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Post by Hattie on Nov 14, 2011 22:51:47 GMT -5
Katie had never been fond of water. From the dark foreboding coast of the Northern Shore, to the damp unpleasantries of springtime, no experience she'd had with water in her life so far had been enjoyable. This was no exception. Somehow Katie's travels had lead her from grassland into a deceptively grassy marsh and now the golden mare was struggling vainly to find her way out.
It was her own foolish fault really, she'd failed to notice the dampness underfoot until the water had penetrated her thick feathers and she was in fairly deep by then. Attempts to backtrack had utterly failed her and with uniform green rolling out in all directions things were looking bleak.
"Oh dear, oh...Oh!"
She cried out as her hoof sunk suddenly into the earth, splashing muck onto her already soiled and soggy underside. Investigation into the cause of her stumble revealed that Katie had stepped into an old foot print that had filled with water, presumably hers based on the side.This discovery caused her heart to flutter with excitement.
Perhaps if I follow my own trail... But how to go about that? It was barely visible above the grass, though stepping in her own print had worked fairly well... Katie frowned at the prospect, cocking a hoof as she considered the horizon. She'd spent hours searching for the end of the marsh, did she really want to spend hours more splashing herself dank water and gook? Obviously not, but it seemed her only option at that point. With a heavy sigh to fortify herself against the trial to come, Katie set off once again, sending up impressive splashes with every heavy step.
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Post by Hud on Nov 16, 2011 22:20:13 GMT -5
Rembrandt, though a lover of as little movement as possible, had found himself in a rather jittery mood earlier that day. As such, he'd strayed from his ordinary haunt in the center - the crux - of Gavril. He'd taken it upon himself as an authority over the Great Woods to explore the perimeters. After all, it had been too long since he'd done so.
He would not do it without entertainment! Rembrandt hummed a tune his mother had taught him all those years ago rather loudly as he moved. Making his large presence known often scared off any unwelcome visitations - be they alligators or otherwise. Other stallions were less of a concern to him. Other Overseers were the ones who dealt with challengers. Remmy was the only one who had to deal with gators. As he rather quickly trekked through the mossy twilight-lit swamp, it was obvious that the stallion was not new to the terrain. His hooves did not hesitate as they instinctively knew which steps would and which would not be safe. A horse his size who was unused to his or her surroundings had to take the time to assess the stability of the dank ground below a hoof to make it through such unforgiving terrain. Remmy, a swamp horse, had not the slightest inkling of trouble.
"Suzeh Q, baybeh Ah love you, Suzeh Q!" As he added lyrics to his little ditty, Rembrandt did not slow, taking care to glance on either side of him for anything peculiar. His voice was deeper and his inflections were like those of his mother's - scooping and slurring. It was often hard to spot Rembrandt's mouth actually opening much more than just the slightest bit when he spoke - as if his voice was amplified only by his throat. With not the best of singing voices, Remmy continued to amuse himself as he traveled until he heard something he hadn't counted on - a mare's squeal.
Faint, but discernable. His ears flicked back to the sound's origin behind him as his frame followed. His 180 degree turn was quick and deliberate, though he stood silent for a moment as he waited for any other noise. It was quiet for a moment, save for the loud ambiance of crickets and bullfrogs. The pale stallion looked up at the sun's downward progress - it was nearly sunset. The gators would reveal themselves soon to fill their bellies.
Rembrandt could relate. He was so hungry... But no! The splashes heard from supposedly the same origin as the cry brought him back to his senses. His lingering jaw closed as he began toward the female. His hooves made their own quiet sucking sounds in the mud as he trotted. Catching sight of the girl, Remmy smiled. Poor girl. She was a grand looker, though that wasn't what Remmy saw when he looked at her. He saw frustration and what looked like it had once been determination. This girl was exhausted and what a bad time to be so tired. She hadn't a chance if he did not intervene. Perhaps it was a good thing he'd gone on his little journey today of all days.
"Mis ladeh, you ought not t'be out dis late. Gators' comin' out, ch'know!" His voice was bellowing as per usual as he followed her to get her attention.
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Post by Hattie on Nov 22, 2011 22:51:49 GMT -5
As the minutes ticked past, Katie found she could almost tune out the disgusting squelching that accompanied each step, almost, but not quite. It would've been easier if not for the physical reminders. Her legs felt like tree stumps, each step soaking her thick feathers with another wash of cold water. Cold indeed. Katie mused as a shiver passed through her hide. The sun and warmth where fading fast from the marsh, chilling her horribly as her flanks grew damp. Just another complication... The mare heaved a heavy sigh, morphing quickly into a startled gasp as a stallion's yell shattered her solitude and caused her to trip once more.
Blood burned in her cheeks as Katie attempted vainly to recompose herself before she turned to face the stud, a fresh wash of heat consuming her when she caught sight of him. Keeping warm was the least of her worries now.
There was something about the opposite sex, horses in general as well, but especially those of the masculine gender, that had an unraveling effect on poor Kate. This pale male was no exception, in fact is anything she was even more lost than normal, taking into account her current predicament on top of the intrusion.
"I...I...Gators?" Struggling to recall what this horse had said, her mind latched onto what was possibly the most important bit of information. The bit that made absolutely no sense to her, but sounded threatening enough to clear her head for a moment.
"What is a gator?"
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Post by Hud on Nov 24, 2011 21:37:55 GMT -5
Rembrandt heard the mare's question as he approached, stopping before he answered at a polite distance for acquaintances to speak at. Her obliviousness to the bayou's dangers was endearing but also worrying to the stallion. If horses were simply wandering into Gavril with no idea what they were getting themselves into, Remmy was going to have a mess on his hands. He didn't want to bother the newcomer with his worry.
"You jus' axe me whut a gator is?" The alarm in his voice was hinted with sarcasm but lined with actual concern. Rembrandt couldn't help but notice how stunning the mare was - her beautiful coat with her thick mane, feathers, and tail framing her shape... With a bit of a furrow of his brows, Remmy caught himself from gawking too much. He was surprised at himself. It wasn't often that he found himself so caught in another's appearance. Perhaps it was the blue eye that really struck him... Shaking his head a bit as if to shake off the thoughts, Rembrandt smiled his usual smile. "Shoo, whudduyuh doin' in de swamp not knowin' whut a gator is?" he said with a bit of a laugh, his orange mane quietly fluttering in what little wind flew around them.
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Post by Hattie on Nov 25, 2011 16:54:54 GMT -5
"Well I..." But as a result of the stallion's rebuke Katie seemed to have lost all sense of coherence and her sentence trailed off into a shameful duck of the head; his laughter at her foolishness only wounding the mare further. She hadn't meant to come into the marsh after all, nor had she ever heard of these "gators" before. It really didn't seem fair that she should be judged so for her ignorance, though she was ashamed of it all the same.
It was really too much for softhearted Kate to handle, lost in a strange place, cold settling quickly into her hide, and now a stallion telling her about mysterious swamp creatures. If she'd been looking for a bit of variety she'd certainly found it, far too much in fact.
Struggling to speak around the painful lump her throat Katie finally addressed the stallion, turning two pleading eyes in his direction as she did so.
"I just, I just, if you'd please... I've been lost in this muck for hours and I... I just want to get out of here. Please."
She felt helpless, pathetic, and heat burned in her cheeks again but Katie was willing to stoop to just about any level at that point if it meant freeing herself from this marsh.
ooc: D: meh
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Post by Hud on Nov 25, 2011 17:53:37 GMT -5
It seems he'd hurt her.
Rembrandt had merely made a tiny joke on the subject, but she seemed to take it all too personally. The stallion, not exactly thinking, quickly closed the gap between them in an effort to reassure that his comment had not been ill-meant. This girl wanted to get out of the swamp. It appeared that her first impression of Gavril had not been a favorable one - something Remmy was a bit ashamed at.
"Ga-lee miss Ah din't mean nuttin' by it. A'course Ah'll heylp ya out." His tone was apologetic as he looked her in the eye, nodding, a smile on his face. He hated for others to think him any less than kind. The stallion rounded her until he stood shoulder-to-rump with her, ready to help her out of the swamp. "Ah believe dis be de bes way out," he said quietly as he bobbed his head, gesturing to the opposite direction she was facing. They stood on sturdy ground for now, but had she continued on her path, she would've stepped right into a gator hot spot. This would be the worst time of day for it, too.
"Hunny, a gator is... S'like uh BIG lizud. Big toofy lizud. Don't wunna mess wi'dem!"
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Post by Hattie on Nov 29, 2011 21:22:37 GMT -5
Recognizing salvation when she saw it, Katie refrained from mentioning that she had no idea what a "lizud" was either and instead tried to compose herself as she turned the direction he had shown.
"I'm terribly sorry." She spoke softly, embarrassed by her wretched state yet feeling obligated to explain. "I'm not normally like this... It's just been a terribly long day."
She offered him small, joyless smile before turning her gaze to the darkening horizon. Uncertainty and fear still stood foremost in Katie's heart and the prospect of making her way out of this place alone in the coming dark did nothing to calm her.
"Would you... Would you be willing to walk with me for awhile, at least until I know where I am again?"
She tensed, not looking at him for fear of the rejection that might come. Where would that leave her then, if he did say no? In for a far longer night than her day had seemed, that much was certain.
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Post by Hud on Nov 30, 2011 18:36:10 GMT -5
Rembrandt smiled at the mare's apology. She reminded him of a deer he'd once met in Calcryx... Shy and softspoken. Of course, they looked nothing alike. Rembrandt scanned her face as he made the comparison. Well, they did have the same meek expression, he thought with a small nod and a bit of a laugh.
"No need, no need, Miss lay-deh!" he said, referring to all of her apologies. "Ah can imagine yuh furst dey's been a liddle rough. Mind if I axe, whutddo dey call you?"
The stallion was caught off-guard when he heard the metallic bellow he'd feared come from quite a distance. Trained to hear even the tiniest hint of an alligator's call, Rembrandt knew it was time to "skedaddle", as his mother used to call it. Despite the far proximity of the beast, the stallion could discern its substantial weight and could classify him as a creature not to be toyed with. The sound was so remote and obscured amongst the sounds of other awakening swamp creatures that it was entirely possible that Rembrandt supposed this mare, unfamiliar with her surroundings as she apparently was, hadn't even heard it. Only one ear having responded to the sound by flicking back, the stallion kept the sign of danger to himself. The girl was already rattled enough without the imminent fear of an alligator upsetting her even more. The cream-colored stallion needed to lead her away immediately without directing attention to the far-off gator. With a quick "Uh," Rembrandt snapped back into focus to reply to her.
"A'course Ah'll go wi'you!" He took a few steps forward and looked back to her, not showing even the slightest hint of worry in his countenance, though there was no absence of it in his mind. "Gotta keep you safe!"
OOC: Sound ref, only MUCH quieter ^^
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Post by Hattie on Dec 3, 2011 23:52:06 GMT -5
"Oh. Thank you." The relief that washed over her was so powerful, Katie feared for a moment that her weak knees would not support her; but they had to, and they did. She stepped eagerly after him, sending up impressive splashes and nearly tripping in her haste. Katie would give him no reason to retract his offer. She was fairly certain by that point he wouldn't, but then why tempt fate?
"I'm... Katie, or Kate if you like."
She paused for a moment, head ducked submissively as she tried to decide whether or not this meant she could ask his name as well. Katie leaned toward the former.
"And you?" she asked, hazarding a glance in his direction. "What's your name?"
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Post by Hud on Dec 12, 2011 22:20:55 GMT -5
As the newly-named mare plodded through the marsh after her leader, Rembrandt managed to pull off a smile to keep spirits up. A pleasant male in general, smiling in the face of threat was no large feat. "Well it sho' is fine'ta meetcha!" His sentiments were genuine.
As he traversed through the bayou banks' muddy edges, he looked forward for the first chance to get back up onto dry land, for Katie's sake. Remy bobbed his head back and forth as he led his new friend onward, letting out a sing-song tone in his voice: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cat-er-ine!" When he was excited, he drug out his lyrics to their fullest. It was possible that that wasn't even her name - it didn't matter. Remy was exhilarated by the danger they were successfully avoiding.
"Mah name Rembrandt. Ah'm called Remy dough," he uttered with a silly smile back in her direction as he continued farther. They neared the edge of the swamp with each passing step...
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Post by Hattie on Dec 15, 2011 21:59:00 GMT -5
Catherine... Katie flushed with guilty pleasure at the idea of being known by such an extravagant name. Mother would be horrified. But of course, Mother wasn't present just then, and overcome with the sheer foolishness and exuberance of her savior a small smile turned Katie's lips and crinkled the corners of her eyes. For a moment the trials and tribulations of the day were forgotten, even as she plodded through the scum that had so recently defined her personal hell.
"Rembrant..." She tested the name, silently grateful that he had something simpler to go by, such grand name would have surely been too intimidating for daily use.
"I can't tell you how grateful I am for your kindness."
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Post by Hud on Dec 17, 2011 22:15:12 GMT -5
"No need, no need, Miss Kay-teh! Das whut Ah'm he-yuh fo'!" His speech was reassuring, or at least it was meant to be. He was enjoying himself. Katie was possibly the shiest mare he'd ever met; she was unlike most of horses he usually came across. They always had a story just ready and waiting to tell. He liked those too, but the mysterious Katie was a breath of fresh air.
As he continued, Remy took the very first chance he got to skillfully ascend onto a drier piece of marsh from their rather watery trail. He hastened a bit farther and halted to turn and check Katie's progress. He didn't mind waiting - he said so with his grin. As he looked back, he took her in. She was a beauty if he'd ever seen one - tall, well-formed, and those eyes... It was a rare occurrence for Remy to be found ogling a mare, but not an altogether impossible one. His past generally kept him from thinking anything more than friendship about the opposite sex, but maybe it wasn't so bad after all...
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