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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 4:06 pm
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It had been a long and difficult patrol. The cold had set in harsh and unforgiving in the north, forcing the stallion to walk much of the way. Normally he would have just hunkered down and settled wherever he was until the weather passed, but for some reason he found himself restless and eager to be home.
Home. He'd never really considered the herdlands as such before and couldn't place when he started thinking it, but he suspected it had something to do with the appearance of a new mare in the Kateri. Tocapo had never considered himself much of a romantic, and had no desire to settle down or become involved with anyone. He threw himself into his work for the herd, and stayed away as much as possible. He had always felt displaced and homeless, but since meeting Lona he suddenly felt he had a place he belonged.
His trips have become shorter, his mind less focused than it used to be. He thought it funny, considering he'd spent only brief periods with Lona. There was something soothing and charming about her that Toca couldn't quite place. She made him feel lighter somehow. He smiled a bit, coming into sight of the herdlands.
He shook off the cold and stretched his wings, flinging bits of snow in all direction. He knew the secret path that wound through the mountain pass, but he still preferred to fly. He launched into the air, struggling a bit on his cold bones, but climbed slowly until he could more easily support himself on the wind. He rose up over the river, above the waterfall and through the clouds until the familiar landmarks of home came into view. He glided downwards in lazy spirals until he settled on the ground. He was meant to give his report upon his return, but couldn't resist seeking out Lona.
He assumed she would be out gathering somewhere in the vast valley they called home, though it was possible she was beyond the wall of the mountain gathering the rarer things the herd needed. He folded his wings close to his body for warmth and began his search. He nodded greeting to those he passed, but didn't stop to chat. He considered taking wing to find her more quickly, but thought it would be better to "happen" upon her on a walk. He chuckled to himself at his own foolishness.
There was nothing to be done for it, though. He wanted to see her, and didn't care if he looked foolish. Before long he spotted her. It was lucky that he happened upon her so quickly, considering the vast areas the gatherers went to. The problem was, he had no idea what to say to her. He hesitated, wavering between approaching her and pretending to be busy with something else.
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:43 pm
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Ever since joining the Kateri, Lona had met a variety of interesting individuals, some of whom she had grown close with in her time in her new herd. Abigail had been a great part in helping her get established in these new and unfamiliar lands, and she had taken to the elder unicorn and had started to view her as more of mother than she viewed her own. It was almost funny, she thought to herself, that she had so easily abandoned her own flesh and blood but this new family she had found for herself would be near impossible to leave.
She appreciated her humble spot in the herd as a gatherer. It was nice being able to meander on her own, picking up things that the herd would find useful as she went along. Of course, with the winter setting in, it was becoming ever more imperative that she work diligently. The cream colored mare knew that the resources she found now would be incredibly needed and she carefully tended to the sap collection they had set up. Some trees in their lands had been known for having sweet tasting sap that would be turned into tasty confections or at least used to as a sweeter note to their usual food. It was something Lona hadn't experienced in her old herd and she found that she enjoyed the sweet sap.
Though it was rather quiet without Eili with her, Lona always appreciated having some quiet time to herself. The mare quietly hummed as she waited patiently for slow moving sap to drip into the pails she was using to collect her bounty. Her soft voice ended up carrying an old song, one she had heard as a filly, as she began to gracefully half-walk, half-dance between the trunks. Her eyes holding a soft light to them as she quietly sang to herself.
She almost didn't hear the sound of someone approaching her but her ears flickered at the quiet sound of hooves one the earth behind her. The mare turned to see who had come out to see her and her smile grew as her eyes landed on Tocapo. He was a sweet stallion and they had spoken occasionally and she was always happy to talk to him. They had nice conversations when they happened and she had noticed she was running into him with increased frequency, which wasn't a bad thing in her opinion. It was nice to hear him talk about even the most mundane things, as odd as that was.
"Oh, hello Tocapo. You came back from patrolling?" She knew she had seen him leave earlier in the week, but Lona hadn't expected him to return so quickly. "Hopefully the winter weather didn't interfere with you."
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:14 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:40 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 8:53 pm
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2017 9:05 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 5:25 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2022 7:23 pm
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"You're very brave, Tocapo." Lona couldn't help the soft smile that came naturally to her, or the way her gaze filled with warmth as she looked at the stallion across from her. Perhaps it was simply because she found him handsome, but she had always enjoyed their little talks together, and being around him was comforting, even when they spent time together in silence. "To be honest, I envy that a little bit."
Her voice twinged with wistfulness, her words falling from her mouth as softly as the snow did from the sky on calm winter days. A duty to the herd... She had a duty within the Kateri, but she didn't adhere to that duty as strictly as Tocapo did. To her, it was simply something to do and something that got her away from the eyes of others. She had had a duty in the past to her previous herd, but she had run away from it without a single word to that herd's leaders, or her own parents. Perhaps that was why she enjoyed the freedom her new role allowed her, precisely because it got her away from the eyes of the other herd members and they wouldn't discover her past.
Lona did her best to mask the melancholy tone to her voice as her eyes settled on Tocapo's claws and then drifted to his beautiful, blue wings, before finally returning to his face. She didn't need to trouble him with her past. She had left that life for her own reasons, and now she was here, among the Kateri; the weight she carried was her own to deal with.
"It's true, you do have skills other's don't have. You're a skilled tracker, you're a talented combatant when you need to be, and you're quick witted, clever, and decisive. The herd is blessed to have you here and so willing to help." Lona took soft steps around Tocapo's frame before gently nudging the feathers of his wings. "But you have every right to enjoy your talents and skills for yourself, too, you know."
Her gaze shifted to the cloudy skies overhead, another soft smile lighting up her face. "I would love to know how it feels up there, soaring through the air." A deep, content sigh escaped her as Lona's gaze lingered towards the heavens above. "How different things must seem from up there..."
"If it's alright to ask, would you tell me what it's like?"
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