Drowning And No One Cares...

[Shanza]

Aysoli leaped out of the dark tunnel in her homeland, desperate to get to her friend. The dense foliage contrasted strongly with her preferred running grounds. Underground she could run fast and hard, with no care for random blockages or vines stretched in front of her path. Dropping to a trot was mandatory if she was going to make it through the forest. Curling her long legs underneath her she jumped a log, but scrambled slightly on the landing. Weaving her body through the trees without crashing required all her concentration, so she was partially distracted from her settling depression.

Worthless. Thoughts ran through her head like leaves floating on the wind. They would drift in and out, then get stirred up again. Useless. Pathetic. Aysoli cringed as the thoughts crossed her mind again. Can't help anyone. Couldn't even keep my own father from going mad. He died because I didn't help him.

A vine caught the tall dark bay, and she tumbled to the ground. She lay there, wracked with misery and self-doubt. A bird flew by, and left her wondering if life was any better for the creature. There was bright blue that was out of place. She looked down at her legs, seeing the intricately detailed lightning marks. They were gorgeous, really. She could run, but what use was that really? Then almost as if Feneri was right next to her, Aysoli could hear her voice. It was snappish, but caring. Get up. Get up now. Nothing's going to get done with you laying there. Aysoli almost grinned. That was her friend, alright. Her motivation to keep going, the drive to live. She shifted her weight, and slowly stood, giving herself a through shake when fully erect. Taking a deep breath, the bay mare started walking forward and vanished through the trees.

Aysoli first saw Feneri in the clearing, and then she saw Feneri's sire. Aysoli paused, one foreleg raised, not sure what to do. She didn't want to interfere in what was clearly family business, but she knew the stallion hadn't seen or spoken to his daughter in months. What did he want now? She watched as he touched his muzzle to her forehead, and murmured something. Then he turned and left opposite to where Aysoli was. The bay mare only had to take a couple steps into the clearing to see what the confrontation was about. Laying at Feneri's hooves was the poisonous chelvrsh vines. "I'm so sorry Feneri," was all that Aysoli could think to say.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Feneri took a deep breath, glaring at the retreating rump of her sire. She did not understand where all of this hatred was coming from. Yes, she was in foal, yes, she had gone against her parents wishes, but why such malice? Could they not just accept that the foal was going to come at some point, and there was nothing that they could do about it? Could they not forget about her transgressions and love her as they had before? She was still their daughter, nothing had changed, really, but they would not see it that way. They still had not learned the true power behind forgiveness. She was willing to forgive what they had done to her, the beating and the gandivanthe (mark of impurity), all of the methods by which they tried to get rid of her precious foal...she could forgive all of that.
She would, but they refused to forgive her for choosing Ylrae, for allowing him to mate with her. She had always been feneri to them, forbidden fruit. It had been their wish that the next king would choose her as his queen. They saw her as something special, almost divine, and were convinced that it was her destiny to lead. They never saw the real Feneri. They never saw what real potential that their daughter held.
The young mare snorted angrily, shaking away the tears that lingered stubbornly on her face. She never cried, never allowed a single tear to fall while anyone else was watching. Feneri prided herself on being strong, able to cope with anything. Strong mares did not weep. The tears stopped, but their evidence remained. She would pull through this. She did not need her sire and dam to support her, she was fierce and independent. She could raise her foal all alone if she had to. Luckily, and happily, she was not alone. She had Ylrae, and she had friends on the wings, ready to help her if the need ever arose.
The liver chestnut mare's head rose proudly, cursing her sire to a life among demons when his body failed. She could still feel the touch of his lips on her Aaiswika (the mark on her forehead) She had nothing to be ashamed of. She refused to believe that the tattoo along her spine was gandivanthe she was not impure to mate with a stallion, they were just angry because it was the wrong one.

"I'm so sorry Feneri,"

She glanced over at the dark bay mare, having been far too distracted to hear her approach. She smiled, glancing down at the plumb roots. "Ill live. Eventually he'll give up." She scanned Aysoli's face, seeing the tell tale signs of her friends returned depression. She clucked her tongue, squishing the chelvrsh into the earth, and walked over to the bay, nuzzling her neck affectionately. Aysoli stood a full hand taller than Feneri, but was very thin and wiry, a racer through and through. The blue lightening marks on her legs were proof enough of that.
"What is it, now, Aysoli? You are strong and beautiful, not worthless, dear, not worthless. That aydol does not define you anymore than my gandivanthe defines me. You know this." The words spilled out in mysterious accented music, too beautiful and strange to belong even in this forest.
Feneri sighed, turning away from her friend when her ears pricked, sensing something approaching their clearing in the distance. She tensed again, ready to fight. There were several sets of hooves, and the flutter of a pair of wings. She alerted Aysoli with a sharp glance.

Four stallions entered the clearing, all large, towering over Aysoli and Feneri. A ripple of fear ran down Feneri's spine as she recognized the quartet. These were the stallions that had beaten her, hidden her away in a cave for two weeks on her sire's orders. They were the only stallions that she ever feared, and for good reason. All four were of draft or half draft decent, all could take her out with a single blow, and all had taken their turn with her in the caves. She could remember the damp walls, red with her own blood, and the pain that ripped through her body. They had shoved her against the walls, kicked, pounded and thrown her around like a rag doll. When they had tired of that, and she could barely stand, all but one of the stallions had left the cave. The remaining stallion told her that the life she carried had ended, and he planted his own seed inside of her, ruthless and uncaring.
The same had gone on, every night for two weeks, but they stopped beating her around to delay suspicion. She had to look healthy when she came out of the caves, however, the mounting continued. The most horrible thing about it? No one knew, or would ever know the horrors that had befallen Feneri in those two weeks. Even if she told, no one would ever believe her, for these four stallions were the prince and his guard.

Feneri snapped out of the nightmare memory, a half growl on her lips. The prince, a rather striking blue roan, stepped forward.
"Well well," he said, eyes drinking in the swell of Feneri's belly. "If it isnt Gandivanth and Aydol out for an evening stroll." His thugs chuckled merrily.

Feneri tried to move, but as she had feared, the prince's magic had taken it's hold. He was a puppeteer. Once in his presence, he could control her entire body, just as he had displayed in the caves. She could tell from Aysoli's nervous gaze that she couldn't move either.
The prince slid around Feneri, inspecting her at every angle. "It looks as though you'll produce a fine, healthy colt for me, Feneri." Her legs shook as the prince pressed against her, chivvying his teeth along her neck in a manner that was very harsh and possessive. She didn't want to believe that the life she carried was his. She held onto the hope that her original foal had survived, but in her heart, she knew that that the life inside of her was the prince's spawn. As hard as that was to believe, she had accepted it, and still fought for the foal's life. No matter his sire, he deserved to live.

The prince's muzzle came to her ear, and he whispered, "How I miss the taste of forbidden fruit."

Feneri felt sick and violated, she would have nightmares about this one, there was no question. Her legs shook, and she watched in terror as one of the prince's friends walked over to Aysoli. "Make him stop", she whispered desperately to the prince that still lingered by her side. "Ruin me all you wish, there is not much more you can take, but leave Aysoli out of this."
The prince, flicked his tail, and the thug halted a few feet away from the bay mare. "You'll give me anything I want?" He asked with a smirk.
Feneri nodded, "Yes, whatever it is that you require."
He smiled now, rubbing up against her shoulder. "I require you, Feneri. Tonight at bonefiere you will announce to the tribe that you lied about the identity of your foal's sire. You will tell them that it was me. After the time we spent in the caves, you'll find that the words are not a lie. I will claim you there before the whole tribe as my future queen. Your sire and dam will be very pleased, I might add. You will tell them that you lied because I asked you to keep us as a secret until the proper time. No one will question it, my scent has been heavy upon you for some time now. "

She nodded in mild acceptance, hating the stud for all that he had done to her, and what he was forcing her to do to Ylrae. "I shall do as you wish."

He smiled, "Excellent. Now, if your colt protests about, this, tries to call me on a bluff, we will deny it, and we will destroy him. Understood?"

She nodded, feeling tears gather in her eyes, but she would not shed them. Not in front of the prince. He nipped her shoulder, tearing flesh and spilling a small thread of blood. He licked the small wound, as was customary when a pact was made, and released her, offering a roaned shoulder.
Feneri repeated the action, biting a bit harder than necessary, and grimacing as his blood touched her tongue.
He smiled," consider it a pact Feneri."

Aysoli was released as well, and all four stallions turned, vanishing from the small clearing in the forest. The sunlight filtered down, kissing the deep red of Feneri's coat. Her strength was gone. The tears leaked from beneath her closed lids, and she turned into Aysoli's waiting shoulder, letting the tears fall. Perhaps she really was impure.

[/color]

[Shanza]

Aysoli stared at her friend as the stallions left the clearing. As Fenri leaned into her she wondered how the world could be so cruel. Fenri had done so much over the years for her, how could she be dealt another such blow? "You shouldn't have," Aysoli whispered, acutely aware of how fast her heart was still beating. "I would have been fine. I'm too gangly for them anyway." The bay mare managed a soft chuckle. "That's one of the benefits of being so clumsy you get a Aydol tattoo." She sighed, then continued. "You shouldn't have promised. You just shouldn't have. It'll break Ylrae's heart."

A soft wind blew through the trees, causing them to rattle and stir. "Besides, I know that foal is Ylrae's. It can't be the Prince's, it just can't be." Aysoli knew that a note of desperation had crept into her voice, but she didn't care. The one saving thing about this whole mess was the fact that the foal was Ylrae's. "It'll be a strong foal, a brave one. What will happen when it's clear that it isn't the Prince's? What will happen then? This is just not good, you can't go through will this." She was starting to work herself up imaging all the disaster scenarios that could happen. "You know the punishment for cheating on a royal? And what will happen to the foal then? What will happen to you?" She looked down at her friend, who was struggling to control her tears. "There has got to be something we can do!"

She looked around the small clearing, watching the grasses wave back and forth. A small mouse ran out of it's hole and down another, which gave Aysoli an idea. "Call me crazy, but you could run off! Just vanish, until the foal is born. Then everyone will know the truth and that bastard can't threaten you anymore!"

She took a deep breath, running over the cave system in her mind. "I know just the place. It has plenty of water, lush grass, and plenty of escape routes if anyone discovers it. I found it when I was exploring a couple of weeks ago." She looked down at her friend again with a mixture of hope and desperation in her eyes. "Please. Go, just go. You have to vanish, you can't let him do this to you," she finished in a whisper.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Aysoli's words hit Feneri like a tidal wave. She had not thought of Ylrae, how his heart would shatter. Not even he knew what had befallen her in the caves, as she had not had the heart to tell him. She felt herself sobering as the pain settled deep in her chest. What had she done? What had she agreed to?
"You must think I'm some sort of monster", she whispered. Her legs quaked, imagining the look in her beloved's eyes when she told him of the pact. " I didn't know what else to do... I was frightened." Admitting this weakness only made the pain spread faster through her body. She couldn't handle this on her own anymore. No one knew to fear the prince and his minions as much as she did, but Aysoli would understand. Feneri felt horrible for not telling her the truth sooner.
She met her friends gaze solidly. "They didn't put me in solitary confinement for those two weeks, Aysoli. I was in a cave with the prince and his minions. They beat me, and the prince went further. He truly believes that it is his foal that I carry. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth before. I wanted to believe that he wouldn't care. I wanted to believe that he would just let us be happy."
The liver chestnut's gaze fell away from Aysoli's. The bay still believed that the foal was Ylrae's. Feneri wanted to believe it as well, but the prince's words hung like thick fog in her mind, drowning out any hope of that. He was so confidant that the child was his... "I love Ylrae, You know that, and if the prince chose to destroy him it would be so simple. I cant watch his pain, I'm not strong enough..." But was she strong enough to watch her beloved walk away? Could she handle that?

Feneri listened with growing unease to her friend's plan. "You want me to run?" She asked, "To hide like a coward from my own tribe?" He musical voice broke, and she took a deep breath, steadying herself. Was there really another option? Aysoli was right, this wasn't good. If the foal truly was Ylrae's, then he would bear no resemblance whatever to the prince. The tribe would know that the foal was not of royal blood, and he or she would be killed. Feneri would be shamed, and put to death for loving another besides the prince. She would die as a nobody, and everyone would remember her as the prince's traitorous mate. The one to shame her tribe. She couldn't handle that.
Solemnly she nodded. "Yes, I will run." Aysoli would understand how hard it was for her to say this, and what it meant. Feneri was going back on a promise to a royal, but the story he wanted her to spread was a lie. The pact was void in her eyes. The foal was Ylrae's, and that was all that there was to it. She wrapped a hug around Aysoli's slender neck, whispering in a dark ear, "Thank you for guiding me back to the right path." She released her friend, a slight smile on her features that dissapeared as suddenly as it had come. "I must find Ylrae, and tell him that I am leaving, but not where...no one can know that...will you come with me, Aysoli? I may need both of you to cover my tracks. No one could know that you two were the last to see me. Perhaps spread the rumor that I was speaking with my father. As slimy as he is, he'll not deny it."

She watched her friend carefully, reading the sadness and mingled depression on her face. No one seemed to care for the bay as Feneri did. All that they could see was the Aydol, the mark of uselessness that Feneri suspected to be the root of her depression. "Perhaps you should come after me, tonight, after bonefiere . I may explode if I don't hear about what's happened." She sighed, "I'm asking so much of you, Aysoli. If you wish to hide away with me until the foal is born, I would be grateful...just don't let anyone follow you. As soon as your clear of the tribe, run as fast as you can and gain a distance before you come to me. Please say that you'll come? I'm not certain I can do this alone..."

[/color]

[Shanza]

Aysoli felt the fear returning. Run from the tribe? Run from the prince? How could they hope to accomplish anything besides getting themselves killed? But the alternatives were worse. The alternatives were always worse. So she would run. Good. Her friend would run and be safe. Go with her? Aysoli hadn't thought about that. She had imagined avoiding the place, avoiding the prince, and avoiding the royal pain's guard. But running? No, she hadn't considered that.

The alternatives? Were there even any to consider? Feneri had asked her to come, so how could she refuse? She knew the caves well, well enough to likely find her way around undetected. Likely. But even if not, she could outrun anyone in the tribe, couldn't she? Finding Ylrae, well, Feneri wouldn't leave without talking to him, even Aysoli wouldn't be able to talk her out of that. Blaming her sire for her disappearance? Yes, that might work, but there would have to be proof. Other witnesses, especially if Aysoli was going to vanish with her.

Feeling like she was plunging into a black abyss, Aysoli said, "All right. But not exactly that way."

She looked at Feneri with determination. Now that she was in, she would see this thing through to the end. "First thing, I'm not going to wait around until after the bonefiere; there's no way they'd let me out of their sights. Second thing, we're going to vanish right now. No, here me out. To his knowledge, your sire was the last one to see you. The prince won't want to screw things up for himself by admitting that he saw us together; noticing a Aydol and a Gandivanth are beneath him. Not unless you back him up by saying the foal's his. Remember, Kingship isn't determined by blood alone. He has to have image and the people's respect as well." She grinned, "And right now everyone's attention is on his cute little brother just born last week. This is probably a ploy to get the focus on himself, and get him lined up for the crown.

"One of his guards might give reason that he saw us, but then he would be admitting that he wasn't doing his job by guarding the Prince from real threats." She looked at Feneri intently. "Don't you see how perfect this is? I don't need an alibi because I'm involved, and no one else needs one either because the last one to see you was your sire! He'll admit it, I'm sure of it."

The tall bay took a deep breath and continued with her plan; she was sure this part would be the hardest for Feneri to accept. "About Ylrae." Her friend's eyes were staring her down, and angry. Aysoli knew Feneri knew what she was going to say, and she wasn't going to like it. Not in the least bit. "You can't see him," she ended up whispering. "Not until the foal is born, not until then." Her eyes searched her friend's for any hint of understanding, any sign that she saw the reason behind the madness. "Don't you see? He's the first that they'll go to. He's the first they'll ask- or at least the first the Prince will ask. Everyone else will notice that he didn't run off with you, and respect him for it. And if he's a loss just like everyone else, suspicion will fall off him. The Prince won't be able to do anything because both will be with search parties looking for you. They might even think we were taken by the fire tribe.

"I know this is killing you, but his very knowledge could kill him too. I mean that in a very real sense. If he has any doubt, any idea, it will lead them through him to us. Don't you understand? Please, Feneri, trust me."

"Please."

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Feneri could feel her heart racing. This would be a dangerous race against time. The prince knew her well, and would never expect her to run. Running was like cowardice to Feneri, and she kept it no secret to the tribe. She had made a pact, and planned to break it- another thing that she would normally never even consider doing. She could feel a cold fear rising in her chest. What if Aysoli was wrong? What if the foal really was the prince's get? What would happen then? She would be in serious trouble. Mares carrying foals of royal blood weren't allowed to leave tribe bounds without a valid escort. Feneri could be shunned if the foal belonged to the prince.
The liver chestnut mare shook herself. The foal had to be Ylrae's. He just had to be.

Aysoli agreed, but Feneri could smell a but coming. There was a catch, and she was fairly certain that she knew what it was. Her heart raced, she couldn't leave without seeing Ylrae. It wasn't an option. He would grow sick with worry, even if she told him that she was leaving. Leaving him not knowing anything could kill him. Aysoli knew this, the whole tribe knew this. Anyone could see it in his eyes. He was hesitant to let her go out on watch alone, especially any time she came back with the prince's scent on her coat. Ylrae had never liked the prince, and he worried for Feneri's safety. He had an uncanny sense that something would happen eventually. She supposed that he had been right.

Feneri closed her eyes slightly and could feel him near. She could almost feel his touch and taste his breath as it blew gently across her face. When she opened her eyes, she knew that he wouldn't be there. Aysoli would be standing by her side, and the wind would caress her dark forelock. She sighed and opened her eyes, listening with a heavy heart to her friend's words.
She wanted to leave, right now. She didn't want Feneri to see Ylrae. As much as she wanted to run to him right that moment, she heard her out as she had asked.
"You can't see him, Not until the foal is born, not until then."

The words were whispered gently, but Feneri shook her head, feeling tears swell in her eyes. " I have to see him", she said, "I cant just leave without him knowing!" She took a deep rattling breath that was weighted down with every second of the two months in which she would be away from him. She wondered how she ever could have thought that she could live without him for that long. Leaving him without a clue would kill him, and it would kill her as well. Would he ever forgive her for such cruelty?
She listened with a sense of dread to Aysoli's words.
"Do you hear yourself?" She asked, musical voice drenched in sorrow, "This is me we're talking about! I don't run, I don't abandon the ones that I love, especially not to save my own skin! I'm doing this for my foal..." Her voice drifted off, eyes widening at the mention of the fire tribe. "No" she moaned, voice carrying an impossible note of anguish. " I cant let him believe that..."

"I know this is killing you, but his very knowledge could kill him too. I mean that in a very real sense. If he has any doubt, any idea, it will lead them through him to us. Don't you understand? Please, Feneri, trust me."

The dark chestnut mare took a deep breath, trying to pull herself back together. She was being weak, weak and cowardly, two things that she had sworn to herself she never would become. "I'm sorry Aysoli. I will go with you now."

Feneri's pained expression virtually vanished from her face, and one of stubborn determination took it over. It was the look that defined her. She had forbidden herself from shedding another tear over this. She could handle it, if she had the strength to walk out of this clearing...the rest would be easy.

[Shanza]

Aysoli sighed heavily. She wished it wouldn't have to be this way, she wished that everything could just have a happy ending. Of course, it still could. It still could. She had to have that hope. She glanced behind her at her friend, knowing that every step tore at her. Feneri, however, still wore that look of sheer determination, as if she would accomplish this thing as if it was the last thing they did. Aysoli gluped. What if it were true? Would they die at the end of their strange flight anyway? Would they die trying to save Feneri's freedom and her foal's life? No. It wouldn't happen like that, it couldn't. Aysoli didn't think it out of courage, but with a rising depression, and thinking that things just had to work out was the only thing holding back the tide. If something changed.... Well, she would deal with that later.

They had entered the caverns, and as the light faded, Aysoli's fears grew. There was no way they'd be able to make it all the way across the territory to that area! It would be an absolute miracle. "Feneri, I need you to tell me if anyone is coming. Once we're beyond the main pathways we'll be safe, but until then anyone could spot us."

She took a deep breath, might as well tell her where this 'perfect place' was. "We're headed towards the Southeastern corner of the territory."

"The swamp lands?!"

"No, no." She grimaced, it was lucky no one could see, Feneri could read her like an open book. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly? What, pray tell," the liver chestnut hissed, her voice getting more dangerous by the second, "Do you mean by 'not exactly?'"

Aysoli did not like this part; in fact she hated this part. Fudging the truth just enough to get her friend to go along with her. The swamp lands were notorious for their dangerous tendencies. Swamp gas was always present, some days stronger than others; it was a noxious, choking, smelly gas that disoriented and could cause black outs. If that wasn't bad enough, large reptilian predators lived there that could move so fast that you didn't know what hit you until you were dead. Then it was way too late to do anything. Giant snakes abounded; the large cats were fierce, even brave enough to tackle full grown unicorns; and solid seeming land turned to water beneath hooves. Last but not least, for a good distance bordering the swamp the tunnels were unfit for traveling. Most were filled with swamp water and the creatures that come with it, but even the ones that weren't channeled the gases that could kill. Aysoli took a deep breath, and plunged into what she hoped her friend would forgive her for.

"It's near the swamp, but going by there is the best way to stay undetected. Trust me, if there was another way, I'd take it in a heartbeat." The bay mare didn't have to fake the shudder that rippled through her at the thought of the swamp lands.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Feneri eyed her friend's silhouette in the darkness, not at all sure about the plan. They couldn't be going to the swamplands. Aysoli wouldn't be so daft as to lead them there...would she? Feneri felt the foal shift in her belly and bit back a gasp of surprise, nosing her side in a way that was cautious as well as scolding. "Stay still, you," She muttered.

They had walked a long way in the caves, and she could almost smell the fumes from the swamplands. "How near exactly is this place, Aysoli?" Her ears were pricked for any sound of danger, but for the first time ever, she found herself doubting in her friend. Perhaps it was just the added hormones of her pregnancy. Perhaps she was just stressed out, and this uncertainty was the byproduct. Maybe it all came from the fact that she had left Ylrae behind. What was happening at the bonefiere? Had they yet realized that she and Aysoli were missing? If not, then how much longer did they have to seemingly vanish off the face of the earth?

"Aysoli?" She asked, just above a whisper, "I don't know if I can do this. What if Ylrae does come to the conclusion that we were taken by the fire tribe? What if he goes after us and gets himself killed? My foal needs his sire...Ylrae is stronger than that...isn't he?" Feneri shivered in the darkness, finding the soft coat of Aysoli's flank and letting her head rest against it. This contact helped. She wasn't alone. She had Aysoli and it would only be for a short time that they were away. Two months...Ylrae wasn't a rash creature. He would wait at least that long before going after her. But would he know that the prince had had something to do with it? Would he confront him and get into his own brand of trouble with the tribe? That worried Feneri more than the possibility of him going after her. If Ylrae couldn't defend her in body, then he would defend her in spirit. The stallion had endless bounds of loyalty when it came to Feneri. What if the prince tried to spread the rumor that the foal was his? She could just see her beloved's hurt and angry expression, and she knew that he would confront the prince about it. Her stomach rolled. How could she have left him there alone? But how could she have done anything else?

Feneri's ears swiveled back, and she whispered urgently to Aysoli, "We're being followed!" Her heart jumped and bounced in her ribcage. They couldn't jump there, Feneri still had no idea where the place even was. Aysoli could outrun anything, but Feneri was an average runner on a good day. She would be hopeless with the added weight of her foal. There were few places to hide in a tunnel, and their stalker was quickly gaining ground.

A light came around a bend in the tunnel, and Feneri's muscles tensed, blinking rapidly at the light as it seared her eyes. She could hear uneven hoof beats shuffling forward, and didn't dare turn around. She didn't want to see what had followed them here.
The hoof beats stopped, and the light flickered like a flame, stretching across the length of the tunnel. It was so bright that it seemed to drench all of the hue out of their coats. They seemed to glow like beacons in the darkness. Feneri could see the shadow of her swollen belly in the brightness. Surely this creature would not be so cruel as to harm the life that she carried?

Che Che, Lavournagos slevich jelrai. This place is not yours to wander.

Feneri glanced around in surprise. She had not expected to hear her native tongue from this creature. Immediately she regretted it. The light seemed to tear at her eyes, and she blinked several times before the stranger's lithe form came into focus. He was a flea bitten gray in color, but had a wave of red roaning going down his right shoulder. This roaning was soft though, and the eye did not linger long on the bloody shoulder. The stallion's body was dominated by a colossal tattoo of a snake. It started at his face, the open jaw set to frame his right eye and snaked down his neck before looping several times around his belly. The snake alone would not have been so frightening, but its colors were expertly shaded, every scale had been preserved with such detail that the snake, painted in amber and gold, seemed to breathe with a life of it's own.

Feneri had never seen this tattoo before, and had no idea what it could mean. She fought to see past the tattoo and made out the rough texture of his coat. It was crisscrossed with so many healed scars and gashes that she couldn't imagine anyone surviving with. Yet here he stood. His right eye, framed by the snake's jaw was uninjured and was a rich amber gold that seemed to glow like it was a part of the snake. The left eye was a mere wrinkle of empty flesh, covered by an angry scar that went a few inches down his face.

She could not hold back a slight grimace at his wounds, and shifted uncomfortably as his golden eye scanned her body, along with the beady eye of the snake, just above it. She could have sworn that both moved as one, tracing the swell of her belly, and the curves of her otherwise lithe form. The eyes rested several moments on her Aaiswika before he looked over to Aysoli, letting his eyes flare over every part of her body. Being under the stranger's gaze felt like being scanned by some sort of machine, and Feneri didn't like it.

His gaze rested on her Halniva marks and a sick smile twisted on his features. "Running away are we?" He asked with a heavy accent. "Two unclaimed mares, one heavy with foal. What are they doing here...and so alone?" His gaze hovered back to Feneri and he smiled again, something that sent a shiver down her spine. He lifted himself in a half rear, revealing the line of fire that twisted down from his left hip, down his belly and up his chest, up his windpipe, and under his chin. She spotted the last flicker of flame on his muzzle. Cheshire.

"Is that why you're running? Because of what your stallion did to you?" He clucked his tongue impatiently. "The tribe needs all of the new blood it can get. Such a shame that you've decided to put yourselves in harm's way."

Without warning, the stallion lunged for Feneri. She tried to dodge aside, but the foal made her slow, and she felt the stallion crash into her ribs. She yelped in pain and tumbled to the ground. Her breath caught in her throat, and she could feel panic rising. This stallion meant to kill them both. She could feel the heavy sharpness of his horn next to her throat, and this immediately shook the fear out of her body. With an insane twist that she hadn't been sure her body was capable of, she slipped out of the stallion's grasp and, teeth barred, she backed into Aysoli, a thin trickle of blood running down her throat. No one was allowed to risk the life of her foal.

[Shanza]

The appearance of the Cheshire stallion was unexpected, and Aysoli was still struggling to grasp who he was exactly. When he lunged into Feneri, the tall bay trumpeted a shout of danger and fear. How far it traveled in the dark tunnels, she would never know. Aysoli lunged forward as Feneri launched back, and they collided hip to side. It was in Aysoli's nature to run, and run she would when she could, but there was no way she was leaving her friend down here with the stallion of the Devil's Kiss. Baring her horn, she walked forward, so she was next to Feneri. Another advantage of being tall was that horn length tended to increase as well.

Aysoli's heart was pounding, she could hear the blood rushing through her ears. She knew she wasn't the greatest fighter, but she didn't completely suck, so they might have just a chance. Besides, they had the will of a mother bear protecting her cubs on their side.

The stallion just grinned at them, taunting them, and walking forward. In his single functional eye, however, existed a spark of anger that burned with white hot rage. Aysoli knew that if he won, they would die. If he won, everything they had tried to do would be in total futility. What was the point? How could they try to resist? She feared the future, she feared what would happen next.

"Let's play, girls," he hissed, springing forward. As much as Aysoli thought she was ready, in that moment she knew she wasn't. Fear boiled over, and she fought the impulse to turn and run. Instead she rose to meet him, and acting blindly she attacked. In the corner of her eye she saw Feneri fighting as well, but she was slowed with the weight of the unborn foal.

The bay mare felt his horn tear into her neck, ripping open her flesh for a good head-length. She screamed, violently flinching away as blood streamed freely, darkening her already near black coat. Aysoli heard her friend's answering scream, loud and clear like a shear whistle as the stallion turned to her.

She shook, pain lancing through her, and lunged back towards the fight. The stallion reared up, lashing at Feneri with his hooves, as she reeled back, trying to get out of range. Aysoli launched herself forward, horn like a spear, aiming right for the stallion's gut. Only his quick maneuvering saved him as he twisted sideways, but at the same time he left himself open to an attack from Feneri. Aysoli tried to turn with him, but dulled senses and slower reaction time due to the injury left her unable to. She didn't see what happened next, but heard Feneri's scream cut off half-way. Finally turned around, Feneri was on the ground, struggling to rise with the stallion rearing over her. Aysoli leapt forward with the desperation of one who knows that they are too far away to do anything. It seemed like slow motion to Aysoli, as the stallion descended on her friend and she struggled to stop him.

Then everything changed. The world rocked with a force that Aysoli didn't know it possessed, throwing the bay mare against the wall as time sped up again. The stallion was flung backwards, Feneri was knocked back to the ground, and the cave was almost whipping back and forth. Great screaming noises issued from the earth as it nearly tore itself in two. Cracks formed as the floor buckled and the ceiling bulged, and Aysoli wondered how it was all staying together. She tried to gain her feet, but they were knocked out from underneath her as once again the world heaved. Finally the cave could take it no longer, and with a ear-splitting crash, parts of the ceiling gave way. A few final moans, the earth shifted one last time, and then all was still.

Aysoli didn't move. Sunlight was streaming down, but barely got through due to all the dust. Rocks and boulders where strewn all around her, and there was a slab of rock laying over her haunches. Coughing, she shifted, and forcing the slab off, she stood up. A wall of dust greeted her. Coughing even more heavily, she tried to see around, see what had happened. The dust started to clear, and the first thing she saw was an opening to the sky. It must have been at least a good length between tunnel and ground, and there was ruble everywhere. Behind her, the tunnel stretched, somewhat warped and caved in, but intact. Directly in front of her, where she had last seen the stallion was where the roof had caved in. Boulders, slabs of rock, and loose dirt made up a large pile beneath the new skylight. To Aysoli's left was where the rest of the tunnel was suppose to be. Where Feneri was suppose to be. She sucked in a deep breath as the dust was fairly cleared out, and tried not to think of the worst things that could have happened. The cave's wall was buckled inward so it formed almost a wall, blocking off the rest of the tunnel. It met the far side of the derbri pile, with a gap just wide enough for a unicorn. Aysoli edged forward, hesitant to what she might find.

As she rounded the large pile, she paused, nearly nauseous. The Cheshire stallion was there, lying between layers of rock. He had been crushed, and it wasn't a pretty sight. The golden eye was open wide, but it no longer contained the mystical properties it had in life. It was dull and clearly dead, but that was not the case with the snake. The eye glinted like it was alive, and the scales still shimmered with the realism it had possessed when she had first seen it. She shuddered, and inched her way forward. Not taking her eyes of the snake for to long, she peered into the pitch-black crevice calling, "Feneri?"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"Let's play, girls," Feneri felt her heart race as the stallion lunged forward again, but this time it was not with fear. This was personal. He could not be allowed to mess with Feneri's unborn foal. She meant to take him out with her bare hooves and horn, but Aysoli was faster.
She met the Cheshire in midair and Feneri dove in lower, cutting at the Stallion's sides with her horn. She aimed a stab at his chest, but missed as Aysoli's scream echoed through the cave. Feneri could smell her friend's blood. She screamed in anger, slashing blindly at the gray brute. The first swipes brought no luck, but the the fourth swing brought the sickening smell of success.
The stallion screamed and reared, hooves flailing at Feneri. She backed away, trying to get out of his range. A hoof struck her shoulder. Aysoli came out of nowhere, her horn angling like a spear for the stallion's gut. He spun out of the way and Feneri tackled on his open side, ripping flesh with horn and tooth.

The Cheshire's horn slashed across her face and she screamed, unable to see through the blood. Her scream cut off as the stallion's hooves slammed down on her shoulders, her left leg,her neck. He reared one last time, aiming for Feneri's head. She could hear Aysoli scrambling towards them,but she was too far away. Feneri braced for the impact.
It never came.

The earth lurched beneath them and the stallion was flung backwards, toppling into the cave wall. Feneri tried to find her footing, but the earth spat her back to the floor of the cave. Her desperate scream was lost in the sound of the earth ripping itself apart. She felt herself being flung back and forth like a sack of potatoes and tried to curl herself around her stomach. The foal kicked, and Feneri cried out again, taking a beating from the inside as well as out.
The floor of the cave cracked beneath Feneri and she rolled sharply into a wall, bulging and cracking under the pressure. The ceiling bulged above her and Feneri let out a desperate yelp, trying in vain to gain her footing. The cave echoed with an earsplitting crash and Feneri saw the pieces of rock come falling to the floor of the cave. There was no time to move or think, so Feneri closed her eyes, curling herself into a tiny ball on the cavern floor. The rock met earth, and she felt herself bouncing around. The falling sheets of rock mostly ceased and loose rocks, small boulders and dust fell around Feneri's body. She held very still, hardly daring to move. What if it started up again?
Feneri coughed and choked on cavern dust, and spat pebbles from her mouth, tasting dirt. She coughed, shaking her head. Her eyes stung with blood and dirt, and she didn't try to open them. Carefully she tested her forelegs, stretching and curling each one. Right. Left. Right. Left. Satisfied, she tested the hind legs next. Right...a little stiff, still doable. She stretched her left hind and cried out in pain. No, no it couldnt be broken, they had to make it out of the cave. She tried to curl it in and the pain lessened. Feneri extended it again, and took a deep breath, good, it seemed to be just a minor sprain.
Blindly she nosed her side, "We alright in there?" she coughed. Slowly the mare rolled to her stomach and then hooves. In a wave of dizziness she almost fell back to earth, but managed to keep her balance, leaning cautiously against the cavern wall. She didn't dare open her eyes yet, they felt cemented shut with the paste of blood and dust. Feneri took a deep breath, relieved that the air had cleared out. Several moments passed in silence and Feneri tried not to think of what carnage lay beyond her small sanctuary. Slowly she picked her way through the rubble, her shoulder using the wall for a guide. Her body ached, but it could be worse...a lot worse. She had to find Aysoli.

"Feneri?"

The call echoed strongly to her ears, and Feneri paused , nearly collapsing in relief, "Aysoli!" Her voice was sharp and hoarse. She hadn't realized how close she'd been to tears. She could feel large boulders all around her, and shuddered at the thought of how narrowly she had avoided death...again. It reminded her vividly of nearly drowning in the caves.

"Aysoli, I'm here, but I cant see a thing, are you alright?"
Feneri's voice was clearer now, her mouth less dusty thanks to the fresh air. Entire sections of the ceiling must have collapsed.

She continued on for a few more feet, still uncertain as to where she was going, but had to stop a few steps later to rest her hind leg. Perhaps the universe was on their side for this one.

[Shanza]

Aysoli gasped in relief, they were lucky to both be alive. She eyed the snake tattoo nervously, and tried not to look at what used to be the stallion.

"Aysoli, I'm here, but I cant see a thing, are you alright?" Feneri called.

"I'm fine, what about you? How's your foal?" Aysoli shifted, and hissed as her hip reminded her it didn't like rock slabs. "Well I'm mostly ok, a little stiff." She didn't add the part where she could still feel blood trickling down her neck, but the flow was much less now. "Just come this way. After that quake I don't want to be down here longer than we have to. There's such a thing as pushing your luck too far."

Eyeing the steep incline to the surface, Aysoli wondered if it was even possible to make it up. "Feneri? The ceiling opened up over here. It's a straight shot to the surface, but it'll be tough."

Feneri emerged into the sunlight, and Aysoli grinned at her. "It's good to see you again. I was worried like crazy. Part of the ceiling fell on me, what happened to you?"

The bay mare followed her friend's gaze to the crushed stallion in the rocks. "At least he won't bother us again," she said softly. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Eying the ascent carefully, Aysoli started picking her way up. Rocks tumbled and slipped beneath her hooves, and she froze, hoping that she wouldn't trigger a rock slide. Large boulders were firm but slick, and while the soft stuff would give grip, it was also likely to give way. The earth started to shift underneath her feet, and she scrambled, calling, "Look out!" She slid into a large boulder and lunged upward, clawing at the next stable object. Finally gaining a firm footing, she called down, "Are you ok?"

From where she was she couldn't quite see the forest floor, but she could see the trees. Most were still standing, but there were a few of the giants that had fallen in the quake. One lay on the ground right next to the lip. "Uh, Feneri? I think we want to move, like, now. If there's another quake, the cave's not the only thing that's going to be falling. There's this ginormous tree that's like right above you."

She shifted side to side as worries crept into her head again. What would Feneri do when she knew the truth about where they were going? How long would it take her to forgive the bay mare? She tried to turn her head to see how Feneri was doing, but the wound screamed in protest. She straightened out, groaning. Her hip was sore and aching, and her neck was getting stiffer by the second. That wasn't counting all the minor bruises she had gotten when the earthquake flung her around like a rag doll. How in the world did they ever think that they could do this?

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Feneri followed her friend's voice to the surface, slowly managing to wedge her eyes open. Sunlight assaulted her a few feet away from the opening and she allowed her eyes to adjust before making the last leap. She took several deep breaths, nosing her belly out of habit, and hoping that her foal had survived the slide. She'd been banged around quite a bit...Feneri snorted, unable to think about what she would do if the foal was stillborn. As if he resented the thought, the foal shifted in her belly. Feneri laughed in relief. "We're both fine," She said to Aysoli.
The chestnut mare looked over her friend, eying the gash in her neck. Feneri grimaced and nuzzled Aysoli gently. "I'm so glad you're OK."

She grinned at Feneri, "It's good to see you again. I was worried like crazy. Part of the ceiling fell on me, what happened to you?"

The dark chestnut mare rolled her eyes, "I got tossed around like a ping pong ball and got a dust bath...oh, I also did something to my leg." she shrugged," but I'll live."
Her gaze fell to the crushed stallion and the snake tattoo that still seemed to breathe. A shiver ran down her spine and she thanked the gods that she and Aysoli had been spared such a fate. At the same time she felt terrible for the loss of life. Even if he had attacked them, he didn't deserve to die. That had never been Feneri's intention.

"At least he won't bother us again," she said softly. "Come on, let's get out of here."

Feneri nodded, turning away from the corpse. Did Aysoli feel that the snake watched them leave as well? She tried to shake the feeling and followed her friend carefully up the loose pathway. Well, if one could call it a pathway. It was more like the carnage of the cavern.
Aysoli picked her way up the pack of earth, sending rocks back down with every stride. Hesitantly, Feneri followed, carefully picking a hold for each hoof. Her heart raced, hating the idea of rock climbing. She hated climbing, and wondered if the added weight and unbalance from her foal would make it nearly impossible. This wasn't what she'd had in mind. They'd been gone maybe six hours...already she wanted to go home, but it wasn't an option. Her eyes lit with stubborn determination and she pressed on, careful not to follow directly below Aysoli.

The earth shifted beneath her friend, and Feneri flung herself sideways to avoid the long slide of rock and dirt. She could hear Aysoli scrambling above and prayed that her footing would hold. She would be dead in a week without her friend. "Are you ok?"
Feneri breathed a sigh of relief, this trip would make her turn gray with worry and stress. Would Ylrae even recognize her? "Fine," She called back up, a slight edge to her voice. She took a few more deep breaths. They would be fine. They would get up the stupid mound and they would move off again. Who knew? Maybe she would be happily munching on grass in a few hours! The thought brightened her mood slightly, she was starving.

"Uh, Feneri? I think we want to move, like, now. If there's another quake, the cave's not the only thing that's going to be falling. There's this ginormous tree that's like right above you."

The liver chestnut mare pushed herself onward, drawing nearly equal to Aysoli. She could see the tree as well. Feneri groaned inwardly and nudged her friend's flank. "Lets get out of here, Please?" Aysoli Hesitated and Feneri picked her way further up, "I think I'll give you a break from leading, dear, it's much easier to follow."
The unicorn picked her way through the tricky turf, bounding occasionally as the earth shifted beneath her. She shouted warnings at Aysoli, who had grown rather silent in the trek, something that bothered Feneri, but there was little to be done about it. She would talk to Aysoli when they reached the top.

What seemed like hours later, Feneri pulled herself out of the danger zone and watched as Aysoli came up after. "Please tell me that we're almost there?" Her stomach growled and the foal kicked again causing her to wince. "Ok ok you're alive I get it." She muttered crossly.

[Shanza]

Aysoli followed her friend up with her doubts heavy on her mind. It seemed impossible, what they were trying to do, what they were trying to accomplish. Was it worth the effort? Was it worth their lives? Aysoli looked up at her friend, struggling onward. This whole stupid thing had been her idea to begin with. Her brilliant idea to run away and hide from all the evil the world had. Who knew that it would follow them. If they didn't run, however, the choices were even slimmer. Feneri at the best would endure a life of misery, but when the foal was born to Ylrae, it would be a disaster. The foal would be banished, killed, or disgraced at the least, while Ylrae would be killed for messing with a royal's mare. Feneri would be disgraced, and most likely put to death for consorting with any but the Prince. So the choices where clear; face death now that you can fight, or face death later that you can't. They had to do this. There was no other way.

With the forest floor within reach, Aysoli brightened, and then realized there was no getting around the truth now. She would have to tell her friend their exact destination. The bay mare's spirit plummeted once again.

"Please tell me that we're almost there?" Feneri asked as her stomach growled. She muttered something else that Aysoli didn't catch.

"Yeah, we're almost there." She took a deep breath, and braced herself. "You know how I said that it was a perfect spot?"

Feneri paused, then looked around at her friend. Aysoli couldn't read the look in her eyes and looked away. "It is perfect, believe me. It's larger than you can imagine, there a nice spring for drinking water, and it's sheltered from storms. There's only one thing I didn't tell you, and that is the fact that it's in the heart of the swamp lands." She rushed forward, trying to override anything that Feneri was going to say before she blew up. "I've been there a bunch of times! I go there to relax, and to get away! No one ever goes there, no one will ever find it, and it's on raised dry ground, away from the predators!"

"Please, please, please, just consider it! I didn't tell you earlier because I knew you wouldn't go with it. You've got to! There's no other place! Please, Feneri, you've pulled me through so many times won't you let me pull you through this once?" She searched her friend's face for any trace of acceptance, any trace of hope that Feneri would ever trust her again. Wouldn't she know that Aysoli did this for her? Wouldn't she?

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"Yeah, we're almost there." Aysoli said. Feneri grinned happily, about to say something when she caught the look on Aysoli's face.

"You know how I said that it was a perfect spot?"

Feneri paused, feeling the emotion drain from her face. She didn't like the tone of Aysoli's voice. The dark bay mare couldn't hold her gaze. What had she kept secret? Feneri felt her heart drop like a stone. What had been so terrible that Aysoli had to keep it from her? They were friends...weren't they?

"It is perfect, believe me. It's larger than you can imagine, there a nice spring for drinking water, and it's sheltered from storms. There's only one thing I didn't tell you, and that is the fact that it's in the heart of the swamp lands."

Feneri's mouth parted, but no sound came out. She couldn't believe that this was happening. The heart of the swamplands? No, surely it was a joke or a lie? Did she realize how far it was to travel there? How riddled the swamp was with danger? There were a million and one things that could kill them, or if they were insanely lucky, kill her foal. Her ears swept back, the beginnings of a pin.

"I've been there a bunch of times! I go there to relax, and to get away! No one ever goes there, no one will ever find it, and it's on raised dry ground, away from the predators!"
Aysoli sounded desperate now. Feneri cringed as though she had been struck. How could Aysoli do this to her?

"Please, please, please, just consider it! I didn't tell you earlier because I knew you wouldn't go with it. You've got to! There's no other place! Please, Feneri, you've pulled me through so many times won't you let me pull you through this once?"

Feneri pulled away from Aysoli's touch, her expression unreadable. "I trusted you," She said quietly, ears flattening back. "I trusted you." She shook her head angrily. "Do you have any idea how dangerous it is there? If you were just risking our lives, I wouldn't care, I'd be excited! Aysoli, I trusted you with my foal's life, I thought that you would understand what sort of place I would need to bring him into this world!"
Feneri took another step away, hating the situation they had found themselves in. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "How can I let you pull me through if I cant even trust that you'll tell me the truth?" Her musical voice shook, "Do you even realize how much I was counting on you? I suppose that was my mistake. I shouldn't have asked you to ruin your life for me. The price was too high." Feneri frowned,allowing her ears to come forward. "You're right. There isn't another choice, not anymore. I'm not sure that I trust you, but I don't have another choice on that either."
Feneri turned away, closing her eyes against a sharp kick from her foal. "I know, sweetling," She muttered, "I'm not too happy about it either."
She glanced back at Aysoli, "Shall we go?"

[/color]

[Shanza]

"Do you even realize how much I was counting on you? I suppose that was my mistake. I shouldn't have asked you to ruin your life for me. The price was too high." As Feneri spoke, Aysoli's heart shattered. She knew it would be difficult for her friend to accept, but hearing it was a thousand times worse.

"You're right. There isn't another choice, not anymore. I'm not sure that I trust you, but I don't have another choice on that either. Shall we go?"

Aysoli nodded mutely, then turned away and started walking. Feneri would understand when she had been in the clearing for a little while. Wouldn't she?

A slightly noxious smell was starting to increase, and the trees had increasing amounts of moss on them as they got closer. Vines dangling from trees were increasing in concentration, and a slight fog was begging to appear. In all appearances, the place was getting creepier by the second. "Feneri?" All she received in response was a faint grunt. "Walk exactly where I do, and no matter what you see or what happens don't step off to the side. Ok?"

Aysoli sighed at the grunt Feneri gave her. It would be a while before she would forgive Aysoli for this. They wove their way in between the trees, and through the mud. Their hooves would sink in slightly, and they would hear strange sounds through the mist. A bird took of cackling, and Aysoli flinched. She saw a ripple through the water and paused. "Feneri, do you see the ripple? Headed towards the path?"

"What is it?"

"A water snake; watch." The snake slid out of the water, crossed the path, and vanished into the water on the other side. It had yellow and black diamond markings outlined in red. "If you don't disturb them they won't disturb you. Generally."

"Unless they're hungry, you mean."

Aysoli didn't answer. A relatively short time later, after following paths that weren't paths, paths that seemingly only Aysoli knew the location of, they hit dry land. "There's just a short swim and we're there."

"We have to swim!?"

"Unless you want to travel for another three hours, yes. We have to swim." The land mass they were on was long and oval shaped, and it's ends disappeared behind mists and plant life. Aysoli led them to the far side, but after wading in half way, she noticed Feneri wasn't following. "What?"

"That."

Aysoli followed her gaze to several things. The first was in the water floating lazily on the surface, and the second was sunning itself not two lengths from where they were. "Oh, they're fine."

"What?!"

"Yeah, the crocs you have to worry about you can't see. Besides, they're not their most active now. You have to start worrying at sunset and sunrise, mostly." The bay mare turned away and started swimming. "Just don't kick your legs too much. That attracts them."

"How do I get back!"

"I'll teach you the pathways tomorrow. It's going to be dark soon, and we want to be in that safe zone." Aysoli was a good three lengths away now, and called back, "Come on, I've been wandering here forever. I know the routine."

"How long exactly?"

"Since my mom died."