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 Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 5:39 pm
A dark smile passed over the stag's muzzle as he caught the scent he'd been searching for. A shudder coursed through his body as he pawed the ground with his hoof. Distain ran through his eyes then disappeared as he started to explore the edge of where the stags had marked the territory.
So this, was the Firebringer Herd that he'd learned so much about. He inhaled sharply as he took a few more steps forward. The dark deer stamped the earth beneath his hooves and broke into a run, entering the borders of the herd.
So this, he thought wickedly, was where it all began? He flicked his ears forward, listening for any signs of outriders. With a carefully toned bellow he let his presence be known. Time to see if it lived up to its Lore.
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Posted: Sun Dec 09, 2007 6:22 pm
 Boyd's head immediately turned at the sound of an unfamilar bellow on the inside of the herds borders, his ears forward. The young Outrider turned from his usual patrol and, with a starting leap, ran to the source of the call. It wasn't long before the dark stag came to view. He slowed his run to a purposeful, confident stride.
"Identify yourself and what is your business here?" His green eyes were trained on the other male, unwaivering. Boyd stopped a little ways from Derog, positioned himself in a stance that would allow him to transition easily into an attack or to defend.
Boyd could feel the adrenaline flowing in his veins, but his training and what experience he had taught him to focus past its hammering in his ears.
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Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 1:57 pm
Boyd wasn’t the only one who had noticed the bellow. Islwyn lifted his head from the bug he had been inspected and looked in the direction of the noise. His ears flicked as he tried to figure out the right thing to do. As a corps, he felt his job involved mostly learning about the territory. In his mind, that meant running around and looking very closely at everything. Buuut… well, this was new. And fairly interesting. Someone had to go see what was happening, right?
Kicking up his heels, the young black buck ran towards the sound, abandoning his usual small patrol and venturing towards the outskirts of the herd. He didn’t think it was dangerous; danger typically didn’t announce itself like that. If it did that, everyone would avoid it and it would cease to be dangerous. But, at the sight of the other two males, Islwyn’s steps slowed slightly. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it hadn’t been this.
“Hello?” he asked, looking from one to the other. The white stag was recognized vaguely as one of the Outriders of the herd, but the dark one… he wasn’t from around here. “What’s going on here?” it wasn’t an accusatory question. It was the query of a young buck who always asked questions.
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Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:31 pm
{Will change to certed when done}  Erris had been grazing quietly a bit away from the rest of the herd and hidden by the Outriders when a flash of black fur blazed by her hiding place. Her green eyes blinked in confusion. Was that a young buck? Where was he going to that fast? Her tail rose high into the air, bristling. Danger was close. She slowly trotted after the corp to see what was going on.
The silver female loped into the small clearing without missing a beat. The scent of the two males of her herd comforted her from the dangerous feeling that just wouldn't go away. She halted, ears going foward. Her muddy colored legs trembled with a slight fear. Who was this strange scented male? She could see malice in his dark eyes. She snorted uneasy, but stayed silent. Her amazing green eyes narrowed. Her curosity got the better of her and lead her to danger, but she would back down. Not at all. Flipping her ears back, she finally spoke, "Why?" A queer question, but that's what she wanted to know from the rogue smelling dark male. She inched slightly towards the black buck that reminded her of the Lord of the Herd.
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Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:25 pm
The Stag eyed the three other deer and bowed so that his muzzle nearly touched the ground. "My fellow Herla, my name is Derog." He spoke straighting himself and watching the two stags with interest. The female did little to concern him though the sense that she was bold didn't go past him. When she asked her strange question he decided to use his chance to weave his story. It was unexpected but he assumed she meant 'why was he there'.
His features became sad and aged as he spoke and were directed at the female."I was separated from a herd a few moons ago by Man. Many of us were lost and those that were lost broke apart." He hung his head defeated, "We were unable to find each other. I heard tale of a herd not far from my old one and came to ask permission to join. I fear the rest of my herd has too moved on and we may never reunite."
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 9:51 pm
Briefly Boyd's green eyes flitted over to the stormy coated corps and towards the fair female. He focused mainly on the dark furred rogue. He too could see the malice in Derog's eyes. The outrider was suspicious of the stag, but he would voice his concerns just yet. He listened to his tale, his head held high. "Well, my name is Boyd. I'm sure you know that you are on Firebringer land. In order for you to join our ranks you must have an audience with the Lord of our Herd, for it is ultimately his decision." He held back on how he wanted to finish the statement, deciding to sound diplomatic toward the rogue even though he didn't trust Derog hardly at all. The dark male's story was a sad one, but Boyd's instincts were telling him to err on the side of caution.
The majority of the herd was behind them someways, individual members doing their own things and overall being at peace. Boyd took a step or two to the side. He looked to the young buck, Islwyn, and the pale female whom he wasn't terribly familiar with. "Would one of you kindly go tell Lord Brychan that a guest wishes to have a word or two with him? I shall be escorting him myself. Please," he added with a slight dip of his head to his fellow herd members. "I would appreciate greatly."
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Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:40 pm
"I will go and ask Lord Brychan to come meet you," Erris stated proudly. If the male decided to fight, she knew she would just get in the way of things. Tilting her large ears foward, she pranced back into the forest, relieved to rid herself of the rogue's scent.
Her pace went from slow, to fast, to even faster as she made her way to the Home Oak. She knew deep witin her racing heart that the male was danger. Only the Lord of the Herd could save them from the male if fate called for it. The Home Oak came into view. "My Lord!" she called out, "Brychan help!"
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 2:09 pm
Being by nature a good deal more trusting and far less experienced than Boyd when it came to living in general, Islwyn saw nothing untrustworthy about the stranger’s story. While it sounded a little odd for someone to get separated from the herd, he could see it happening given the harsh weather lately. Especially if Man was involved. He didn’t know a whole lot about this mysterious enemy, but he knew that Man was dangerous, deadly, and probably caused a mean rash. He would have jumped at the chance to visit his father, but the silver hind beat him to it and was already racing towards the Home Oak. Hm. Hopefully Father was there. Last Islwyn had checked, the black stag was checking on Telyn, Islwyn’s mother.
Well, the silver hind was probably faster anyway, with the lack of antlers and all. Besides, if Derog did turn out to be violent, it would be best for two to stay here, even if one was just a buck. “I’m Islwyn,” he introduced himself politely, dipping his head just slightly. “I haven’t heard of any other herd around here.” The words were innocent; they weren’t an accusation of a lie. They were simply said in amazement. “Except for the reindeer herd. You must have traveled very far to get here.”
~.~
For the love of Herne, what was this racket? One of Telyn’s eyes opened and she pulled herself up from the ground with some difficulty. The birth had not been easy on her, being such a small hind with four children. Currently, they were sleeping, which is exactly what she had been doing just before someone decided to start yelling. Might as well see what was happening. ‘Help’ sounded like a pretty dire thing to yell. The blue-grey hind made her way out of her little sleeping patch and towards the new hind.
“If you wake up my children with all your screeching,” she informed the silver hind, “you’re going to be the one who watches them.” As threats went, it was pretty mild. Come on, she had just woken up! She couldn’t exactly threaten someone upon just waking up. “What’s happening?”
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 5:38 pm
Derog nodded and watched the hind run. "Thank you for your time my fellow Herla." The malice left his eyes as he realized for the night, if he was accepted, he could rest. For as the buck had suggested it had been a very long journey from his herd. At one point he'd even had to fight wolves and had a healing wound on his right flank from their teeth.
"My herd lived toward the High Lands. I came down hoping to avoid Man. They are very violent and this is the time of of the year when they extend their hunting grounds. They work like wolves." He lifted his head and pawed at the ground, getting restless and wanting to rest for the night and graze. "Your Herd... have I missed Alanch? I've been traveling for many moons and I'm afraid its passed without me." Best to learn all he could from these two while they were willing to questions.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:22 pm
Brychan was grazing quietly nearby, and giving Telyn her space for the time being. However, he did hover within hearing distance of her, just incase. However, the voice of a hind calling out for help was not one from his harem. The lord blinked and lifted his head to look towards the silver hind that was running in his direction. Then Telyn's irritated words caught his ear. He couldn't help but smirk lightly, but was quiet serious as he addressed the hind he didn't really know very well.
"What is it?" he asked, brow creasing lightly in concern, "Is it wolves?" That was his first guess as wolves would very likely take the opportunity to attack now that there were many younglings among their herd.
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Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 8:59 pm
It took Erris a moment to regain her breath from running the distance as fast as her slender legs would take her. The female before her irritated the heck out of her but she choaked back sour words and forced out a smile. She didn't really like other females. She didn't like most males either, but the herd offered protection. "My deepest...apologies my Lady," she stated with a slight bow of her head, "but a rogue male is asking for entrance to the herd and I require the presence of the Lord by request of an Outrider." Her ears went back in fright. She didn't like being this close to the rest of the herd and thus, Brychan had almost never seen her.
She looked up to the owner of the deep voice that had spoke to her. The dark male was almost invisible against the darkening sky. His star speckled coat was beautiful. Erris only smiled her fake smile. "A rogue stag asks for an audiance with you my Lord," she explained turning her pale tail towards him, "If you will follow me, I will lead you to where he is being held by a young Otrider and a young buck whom looks a lot like you."
She snickered quietly to herself. The Lord Brychan "owned" most of the females in the herd, but he would never have her. She was looking for someone special. Someone who would let her roam the territory freely and not worry. She wanted a male who wouldn't say she acted like a stag, which deep inside herself, she knew that she did. She trotted slowly back towards where she came from hoping the Lord would follow her.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 1:25 pm
Islwyn listened to Derog’s words with open amazement. Anyone could see that the young buck had never traveled more than a day beyond the Home Oak. That was typical enough of young Corps; most of them stayed pretty close to home until they were full-fledged Outriders with duties that took them beyond the herd lands. “Anlach?” he dismissed it easily, more eager to learn of the lands that Derog had traveled through. “Yes, it’s passed. Most of the hinds have given birth already.” And lots of them too! Islwyn hadn’t yet met all of his half-siblings, but he had met his four sisters. FOUR! He hadn’t even known it was possible for a hind to have that many at one time.
Turning his attention back to Boyd, he said, “She must have reached the Home Oak by now. If F… the Lord is at the Oak right now, then they must have met. Although, he could be with M-Telyn.” It felt so odd to call his own mother by her name, but he was fairly certain it was the right thing to do. His mother had warned him not to be too carefree with divulging the names of his parents because some could think of it as being egotistic.
~.~
A rogue? Telyn’s ears flicked slightly with interest. She had only met one rogue---and, admittedly, at the time he had been too interested in Anlach to talk to her----so the news of a new rogue was rather interesting. She always enjoyed hearing the stories of the different herla in the herd, even if she could only stand a few of the members. The idea of Brychan leaving her side was rather… unattractive, to say the least. But, he had his duties, and she had hers. She had to look after their young as best she could.
“Islwyn?” she blinked in surprise but laughed. Finally, her son was doing something useful instead of being distracted by everything in the world! “Wouldn’t it be wiser to bring the rogue here? In the heart of the herd, there are more Outriders, in case the rogue is violent… near the edges, the Outriders are spread out.” While she wouldn’t say it out loud in front of the silver hind, Telyn would freely admit it to Brychan: she wouldn’t depend on Islwyn if it came to a fight. The boy was… he was no fighter.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 3:24 pm
"A rogue?" Now that was certainly interesting. Brychan lifted a brow, glancing in Telyn's direction briefly before looking back to the messenger hind and offering her a smile that wasn't faked. "I'll go to him and if he proves to be trouble, I'll deal with him myself." That was said mostly for Telyn's benefit. He didn't want a potentially unruley and dangerous stag around his favored hind and their newborn young.
"Thank you for letting me know" he then said to Erris, and with that, he would follow her to where this rogue stag was. He also was quite pleased to hear that Islwyn had intercepted the stag along with one of their outriders.
A confident smile was passed towards Telyn before he departed with the silver hind. He would deal with this quickly and then come back. He didn't expect this to take long. Rogue interactiosn happened occasionally, and it usually wasn't a big deal.. unless around Anlach, and that was over.
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:08 pm
Boyd nodded at Islwyn's words. "I agree with you, Islwyn. She must have reached them by now. Let's meet head on to them half way." He was hesitant about bringing the rogue into the very heart of the herd, but if he brought him a bit closer Derog's presence would be known by a few more of the Outriders. Which was most decidedly a good thing. "Come. Let's start on over." He motioned his head towards home and turned to begin walking, his attention rarely leaving the rogue. He didn't have a love for rogues.
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Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:48 pm
Erris fell back to step with Brychan. "Thank you," she muttered, "Thank you for letting me remain with the herd, even if I'm like a ghost around here." She smile brightly for her own pleasure. She liked smiling, even if not a lot of things triggered that emotion. "By the way, my Lord, I am Erris." Not a lot of deer knew her name. She usually hung around the territory outskirts.
The scent of the rogue, a sour, bitter smell, got stronger. "I think they're coming this way," she mused.
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