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 Posted: Thu Feb 03, 2022 10:38 pm
 The frigid, icy grasp of winter had closed its claws around the Kawani Lands, leaving them blanketed in snow. A stallion of mixed breed stood amidst the snow bowed trees, surveying a land that was no longer familiar. His flutter wings shivered and shrank against the cold, their only sanctuary the tiny feathered vestiges that wreathed his shoulders in pitiful plumes. His coat had grown somewhat thicker than usual, fetlocks full and enshrouding padded paws.
He had made no plans for this eventuality; how was he to have known that a blizzard would hit and leave him stranded in a place so foreign to him? In a maze of woods he'd never traversed before, Sultan wondered how he would ever find his way back to the plains. How, indeed, could one tell one span of grass from another when all was snow bound?
Although the crystalline shimmer of icicles was pleasing to the eye, the stallion felt no love for such an vision. At this moment he would have much preferred to be in the bosom of his family, with kith and kin surrounding him and sharing their warmth. Instead he was here, desolate and disconsolate, certain that he would remain lost until the Spring's thaw. It was only with great difficulty that he had managed to get this far. Perhaps it would have been smarter to find shelter, but what seemed clear in hindsight often veiled in the moment.
He paused, listening to the wind as it howled, and wondered if he was entirely alone. Glancing about, the stallion searched for any sign of life in the bleak surrounds. "Hello? Is there anyone out there?" Again, he wondered if he was being foolish, for there was no telling what danger awaited him. Yet Sultan would almost prefer company to safety, at this juncture. He waited, hope slowly dying as silence reigned.
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:52 pm
Of all the days to leave her family and go for a small adventure, Seraph couldn't believe she'd have chosen the very day a blizzard rolled through. Certainly, the tri-winged mare was used to snow the occasional blustery weather that proved winter was in full swing. But this storm hit hard, and even her feathered wings couldn't keep her comfortable. Shelter would be in order, but as the land was unfamiliar to the mare had to go by what she remembered on her journey there! She had thought she'd seen a thicker grove of trees during her travels--but finding such a thicket while the wind kicked up powder and threw snow around with every gust was near impossible. Seraph didn't even know if she was going in the right direction, much less if she'd find what she hoped for!
So it was, the mare periodically shook off her coat, and kept her wings tucked tight about her. Step by step, Seraph pressed onward, hoping that the spirits might guide her to some sanctuary. Anything to cut the cold and break the wind; while the woods and neighboring trees offered some protection, she needed to be in a denser part of the woods for it to have the greatest effect. Unfortunately, she had no idea if she was going deeper into the forest, or leaving it behind!
She'd wanted an adventure, but she hadn't wanted this...
Step by frigid step, the pawed mare listened to the howling wind. It almost sounded alive, and if she really strained, she sometimes thought she heard voices carried on the wind. So it was, she almost missed Sultan's cry, until she realized that it wasn't just a trick of the wind--there really was someone out there! Friend or foe, she didn't know-but maybe the stranger would know where to find a place to rest! It was possible they were as lost as she, or worse, in a bad way thanks to the storm--but Seraph was determined to find out.
"Hello? I'm here! You're not alone!" She assured, unsure if it was necessary. For all she knew she could be walking right into a death trap--but she had wings, and while she doubted she could fly anywhere with the weather being what it was, if she was in a life-or-death pinch, she'd rather be battered by the wind than slain by some sort of assailant.
Seraph changed course, hoping to find the source of the stranger. I was entirely possible the stranger was farther away than the wind made it seem; but she was determined. She wasn't about to leave someone abandoned and lost in this weather--even if she was clueless on where to go or what to do.
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Posted: Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:11 pm
Just as the voice reached Sultan, he heard a ponderous snap, and had just enough time to catch sight of a cascade of white before a tree limb above him sent snow falling down on his head. It was not, however, enough time to avoid being buried in the stuff. Taken aback, the stallion struggled beneath the weight of the snow, for it seemed the entire tree's worth was now on him. "If you can hear me," he told the voice, for he did not see its owner, "can you help me out?"
The wind blustered, buffeting his tired wings as they fluttered above the snowbank. He could breathe, at least, the tip of his snout jutting just above the powdering menace. It was probably foolish to seek help here, considering that he didn't know who she might be - and he was making quite an assumption that the owner of the voice was female. After all, they could have simply pitched their voice high. Even if she was a mare, there was a chance she might be a walker or other predator.
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2022 2:48 pm
Seraph did her best to follow the sound of the voice, though the howling wind and whipping snow didn't aid her cause. "Yes, of course! I'm just... trying to find you!" While the stranger's voice sounded close, but the storm only seemed to be getting worse. Pushing through the woods, it was only by sheer luck that she happened upon the snow-covered stranger -- she almost walked right on past if not for the fluttering of his rainbow wings shooting out of the pile of snow.
It was easy to see what had happened -- the poor fellow had gotten caught in a spill of snow! "Oh no, here, let me help!" Immediately, she began the process of digging out the trapped stallion. She made sure to try to avoid clawing the stranger, and wished she had the ability to retract her claws. While her primary tool was her paws, she also used her wings in an attempt to sweep larger swaths of the frozen stuff away. Whoever the stranger was, he was certainly in a state! Her primary concern were the flutter wings that were sticking out of the snow--surely, such exposure to the cold would do them no good!
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Posted: Sun Feb 06, 2022 7:40 pm
As luck would have it, the mare who answered his call was not a walker - although he could not immediately tell with only the sound of her scrabbling paws to go off of. But when the snow parted enough that he could make out her form, he gave a nearly inaudible sigh of relief. Like so many others, he had no desire to come face to face with a walker. Granted, in his present desperations, it would have been difficult not to accept whatever aid was proffered.
Shaking off what snow he could, Sultan began to help dig, his own paws stiff with the cold. His wings felt brittle, as if with the lightest touch they might break. Yet he knew that that was his own delusion and not a reality, fortunately. "I cannot thank you enough," he told the kind mare. He fluttered his wings lightly, feeling a faint ache from the frost's chill. Although he wasn't yet free of the snow entirely, they'd made significant progress. "You see, I was standing under these trees for shelter when a branch broke above me," he explained.
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Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2022 5:07 pm
The tri-winged mare continued to dig through the snow as quickly as she dared. The blustering wind and cold only seemed to be getting worse, and she was particularly alarmed by the fragile wings of the stranger. Whoever he was, he seemed to possess both flutter and cerynei traits, and she was alarmed that the extreme cold might harm his gossamer wings. They certainly looked delicate, and she worried what long exposure to ice and snow might do. Even if the stranger didn't have wings, she was aware that even the most hardy of soquili might succumb to winter's grip--and being covered in snow would only make it worse! Thankfully, her paws were large, and served her well when it came to scooping away the snow.
"What poor luck," she sympathized even as she worked to free the purple-haired stranger. "A testament to the storm upon us -- I don't think it's getting any better, either," she paused just long enough to glance around, before hurrying back to her digging. The tree the stranger had opted to seek shelter beneath seemed strong and hardy--but if it's branches were snapping beneath the weight of ice and snow, she could only wonder what other tree limbs might fall before the night was through.
They'd need to find sturdier shelter--or at least a thicker grove.
Her wings continued pushing snow away, while he paws continued to dig. "Any luck moving yet?" She anxiously asked. She paused digging out one side, before moving to his other side. She wanted to try to loosen the snow around him so he might be able to wiggle and squirm free. She knew it couldn't be comfortable half-frozen and stuck in place--but hopefully he'd soon be free.
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 11:01 am
As the mare dug away at the snow, Sultan began to feel a little give. He shifted, trying to work himself free of the bank he was currently entrenched in. "I think you may be right," he confessed, glancing at the sky above. It didn't look promising, to be sure. With another wiggle, he was able to free a leg from the snow.
"We're making progress, " he told her. He was not a small stallion, by any means, and there was a lot of him to shift. But as time wore on, his movements became freer. All to the good, with his brittle wings in the balance. They hurt, and it was no surprise. Fluff or no fluff, he would never be comfortable in the cold. "Almost there..." If he strained a little more he might just break loose. As it was, his paws were starting to feel a little numb.
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Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 7:50 pm
Seraph continued digging the stranger out, moving progressively around him in hopes of freeing his other limbs. It took her a moment to notice that the stranger had not hooves but paws, similar to her own. She almost wanted to say something, but now was not the time for conversation. With the worsening weather, she knew even once he was freed of the snow's grip, they would need to seek more secure shelter.
"I believe there's a thicket nearby where we might find shelter," she spoke through the blustery wind, trying to make a game plan. This wasn't at all how she'd hoped to make the acquaintance of another, but they could exchange pleasantries when they were warmer and more secure. So it was, she used two sets of her wings to try to break the worst of the wind from the stranger, while using the other set to scoop out more snow. "Are your wings still all right?" She questioned, even as she continued digging.
Just a little bit more...
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Posted: Wed Feb 23, 2022 9:34 am
As the mare worked away at the snow drift, Sultan also strained to free himself. With his paws a little loosened from its icy grasp, he could chip at the snow. Taking a deep breath, he shoved with all his might, careful not to endanger his delicate wings. There. A large pile, already chipped away at by his companion, shifted away and slid down toward her. "Watch out!" He cried, but he might have held his tongue; it drifted past her harmlessly, leaving a path for him to follow.
Shivering, the stallion scraped and scrambled his way out of the snow bank. "Thank you so much," he told her, gratitude warming him where the frigid winter weather did not. Now freed, he took a moment to properly notice who his rescuer was. She was pawed, like him, but unlike him a pair - no, a triad - of wings graced her slender back. For the mare was quite petite in stature. Suddenly, guilt tugged at his heart. "I hope I haven't put you out too much," he said, a note of apology in his tone.
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Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2022 9:27 pm
Seraph almost jerked away from the stallion at his cry, startled by the protective shout. Thankfully, the snow that collapsed didn't result in disaster, and allowed the half-buried stranger to finally make his way out of the bank. "Oh thank goodness," she breathed as he was able to free himself. He was larger than she had thought, with paws, horns, and colorful rainbow wings, though he was still covered in ice and snow.
"No, no," she hastily assured with a small smile, "I'm glad to have been able to help! I dread to think what might have happened if I hadn't heard your call." Her wings flared ever so slightly in alarm. Still, the storm was blowing around them, and she worried her companion wasn't quite out of the figurative woods yet. He would likely be cold, and in need of some warmth; and both of them needed a breaker from the wind! "There's a thicket not far form here--think you can make it? If we walk together, I can try to shield your wings from the worst of it," she encouraged, opening all three sets of her wings, hoping they might help shield the stallion from the worst of it.
The stranger agreed, and though Seraph was small, she was determined. With some struggle and time, the pair eventually made their way to the heart of the woods, where the trees offered much more protection from the wind. They could huddle together for warmth, and ride out the worst of the storm.
Perhaps it was not the most auspicious of introductions, but no one could deny it was a memorable beginning.
Mr Cheri And I think that's a wrap!
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