Shipwrecked [Stolas/Open]

[phantom]

Elaine

The ocean was calm today despite the depressing blanket of clouds that hovered overhead. A soft drizzle of rain fell down, the droplets finer than that of mist and resulting in a feeling of walking through gossamer. Strewn across the beach were all sorts of objects that had been tossed up from the depths of the sea. Bright green seaweed with their meager roots still attached were tangled around small chunks of driftwood that stuck in the sand around one of the few remaining rocks on the shoreline. Shells littered the sand as if tossed away by some careless child and with each wave came fresh fragments, most of which had already been worn down to a perfect smoothness.

There was everything you would expect to find on a beach such as this, everything plus something else. Near the waters edge sat an odd sheet of what appeared to be a blue gray rock that apparently had been pushed in by the tide. Upon closer inspection one could determine that it was in fact a chunk of ice that was perhaps big enough for a pony or small horse to fit semi-comfortably on. Several feet away from this oddity was a slightly strange, very sandy lump of... something. Completely covered in seaweed the first assumption was that this thing was perhaps a rock, but with each wave it seemed to lift slightly and move further up the shoreline. Perhaps it was driftwood then? But its shape doesn't conform even to the loose standards of driftwood, and besides, it is far too big and horse shaped...

Another wave lifted up the aquatic plants to reveal two tanned hooves that could now be seen as clearly connected to the equines' rear legs. The seagulls flying over the water quickly marked this new development and one curious bird spiraled down to inspect the potential meal. Almost completely covered with seaweed and coated in sand, it was difficult to distinguish the mare from the beach anywhere except for where the water had washed away the sand to show bright white hocks connected to her exposed daggers. The seagull landed cautiously near the mare before picking up a small rock and tossing it near the mare. Encouraged by the lack of response the bird hopped closer to land a peck on one of her hooves before scrambling away, expecting a large monster to spontaneously pop up and eat him.

When that didn't happen, the feather duster took a few moments to congratulate himself on not being eaten before throwing a few more pebbles to ensure the apparent deadness of the equine. Now boldly swaggering up to the mares hock he jabbed his sharp beak at the exposed flesh and was thoroughly astonished when it gave a weak kick in his direction. Crying out the alarm he clumsily flapped his wings and somehow managed to obtain flight once more, leaving the monster behind.

[Diati]

Throughout Stolas' escapades, the stallion had neglected his collections. Stones, gems, shells, leaves, whatever caught his eye; he would take it back to where he 'camped', forming his own magpie's nest, surrounded by all that he loved and coveted. Though with the addition of two new heads to his cause, Stolas thought it time to present his woman and their spawn with something special. This beach in particular provided the seclusion that the stallion liked when searching for a trinket, as well as having some of the largest bits of debris to wash up on shore. Debris, massive clumps of seaweed, even the occasional stone ripped from the bottom of the ocean. Yet as the stallion approached, the gulls circling overhead signaled something much more gruesome had been turned in from the sea.

Keeping a brisk pace as he entered the cove, Stolas kept alert, scanning the sandy expanse even while the gulls above shrieked in alarm. There was the typical assortment of broken shells, large pieces of wood with barnacles and seaweed still clinging to them, the occasional bit of feathers fallen from the gulls. But what caught his eye the second it came into view was truly extraordinary.

Ice. A massive piece of ice, especially before winter had even thought of lacing it's wicked fingers through the land. Coming near to it, it looked almost large enough for a horse to stand on, even now as it melted away in the sand. Walking around and around it, Stolas was perplexed, till his nose picked up a faint scent. Though mostly hidden away by the thick cover of salt and seaweed, the stallion all at once knew he was not alone. But who's company did he keep? A corpses'? He had little use for a dead mare.

Still, if she had made it this far, there was still some chance. His head held high on a powerful neck, Stolas took in his surroundings once more. Just a few feet away, a sandy mass with hooves poking out lay sprawled. The seagulls hadn't gotten to it yet, despite their raucous screeching. Standing back, watching, waiting for any sign of life. Without so much as a flicker of an ear or a twitch of a leg, the stallion sighed, but continued on, sniffing and lipping at the soaked mass, gently brushing off the sand as he went.

At the least, if she was dead, her body would make a fine meal for the birds.

phantom

[phantom]

It was dark... and cold. An involuntary shiver raced down Elaine's spine, unnoticeable beneath the tangle of seaweed that was wrapped around her. Dragging her thoughts back into consciousness the mare struggled to remember what had happened. She remembered the great mountains of ice and... something caused the ground to split... and then... what happened? The mare struggled to recall, but soon gave up, she had other things to worry about like trying to open her eyes or moving for instance. Attempting to stretch her legs a swell of panic arose from her chest when they were unresponsive. Heart fluttering like a trapped moth against the palms of its captor, Elaine forced her salt encrusted eyes open and peered blearily at the cloudy gray sky.

Preparing to try moving again she took a deep breath and immediately regretted that decision. Her throat and chest burned with the "sudden" movement, causing her to cough weakly against the sand. Taking shallow breaths from her nares Elaine felt a small sense of victory when she successfully moved her front leg a couple inches and scared away the seagulls that had been inspecting her. However even that small movement left her breathless once again and she groaned internally. There was no way that she was going to be able to get up by herself before the tide came in. Lying beneath the weight of the seaweed she felt completely and utterly helpless, being unable to speak she couldn't even call for help. She could only pray that someone was watching enough to see that the formally dead looking lump was now breathing noticeably and making small movements every now and then.

[Diati]

While gently brushing sand from the 'corpse', Stolas was somewhat alarmed to hear a weak cough erupt from the body. She struggled somewhat, but with little success. Jerking back for an instant, the stallion reassessed the situation. So, she did have some fight left in her to live. Chuckling to himself, the stud shook his head, looking down at the distressed mare with a look he might have very well given his son if he'd done something ridiculously stupid. My dear, what a bind you've gotten yourself into. Wonder if getting here was really worth all the trouble. His words were low, half mumbled as he started pulling the weeds and debris from her body, making more invested efforts to give the half dead mare a chance at survival.

Once he had her mostly freed up, Stolas forcefully pushed her in the square of her back, trying to roll her onto her feet. My Lord must have saved you for something important. He grunted, already feeling the gentle lap of water coming back into the shore at his heels. But that doesn't mean you have a free ride. Prove to Him that you deserve to live. At that, Stolas pulled back, snorting before he reached out to bite down hard on the mare's neck, just behind her ear.

If she would not get up of her own accord, Stolas would leave her to her fate. The weak and hopeless deserved no less. If she had not been left out as a somewhat perplexing gift for him, the stallion would have left her to begin with. But deep inside, he knew that she was to be of use to him. The Lord had sent her to him to prove something, to teach Stolas a valuable lesson, to strengthen his cause. As to what, he had no idea. Thus far he felt guilty for wasting so much energy on her already. If she could not find the strength within herself, then her life was wasted just as well.

phantom

[phantom]

With her body numbed from being in the cold water for so long at first she didn't feel it when someone started to smooth the sand away from her. The voice of a stallion caused her harks to flutter and her panic began to subside a little, at least if she was going to die she wouldn't be alone. Her pale green eyes searched for the stag and she frowned when all she could see was a blurry gray white shape standing near her back. Though she was lucky to be alive she desperately hoped that the world hadn't also taken her sight away from her on top if her voice. Slowly the stag came into focus and she looked him over silently while he untangled the seaweed that was inhibiting her already weak movements.

The brute towered over her as she lay prostrate before him and she had no doubts that he could easily crush her skull if he wanted. Inhaling his scent she caught whiffs of another mare and a foal which set her at ease. Whoever he was he at least wasn't some young hellion just looking for the next piece of tail to jump on and impregnate before moving on to the next new thing. At least he had the decency to stick around and raise the foal though Elaine had no idea the circumstances of the child's birth.

Feeling that the worst of the weeds had been torn from her body, the painted mare felt a solid nudge on her back accompanied by the stallion's assurance that someone called the lord must have saved her for a reason. Though she didn't know who this stallions lord was his push did give her the momentum to roll herself so that she was no longer lying on her side. Exhausted muscles straining, her vision started going black from the effort and her ears began to ring. Panting heavily she was about to lay back down when a sharp bite behind her ear shocked her back into clarity. With one great, ponderous effort the mare climbed to her hooves, causing sand to shed from her coat in sheets. Although she had been stuck on that piece of ice for days her bloodlines had served her well. Coming from a strain of horses who were used to living off of nutrient poor landscapes and traveling long miles to find grazing, Elaine managed to maintain a look of sturdiness despite having lost several pounds on her ill fated voyage.

Turning slowly to face her rescuer she extended her nares towards him in gratitude with exhausted appreciation written clearly on her face. Feeling marginally better now that she was on her feet, Elaine looked around, trying to figure out where it was that she had landed.

Diati

[Diati]

As she slowly got to her feet, Stolas watched intently, looking for any signs of illness or injury. She had obviously dropped some weight, but appeared otherwise in good health, though she hadn't said a word, hadn't made so much as a peep since she had come to. Even as she looked at him with much thanks in her eyes, she was silent. Watching her closely, his head held high and his body alert, Stolas kept himself quiet as well, even as she began to look around them, taking in their surroundings. If silence was what she wanted, then silence she would get. Two could play at this little game.

Having invested so much effort in trying to get her up and living, Stolas felt he now owned the mare, in a sense. She owed him a great deal, and come spring time, her first task towards paying him back would come forward. Or, so he thought. His group was still small, containing just himself and Achlys, and their young boy. If this one ever got uppity, Achlys could keep her in line; though her taste for blood and flesh might complicate things for this new woman. Still staring her down, Stolas moved around her, towards her hind, where he reached out to push her forcefully once more, only this time towards the opening of the cove. In time, she might see how fulfilling her life with him would be, all the foals she would bear for him, submitting to his will and seeing the greater good that he and Achlys were committing to.

There would be plenty of time to convince her, plenty of time for her to see. For now, the task at hand was simply to get her back to the others. Pushing on her again, Stolas said not a word, but still stared her down. She was weak after such a journey, from wherever she came from. Running wouldn't get her far, and worse yet, it could do more damage to her already battered body. She would get the care she needed once they were 'home', but her debt would only climb higher. How many years in service to the Lord could this go on for? Those stuck in dire situations, it seemed, could owe you a lifetime.

phantom

[phantom]

Pale green eyes swept over the cove as Elaine tried to remember if she had ever heard of a place like this. Though her homeland did have beaches, they were all flat and covered in fine white sand in stark contrast to this cove with its high cliffs and coarse yellow sand that forced their way past your coat to rest gratingly beside your skin. Inhaling deeply, the mare sorted through the scents trying to locate even one thing that was familiar to her and began to panic when not one thing seemed to be the same. Heart beating frantically in her chest she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and lowered her head to shake it lightly as if she were trying to wake up from a dream. Cautiously the painted mare looked up and was once again bombarded with foreign scents and images. Trembling now not only from exhaustion but also from terror Elaine would have took off running if she could have.

A forceful push on her hindquarters caused the femme to remember that she was not alone and she turned her cranium to look at the stag who had helped her to get up. His green eyes were hard and stared her down coldly and he offered no explanation. Perhaps if she hadn't been so weak and so scared she might have fought him and she did consider it briefly before she took a closer look at him. He was tall and his limbs were finely cut, nothing like the equines who could be found in her homeland. She doubted that she could out run him even when she was in full health. Pinning her harks against her skull she looked defiantly at him before deliberately stepping forward, making it clear that she moved because she wanted to and not because he wanted her to. After that little she let him herd her towards where ever it was that he called home, a feeling a dread blossoming deep in the pit of her stomach.

Diati