The Royals' Foster

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Muscles clenched and stretched, working with tendon and bone to propel the colt forward. Legs pushed away from the firm, damp turf, and large, round hooves flew to meet it. Trees and bushes passed as blurs against a frame of azure sky, barely visible through the thick canopy overhead. Grazing birds scattered as the colt approached, and flew upward to safety as he passed.

The dark mouth of a tunnel opened up ahead, and the half-grown took a hard left to catch it. He checked himself as his hooves slid on the smooth bottom of the tunnel, but kept in a gallop, water sloshing and splashing up his legs and belly. In a few weeks the tunnel would be nearly full of water, and the entrances would have to be guarded from weanlings and nurslings that could drown if they were to wander in. The tunnel opened up to a network of passageways, and the colt chose the far left with a practiced switch of his lead.

The tunnel climbed, but was rougher here, scattered with rocks and boulders that made great hoof holds. Still Aeron slowed to a trot as the climb steepened. The tunnel now held a twang of light in the distance, a small exit that would be too narrow for him to use in another years time. The pied half-grown cantered towards the light, ducking his head to avoid the rock that hung lower on the other side. By now a light foam of sweat lingered on his chest and forelegs, a sheen on his neck and barrel. Snorting, the colt pawed the ground and walked in a circle, glancing in the trees for his familiar.

<There you are, Aeron. I've caught two mice in the time that it took you to get here.> The large black swamp cat sat at the roots of a large tree, his meal dangling by their tails from his mouth. <Want one?>

The pied half-grown laughed, still trying to catch his breath, <No thanks, dig in, Jyri>

< Don't mind if I do.> The black jungle cat lay on his belly and tore open his first mouse, blinking up at Aeron as he ate. <You look more like your mother every day, your coat is a bit like hers, though paled. And the paint markings of course. You used to be so gray...like the prince.>

The pied half-grown stretched, biting at a fly on his shoulder, < I'm red dun now...hopefully I wont go through another color change. No one would recognize me. >

Jyri purred, <I like you this shade, but I doubt that you could be mistaken, Aeron, your tattoos give you away.>

That much was true, the half-grown thought, glancing at his sides where the swirling tendrils of fire glinted and shone in the sunlight. At night, the tattoos were invisible, exactly the same shade as his coat, but in daylight they were shadows, pale on his coat, nearly disappearing in his pied markings. Direct sunlight displayed every fiery tendril that had been dyed to his coat, and made them glint and shine like copper. The tattoo had taken hours to complete, and several hours more to find the right ingredients for the dye. The tattoo hadn't been given for 100 years, and then twice in the same day when it was dyed on his sister's coat as well. Aeron assumed that it had been a bit of a big deal for the rest of the tribe. He and Avan just wanted to be done with the whole thing so that they could go play. Sometimes he wondered if it would be nice not to be recognized wherever he went.

Jyri finished his meal in silence, glancing up at Aeron every now and then with suspicion and a thread of worry. <I hate it when you block me out. What are you thinking?>

<About my mother. I should be getting back to her for my magic lesson.>

Jyri frowned <The queen is not really your mother, Aeronwy.>

The pied half-grown turned away and started towards the tribal center, the panther not far behind. <She's the closest thing I have.> Angrily, the colt slashed at a vine that dropped in his path from the canopy above. His horn cut a clean path, but he did not stop to look at the severed tendril. Instead he continued on, allowing himself no other outburst.

The jungle cat padded carefully around the vine, glancing at it as he passed. < I fear that you have a skewed view of Feneri... she cared for you and your sister very much. >

< What good does her love do me now? > Jyri had no answer.

***

"Aeron!" The pied queen exclaimed, darting away from a shadowed figure to turn and embrace the red dun half-grown. Mechanically, he returned the action, feeling rather disappointed, but unsure why. "Aeron...whats wrong, dear?" He allowed her to lead him into a separate grotto just off of the clearing where bonfeire's were held.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what was wrong either, and then realized that he had half expected to greet his real mother at tribal center. He still missed her. Was that weird? "Nothing, I suppose that I'm just tired from my run with Jyri." Unlike the jungle cat, Queen Everitya ate up Aeron's lies like candy. Her mate was another matter. For all of his expertise with twisting the truth, he could not get away with much around the king without using his magic.

The Queen spotted her son, one of her real ones, at the edge of the clearing and excused herself from Aeron's company. The young princeling was half-grown like Aeron, but black as night, inheriting no patterning from his dam. The only clue to his paint heritage were the high stockings that rode his hind heels, ending just above his hocks. He was almost a six-month the pied half-grown's senior.

The night-black colt surged past his mother's barricade and loped over to Aeron, grinning ear to ear in a mischievous fashion, "Come, I have tasks for you and your sib, you can do your lesson tomorrow." The pied half-grown followed obediently, trying not to look too excited. The princeling's 'tasks" always turned to adventure, something that Aeron was certainly game for.

"Call thy sister," Evander whispered once they were out of the queen's earshot, "She'll not want to miss this."

[Shanza]

The filly had never bothered to go back to camp the previous night. She was three, long-legged, and well built, but very lanky. Already standing at almost 17 hands, anyone could tell that she still had growing yet to do. Her coat, hidden in the dappled morning light, seemed darker than it really was. In the sun she was a deep shade of golden buckskin, with a dark sooty overlay. Her back, down her shoulders, and across her rump was nearly black, with heavy dappling. Sprawled out on the forest floor, she dozed peacefully, loath to get up. A fly buzzed by her ear, and she twitched, sending the insect on its way.

<Are you ever going to get up?>

<No.> Avan backed up her statement with a lazy yawn, and heard the eagle click her beak irritably.

<The Queen will be worried.>

<Correction,> Avan snapped, <She will apear to worry, because becoming ticked off and mad at a Unkicia would be unwise and un-royaly.> Annoyed clear though, she gave up any thought of rest. The King never worried, or at least he didn't berate her when she vanished for several days like the Queen did. She would lecture, and lecture, then offer some sweet, kind words, and then lecture some more.

<Unroyaly?> Avan could hear the laughter in Jördíḵἷ's tone as she scrambled to her feet.

<Yes, unroyaly. What else am I supose to call it?>

<Unseemly. Unroyaly isn't a word. In any language that I know.>

Refusing to answer, she switched her tail and was walking when Jördíḵἷ snickered. Narrowing her eyes, the filly looked over at her. <What?>

<It's nothing, really. Only that if you don't want to miss out one some really interesting stuff you'd better get your butt over to the lightning oak quick, Aeron wants you to know. Jyri adds that it will likely get both a you into a heap of trouble. Otherwise, him and Evander are taking out.>

She rolled on her haunches and took off at a fast lope, going quick as she could through the tangled forest. <Tell him I'm coming, and if he doesn't wait for me, I'll fry his brains in lightning soup and present it to the Queen.>


Word Count: 410
Charries: Avan, Jördíḵἷ
Place: Somewhere east of the main Gwyverth Tribe

[ϞSymreeϞ]

The pied half-grown walked closely behind the princeling, trying not to look too eager, just in case another pair of eyes watched their progress. He said nothing as they put more distance away from the herd center, gazing around them, and in the trees where Jyri followed close behind. The path that they traveled was one well worn by time and use. Rocks lightly dappled the bare ground, and a heavy canopy of leaves and branches shielded most sunlight from their backs. This path was much wider than others, being five or six equines wide, Enough for a troop to ride abreast beneath the covered foliage. To most of the tribe, this was known as The Ember Path or Battle Road. In times of war, the warriors would take this path to the Jyvn in the north, or to Sunthara in the west. The last war had been long ago, but there had been much talk of late, all to the same conclusion: this era of peace would not last much longer.

"Something troubles you, Aeron?" The princeling asked, turning his head slightly to glance back at his pied companion.

"Nay, I was just imagining what it would have felt like to walk this path in ranks...as a warrior."

Evander frowned deeply, his stride slowing slightly, "Be careful what you wish for, Aeronwy. That could be us in a few years time."

"I know," The half-grown replied with slightly narrowed eyes. He hated it when the princeling used his full name. There was little that he could do about it though. Evander knew his ranking well, and never seemed to forget it, even around Avan and Aeron. The red dun colt shook himself, biting at a fly on his shoulder. He liked the princeling, but thought that his ego could do with just a little deflating sometimes. Evander was convinced that despite his brother's seniority, he would be the one to lead the tribe. Aeron secretly hoped that the night-dark royal was right, but doubt nagged at his mind. Jayandu had somewhat matured in the last three years; it would be a close contest between them for leadership.

"Did you call Avan?" The princeling inquired.

Aeron smirked, "Yes, fear not, she'll meet us as the Lightning Oak. You can flirt with her then."

Evander's eyes widened slightly, "Flirting? Who said anything about flirting? I just thought that she would want to join us, that's all."

The pied halfgrown laughed, eyes shining with humor, "You're a terrible liar, princeling."

The dark colt stopped and turned threateningly to Aeron, "Not a word to your sib, savvy?

"Whatever you say, Evander." The red dun replied, still chuckling lightly to himself.

The pair made the last leg of the journey in silence, stopping at the large cracked stump of a felled tree. Even broken, the stump was wider than Aeron was tall, and towered a good twenty feet over their heads. The stump rose in a triangle of flaking bark and splintered wood on one side, jagged and blackened from age and the lightning that had killed it. The other side was lower, revealing what was left of the tree's core, hollow and mostly rotted away. Nurslings were forbidden from this place because of the broken splinters of wood that scattered the area.

Aeron looked away from the stump, and Jyri jumped down from the trees looking slightly irritated. <Why do I get the feeling that this will get you and Avan into loads of trouble?>

The pied half-grown smirked <Because it probably will.>

<And that doesn't bother you?>

<No. Should it?>

The jungle cat growled inwardly <I'm supposed to keep you out of trouble, you know, Not help you get into it.>

<Come on, Jyri, it's just some innocent fun.>

<Humph! We shall see about that, Aeron.>

[Shanza]

For all her threats earlier, she knew that they wouldn't leave without her. They wouldn't dare. She allowed herself a grim smile of satisfaction, knowing the havoc she could cause in both of their lives if she wanted to. Of course, they could make her life a living hell, but that was beside the point. Avan turned out of the main tunnel, launching herself up and out of the underground. She never really liked the tunnels, in fact she avoided them whenever she could, but most of the time they were the fastest way of travel.

The lightning oak spread out before her, and she trotted along its downed length. It was huge, and every time she saw it she couldn't imagine what it must have looked like when it stood on its own. "Hey, I'm here. Where we going?" She spun around a corner to face them, and Evander scrambled into a 'respectable' position. Aeron just grinned, and Avan kept walking to let him regain some dignity.

"This way," Evander said, his voice oddly stiff and formal. He took off, and the twins launched after him. They traveled for a bit, staying out of the tunnels. They were headed to the west, where there were only a few herds of lone equines.

"Hey, where we goin' by the way?" She didn't expect a response, and she didn't get one. Evander just twitched his black tail and continued weaving through the forest. Avan, in glancing around, saw a marker for the edge of the Gwyverth territory. Eyes narrowed, she wondered again where they were going. The three of them often left the Territory without the Tribe's knowledge, but they rarely ventured to the Southeast. It was a place where the forests were even thicker than normal, and danger was a given. They stopped just short of a steep cliff that almost completely ringed a clearing.

"This cliff is riddled with caves, most of them not large enough for your swamp cat to fit into," Evander whispered with a grin. "But in the larger ones, there have been reports of something else lurking. It has a silvery hide, stands as tall as your cat, but is almost twice as long. It has fangs, and poison. Either of you know yet? Or are you brave enough to venture in without knowing what you face?" The challenge was laid down, and Avan felt herself puff up in response. She hated the underground; the mountain eagle, Jördyl, couldn't help at all when she was down there. She glanced at Aeron, wondering what he would decide to do. What in the world lived in those caves?



Word Count: 450
Characters: Avan, Jördyl, Aeron, Jyri, Evander
Place: West of the Gwyverth territory

[ϞSymreeϞ]

The pied half-grown filed in his place behind Avan with Jyri taking up the rear. It had been this way for many months now. Evander always found a way to be closer to the sooty buskin filly. He always tried this tactic first, if he took the lead, then Avan would always follow directly behind him. The lead spot was usually hers, or it had been when they were a little younger. The princeling and Aeron used to be virtually inseparable, traveling together behind the filly, but everything seemed to change in the middle of last year. Suddenly Evander was paying more attention to Avan, his glances more and more frequent, and his manner more and more awkward. Aeron doubted that his sister had even noticed the change in the princeling's manner. He was oddly formal around her, treating her more like a lady than customs dictated. The pied colt mostly ignored it, deciding that it was just increased lessons from his mother and father on courtesy. That, and Evander was trying far to hard to earn her affections in return. It seemed that every week they were on a new and dangerous adventure, simply because Avan enjoyed breaking the rules. Aeron rather wondered what the priceling wouldn't do for a few moments of her attention. The pied half0grown suppressed a groan. He already felt like a third wheel, just imagine how it would be if Evander and Avan were together? He had a feeling that he wouldn't be invited on too many more of these adventures. The thought saddened him slightly.

<There goes the edge of the territory again. Can't you get into decent trouble inside bounds?>

Aeron laughed inwardly, realizing that this would be the fifth week in a row that they had traveled beyond the tribe's boarders. <I guess not, Jyri.>

The jungle cat growled, but Aeron felt oddly unconcerned, as far as he knew, they were going away from the most dangerous haunts. His ears pricked forward as his sister asked where they were going, but predictably, the colt did not answer. They would find out when they got there...as usual.

When they reached their destination, Aeron felt that he should have known better than to think it could be something tame. He had seen the system of tunnels before, but had never ventured inside, due to one of the facts that the princeling had stated. Most of the tunnels were too small for even Jyri to fit through. Had Evander found a way in?

"But in the larger ones, there have been reports of something else lurking. It has a silvery hide, stands as tall as your cat, but is almost twice as long. It has fangs, and poison. Either of you know yet? Or are you brave enough to venture in without knowing what you face?"

Aeron's eyes narrowed, and he felt his sister's gaze on his cheek. She did not like to go where her guardian could not follow. He had other concerns, and stared at the princeling, hoping that his guess about what was inside that cave was wrong. "Evander," he said slowly, "Is there a wyvern in those tunnels?"

The princeling looked a bit disappointed, but was still grinning. He strode over to Aeron, shoving him towards the tunnels in a way that may have looked playful, but actually knocked him slightly off balance, "Clever guess, Aeronwy. Come, you're not actually scared, are you?" The words were a challenge.

"No." The pied half-grown replied at last, glancing at Avan, "I'm not sure that it's a good idea though."

"Coward," the princeling said, shoving him again. This time, Aeron did loose his balance and fell back into the mouth of a tunnel, disappearing from sight. A long moment seemed to pass in which silence ruled, those outside of the cave could no longer hear his scrambling hooves against the rock. Jyri sprang towards the mouth of the tunnel, sliding to a stop almost as quickly as he had moved forward. Before him, the rocks had been cleared, and a gaping hole had opened just inside the mouth. The cat could only stare in mingled certainty and disbelief. Certainty that the colt had fallen through, and disbelief that it had happened so quickly.

[Shanza]

"Aeron!" Avan screamed, finally breaking the silence as the fact of what happened hit her. "Aeron!" She leapt forward, but like Jyri stopped just short of the cave entrance. "Darn it, Aeron, answer me!" She spun, ears laid back against her skull to face the princeling, "Why did you bring us here? Why did you push him?" She spun again, staring down the tunnel. "Why can't I feel you?" She cried to the world which couldn't help her.

Evander started to say something, but Avan cut him off. "Not your fault," she muttered, frantic with worry. She was pacing back and forth at the rim of the entrance while Jördíḵἷ flapped her wings and looked edgy. "Not your fault, not your fault. Sorry I yelled at you," she continued pacing, not even looking at Evander.

<Don't do it, Avan,> Jördíḵἷ warned, flapping her wings again. <You can't help him if you get stuck down there too.>

"How do you know that?" She screamed at the large eagle. "How can you know for sure?"

Evander backed up a step, glancing between the eagle and the filly, whose conversation he could only hear half of. He glanced over at Jyri, who was peering down into the black depths, likely calling for his partner.

<I know because you are not being sensible. You are currently in a state of panic, and cannot think things through at the present time.>

"What if he's hurt and unconious? What if he's in danger? What if he needs help?" Her voice almost broke, but she steadied it, focusing on helping her brother and convincing her air-partner to let her go.

<What if he's not? What if you going down only makes the situation worse? What if he just needs to get out, not to have someone down there with him? Think, Avan, you need to think!>

<You sound like the Queen,> she snarled, dropping into mind-speech.

<Believe it or not, the Queen does have good advice. You should start listening to it.> Jördíḵἷ's tone was sharp and unyielding, and thoroughly conveyed how annoyed she was with the filly. Avan flinched, instinctively knowing that the eagle was right, but she did not want to admit it.

Jördíḵἷ continued, with a lesser edge to her tone now that she knew she had her partner's attention. <You need to think and plan. How can you get in touch with him? Can you see below? Think about your power, think of how it connects you. Use it, and wield it. Follow it to see where you cannot go. Try to contact him. Jyri is trying to do that as well.>

Avan sighed, closing her eyes to stave off another rush of panic. She knew that Jördíḵἷ was right, she just had to do whatever it took to find him. A trickle of fear nearly broke into a flood as she realized, yet again, that she and Aeron hadn't been able to contact each other directly, even above ground, in daylight, and two feet apart. How in the world was she suppose to contact him when he was somewhere, who knows where, underground, likely far beneath her feet?

The panic welled up again, and she tried to stifle it, with somewhat of a middling success. <Jördíḵἷ, can you help me?> She asked quietly, knowing that the eagle would, but fearing that she wouldn't.

<Of course, all you had to do was ask. Bear your horn please.> As Avan arched her neck so her horn was level, Jördíḵἷ spread her wings and glided down to the unicorn. With a quick back wing, she settled down and folded her wings tight to her back, careful to not let them touch Avan's horn. <Shall we begin? Start searching, and I will guide your search.>

<Ok, here goes, I guess.> Avan took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting the magic start to flow.







Word Count: 694
Characters: Avan, Jördyl, Aeron, Jyri, Evander
Place: West of the Gwyverth territory, the Snake Tunnels