A Flightless Raven [Angelus/open]

[Deleted]

Sidus

It may have been spring for the rest of the Homeland, but it seemed the south was as sweltering as ever. Although Sidus had not been born in the desert, her parents had been, and in her childhood she had often visited. She remembered how the best parts of the day were the times between day and night, when the temperature was bearable for an hour or so. At night it was very cold, and in the day very hot. But her parents were nomads of the desert and they knew well how to survive in those conditions, and they managed to keep her alive long enough to teach her as well. It was a harsh environment, but some of her happiest times had been spent in this desert, and she invariably found herself drawn here once again.

It wasn't an easy path in, however. It was not her first time coming to the desert alone, but it was easy to get turned around, and though her parents had shown her an easier path through the rough rocky outcroppings, she'd misnavigated at some point and had had to take the hard way. She wouldn't deny that her hooves were sore and there were a few small scrapes on her lower legs, but she wasn't really the worst for wear. She was light on her feet, so she'd avoided some of the damage that others may have acquired. However, one thing she couldn't really avoid was the awful heat the sun was giving off. It wasn't unbearable, but it was definitely causing sweat to form on her already-dark coat, and she knew she'd probably need water in the next two hours or she'd start getting uncomfortable.

The sand shifted beneath her hooves as she stopped her forward progress and she stumbled. She righted herself, bi-colored tail lashing in irritation. Obviously she'd been away too long if even standing was a problem. "I'm going to have a rough couple of weeks, if this is any indication," she said irritably, more embarrassed than anything. But at least no one had seen. Her words held some weight, as she was hoping to be here for a long while. She loved the desert despite its issues, and she hoped the herd here would take her in. If not, they would have to deal with a very irritating trespasser, because she wasn't about to back down. Tossing her head, the dark mare let out a trumpeting whinny.

[Silver]

Angelus

The desert was unusually busy, but Angelus was pleased that it was so. Mares had been cropping up everywhere, and with another foal potentially on the way, life was looking upwards in the sands. Thankfully there were no stallions who had it in their heads to challenge him, and life could continue peacefully for a few seasons, he hoped. As the spring wore on, the desert was starting to show its true colors. The mares were already seeking shelter at the Bridonna Oasis, as things were simply much cooler there and Juno could play around without the fear of overheating or getting lost. And so it fell to Angelus to keep an eye on the desert and those that wandered it; he was a guide, a friend, a protector and a guard all at the same time. The stallion didn’t mind; all of the exercise that he was getting kept him in incredible shape. His muscles were lean and hard, his coat sleek and shiny. Sweat gathered in small pools on the recesses of his back, but were dispelled as he loped up the side of his favorite lookout dune.

So far there were three mares that he had come across, and all three had been fairly friendly, and what’s more - claimable. Nakita was his favorite of course, his love and his angel. And then there was Regina, the cunning and tricky minded mare who would likely lead the herd to its future glory. He laughed aloud at the thought of the meeting between Regina and Nakita. So far he’d been too busy to introduce the two, but he supposed he’d have to get around to it sooner or later. The stallion yawned and shifted his weight. Sand crumbled beneath him and sent tiny rivulets of earth cascading down the side, creating a new potential dune. Suddenly a loud whinny split the air and caught Angelus’ attention. His head picked up and he looked around. The air was dry and there was hardly a breeze, so scent was nearly useless. With a sigh of frustration he climbed over the peak and gave a survey of the view on the other side.

Voilà! There it was, the figure of an equine dotting the landscape. From this distance he couldn’t tell whether it was a male or female, and without the wind he couldn’t smell it either. Well, I’ll just have to get down there and make my acquaintance, he thought. His limbs churned up the sand as he nearly flew down the side of the shifting mountain. Just to be safe, in case there was some threat that this equine posed to him, he stopped within earshot and called back his own greeting.

ooc: angelus spends a lot of time on the dunes. xD
word count: 450+
tag: sidus
muse: itunes library

[Deleted]

Sidus

Even with her head thrown high, there really wasn't a whole lot for Sidus to look at while she waited. The extent of her vision was the rise of one dune and the fall of the next - on the horizon, as far as she could see, was sand. Heat rose in waves off of the earth, giving the classic mirage in the distance. She wasn't so clueless, or so desperate, as to believe her eyes. The desert was a master at fooling the senses, and while she was by no means an expert, she knew some of its tricks. And so she settled into something of a daze, staring at nothing - passing the time for a few minutes, because after that she was going off on her own, permission or no.

Fortunately it didn't come to that. Good thing, too, because staring off into space in the glaring sun tends to be harmful to, well, sight. A call sounded from nearby and Sidus blinked, ears pressing forward in the direction of the noise. There was a rise that she couldn't see over, but the voice had come from that direction, and close. Curious and feeling no fear, Sidus trotted forward over the sand, cresting the top of the dune and looking down, sunlight shining on her chocolate coat. Her neck arched, and she turned dark eyes on the stallion - the only one who could have voiced the call. He was dark, of desert build as she was, though of taller frame. After a quick appraisal, Sidus raised her head, a bold smile on her lips. "So you're the welcome party, are you?" The mare took a few steps down the dune, then stopped on an angle, somehow managing to make the move graceful and not fall. She flicked her tail lightly, as if this was just an everyday chat. "You look the part, so would I be right in calling you Highness? Or are you just another vagabond?"