d o n k e y .

[mj]

Era’s day had started off particularly well, she’d woken feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, of course she had no idea why, seeing as her mind was plagued by horrendous nightmares the entire nightlong. Most of them, which, cast in the main role herself, as a donkey, it was terrible, truly terrible; she wasn’t even a cute donkey. Moving on to the next good thing that happened, Era had actually had an interesting conversation with a herd-mate, and it wasn’t dull, or by any means boring, either that or the vix herself was becoming dull and boring. Then of course, some silly old nag in the herd had to open her decaying old brown-toothed mouth and say something so incredibly rude to Eradai that just served to set her off in a way so unattractive. No, nothing physical, just very verbal, a conversation that the femme had gladly left behind, and yet so passionately pondered over hours later.

So, here she stood alone, and fuming, for the mare was very good at holding grudges, and very bad at being offended. Her form was tensed, kissers set in a stubborn line, a not so unusual look for the haughty femme. Her long whipcord flicked, from side, to side, ever so lightly slapping Era’s rump each time, swatting away flies, which were not even there. A dry snort resonated from deep inside the young lass and a good shaking was given of the head sending wild locks array in a glinting eruption of course hair. Then, it was all Era could do but roll her mismatched eyes at her own mulish headstrong self, perhaps she really was a donkey, judging by the way she acted at times. Now, what Era felt she needed was a good run, a mind clearing charge through the cool night air, to stretch her taught muscles and jog her weary mind.

So, with a smooth smirk and a rough snort the vix set off, thundering across the plains at speeds well earned from her combined breeds. Legs worked in small strides, boa arched, and tail raised ever so slightly as Eradai did what she loved so, running. She adored the feeling in her belly, the tickling sensation that she felt as she swooped across a low dip, the winds whipping through her mane, and even the fierce bite of the cold against her young coat. This was what she was built for, not for fighting or prancing but racing, so she pretended to race now, made up opponents so fierce that only the bravest equines would dare face them. She charged feeling the adrenaline building up from deep within, the urge to move faster, to strain harder working through her blood, but she was growing tired, and the sheltering grove not far away was looking like a mighty fine finish line.

So there the competitors raced, flying like falcons to the x on their map. Soon Era reached her destination, and over a fallen log she flew. The jump was good; Era would boast that, but the landing, now that was a bit off. Her legs seemed to work faster then she could manage and soon the cream femme was tottering into a nearby shrub, literally falling head over heels with a loud thud. For a moment the mare lay, knocked out of her breath really, and frustrated with her clumsiness, which allowed her to stumble so easily. Mumbling something under her breath Era righted herself back on her daggers, and shook her pelt of all the earthen trinkets it had collected on it’s trip.

[Befera]

A black spot hovered, shapeless, in the woods. It seemd to cling to a tree, like a monkey almost, save for the fact that it had no shape. It shifted into a squirrel shape, settling down onto a limb halfway up the oak tree. Opals set where eyes would be on the squirrel slid about, looking carefully around the area. The little black body moved in a sigh, sides heaving as the shadow squirrel flopped down, legs hanging off the side of the tree. Indeed, it was rather comical. Normally, Hallow would not have taken this stance, for fear of being discovered by another spirit. But even so, he needed some time to rest and relax, especially after the whole fight with Akin a few hours ago.

Another softer sigh slid from the black squirrle's lips, which did not open. They did not need to; Hallow breathed, sighed and spoke in his mind, which cast it out so that others could hear it. Unless he did not want them too, then he could easily block out his thoughts. Which was what he did right then and there. The eagle was begining to vex the spirit of Autumn Scar, which was a dangerous idea, for both mortal and immortal. Hallow knew he could just as easily strip Akin of his powers as he could change his shape, but he would not do that. No matter how bad he disliked the cocky eagle, he had to let him remain a spirit. After all, if Hallow ever wished to change the land back to normal, he would need the bird's power.

He'd need all of them; each spirit was for a different season. Kain ruled over summer, for he controlled the hottest of the elements: fire. Kire was the spirit of winter, for she controlled water. Akin was, sadly, fall, for he controlled air, which stripped the trees of leaves. And Seia controlled earth, spring. She let it grow. Each spirt was as important as the next; only he was more powerful than them and it was only because he had been a spirit longer. Hallow had never actually been living; or, at least, he didnt think so. Animals who met him and the other spirit suspected he had died at a young age and came back as a spirit. No one would ever know, because Hallow could not remember himself.

Suddenly, he heard something coming. Hooves, thundering hooves! Feeling excitement course through him gassy body, Hallow quickly shifted into his shapeless cloud of black, opal eyes peering around. The hooves were getting closer, gaining speed as they appraoched. The spirit tensed in eagerness, hoping, praying, that the horse would want to talk. After his chat with Kire, he had come here to try and talk to a horse about the return of the equines. Perhaps this one could. And suddenly, a light tawny hued fae lunged out of the shadows. Even though Hallow had been expecting her, he flinched slightly. The mare leapt over a log that was in her way...and went down. Hallow fought down a laugh, knowing it would not help him any to let her know that someone had seen her fall. The shapeless cloud shivered in amusement.

As she got up and shook herself off, Hallow got a good view of her. Her coat was palimino like, with mane and tail a bit lighter than her pelt. Her hind legs had slight pasterns, white in hue. Hallow flew forward silently to get a look at her face. She had a lovely face, Arabic in features, though her body seemed more mustang. Her face had a blaze down it, but it branched off at the top left corner to make a spot over her eye. It was neat looking and for a moment, Hallow felt a prickle of jealousy; he wished he could have colours like those. But her eyes made him shiver; the right was a sea blue, while the left was a soft brown, far lighter than bark. He had never seen such eyes on a horse before, and he had seen a lot of horses.

Hallow deiceded to make himself known. He slid back over the the tree, and shape-shifted into a squirrel again. Then, he scampered down the tree to stand in front of the vix. Which he regretted slightly; what if she didnt see him? Well, if she didnt, he'd just slip out of the way. But as soon as she noticed his presence, he would shift into a horse as well, a proud stallion. the spirit almost chuckled aloud at this thought, but pushed it away. He was not looking to impress the fae, only to let her know who he was and then to talk to her. If she wanted to of course; unless if was another spirit, or a score, he would never force a horse to do something they did not want to. Except for a score. They needed bossing around. Opal eyes stared up at the tawny vix, willing her to look up.

[mj]

“Just one silly jump, that’s all it was, did it really have to be so difficult?” The belle’s words hung sopping with sarcastically annoyed tunes, as she bent over trying to yank her left fore out of a thorny thistle. The whole time this was going on Era did not spare a glance up, she strained and pulled, guessing she had struck a snake hole or something of that manner. With a snort the sun kissed vix staggered free a triumphant grin and a warm glint in her eyes setting upon her features.

It was then she felt a slight feather light brush along her back. The feeling on gets when their being watched, a feeling Eradai’s instincts told her to fear. It sent her legs itching to be off yet again, but her senses held her in place, for no scent reached her nares, and no sounds could be heard, but there was something. So she swiveled searching for the source of her anxiety, mismatched eyes searching through the darkness, the earthen one seeming to darken in its curiosity, the aquatic brightening in its sense of forebode. Either eye seemed to take upon its own character, one brave, and the other afraid, one sense, and one gut.

Suddenly the orbs alighted on a dark figure clinging upon the side of a tree not too far off. As her eyes adjusted further to take in the sight, Eradai noticed the blotch take on a form, that of a squirrel, a black one. She assumed that the shadows were playing tricks on her; surely there was no such thing as a rodent as this shaded the color of ebonite. Upon further inspection though, Era noted that the color of this creatures fur was a darkness, grander then that of its surroundings, like a void in the lands almost. Its form, somewhat distorted, and not all it should be.

Era had not lived in this realm long, but her time here had been long enough to know its tales, and its watchers. This could be none other then Hallow, the main spirit of the lands, she never that he appear before her, and guessed that it was by mere chance really, the thought of this mighty creature in the form o a tiny little vermin amused the vix in the way things often do for her. The reasons for Hallow to be here, eluded the young mare, it was quite intimidating to be in his presence, intriguing at the same time though, and Eradai would by no means let herself stand here like a frightened foal, she’d have to say something, so she did, “Lo,” Of course that was all she could manage, a quiet sort of greeting, inquiring and wary at the same time, eyes narrowed as she waited to see what would happen next.

[Befera]

Hallow smirked as she talked to herself; though, he ahd no right, he did that often. He watched her try to free one of her legs from what he assumed was a hole. He could have helped her easily, but he figured she might not like that. So he settled for watching her, holding his black, bushy tail in a delicate forepaw. His tail twicthed in silent triumph as she freed herself.

And now she turned around. She seemed worried; she must have seen him on the tree before he had got to the ground. It amused him somewhat, because he knew that squirrels did not come in the color black. Or they did, but not in the so comlete shade he was. This was why he liked being the shadow spirit of Autumn Scar. It was fun to startle the horses before showing himself for what he was.

Aha! She noticed him. Finally, Hallow thought with an inward smikr. Opal eyes stared up into hers as she looked at him. Perhaps she knew already about the spirirts, because she spoke. A simple greeting. Hallow went from squirrel to horse in a second, becoming a stallion that equaled her size. Greetings. he said quietly, the voice radiating from his body, rather than his kissers.

((Short ><))

[mj]

Era could not help but allow her large lanterns to grow wide with shock, and awe as a once fluffy little cesspit toned squirrel turned into a stallion so dark that his eyes seemed to glow, or maybe that was because they actually did glow. Tawny coat twitched involuntarily in fright, for this being truly did frighten her, why should he not, judging by what others had said of him. Many great things were feared though, Era herself received many shudders, just because of the colors of her eyes, so many found them odd, she supposed they were, but a life of them has allowed her to adjust to the shock.

Then, Hallow spoke, or more so resounded, in a booming voice, which seemed to center from the swirling ebonite steed before her. It was a sound like thunder, chords booming mightily from everything and nothing at once, the sort of sound you heard deep in you bones that sent your teeth a-clatter and your legs shuddering. The vix glanced away into the distance, across the plains from which she had come. Blinking Eradai turned to face the unknown, what would she say to a spirit which was said to never live, what sort of conversation would interest such a being.

Auds perked in interest as she pondered over this, kissers pulled into a thin line, Era hated being lost for words, for it was so uncharacteristic of the femme. Finally the alien eyed belle cleared her vocals and spoke in chiming tones musical in a rough sort of way, “Sorry, if I make poor conversation, but I have not considered this scenario yet…” She smiled slightly, nervously, but felt somewhat surer now that she had spoke her mind, Era always felt relieved after such a moment. Slowly though, the belle spiraled back into a fidgety mood, tail flicked irritably at nothing, and ears swiveled as her kind did in pressing moments when certain feelings told you to run, yet others pressed you to stay.

A slight movement in the shrub caught the femmes varied attention, a mud toned cricket hopping through the tall grasses. Strong back legs propelling the tiny creature with a magnificent and enviable power, which any smart creature would gamble for. For a moment the little insect paused, Era almost glanced away, but then a sudden blur caught her eye. A large forest spider, adapted to the unnatural lands into the color of a faded leaf. It pounced on the poor musician of a bug, and sunk it’s fangs deep into his tiny body, paralyzing it so that she cold carry him off to her den for later, when she would get the munchies.

Era winced at the sight of such carnage, and glanced back to the spirit, sad almost, mourning the poor cricket for which she really would forget before the sun rose. It was how things were; some must eat those, which were alive to survive, if the spider did not eat the cricket, or others like him, she would die, even if she didn’t like to kill. Eradai knew this, ad accepted it, even though she probably didn’t like it just as much as the spider did, for she would like to bet the arachnid would appreciate and easy meal.

[Befera]

Opal eyes blinked once, continuing to stare at the mare. Hallow sensed her shock and slight fear, and it made him smile inwardly. The shyadow spirit was not one to be feared, unless you angered him. Which, unless you were Akin, was a little difficult to do. The spirit dipped his head to the tawny vixen. She seemed very suprised, though Hallow could easily understand why. Black squirrels did not regularly turn into black stallions.

Lips twisted into a wry smile when she spoke. Quite understandable. he said softly, voice quiet as it resonated through his body. I assume you know who I am, but I dont know you. Would you enlighten me with your name, dear mare? A mix of soft respect and authority layered his tone; Hallow knew how to win a horse over, by using respect that most assumed they'd never get from a spirit.

The rustle in the grasses distracted him, and he looked down to see the cricket leap out of the grass. Hallow's lips curled into a smirk; he'd never tried being a cricket before. It looked like fun, but maybe he do it later. It would be rude to transform and leave the mare alone. The shadow was not one to be rude.

Hallow, like the mare, flinched slightly as the spider leapt out to kill the small insect. A quiet sigh slid from the shadow spirt of Autumn Scar. Murder, even to survive, is a terrible thing. You are young; enjoy your youth, live your life to the fullest, and when your time comes, embrace death. he looked up at her, meeting her mismatched eyes. But try to avoid things that may bring you death. he said, seeming a little amused.

[mj]

Era just barely managed to choke down a curt burst of laughter at the hilarity of the thought of ever having anyone call her ‘dear mare’. Now, of course she’d been called mare before but never had the word, nor anything related to the word ‘dear’ been spoken on her behalf, at least by those not of her blood. It was sad almost, that the old girl found this amusing, and it left Era wondering over how many friends she had made in her short year here, and the results of her ponderings were too painful to bear.

Doubtless though the spirit had asked a question, in a fairly formal way that almost left the fae gawking, for it was all she could do to keep from giggling, yet again. Clearing her throat in a quiet sort of way, which would by no means, or by no hopeful means show any positive sign of disrespect to the dark steed. “Ah, right, I’m Eradai” The words were generally short, and nearing a stutter, then quickly the vix added, for she disliked the use of her full name “Or, Era, if you…would.” Well, this was quite comical, Eras would like to bet if that old hag of a mare was here she would’ve lost her wrinkled graying head from her uncontrollable fits of laughter at this rambling fest, even though, Era noted she wasn’t doing half bad.

Tail switched slightly, and auds swiveled this way and that catching sounds from the ethereal movements of the night. No horse would really want to be at this time, none with a wise bone in their body, and Eradai despite her intelligent lacked much wisdom, or care, se was just a careless filly whom would no doubt pay for her rash actions. Now, of course some would say, Era was not alone. Hallow was here, but he was neither a horse, nor was he living so technically she was just alone as she would if he wasn’t here, he just took up some space and raised the silence, but he gave no feeling really, of life or anything being there, so was he really.

A low sigh from the darkling caught Era’s whimsical attention yet again, and the belle turned her crania to look upon him, wondering if he too had seen the crickets demise, or was just bored, which was equally easy enough to believe. Then he spoke, or yet again echoed the wise words of someone timeless, more understandable then when mindless herd elders tried to blabber up something meaningful. Life and death, both were in most cases inevitable, you live you died, what’s the point about fussing over either, when ones bound to end, and the bound to start. Needless to say Era feared dying, she didn’t want to leave, but she wouldn’t miss out on some seemingly harmless fun, just to on the safe side. Then the spirit spoke of avoiding something dangerous, it was like saying ‘Live in a box young one, boxes are safe, and square, nothing will get to you other then a flood, rain, fire, earthquakes, or anything else possibly out of you control’ The thought was ghastly, but Era wouldn’t speak her mind as clearly as it wanted to be. Now things that do bring you death, those, she’d avoid like jumping into a hungry pack of wolves, or a fire, or some unnamed pit of doom, that would jus be stupid. Risking it though, like going to see an unnamed pit of doom, or a fire, or something dangerous yet not all and all life threatening, that she would do, depending on what it was, of course.

After those brief somewhat pointless thoughts you young vix grinned, almost like a fox, but not quite so, prickly or predatory, just cunning, perhaps untrustworthy, though depending on who you were the measure of trust would waver. “Oh, I don’t welcome death, not yet, but I don’t see the point of taking everything safe, or easy-doesn’t that just make things, dull?” After the words were spoken Era felt a tinge of regret tickling her insides, but she’d never manage without having said so, so needless to say that’s that, she said what she meant, and could be accused of neither sucking up, or lying.

[Befera]

An inky ear twitched atop the black horse's head, a look of amusement flashing in opal eyes. The bad mood he had been placed in when with Akin had vanished as soon as he had met this mare. Perhaps he would spend the rest of the day chatting with her and by the time he returned to the temple, he'd be in a better mood. Well..he hoped anyway. If the jackass eagle showed up again, Hallow was not sure he'd be able to hold back his temper.

The fae's words grabbed his attention and he snapped his head back to her. Era. Nicknames are fun. Too bad Hallow's was to short anyway to have a nickname. Well, he could be called Hall. Nah, to...dumb? He spoke again. Era...lovely name, my dear. he said softly, respect still layering his quiet tones. His respect was rather easily earned if you ave Hallow respect. The mare had. Go her.

Hallow read the amusement in her eyes and through her posture. Clearly she had just had a very amusing thought over what the shadow had just said. It was meant to be funny, though Hallow could see where the amusement factored in. In a way, he had basically said go live in a cave. Allowing a soft chuckle to seep from his gassy bodice, he looked at the mare, expressionless as always.

Her words amused him farther. Too true, too true. Its fun to live a dangerous life. Yeah, like he'd know. He'd never been living at all. Even so, he had been around long enough to know about it. It was fun to be a spirit. He kept his opal eyes on Era, letting her know she could speak her mind if she wished. It had been a long time since he had had a proper conversation with a horse.