[Blessing] Oceanborn [Sleek/The Killing Moon]

All in character interactions and roleplays.
Post Reply
User avatar
Ruriska
Legendary
Legendary
Pebbles: 4,183.92 Pebbles
Posts: 2758
Joined: Thu May 23, 2019 9:07 am

Forum

[Blessing] Oceanborn [Sleek/The Killing Moon]

Post by Ruriska »

Image Image
The ocean at night was a marvelous place, when the world was still and quiet and the sky untouched by clouds. It was hard to say where the water began and ended, as it blended into the night and reflected the stars. Sleek was happiest here, on the cool sand, her legs tucked neatly, staring into the rolling abyss of night. She’d left the seaside for a time, to raise her children in the heart of the swamp.

As beautiful as it was out here, at the end of the world, it was still harsh. She hadn’t wanted her children to suffer, to feel the hunger in their bellies, to quiver in the biting wind that blew across the sea or fear the powerful storms that rolled in and attacked without the buffer of protective trees and mangroves.

So she had raised them in the swamp, where there was food and water and company aplenty, and once they had grown and started their own lives, she had returned to the ocean. If they were anything like her, they would eventually find their way here too.

But now she had a new dilemma.

A new buck she’d met along the way, a brief dalliance that left her with another decision. She’d only just returned to the ocean and now her belly was swelling once more. Would her time here be so short? Should she once again return to the swamp? It was only fair they were given the same chances as her first clutch.

She thought of the buck. It seemed her type was those who reminded her of the ocean swells, gentle waves and the rush of water. She’d been drawn to him instantly.

As Sleek stared out into the starry night, she wondered if it would truly be bad to raise them here. It was harsh, yes. But it could be done. They could survive, flourish. And if not, they could always leave. A long trek for a foal but they would learn so much, experience so much more.

And that way she could give birth on the sand, among the cliff rocks, high above the tide, caressed by the salt spray and sea wind.

“The long trek was worth the view.”

The voice was soft and masculine, hardly shocking but it arrived so suddenly into her world of sighing seas that she startled. Her ears flickered back and she stiffened, nostrils flaring. It took her a moment to regain control and not go hurtling down to the waterside.

When she tilted her head up to see the new arrival, there was a stag.

He stood above her, blue eyes aglow, bright in the night. Even bathed only in moonlight, she could see the red and orange of his hair and coat, how perfectly white the rest of him was. And the barely formed figure of a wolf, his shadow, head tilted at the exact same angle, watching her.

Sleek felt suddenly awkward, tongue-tied.

“What are you thinking about?” He asked her.

The question released her, long enough to reply, “my children.”

“Oh?”

“I... wonder... if they should be born here, at the ends of the land. It’s so harsh and unyielding for a foal and I,” she trailed off, uncertain why she would instantly spill her thoughts to someone who had just appeared before her like magic.

Well, he was magic. She presumed.

“Everywhere has its challenges. Deep in the swamp, the caimans lurk and wolves hunt. The earth itself can suck you down if you’re not careful. There is always something to devour the unwary and weak.” There was a certain glint in his eyes, there and gone again - predatory. “Whether here or there.”

He was right.

“And there are ways to give them an extra chance, not just your watchful eyes but a blessing for the hardiness to endure the changing tides and howling winds. May they grow strong like the crab and swift like the fish. May the sand always cradle them and the salt spray welcome them.”

His voice, so deep and melodious, a prayer.

And she felt certain then, with his assurance warm in her heart, that this was where they were meant to be.
word count: 710
Post Reply