[PRP] Sand and Surf [Caryiln Naia & Erasmus]

[xo maho]

 

[xo maho]

Erasmus drew designs in the sand with his hooves, swirls and loops and whatever pattern his heart spilled onto the earth. He had a lot to think about lately, having been reunited with his sister after a traumatic separation early in their adulthood. They were orphans, but somewhere along the way, she had been taken in by a large, kind family that dwelled on the beach, which had apparently also looked after her daughter and even grandchildren when Kalypso was captured by a kelpi and held as his treasure. Eventually, she had escaped, but not without injury. The large family he now shared a home with had reunited Kalypso with most of her remaining family, including himself.

If Erasmus was honest, he didn't remember much after being dragged beneath the waves. He figured a lot of it was the air deprivation he must have gone through, or maybe he had sun stroke or something and lost time... Whatever had happened, he had, recently, been located on an island by one of Niall's aquatic grandchildren, who thought he looked too alike their family friend for such to be a coincidence. And so, with much convincing, possibly a little coercion, and assistance with the draining swim, Erasmus had been returned to the mainland and reunited with his sister - one of the few things in this life he recognized immediately.

It had been a breath of fresh air after too long at sea. He didn't mind living by the sea now, but at least the reason wasn't that he was trapped! Smirking a little to himself, Erasmus continued with his drawing, switching to little waves and spirals.

WC: 274  

[magnadearel]

The large mare made her way sedately down the path. It wouldn't do to twist her hoof on all this loose sand. Caryiln figured it was more than past time for her to pay a visit to her friend Niall and his family. She was kind of jealous if she admitted it deep down in her heart. His family was so large and great. Caryiln resolutely pushed memories from her mind and focused on getting down a large sand dune. She wouldn't stay long.

The red mare topped the last hill of sand that stood between herself and beach. At the top she paused to catch her breath. Below her she was surprised to see a stallion there. He seemed to be drawing weird patterns into the sand. Caryiln decided they were pretty in their own way as she sat her bum down to slide down the hill. She wasn't worried about sand because her swim would wash it all off in a moment.

Getting to her hooves, she did give a little shake to get the worst of the clinging sand off. Caryiln gave the stallion a sideways glance and a slight nod as she simply walked towards the water washing up on the beach. A small swim down the beach and she'd be right at Niall's door. Caryiln felt the first of the cold waves wash over her hooves. Maybe a really really short swim and then walk down the beach instead.
WC: 244  

[xo maho]

Erasmus looked up from his artwork as he heard the shuffle of sand on the move. As he watched, a stocky-statured mare with a crimson coat and curly, dark brown mane and tail slid down from a dune nearby, sand creating tiny avalanches as it flooded through her long fetlocks. When she reached the base of the dune, she shook with a gentle rumble; sand flew off her in sprinkles and her hair flared with the sea breeze. He nodded back, dumbstruck, when she acknowledged him.

Had he ever seen a creature with such command of her audience and such a natural grace? She might be heavier in build but he felt like that added to the effect.

Shaking off his stupor, Erasmus followed her to the edge of the surf, intending to call out to her, but suddenly finding himself tongue-tied by the cool touch of the water on his hooves. He didn't think he had touched the ocean since Niall and his family had hauled him out of it, with Tahuya's assistance and Panlong looking on. He had too much respect for the sea to enter it recklessly.

Walking parallel to the mare, Erasmus called a greeting. "Welcome to the family-herd lands of Niall and Destati. Is there someone you are looking for?"

WC: 215  

[magnadearel]

Eager to get the sand off her rump, Caryiln waded into the water just far enough to ensure all her parts were clean and sand free. When she looked back to the shore to emerge, she was surprised to see the soft colored stallion had followed her to the edge of the water. She liked his long curls and gentle stripes up his legs. They were almost as pretty as the artwork he left on the sand.

The water was just too cold to stay for long. She came back out of the water, mildly surprised to find he'd followed her along the beach. Her ears perked as he mentioned the exact stallion she'd come to see. Caryiln took a moment to study him closer. He didn't look familiar, and she was fairly sure she'd never encountered him before.

"As a matter a fact I've come to visit Niall and his family. I take it you know them as well? Do you know if he is home?"

WC: 167  

[xo maho]

Erasmus lit up when the mare stated that she had come to visit Niall. How that stallion had managed to make so many friends on his journeys across the plains so long ago, Erasmus thought he might never know. And not only friends - friends who cared enough to visit! "Niall's family has inadvertently done mine quite a few favors over the years," said Erasmus, smiling at the reminder. "I can't imagine he's too far from home, considering he's usually being crawled on by his grandchildren."

Stepping back to give the mare a respectful amount of space, Erasmus nodded further down the beach. "The home base is a bit further that way. My name is Erasmus. I'd be happy to walk with you, if you'd like." The stallion tried his best to radiate an unassuming air; he didn't want her to feel pressured or obligated to accept his company. It would be kind of awkward for him if she didn't, though... he was getting a bit hungry, and his home was in that direction, too.

WC: 174  

[magnadearel]

She didn't think this stallion was trying to deceive her despite the fact she had never seen him before. He seemed genuine enough. Caryiln gave her mane a shake, trying to avoid sending water droplets at him. She gave her ear a flick. Somehow she'd never heard the stories this stallion was referencing. Seems she'd have to poke him for details.

"That sounds about right." Grandkids. That was a concept she hadn't dealt with much. She had had one set of foals herself, but as far as she knew, neither of them had ever had offspring of their own. Caryiln smiled as he pointed her in the correct direction of the house. "Yes, usually I take a nice swim down, but today the water is just a bit too cold. Looks like I'll be walking it."

"A pleasure Erasmus. I'm Caryiln Naia, but Caryiln is fine. I'm not opposed to the company." She shot a quick glance at the stallion. No she wasn't opposed at all. The mare started walking along the beach. "So how did you meet the infamous Niell?"

WC: 181  

[xo maho]

Erasmus's skin lightly twitched where just a few sparkling drops of water landed on him as they scattered from her mane. He looked at the water, which was a colder, darker blue than most days; while spring was warm so far, today was a cool day, and the waves reflected that. "At least the walk is relaxing and the company generally pleasant," he said, then stuttered - that sounded like a weird assumption. He hardly knew Caryiln well enough to determine whether she was pleasant, though really she did seem it... But still! "I mean, usually I walk the beach with my sister or our family... Sometimes the young ones can be quite brash." He gave her an embarrassed smile, hoping he smoothed over any faux pas she might have detected.

Meandering along, following his own hoofprints from earlier in the day, Erasmus glanced at Caryiln as she asked him about Niall. "To make a long story shorter," he began, "I met Niall through his grandchild, Tahuya. Tahuya is a water-faring type, and she and her fellow, Panlong, found me stranded on an island somewhere out that way." He tossed his head at the water. "Tahuya had realized that I looked very like a family friend - my sister, Kalypso. She approached me and asked if I wanted to go back to the mainland, which I desperately did. They supported me and helped me with the hard swim back here. When we landed, Niall and his mate, Destati, helped my sister nurse me back to health." He looked at Caryiln from under his lashes, lowering his voice a bit. "I'll be honest, my sister's not the most useful at medicine, so it's a good thing she made some friends. She's way more accident prone than me, if you can believe it."

Snorting a little, Erasmus flicked his tail. "What about you? How did you meet Niall?"

WC: 314  

[magnadearel]

She nodded. Usually she didn't have any company unless Niell happened to be out here when she arrived. "Oh you have a sister and a family?" Was it sad she didn't have much of anything? Caryiln tried look back on her life. Nothing really stood out to her. It was as though she walked through a fog, occasionally passing other ponies that went their own way. Even her own foals. Caryiln felt a bit of sadness that she didn't have what these others had found. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. It was fine.

The mare nodded occasionally as he spoke of how he was rescued by Niell's grandkid and brought back to the mainland. That sounded like them. She smiled, "I'm glad they saw the family resemblance and brought you back. It's wonderful you got to reunite with your sister." Caryiln chuckled as he spilled the secret about his sister's medicinal capabilities. "Not everyone has the touch." Which as a half-unicorn, she did.

She twitched the skin on her shoulder as he asked how she and Niell had met. "We were both foals, alone, without a family or a place to call home, on the plains. He liked to walk and look at the birds. That's how I found him actually. He was walking along staring up at the birds flying over head. Paying no attention to what was in front of him or around him. He walked right in front of me. Since he was about to right over the edge of a small dip, I got in front of him and stopped him." He'd walked right into her too, but she managed to dig her hooves in and stop him from falling nose over tail.

WC: 290  

[xo maho]

Chuckling at Caryiln's description of how she and Niall had met, Erasmus nodded. "He does always have his head in the clouds, that's for sure. Destati keeps him a little more grounded than I understand he once was." As they walked on, Erasmus saw the somewhat-arranged driftwood and turned up sand of the home base of the beach family. A handful of brightly- and naturally-toned soquili stood around, watching the antics of a couple of foals. Erasmus gave Caryiln a crooked grin. "Looks like we've reached our destination - I'll leave you to catch up. My belly has been telling me that it's time for lunch."

Giving her a little bow of his head, Erasmus made for the woods that stood at the edge of the beach, intending to munch on some of the sweeter, more delicate grasses that grew there. As he stood there, he looked on as Caryiln introduced herself to Niall's family and re-introduced herself to Niall; before long, she was surrounded by them. He could feel the warmth emanating from them all the way to where he stood. The waves roared loud enough that he would never have a chance at hearing what was said, but he had a feeling he'd be seeing more of Caryiln.

WC: 209