by Midnight Tails » Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:03 pm
Your Name: Midnight Tails
Horse's Name: North
Height: 15.3
Gender: Mare
Story:
He didn't understand what was happening. Earlier this very day it had all been so peaceful, and now he was amidst this raging torrent of sand that had no mercy for the tiny speck of life inside. How had this come about? In his current daze he was struggling to remember the course of events that led him here.
Ah. That's right. It was my own selfishness that had me end up like this.
From an even younger age than he was now, the young native had heard countless stories of the mysterious whispers of the desert, the ones completely in tune with the earth beneath, mere mirages on the horizon if you were lucky, and bringers of rain in rare instances.
The mere magical feel to it all was enthralling for any young mind, but in particular, Rambican was wanting to learn more, to meet these pure mirages that gave you a thousand years good luck at the mere sight of one.
His child wonder had turned to selfish desires as he grew older, becoming more of an unhealthy obsession than anything else.
Jealousy did not help. Being related to the chief of his tribe, he had been in the running for being the next chief.
Then this foul little child, younger than him by four years no less, met a DAM, one of those fateful mirages, and just like that, it was the only candidate for succession. How dare they favour that instead of him.
Consequences can be devastating, and a single thought set off a flurry of events that noone could stop.
I will find one of these ugly beasts, and make it mine.
At first it appeared all was normal, Rambican went about his daily duties, caring for their tribes live food with several other youngsters, and the sparse few mounts they had gathered over the years; of course none of those were a mirage, his tribe would surely sing praises upon his return if he brought one back with him.
Gathering supplies for the journey the boy started to gain what others noticed and started calling 'an unnatural frightening glint in his eye', and by the time he felt he was prepared to set off, several of his tribe had become fearful of the young native.
Regardless of whatever motives he had, for he had told no other his plans, his people were worried for him.
Yet the current chief simply said "Leave him. He will come to his own answer."
The few farewells he was given went unnoticed to the young Rambican, eager to set off.
It took him weeks to find an oasis. It wasn't a particularly fruitful one, but he could easily live off it if he was careful, and the mirages, if they were real at all, had to drink at sometime to survive.
His expectations went unanswered for there was no sign of any form of mirage, let alone one of those horse legends. Of course there were other signs of life; a stray lizard here and there, a bird roosting for a while in one of the scraggly trees above that clinged to life at the edge of the water, ants scurrying through their everyday business...none of these were important to him however.
If he'd taken the time to find other beings important, he perhaps would have had enough time to find shelter.
As it was, Rambican took no notice of when all other life hurriedly disappeared from the oasis.
Just before the sandstorm hit, something did take his notice however it was so fleeting he could have sworn he was mistaken.
Nevertheless the child followed the direction of whence he'd last seen the movement.
Only now did he notice that the wind had substantially picked up, sand hitting him gently, but far graver winds were howling closer with every secound. It was at that moment a beast miraculously appeared next to him. How long had it been there?
Startled, quickly frightened he stumbled back, tripping over himself. The beast is just standing there, mocking me.
His previous emotional state came back to haunt him, with a suprisingly deep rage surging up; it would never occur to him that the mare was offering to guide him away from the danger.
Fumbling with his walking pole, he reaffirmed his grip before jabbing it at the creature beside him.
It was simply a blunt piece of wood, yet even that with enough force managed to graze the mare slightly on the belly.
The momentum toppled the child over, smashing into the sand beneath, the mirage had dodged and got off with only that graze, warned by his angry shout of his native tongue, it was garble to her, but she understood the threat.
Naturally the experience frightened the mustang, and she now understood why those around her had warned to keep distance from humans. Rearing up in fright she almost struck the boy, this did not help his mood, but seeing what his actions had caused made the boy numb to doing any further action of his own.
Unsuprisingly the mirage did not hesitate to gallop away, with further reason to move as the sandstorm was upon them now.
Sand furiously beat him down, pushing him against the sand, Rambican lay there, letting nature punish his actions.
If he had not been so selfish, perhaps learnt patience, or at least tolerance, maybe he would not be at risk of losing his barely started life.
And now having remembered all the events that had led him to his current predicament, as the sand tore past and painfully attacked his clothes and unprotected skin, all the while sinking him deeper into the dune he numbly lay against, the young native cried.
He cried and cried, almost forgetting the sandstorm was there at all, so upset he'd become; terrified, alone, hungry and with a mouth full of sand Rambican learnt that he wasn't the most important thing alive, and that he'd done a terrible thing.
Filled with remorse, he wished the sand would just swallow him up, how could he tarnish his heritage so selfishly like that?
Time passed. Time still continues to flow no matter what huh... At this point Rambican was so covered in sand, thanks to the sandstorm blowing it over him, that even if he wanted to get up he couldn't; the child never realised before now that sand could be so heavy like this.
Softness brushed his cheek, and moist warmth breathed over him, he ignored it until a snort brought him to alert enough to blearily open his eyes. The young native could not see all that well, the sand had been attracted to his tears and some now clung firmly to his eyelashes, yet his sight was not hindered enough that he could not see that the mustang was back.
It astounded him. Had he not injured the mirage earlier? Or was that just his imagination? With a croak he mumbled a "Why?" getting more sand in his mouth and resulting in coughing.
Ah, maybe she's here to take me to the other side. It wouldn't suprise me, they are mirages after all.
A whinny of concern was the last thing he heard as he drifted off.
Some time later, Rambican came to.
And in a situation that he did not expect.
He was cold and wet, no wonder he was; those are two things one would assume occurs every time you're repeatedly dunked water.
Rambican turned to growl at the perpetrator, and a spectacular sight befell him. The mustang was the one dunking him in the water. She was carefully holding him by the back of his clothes, slightly ripping the already tattered fabric, well they were more like rags now, and presently dropped him down once she became aware that he was indeed awake.
The sun was cheerily shining down now, and at first he did not recognise the landscape.
Ah, we're only a few kilometres away from where my tribe is. That's just a short walking distance. She took me here?
Looking around, the mustang was gone, he'd only looked away for a few secounds, and that was all she needed to once again become the mirage the spirits loved to be.
It could not end this way. He wouldn't let it. He felt he had so much to learn from these mysterious creatures that you couldn't help but respect, and they were, or at least that mare was, the kindest most forgiving creature he had ever met.
If he wanted to become a better person, Rambican felt he just had to be by her side to do so.
With an all new determination, he spotted the faint tracks that were disappearing fast, that was the only hint to whence the mirage had gone.
Only by the next day did he find her, and he had this feeling that he had not found her, instead she'd found him.
She was scared of him, keeping her distance, her kindness and curiosity however not letting her entirely leave once more.
There was nothing to tempt her with to get her to come closer, and if he was honest with himself, it had seemed impossible that he would ever see her again at all, yet there she was. For now he was content with that.
Doubting that she'd even understand, he said, "You're like a north star, guiding travelers to where they belong. People always turn to north for guidance, I need your guidance to learn a better way. I hope you don't mind me going with you from now on? And if it pleases you, I'd like to refer to you as North."
