the seeker

[lady shady]

BONAPARTE

Tari smiled at him. "You do tell a good story," she murmured, and he gave her a small smile of his own. "It is one I was raised hearing," he replied. It really had been nothing much, he had merely repeated what he had always heard growing up, copying the tone and inflection of the old storytellers. It was nice though, that she had seemed to enjoy it. She continued, asking if he wished her to make up a story. He nodded eagerly, checking himself quickly. "That is, only if you wish!" Bon watched the mare before continuing, "You don't have to know an old story to tell a good one. Sometimes some of the best stories are closest to our own lives..."

--behind the post--
131 words
STORYTIME?
I LOVED her reaction in the last post, btw. So good!

[Clippy]

Tari

Tari had to think for a moment. What tale could she tell? The prince and a princess? No, no he just told a love story. A mystical fairytale? She'd only heard brief rumors of equines with horns, with wings..obviously a fairytale. No, not that. Oh! She had it!
"There was once this stallion. He was a very, very large black stag, cold heart, cold eyes. And he was as greedy as ever. If he set his eyes on a mare he took a fancy to, he claimed them. If another stallion even got close to the number of mares he had, he defeated them. He took the best lands, the best river, the best blades of grass for his large maw. And he still wanted more." She paused, having to recollect her breath and her thoughts.
"One day, he happened to stumble across this rock. It seemes to sparkle in the sun. Being as greedy as he was, he touched it, to see if it was good to take with him. It started to smoke a little, but it was a strange blue smoke. Eventually, a mare formed out of this blue smoke. She said to him:
'You have found me. I grant you all of three of your largest desires. But be forewarned: I grant them exactly as you put them.' He had to think for a moment, could this be trickery? But he had to find out for himself.
'I would like the lushest lands! The greenest trees, the largest, tasteful grasses!' he proclaimed, trying to see if this was just trickery.
'And so it will be.' the mystical horse claimed, and dissappeared back into the rock. So the stag went home, but his land had nmot seemed to change. Angry, but still having a responsibility to his herd, he went back and grazed with them. Then something did happen. The grass grew, indeed, but it was taller than the stag himself! The trees became green, but they became green and rotton with mold. Oh, what trickery this genie had proposed! Angry, he went back, and tapped the rock again. Before the blue mist even formed, he spat angry words.
'I wish for you to clear my land of the tall grasses! The green trees!' he said, without thinking.
'As you wish.' she said, dissappearing again. The stag went back, not thinking what he had done.
Now as he came back, everything was gone. There was not a single blade of grass, not a leaf from a tree. His herd was hungry, and there was no cover from the sun. He went back again, even more angry.
He tapped the diamond rock again, spitting out 'I wish that everything was back to the way it was before I met you, you devil of trickery!' he spat, angry.
He went back, and the grasses and trees were there, but he had no herd. Other stallions roamed his lands, with his mares. Now, he had nothing. No mares, no lands, no claim to anything. The other stallions were prepared for attacks, as he tried to claim what he had. But he was unsuccessful in his attempt. He wandered the rest of his years, lonely and powerless. And he never, ever asked for anything again.
His greed made him powerless." she concluded, taking a deep breath. It had been easier than she thought to tell the tale, even making it up on a whim. It was not nearly as good as Bonaparte's but it almost felt nice to tell a tale. She'd never told one before.

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616 words
It took me a while to think of a story, but I likeee...
I just realised how many typos were in my past post. Ick. XP

[lady shady]

BONAPARTE

He nodded happily as she finished the story. This mare had a gift if she had managed to make a tale up on the spot like that. He rather like her story better than some of the older ones he'd heard.
"You have a gift, Tari. Do you mind if I try?" he asked shyly, wanting to be able to do what she did with words. Hoping she wouldn't mind, he began a tale of his own:

"Long ago, before the great war, before our grandsires and great-grandsires were foaled, there lived an old warrior. In his prime, he had been strong and victorious, but now, the wars were over, and he roamed the lands, keeping and eye out for bad and teaching the good. He had never taken a mate, thus he was alone in his wanderings, but he was content. Most horses treated him decently, for not only was he old, but he had an aura of nobility about him.
One day, this stag came upon a stream. Tired, he stopped to drink. He lingered near the water, remembering what it felt like to be young. He knew his years were numbered, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. None would mourn his passing, which he didn't mind, but who would patrol the land? As he drank, a herd congregated on the opposite bank. Yearling foals splashed about, playing games before their mothers noticed him standing there quietly and hushed their rowdy offspring. The old warrior watched as the foals resumed their play elsewhere, and he smiled at their innocence. One brown foal stood apart though. He was small, but the warrior could tell that he was at least a year old. Something powerful must have been keeping him from his frolicking friends, because it was obvious that he wanted to join them. However, he seemed to be fascinated with the stag. The old warrior lifted his head from the water and the young one ducked his own shyly.
'Hello, young one.'
The young horse raised his head, curiosity written all over his face. He was small but bold as he asked the question that he'd been wanting to ask for a long while.
'Sir...who are you? And why do you have all of those scars?'
'These scars are from battle young one. An encounter not to be taken lightly. But not too seriously either...'
The old stag and the young one conversed here at the river, the young fascinated by the old, and the old refreshed by the young. When the warrior left the river that day, the yearling accompanied him on his wanderings. The old stag taught the colt everything he knew, and in turn, the young one loved and looked up to him. When the old stag did pass on, he had passed his knowledge to the young one. He had been very wise, but he had been wrong about one thing: when he died, his passing was mourned.
The young stag set off, wanting to see the world. He wanted to do as the old warrior had done, protecting and teaching. Young as he was, he managed to do some good, and he was happy.
Until he met a mare. When he met this mare, he didn't know what to feel. He was on a quest, and she was beautiful, but not part of his plans. He didn't know what to...what to do..."

His voice trailed off, as he struggled to find the words to continue. It wasn't as easy as Tari made it look, though the words rolled off of his tongue much more fluidly than they did when he was speaking directly to her. As he told his first tale, his awkwardness seemed to melt away. It was interesting. "I'm sorry, you make it look much easier that it is!" He let out a short laugh. "Perhaps you can help me?"

--behind the post--
671 words
hah, sorry to dump the end of the story on you, but she can just do a little and he can finish if you don't want to xD
the story is roughly based off of Bonaparte's life, but there's a lot of fantasy

[Clippy]

Tari

Tari was pleased he seemed to like the story. She didn't even think she had that much talant. She was taken aback by a request to tell a story of his own.
"No, of course I wouldn't mind!" she countered, wonderint what could have put the silly thought in his head. She then listened very intently, trying to absorb each and every detail of the story. Her eyes never moved from his face, which probably came across as rude. Her ears never flickered, besides, there wasn't much else to listen to. The small bit of light she had provided just barely illuminated his face, making a dramatic effect in his...well...dark, yet lighthearted story. Tari didn't really know where to catagorize it. But, then he lost his trail, asking her to pick up.
She had to think for a minute or two, but then spoke up.
"So, he managed, for a while. He tried to do his duties, and watch the mare. He followed her, seeing what she was like, though it was mostly hidden. He also had to mind his patrols, and battles.
But both duties bacame too much for him. There wasn't enough daylight to do both. He would have to choose. Not wanting to make his decision under pressure, he went away for a day, to the top of a cliff. He paced quite a bit: tracks started to wear in the ground.
It was natural, he supposed, to claim the mare and start his own harem. And, if she bore a colt, could he not teach him how to protect? Could he manage until he was ond enough to learn, to fight?
Or maybe, he supposed, he could get lucky and find another like the old warrior had found him. Than, he could pass it on, and start his own harem. But no, that was an anomaly. Something Fate planned for him alone. Lightning never struck twice, right?
But, then again, in his first version, he's have to hope for a colt. What if it was a filly? Then, it would probably be too late. Could he even train a filly to fight? No, no. It would be impossible.
He could steal a colt, he supposed. But no, that would cause too much pain. He did not have the cold heart to do such a thing.
Or...he could just make his own herd, forgetting about any possibility of another warrior. Maybe it was unnecessary to have one. But no, he countered, remembering the old warrior who had taught him. He was depending on him to pass it on, continue the chain.
Nothing seemed to be working for him. Not yet, anyway. It was almost dark, he's have to return soon. But first, he was determined to make a decision....."She trailed, not wanting to finish it. She didn't know what Bon would want for the end.
"I...I don't quite know how to finish the tale, either.." she laughed. It wasn't really a lie, moreso, she didn't want him to feel like she totally and completely messed up the story he told. What if he had some sort of plan, he was just being gentleman-like? Now, she felt guilty for leaving him out of her story. Oops. She shifted her weight a bit, stepping over just for the sake of moving. She was a tad stiff from standing there. She shifted over, the coked her hoof again, a little restless from being cooped up now. Her stregnth had mostly returned, but she couldn't wait for night to come, so she could just lay down. It felt rude to lay down now, though.

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625 words, without a hitch. Woot!
Okay...so yeah. I didn't know how you would want to end the story. If you just want to keep making parts to contribute, we could do that.
And I guess he dosen't really have to make a decision...but yeah.... :-p

[lady shady]

BONAPARTE

"Nothing seemed to be working for him. Not yet, anyway. It was almost dark, he's have to return soon. But first, he was determined to make a decision...."

He picked up where she had left off, hesitantly at first, unsure of how to end his own tale:

"He paced for hours, trying to come to a solution. Any solution. But one seemed to evade him. The mare or his quest? He wanted this mare so badly...but he knew somehow that she wasn't right for him. This one was beautiful, graceful, everything he thought a mare should be, but something was missing. And in the end, he knew he'd never forgive himself if he chose this mare. Wearied by his decision, he lay down and fell asleep at the top of his lonely cliff. That night, as he slept, he dreamed a strange dream.
There was a mare...not the mare he'd been tempted by, another mare, an odd yet lovely mosaic of colors and breeds. There was nothing to identify her by, as her form was ever-changing, but her voice was sweet and lovely. In his dream, he saw his body, sleeping on the cliff, when this mare came from the trees and approached him. With a soft tap, she awakened him. He stood, and then the strangest thing of all happened. She pushed him off of the cliff. He stumbled backwards, falling, falling...But there she was alongside him, laughing gleefully. Then he realized, he wasn't falling but flying! Pumping his wings, he led her up to a cloud. They rested there, looking down at the world together. She opened her mouth to speak to him, and he pricked his ears intently...That was when he woke up.
The stag lay on the cliff, first fingers of the sunrise beginning to creep up and take hold of the land in golden hues. He felt at peace with his decision. Below him, he saw the mare asleep in the deep grass. As he watched, he saw a stag come cantering out of the woods. The stag stopped when he saw her, then walked quietly up to her and awakened her. The young warrior smiled at the bittersweet moment, then turned from the cliff and continued on his way."

"Perhaps a rather sad ending," he told Tari, "But it was the only one that felt right." Night was beginning to fall, for as he had finished the story, the sun had been sinking below the horizon. Suddenly, he felt weary. "Perhaps we should rest?" he asked soflty, wanting just to lie down and sleep.

--behind the post--
449 words
no comment xD

[Clippy]

Tari
Lead me up the staircase,
won't you whisper
something slow?

Tari listened intently at his ending, but was very suprised about it. The warrior chose to let the mare go? Well, that came across as a suprise to the mare. If she had ended it, though she did not regret only continuing it, he would pick the mare, and have, hopefully, a colt. But, of course, Tari was the happy-ender, positive, good-luck sort of mare. She wasn't going to be making judgements, but she believed this stag was...pessimistic, a tad. Of course, she regret thinking that, knowing full well that he may have just chose the ending because it seemed right, or he couldn't choose. Then, he spoke.
"Prehaps a rather sad ending. But it was the only one that felt right."
Ah, she saw now. It only felt right that way.
Then, he asked her if she wanted to lay. Indeed, she did, and she was about to respond when she felt a deep vibration down below her hooves.
"I don't think the earth agrees." she smiled, just a little, bracing herself for the aftershock that was fast approaching. Then, she frowned, closing her eyes. At first, it was just faint, but it rapidly sped up. It lasted, oh three, maybe four seconds before the earth settled again.
She opened her eyes, and discovered what her ears had not caught during the shock: the snow had crumbled and fell. They could leave now! But...she didn't want to leave just yet. She did want to rest, as he had suggested before. Maybe she should just wait for Bon to do something? Yes, just follow his lead. As if she were one of his mares. It seemed silly, but she didn't know what else to do.

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I claim aftershock, since you ended story. Of course, I made you, but that's irrelivant, right? XD
256 words. I still feel like I'm getting better though.

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[lady shady]

The earth rumbled once again, and Bon scrambled to find his balance. Outside, the snow was creating a mini avalanche as it poured from the mouth of the cave, cutting off the one hole at the top. Just as he started to panic in the semi-darkness, the earth gave a lurch sideways, and the pile of snow loosened and fell, some spilling outside, some spilling into the cave. He picked up his hooves at the thin layer of frosty white that now lay at his feet. He had decided that he did not like earthquakes.

But, as the earth ceased its shaking, he saw that they were free. Marvelous! He looked at Tari, eyes shining, and took a step out of the cave. Outside, the sun was bright and warm, turning everything a dazzling white as it reflected off of the snow. Kicking up his heels, he thundered out of the entrance, sending snow flying. Galloping over the field, he wheeled and headed back towards Tari. "Sorry," he explained breathlessly, "first impulse!"

Taking a closer look at her, he noticed that she looked a little drawn, tired perhaps. "Are you feeling all right, Tari?" he asked in concern. Maybe he could keep an eye out as she slept, if that was what she wanted. He had a feeling that that was the sort of thing stags did, like Scath had done with Rasta. So he offered. "If you're tired, I can keep watch while you sleep?" It came out as a question, revealing that he still had a ways to go with these duties of a stag. No matter. He was learning.
He smiled and brushed Tari's forelock out of her eyes.

295 words
yup.

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[Clippy]

Tari
I run my fingers
through your hair
And watch the lights go wild..

Tari took a few deep breaths, recovering from the quake. Or, the aftershock, anyway. Cold snow surrounded her hooves, so the automatically took them out of the snow. Bonaparte seemed absolutely delighted to be free. She was too, but she wasn't wound up like he was. She fought to keep her eyes open. endurance of an arabian.....endurance of an arabian..... As he circled back, she made a good effort, though it looked only halfway, to look happy and energetic, too. She started with a small rear, dropping, then making a little circle of her own, though it had to look pretty lethargic.
Then, he noticed her. He asked, in that silky-smooth tone of his, if she felt alright. She perked her dainty head up a little.
"Yes, yes. Quite alright." she lied. Now wasn't the time for sleep. Then, of course, as if reading her thoughts, he asked if he needed to keep quard while she slept.
"No, no. That's unnecessary. I've got quite a bit of energy left in me." she lied, again. She'd just met him, so she wouldn't fall asleep until she was either alone, or if he was her lead. You don't just fall asleep in front of another you just met. It was rude to her.
And then, he did something that completely took her off guard. He ran his nose through her forelock, brushing it out of the way. She inhaled sharply, butreally felt joy rise up in her. It seemed little, pathetic to get all hyped over this, but she liked it. More than she would admit. She returned the favor by closing her eyes, and letting her nose run a bit down his neck. Just a little bit. That was...electryfing. Like ccaffine to a human. Yes, now she was very much awake. She smiled, her expression lightening toward Bon.
"No. Definately not tired anymore." she breathed.

[lady shady]

Tari answered that no, she would be fine, but her eyes still looked tired. However, the second he touched her, her eyes widened and relaxed before closing slowly. In response to his automatic gesture, she seemed to melt, letting her own muzzle slide down his arched neck. What was this? It felt nice, though, for a mare to touch him like that. It was gentle and hopeful, and he liked it.

Bon bobbed his head in appreciation, stretching out his own neck and nuzzling hers. He couldn't do it as gently though, his attempt was definitely a little rougher. How interesting. He realized that here he was with a mare, and they were touching each other, and he knew what to do. He didn't know how he knew, but he did. This was exciting to him. Maybe he was growing up. He moved forward a few steps, resting his head on her back, feeling her warm hide beneath his jaw. Tari smelled lovely, like the sharp icy snow and warm pines. They stood still, locked together, for a few moments. It ended when a racious crow burst from a limb above them, sending snow flying down onto his head and her back. As soon as the icy cold substance made contact with his skin, Bon jerked his head up in surprise, shaking the snow off vigorously, spattering Tari in the process. He chuckled. She looked funny with the snow all over her.

Bon ducked his head playfully and nosed a spray of snow at her legs.

258 words

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[Clippy]

Tari

Tari's brown orbs closed as she melted under his soft touch. Quite an ironic stamement, considering the cold and her chocolate eyes, but nontheless. Then, some cold snow fell on her back, and she felt it start to melt. Bon got a teasing glint in his eye, and Tari started to open her mouth to counteract him when he splattered with snow! She playfully shrieked, dodging to the side, catching a quick glimpse of herself. She was covered in whit powder, accentuating her already-spotted coat.
"Hey!" she smiled, giving a small, playful rear, splattering snow on him. She shook her whole body, sending even more snow flying. Now HE was the one coated! She laughed, a high, tinkling laugh, as she shook herself off, the melted snow penetrating and darkening her light brown coat.