Ja'alek
Crowning a small hill, as a banner might mark one tower to stand above the next, a regal tree rises with outstretched arms to shower shade atop its stage's flowered carpet. Strange, this tree, for it is the only one in sight; though the ground is undoubtedly fertile, no other plant rises higher than your waist. You can only surmise that this land is special, somehow; why else would it be so blatantly different?
You squint about yourself in fruitless search of answer... Fruitless because no thing other than the one tree sparks any curiosity whatsoever. Or, perhaps, the only other that does is the nothing that surrounds the place so thickly: the lack of conspicuous matter altogether. It seems that nothing here was made to stand out. Except the tree.
...And if whomever - or whatever - constructed this area thought to make one head for the tree, why not humor them? If they planned for one to stumble across the meadow at all, that is, being that the trail leading here had been almost not all there itself. Only by the smallest chance had you stumbled across it. Hopefully, however, your keen eye would be rewarded... Surely something of interest must inhabit this place!
Directing your thoughts back to where they are needed, you begin your small journey uphill, pushing your way up the slope with a small frown; you never had liked uphill, come to think of it. So far as you can tell, however, the closer you get to the tree, the more nondescript it seems. You eye it warily, remembering that long-ago lesson that "looks can be deceiving". Long ago, maybe, but seldom failing in its truth.
Ah, there! Keen eye serves you once again! For the record, anyway. Maybe a bit of credit could go to the idea that the tiny thing had chosen to be seen... maybe. If... Well, a matter for a later hour, at any rate; for now, the creature peering from amidst some flowers interests you more than your own perceptive skills.
As well the creature might. Upon closer inspection, it seems not to think you've noticed it; it must be used to being overlooked. However, searching as you were for anything of interest at all, this creature could hardly have been overlooked. Little larger than your thumb, it is not amidst the flowers as you once thought, but atop a rather large one, and eyeing you as if it knows it has brought the giant upon itself.
You crouch slowly, not wanting it to think you possessing malicious intent. However, when you outstretch a hand - why, you're not quite sure; it just seems natural - the creature slips off its bright petals and into the obscuring grass.
Suddenly, you become frantic and eager to regain the potential of interaction with the creature. "Wait!" you whisper desperately. "Come back, don't be scared..." Anxiously, you pat a hand gently through the grass. If you'd thought, maybe you would have realized that wasn't the best way to making friends - squishing the poor thing - but you weren't thinking.
A moment's pause ensues before a slightly indignant, heated, and decidedly male voice floats... not through the air, but... into your head. Cool! These things could mindspeak. You stop so as to better listen; it's a new thing for you, interpreting foreign words in your own mind.
~Afraid!~ The thought appears with piercing abruptness. ~Just because I'm small doesn't mean you scare me.~ A defiant head peeks out of the grass from where the creature is leaning its hooves on a sturdy stem.
A sigh of relief is your immediate reply, ensued by another pause as you think his words over. "Sorry... No, it doesn't; it's just sort of a... habit to say that. I probably would have even to a horse. Err, a larger being," you say then, still speaking softly so as not to unduly blast his ears. You kneel so as to see him better, and you think you see him trying to withstand the urge to recoil. You hastily give him some room, but squint to make up for the lost distance. "What... are you?"
~He's a Ja'alek!~ Blinking in surprise, you jerk your head about to meet another equine's gaze, this one yellow and of a playful nature, by the expression on his face. ~We're all Ja'alek. He's Tpin, and I'm Hidah... We're the Covey of Hidden Heights. Well, Tpin isn't, but we are.~ He ducks back into the grass to push up another head, this one red, that giggles and tries to duck away. ~That's Secrea.~ You hear a small commotion as the red Ja'alek sucessfully disappears, and Hidah follows. You're suddenly very conscious of what's under your feet.
Your eyes settle back on Tpin with a worried glint in them. "Are there more of you? I don't want to... to like, step on you." You chew your lip as you carefully replace a foot.
Wryly, Tpin responds. ~Well, I suppose we should just all come out, then, to ease your fears. It might take a moment; they're a shy bunch.~ You get the impression he's speaking for your mind alone. An assumption probably ocrrect, for he looks to be speaking again, though this time you cannot hear him.
A moment later, a softer - yet almost more confident - voice drifts delicately through your head, though this one is not accompanied by a head. ~We'll come out,~ it says, ~just give us a moment. And don't move.~
You adhere to the command, keeping your balance carefully until you see six heads pop up, near the tree. They come in pairs, one of which you recognize as Hidah and Secrea. The blue one, standing toward the front, looks to be the one who spoke before, and she eyes you speculatively. An orange-spotted one stands by, occasionally looking her over with worry in his eye, though she looks quite able to take care of herself. Another pair, looking doubtful of the wisdom in associating with you, stands behind. A moment later, Tpin trots over to join the orange-spotted one, who glances at him companionably.
~I'm Royue,~ the blue female says with a greeting nod, before nodding to the others and introducing them - some again - as Secrea, Hidah, Spoct, Tpin, Jreni, and Pinter. Overall, they're quite a colorful bunch. ~We're the resident Covey. And Tpin. He's actually a member of another realm's Covey. Do you have business here?~
You grin at your fortune in meeting these creatures, and shake your head. "Nope; I'm just here for fun. I saw the tree and came to see it; it looked sort of... special, standing here all alone."
Suddenly, the green Ja'alek in the back grins and steps forward slightly, for the moment forgetting the shy appearance she'd put on. ~I planted that,~ she says with pleased expression. ~You like it?~
Startled - the sheer difference in size between equine and plant is amazing - you give a hard nod. "I do! It grew really well. Makes the area look great; the shade's nice, too. You did a good job." You look back down to the herd - no, covey - and are startled again to realize that the numbers have decreased by one. It seems that Pinter, the red and white one, has taken his mate's distraction to disappear. Tpin, a small frown on his face, is peering off into the grass and seems to be speaking with the Ja'alek missing in action. When Jreni follows Pinter, Tpin appears to give up and looks back to you with a resigned expression. It is not he who speaks next, however; it's Royue.
~I'm sorry,~ she says. ~They aren't used to... socializing with others than our own kind.~
~None of us are,~ Secrea continues the thought gently before giving a last glance about and entering the grass herself. Hidah watches her go, then gives his own farewell and leaps after her.
~Yes, I"m afraid we don't get many visitors.~ It takes a moment for you to identify Royue's voice again. Her own mate gives an emphatic nod, and communicates exclusively to her. By Tpin's expression, he's more than a little curious as to what's being said, as well.
A moment's thought clouds Royue's face after Spoct is done before she says, ~We'll be going now, too.~ Spoct looks pleased as he and Royue depart, leaving only you and Tpin, who shrugs.
~You can find your way back, I trust,~ Tpin says with an audible sigh. ~Come back in a few weeks! Perhaps by then they'll have their bravado up.~ He snorts. ~Nice meeting you.~
The last Ja'alek trots off as well, leaving you alone with the hill's crown tree.
|
Tpin |
Two Pinks |
Male |
|
|
Dark Waters |
*48m |
Secrea |
Secret Flame |
Female |
Hidah |
|
Wild |
*64f |
Hidah |
Hidden Day |
Male |
Secrea |
|
Wild |
*67m |
Royue |
Royal Blue |
Female |
Spoct |
|
Wild |
*62f |
Spoct |
Spotted Jack |
Male |
Royue |
|
Wild |
*63m |
Jreni |
Joyful Green |
Female |
Pinter |
|
Wild |
*65f |
Pinter |
Pintoed Mystery |
Male |
Jreni |
|
Wild |
*66m |
Corsag� Meadows
Created: August 15, 2004
Last Updated: November 6, 2004
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