[SRP] Dead Mare... Floating? (Herja x Blair)

[RuIerr]

It wasn't until the moon was at the very top of the sky that Herja ventured out from her cave.

A creature of the night, it was no surprise that the half-Kalona sought out the shelter of shadows when the lands were alight. Bowing into a deep stretch at the mouth of the cave, Herja slowly walked out into the bright white shine of the moon. Next to the cave lie a small creek that stretched for several short miles.
A mare of habit, Herja dipped low to the water to take a long, slow drink before starting her meander down the banks of the creek. She enjoyed routine in her life; for a sturdy Kalona offspring, she was rather averse to things like surprises or change. Even with her hardened, haunting personality, that couldn't quite give her the adaptability a normal horse needed.

Thanks to the length of the night, Herja liked to take her time along the creek banks. Slowly, she would work her way up creek to where it met the larger river in these lands. From there, all the way back to the cave usually took her a decent chunk of the night. Not one for frolicking or socializing, it really was a pleasant time for her.

And so she went, muzzle to the ground as she slowly gnawed on the juicy grasses that lie beneath her feet. So content she was that she almost started humming a song. Almost.

WC: 244

 

[RuIerr]

Large, orange eyes blinking, Blair glanced around. This didn't seem quite right.

But did anything, ever? It came as no surprise to the tiny Usdia mare that she had "snapped to" in a new area of the lands. Regularly, she found herself zoning out so hard that for several hours she would not feel in control of herself. Blindly stumbling about, she would come to and find herself rather disoriented, unsure of both what happened and where it was she found her body now located.

It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the newfound darkness of midnight, but once her eyesight did settle, she found she could newly focus on the sounds of what seemed to be a slow but babbling creek. Blair's ears twitched this way and that, honing in on the sound. Fairly certain she had the right direction, she headed off... only to realize a few minutes later that the creek became inaudible.

A slow smile spread across her face as she recognized the blessing, turning tail and trotting slowly in the complete opposite direction. As the water drew closer and closer, Blair's eyes flashed, recognizing the form of another Soquili in the distance. 'Perfect! Maybe I can ask them for directions,' she thought, hope brewing in her mind that she may be able to orient herself after all.

Pixie side of her lineage dictated that Blair's steps were nearly inaudible, oft catching individuals by surprise. This never really registered to Blair - she always sort of forgot to warn Soquili that she was nearing when their backs were turned. Especially unfortunate, since her appearance never really warranted a warm initial welcome. It was this issue that was about to crop up as Blair neared what she could now see was a deep purple and black mare grazing by the creekside.

WC: 306

 

[RuIerr]

Herja's tail flicked contentedly as she continued to chew up the juicy grass across her path. Her ears flicked slightly, thinking she heard some semblance of a sound, but it wasn't enough to warrant drawing her attention away. Idly, she started wondering about the next bit of shelter she in which she would hole herself up. You see, she didn't stay in the same cave for an eternity; she knew she needed to switch it up sometimes - about once a moon. It wasn't exactly smart to stagnate, but she had grown fond of this particular cave. Of course, the nearby water source certainly helped, having both fresh water and some of the better fed grass she'd had the pleasure of gnawing. Often she was able to find a new home base within a day or two of leaving the original, but on occasion it would take several days - something Herja abhorred. Impatient by nature, she'd rather hole up on her own than spend days aimlessly wandering in an attempt to find a place to call home for another handful of weeks. Lost in her thoughts, Herja had no idea that there was a small Usdia drawing ever closer to her.

WC: 201

 

[RuIerr]

Regardless of what experience should have communicated to her, Blair was still surprised that the purple mare did not turn around as Blair drew near. Something in her, she supposed, wanted to be recognized as a regular Usdia, rather than some kooky and terrifying little mare. Blair padded forward, seeing that the other mare appeared lost in her own thoughts. She saw the larger female's tail flick, seemingly happy that she was out in the middle of the night, grazing. It made the little Usdia smile, seeing someone with the same habits as her own. She might not have been smiling had she had the vantage point to see she was dealing with a Kalona.

Thanks to that bit of ignorance, Blair planted her tiny hooves behind the other mare and made a small throat clearing noise. "Uh, hello there..." The words slipped out of her mouth unplanned; she never was really good at dealing with others. Likely a product of the fact that others chose not to interact with her, but these things happened.

WC: 176

 

[RuIerr]

Herja had been minding her own business when all of a sudden she heard a small throat clear. Not one to be gracefully interrupted, she whipped around only to spot a tiny, skeleton-esque Usdia adorned with both butterfly wings and a horn. All in all, the sight and the sound - the interruption, namely - startled Herja, the big, bad, part-Kalona (sometimes she tried hard to appear full Kalona, but her heart was, unfortunately, there). Flicking her tail, the mare took small other. She was a fascinating sight to behold; her face markings alone looked terrifying, but but she was so miniscule it was a wonder she was able to give Herja a fright. Although, it was to be noted that she hadn't been paying attention - and, ahhhh, it seemed the little Imp must be mixed with some Pixie. 'That's it, the mare thought, 'that would explain such a light hoof fall.' Proud of herself, Herja finally deigned to respond to the other.

Leaning down, her neck long as low, Herja squinted her bright blue eyes and stared at the Usdia's skeletal face. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she snarled quietly - you know, for effect. She waited, her eyes gleaming as she stared at the little mare, awaiting a response.

WC: 211

 

[RuIerr]

Not having any clue that the mare would react so harshly, it startled Blair a bit. She stepped back, making minimal noise with her tiny Usdia hooves. Blinking, her eyes looked like they were vacant, staring at nothing - it was a common phenomenon with her and sometimes led Soquili to believe her to be blind. Even so, she could see just fine, which meant she was staring directly at the blunt teeth of a monster. "I, uh..." and just like that, she forgot what she was going to say.

Without connecting the two thoughts, Blair blinked hard again, tilting her head back at an odd angle. She looked around, conveying a confusion that was typical of the small mare, and queried, "Where am I?" All of a sudden she realized, she didn't recognize these lands. And... "Do you know how I got here?" Her tiny eyebrows furrowed a bit as her butterfly wings fluttered anxiously. This happened to her so often, it really shouldn't affect her so, but each time she forgot how quickly it made her heart race.

WC: 179

 

[RuIerr]

Herja continued holding her pose for a bit longer - adding to the effect. A smile creeped its way onto her face as she realized her snapping had work, startling the tiny, odd-looking Usdia mare. Hearing the other mare's words, her head slowly drifted back into its natural position and cocked a bit. What was up with this kid? What right did she have to pester her with so many questions?

As the other spat out the last of her second inquiry, Herja realized something: this mare was off - and it seemed that she was beyond confused. Without meaning to, her natural reaction was to burst out laughing. "You're kidding me, right? You have to know where you are. And how you got here - you're the one that did it. You interrupted my grazing, I have no clue where you came from or why you're here," she growled, a bit meaner than she meant to. But, really, what was up with this mare?

WC: 159