Memories // Laredo

[Bandit]

She had to get away from the islands, and at her first opportunity she had slipped past the constant and unnerving vigil that the twins had been keeping. While Lark had held no love for the old roan man, Paradisum, the circumstances of his death did not sit well with her. The twins not only had overthrown their ruler, but they had murdered their grandfather. It was all too vicious, even for her, to immoral. So even though she had resented being whisked to the island by the so called wolf, he had just left her be once she was there. Another thing added to his collection to collect dust. Now Lark had enjoyed being allowed her solitude, but she felt as if that had been her life. She had spent most of her life either alone, or trying to be alone and now she was feeling the ill effects of it all. She felt as if she had nothing and no one, and it had been her doing which made it even worse. When she returned to the mainland she had simply wandered. Letting her feet take her where they may, and it was only when she found herself at the edge of the springs that she fully realized just where she was. A sigh left her lips and a small frown tugged at her features as she just stood staring down into the rippling water. She was so close to the land where she had so many old memories, so many bitter memories that she couldn’t help but think of him. Closing her eyes tightly she tucked her chin closer to her chest, and her ears flicked back as she tried to push those thoughts and memories away. She had so many doubts from her past, so many questions and what if’s that she had spent so long trying to push down and forget, but lately it felt as if they were beginning to all bubble to the surface once more. What if she had been able to forgive him, if she had been able to let down her guard more and allow herself to open up back then? Instead of building higher and thicker walls with each passing year and segregating herself more and more from those around her. Maybe things could have been different; maybe she could have found some semblance of happiness instead of being where she was now. ”Speeeeech!” Featuring;; Lark ll Mare ll 13 years ll Grulla Overo ll Akhal Teke x Warmblood x Saddlebred x Kiger Mustang ll Arrived Spring, Year 1 Words;; 404 Tags;; Laredo for Rowtag Muse;; pretty good Notes;; got kinda depressing there... Credits;; Original table and manip by ForeverPain; all images are copyright to their rightful owners; PBv5 table by Illegal

[Laredo]

Rowtag

This area had been home for a few days now. Though there was aruments about it from Tigerlily, who was supposed to be his better half. She'd get over it in time, or just complain herself to death. He'd move the herd else where once they had eaten the over grown grass well here, which would be in another day or so where there was shade, and cold water to drink. Plus, he just really liked being here because the warmth of the spring water felt really good on his achy joints, even in the summer. Getting old, was just hell. He'd kept a watchful eye on his family, as they grazed, but he felt the need to slip away to have some time to himself. Maybe happen upon Ezra, and try to talk with him. He really wished that boy wouldn't beat himself up about what'd happened to his mother. Life took who it wanted, when it wanted, and there wasn't anything to do about it, but to accept it. But, being so young when it happened to him, he imagined it was rough to get over it, and felt it was his fault for what happened. He knew the Overo colt tried to be more like his sister back then, with being adventuresome.

With having the family back, his mind trailed to who'd used to be in the family that he missed. Harmony, Ceata, Artemis, Lark. Oh how he missed those women. Even Lark with her resentment for him because of him force breeding her. He did kind of regret now doing what he did to her, and wanted to some how apologize to her, and if at all possible make it up to her, if she was still around Mustang. He didn't know if she was still alive, or hiding in her solitude she always wanted to have, to have no one bother her.

He treaded along the bubbling springs, with himself lost in thought about everything. About the future, death that awaited him, the unknown. It weighed on him, and wonder about what would become of everyone once he was gone. But, that thought was ceased for the time being as a familiar scent entered his nostrils. He let out a snort, then took in a deep breath of the scent, to make sure he wasn't going crazy. It was.. Lark? No way.. She'd hated his guts.. Why would she be here, near his herd? Did she not realize? He lifted his head up, amber orbs scanned the area around him. He spotted her up a ways from where he stood.

He didn't know if he should dare announce his presence, or just come up closer and surprise her that way. He decided to step onward, and he spoke, letting his voice carry a bit. "Well I didn't expect to ever see you again." he said, as he stopped across the spring she was at.

Bandit

[Bandit]

She pressed her eyes even tighter together as salty tears threatened to spill over her lids and betray her emotions to the world. Thankfully she was alone, so she believed, utterly alone with just her thoughts, which was a dangerous place for her to be currently. Lark’s black tipped ears twitched slightly as she heard the soft, almost hesitant steps of another approaching and a quiet sigh huffed from her lips and she dropped her head slightly to wipe her tears away against her leg. She didn’t want anyone to see her so emotionally raw, she was too proud, pretended to be too strong to allow another to see her weakness. Raising her head back up slightly, but she still didn’t acknowledge that she heard the other approaching her. Part of her hoped that if she just ignored them, they’d move on and go away, but that tiny part of her, the sliver of her psyche that was so filled with loneliness and regret hoped they’d stay, hoped they’d offer her something she had been longing for for so long. But then, as soon as his voice carried through the warm summer air to her, her teeth clenched and her entire body tensed. ‘Think of the Devil and he shall appear,’ she thought with a sigh. She slowly opened her eyes, but continued to look straight ahead, not wanting to see him just yet, not sure what she wanted. “Rowtag…” her voice cracked as she whispered his name and slowly turned her head so she could look at him. Her stomach and heart seemed to be competing for which would be the most acrobatic as they both felt as if they were doing flips within her. It had been years since she had seen him, and even back then most of their interactions had been anything but pleasant, mostly due to her own doing, now that she thought back on it. Her brow furrowed slightly as she looked him over, her brown eyes settling on his amber ones. He looked good, a little worn around the edges, perhaps showing some age since the last time they had seen each other, but she could only imagine what she looked like in his eyes. Finally removing her gaze from him, she turned her head and looked straight ahead once more. “It’s been a long time…” she said, her voice still slightly unsteady, but a bit louder and understandable than it had been a moment ago. But the most unusual was her tone, where in the past she had always been harsh and unforgiving, now she had anything but animosity in her voice. Lark was still at a loss for what to say, or do but perhaps just being civil was the best start? She swallowed hard and glanced back at him as he stepped closer to her, unable to speak again, and utterly unsure of what she could or should even say. ”Speeeeech!” Featuring;; Lark ll Mare ll 13 years ll Grulla Overo ll Akhal Teke x Warmblood x Saddlebred x Kiger Mustang ll Arrived Spring, Year 1 Words;; 490 Tags;; Laredo for Rowtag Muse;; pretty good Notes;; =/ Credits;; Original table and manip by ForeverPain; all images are copyright to their rightful owners; PBv5 table by Illegal

[Laredo]

Rowtag

He stood there quietly, awaiting for the harsh reactions that he always remembered coming from the painted grullo mare. But, to his surprise he didn't get anything out of her. She was quiet. She took a long time to look at him. Not at all things that were associated with the Lark he once knew. He was beginning to wonder if she was in some sort of trouble, or what the deal was. His ausd he thought were failing him as he heard the cracking in her whispered voice, saying his name. Then she finally did looked at him, he could see the pain in her brown eyes. That pain he read was a longing for something. But, really what did she want? For all the time he'd known her, she seemed content to be by herself.

His auds fell back as he listened to the cracking of her voice again. He hated to see a woman feeling distressed, and upset. He could see it, even with her trying to hide it. His Amber orbs slowly looked over the grullo painted woman. She still looked well for her age, though weathered some by the years. He himself felt like a he'd been well weathered, and aged some days, thanks to his four year absence from Mustang. The humans had certainly left their mark on him. There were plenty of whip scars that blended in with the brindling on his body, some more prominent than others. And that ongoing battle with the monstrous humans left his joints aching especially when it was very cold. That was a good part of why he was here at the Springs with his family in summer.

He nodded his head lightly, and finally replied back to her. "Yes, Lark. It certainly has been a long time." he said to her. He wasn't sure as to what to say to her. He was still in a bit of shock to see this one eighty in personality from her. Had all the years of her building walls, and putting up strong and proud outer shell, finally come crumbling down around her, he wondered. He shifted his weight on his hooves, and licked at his lips slightly. He wasn't all entirely sure as to what to say, their relationship in the past had been built mostly on negative, so this situation was kind of, odd you could call it. So, he figured maybe to start with the basics. "How have you been?" he asked her. He wasn't sure what kind of reaction he'd get from the question, if whether this current state she was in, if it would change dramatically, or what would happen.

He was also quite curious to ask about their son, Firebird. But, he'd figured he would wait a bit before asking about that. "I want to say this now, and for whatever its worth.. I wanted to apologize for the past. You know, for what I'd done to you." he said to her. He wanted to get that out in the open before he ended up not saying it, or missing the opportunity to do so. "That'd been weighing on my mind for so long.. I had done you wrong. I just wish that things could of been better between us in the past." he said to her.