Training on the plains (Jalen, Open)

[Bolden Denusk]

His expression softened as he watched her choke back tears, continuing to speak through them anyway. Bolden put a comforting arm around her, knowing that sometimes just a simple touch is enough to help someone through the first bitter tears of fresh grief.

"No one likes the Zith little mare. No one."

He smoothed back the hair from her face, allowing her to feel what she needed to. Inside, he cried with her, feeling anew the racking emptiness of losing your loved ones.

"It never goes away completely but eventually it scars over and you carry it inside til your last breath. I can't say it gets easier, but it does become such a part of you that it turns into a companion."

Bolden took out rag and wet it with the water skin. Tenderly he wiped the tears from Jalen's eyes, refusing to shed his own.

"When my mother died, my father said, 'Death would only be a tragedy if it didn't happen to everyone.' I know nothing will erase it, but let the memories heal to a scar so it can later protect you from the worst of the pain you feel right now."

He brushed back the hair from her forehead, rested his chin on her hair and let her cry as she needed to.

Bolden's words were soft as the breeze through the makeshift shelter.

"Don't run from grief as I did, or it will haunt you instead of heal you."

[Jalen Cleardawn]

Bolden's touch startled Jalen only slightly, and she took solace in his comforting embrace. His touch was simple but spoke a story all of it's own. With his words came a soft blanket of confidence. 

As he brushed her hair from her face, she closed her eyes and allowed her exhausted body to rest gently against his.

"I fail to understand how any one creature can express such malice. What gods or goddesses would create such an evil race, Bolden? The violence, the hate, the bloodlust. Such cruelty. I would never search to belittle someone - anyone - by taking their everything."

She let his words sink in, trying to let his meaning fill her every pore. He was right, she knew inside he was. Things would eventually smooth over. The gashes in her aching heart, soul, and mind would eventually heal into the scars he spoke of. And as she attempted to do so, a piece of her own heart (of what she felt was left of it) went out to this man, Bolden. He, too, had lost his own mother.

She imagined her a selfless, giving woman, as Bolden was proving himself to be. She pondered his secrets, his ambitions, his talents. Was there anything about this Bolden that she would find she didn't admire? She doubted it.

Jalen leaned more firmly against him in a desperate attempt to cling to the single standing act of kindness she had been shown in the past few weeks. Her tears began to dry up, and her sniffles subsided. Several moments of tender silence passed as she rested against him. Her eyes felt like lead weights, too heavy to even consider opening.

"Bolden, you're a kind man. Your Pavillion is as proud of you as your Strider, I'm sure." Her words betrayed her body's exhaustion. She struggled to remain awake, but sleep continued dragging her down into it's depths with each passing moment.

She extended her legs to stir her consciousness, and said, "I promise I'm not usually this big of a baby."

[Bolden Denusk]

It was a good thing Jalen chose to slip into sleep at that moment, because after that comment, his face contorted to an ugly mix of anger and shame.

'Proud of ME?! Proud of Vanator the great, more like it. I'm the horse manure left over.' Bolden thought for the millionth time of his young life. He quelled his temper, suddenly very conscious of the delicate beauty falling asleep on him with such peaceful faith in a stranger--himself.

Stunned and flattered into immobility by her complete trust, he was left to sit and think, trying not to disturb her much needed rest. His hands couldn't stay away from her waterfall of long thick hair and he combed through it gently with an idle hand.

'Women flirt, smile, toy with and tease so I give it back. Not with this one though. Just pure honesty, integrity and bravery. Similar to my sister Kavala.'

This little mare made no coy posturing, tantrums or fake tears for attention by the dozens of women he'd played with before. Bolden had enjoyed the game since he was eleven years old. The give and take of witty banter that he'd easily danced to for the last eight years of his life was merely habit now.

'Jalen isn't like that. She's..genuine.' the young Denusk thought with wonder.

Bold checked the horses with a glance, making sure the mare was getting a chance to eat after her heroic acts. He kept his body still, but reached up to make sure the shelter covered Jalen's long legs.

'Mhmm nice legs...' His gaze lingered over her long shapely legs.

[Jalen Cleardawn]

Had Jalen been awake to witness the contorting of Bolden's face she would have surely laughed. She would have asked him, "Why the face?" A silly face, she would have informed him, for in her eyes, he was a loving person to comfort even a stranger. He was lively, even, it seemed.

As her mind eased into state of peace somewhere between consciousness and sleep, she swam in a jumble of memory and thought. This Bolden had reminded her of a man she had very much admired in the neighboring Pavillion. His phantom appearance floated in and out of the flames that framed her inner vision.

Somewhere inside she flinched at his presence, but he caressed her thoughts only lightly before disappearing again.

A flash of blue and a soft breeze. Her eyes opened, and she was back with Bolden. Or was she?

A legless Lily cruised by on the wind before them. Her mane grew with her every limbless gallop, evaporating into the sky as she went. Nightwind wasn't far behind her, and as soon ad they had come, they had gone. Again they reappeared, racing one another. They took off towards the sky, vanishing into the blue.

Tendrils of grass began to float up with them, like hairs being shed from a great dog. The earth shook, and she closed her eyes again, viewing only blackness once more.

The moving pictures ceased, but thoughts resurfaced. Bolden, the selfless wonder who had ridden to her side. Was he still there?

Jalen stirred herself from her slumber. She pulled only slightly away from Bolden, just enough to stretch her limbs. A rosy hue flushed across her cheeks and forehead.

She gripped his wrist and asked, "Oh, how long have I been asleep? How rude, I apologize."

[Bolden Denusk]

'Instant good manners on her. Another great quality.' he thought.

Bolden noticed her slight pulling away as her tiny hand grabbed his wrist. He gently smiled and answered soothingly,

"You've barely slept a bell, little mare. No worries now, you're safe. Did you have a good nap? I think you needed it. Now you've got some color back in you. Lily looks happy too, with Nightwind shading her with his body and flicking the flies from her while she grazes."

He had a feeling she'd show concern for her mare as soon as she was more awake. Jalen was just that kind of rider. One that he'd started to admire.

[Jalen Cleardawn]

Jalen smiled for the first time as she looked out at Lily. She was grazing, as Bolden had said, with Nightwind standing near her protectively. Not a fly dared trespass onto her hide as she ate her fill. Occasionally she lifted her head in Jalen's direction, fixated and alert.

"I feel as though I have slept for hours. Thank you for asking, I feel," She chose her words carefully. "I feel a bit rested, yes. Crying makes my eyes swell unrealistically! It takes a lot out of me. I feel awful, though! I shouldn't have just fallen asleep. That's no way to thank someone who has donated his time to me."

After a moments pause, she stood and crossed the meadow, willing Lily to her side. As she approached, she placed her hand on Lily's forehead, and rested her cheek against her muzzle. She breathed in the scent of her mare as she closed her eyes.

As Nightwind drew to Lily's side, Jalen looked into his dark eyes. She longed to thank him for his chivalric service. Before she reached out to stroke his head, she called to Bolden, "Would you mind...?"

[Bolden Denusk]

"I couldn't possibly ask for a better thank you than the trust you showed. You had faith enough in me to sleep in my presence. Thank you little mare."

Bolden laughed and shrugged off the compliment to himself. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me, if not more so."

The young Denusk rose quietly and stood watching them. They made an exquisite picture against the sky; noble Strider mare and her lovely rider, both natural in their beauty and grace.

"Yes you may. We would be honored, Jalen."

He walked forward, caught for the millionth time by the peaceful sight of two Striders near each other. This moment was different though. It felt...right. Mare and stallion, light and dark. Lily so fair with her ivory coat and dark mane, standing next to his pride and joy. The enormous dark chocolate stallion with the light mane.

"Complete balance. Look at them. They represent the opposite and best in each other..."

His amber eyes drifted toward Jalen, watching her gentle and kind touch with Nightwind.

Another brick crumbled from his wall.

[Jalen Cleardawn]

Jalen reached up slowly to caress Nightwind's forehead. She placed both hands on either side of his long cheeks, and rested her forehead to his nose.

She whispered, "Thank you, valiant Strider, for your amiable service to Lily and I. You're quite the handsome stallion! Such a wondrous site to see you race across these plains to our aid."

She gave him a pat on the neck before turning back to Bolden.

"Your bond with him is a strong one. It radiates. Lily is glowing - " At this, Lily snorted and flicked her tail, pacing a couple steps back wards. "Well, you are, Lily! Don't you dare try and deny it, silly Strider. These gentleman are selfless and caring. You should be honored!"

Lily nickered lightly, and patted the ground with a hoof before pretending to survey something off in the distance. Jalen sniffled, clearing her airways before speaking again.

"Forgive her. She doesn't like it when I call her out. Especially in present company." The smallest, shortest hint of a laugh escaped her before she turned to survey them once more. Bolden had been very observant. Indeed, light mare and dark stallion, inversions of each other.

They represent the opposite and best in each other...

She turned and crossed back to Bolden to stand near him quietly. By his side, she gazed out over the plains, beholding the site of the two Striders. Something cooled the atmosphere around them, and it caught Jalen's attention. She crossed her arms across her chest, caught up in the strange feeling that washed over her. It left a fluttering in her chest, like wisps of air when birds zoomed by. Her brow creased in contemplation as she chanced a quick look up at Bolden.

Like his stallion, he held a handsome nature. She traced the curls of his dark hair with her eyes. Eyes, his eyes, they were an unusual shade of amber. A curious shadow crossed his face.

But what was it?

[Bolden Denusk]

Bolden looked down at the woman by his side and smiled with pride.

"Yea Nightwind is amazing isn't he? He'd burst his heart for me without my asking. It's a Strider thing. She -is- glowing! Your Lily is just lovely and everything a Strider mare should be. Devoted, intelligent, sensitive, beautiful conformation and incredible coloring--she's delicate yet strong. Like Strider, like rider..."

His old injury started to ache and he knew he'd have to find a healer soon. He shrugged it off and walked over to Nightwind to lean his back on him and ease the pain of a past wound. The stallion was ever familiar with it and lent the strength of his shoulder to Bolden in unconscious support of each other.

The young Denusk leaned his arms across his chest, casually resting his weight against the enormous animal. He smiled at Jalen, his eyes deepening to the color of wild honey.

"There's nothing to forgive. All that Striders do is natural for them. Her behavior is very becoming in a mare."

The young man watched Jalen closely as he spoke and Bold didn't realize the double meaning in his last sentence until he said it. His words hung on the breeze for a while until the echo faded softly on the waving sea grass.

'What is wrong with me? I need to lighten up, but there's just something about her.'

[Jalen Cleardawn]

Jalen's face heated with a light blush as she watched Bolden. His voice reverberated in the corners of her mind. The flames of sorrow died a little with his every optimistic word. How peculiar to have just met a man who already wanted her happy and easy-going self back, a side he had yet to even see. She wondered if he was reading her through Lily's demeanor. 

Like Strider, like rider...

She glanced at Lily. What had she confided in Nightwind? What had he confided in her?

Jalen questioned her unconscious trust in Bolden. Something about him just made her feel comfortable. It made her want to heal even faster. A hunger to know more about Bolden unsettled her mind. But how long had she been in his company? Minutes? Maybe an hour or so? She couldn't know for certain.

What she did know was that she admired him. She wanted to sate her hungry questions with answers, with discoveries of who he was as a person.

The aching in her heart flared high. Who else had she desired to donate her full attention to? The answer was, no one. Jalen was a woman who did not shy easily from others. She loved her people, and others in general, always showing her concern and interest in them. But never had she felt the need to know every little secret about a single person.

Bolden had shown her immeasurable kindness. She wanted to know what sort of a person he was deeper down. If her cared this much about a stranger, he must certainly house a powerful love for those close to him. And what a bond he had with Nightwind! She doubted anyone came between them. His love for his Strider soared above and beyond his own needs, it appeared, and vice versa.

What woman wouldn't give to be the center of his attention?