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[Moxie]

Moxie was trapped inside a dream, a dream that was of her past. It was blurred but she saw the flashes of cold eyes and the roaming hands on her body. She tried to yell out for help but her voice would not come to her. She fought like a mad woman, though it was effortless. He was there on top of her, about to take what he wanted and leave her with nothing. A voice appeared in her dream, one that she knew well, it was soft and deep like the waves of the ocean rousing her from her sleep. The dream dissipated as his voice pierced the veil of sleep. The small Konti mumbled, a slight whimper coming out of her lips. The familiar voice was persistent though and would not be quiet, finally she rolled over and looked at her bond mates face, her eyes still drooped down from being tired, as his face was a bit blurry “What..” her tired voice croaked softly, as she brought her hand to wipe the sleep from her eyes. “Too early..” Moxie said whimpering still rubbing her eyes.

She was not sure what her bond mate wanted, but she had a feeling that it was way too early for waking her up. There was no window in her apartment for her to be sure though, but her body screamed for her to go back to sleep. Moxie sat up her groggy mind not processing much other then the fact Beodan had woken her and saved her from her nightmare. She gave a big yawn that ended on a hiccup, as her eyes became wider and her focus less blurred taking in his handsome and loving face with her violet eyes. “What is wrong Danny?” Moxie asked, yawning once again. Her voice was no longer croaking from the lack of sleep, but it was still a bit husky and soft as she asked him what it was he wanted.

Her bond mate replied, telling her something about a Sunset Falls and learning to ride him. She frowned a bit, “What did he mean ride him..” Her sleep addled mind thought, as the words finally sunk in and the meaning he was trying to get across to her. “Oh.. okay then. Let me get ready.” Moxie said, her arms rising into the air to stretch her muscles before she would get out of bed. After she was satisfied she hopped out of bed with out another word, donning her black tights and and light pink tank. She scratched her stark white hair, that held a strange glow from the flickering torch on the wall, then grabbed a brush and proceeded to brush the tangles from her silken locks. After she was done brushing her hair she put on her riding boots she purchased, since riding Beodan was going to have to happen eventually.

Beodan and Moxie had been bond mates for awhile now, and the Konti was still adjusting to it. It felt right and natural, but then there was this lingering emotion of whether or not it was feelings from the bond or her own that she felt every time she saw him. Moxie was unsure about a lot of things dealing with the bond, she knew she cared for him and that she loved him, but she was not sure if it was romantically or just a typical feeling that most bond mate's had. As she finished primping herself, she dismissed the thoughts and turned around to see if Beodan approved of her appearance and clothes, a shy smile on her lips hoping he did indeed like it.

Boxcode by Verena

[Beodan Clathony]

70th of Summer, 515 AV

Beodan had slept lightly all night, his thoughts shifting between dreams and excitement about the little trip he would take with his bondmate, Moxie. The girl in question lay beside him, her back against his chest. His brown eyes blinked in the inky blackness of her room. It seemed like dawn would be in a few hours, though it was impossible to know for sure in the twisting bowels of the castle. He laid there with her, listening to the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed in the deep rhythms of sleep. He smiled. It was quite a perfect sound, so serene and innocent, along with what it represented. He could feel his own desire to head out on their journey fighting with his desire to let her continue to drink in blissful sleep. Chimes later he finally acted. His dulcet voice, slightly hoarse (pun somewhat intended) from sleep, filled the small room, “Moxie? Time to wake… The time to dream is over.”

The Goddess whimpered meekly, causing Dan’s eyes to dance under a veil of darkness, and after a moment resisting reality, rolled over towards him. Her long hair was splayed out around her like a halo, twisting as she moved to face him. In the dim light he could make out her facial features, no doubt aided by his heritage. He planted a kiss on her cute nose as she moaned in protest of waking up at such an ungodly hour. Soon she sat up, rubbing her eyes and letting out a yawn that would make a cat jealous. She blinked and looked into his eyes, finally able to look and see what was in front of her. “What is wrong Danny?” she asked sleepily, though less of a groan than before. “We need to leave for Sunset Falls soon, else we won’t make it by sundown, even with you riding on me!” he replied, his voice starting soft, excitement seeping into his words by the end.

A grin split his face as Moxie just stared at him with an adorable frown on her face. Eventually her mind gained lucidity and she said she would get ready to go. He moved slightly away from her so that she could stretch fully, again making cats cry. She rose, and Dan quickly lit a torch so that she could find her clothing. He patiently watched as she dressed in tights and rosy pink tank top. Her hair flowed around her like a powerfully beautiful, but chaotic waterfall, and she began to tame the strands with a brush. As she put on her boots, he picked up his saddle from where it sat next to the chest against a wall. He had not used it to date, but today was as good a day to start as any! It still gleamed, brand new. He had shown her how it attached, but he would have to see if she retained the information. He anticipated no trouble.

Finally she turned to him, a hopeful smile on her lips, feelings of vulnerability coming across their link. It clicked that she was seeking his opinion. He smiled at her, and said happily, “You look stunning! Your beautiful eyes really stand out with that color of shirt.” He was quickly moulding his speech to what pleased her the most, thanks to the emotional feedback he got paired with every conversation they had. He helped her gather the supplies they would need into their two packs, the pair working in perfect tandem.

Hefting the saddle onto his shoulder and keeping it up with one arm, Beodan took her hand and led her out of the apartment, bursting to head on their way. He looked at her with warm, chocolaty eyes and gave her fair hand a quick squeeze. They walked for some time before reaching the gates of the city, which they passed through without issue. After they had passed the guards, he wordlessly set down the saddle and pack, and stripped down. The night was chased away as a bright glimmer of light flooded out from his body, subsiding after a horse stood a pace away from his bondmate. The Horse Kelvic nickered to her, and licked her face with a giant tongue. He padded the ground next to his saddle, eager to embark on their first journey together.

[Moxie]

Moxie was glad that Beodan approved, although she was not sure why she wanted his approval. In a way she supposed she wanted to make her bondmate happy, in all ways. She gave him a bright smile, happy to hear his words. They worked packing their packs, Moxie also grabbing the picnic basket she had purchased so they could have a picnic together at the falls. Beodan placed the shiny saddle on one shoulder, taking her hand he led her out of the apartment. He was full of excitement and impatience, she could feel these emotions from their bond. Moxie gave a soft giggle at that, as he was so child like in his ways sometimes, it was quite endearing.

The Konti admired his naked body subtly, not making it known to him or at least trying to how she enjoyed the sight. The thought made her blush and she quickly turned her head as bright light swelled out, chasing away some of the imposing darkness. His beautiful chestnut brown horse form stood before her, she stroked him gently, scrunching her nose as he licked her. Padding the ground next to the saddle she softly rolled her eyes, "Okay, Okay.. Hold your.. Horses.." She snickered at her cheesy pun as she lifted the saddle. It was heavier then it looked as she slowly placed it on Beodan's back. She nodded her head, tilting it to the side to think for a moment. Then she remembered and buckled it down tightly, not too tight to hurt Beodan, just tight enough so it would not slip and she fell.

Moxie placed the handles up on the picnic basket, gesturing at it to the horse, "You carry in your mouth. I carry the packs." Moxie explained with a smile, hefting both packs on her shoulders, then placing her small foot in the stirrup. Reaching up she grabbed a hold of the saddle, using her leg she lifted up pulling slightly with her hand. She did not glide up gracefully like she had seen most riders do, instead she fumbled, almost fell, and ended up on her stomach on the saddle. Moxie huffed and wiggled slightly, rotating her body gently and slowly, until her face was buried in Beodan's mane, her other leg dropping down. She straddled the saddle, sneezing softly as his mane had tickled her nose slightly. She inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, the feeling of excitement and worry coursing through her as she grabbed one hand of his mane and the other hand on the saddle, "Okay Danny.. I ready when you are." She announced breathlessly, mounting a horse was more difficult then she expected it to be. Now she sent silent prayers that she would not slip and fall off of the saddle, hoping that Beodan would not go too fast at first with his impatience and excitement.




.

Boxcode by Verena

[Beodan Clathony]

Beodan snorted at her pun, that one in particular he encountered often. Moxie placed the saddle onto his back with a huff, and fastened the straps around his torso. He shook a bit, to see if it would stay in place. It was snug but not constricting, great for riding. He took up the basket in his mouth and brought his head back up to full height, it dangling off of him. It made for an odd sight indeed. He felt his center of balance shift as her weight was added to his left side, her foot in the stirrup. He laughed in the back of his mind as she awkwardly clambered up to sit in the saddle, her body flush with the leather. He was centered again when she swung her leg over to the other side. The petite girl was now in the proper position to begin, her weight noticeable but not that heavy on his back.

The Horse Kelvic’s ears perked up as she suddenly sneezed behind him, her fingers now twisted into his darker mane. “Okay Danny.. I ready when you are,” Moxie voiced softly, her slightly broken common still endearing to Dan. Needing no further prompting, the horse and his rider set off South, away from the city. He started with a four beat walk, and would pick up the pace if she seemed comfortable enough for that. There were no reins for her to hold, he knew where he was going, and she was simply ask him to take her somewhere if she needed it. This would be quite a long trip, so they would stop every so often to stretch and answer the call of nature. He felt her resisting his movements, stiffly straddling him. She needed to relax. As she was now she would be bumping up and down with every step. He sent soothing emotions to her, hoping she would loosen up a bit, to become one with him.

The soon reached the for in the road, and Beodan veered towards the middle path that headed East to cross the Avitar River. Hooves stamped a steady beat into the road, the scenery slowly becoming more and more wooded. He loved having her ride him. Just to have her solely dependent on him to move for her, there was something very intimate about that. To feel her small frame on his, moving as he did, until you could hardly tell the difference between them. She was not too bad of a rider for her first time, and she seemed to be adjusting to the pulsing movements quite readily. He wondered how it felt to ride a horse. While something he knew how to do, being a horse, he had not actually ridden one. A horse riding a horse! The thought amused him, what a preposterous idea. Why would he need a horse if he was one? He would not want one of those slave horses anyway, the poor things. Locked up in a box all day, never getting to go where you want. It saddened him.

[Moxie]

She was not used to riding a horse, it was still something new for her. She sat stiffly in the saddle, feeling every bump and motion as he trotted along. It was an awkward feeling and one she had not yet became accustomed to. Her body became more rigid as they went along, until a soothing emotion flooded her senses and she relaxed a bit. Moxie tried to match his movements with her own, keeping her body more relaxed as the pace quickened. This seemed to work out better and she was relieved. So with that knowledge she continued to match his movements, becoming more fluid and one with the horse underneath her.

Beodan seemed to know where they were going so she did no question him. She wondered when he had went to Sunset Falls and with who, a bit curious to know this information. She stayed quiet though, concentrating on riding him so she did not fall. Moxie knew she had to be more confident in order to ride more successfully, it was just awkward to have a huge beast under you, but focusing on being one with Beodan made things much easier as the scenery around them became more wooded. A feeling of sadness came to her from her bondmate, and she reached down stroking his silken neck, sending love his way so he would not be sad. She could not communicate with him in his horse form, so they had to rely on gestures and emotions through their bond to do so.

The woods became more thick and they had been traveling for a few hours. Moxie was a little tired, her inner thighs ached slightly, and she was ready to stretch out. She patted his neck, "Let stop for a moment. My legs hurt I need to stretch them." Moxie told Beodan as he came to a stop she dismounted rather clumsily. She was not graceful with getting up and down yet, so as she came down she fumbled and fell on her rear, her hair falling in front of her face, she let out an exhale to blow it from her face. Getting back up to her feet she walked a little like a duck would, waddling to stretch her legs out and to rid them of the soreness that had developed from the already long ride. She wondered how much further this place was as she walked around. Stopping to stretch her arms in the air to elongate her body, to stretch all her muscles and try and limber up the more tight ones.

She turned to Beodan with a smile, "Still not use to that." She said talking about riding him, she gave a small yawn and wiped her eyes, a little tired still from being woke up, but the ride was slowly jarring her awake and making her a bit more lively. She sat down in the grass, stretching her legs before her, and leaning back on her hands behind her. It was a relaxing position as she leaned her head back, letting her stark white hair dangling behind her brushing the grass beneath her, soaking up the morning sun rays into her skin.

Boxcode by Verena

[Beodan Clathony]

After who knows how long, Beodan felt a pat on his neck, and his bondmate spoke, “Let stop for a moment. My legs hurt I need to stretch them.” Feeling her restlessness, he stopped on the left side of the road, trees very nearby. He bent his knees so she did not have to fall her whole body height to get down. Even with the slight handicap, Moxie stumbled onto her derrière. Beodan’s tail twitched in sympathy, the road was very hard. More suited for shoes and hooves than anything else. He ambled over to face her to she if she needed help, but she was already climbing to her feet. She stood with her legs spread apart wider than normal, and began to walk in a weird shuffling movement that he had not seen before. His ears flopped in amusement and he would have laughed if he were able.

They had made good time on the road, the sun was just barely half noon and they had already traveled most of the way to the river. At this rate they would be at the falls in time for the sunset just perfectly. Beodan went off the side of the road graze while Moxie was taking a break. His great head bent and the first clump of grass was consumed. Not very nutritious, it was very mature, but it would do. “Still not used to that,” his bondmate said suddenly, causing him to look up at her, a freshly cut piece of grass hanging from his teeth. He swallowed and clopped over to her, pressing his nose into her torso. Soon, she sat down in the grass, her hair flowing all around her, its gently curling lengths like a silken dress. She seemed to glow in the sun, a goddess come to earth. He was content to be at peace with her. In silence.

After a few chimes, Beodan was mounted and he set of East once more. It was truly forested now, and you could not see the fields any longer, they dipped out of their line of sight. Moxie could have if she stood on his back, but maybe that was best left for another time. Time was one thing they had plenty of, he would never be without her. The sun was almost at it’s peak when he veered off of the road and began to follow the river as his guide, staying about a stone’s throw from the bank. The calm water moved just about the same speed as he did, though in the opposite direction. Or so it appeared. In either case it’s gurgling flow merged with the music of the forest. They were passing tons of useful plants, and Dan itched to collect them. But now was not the time. That did not stop him from turning his head to face them though as his hooves stepped around them.

[Moxie]

The break that they took was relaxing, it helped the bunched up muscles to loosen. Though she was still not used to the riding and once again they had been riding for a few hours, her legs and inner thighs were screaming. She gave a sigh, "Perhaps.. Walking for a bit would be better." Moxie thought to herself, as her muscles screamed in agreement. She patted Beodan's neck once again, as they passed some lovely looking herbs. "I need to walk." Moxie told her bondmate in a soft voice. Her legs were ready to be stretched out once again, though she was getting better with matching his movements it still did not help that she was not the best at riding a horse and her muscles were not used to it.

She clambered off the Beodan, at least this time she did not fall completely, but it was still a clumsy dismount. She stretched herself out once again and walked over to the herbs she had noticed Beodan look at earlier. Squatting down made her muscles protest, so she went to her knees instead and softly touched the herb. Moxie was not sure what it was exactly, so she turned to Beodan, "Do you know... What this is?" She asked Beodan in horse form awaiting for him to transform into his human form. She had brought some food to restore his energy levels for the shifting, at least she hoped she brought enough food for the Kelvic.

Moxie observed her surroundings better, noticing that the woods were thicker and there was a few different herbs sporadically on the ground. The gurgling river they had been following flowed melodically, the scent of earth and plants filled her nostrils. It was a lovely scent that she enjoyed quite well, the dirt under her knees were a bit moist from being so close to the river. She wondered what type of herbs would enjoy moist forest areas, then looked out in the woods where it was not so moist, seeing a few herbs there also. She wanted to learn more about herbs if possible, since Beodan was a Herbalist perhaps he could teach her a few things to help her with becoming a veterinarian one day.



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Boxcode by Verena

[Beodan Clathony]

Beodan sniffed his agreement, and slowed to a stop among the trees. He let her dismount, kneeling down again to ease her jump. When she was standing a few feet away, he shifted in a bright flash of light, the now loose saddle his only clothing. He shrugged out of it, and let it fall to the ground at his feet. He stretched his neck side to side, his eyes squinted, and went over to where Moxie had knelt on the ground. He squatted just behind her, his head peeking over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. It was a plant about an arm high, with a light yellow stock and small, goldish flowers at the top.

The Fledgling Herbalist took a bright green leaf in his hand, scooting closer to the herb to get a closer look. He flipped the leaf over, and ran his first two fingers over the short white hair that grew on the bottom. That left no doubt, so he answered her long hanging question, “It is Midwife Miracle. It probably has another name, but I do not know it. It is actually quite amazing. No matter how you give it to someone, in tea, macerated, even just chewing it, it helps ease the ailments of pregnancy. It really is quite a plant.” He scratched his chin, then plucked a single golden petal. He brought it to her nose, “Smell. Good right? Well at least I think so. You can smell a patch of them from across the forest practically! And they grow everywhere, which makes it very practical to use,” he finished, gushing in a breath. He could get a bit passionate about plants.

Dan looked around as she did, his attention eager to follow hers, to be interested in what she was. She was enjoying the forest’s beauty, something he could relate to. He doubted it would ever cease to amaze him. Every single walk he went on he found something new, maybe a tree he had not seen before, or a flower that had just bloomed out of nowhere. He took a deep breath and released the pent up air in the form of a contented sigh. He shuffled closer to his bondmate and rested his chin on her shoulder,the side of his head leaning to touch hers.

[Moxie]

Beodan explained the that the herb was called midwife and helped with pregnancy ailments. She observed the flowering herb, noticing the goldish flowers on top that were actually quite lovely. Beodan had mentioned that it could be made into a tea, macerated, or even chewed to heal ailments of pregnancy. She found this information fascinating taken it all in.

He plucked a petal from the golden flower, bringing it to her nose she sniffed it. It had an aromatic scent that made her sigh in delight. Bedoan said you could smell a patch of them from across the forest, she gave a chuckle and nodded her head. Now that she knew what it smelled like and what it looked like as well, she supposed she would be able to identify it.

Her bondmate came closer, resting his chin on her shoulder placing his head against hers. She was unsure still of the feelings and emotions coursing through her, but she smiled as she stood up pointing over at another plant. It was a short plant, with wrinkled leaves. A green leafless stem was adorned with a yellow blossom that had a strikingly red center. She walked closer, feeling the underside of the wrinkled leaves noting that it was like velvet. "This is Connal right?" Moxie asked looking over her shoulder at Beodan in a short pause, "Uhmm.. I think.. flowers and roots... dried.. helps with aching joints and wounds while in a hot bath? The tea helps sleep?" She stated the facts in a question form, she was pretty sure she was right but sought out the reassruance of her bondmate to see if he knew of the Connal and could confirm her questions.

Moxie supposed her tactics could of been taken as avoiding the topic at hand, feelings and emotions, but she was not ready to discuss such things. Instead she just wanted to enjoy his company, as she sought out these things by herself. She did care about her bondmate and she loved him as well. Though she was not sure if it was romantically or something else that coursed through her when he was near her, when he looked at her, spoke her name, or even touched her. It all sent different emotions and feelings through her that she could not yet comprehend. Moxie dismissed the thoughts, as she wanted to hear Beodan's reply on what he thought about the plant.

Boxcode by Verena

[Beodan Clathony]

The Kelvic’s gaze followed his bondmate’s finger and came to rest on a mature Connal plant, leaves like dirty laundry left on the floor. The yellow flower with a pool of blood in the center, though it only looked like it, was a giveaway. He had a lot of this growing around his tent, and had the roots and flowers dried in jars sitting on his shelf. “Yeah, good eye!” he praised, touching her arm, “I like the tea myself, but it is a bit too bitter for some. Though adding a little honey never hurt anything!” He chuckled at his own mild humor, just using an expression for the sake of it. It was a common herb, but he was still proud that she had spotted it in the thick of the forest. That she knew it could be made into tea as well as a bath was extra, that fact was less well known.

He wished he had brought all of his tools, though that would be impossible without a better form of storage. He retrieved a harvesting knife from his bag, brought it over to the Connal. He inserted it into the flower at the thirty degree angle where the petals met the stem. Biting his lip he slowly cut around the flower, severing its connections to the plant. He was careful not to bite into the stem, but ended up scraping it once or twice. It would regrow. Dan did not want to be burdened with the entire plant for the rest of their trip, and as such did not harvest the roots as well, just the flower would do. He placed it and the knife back inside his pack.


Dan came back to Moxie, a sly grin on his face. He tapped her on the shoulder with an open palm and raced away, whooping, “Tag! Your it!” Just after the words echoed into the air, he shifted and continued to jog through the trees as a horse. He was feeling especially playful, and maybe this game would break up the monotony of riding while also giving his bondmate’s legs a chance to exert themselves.