make all the decisions.
Darel side-stepped to the right, indicating that Kimba was free to start. He was feeling good, and energy zapped through his muscles. His illness forgotten, he shuffled his hooves eagerly. Darel was looking forward to this new start, and was glad that everything had resolved itself. Now he had the most beautiful mare to travel with, inside and out.
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