HOME | DD

Description

79 Diamonds [ Main Quest +10 | Full Body +20 | Colored +5 | Detailed Shading +7 | Detailed BG +15 | Herd Member +10 | Story +12 ]

◄ PREVIOUS: Trail We Blaze | NEXT: Curiosity Killed The Cat ►

MAIN QUEST

As you proceed into the forest, the light begins to dwindle, concentrated only into tiny patches that manage to penetrate the canopy. It’s strangely quiet, yet now and then gusts of wind rustle the bushes and you hear some ominous cry from an unknown creature. Instincts tell you to turn tail and flee, but you’re determined for whatever reason to persist in venturing into the woods. Then in the distance, illuminated from behind is the silhouette of a buck. He stares at you from afar, and you catch a glimpse of his piebald coat. But he doesn’t linger long as he suddenly springs off, out of sight.

A] Follow him!
B] Go the opposite direction to him, stay out of his way

As Jasper and Lillian trekked through the eerie forest, the night grew on. It was an unspoken thing that neither of the two horses were comfortable enough to stop and bed down for the night, but they were quickly becoming tired. On more than one occasion, they tripped and stumbled over a tree root or rock, unintentionally spooking the other. It would have been funny, were it not for the unnaturally quiet woodland they were traveling through. The only sounds they could hear were distant cricket chirping and the wind rustling the branches above them. Every now and again, the trees would creak and moan, as if they were speaking to one another. The darkness played tricks on their minds and formed faces and grotesque shapes in the shadows. It sent chills up Lillian's spine and she made sure to be as close to Jasper as possible, their shoulders brushing up against each other.

Jasper was starting to wonder if he made a mistake allowing Lillian to choose this path. She was still just a filly after all and this forest was starting to seem more dangerous the further in they ventured. A sudden realization hit Jasper just then; he wasn't going to be worrying about only himself anymore. He had a responsibility now, another being to look out for, to keep safe. He swallowed hard. This was the biggest responsibility he'd ever had in his life- actually, this was the only responsibility he'd ever had! The epiphany of being in charge of someone else's safety weighed heavily on his mind. He would have to start thinking way more carefully about his decisions and the consequences they might have. A mistake wouldn't only harm him, but Lillian as well.

He wished he had had someone to teach him how to lead a herd. Thinking about it left a sour taste in his mouth and he grimaced. Alistair may have been his lead for a time, but he hadn't passed down any insight to Jasper. He wondered if his real father would have been different in that regard. Would he have taught him how to fight? How to protect his mares from other stallions or predators? Would he have given him advice on how to make the right decisions? Regardless of how many questions Jasper had, there would be no answers to them. He didn't know his father and Alistair wasn't going to answer any of his questions if he returned. He had to figure it out on his own.

"Jasper-" Lillian whispered. Jasper had been so deep in thought he hadn't noticed that she'd stopped next to him. When he looked up at her, her eyes were glued to the forest in front of them. He expected to see fear in her eyes, but instead there was only curiosity and awe. "Look." Slowly, Jasper followed her gaze. Before them stood a stag; the moonlight that trickled in through the trees illuminated the white spots in its coat. It was something neither Jasper nor Lillian had ever seen before; white patches speckled the bucks hide, much like a painted horse. The two gawked at him. It was the first sign of life they had seen since the owl. And just like the owl, he didn't stay for long. Just as quickly as they had noticed him, he turned and loped away into the underbrush.

”Do you think we should follow him?” Lillian asked, looking between Jasper and the direction the buck went. It was obvious that she wanted to, her curiosity stomping out any of her earlier fears. ”Maybe he's friendly, or maybe he knows the way out!”
Jasper weighed the options. Perhaps the stag was trying to lead them somewhere- or maybe he was just running away because deer were easily spooked. Regardless of his interesting coat, that same feeling of dread he had felt earlier returned, causing the hairs on his back to stand upright. His gut was telling him to go the other way. Bucks were not meant to be messed with.

”No.” Jasper said somberly, his eyes still affixed to the spot where the stag no longer stood. ”I don't think so. Nothing good will come from following him. We need to leave him alone.” He started to turn away when Lillian stepped in front of him.

”But why? How do you know he won't lead us to something good?” Her eyes were pleading as she stared up at the red stallion. She just wanted to be out of this forest, and to her, the buck seemed like a good omen. But Jasper knew better.

”Do you see this mark?” Jasper said, pointing his muzzle at the small scar on his right flank. It had shrunk and healed nicely over time, but it left an obvious scar, something that he would likely carry with him for the rest of his life. Lillian peered at the spot and nodded, confusion now replacing her pleading expression. ”That's from a stag.” Jasper said slowly. Lillian stared at it for a moment and then arched an eyebrow incredulously.

”But it's so tiny.” She said, obvious disbelief in her voice. Jasper pursed his lips in frustration.

”Yes, I know it's tiny. But it was twice that big and twice as deep when it happened.” Jasper explained. ”If I had been even a few paces slower, he would have mangled my flank so bad I wouldn't even have anything left. A bucks antlers are as sharp as a cougars claws.” Jasper spoke with an uncharacteristic firmness. He didn't want to scare her but he needed her to understand that he knew what he was talking about. Lillian’s expression morphed from incredulous to curiosity and then to worry as her eyes trailed from Jasper's flank to his shoulder and then his front leg, where other scars portrayed mysterious stories of their own. He noticed her looking and took advantage of it, his face growing serious. ”Do you want that to happen to you?” Lillian’s eyes snapped to his face, wide with fear and shock at his words. She set her jaw tight, going rigid at the thought of being mauled by a bucks antlers.

”No.” The filly croaked out.

”Good. I don't want that to happen to you either. So please trust me when I say it's best to leave that stag alone.” Jasper softened at her reply. He didn't like doing that, and maybe there could have been a better solution, but at least they were going to be safe now- well, safe from the buck anyway. He stepped forward and nuzzled her gingerly, trying to calm her down again. She relaxed at his touch and went back to her place beside him, ready to follow where he went. He felt bad for scolding her like that, and so soon after giving her the title of lead mare. But Lillian wasn't really concerned about that right now; she just wanted to get out of this spooky forest.

Without another word, Jasper turned and headed in a direction away from the buck, Lillian close at his side. He thought the dreadful feeling would go away if the didn't follow him, but it was still there. The feeling of being watched or followed. Jasper raised his head and surveyed as they walked, his ears swiveling and his nostrils flaring as he tried to smell or hear anyone. Whoever it was, they must be good at hiding, because he couldn't smell a thing. His mother had mentioned something about it when he was younger, a natural instinct that wild horses had. But the question now remained: who- or what -was following them?

word count: 1306

Jasper & Lillian

All art & Characters © MatrixPotato
Do not take, use, reupload, etc.
my work without my prior
written permission.

Description

79 Diamonds [ Main Quest +10 | Full Body +20 | Colored +5 | Detailed Shading +7 | Detailed BG +15 | Herd Member +10 | Story +12 ]

◄ PREVIOUS: Trail We Blaze | NEXT: Curiosity Killed The Cat ►

MAIN QUEST

As you proceed into the forest, the light begins to dwindle, concentrated only into tiny patches that manage to penetrate the canopy. It’s strangely quiet, yet now and then gusts of wind rustle the bushes and you hear some ominous cry from an unknown creature. Instincts tell you to turn tail and flee, but you’re determined for whatever reason to persist in venturing into the woods. Then in the distance, illuminated from behind is the silhouette of a buck. He stares at you from afar, and you catch a glimpse of his piebald coat. But he doesn’t linger long as he suddenly springs off, out of sight.

A] Follow him!
B] Go the opposite direction to him, stay out of his way

As Jasper and Lillian trekked through the eerie forest, the night grew on. It was an unspoken thing that neither of the two horses were comfortable enough to stop and bed down for the night, but they were quickly becoming tired. On more than one occasion, they tripped and stumbled over a tree root or rock, unintentionally spooking the other. It would have been funny, were it not for the unnaturally quiet woodland they were traveling through. The only sounds they could hear were distant cricket chirping and the wind rustling the branches above them. Every now and again, the trees would creak and moan, as if they were speaking to one another. The darkness played tricks on their minds and formed faces and grotesque shapes in the shadows. It sent chills up Lillian's spine and she made sure to be as close to Jasper as possible, their shoulders brushing up against each other.

Jasper was starting to wonder if he made a mistake allowing Lillian to choose this path. She was still just a filly after all and this forest was starting to seem more dangerous the further in they ventured. A sudden realization hit Jasper just then; he wasn't going to be worrying about only himself anymore. He had a responsibility now, another being to look out for, to keep safe. He swallowed hard. This was the biggest responsibility he'd ever had in his life- actually, this was the only responsibility he'd ever had! The epiphany of being in charge of someone else's safety weighed heavily on his mind. He would have to start thinking way more carefully about his decisions and the consequences they might have. A mistake wouldn't only harm him, but Lillian as well.

He wished he had had someone to teach him how to lead a herd. Thinking about it left a sour taste in his mouth and he grimaced. Alistair may have been his lead for a time, but he hadn't passed down any insight to Jasper. He wondered if his real father would have been different in that regard. Would he have taught him how to fight? How to protect his mares from other stallions or predators? Would he have given him advice on how to make the right decisions? Regardless of how many questions Jasper had, there would be no answers to them. He didn't know his father and Alistair wasn't going to answer any of his questions if he returned. He had to figure it out on his own.

"Jasper-" Lillian whispered. Jasper had been so deep in thought he hadn't noticed that she'd stopped next to him. When he looked up at her, her eyes were glued to the forest in front of them. He expected to see fear in her eyes, but instead there was only curiosity and awe. "Look." Slowly, Jasper followed her gaze. Before them stood a stag; the moonlight that trickled in through the trees illuminated the white spots in its coat. It was something neither Jasper nor Lillian had ever seen before; white patches speckled the bucks hide, much like a painted horse. The two gawked at him. It was the first sign of life they had seen since the owl. And just like the owl, he didn't stay for long. Just as quickly as they had noticed him, he turned and loped away into the underbrush.

”Do you think we should follow him?” Lillian asked, looking between Jasper and the direction the buck went. It was obvious that she wanted to, her curiosity stomping out any of her earlier fears. ”Maybe he's friendly, or maybe he knows the way out!”
Jasper weighed the options. Perhaps the stag was trying to lead them somewhere- or maybe he was just running away because deer were easily spooked. Regardless of his interesting coat, that same feeling of dread he had felt earlier returned, causing the hairs on his back to stand upright. His gut was telling him to go the other way. Bucks were not meant to be messed with.

”No.” Jasper said somberly, his eyes still affixed to the spot where the stag no longer stood. ”I don't think so. Nothing good will come from following him. We need to leave him alone.” He started to turn away when Lillian stepped in front of him.

”But why? How do you know he won't lead us to something good?” Her eyes were pleading as she stared up at the red stallion. She just wanted to be out of this forest, and to her, the buck seemed like a good omen. But Jasper knew better.

”Do you see this mark?” Jasper said, pointing his muzzle at the small scar on his right flank. It had shrunk and healed nicely over time, but it left an obvious scar, something that he would likely carry with him for the rest of his life. Lillian peered at the spot and nodded, confusion now replacing her pleading expression. ”That's from a stag.” Jasper said slowly. Lillian stared at it for a moment and then arched an eyebrow incredulously.

”But it's so tiny.” She said, obvious disbelief in her voice. Jasper pursed his lips in frustration.

”Yes, I know it's tiny. But it was twice that big and twice as deep when it happened.” Jasper explained. ”If I had been even a few paces slower, he would have mangled my flank so bad I wouldn't even have anything left. A bucks antlers are as sharp as a cougars claws.” Jasper spoke with an uncharacteristic firmness. He didn't want to scare her but he needed her to understand that he knew what he was talking about. Lillian’s expression morphed from incredulous to curiosity and then to worry as her eyes trailed from Jasper's flank to his shoulder and then his front leg, where other scars portrayed mysterious stories of their own. He noticed her looking and took advantage of it, his face growing serious. ”Do you want that to happen to you?” Lillian’s eyes snapped to his face, wide with fear and shock at his words. She set her jaw tight, going rigid at the thought of being mauled by a bucks antlers.

”No.” The filly croaked out.

”Good. I don't want that to happen to you either. So please trust me when I say it's best to leave that stag alone.” Jasper softened at her reply. He didn't like doing that, and maybe there could have been a better solution, but at least they were going to be safe now- well, safe from the buck anyway. He stepped forward and nuzzled her gingerly, trying to calm her down again. She relaxed at his touch and went back to her place beside him, ready to follow where he went. He felt bad for scolding her like that, and so soon after giving her the title of lead mare. But Lillian wasn't really concerned about that right now; she just wanted to get out of this spooky forest.

Without another word, Jasper turned and headed in a direction away from the buck, Lillian close at his side. He thought the dreadful feeling would go away if the didn't follow him, but it was still there. The feeling of being watched or followed. Jasper raised his head and surveyed as they walked, his ears swiveling and his nostrils flaring as he tried to smell or hear anyone. Whoever it was, they must be good at hiding, because he couldn't smell a thing. His mother had mentioned something about it when he was younger, a natural instinct that wild horses had. But the question now remained: who- or what -was following them?

word count: 1306

Jasper & Lillian

All art & Characters © MatrixPotato
Do not take, use, reupload, etc.
my work without my prior
written permission.