A peaceful day...or is it? ~Arzu!~

[RacingBelle]

I looked around suspiciously and sensing nobody, taking off my shoes first, I shifted and smelled the air and listened for the abnormal. Nothing. Absolute quiet. Well except for the birds and the river..but everything else was quiet. I couldn't help but let a soft nicker escape from my mouth. The river glistened and sparkled in the soft morning sunlight and gurgled and babbled, enticing me to jump in and play. I tossed my head, nodding it a few times, still listening to the amazing peaceful silence. I stretched out my neck, as if some invisible force was holding me back. Then I squealed, not too loudly, and galloped into the shining river. Quicksilver was the perfect name for this river, for it really did look like molten silver running quickly into a mold. My strides slowed as I hit the water rushing to get to the deep side, the coldness shocking me at first then fading away. Finally I could no longer feel the sandy bottom and whinnied with joy. I had not had a good swim as a horse in so long that this felt like heaven. Not only was swimming fun, it made me fitter. I could exercise and have fun at the same time! I made a few circles, gliding effortlessly through the water as if I was running on land. I went with the current and then against it. I waded to where I was only chest high and splashed and reared. This was just so much fun! Walking through the water I drank before dashing off again to swim. I ducked my head underwater and opened my eyes, seeing a few shiny fish before breaking through the surface blinking water out of my eyes and blowing water out of my nose, gasping for air. I repeated the process, wandering upriver as I did. I splashed my way to knee high water, just to catch my breath. Before long I knew that I would be back in the middle of the river again, playing and watching the fish. For now I satisfied myself with splashing the water, trying to see how high I could make it. I succeeded in only drenching myself more. Though those crystal water drops caught the sun and this only made me splash more, admiring their beauty. After a little while I tired of that, cocking a hind leg and letting my ears flop. I let the river tug at my legs; feeling the slowly strengthening sunshine dry my back heating up my short fur. Silence is bliss as I always say. This was definitely bliss.

[arzu]

I was perched on a rock, tail lashing from side to side. I was watching the land below me, which included the river. It was beautiful, silent and peaceful. I was enjoying the sun upon my back. My short fur bristled with the slight breeze. It felt amazing, my peaceful thoughts were disturbed by splashing and lots of it. My short ears flicked toward the sound before my eyes flashed open. I saw a horse, I watched her for a bit before the scent whiffed up to me, she was a shifter. My curiosity sparked, wait wasn’t there that saying, curiosity killed the cat? Ya that one, oops well I was just a giant form of a cat. I stood and moved easily down the hill, claws sinking into the soft soil as I stopped hiding myself behind a bush. I continued to watch her and finally when I saw her relax, I wiggled my butt and jumped out, growl slipping through my teeth. I looked at her and wandered down the river, stopping half way to lap at the water while I waited to see what she would do.

[RacingBelle]

I wheeled around to face the bush where I heard a soft growl emerge. Mountain lion! One half of my brain screamed and then the other yelled: Danger! Both were correct or both thought. I was confused so I screamed a challenge to the lion and pounded over to it. I was twenty feet away when I really saw what it was. A white tiger, almost as white as the rapids in Quicksilver. I skidded to a hard stop, water and gritty sand spraying up everywhere. My eyes that were filled with terror, quickly turned to anger. Flat ears and bared teeth, were the universal sign of displeasure and anger for horses. I added that with lots of pawing and half rearing. Shifter. It was a shifter who dared threatened me and now I would return the displeasure. I reared to my full height, towering over the tiger. Submit...or else! I threatened, in my own way of behavior and flashing of my eyes. Just don't ask me what the or else part is... I added silently to myself, making sure that uncertainty didn't show in my body language. It didn't.

[arzu]

She took it the wrong way, I turned around and lowered the front half of my frame in a play bow. Would she get it now? I stood and then sat I didn’t know what else to do to show her that all I was doing was being playful, ha really this would be the time that curiosity killed the cat. I stood and bolted back up the hill and to my rock, I was uneasy and when that happened I became nervous and made bad choices. I jumped off the rock and continued to run, my paws masking my movements, I turned here and there but I never saw the hole until I tripped but I saved myself, I kept running until I couldn’t anymore and I laid down, fighting to catch my breath as my sides heaved, I waited for that horse to find me, hopefully I would be well rested to be able to fight if needed.

[RacingBelle]

I saw the play bow and stopped. She hadn't threatened me, though she should have know better than make a growl like that around a prey animal. I ran after her, though it was more of a slow easy canter. I watched as the tiger disappeared over some tall rocks. I remembered these. It was a great place to lie in the sun and admire the view. She must have come this way and saw me! I quickened myself and spotted a hole. Oh no watch out! I cried silently, more of a warning to myself than the tigress before me. I gathered my legs and gave a little leap. The tiger though, wasn't as lucky and tripped over it. I didn't hurry at all, just going my normal pace. I admired the dappled shadows on my already dappled gray coat as my eyes flicked back as far as they could go to see if anyone was following. I saw the tigress collapse on the ground. I whicker and nuzzled it like a little newborn foal, urging it to get up. I snuffled it for a moment longer and sneezed, the soft white fur tickling my nose. I rolled my eyes and stepped back. Tossing my head I gave a short whinny of persistence. How could this tiger be tired when I was hardly winded? Oh well, I haven't seen her here before so she must be new and out of shape. Yeah. That could work. I shook my soaking mane, water droplets spattering every where and I gave myself a short nod as if pleased with myself. I wonder if she's my age...though it was very unlikely.

[arzu]

I wasn’t out of shape but sweet goodness all this running wasn’t for me. She was right there and nuzzling me! I stood and backed and looked at her she wasn’t threatening. So I relaxed, I disappeared behind a tree and shifted into my twenty three year old self. I came back around in the process of tying my hair up, a few curly pieces fell around my face and I looked to the horse, I was warm. I always wore a dress or something I hated pants. I was barefooted and enjoying it, though I would much rather be in my tiger state. I thought about being a tiger and shifted before her, stretching slightly as I shook. Raising my head to smell the air, I relaxed again. Sitting down, tail waving back and forth behind me, so now what?

[RacingBelle]

I cocked my head as the tiger padded behind a tree and shifted. I sighed. She wasn't my age. Oh well. I swished my own tail, reluctant to give my identity up. I shook my head and started to canter back to the river. I had to get to know someone really well before I gave my identity out. You could call me too careful. I just called it survival. I relaxed to the swinging, rocking horse like gait. It was hard not to. Soon I was back at that gurgling river. I started to play and swim. Now that I knew that the tiger wasn't a threat I could go back to enjoying my day off from excitement. Besides the good kind of course! Rolling, I pushed my back into the now semi-warm water near the edge of the river. Now I knew why horses loved to roll! It just felt so good and it was fun! In a strange way.

[arzu]

I watched her leave and I padded after her slowly, but soon picked up a jog. Tail weaving back and forth, pink tongue rolling out as the sun beat down on my coat. I soon heard the river and picked up a run, I saw the water and saw her playing in it so I moved down and went into the water farther from her thrashing splashing hooves I started to swim against and with the current my strong paws helping me to achieve this, I swam back to shore and shook off and sat down, lunging forward when I saw a fish. I didn’t do anything to it but it was fun! I growled playfully and pounced on it, catching it in my paws I didn’t harm it I let it go slightly before catching it again. I was sprawled out on my belly, who cares if I was twenty three I still liked to play and have fun.

[RacingBelle]

I stopped playing myself and watched the other shifter play. Even though she was and adult she still like to have fun. I nodded. It was time to reveal myself. The other shifter wasn't a threat, and she didn't see me as a threat either. But first...I shook the water off my coat, not to mention sand. But that didn't exactly worked the way I wanted it to. Sand still clung to my back and mane. I whinnied and then launched myself to the deeper section of the river. I was obviously going to have to swim to get rid of this sand. Hum..I wonder. My body started to shrink as I shifted back into a 'normal' sixteen year old. I swam back to shore, using long steady stokes. When I got there I waited, seeing what the tiger would do.

[arzu]

I was enthralled with the fish but also watching the horse at the same time, when she suddenly plunged deeper into the water she had my attention than. I watched as she shifted into her sixteen year old self. I stood and waded out deeper and swam to get most sand off I dove under water and shifted popping back up a human I swam back. Giving her a friendly smile, the playful thing just between us, I spoke smiling and laughing as I did. If you don’t mind I think im going to shift back I enjoy being a tiger and I kind of came out here with the intention of relaxing and having a bit of fun.I laughed and looked at her waiting.

[RacingBelle]

"Um...sure. Same thing. You never saw me here." I said. I was taken aback by her cheerfulness. You have been spending waayy too much time around Jisa. Have some fun! I shifted quickly, like I was turning on a light switch. I galloped awkwardly back to the deep side of the river. Oh yeah this what fun! What did that word mean anyway...fun? I wouldn't know. Fun could mean a lot of things really. I pushed my thoughts aside. Relax. No because every time you do, you get in trouble. Alright, I compromised, then half relax. Good enough. I started to swim in wide circles so that I could see my hooves churning underneath me. Horses when they were swimming were as graceful as they were on land. I wasn't just talking about me, I was talking about horses in general. It fascinated me and I was glad to be living in their world in a way. I switched directions and started back on my 'diving'. It was fun to see and underwater world, from another perspective.