: : the invasion

» Keanu calmly trotted forward, passing into a new territory. He hadn't been in this area before and he had no idea what awaited him. He thought he was in the south, not one hundred percent certain but possibly ninety percent? Of course, he could be wrong and be completely lost and turned around in these new places. He looked to the sky as he continued on, the sun beginning it's doesn't on the horizon. Soon the sky would be filled with stars and he would be able to hopefully know where he was. If not, it was alright. Maybe being a little lost would be okay, because then he couldn't find his way back where he came from, only able to look forward.

» He lowered his head, looking forward again instead of up, watching where he was going so he couldn't get any more lost than he already seemed to be. The ground was frosted over, hard packed and frozen from the winter just a few weeks before. Snow still lay on the branches of the trees and along the ground, dripping from the days heat but still there. He shivered, letting out a deep breath of air that caused a small puff of fog to come out of his nostrils. It was still quite cold up here near the mountains, even with the hot spring sun to warm things up and the cloaking humidity to keep the heat in. He carefully shook his head, mystified at the difference in the weather here, opposed to the other places he had been.

» Keanu's ears pricked forward at the sight of another horse. A painted figure in the distance, wading in a small pond on the edge of a cliff. He slowed to a walk but continued forward, interested but not overly enthusiastic at the appearance of someone new. He had met quite a few other horses in the time he had been in these strange lands, more than enough to sate his nonexistent need to be around others. If she didn't want to talk to him, that was fine, but if she did he wouldn't mind either. He was getting better at talking to strangers, not always assuming the worst right away but always being cautious as well. He had found that the social interaction was good for him, sometimes putting him in a better mood before he set off again.

» He nickered to announce his presence, although quietly but he assumed the mare had heard him. He didn't want to sneak up on her; he would rather give her the chance to leave if she wanted, before he walked all the way over there. He did keep walking though. He had found that most everyone was more than happy to talk with someone new, even if he didn't quite understand why. It would forever be a mystery to him, those horses who were so friendly and open with everyone else. Ready to be friends, unafraid of who they might actually be. Not expecting anything bad to happen in the end. He thought that he should probably be more like everyone else, and he was trying, he really was, but his paranoia was always rooted in the back of his mind and he couldn't bring himself to be so trusting with others. He just couldn't. So he settled for this; for not running away at the first sign of life and actually offering to start a conversation with the stranger.

word count » 593

Keanu twisted his head to look to the skies as small snowflakes began to rain down. Snow? In Spring? He must really be far South, then. Or maybe it was just the last of this weather before the seasons changed to summer, when the heat would beat down them and make all of the moisture disappear. The mare walked up to him, mouthing a hello as steam curled out of her mouth. Yes, it was quite cold here, so much so compared to the other territories right now. He nodded once, "Hello," he returned, out loud as his breath faded into the air as well.

The mare didn't seem all that intrigued by him; not startled by his appearance, which was clean at the moment, showing off his scars to their advantage against his ivory pelt. Perhaps she was just as ill equipped socially as he? With nothing to say as they just both stood there awkwardly, waiting for the other one to take that leap forward. He assumed he must appear strange to the mare, just wandering about on his own like a lost cub or something. He didn't think that most did that anymore, usually finding some place to settle after a little searching on their own; creating trusted friends among a herd of any size. Keanu didn't really believe that would ever happen to him. He was destined to be alone; his confused brain paired with a skittish personality did him no good.

"I'm Keanu," he stated, filling the silence. He was really trying to be friendly, not not run and hide as he had so many times before. It was such a large leap to take but so far it hadn't been too difficult for him. Maybe with a little practice and more exposure to unknown equines he wouldn't be as awkward around them. He should be comfortable with other of his species, right? Unless, of course, there was reason to be uncomfortable. Keanu sighed inwardly, pushing away his thoughts that seemed to just run rampant through his head. He couldn't seem to focus on one thing lately, everything just a jumble. He shook his head once, just a little, as if to dislodge the words and clear his mind. He looked back to the mare, waiting for her to reply; hopefully with her name so he would have something to call her instead of 'the mare.' He silently swished his tail, the strands hitting his legs and stomach before falling still once again. The snow continued to fall slowly, sticking to his coat and starting to pile up; although blending in with the whiteness of his hair.

Zoet. At least she had given him her name, she trusted him that much. Maybe he didn't appear as strange as he thought? He couldn't be sure, unless he asked someone, and he most certainly was not going to do that. He shifted nervously, unsure of what to say now. The silence continued to grow, like a dark cloud in the air. The snow continued to fall and he shook his head, dislodging what had began to build up there; the icy flakes melting into his mane. Perhaps he should leave, he introduced himself, he spoke, that was enough right? He looked to the skies again, realizing that leaving was more than likely not an option. The snow would make going anywhere at a distance very dangerous, coating the ground with water and ice. He had to stay here, he had to think of something to say.

He took a step forward, not towards the mare, or away; just forward. They both needed to get out of the snow, he could already feel his insides cooling because of the rapidly dropping temperatures he was exposing himself to. "Is it always this cold here?" he asked, finally having something come into his head that could be used to start some sort of conversation. He flicked his tail to the side, water and snow flinging off of the thick strands and onto the snow covered ground. It was as if this terra didn't experience any other season but winter. The cold didn't really bother him, but he hadn't been in an extreme climate for quite some time, and he wasn't sure he would be able to handle the cold here. Did it at least clear up during the summer? He didn't want to be stuck here forever; he was sure he'd end up sick.

The coldest part of the territory. Great. Of course he would choose this section to travel to. He nodded once, snow falling off of his back as he stepped forward, "That would probably be wise," he said, his breath hanging in the air before fading. The snow continued to fall down on them, becoming thicker the longer they stood there. He picked up a trot, moving quickly under the cover of the nearby trees and shaking his body to rid himself off the white flakes. He shuddered lightly, goosebumbs covering his flesh. The air was cold around him, making his leg ache slightly. It was almost healed but it still pulled if he moved too fast or used it for long periods of time without rest. He tucked his head to his chest, breathing out against the skin and warming it, but for only just a moment.

He did like the snow; the temeratures so different from that of fire. It let him feel something different, the idea of fire wiped away for a few moments as he was lost in the white brightness of the snow on the ground. Perhaps the nightmares would stop if he stayed away from all that reminded him of the fire? He would have to isolate himself up here in these mountains that had snow year-round, but at least he would get some sleep. Even now, Ember was just a ghost in his mind, someone from his past and not an active memory as she had been so much lately.