Drowning And No One Cares...

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"There's just a short swim and we're there."

Feneri felt her heart drop again. Swimming was fine, swimming was good, but in the swamp! Aysoli was crazy if she thought that she was doing something quite so stupid. "We have to swim!?"

Aysoli nodded, "Unless you want to travel for another three hours, yes. We have to swim."

Feneri's eyes danced across the murky water, eying several large scaly shapes in the water. No, no way was she going swimming with crocodiles. But three hours? Three more hours was better than dying...three more hours and Feneri would be too tired to make it there.

"What?"

Only Aysoli could possibly look across the water and pass over crocodiles asking what was wrong. Normally Feneri would have smiled, loving the challenge, but she was tired, and aching and exhausted. Not to mention the fact that hung constantly around her belly.

"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."

Mostly. Feneri watched as her friend entered the swamp and started to swim.

"Just don't kick your legs too much. That attracts them."

The dark chestnut mare walked forward uncertainly.
"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?" Feneri asked, still uncertain.


"Since my mom died."

The liver chestnut sighed, remembering how many pep talks Aysoli had required to make it through that time in her life. Feneri had always wondered where she had disappeared to. It made her feel like a terrible friend to realize that she never knew. Maybe she hadn't been there for Aysoli as much as she needed to have been.

Feneri slid into the pond, slowly swimming through the murky water, trying not to attract attention. Aysoli had already cleared the water and stood, waiting for her on the opposite bank. Every stroke felt like an eternity, and Feneri wasn't entirely sure that she would ever reach the end. She heaved a sigh of relief as she reached the bank and Aysoli helped her up. She wrapped the bay mare in a hug, hating that she had ever doubted her. "I'm sorry, Aysoli, "she said quietly, "I should have known that I could always trust you."

[Shanza]

Aysoli watched her friend as she slid through the water, hoping she was right about the crocs... she always had been so far. When her friend cleared the swamp, Aysoli wanted to say, that wasn't so bad, was it, but held her tongue. When Feneri hugged her, she was startled, but quickly hugged her back.

"I'm sorry, Aysoli, "she said quietly, "I should have known that I could always trust you."

Aysoli grinned in relief. "So you forgive me?" She leapt forward, hugging her friend again. "Come on, I'll show you the place!" They were on a narrow spit of land, and Aysoli ran down it, trying not to be too loud. It slowly started to spread and rise upward, until they were several full unicorn-heights above the swampy waters. "See that sort of wall of trees up ahead?" Aysoli called back to her friend, "It rings a sort of plateau, but the plateau dips into the center. Come on, come see. It's beautiful." The trees towered above them, and they made their way warily through the thick growth. When they finally emerged on the other side, a vista of lush grass and a sparkling stream greeted them. The land gradually sloped downward from the ring of trees until it leveled out, reaching a small, crystal clear lake. On the near side of the lake a stream left, weaving through the flat bottom of the plateau before vanishing underground. On the far side, a glistening stream fed the lake, coming from the ridge.

"You see that stream? It's fed by a spring, right below the tree line. See the bluffs on the left? How it splits the ground so it overhangs and sort of encircles the floor beneath it? That's the place you want to rest the night. It's a geogeous place, if you give it a chance." She took a breath, looking around at how the light from the setting sun beautifully lit up the bluffs to their left, and how the water glistened and sparkled in the fading light. "Come on!" Leaping forward, she let gravity take her running down the hill side and plunging into the lake below. "There's no crocs or snakes in this water! I've seen where the exiting streams comes out, and it's a good half-height straight down drop into the swamp. To come over that ridge is way more work than they want to do!" She grinned at her friend. "Come wash off that muck!"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Aysoli hugged Feneri back, a rather startled look in her eyes. Upon hearing the liver chestnut mare's words, she locked Feneri in another hug, grinning in a relieved sort of way.

"So you forgive me?"

Feneri nodded, giggling, "I couldn't have stayed angry with you much longer even if I wanted to."

"Come on, I'll show you the place!" Aysoli said, charging down a narrow strip of land. Feneri followed at a much slower pace, but went quickly enough to keep up, feeling rather clumsy due to the added weight of her foal.
Slowly the land spread into a wider path, and they began a slight climb up the grassy earth. They rose several unicorn heights above the swamp, and she paused to look down at a sunning crocodile. Perhaps the creatures weren't quite as bad as she had thought. They were a part of the cycle. It didn't make them evil, they had to fight for their survival every day, just as she did.

"See that sort of wall of trees up ahead?" Aysoli called.

Feneri jumped slightly, having not realized how far behind she had fallen. She trotted to catch up with her friend, glancing back at the distance they had traveled, and then to the wall of trees ahead of them.

"It rings a sort of plateau, but the plateau dips into the center. Come on, come see. It's beautiful."

They trotted down into the trees, the shade of the canopy filtering the light of the sun. The trunks seemed to stretch forever above them, and Feneri found herself looking around more than usual, staring in wonder at the strange plants, towering trees, and colorful birds that perched above their heads. The grass was soft and spongy underfoot, and Feneri fought the desire to eat, too busy taking in the wild beauty of this place.

Eventually they crossed the last row of trees and stared across a beautiful dip in the earth. It was a field of lush grass, all abundant and dripping with moisture. A stream ran through the heart of the vista, sparkling in the full light of the sun. Feneri stepped into the light and closed her eyes, letting the warmth settle into her coat. It couldn't have been long since she last stood in it, but it had seemed like years.
She opened her eyes and followed her friend's gaze to a sparkling lake.The stream ran alongside it before vanishing underground. Another stream fed into the lake from the ridge of trees.

"You see that stream? It's fed by a spring, right below the tree line. See the bluffs on the left? How it splits the ground so it overhangs and sort of encircles the floor beneath it? That's the place you want to rest the night. It's a gorgeous place, if you give it a chance."

Feneri nodded, having had no idea that the swamp could be so beautiful.

"Come on!" Aysoli said, leaping forward, flying down the slope at an incredible sped, splashing into the lake. "There's no crocs or snakes in this water! I've seen where the exiting streams comes out, and it's a good half-height straight down drop into the swamp. To come over that ridge is way more work than they want to do!" She smiled at Feneri and called, "Come wash off that muck!"

Feneri grinned and sped recklessly after her friend, plunging into the lake right behind her. The cold water seeped over her coat, and she felt the blood and dust rinsing off of her body. How dirty had she been all this time? The cut on her head stung slightly, but she smiled, shaking the water out of her ears. She wouldn't have been surprised if they turned the lake black.

"This place is perfect," Feneri said, splashing water playfully at Aysoli. "I owe you...big time. You didn't have to help me...but I'm glad that you did." She let the sincerity ring in her voice and laughed as she was splashed back by her friend. "I hope the foal wont be too heart broken when he realizes that this place isn't home!"
Even though she had no idea what the foal's gender would be, she had taken to calling the foal a 'he'. Part of it may have been that she knew that Ylrae wanted a colt, and she wanted so desperately for him to accept the foal, but she knew that regardless of gender, that he would. The foal was half her, he would say, how could he ever push it away?
The dark chestnut mare sighed, feeling her heart sink at the thought of her lover. He would understand someday why she left...he would someday forgive her for not telling him. He had to forgive her, it was the only thing that would make this all worth while.
For some unfathomable reason, she thought of the stallion with the snake tattoo and shivered uncomfortably, remembering his words. Is that why you're running? Because of what your stallion did to you? Did to her? No, he had done nothing to her...she had wanted the foal...so why had the words haunted her mind? Maybe because Ylrae had not claimed her first as she had asked. She thought back to that night, remembering how they had talked and laughed, and how she had turned the conversation to a more serious note.
"I love you, Ylrae, but I don't want to do it like this. I want you to claim me first."
He had stroked back a strand of her forelock with his muzzle, "Don't you trust me, love?" He had whispered, "You're all I'll ever want or need.You know it, everyone knows it. What more do we need?"

Feneri shivered despite the heat and slid out of the water, the image of the Cheshire's lifeless golden eye and the glittering eye of the snake burning like a fire in her mind. It took a very long time for her to realize that she was shaking, but couldn't stop. Had she been wrong about Ylrae?

[/color]

[Shanza]

Aysoli grinned with happiness as her friend came to join her. She ducked under the water, helping to get the last dregs of swamp mud out of her mane.

"This place is perfect," Feneri said, splashing water playfully at Aysoli. "I owe you...big time. You didn't have to help me...but I'm glad that you did."

Aysoli grinned back at her, completely relieved that Feneri had forgiven her so quickly. She had had herself convinced that it would take at least a week. "Water fight!" She yelled, rearing up to splash her friend more effectively.

"I hope the foal wont be too heart broken when he realizes that this place isn't home!"

"Yeah, but that's what makes it special." Aysoli looked up at the trees crowned with the fire of the setting sun. "Nothing else on earth can compare to a place like this. It's paradise, heaven on earth." She grinned again. "Who knew it would be in the middle of a swamp?"

Aysoli leapt into the deeper waters, feeling the sand fall out from beneath her hooves. She stuck out into the lake, loving the scenery and the fact that she could finally share it with her friend. She wasn't sure why she never had; maybe it something to do with the fact that every time she left this paradise she felt as if she was leaving a dream. It hadn't seemed real, it never did.

Glancing back, she saw Feneri slowly leaving the water. Something about the way she was acting struck a cord with Aysoli, and she turned back to shore. Launching herself out of the water was something that she normally took pleasure in, but this time something was different. Slowing to a walk, she noticed her friend was shaking. Dripping water, she noticed how the twilight still carried the heat of the day, so Feneri couldn't be cold. Aysoli walked slowly up to her friend. "What's wrong?"

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Feneri determinedly tried to stop the vibrations that were running through her body. She couldn't be wrong. No one could fake the sort of love that Ylrae openly displayed. He loved her, he cared for her. Then why had they not gone about things in a more traditional way? Why couldn't he have just claimed her? Why did he not face his fear of going to her sire and dam? He had done everything she had ever asked, except that. He could go out for a week on his own to find her when no one else would, he would give up his life for hers, but he couldn't talk to her parents? He couldn't bind himself to her in a way that was unshakable in the eyes of the tribe?

Feneri supposed that it must have bothered her slightly at the time, but she had convinced herself that he would claim her when the foal was born. She had been willing to wait that long, but he had never promised that he would. She had only assumed that it would work that way, and was beginning to wonder if it would happen at all. Would she be Gandivanthe forever, unclaimed but belonging to her cheshire?
She took a deep breath, and the shivering slowed, but didn't altogether vanish.

"What's wrong?"

She jumped slightly, having not heard Aysoli's approach. She gulped down breaths of air, trying to calm her racing heart. "I dont-" Feneri turned, unable to put what she was feeling into words, she tried to let the emotions play freely across her face so that she wouldn't have to try, but she felt uncertain that Aysoli would understand. Feneri didn't even understand.
She glanced around, looking for the right words. "I- I feel as though I've been so stupid. I always assumed that Ylrae would claim me when the foal was born...but I've- I've just thought about it and I'm not so sure anymore...what if he never claims me?" Her voice cracked and she looked away from Aysoli. She knew that it was probably a stupid fear. So what if he never claimed her? Ylrae had never been one to jump on the bandwagon as far as tribal traditions and expectations went. He was loyal, there was no question about that, he just wasn't traditional. Hadn't that once been something she liked about him?
Feneri bit her lip and shrugged, feeling relief as the shaking faded from her body. "It's probably nothing," She said with a shrug. "I'm probably just being stupid. It wont matter...either way. I mean, he'll still accept the foal. What does it matter really?" As hard as she tried, Feneri's voice didn't sound convincing.

[Shanza]

Feneri jumped when Aysoli approched, and the dark bay knew something was wrong. She looked at Aysoli, fear and uncertainty in her eyes. "I- I feel as though I've been so stupid. I always assumed that Ylrae would claim me when the foal was born...but I've- I've just thought about it and I'm not so sure anymore...what if he never claims me?"

"It will be alright, it will be alright," Aysoli whispered soothingly. It was what every mare feared; to fall in love and then be strung along like a play thing. "He'll claim you, I'm sure of it."

"It's probably nothing," Feneri said with a shrug. "I'm probably just being stupid. It wont matter...either way. I mean, he'll still accept the foal. What does it matter really?"

Aysoli smiled softly at her. "It'll be alright, I promise. The future's too obscure to worry about it anyway." Reaching forward, she pulled her friend into a quick hug, and then backed off, looking her in the eyes. "So let's not bother ourselves with what the future brings. Generally what we worry about we can't change in the least." A shadow passed over her face, as she remembered her parents. "Everything will work out, and if not it's too late to change it now." She smiled sadly at the liver chestnut mare. "Come on, it's starting to get dark. This place is to forget your worries and cares. Live in free flow for a while."

She nudged her friend on the shoulder before walking over to the sheltered bluff. Aysoli knew she hadn't relieved all Feneri's worries, but there wasn't much more she could do. Live and let live. It had taken her two whole years to finally accept this place as a place she could be pretending everything was fine in the world. She would do her best to help Feneri accept that fact as well.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"It will be alright, it will be alright," Aysoli whispered, her voice soothing. Feneri took several deep breaths, hoping that her friend was right.
"He'll claim you, I'm sure of it."
The dark chestnut mare nodded, what was she worried about? Ylrae loved her, that much had always been plain. He would love their foal as well.

"It'll be alright, I promise. The future's too obscure to worry about it anyway." Aysoli said, pulling Feneri into a hug, and then backed off, their eyes meeting. "So let's not bother ourselves with what the future brings. Generally what we worry about we can't change in the least." Her face fell into a shadow and Feneri knew that she was thinking of her sire and dam, both taken so cruelly from her at such a young age. "Everything will work out, and if not it's too late to change it now." She smiled sadly. "Come on, it's starting to get dark. This place is to forget your worries and cares. Live in free flow for a while."

Feneri nodded slowly, not entirely convinced. Was it safe to forget everything back home? Was it right to forget about it all while so many terrible things could be happening to Ylrae? She shook herself, not allowing her mind to roam the possibilities. There was nothing she could do for him from here. She had to be thinking of her foal, protecting him. Ylrae could care for himself, their unborn foal couldn't.

She nudged Feneri's shoulder and started walking off towards the bluff, sheltered by trees. Sleep would do them a lot of good. Things would look better in the morning. Prospects would be brighter.
They walked under the shelter of trees, breathing in the twilight air. Shadows of birds and other creatures flew over head, and their hooves beat softly on the spongy grass. Aysoli led them to a beautiful clearing, ringed by trees that still covered their heads with a canopy. In the heart of the clearing was a large boulder, and resting atop the boulder was a panther. The cat was black as night, and powerful muscles bulged beneath it's glossy coat.

Feneri froze, staring at the cat. She glanced at Aysoli, was this cat a regular like the crocodiles? Not a threat? She shifted uncomfortably and needlessly nudged her friend's shoulder, gesturing towards the jaguar. "Please tell me that this cat is a friend of yours?"

[Shanza]

"Please tell me that cat is a friend of yours," Feneri said, nudging Aysoli's shoulder.

Aysoli's breath caught, and she sort of coughed out a chocked laugh. "Friend?" She whispered, "I've only seen the swamp cats five times in my life, and the last four times they tried to kill me!" She started to inch back slowly, but the cat stretched, and she froze. "It's odd, normally I only see them in summer." She continued, slightly confused. "I don't know where they go, but it's certainly not here."

The cat looked over at the two mare ready to bolt and yawned, its teeth gleaming in the faint light. Aysoli started at the size of it's fangs. She had never been this close to a swamp cat before, and never for this long. "Uh, it's a little late, but I thought of an exception to the rule," she whispered to her friend.

Feneri looked in fear at her, probably thinking that Aysoli was crazy. "The only time you want to jump into the swamp is when a cat jumps on you, and go as deep as you can. They're not too fond of the water either."

The cat seemed to finish it's stretching, and it stood, coat and muscles glistening with a faint blue sheen. It jumped off the rock, and walked away to their left, disappearing into the darkness. "That was odd." Aysoli felt her heart racing, and tried to calm it. Another thing she knew about the cats was that they were most active in the dark. So why wasn't it going after them? Was it waiting for a better opportunity? "I know another place," she whispered shakily. "It's not as nice as here, but there are less ways for a cat to get at us. You want to go?"

They quickly left the area, and trotted back into the main plateau area. Reaching into a gallop, they crossed the land, jumping the stream when they reached it. It took several minutes to cover the whole distance, and the place where they finally slowed down was a slight depression in the earth, just enough to help break the winds but to give them a full view of the surrounding area. "That completely freaked me out. I'll stay on watch first, just in case that cat comes back." Aysoli looked over at her friend. "You should get some sleep."

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Aysoli drew in a sharp breath, and half laughed "Friend?" She whispered, "I've only seen the swamp cats five times in my life, and the last four times they tried to kill me!"

Feneri frowned, that wasn't what she had been hoping to hear. She started backing away with Aysoli, her heart hammering wildly in her chest. Had they really come all this way just to be eaten by a swamp cat? The panther stretched and the mares froze, exchanging nervous glances.

"It's odd, normally I only see them in summer." She continued, looking slightly confused. "I don't know where they go, but it's certainly not here."

The cat looked over at them with lazy eyes, and they tensed in unison, ready to run. The black cat merely yawned, exposing white teeth that seemed too bright for the twilight. Feneri eyed the teeth warily, noting how every tooth narrowed to an impossibly sharp point. It would be easy for the cat to kill them.

"Uh, it's a little late, but I thought of an exception to the rule," Aysoli said. "The only time you want to jump into the swamp is when a cat jumps on you, and go as deep as you can. They're not too fond of the water either."

Feneri sent her a sidelong glance, hoping that another plunge wouldn't be necessary. "Yes," She agreed," That could have been said a bit sooner." Her eyes were wide with fear.

The cat stood and Feneri tensed, watching as it jumped off the rock and disappeared into the darkness. Was it really going to be that kind to them? Her eyes narrowed, wet with suspicion.

"That was odd." Aysoli said. Feneri could feel her friend's heart racing, and became aware of how quickly her own was beating. "I know another place," Aysoli whispered shakily. "It's not as nice as here, but there are less ways for a cat to get at us. You want to go?"

Feneri nodded and the two of them ran back the way they had come, through the field and across the stream, now in pitch darkness. The 'other place' was a shallow depression in the earth, only good enough for breaking winds.

"That completely freaked me out. I'll stay on watch first, just in case that cat comes back." Aysoli said, glancing over at her friend's frightened face. "You should get some sleep."

Feneri nodded, "Wake me up when you start to doze." Her heart still raced wildly, but it took a shorter time then she had expected to fall asleep. No dream touched her mind, but the image of a snake scuttling through the grass departed her from consciousness.

[ϞSymreeϞ]

Time in the swamp passed more quickly than Feneri could have ever imagined. It was paradise, but like any other place, it had it's rules. She had learned most of them quickly. Don't go into the swamp water unless a swamp cat jumps on you, don't wander off alone, etc. But just as quickly as the rules were set down in her mind...there was an acceptation to one of the rules. In this case, it was the black cat that they had seen the first night that they arrived. it had been showing up for weeks, at first appearing occasionally, as if just wishing to pop in and check on them...see if Feneri was slow enough to catch yet perhaps? It made no sense to her, if the cat had wanted to eat her, it could have done so the first night they had come across it. She had been plenty slow, plenty clumsy.

Soon enough it had become apparent that the cat was following them. It slunk in and out of the shadows, always lurking closer to them, but never pouncing, never looking even remotely uncomfortable or hungry. It feasted on small rodents that it caught along the way instead of them. When they rested, the cat would sleep somewhere nearby, or else prowl in the bushes, hunting for scraps. A few times, Feneri had sworn that it was taking it's turn on watch, sitting upright on the rock and glancing around, slitted pupils large and alert. Usually the cat was awake when she was taking watch, and the two would listen for approaching danger. Sometimes the cat would take a shift with Aysoli as well.

They thought that maybe the cat would leave after he had grown used to the novelty of them. Eventually it would get bored and leave, right? Wrong. Feneri grazed a few breaths away from the cat, and felt perfectly content while the silky black creature sunbathed. It was something she had decided not to question anymore. The cat simply stayed with them, and it didn't seem likely that they would be eaten soon. Why question such a good thing? She found herself taking that approach to a lot of mysteries lately.

Mysteries like the future. Feneri had stopped thinking about Ylrae, had stopped worrying about him weeks ago. She would be going home to him soon, within the next few weeks to be exact. He would be fine. It was a rule of the swamp. No worrying about things beyond your control. Real world matters didn't seem real here. Actually, very little seemed real, she amended, glancing at the swamp cat.

She had accepted that he would be there to greet her and their young foal when they returned. He would fold her into his shoulder and wrap his neck around hers in a tight embrace. He would not let her go for several moments. He would then spot his son and they would meet, perfect carbon copies of one another. She could not imagine the foal looking anything like her, or being a filly. He would claim the foal as his own, but he would not need to. The foal would look nothing like the prince. He would then lay claim on her, and she would be his forever, no questions asked. She had not allowed herself to picture it in any other way.

The foal shifted, unbelievably heavy in her belly. She felt much larger than any of the other mares had looked, despite Aysoli's constant reassurance that she looked normal. Feneri sighed, nudging her belly. It wouldn't be long now. The foal must be large, she thought, hoping that it was a sign of good heath, but for now it just made her all the more clumsy and slow moving. His sire was tall, a hand or so taller than Aysoli, but much more heavily muscled. He was as handsome as the day was long, and more than a few mares had noticed. It was no secret that quite a few mares had had their eye on Ylrae for a mate...so many beautiful mares to choose from and he chose her...
Feneri sighed. Ylrae was the only one who had ever made her feel beautiful. Her parents didn't count. Parents always thought their daughters beautiful and their sons handsome. As much as she disliked them at the moment, they had never missed an opportunity to dote upon her. They loved her dearly...they would remember it soon enough.

Feneri glanced over at Aysoli, whom was grazing a few yards away, and laughed as the panther's tail twitched, deep in sleep. "Can you believe this cat?" She laughed musically.

OOC: sorry, horribly weak, but maybe it gives you ideas?

[Shanza]

Aysoli looked over at her friend's laugh as she grazed by the black panther. Standing, his back didn't quite reach their bellies, but including his tail he was nearly as long as they were. If he wasn't as good as a distance runner as they were, he certainly was a faster sprinter and better jumper. The first time she had seen him leap straight up in the air it had taken her breath away. He had leapt from a stand-still to land smoothly on the top of a bolder she couldn't see over. It was strange and frightening at first to have him around, but like everything in the swamp you learned to accept the miraculous and the mysterious as everyday reality.

She secretly thought Feneri looked ready to burst, but would never say it aloud. Almost daily the liver chestnut asked her what she looked like, and every time for a straight month Aysoli lied back. It wasn't bad; it was expected. You did what you had to to keep your friend happy and content. Lately she had started to see other animals hanging around, not only the large cat. It was odd how they did that; she would never had expected it nor had she ever seen such action before. Crocs would surface from their hiding places as they walked past, and she swore that on more than one occasion snakes would swim along side them for a little while. Birds watched them, and rodents emerged from their holes, only to race back down them when they saw the panther. On more than one occasion he had gained a meal that way.

One bird in particular she had started noticing more and more recently, and that was because it wasn't native to these parts. It was a mountain eagle, a huge majestic bird that only perched on the tops of trees and open spaces. It's wing span was longer than they were, and Aysoli had seen it once carry off a baby fawn. She had no doubt that it would be able to carry a foal. She had noticed the cat watching the bird as well, and twice he had tried to grab it when it came low. If the cat was worried enough to go after the bird, Aysoli found it reason enough to be extra watchful. She didn't mention her worries to Feneri, however, and the swamp easily brought her back to a place of tranquil watchfulness as the days passed.

"How soon do you think you'll foal?" The dark bay asked her friend as they walked to the stream to drink. "Think it'll be soon?" Again, the thought ran through her head that Feneri looked like an over-stuffed grape, but she firmly held her tongue. This wasn't the time or the place. I wonder if she'll have twins, Aysoli thought to herself, noting that she certainly was big enough. Twins weren't rare by any means; they were actually fairly common. Her father was a twin, but her uncle vanished sometime before she was one. She only met him once, and she had heard that he was something of a hermit. Someone said once that five to fifteen percent of births were twins; she didn't remember where she heard it.

Aysoli looked at her friend strangely, cocking her head and squinting her eyes slightly. Feneri noticed. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, then the picture of foals sprawling over the panther sent her into peals of laughter.

"Are you going to tell me what's so darn funny or what?"

"I was just trying to imagine you with twins, and it wasn't working," continuing, she quickly changed the subject, trying to avoid the beat down she knew was coming for lying to her friend about her weight. "Did you think that that cat's probably still going to be around when your foal is born? I think I'd trust my foal around him, but what about you?"


occ: is the panther male or female? I didn't know, but I'll go back and change it if you had female in mind. (I didn't have either, but it bothered me to put 'it.')

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"How soon do you think you'll foal?"

The question startled Feneri out of her musing. "Hmm?"

"Think it'll be soon?"Aysoli asked.

The dark chestnut mare nodded. "Yes Aysoli, I'm guessing within the next two weeks. I cant imagine my belly being any larger. I hope that means that the foal will be big and strong as his sire." What else could it mean? Feneri sighed at the thought of him, two weeks and she would be able to see him again. She only had to survive for a few more days...it was doable, she could handle it.
"I'm sorry I've kept you from the tribe for so long, but we'll be able to go back soon, Aysoli."

She snorted, and winced as the foal shifted in her belly, then kicked at her ribcage. Gosh the thing was flexible, she thought, taking deep breaths, hadn't he just kicked both sides of her at once? "I don't know how much longer he'll be able to fit inside of me." She laughed.

An amused expression came to Aysoli's face, and she seemed to be fighting to keep the giggles away.

"What," Feneri asked, smirking slightly. It was because she was fat wasn't it? Like overly fat? Like fat even for a pregnant mare fat?

"Oh, nothing," Aysoli claimed, laughter tumbling from her lips.

"Are you going to tell me what's so darn funny or what?" Feneri asked with a false glare. She couldn't be mad at Aysoli, not here. It was impossible.

"I was just trying to imagine you with twins, and it wasn't working,"

Twins. Feneri's heart crumbled. Could she really be that pregnant? No. She shook the thought, concentrating on the tiny metal image of Ylrae in foal form. That was what grew inside of her. A precious colt...not twins. How could she possibly get two back home safely? One life was enough to worry about. Wait...did that mean that Aysoli had lied about her looking normal?

"Did you think that that cat's probably still going to be around when your foal is born? I think I'd trust my foal around him, but what about you?"

Thoughtfully she nodded, "It goes against many of my instincts to trust this cat as I do, but I don't think he'd harm my foal. He acts too much like a bodyguard..." Or a Knight, she added inwardly. She kept the thought to herself. It was odd enough to have a jungle cat sleeping inches away from her grazing muzzle, it would border on insanity to say that the cat was there to protect them. Although she could think of no other reason for it to stick around for so long.

The pain came without warning, and nearly sent her to her knees. A contraction. There had been one yesterday as well, though not quite as rough. She wondered vaguely if the colt would wait until his two weeks were up. Foals had been born earlier with no serious health problems...she supposed that it would be alright. Her heart raced as she straitened. Both swamp cat and Aysoli looked upon her with concern, and she smiled to reassure them. "I'm alright." She said with an easy smile.
She then glanced incredulously at the jaguar. Had she really seen a play of excitement or worry cross his feline face? He lay as still as before, his black form stretching out in the grass and soaking up every ray of available sunlight. Had she only imagined it?

The dark chestnut mare took a long drink from the stream. She must have been seeing things...cats didn't care about when she was going to foal, or if she would be alright. They didn't act as body guards and they most certainly wouldn't do so for unicorns. However, those were the real world rules. This...this was the swamp.


OOC: I think I'll have her give birth in the next reply I do, unless you have any other ideas? Im excited for her foals! xD

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[Shanza]

"It goes against many of my instincts to trust this cat as I do, but I don't think he'd harm my foal. He acts too much like a bodyguard..."

Aysoli chuckled at the comment. A bodyguard was exactly what the cat acted like. He was always watching, always protecting, always around. The black panther would scare off the lesser predators and had on several times warned them of greater threats. The bay mare shivered as she remembered the one and only time they hadn't listened to him.

It had been a pleasant day, slightly chilly, but nothing to indicate the foul weather to come. They had finally accepted the black cat's presence, but still weren't all that comfortable with him around. They had left the small plateau to wander the swamps and so Aysoli could show Feneri some more hidden pathways. The panther followed them, but was a ways back, so they didn't get too edgy. Sometime a little after midday he had raced ahead of them, blocking their path. He had tried all sorts of things to get them to turn back, but none of them worked. Finally resorting to growling, he bared his teeth and they backed away from him, wondering and scared. That's when the shadow fell.

Like a blanket, dark clouds crossed the skies and their shadows covered the land below. The two mares had been staring at the violent storm that had caught them by surprise when the storm front hit. The swamp plants ducked and wove as it hurled past, and the waters were sent splashing up onto normally dry land. Feneri and Aysoli had been buffeted by the winds and they screeched through the trees, but mostly they were startled. Neither had known that storms could appear so rapidly in the swamp. The cat ran past them, and they followed. The temperature had plummeted, with the rain slowly turning to hail. Splashing through troughs they normally would have avoided, the two mares had run for their lives. The hail had been constantly increasing in size and they knew if they didn't get to shelter soon the storm might take their lives.

Eventually they had made it back to the plateau, but not until a day later. The black cat had lead them to an out of the way cave where they waited out the storm. They had gone to sleep sore and exhausted, and had woken up stiff and extremely tired. In the early morning the storm dissipated just as suddenly as it had begun, and then the cat lead them back to the plateau. Aysoli twitched just thinking about it; her back had been sore for a week afterward.

Wing beats caught her attention, and she looked up at a large, near-black eagle soaring past. It cocked it's head sideways, staring at them, as it did a lazy loop above the treetops and then perching in one of the southern trees. Aysoli marveled at how it kept it's wings clear of the branches as it back-winged to a stop. Dark golden eyes stared at her, and then shifted off to her right. Feneri was facing away from it, but the cat watched the bird, opening his mouth in a large yawn. His long fangs sparkled dangerously in the mid-morning light.

The eagle stretched it's wings, catching Aysoli's attention again. Of all the animals in the swamp, the only two to constantly hang around them were the eagle and the panther. She stared at the eagle, thinking over how often she had seen it lately. It must have been everyday, and often for all day. The more she thought about it, the more she worried. Why was it here, why was it watching them, and most importantly, why hadn't she noticed before?

Suddenly Feneri groaned as she seemed to almost curl into herself. Concerned, Aysoli looked over at her friend. That contraction had seemed mighty strong for there to supposedly be several weeks left in the pregnancy. "I'm alright," she said, but Aysoli didn't quite believe her. The swamp had a way of doing that to you, of making you forget was was true and blurring the reality between life and paradise. She could live here forever and be happy, but she knew with personal experience that the swamp shortened lifespans. You became complacent with the dangers and the expectations, with just flowing. There was just one problem with flowing. Only one thing could flow in life, and that was water. Water could recover falling from the sky or smashing through the rapids. If you tried to flow with life it would only work as long as something wasn't waiting around the bend.

That's why she never stayed here long, why she always went back to the life the tore down her soul and made her doubt herself. Living with the tribe had it's ups and downs, friends and foes, and it had life. The tribe wouldn't just let you go, they wouldn't let you down when you needed them most. Coming to this peril filled paradise made her realize that time and again. Here it was lush, it was green, and it was beautiful, but if you saw past the beauty you would see a terrible world of loneliness and ferocity. Only the strongest and most cunning won. Everyone else perished.

Aysoli was never depressed in the swamp, never quite willing to give up life. Her hideaway brought her sanity... at a cost. One of these times the swamp would take her for it's own. The cycle of life. Jerking her head up, Aysoli snorted fearfully. That was what she got for staying here to long. Not only complacence, but acceptance. Acceptance of her own death, and of Feneri's. She shook her head, hating and knowing they didn't have a choice in their residence. No one who had a choice lingered in the swamp; if it didn't kill you outright, your choices would.

"Feneri, we need to be careful." Why did she say that? Maybe because she knew that they both were less wary, less observant than they should be. The storm wasn't the only thing that the cat had saved them from, and the bay mare knew that even with his help they could only cheat death so many times. They had to leave the swamp, and soon. The consequences may be bad, but they would have to go back and face the tribe no matter. They had no choice.



*Jyri (from Jyra, or 'cat') noting so don't forget. I like it- if you do, lets use it

[ϞSymreeϞ]

"Feneri, we need to be careful."

She glanced towards her friend and nodded, feeling like she only understood half of anything that went on here. Aysoli was no exception. The bay's words seemed to hang in her mind for the rest of the day like a cryptic promise that something bad would happen. They needed to be careful...did that mean that they were coming to the end of their welcome in the swamp?

Darkness fell in a heavy sheet over the swamp, and settled around Feneri like a warm blanket in the heat of the day. A light sheen of sweat began to form on her coat. She heaved herself to her hooves and walked around. Every part of her seemed to ache, and the foal seemed to twist in her belly with every step she took. She winced, barely managing to stay silent and glanced at the sleeping form of Aysoli. She was on watch, but could hardly concentrate. She felt heat that could match that of a wildfire, and pain that threatened to bring her back down to earth.

She took a step towards Aysoli, but her knees gave way and she slowly lowered herself to the ground, she felt as though something had snapped inside of her, and fear filled her heart. "Aysoli!" She gasped, "Aysoli, wake up, my foal, my foal is coming. I need you to take watch!"

The bay mare's head snapped up, but she looked groggy. "Whatsamatter?"

A contraction coursed through her body and she gasped again, "Take watch!"

After her gasped instructions, she noticed the bay mare rise, and then all of her energy went to the strange contractions and spasms that seemed powerful enough to break her body in two. She closed her eyes, imagining that Ylrae stood above her. His kind mix matched eyes met hers with encouragement and fear. He would not know what to do. A soft smile touched her lips before vanishing in a quiet moan of pain that she had worked hard to try and smother. She knew that if another escaped her lips, it would be louder.

Her dam had tried to warn her of the pain, but still Feneri felt unprepared. She could have broken every bone in her body and she couldn't imagine it hurting as much as this. It slowly dawned on her that there was no healer for miles. What if her foal needed more expertise than she could offer? What if he was too weak? Or needed a special herb to calm some malfunctioning organ? No, this was the swamp, that sort of terror did not exist here. She nearly laughed at the thought, but grunted instead, champing her teeth to avoid being too loud.

Push, she had to push. You can do it, love, Ylrae's voice promised. The contractions got closer together until she could no longer distinguish between natural reflex and her own relentless pushing. It seemed like it would never end. She felt as though the foal was simply too large to get out, or that he would take her insides with him when he came out.

She could feel his warm body sliding out, but he didn't seem to ever end. She had known that he would be large, but this was unbelievable! Finally relief came, and she glanced behind her to see a wet form in the grass. She reached back to lick the blood off of his coat when her stomach seemed to flip again, and the whole process began again. Wonder and confusion filled her mind. Another foal? Oh no, had Aysoli been right about the twins? Her mind was torn away from the thought as pain ripped through her body once more.

This body took more work to get out, and she felt as though she pushed forever gaining no ground. Time inched by at a snails pace. She began to wonder how long she had been at this. Then finally, almost impossibly, a second foal slid from her body. She lay gasping for several moments, too weak to rise or look back at her twins. Twins, she would kill Aysoli for lying about her looking normal.

A few moments later, she caught her breath and began licking the foals clean. She had no idea where to start, and couldn't quite make out a specific color for either of them, but both were pied, reflecting their sire's beautiful pattern.

Aysoli stood uncertainly nearby and Feneri nodded to her encouragingly. "Aysoli, I cant lick two at once, please would you help?" At the suggestion, Jyri slunk over, black fur sparking in the moonlight. His rough tongue lapped over one of the forms and Feneri felt a wary smile touch her lips. She trusted the swamp cat, and may not have chased him away even if she had the strength to do so. She returned to licking the other foal, muttering to her friend, "I do believe that you've been saved by the cat!"

Her heart Melted as the foals started to shift, blinking up at her with wide eyes. The jungle cat purred contentedly, still licking his foal clean with a very gentle touch. She could hardly believe that this was happening. Twins! How could she possibly handle two and deliver them safely back to Ylrae and their tribe?

Feneri inspected both foals more closely, and discovered that she had both a colt and a filly. Their tiny bodies pushed against one another as they fought to stand, toppling over several times before reaching success. Feneri rolled to her own hooves, nudging the foals toward the back of her belly. They squabbled and squealed, wobbling on unsteady hooves and fighting for their colostrum. First milk. She fought to keep them both upright and winced as they suckled greedily.

Her muzzle fell onto the colt's back, now semi clean, he looked like a grulla, elegantly patterned in white. His markings reminded me of rivers that ran the length of his body, but there were also grouped markings, that settled nicely in the mousy gray of his coat. They rather looked like clumps of berries.

The filly was similar to her brother, but when her face came up, Feneri drew in a sharp breath. The filly's face was lined with a wide blaze that seemed to explode to the edges of her face. The look was elegant and subtle. Her eyes were a striking black, and the white reached up to the base of her forelock which-incredibly- was black. The liver chestnut mare met her daughter's muzzle gently, a soft smile on her face as the filly went back to suckling.

The colt came back up for air, and she caught sight of his face. The right half was solid, but white extended from the center of his face to the left side. She thought that he looked a bit comical, like the joker on a card deck, but with a nearly perfect circle of mousy gray around his left eye. She smiled as he went back down to suckle, hardly daring to believe her luck. Twins. Perfect, beautiful twins for her tribe. For Ylrae. No one would ever doubt again who their sire had been. It was obvious to Feneri that they had to be Ylrae's. How could anyone not see how he lingered inside of them?

She gently touched her muzzle to each of their backs and said to Aysoli, "Can you imagine me with twins now?" A soft smile lingered on her face and her heart rose a few notches. Just a few more days, and they would be home, with the tribe where they belonged.

[Shanza]

Aysoli watched the trio with a smile. "I sure can," she replied to Feneri. "They're adorable." The twin foals had their legs braced to the sides, and were eagerly gobbling milk. They were both pintos due to Ylrae's influence, with jagged broken white running along their sides. The white on the filly was less broken and the patches were more common than on her brother. Aysoli scooted to one side to get a better look at the filly, noticing her white was limited to her barrel and shoulder on her right side. Edging her head around, she ducked to Feneri's other side where the colt suckled. Immediately his patterned white reminded her of river and streams, although the clumped markings were something that she hadn't seen much before. "They're so cute," she cooed, watching the colt suckle from a respectful distance. Peering around to look at the filly again, she noticed that even in the night she could see a slight difference in their coats. The colt was a medium gray whereas his sister was near black. The bay mare guessed they would have to wait until morning to see what the twins really looked like.

The colt let out a slight squeal as the filly shoved at him with her nose. They were small enough to pass beneath their mother's belly, and used it to their full advantage. The colt took several steps forward, steadier than earlier, and sticking his head back under Feneri, shoved her back. She let out a squeal of indignation and tried to lash out with a foreleg. The fast motion left her unbalanced, and she toppled into Feneri's hind leg, sliding to the ground. "Oh," Aysoli stared; she had never been around foals much. It probably had something to do with her shyness and her Aydol tattoo. The parents didn't want to chance that it might rub off on their foals.

The filly snorted, and although it took several tries, got back to her hooves. She glared at her brother, and then started to nurse again. The colt started yawning soon after, and then plopped to the ground. After looking at him curiously, the filly yawned, making her unsteady way over to him and going straight under Feneri in the process. Folding her knees, she dropped on top of him, which sent him to squealing. Feneri quickly came over and slid the filly off her brother, and soon they both settled into sleep.

The night passed uneventfully, with the twins only getting up to suckle once. The cat wandered around, but never quite left. Aysoli was glad of the panther's presence. She knew that whatever would want to harm the newborn foals would have to go through him first. And then through their furious mother. Aysoli smiled to herself at the thought. Feneri had been through hell and had come back fighting to keep these foals; she wasn't going to lose them now.

The light of the coming dawn gradually crept up on the unicorns and their black companion. "I know I said this before," Aysoli whispered in the faint light, "But they are so dang cute!" The light was just enough to shadow their forms, and exaggerate the fluffiness of their coats. She grinned at her friend, "Bet you never imagined you'd have twins! Whatcha gonna name them?"

"We should head out the tomorrow or the day after, I'm thinking. Any longer and I don't even want to think about the consequences. That should give them enough time to get strong enough for a slow-paced journey back, you think?" The dawn came with the breaking of the sun over the trees, and it's rays emphasized the thinness of the newborns. "They're so small," she said, almost to herself.

The sharp cry of the eagle brought Aysoli's head around. It glided high above them, a black silhouette against the early morning sky. "What is that eagle's deal?" She muttered to herself, not realizing Feneri could hear her. It worried her, that eagle did, and by the way the cat watched it, it worried him too. She snorted and shook her mane out, trying to relieve the tension she felt.