[SRP] Once Upon a Midnight Dreary

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

This is a private RP between my two Soquili, Lorcan and Ezekiel E. Vee. Please DO NOT post without permission!





Kaya Wolf Moon's Teepee

 

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

The moon hung low on the horizon. Its silver beams diminished in intensity as it started to fade away, soon to be replaced by the gleaming golden rays of the sun. Their eternal dance of night waning to day once more enacted. Many souls of the Kawani lands were fast asleep during this time. The winter months having put a spell of hibernation on the larger dwellers, while smaller ones simply kept to their diurnal nature. There were a few nocturnal beings which stirred about, however, going about their nightly needs. Yet, there was one individual whom fit into neither of these categories. Ezekiel E. Vee lay awake. His back turned towards his sleeping brother whom laid ensnared by the realm of dreams. The brown pawed stallion had been unable to remain in that same land. His mind did not allow him to do so. Quick-witted and intellectual, sometimes it was difficult for Ezekiel to rest when he should. Lorcan constantly reminded him of the necessities of a good night’s slumber but, despite the truth of it, his mind did not work in that fashion. It raced and darted, trailing from one thought process to the next in the blink of an eye. When he became fixated on a subject or problem, he could not rest until he had resolved it or became learned in every aspect. Tonight was one such night.

Ezekiel sighed, his deep red orbs tracking the path of the moon. He had been studying the weather patterns around them for the past few evenings. It seemed as if a storm might arrive soon, dumping an indeterminate amount of fresh snow on the mountains. Ezekiel loved the mountains, truly. But they could be troublesome at times, especially during the winter months. There was an end in sight to the colder season, though. Within two months’ time, spring would be upon them once again and he would be able to study thunderstorms instead of snowstorms. Equally as treacherous if not careful, yet not as bothersome. The younger stallion did not know where his preference for thunderstorms hailed. As per usual, he stood apart from his elder brother in his tastes. Lorcan finding enjoyment in the fluffy white snowflakes where he found less enthusiasm. He would not say that he feared the wintry mix. Although, he could not quite place what he would say of it. His impressions on the substance stemmed far into the reaches of his foalhood. His keen mind wound down the path of his memories, attempting to pinpoint the exact moment he came to feel this way. The answers continued to elude him in the end.

“What are you doing, Ezekiel?” Lorcan’s bleary voice broke into his thoughts. Ears flicking, he turned his head towards the source. “I am simply thinking, Big Brother. I am sorry if I awoke you. Please, go back to sleep.” “Nah,” he heard the familiar shuffling of his brother’s sleep-hazed approach. The cream stallion came to a halt beside him before plopping down. “Whatcha thinking about?” An amused light entered the younger stallion’s eyes. Shaking his head, “Nothing of importance. I was merely trying to remember something. Something from when we were foals.”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Lorcan peered over at his younger brother. One brow quirked skyward, he studied the wistful expression and pensive gaze. Zeke was certainly thinking about something. And hard. "If it’s not that important, then why are you thinking so hard about it?” He pressed, sincerely curious. While the brown stallion could get lost in thought, he rarely looked as he did in that moment. Only those things that were truly troubling him earned this level of contemplation. His foalhood had typically been one of them. Casting a sidelong glance at Lorcan, Ezekiel hesitated before releasing a heavy sigh. The elder brother may be impulsive, but he was also quite observant when he wished to be. “I simply wish to remember is all,” he repeated flatly. “Truly remember, that is. You know that I dream of the past. That nightmares creep into my slumber and torment me.” Ezekiel frowned, gesturing towards their makeshift abode with a flick of his tail. “I had another one. It is the same as it always is. I am running. From what I do not know. But I am scared, and I cannot find anyone to help me.” The young stallion paused, uncertain of how to express the remainder of his thoughts. Lorcan sat patiently and waited for him to continue at his own pace. His presence exuded a comforting and silent strength. Lorcan will not laugh at me, he reminded himself. Huffing out a breath, he proceeded to say, “I do not think they are simply dreams, Big Brother. They are so vivid and lifelike. So much so, that I am inclined to believe they are memories.”

The white and cream stallion scrunched his muzzle in thought. “Memories, huh?” His brows furrowed at the notion. He wasn’t as smart as his younger brother. If that’s what he believed, then it wasn’t his place to contradict it. Besides, it sounded plausible enough. He’d had some vivid dreams in his lifetime, yet none came close to what Ezekiel described to him in the past. “It’s possible,” he finally said after a moment. “You’ve always had some blank spots when it came to certain things. Maybe it’s your brain trying to fill in those gaps.” “Hmm,” Ezekiel nodded, eyes narrowing. “Possibly. But my main concern is WHY? Why does my mind seek that knowledge? I can only assume these lapses of memory exist for a reason. A traumatic event that is best left forgotten.” His voice grew more insistent with each sentence. The fervency to know lit upon his features. “Maybe it’s trying to tell you something?” Lorcan offered up, shrugging one shoulder. The apologetic look in his eyes spoke to his discomfort. He wished he could help his littler brother. Except that he didn’t know what he could do. Matters of the mind were Zeke’s thing. Not his, and certainly not this subject. They were just foals at the time after all.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

“Do you remember when we were foals?” Ezekiel’s voice cut across the silence that had fallen. Lorcan’s blue orbs flicked to his brother. The younger stallion stared unblinkingly up at the heavens. The corners of his mouth curved down in a light frown as he pondered and remembered. The elder stallion hesitated for just a second then, slowly, he nodded his head, “Yeah.” He cocked his head to one side, gazing curiously at the other. “Do you remember that one night? The night we first encountered one another?” Ezekiel pressed further. Lorcan didn’t know where his brother was going with this line of questioning. What sort of questions were these? “Of course, I do! It’s sort of hard to forget the night you meet your little brother,” he scoffed, disbelief in his voice. Hearing his remark must’ve struck a chord within the brown stallion. A smile ghosted across his muzzle as he turned to face Lorcan. “I did not mean it like that, Big Brother. It is merely…merely that I think my memories that are seeping into my dreams are from that night.” “From when we found you in that cave?” Lorcan tried to keep up with his brother, uncertain of where this might be going.

Ezekiel inclined his head in the affirmative. He had been contemplating the events of that night for a longer time than he dared admit. It was the point where his memories started to fade and blur. That one night that he recalled being terrified and alone, but nothing more. Until, that is, Lorcan had arrived. The elder stallion blew out a breath. Shifting his gaze to the vast expanse ahead of them, he noticed that a light snow started to fall. Zeke always hates the snow, he observed. Hate might’ve been a strong word, though. Disliked would probably be more accurate. I bet it has something to do with that night. It had been snowing then too. A harsh and fierce snowstorm waged war on the mountains that year, making survival all the more difficult…  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

(NOTE: Anything in blue is voiced by an NPC)

FLASHBACK:

The wind howled through the valley, fierce and loud for all the inhabitants of the valley to hear. Snow whipped about as it became caught in the treacherous fury. Many of the area’s denizens had wisely taken cover. Their hopes for it to abate soon foremost in their minds. Yet there were those who dared brave the storm. Among them, a father and son on their journey home. “Dad, how much longer must we walk in the snow like this?” A young Lorcan’s voice wavered on the stuttering wind. “Not much longer, Lorcan. We must make sure that your mother and siblings are safe, mustn’t we?” The elder stallion’s response could hardly be heard over the storm. The wind stealing snatches of his speech away, though the young one heard enough to understand. "Yes. We can’t let them worry either I suppose.” Although, Lorcan assumed his mother already thought the worst for them. She tended to worry over the slightest of things. Sometimes it was amusing while other times, mainly when he found himself to be the center of concern, it was downright annoying. In moments such as this, he didn’t think it to be either. “Bear with me a little longer, Lorcan. I promise we are not far from home.” His father’s words pulled him from his inner thoughts. “Okay, Dad,” he bobbed his head, despite his father being unable to see it from behind.

The duo pressed on in the raging snowstorm. Their pelts and paws made life in the mountains far easier than most, even in circumstances like their current one. Lorcan’s father drew to a halt, signaling his son to do the same. He tapped at the ground with his pawed feet. Concern dominated his features as his ears swiveled from one side to the other. “Is something wrong?” Lorcan didn’t like the sudden tenseness in his father’s body language. It typically meant that danger was near. “I do not know,” the elder spoke softly, absently. Had he imagined it? A faint sound raced on the wind to touch his hearing. Or so he thought. The pair remained still and silent. The elder now turning his head from side to side as if to locate something. No, I did not imagine it. His head jerked to the left. Yes! There came a faint hum from the cave system he knew to be there. But, what to do? Their family expected them in due haste given the storm. His mate would worry needlessly. Yet…he knew that sound. As distorted as it had been, he recognized it to be one of distress. A snowstorm was no place to be left in such a state. “Come, Lorcan. I think someone is in need of our help.” Lorcan swallowed the lump in his throat and inclined his head in agreement. He hadn’t heard the sound as his father had, but he trusted the older stallion’s instincts.

Treading cautiously, father and son made their way towards the cave system. It was hidden though traceable to those he lived in the area. “Lorcan, although I believe this is someone in trouble, do not let your guard down until we have confirmed as much. Do you understand?” Lorcan’s blue orbs glinted with trepidation but he nodded, “I understand, Dad.” They traveled further still, stepping out of the snowstorm and into shelter of the caves. This one was the largest of the caves in the system. Large and grandiose, it was the one to which all the other caves connected, twirling and twining their way out from its center. A soft whimper suddenly echoed around them. Lorcan’s father’s ears searched for the source of the sound, finding that it emanated from the cave farther down to the right. Curiously, he padded forward with Lorcan at his heels. Neither were prepared for what they were to find secreted there.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

While Lorcan and his father were trudging through the storm, another soul also found himself amidst the raging snow and wind. Except his circumstances were far less docile… He ran. For how long he ran, he did not know. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. Regardless, he raced onward with everything he had within him. The snow-covered forest blurred into a continuous stream of white. His feet traipsed over foliage and rock alike, the former shifting to the latter in an instant. Yet he did not notice. All that the young one held in his mind was to get away. Get far away from the trauma and darkness. Flee from the gory scene which lay behind him. Images, unbidden and horrid, flitted across his mind’s eye. The lifeless forms of his family and friends haunted him. The attacker whom caught them unawares cruel and brutal in his onslaught. How? WHY?! His mind called out to the heavens. Why us?! Why now?! His mother was pregnant with her second set of foals. They were due within the next month. Then that monster... Tears distorted his vision. A few dripped from the corners of his eyes to soak his cheeks. New life that would never be. Other lives torn asunder by a singular beast.

A beast which continued his chase for the young foal even now. Ezekiel could almost sense the dank, rotted breath of the being stomping after him. Could feel it on the back of his neck. NO! He urged himself to go faster, spurred his legs into a faster pace. His father had laid his life down in a final act of protection. The young one could not let his sacrifice- THEIR sacrifice- go to waist. I must live! I cannot let it get me! Panic, true and intense, coursed through his veins while his heart thumped rapidly in his chest. He could not last much longer. The elements were starting to seep into his bones. But he refused to give in to the dreary feeling. Surely, the monster would not be able to follow him forever?! Onward he dashed. One thing driving him- survival. Eventually, the foreboding feeling diminished. Ezekiel could no longer hear the thunderous footfalls of the beast behind him. Of course, that did not necessarily mean he was safe. He continued to dodge and weave his way through the valley. Zigging this way, zagging that way, until he believed his pursuer thoroughly confused.

Ezekiel never ceased his movement. To remain still would be to invite disaster. Despite his confidence in having lost the beast, he dared not assume the best of the situation. I cannot keep this pace forever, he breathed heavily, air coming in short gasps. A stitch ached in his side. Just as he found himself faltering, fortune lit upon him. To his left, an odd distortion in the mountainside caught his attention. Glimpsing it more closely, Ezekiel was thrilled to find it the entrance of a small cave. He spent but a moment debating the wisdom in entering it. His fear of the monster weighed against his fear of the unknown residing inside of the cavern. The young foal chose the cave over certain death. Ezekiel wasted no time in ducking into the blackness. He traveled blindly along. Each twist and turn took him deeper into the system, and he hoped further away from his tormentor. Only when he came upon a natural alcove in the walls did he finally stumble to a halt. His weariness crashed over him, causing him to collapse to the ground. Faint whimpers escaped as he finally settled enough to process all that happened. Heart-wrenching sobs choked back for fear of being overheard.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

(NOTE: Anything in blue is voiced by an NPC)

Their journey into the caves seemed ill-advised. Typically, Lorcan preferred to steer away from the caves during the winter months unless absolutely necessary. All manner of creature and being made the systems their home. Not all of them friendly or welcoming to intruders. If there someone or something was residing in the caves, if it were injured, then it could attack them without cause. Then what would Lorcan’s mother say? Steady yourself, Lorcan, he closed his eyes and let out a breath to calm his mind. You have journeyed through these caves many times before. And you are here with Dad. There is nothing to fear. Having his father present gave him comfort and strength. Should they encounter anything, his dad would be able to defend them. Although, he truly wished that not to be the case. So, when he heard the faint whimpers from further down the caves, he felt a strange chill run down his spine. Lorcan’s father didn’t hesitate in the least to press forward, his ears pinpointing the exact direction to travel. “Dad,” he whispered, reluctance in his tone. The elder stallion shook his head, signaling him to be quiet. Silence was important. Until they determined friend or foe, they kept to the shadows and maintained their element of surprise.

The whimpers grew louder as they progressed along the cavern wall. They were quiet but still audible in the natural silence of the stone walls. And they sounded almost…foal-like. But what would a foal be doing in a cave like this? More importantly, were they alone? Lorcan’s dad drew to a halt near a bend where the tunnel forked in two separate directions. The fork created a natural alcove towards the back. Lorcan held his breath, waiting to see what might happen. Then it came again. Another whimper. Except, this time, they knew exactly where the source lay. Hidden in the darkness of the alcove, almost entirely invisible from view, lay a small form. It shook as strangled cries wracked it's figure. Lorcan’s father stayed quiet for a time. His gaze intent and focused on the tiny body. Sensing no danger, he took a step forward. “Hello? Are you in need of help?” Lorcan stepped forward with his dad, but kept a few paces to his left, just in case. The heart-stopping screech of terror which answered made the young foal jump and flinch. “No, no,” the elder stallion cooed in a bid to calm and sooth. “It is alright. Please, calm yourself, little one. We are not here to harm you.” Whomever sat huddled back there appeared to be frightened.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Try as he might, the sobs which wracked his body refused to remain completely suppressed. Ezekiel knew the sounds he was making could be heard by anyone within the vicinity. Yet he did not care if they heard or not. He was filled with a reckless abandon at that moment. The heart-wrenching truth of what had transpired moments earlier had settled into his mind and soul at last. He was alone in this world now. No longer would he hear the voices of his father, his mother, nor his siblings. No more would he get to enjoy the warming embrace of his family or enjoy the comfort of merely being with them. The monster had seen to that. That terrible, horrible monster whose fangs had gnashed and whose claws had torn asunder the idyllic family he had been a part of. If not for his mother protecting him… Another choking sob escaped the young foal. Mother! Father! Why did it take you from me?! For it had been an “it.” Something as vicious and cruel as that being had been could not be a stallion or mare. Nobody born of this world could be so vile as that.

Ezekiel curled himself into a tight ball, attempting to make himself as small as possible in his hiding spot. The pain threatened to overwhelm. He was sure the physical scars would heal but that his mental and emotional ones would forever remain open wounds. Unable to close and mend due to the sheer nature of the trauma. His heart ached. It ached so much for the family he had lost. Why us? He found himself repeating the question in his mind. Why did it have to be us? What had we done? The answer was plain despite his asking. They had done nothing. Their misfortune had been one purely of happenstance and coincidence. The monster growled at them that it had been foraging. "And what a lovely meal I have found." Ezekiel’s body shivered and quaked violently at the recollection. Shutting his eyes tightly against the memory, he gave a quick shake of his head as if to clear it of the dire moment. He became too engrossed in his sorrows to recognize the approach of others to his hiding spot.

His reaction to the lilting voice was immediate and violent. The young foal shrieked in terror. His dark eyes grew as wide as saucers. He scurried away as fast as he could, pressing himself firmly against the rock wall. Ezekiel’s breathing quickened, growing more shallow with each breath. Panic once again overtook him. But there was nowhere for him to run or hide this time. As good as his hiding spot was, he had been remiss in examining whether it had an alternative entrance or exit in case he was discovered. Through his haze of panic, he saw the larger being’s mouth move, though he could not comprehend what was said. “Please! D-don’t hurt me! Haven’t you eaten enough of my family!?” Ezekiel wailed, his terror preventing him from realizing the two beings were not the monster he so feared.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

(NOTE: Anything in blue is voiced by an NPC)

Lorcan’s heart accelerated with every step forward they took. He trod lightly, careful to remain close to his father’s side. He was not foolish enough to disregard his father’s warning of what might lay ahead. The elder stallion was wise and strong, knowing well when to fight and when to play the diplomat. Cautious and clever, he was everything Lorcan wished to grow to be one day. Even now, despite not knowing if the sounds were from friend or foe, his father was willing to step forward and make certain no one was in need. As it so happened, however, it appeared as if someone was indeed in need of assistance. Lorcan’s eyes widened in surprise as seeing the tiny form laying huddled amidst the stone. His small frame shook violently, causing concern to arise within Lorcan. Is he injured? The young colt wondered, craning his neck to gain a better view. His position a few paces to his father’s right did not provide the best vantage point. Maybe he’s cold? It was difficult to tell even without an unobstructed line of sight. From what he could see, there were at least some tiny abrasions and contusions covering the tawny coat of the younger foal. Harsher injuries might have been hidden elsewhere though.

His vivid blue eyes cast a questioning glance at his father. What should we do? He wished to ask his father aloud, but he dared not for fear of creating issue. Lorcan watched intently as his father responded to his unvoiced inquiry by taking a step forward and breaking the silence. The ensuing shriek caused his ears to lay flat against his head. Their sensitive nature pained by the sharp noise. He winced, sucking in a breath. However, it was the following plea of terror, for them not to harm him that caused the colt to freeze in his tracks. “Wh-what? Hurt you? Why would we—” The rest of his sentence died on his lips. He stared dumbfounded at the other colt. Had he heard correctly? Surely, he had been mistaken. For it had sounded as if the younger colt had claimed his family to be…eaten… I heard him wrong...Had to have. Who would want to eat a family of Soquili? Even as the question entered his thoughts, a small voice in the back of his mind cut across with a singular revelation, Skinwalkers. But—how could…? “Lorcan, listen to me,” his father interrupted his musings. “I must calm this little one. I will not be able to focus on him as well as making certain we are not discovered. Whatever has happened to him, it is clear it was caused by someone evil. I need you to be my eyes while I tend to this one, okay?”

Pride welled within his chest. Lorcan knew what his father meant by this. He was entrusting him with an important task. Granted, one he had no other choice but to request. Still though, it was another step to becoming more like his father. “Yes, sir. I’ll go a few yards back up the cave. I won’t let anyone past my guard.” “Very well, now go. And be careful should anyone appear.” He could have sworn there was a gleam of fatherly pride in his father’s eyes. With a curt nod, Lorcan quietly dashed off to take up his post. Behind him, the calming words of the elder stallion echoed faintly off the stone walls.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Ezekiel’s heart pounded painfully in his chest. His blood rushed noisily through every vein within him. A thunderous roar which drowned out nearly every sound. Even his shrieks of terror were muted, dulled by his pulsing blood. The only thing he knew was panic and fear. Two emotions made all the more intense by the approach of the larger being which stood before him. “St-stay back!” He screamed as he pushed himself into a seated position, his back now flat against the rock. “Stay away!” Dark brown eyes darted about, searching, yearning for some way to escape his foes. Movement from the corner of his gaze drew his focus to it. The smaller one was departing. But where was it to go? Was it sent off to grab a weapon or perhaps to seek out more of its kin? Ezekiel’s mind raced dizzyingly with the possibilities. He did not wish to become a meal for a group of “its.” He had to do something. He had to fight back…for himself, for his deceased family.

With a surge of courage, the young stallion reared up on his tiny hind legs. His claws dug into the stony earth as he lurched forward. He closed his eyes when he struck out. He could not bear to witness his potential failure, to see his paw pass its mark only for the other being to seize it and strike. Except…it did not miss. Ezekiel’s foreleg shuddered to a harsh halt, vibrating from the impact where it landed. Flabbergasted, his eyes shot open and turned upward. They found his paw first where it still rested against the solid mass of a leg. Traveling upwards from his paw, they moved next to a darkened chest before wandering over the muzzle and finally coming to rest on the penetrating blue orbs peering back at him. The fear clouding his features intensified tenfold. He would surely perish now. “I—I—,” he stammered. What could he say? Sorry? To utter that word would be a lie. For he was not sorry. He had meant to hit the larger shape, meant to hurt him, if at all possible.

Tears welled up once more. They flowed freely down his cheeks, dripping from his chin to the ground. “P-please…don’t h-hurt me…,” he bowed his head while he pleaded. “I d-don’t want to die. Not here. Not like that.” The words gushed from him through choked sobs. The young colt did not know what had come over him suddenly. Whether it was his parted family urging him from beyond the grave or something else entirely- whichever, he could not say- he had garnered a new desire to keep living. It was likely to be too little too late, however. If this were the beast, then it would show him no mercy.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

(NOTE: Anything in blue is voiced by an NPC)

Lorcan stationed himself exactly where he told his father he would. The area where the cave forked in two separate directions was a few yards away. It was far enough from his father that he would be able to give ample warning yet close enough to remain within earshot. Both were important factors if they wished to aid the terrified colt. Lorcan’s ears fell flat against his head once more. The image of the foal’s face flashed across his mind’s eye, horrified and filled with agony. The white and tan colt was certain he would never be able to forget that image. It was forever burned into his memory. No one should be made to feel such terror. What had happened to the little one? What sort of tragedy could have befallen him and his family? He had mentioned something of being eaten. There were only certain beings capable of such devilry. Lorcan’s eyes narrowed at the darkness, glowering at it as if it had affronted him. Skinwalkers had made their way to the mountains it seemed. Being young as he was, he could not fully comprehend the meaning of that notion; however, he understood full well that they would need to defend against it. Others had already lost their lives at the claws of this evil. An evil that, until tonight, Lorcan had merely heard tales of.

He must be ready. If a Skinwalker was about, then it was possible it would not forego its meal so readily. It could track down the colt to this cave in hopes of finishing what it had begun. Lorcan and his father would not allow that to happen. Standing taller, the elder colt flicked his ears to and fro, listening for any signs of an intruder to the caverns. A task made more difficult by the screeches and soothing whispers coming from behind. “It is all right, little one,” he could hear his father’s lilting voice whispering softly to the other. “We are not here to harm you. We’re not the beasts you fear.” Lorcan listened to the manner in which his father spoke. It was calm and gentle, not presumptuous or snarling. He sought to quell the fear through patience and kindness. The younger of the pair made a mental note of the proceedings. It would be good knowledge for later. His heart ached for the younger of them. A plea for mercy rang clearly about the cavernous chamber. To be so little and to experience so much pain… He’s not much younger than me, Lorcan noted as chills coursed along his spine. He could not imagine what it must be like. He dared not try for worry of losing himself in his emotions. No, he could not risk doing so, not when he had a job to do. A job he fully intended to do well and properly.

Straining his senses, he homed in on those sounds not native to the cave. He pushed past the murmurings coming from his father and the colt, stretching to those areas furthest from them. Even so, he continued to hear snatches of the conversation taking place. “Calm yourself. That’s it. See?” His father seemed to have quieted the foal at last. A hiccupping response trailed after, though Lorcan caught jumbled bits due to the younger’s quiet whispers.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

(NOTE: Anything in blue is voiced by an NPC)

The elder stallion’s ears drooped. To hear such sorrow and fear in a young voice tore at his heart strings. “Calm yourself. That’s it. See?” He coaxed the tawny brown foal whose sobs quieted considerably. Ezekiel’s chest rose and fell as the sobs wracking his body slowly died away. The words of the elder finally registered in his mind. So, they were not here to harm him? To maim and kill him for pleasure or an easy meal? Wide brown eyes stared skeptically at the other, studying him, searching for any signs of deception. There was none to be found. Now Ezekiel took the time to examine the larger stallion more carefully. He scrutinized him for any hint of blood or damage. His coat was clean, although somewhat matted from the weather, and thick. It was well-suited to the climate of the mountains, as were the paws on his feet. Ezekiel’s gaze fell upon them with great interest. Bigger than his own, they were not nearly the size he witnessed of the monster. Those were the feet of a titan with claws long and sharp, made to rip into flesh. “Y-you’re not the one,” he stated simply once his mind had managed to process everything. “You’re not the monster who killed my family.” “Aye, that I am not,” the elder stallion inclined his head, a soft smile upon his features. “A-and you’re not part of his kin?” Ezekiel had to be sure. He had to make certain. Granted, the stallion could easily lie to set him at ease, though instinct told him that would not be the case.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

(NOTE: Anything in blue is voiced by an NPC)

His soft smile broadening ever so slightly, the other shook his head once more, “No, me and mine are not part of that wretched clan. We’re a herd of warrior and scholars who reside in the northern part of the mountains.” Ezekiel continued to watch the stallion, bobbing his head a little in acknowledgement. He had heard of the Soquili whom lived in the mountains. His father spoke of them whenever he returned from his travels. His father…someone he would never welcome home again or hear tails of his journeys. Grief threatened to overtake the foal once more. Lowering his head, he allowed the tears to fall. “Your family…” Ezekiel flinched at their mention. The other paused but a moment, keenly aware of the discomfort in asking after them yet needing to press on. “They did not make it?” “N-no, they’re—they’re all gone…” his body began to shake as he uttered it. The finality of its admittance came crashing down upon him. His breathing hitched. “I-it k-kiilled them and I c-couldn’t d-d-do anything. I-I ran l-like m-my mother told m-me to. Sh-she tried to p-protect me b-but it—it...” Ezekiel could not bring himself to complete his sentence. The memory of his mother’s screams was too great. “Shhhh, it’s alright, little one.” Without preamble, the elder stallion stepped forward, gently wrapping one foreleg around the young one and pulling him close to his chest. “The evil won’t harm you anymore. I swear it.”  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

His heart felt heavy with the knowledge that the younger foal was going through so much. Although he did not know details, Lorcan could sense that the other had been through quite a lot. He gathered that the trauma inflicted upon the foal was of some great loss- his parents by the muttered snippets he managed to catch from the hushed conversation. At least Father's managed to calm him down some, the elder foal noted with pleasure. Hearing those anguished sobs had sent Lorcan’s fur standing on end. It was similar to what he imagined the wails of the banshees from his father’s stories might sound like. Come on, Lorcan, you have to focus. Father is counting on you to stand guard. It was a duty he took very seriously. He would not fail at it.  

[Kaya Wolf Moon]

Ears perked, he stood sentry at the point from which the tunnel diverged. There had been on sign of life save for those of his father and the young foal behind him. The only sounds emanating around him were from them or from the wind rustling through the tunnels on occasion. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Nothing except…Lorcan’s senses heightened considerably. He had heard the faintest of rustlings from the furthest portion of the tunnel, closest to the entrance. Holding his breath, he strained his ears in a bid to possibly hear it once again. Not a single sound reached him at first. Maybe I imagined it? It was understandable. With his awareness heightened, he was bound to take notice of things he might normally not. He was about to settle back into a more relaxed stance when the noise resumed. The rustling now sounded closer to a scraping, drawing ever closer to where he stood. Lorcan’s blood ran cold. Nothing he knew of which resided in these caves made that type of sound. Could it be…? Uncertainty caused him to hesitate. If it were what he believed it to be then they were in danger; however, if it were not, then he would be acting foolish. It would be the equivalent of jumping at his own shadow. Yet the feeling that he should move quickly and silently nagged at him. Surely, it was better safe than sorry? I need to warn Father!