[SRP] Winding Paths (Capriccio Sangfroid & Patcheel Qinling)

[divena]

This is a self rp between Capriccio Sangfroid and Patcheel Qinling

 

[divena]

Capriccio Sangfroid was not lost. He was on a journey. For the first time in his life, he was branching out, leaving the family nest, so to speak. It was a time honored tradition, according to his grandmother. When a foal became an adult, he or she left the safety of the valley to explore the world. According to his Mum, Nova, it was a good experience for the youngling. It would give him an opportunity to learn more about himself and decide if he wanted to be a homebody like his Mum or a traveler like his Ma, Duga. Personally, Capriccio didn’t really understand the need to venture out on his own. What was wrong with tagging along with his Ma when she took off on one of her trips? Or one of his aunts or uncles? But Ma was pretty insistent that he not travel with family. The only saving grace was that no one said he couldn’t travel with a friend. He glanced at his travel companion and navigator. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” He asked. “Because I think we’ve passed that tree three times now.”


Patcheel Qinling was following along behind Capriccio, bobbing his head to a tune that only he could hear. His steps were uneven and his path was… unique. Patcheel wasn’t what one would consider cookie cutter. He literally marched to the beat of his own drummer. It was for this reason that he decided to go along with Capriccio on this little journey. Well, that and Nova asked him to. He had been a sort of friend and apprentice to Duga when he was just a foal, and if her mate asked for the moon, he would have done his best to pull it down for her. The fact that he actually liked Capriccio, and was getting a bit bored in the valley, helped. At Capriccio’s inquiry, he lifted his head and cocked it, trying to get the world to settle. That was a little quirk of his that had made life challenging for as long as he could remember. No matter how much others insisted that things were still, they always looked and felt wibbly wobbly to him. “We’re going in a straight line,” he informed his friend.  

[divena]

Capriccio winced. “A straight line?” He squeaked. In Patcheel speech that meant all manner of spirals, circles, and who knew what else. It was his own fault, he realized. He knew about Patcheel’s sense of direction and his problem with straight paths. Maybe they’d eventually get to where they were going, but it would be in a ridiculously unnecessary roundabout way. That was IF they had a destination. “Where are we going, again?”


“Going?” Patcheel repeated, confused. The whole point of this journey was to travel where their feet took them, wasn’t it? Or had he missed something? That wasn’t unexpected. He missed a lot of things. He’d made his piece with it. Still, if he was supposed to be a guide and companion, he probably should know where they were going, at the very least. “Were we going somewhere in particular?”  

[divena]

That was what Capriccio was afraid of. He sighed heavily. “No, I guess not,” he answered, trying hard not to seem too frustrated. He wasn’t lost, he told himself. You had to be going somewhere to get lost, didn’t you? If you were just wandering then you would never be lost. You also couldn’t be late. He sighed again. “Well, if we’re not going anywhere in particular, then why are you leading again?” He asked. If he let Patcheel keep leading then they’d end up just going round and round in a circle. While that wasn’t a bad thing if you were just looking for a leisurely stroll, it wasn’t particularly helpful in exploring the world. Capriccio may not have wanted to leave the valley initially, but now that he was out in the world he wanted to see as much of it as he could. Of course, first he had to convince Patcheel that he should be the one to lead. At least then they would actually go in a straight line. Telling Patcheel that they were going in circles would get him nowhere, though. He had to be careful how he approached this.

“Nova asked me to be your guide,” Patcheel reminded him. “Though, I guess it’s hard to guide someone when you’re not really going anywhere… Maybe she just wanted me to make sure you got home when you’re ready?” That sounded more like something Nova would suggest. Duga, of course, would have said her son could make it home whenever he was ready if he really wanted to. Nova, however, hadn’t had a stellar experience in the world at large the one time she left. Patcheel could understand how the more reserved mare would want to make sure her boy had a way to get back if that was what he wanted. Even with her misgivings, she wouldn’t want to deprive her children of the opportunity to learn and grow. “Why don’t you pick a path?” He suggested. He looked around the trees that surrounded them and cocked his head slightly, “As soon as we find a path anyway.”
 

[divena]

Well, that was a relief. He wouldn’t have to figure out how to ask to lead without hurting Patcheel’s feelings. “That’d be great,” he agreed, feeling much more cheerful already. “Though, do I really need a path to pick a direction? Couldn’t I just… I don’t know… go right here instead of left?” He was fairly certain they’d passed by that tree several times already, and each time they had gone left.

Patcheel nearly corrected Capriccio. He almost explained that right was the wrong way. Still, he managed to think first. If Capriccio wanted to get lost, that would just be part of the learning experience, wouldn’t it? Patcheel wasn’t certain how this whole experimental exploration thing was supposed to work. When he traveled it had always been because he had an itch. He knew that Capriccio didn’t have the same itch. “We can try it,” he agreed, shifting directions. “There’s all kinds of paths, really. If you want to go off the beaten one, we can do that.” That could even sound fun.  

[divena]

Off the beaten path? Capriccio considered that before grinning. “That sounds like an adventure,” he pointed out, liking that idea. There weren’t many adventures to be had in the valley. His grandmother was very careful to make sure that their home was safe for everyone who lived there. While that was good for one’s sense of comfort and wellbeing, it severely limited the number of exciting adventures one could have. He knew the story of his Mum and Uncle Wolfgang’s mishap with a skinwalker when they were young. He was also old enough to understand how close he came to never existing just because his Mum nearly perished as a foal. Still, there was a part of him that wondered if the adults hadn’t exaggerated the danger of the situation. His very own adventure would be a story to tell, and he’d get some much needed perspective. At the very least he’d get to figure out if he’d be more suited to his Ma’s line of work or his Mum’s.

Patcheel laughed. “Adventures are good,” he returned his friend’s grin. “Full of fun and mischief. But,” his tone went from light to foreboding, “adventures can be full of danger, too. You’ve been sheltered, you know. Are you sure you want to risk it? You could get hurt. You could end up scarred, even.” He didn’t think that was likely to happen, but he felt the need to warn his friend. “Back in the valley, it doesn’t matter that we’re minis. But, Cappy, the world is big. Even bigger for little fellows like us. There are some that would look at us and see a snack rather than a soq. Some. Might talk down to you just because they can. Not many, probably. I’ve heard that it used to be much worse, but there’s still some who are stuck in their ways. You have to be ready for all of it. Or we can stick to the safe path, the familiar path. Not as risky, and not as much fun, usually. Then again, it could be less fun….” And Patcheel realized he was babbling. He made a face. “You should be prepared.”  

[divena]

Well, this conversation was taking a sudden turn. “Aren’t these all warnings that you should have given me BEFORE we left the valley?” He asked, wryly. He knew he was making light of the topic, and that Patcheel was just trying to be a good friend, but he was starting to feel nervous about this whole thing. He didn’t want to run back home before he’d been gone for more than a few hours. Or was that what Patcheel was trying to get at? For the first time, Capriccio wondered if Patcheel even wanted to venture back out into the world.

“Probably,” Patcheel agreed with a small, sheepish shake of his head. “But I didn’t talk to you before you left, remember? I was right there with you. Didn’t your moms talk to you about any of this? Or maybe Zahavah? I know Pavlov would have had a nice long list of things to be afraid of.” Patcheel had yet to meet a stallion as nervous as the male leader of their herd.  

[divena]

Capriccio didn’t want to admit that he hadn’t really paid attention to what his Mum had said just before they left. It wasn’t entirely his fault. Nova had gone on and on and on about all sorts of things, mostly plants to watch out for. She worked closely with the herd healer and as such had learned a good deal about various helpful and poisonous plants. She had wanted to make sure that her children didn’t accidentally eat something that could hurt them. After the tenth plant, Capriccio had begun to tune her out. As for his grandfather… well, Pavlov was always giving out warnings about everything, including things that no one but he could see. Capriccio didn’t take those warnings seriously and, like with Nova, tended to tune the ravings out. Maybe there were some things he should have been listening to after all. It occurred to him that his Mum had realized he was zoning out and that was why she had requested that Patcheel travel with him. His sister, to his knowledge, was heading out on her own. Then again, his sister was more likely to actually listen. When he realized the silence had dragged on, he tried to cover with, “I guess it doesn’t hurt to hear it all again.”

Patcheel hid a smirk. He knew what his friend was thinking. Capriccio hadn’t listened to a word his family had said before he left. It wasn’t surprising. Patcheel wasn’t much older than Capriccio, but he had grown up more or less on his own. As a result, he had matured quickly. Still, he remembered feeling invincible when he was younger. If he hadn’t met Duga when he had, he probably wouldn’t have made it to adulthood. This, he decided, was why he was with Capriccio. Not to guide him to any particular locations, but to keep the younger stallion grounded. Capriccio would probably forget that he wasn’t immortal until life forced him to deal with his own mortality. Patcheel’s job was to make sure that the wake up call didn’t come too late, or at too high a cost. “Basically it boils down to the old cliché,” he explained, feeling rather wise and sagey. “Great risk leads to great reward.” Of course, it wasn’t a guarantee, but he didn’t want to completely spook Capriccio off. “We’ll go where you want to go for now, just try not to do anything too stupid.” He could have gone on with a longer lecture, but he knew Capriccio would just zone out, as he had with his family. Life was going to be the young stallion’s teacher, not Patcheel.  

[divena]

Capriccio waited a moment, expecting more of a lecture than that. When it didn’t come, he glanced at his friend. “That’s it?” He asked, suspiciously. “No other pearls of wisdom or warnings?” He had expected it, when he practically invited a lecture. This flippant response was throwing him.

“Would you listen to me if I went on a whole rant about safety and whatnot?” Patcheel asked with a chuckle. He already knew the answer, of course, but it was clear that Capriccio hadn’t put the pieces together yet.  

[divena]

“Well, I guess not,” Capriccio admitted, sheepishly. “It’s not that I wouldn’t want to listen, I just… zone, I guess.” It really didn’t matter what the topic was, Capriccio had a tendency to tune out if all he had to do was listen. Even if it was a topic that he was genuinely interested in, like survival. It was one of the many reasons he hadn’t done as well with his lessons as some of the other foals in the herd. He was very much a hooves on learner. Unfortunately that didn’t help him much now. Maybe he should have made more of an effort to learn how to focus while he was growing up. It just hadn’t seemed as important back then. Something he should probably work on now.

“I know you’d mean well, but I’d still be talking to myself,” Patcheel pointed out, good naturedly. He knew his friend would have the best of intentions, and even that Patcheel would want to know what Patcheel had to tell him, but some soqs just couldn’t focus to save their lives. Patcheel was one of them, though maybe not in the same way as Capriccio. Still, just because he understood that Capriccio couldn’t help himself didn’t mean that Patcheel had to waste his time and energy doing something he knew would have no results. “You’re not stupid, though. You’ll figure things out,” he assured his friend. “No lectures needed.” He hoped.  

[divena]

The thought of not having to listen to a lecture was very appealing, of course, but Capriccio still wondered if he should be making an effort to learn how to focus better. It wasn’t that he had no ability to focus at all, he consoled himself. He just had trouble focusing when other people were talking… which didn’t make him feel much better. He shook his head and dismissed the thoughts to be investigated later. Right now, they were adventuring! Or rather, traveling. Whatever. “Okay…. So, it’s trial by fire,” he chirped. “I can do that.” That was the best way to learn, really. Just like Patcheel had said. “Still… do you have any other advice?” Advice wasn’t the same as a lecture. For one thing, it was much shorter.

“Advice I can do,” Patcheel agreed, cheerfully. “In fact, I have so much advice, I couldn’t possibly tell you all of it now.” Which was another way of saying he wasn’t certain what sort of advice to give just at the moment. He was sure he’d come up with something eventually. It really depended on the situations. Of course, advice wasn’t the same as an order. In the heat of the moment, it easy was to ignore advice. For a full five seconds, Patcheel worried about what might happen in a life or death situation. Then he dismissed the concerns. The Soquili lands were relatively safe, with only a few exceptions. The odds of them encountering a skinwalker or kalona were slim. If it happened, he’d deal with it and see how well Capriccio could keep his head under pressure. “Is that a path up ahead?”  

[divena]

Capriccio perked up at the mention of a path. He looked straight ahead and saw… nothing. For a moment he suspected Patcheel was just tying to change the subject. Then he remembered Patcheel’s unique view of the world. Ahead didn’t mean straight ahead. He looked around for a few seconds until he spotted a rough path a little to their left and a bit behind them. If they had kept going the direction they were going, they would have missed it entirely. Still, Capriccio was impressed that Patcheel had seen it at all. It wasn’t anywhere near where he was looking or even would have looked. “Should we go check it out?” He asked, forgetting that he was supposed to be in charge. In his mind this was an exciting possibility. Back in the valley, he knew every path like the back of his hoof. He knew where they led and where they started. This path was new and unknown. That made it exciting.

It was on the tip of his tongue to remind Capriccio that he was the one making decisions now, but Patcheel managed to restrain himself. He studied the path for a moment, forcing himself to think about this carefully. Normally, he would have taken the path because it was there, and also to see how long it was. In his experience, paths rarely lasted long. Still, this time he was supposed to be looking after Capriccio. He was the mentor, which meant he had to be considerate of what he did and said. He wasn’t sure he liked it much. The path looked a little rough, like it might have been a game trail rather than a commonly used path. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hoof, they wouldn’t run into any potentially malicious strangers. On the other hoof, they could run into some dangerous predators. Ugh. This whole being a responsible mentor thing was exhausting. “You’re leading this expedition. What do you want to do?”

“Oh, right,” Capriccio winced. That was right. He was leading. Well, if that was the case then the decision was easy. “Let’s go!” He chirped, changing course. The path was a good distance away, but as they got closer he could see that it was barely a path. More like a small tunnel in the foliage. Still, a path was a path, and he didn’t know where this one went to. He was bound and determined to find out how far it went and where it led to. Who knew? Maybe it would lead to a more well traveled path.

Patcheel pushed aside his concerns and nodded a bit. “Let’s see what’s ahead,” he agreed. He decided he had to remember that this trip was supposed to be a learning experience for Capriccio but that didn’t mean he had to spend the entire time worrying. That would probably drive him into an early grave. Nope, he’d have to take each thing as it came. Worrying wouldn’t do any good, really. Besides, if he was a neurotic mess, what good would he be to Capriccio?  

[divena]

Capriccio bounced a bit as they grew closer to the path. He couldn’t help but imagine all the wonders they might find on the path. He was almost disappointed when they finally reached the path and found that it was even less travelled than it had looked from a distance. In fact, it didn’t look much different from the many foal made paths in his home valley. He silently chided himself for raising his expectations too high. They weren’t even a day’s travel from the valley. He couldn’t expect things to change as if an invisible line separated his home from the rest of the world. From everything he had learned from Curador and Mum Duga, the changes were gradual in most places. As they stood on the path, finally, he looked to the left and then to the right, debating which direction to go. “Suggestions?” He asked Patcheel, uncertain if there was a method to choosing a direction or if he could just pick one at random.

“Well, we could go left,” Patcheel answered, thoughtfully. “That’s the direction the path comes from, after all. We could see where it begins, if there’s anything of interest there. And if not, we can always follow it back to this point and then take the other direction. Or we could go right and see where, if anywhere, it goes. Of course, there’s always the chance of forks in the path. Not very likely since this is a game path, which is to say that it’s mostly used by wild animals. In that case it would be harder to find our way back to this point. Of course, more options mean more paths to follow, if you can remember which choices you’d made to begin with. That is, of course, assuming we’re looking at the path from the right angle. It could be that it actually comes from the right and leads to the left rather than coming from the left and leading to right. If that’s the case, then you have to reverse the options and realize that going to the right would take us to where it started and left might lead to forks.”

At some point, Capriccio’s eyes glazed over and he started to zone out of what Patcheel was saying. He tried to focus back on the words, but only managed to get three more words, which made no sense out of context. And then his mind started to drift again. When Patcheel finally stopped, he snapped back to attention and realized, sheepishly, that he hadn’t been paying attention even though he had been the one to ask for advice. All he could remember was that Patcheel was laying out possibilities. “Erm… how about… left?”

Patcheel bit back a chuckle. He knew his young friend had drifted off during his little lecture. It had actually been why he had rambled on as he did. He hadn’t wanted to just shrug and say it didn’t matter. Especially not when Capriccio seemed to think Patcheel had all the answers. This would keep him from realizing there weren’t as many answers as he thought. “Left is a good choice.”