HOME | DD

Description

A contest submission for the 10 Year Anniversary Event - Faime Parade

Event: Faimé 10-Year Anniversary Parade
Import Attempting For: Import ID 2189
Artwork/Literature may be used by others: Yes

Media: Literati-style color wash, ink, Prismacolor pencils. Digital finishes with Paint Shop Pro
References: One of my Breyer stablemates for angle correction, otherwise none.

Story
Oharu poled his little boat easily through the wetlands of Seychelles Island. The water dragon smiled at the life teeming in the reeds and estuary. His friends from Harusame Meadows had insisted on hauling him along on their expedition to the island of Faime horses. While he did not usually leave his home in the Cascade mountains, Saki Harusame had insisted that the trip would be worth the time. Maintaining a human guise was second nature to him, and as promised, he had found the island delightful. It was easy to rent one of the little fishing boats to explore the tidal marshes and wetlands. While he found no evidence of fellow water-dragons, he did have a very nice conversation with a naiad as he sculled slowly along.

Now he made his way slowly toward the distant town since he had promised to return the boat before sundown. A flurry of movement among the reeds caught his attention. A moment later a powerful gray horse plunged through the shallows onto a patch of drier ground. The animal shook its, no, her, pale mane and snorted at his distant figure. Oharu ceased pushing his boat and considered the mare as she pawed at the reeds. To his eyes she had a great red wound on her neck and that was a worry given he could see no other people around to attend to her.

Slowly he began to pole the boat in her direction until at last he could climb out onto the shore and pull it safely above the tide-line. That done, he stood motionless and watched the mare, reluctant to simply run up toward her and perhaps spook her into flight.

The people here let many of their horses run free to live as naturally as possible, it could be she has been handled very little or not at all, he thought.

Then again, she had not taken flight once he gained the shore, but rather stood her ground and watched him with interest, ears pricked forward. Every now and then she gave her mane a shake, and switched her thick tail. While the marsh insects were uninterested in Oharu, the mare was an attractive meal to those that wanted blood.

“May I look at your neck?” he asked softly. He knew the mare would not understand the words, but hopefully she could feel the helpful intent behind them. He took a step toward her. The gray watched him, but did not shift her weight to run away. Continuing to speak softly, Oharu made his way to her side, slow step by slow step. At last he was near enough to see her neck and the worrisome patch of red half-hidden under her mane.

Oharu breathed a deep sigh of relief to find the apparently bloody “wound” was actually a large irregular patch of bright red hide.

“Oh, I see, my good lady, this is like a birthmark? Or a spot-pattern?” The mare sniffed his hands, then let him gently stroke her neck. The red hair of the marking had not been dyed or painted, but was perfectly natural. The skin under the marking was the same dark color as that under her gray coat.

“I think this may be a rather rare marking, but I do not know what it is called.” He patted the mare and after searching through the pocket in his kimono sleeve found a bit of butterscotch candy. When he offered it to the “Gray Lady”, it disappeared in a trice, followed by happy crunching.

“Hmm, not quite as wild as I thought,” said Oharu. “Perhaps you’d like to meet the other Faime horses at our farm someday? I’m sure we have more than enough room.”
(622 words)

Description

A contest submission for the 10 Year Anniversary Event - Faime Parade

Event: Faimé 10-Year Anniversary Parade
Import Attempting For: Import ID 2189
Artwork/Literature may be used by others: Yes

Media: Literati-style color wash, ink, Prismacolor pencils. Digital finishes with Paint Shop Pro
References: One of my Breyer stablemates for angle correction, otherwise none.

Story
Oharu poled his little boat easily through the wetlands of Seychelles Island. The water dragon smiled at the life teeming in the reeds and estuary. His friends from Harusame Meadows had insisted on hauling him along on their expedition to the island of Faime horses. While he did not usually leave his home in the Cascade mountains, Saki Harusame had insisted that the trip would be worth the time. Maintaining a human guise was second nature to him, and as promised, he had found the island delightful. It was easy to rent one of the little fishing boats to explore the tidal marshes and wetlands. While he found no evidence of fellow water-dragons, he did have a very nice conversation with a naiad as he sculled slowly along.

Now he made his way slowly toward the distant town since he had promised to return the boat before sundown. A flurry of movement among the reeds caught his attention. A moment later a powerful gray horse plunged through the shallows onto a patch of drier ground. The animal shook its, no, her, pale mane and snorted at his distant figure. Oharu ceased pushing his boat and considered the mare as she pawed at the reeds. To his eyes she had a great red wound on her neck and that was a worry given he could see no other people around to attend to her.

Slowly he began to pole the boat in her direction until at last he could climb out onto the shore and pull it safely above the tide-line. That done, he stood motionless and watched the mare, reluctant to simply run up toward her and perhaps spook her into flight.

The people here let many of their horses run free to live as naturally as possible, it could be she has been handled very little or not at all, he thought.

Then again, she had not taken flight once he gained the shore, but rather stood her ground and watched him with interest, ears pricked forward. Every now and then she gave her mane a shake, and switched her thick tail. While the marsh insects were uninterested in Oharu, the mare was an attractive meal to those that wanted blood.

“May I look at your neck?” he asked softly. He knew the mare would not understand the words, but hopefully she could feel the helpful intent behind them. He took a step toward her. The gray watched him, but did not shift her weight to run away. Continuing to speak softly, Oharu made his way to her side, slow step by slow step. At last he was near enough to see her neck and the worrisome patch of red half-hidden under her mane.

Oharu breathed a deep sigh of relief to find the apparently bloody “wound” was actually a large irregular patch of bright red hide.

“Oh, I see, my good lady, this is like a birthmark? Or a spot-pattern?” The mare sniffed his hands, then let him gently stroke her neck. The red hair of the marking had not been dyed or painted, but was perfectly natural. The skin under the marking was the same dark color as that under her gray coat.

“I think this may be a rather rare marking, but I do not know what it is called.” He patted the mare and after searching through the pocket in his kimono sleeve found a bit of butterscotch candy. When he offered it to the “Gray Lady”, it disappeared in a trice, followed by happy crunching.

“Hmm, not quite as wild as I thought,” said Oharu. “Perhaps you’d like to meet the other Faime horses at our farm someday? I’m sure we have more than enough room.”
(622 words)