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 Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2007 9:38 pm
The grove was pretty much just the same as Telyn had left it. There was still a little brook running through it, the trees were still standing, and the grass was still amazingly soft. Sure, the leaves were turning colors and falling from the branches like tears, but that wasn’t a dramatic difference yet. In a few weeks, Telyn knew things would be more… changed. Speaking of tears… Telyn sniffled a little, wiping her nose as best she could on her pelt. Who cared about deer snot? It wasn’t like it was visible against her gray coat anyway.
Currently, the hind was resting in what she thought of as a ‘safe place’. Kind of ironic, considering that some of the worst weeks of her life---pregnancy---had been spent in this grove. Still, it was a place of fond memories, mostly of her and Brychan. And their children, of course. Thinking about Brychan made her eyes water a little again, so she tried to shove the stag out of her thoughts. But, she just couldn’t. Clearly, Anlach was completely overshadowing her mind. Clearly. It had to be that. And yet, here she was, lying down like a little fawn waiting for her mother. Only, in this case, the mother was Brychan.
… Yeah, the analogy needed work. Serious work. With a deep breath, she went over the conversation in her mind, trying to figure out where she had gone wrong. What did she say that set off Brychan so badly? They had often spoken of the wolf attacks before and his Outriding duties. What made him so mad at her so suddenly? Maybe it was just Anlach… although logic would dictate that stags would be friendlier towards hinds during that time, emotions were rarely logical. Thinking about Brychan hurt right now, but she needed to figure out what happened.
Anlach. Just a mere week ago, she had been certain she would have more children with the black stag. But now… he was probably too angry at her. The thought made her wail internally, although outwardly she merely flicked an ear.
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:25 pm
Things were indeed looking currently bleak for the pair that seemed perfect. Brychan himself was brooding elsewhere, sulking over the fight that had commensed between the two. He had nothing to be sorry for, or so he felt. After all.. it had been Telyn that had tried to use him... and trick him into giving her information.
However, now that Telyn was alone, it left her wide open during this season of Anlach. One stag was keeping around the fringes of the herd, hoping to catch a hind while the herd's stags weren't looking. After all, even a rogue needed to breed and pass on his genes. Not to mention, things could get rather lonely out there in the wilderness.
A white stag with faint markings and an elegant set of antlers, slowly approached through the trees that surrounded Telyn. Being so white, he didn't easily blend in well, and thus needed to be particularly stealthy. He waited to see if she would notice him. Her initial reaction would determine whether he could pursue her or not. Finley hopped the reaction would be favorable, for she was a fine looking hind.
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:44 pm
For a moment, Telyn was going to pass off the flash of white as her imagination. Maybe it was just a dart of sunlight or something. But, when the white suddenly formed itself into the shape of a deer, she knew that it wasn’t her imagination. For one thing, her imagination never had come up with this sort of thing before. Of all the stags she had seen---except for Brychan---this had to be one of the most interesting ones. And the polar opposite of Brychan in terms of color.
Like every hind in the herd, Telyn had learned as a fawn to never talk to strange stags alone. Especially during Anlach. Buuut… well, she was in a rebellious mood for the moment. Hey, if she couldn’t take care of a lone stag on her own inside the herd boundaries, then how was she supposed to protect herself---and the hinds with her---on the outside?
“Hello,” she said, a little warily. “I haven’t seen you before.” It wasn’t exactly a ‘who the Hell are you’, but it pretty much meant the same thing.
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:52 pm
Well he couldn't really blame her for being wary really. Finley gave a little bit of an uneasy smile to the hind, for he knew he was treading in territory that was not his.
"Hello" he said back, with a slight tint in an accent to his voice. He was certainly not from around here, that was for sure. "No.. I suppose you wouldn't have. My name is Finley, I've been without a herd for quite some time... since I was young really."
While he usually didn't dare to skulk around a herd this close, Anlach was causing him to be more bold. And well.. even rogues had the instinct and desire to mate.. and an unattended hind was the perfect opportunity for a stag like him.
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Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 11:01 pm
A rogue stag? Now Telyn was definitely on edge. The smart thing, she knew, would be to start running back to the herd NOW and find Brychan or any other stag, but… as mentioned before, she was feeling rebellious and not particularly well-inclined towards the black stag at the moment. Besides, this could be interesting. She had never met a deer outside of the herd before. Well, except for Scruff, Braith, and Chirin. Actually, now that she thought about it, two out of three of those were pretty good. So, rogue stags weren’t necessarily bad, right?
“…You managed to get past the Outriders?” now her interest was definitely piqued. She canted her head to one side, looking over this Finley carefully, wondering just how he managed to survive with that white coat. “My name is Telyn, by the way. How did you get past the Outriders?” Hey, if Brychan wasn’t going to tell her how, then she might as well try to figure it out some other way.
And a rogue stag might be a very good source of information on how to dodge patrols.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 11:12 am
Well it wasn't like he was going to kill her or anything, that wasn't his intention atleast. Infact quite the opposite! He was looking for opportunities at lurve and mating and stuff... considering it was... well.. Anlach.
Finley chuckled, "Well you know what time of year it is I'm sure. The Outriders of yours are rather distracted, I just have to be strategic with how I get past them. Considering my color, I have to be extremely so. Its all a matter of being observant and sneaky enough." He rolled his shoulders in a shrug, feeling confident enough to take a few more steps towards the hind.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:43 pm
Aha! Clearly, Telyn’s suspicions about the observation powers of stags around Anlach were correct. They were a good deal less focused on their duties around that time of the year. She felt pleased with herself for this important discovery. Clearly, if a white stag had managed to dodge their sight, then a few small hinds---of far more nondescript colors---would easily slip by.
The snapping of partially dried leaves warned Telyn that the stag was coming closer and she re-focused on him once more. Hmm… she wasn’t entirely sure about her situation with Brychan. Anlach called to her as well as any stag---well, maybe not quite as insistent, but the lure was still there---and this stag was clearly healthy. And he had to be clever to get past the Outriders… but, he wasn’t Brychan. That was enough for her to dismiss him from her mind entirely.
“Careful who you insult there,” she said mildly. “My stag is the Captain of those Outriders.” She didn’t get up, mostly because she was certain that the warning would get rid of the stag. No one wanted to get the Captain upset, right? Besides, she made it clear she was claimed.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 9:58 pm
Finley blinked a lifted a brow. Insulting? Had he said something truely offensive? He didn't think so, but also blinked again at the mention of 'her' stag. "Your stag?" he asked, looking around and seeing no stag nearby, "Then where is he? I thought for sure, that a hind such as yourself, would not be left unattended during Anlach." If she really had a stag, then he must be quite the poor defender. Some Captain indeed.. Finley wasn't exactly impressed. And well.. even if he did show up, Finley wasn't an incapable stag, he could possibly beat him.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:11 pm
“Oh, stop it, my knees are weak,” Telyn said somewhat sarcastically at the stag’s flattering response. Alright, so she was a little flattered… no stag other than Brychan had ever shown interest in her. Truth be told, she hadn’t really encouraged it before the black stag came along. Now him, she encouraged all the time! Still… thinking of Brychan made her sad all over again. Damn hormones… Herne curse them over and over and over again.
“He is… around. The truth is, we had a slight fight. I needed some personal space to clear my head and he needed some space so he could find his own. He’s intelligent enough to know when he’s made a mistake. I’m sure he’ll be here again soon.” It wasn’t exactly a threat, but it was a not-so-subtle statement that Finley ought to leave while he could. Of course, maybe he hadn’t seen Brychan… if he knew who he was, he probably would be more cautious about approaching Telyn. “Maybe you’ve seen him around… he’s the big black stag with the antlers.” Yeah. ‘With the antlers’. Because, you know, not every stag had those.
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Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 10:29 pm
Finley smirked at the slightly sarcastic comment... but well.. she wasn't outright telling him to go away and leave her alone. There had to be some promise there, despite the subtle warnings she was giving. He seemed unfazed by them. "Well if he's not here... what does it matter?" The stag gave a roll of his shoulders. "Besides... what makes you think I wouldn't fight for you?" She was a very good looking hind, perhaps the best in the herd, and well.. what stag wouldn't want to fight for such a mate?
"He should be ashamed for leaving you alone, fight or not." Her description was also a source of amusement, "I may have... can't really recall at the moment, as I try to keep clear of the Outriders during the off season." Finley was a reasonable fellow, although really... there was a hind he had interest in that he hadn't seen in some while.. one he wished he could spend more time with. "By the way... I wouldn't suppose you would know Tegwen? A young, completely white, hind?" Last he saw her she was a doe, but she should be full grown by now.
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:02 pm
Hm. Finley was either very stupid, very brave, or simply very desperate to continue hanging around a hind who was claimed by a Captain. Either that, or he simply didn’t believe her. Well, that was mildly insulting… because it was so insulting, Telyn didn’t even consider that idea for more than a second. The other few options required a bit more thought. Finley clearly wasn’t stupid. If he was, he wouldn’t have been able to slip by the Outriders, especially with that pelt of his. Very lovely pelt, actually. So, he was either brave or desperate. The former was a nice quality in a male, as was intelligence.
“Brychan didn’t have to fight for me last Anlach. I am… unused to the idea of anyone actually clashing over me,” Telyn admitted with a slight shrug. As far as she was concerned, it was the stags’ loss and Brychan’s gain. Or possibly this stag… from outside the herd… her mind briefly entertained itself with the familiar fantasy of her exploring the world outside of Firebringer’s. Maybe it would be worth it… but Brychan… she was mad at him, but she didn’t want to leave him.
“Tegwen? Tegwen… hm… the name isn’t familiar, but I do remember seeing a pure white doe a few times from a distance. We travel in different social circles, I expect. I think I know her little brother though; he’s a friend of my son.” Yes, she was going to be sneaky and underhanded---underhoofed?---and slide in a mention of her son. “How about you tell me about your life, Finley,” she suggested after a moment. Hey, might as well ask him about it, right? There was a certain tone of eagerness in her voice that suggested that this was more than just an idle curiosity or conversation topic…
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 3:29 pm
Brave or desperate? Perhaps a bit of both. Finley looked a little hopeful about the idea that Tegwen might be still around... and a little disappointed at the same time. She hadn't come to visit him in a long time, and he'd skirted the edge of the herd, hoping for a glimpse of her... and maybe some company, but to no avail.
His thoughts were interupted, hardly noticing the fact that Telyn mentioned a son, but hearing the question directed at him. "Oh... there's not much to tell really. I was outcasted from my birth herd, for the color of my pelt you see. I've been a rogue ever since, and its not all that glamorous. I'm alone, with no company... and without the protection of a herd. Lera are all about, and I often have to run from wolves and man. As you can tell.. I'm pretty easy to spot... so life has been rough." If she was expecting tales of grandeur, she would be disappointed. He lived a meager existence, always in fear, and loneliness.
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:03 pm
Telyn had indeed been expecting something a little more… interesting. Maybe something with just a little bit more excitement. Although she logically knew that life outside the herd was more dangerous, she still suspected that it had its bright sides. For one thing, no one trying to tell her what she could or couldn’t do. Not that she usually listened anyway. It was more of the… feeling of the thing. The idea of Finley wandering around on his own was particularly sad. Although Telyn often thought of herself as a loner, she… well, she was more social than she thought she was.
“That’s very sad,” she commented eventually, when it became clear that Finley wasn’t going to share any exciting stories with her. She would have asked why he didn’t just join a herd, but… well… three little calves had been welcomed into the Firebringer herd recently. The thing was, they were calves, not stags. Adult deer were more inclined to pity younglings rather than adult stags who really ought to be able to take care of themselves. “Have you seen the reindeer? Or did the paranoid one chase you off?”
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:29 pm
"Well.. its how I always lived" But from the sounds of it.. it didnt seem like Finley enjoyed his solitary life very much. So he was kinda of hoping... he might lure a hind to come with her... or atleast to mate with one. Something.. to make his dull existence a little better.
"Hm? Reindeer?" She sure was full of questions wasn't she? "I've seen them, but I've had no reason to really associate with them. Their a herd... and not even my own kind."
He had to worry about his own existence as it was, he wasn't going to go out of his way to be all nosey with some deer he didn't really know.
Meanwhile... a dark figure crested a hilltop, quietly scanning the area as if looking for something.
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Posted: Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:45 pm
Although Islwyn had believed when he was younger that his mother had eyes on the back of her head---mostly because she always stopped him from doing something ‘fun’ like playing with the squirrels or polecats or some other random lera---Telyn did not, in fact, have any such things. At least, not on the back of her head. Because of this, she couldn’t see the dark figure behind her.
“No reason to associate with them?” Telyn blinked in surprise, trying to imagine life without being curious about everything. As she had told her daughter not too long ago, life was nothing without curiosity. “But, aren’t you the least bit interested in them? Is it true that their hinds really have antlers? How close have you gotten to them?” Now she was really asking questions, one after the other, barely giving him time to answer at all. Well, what could she say? She was horribly curious about everything. Well, except for things like, ‘gee, I wonder what those thorny plants are! I’m gonna stick my nose in them!’.
… She had already learned not to do that a looong time ago.
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