Lost in Dreams and Trees

UPDATE: I'm on cloud nine right now. I got her; Rue is coming to Lakewood

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Finished

I can't even believe I've done this.

I saw the Sooty palomino Fawnling up for art auction in =Ehetere's batch and literally fell in love on the spot. I've never really gotten into them as a breed before, and probably wouldn't have, if it weren't for this one. I just adore her (if I had my way, it would be a her). I'm already addicted to drawing these guys, even though she's the only one I want to own. And I never realised till lining this that their knee joint is higher on the leg than a horse and more resembles their deer influence - it's adorable (so yes, that anatomical quirk is intentional ^^ - though I am lowering it a little in other doodles)

I think I was on acid to do this XD. I literally drew the whole fawn in one sitting in three/four hours or so. Sketched, lined, flat coloured and then greyscaled all in photoshop. Today I finished it off with the background and some tweaking of the greyscale. I've not really done forest backgrounds before - and considering how much I hope I get this doe, maybe a bid wasn't the best place to attempt it, but that said, I really like how it came out I used a great tutorial - linked below - and I definitely think I'll do more this way.

I like the idea of her in a forest in the wild, so I'm going to be checking out the Western Isles role plays in the group if I do get her...

Gah, My fingers are crossed so tight its insane coz I'm up against stiff competition for this one. I want her so much its mental.

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Name: Rusalka [Origin: Czech. Also Russian] [Meaning: "Wood Sprite". Also "Mermaid"] [Pronunciation: Roo-Sahl-kuh]
Call name: Rue. Sometimes 'Selkie'
Gender: Doe/Female
Age: 4
Type: Classic
Height: 9.1hh (37")
Build: Slender and delicate with a more arched neck than straight [according to this variant chart: [link] ]
Discipline / Use: Double life: Western Isles role play mainly (I'm thinking her personality (tactical, independent) and build (lighter,delicate) would suit Windborne best but I have a while to decide), but she'll be part of the family at Lakewood Farm, too, as a companion - both for the gang in the Farmhouse, and the horses in the barn - a small child mount and hopefully some competing in halter shows (if that's allowed for the Classics) and other fun events. Mostly I just want to draw her a lot

Personality will be written properly (and formed naturally as I go, probably) if I get her. For now: I see her as a generally sweet, quiet doe but very fast - both on her feet and with her mind. She's observant and clever but doesn't like to pick fights or spend time in the centre of the herd - she's a little happier on the outskirts, having adventures and doing a bit of her own thing. I think she could be a bit of a daredevil XD.

Number 2 in this Auction batch: [link]

Details:

Sooty Palomino Fawn
ee/Aa/StySty/ff/fwfw ------------------(is there meant to be a nCr gene in there too? Or is that just me?)



Other Images:
*Not connected to this bid (though if I could bid twice, I would)*
Another quick painting of her, just cause I'm obsessed (It can be fan art for her new owner if I don't get her):
Extra random doodles for Practice:

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Okay, so stories help for the auction - so guess what? You get one Or two, actually, since this little one will hopefully exist in two timelines...(anyone watch Vampire Diaries? Doppleganger fun coming right up XD) Labelled clearly to help avoid confusion.

Western Isles Story

The little doe stands on the very edge of the Kingdom of Windborne, the feathers around her cloven hooves spiralling in the shallow water of Blackfoot Sound as the tide sweeps in to cut them off from the rest of the world.

She's alone; her Splinter herd moved off from their night time haunt hours before, and she darted away through the trees before the sun was up. Their lead stag won't be happy with her - again - but they've long since given up trying to keep her within the confines of the split off herd.

The river Mor is behind her, the waters rising slightly with high tide and the island seems to hum with energy and magic.

It's home. Windborne has been home since she was born in a glade in Westhaven and her mother - a liver chestnut doe of the Main herd - stole her away under a cloak of stars. She was just old enough to bound through the trees, and they quickly settled with a splinter group that never stayed in one place too long. They'd journeyed south of The Burns just three days ago for better foraging.

There's a loud crack behind her, like lightning breaking the sky, and Rue spins on the spot, tail coiling back on itself and large ears flattening in anxiousness.

But it isn't lightning, or even an eagle landing on a branch to ponder if it's worth the effort to try attacking.

It's a young buck. His pelt is darker than hers with brilliant fawn-dapples littering his sides and the beginnings of a deep mane curling the hairs of his arched neck.

He tosses his head, snorting and stamping. His modest rack of horns will get bigger; he's only five - a year older than Rue herself.

'You've been gone a while; the sun is falling again'

She knows.

She watches him impassively. Her tension is gone - he is not to be feared. Her tail lowers, the plume catching in the still rising tide and the strands float across the surf. Her ears lift and flute towards him. The dying sun catches on her cream and chocolate coat, setting it with gold.

The buck sighs and walks closer to nudge gently at her shoulder. Rue kicks playfully at him and he flattens his ears back in fun. 'You always come here. Why?'

Because here is one of only two places she can cross the sea. But she doesn't tell him this. 'Why is it always you who is sent to find me?'

He paws at the soft earth, snorting in amusement.'No one else knows where you go, and you slip past when they close in. You're like a ghost, Rue.'

She knows that, too. She may like the quiet and long to set foot outside of Windborne, but she does love to play around, and leading some of their herd scouts on wild spider chases about the Kingdom when they're sent to fetch her is one of her favourite past-times.

'I want to leave.' She breaks it to him suddenly, hoping this will lessen the blow. They were raised with only two other fawns, always on the move and learning the earth to stay alive. He is her best and closest friend, but Windborne has always been the home to him that Rue only calls it when creatures ask. Even her own mother knows she appears to have no home - she's much happier as a nomad, letting the smells in the wind guide her and the flow of the rivers lead her back.

The young stag at her side looks saddened - his large eyes glassy as he stares unseeing at the far banks, hidden in tide-mist. The Kingdom of Oakfern - but he does not look surprised.

'I know,' he bleats quietly. 'And one day you will. But don't make it today.'

'It will be soon' Rue responds.

He tilts his head, looks at her frankly, and then turns, tail plume flicking idly at her own as he heads back to the undergrowth.'Be back soon. The water demons come in with the tide; you don't want to leave with them.'

Rue brays a small laugh - he's always been wary of the coast since one of the other fawns told him there were demons who took you under if you stayed out too long. Rue doesn't believe such things, and is quite fond of the surf, though a full body dunk is not always her idea of a good time.

Her young friend is gone; swallowed into the island, and Rue turns back to Blackfoot Sound.

Not today. But soon.

NOTE: I'm not certain how the Kingdom rules will work and if a character is technically allowed to run away from their Kingdom. This is just one idea I had, but I'm not 100% decided on this storyline, yet, so I can alter it if needed.

I also don't own the stag mentioned, or have one of the auction designs in mind when writing him. He's just a character that exists solely for this story snippet, for the time being, at least.

And 'wild spider chases' are basically wild goose chases (as in the phrase). But they don't have geese, so she wouldn't use that as a reference

-------x-------
HARPG/Lakewood Farm related Story

Austin pushed in the front door of the Farmhouse and hurriedly stepped inside. Chess and a flurry of snow swirled in after him and they hastily snapped the cold out again.

Snow had officially come to Lakewood. A fortnight ago, in fact. Everything was covered in a thick blanket of white and it was being added to faster than it could melt.

Chess and Austin kicked off their snow boots, hung up their heavy jackets and ventured into the kitchen as warmth seeped back into their skin.

The huge blackened hearth was glowing golden with a low burning fire; Becca or Alec must have brought in chopped wood from the garage. A massive pot was heating on the aga, steam gathering beneath the glass lid and the whole room was filled with the sweet scent of honeysuckle. But it was also empty.

"Hellloooo?" Chess sing-songed from the doorway.

"Polo!" came a muffled yell from the back.

Sharing a look, Austin and Chess headed for the living room after the voice.

The fireplace in the living room was smaller than the kitchen's - it was a true Farmhouse - but this one was burning wood, too, and what looked suspiciously like envelopes and old newspapers. Becca did love to burn the junk mail that made it to the Farm. The furniture in here was just as mismatched as it was in the rest of the house, but all of it was cozy and very welcome after a long day on the yard.

Alec was sitting on one end of the sofa, mixing a strange substance in a large bowl. Becca was thumbing rapidly through a book, her hair a little ruffled and frowning at the flying pages. And there was Twitch, who should have gone home an hour ago. She was sat the other end of the sofa, a large bundle of blankets spread over her lap.

And the bundle was *breathing*.

"What's happening?" Austin asked, shooting the blankets a wary look. "The road blocked already, Twitch?"

She shook her head. "No. Mum came to get me and we nearly ran down this little one on the lane. She went off into the wood, but mum thought she caught her, so we stopped and she was actually keen to meet us. Mum brought us back here and left when Becca said I could stay. We're trying to work out what to do."

"What is it?" Chess asked, leaning over the back of the sofa and lifting the edge of the blanket.

It exposed a dark head; the colour of rich chocolate with doe like features from the liquid eyes to the large, petal ears. Twitch smiled and pulled the blankets back some more. The dark head gave way to a light pelt of cream and tan, littered with speckling like a young fawn. She might have been a deer, were it not for the unusual tapering tail and horse-like build.

"We don't know," Twitch shrugged. "No idea what she eats, either. Alec's been mixing some of the herbs and vegetables from the kitchen, and Becca's researching."

"And failing," the brunette tagged on. She slammed the massive book onto the desk in the corner as she sunk into the nearest seat and flipped up the lid on their laptop. "Internet. The internet never fails."

Meanwhile, Twitch set the little creature on the floor. She shook herself free of the blankets, stood up on very fine legs with silky feathers around the cloven hooves and began looking about, deerlike nostrils flaring. She walked smoothly, steadily and her large eyes leapt all around so she missed nothing.

"Aha!" Becca yelped a second later. "That was easy. She's a Fawnling."

"A wha?" Chess asked, clueless.

"A Fawnling," Becca repeated. "A deer-horse hybrid type creature. Willowglen Downs has a herd of them that are looking to find homes, but heck knows how she got here. It looks like they have a range of natural habitats, but woodland and forests are fairly standard; and she's got a pretty typical diet for a deer - we may have to speak to someone at Willowglen to find out how she is with horse feed and hay."

"So..." Twitch broached slowly. "She has to go back?"

Chess' face dropped, too, and Becca sighed. "We can't keep taking in everything that stumbles into our paths - quite literally, in the case of Twitch's mom's car."

"But," Chess joined in, as Alec began smirking. "Look at her! So, so cute! And I bet she'd be great for company with the foals - or the dogs in the house. Come on - we can at least phone Willowglen Downs and ask if they'd sell her to us, since she's here."

"I'm outvoted, aren't I?" Becca sighed, though she was smiling fondly at the Fawnling. Everyone beamed at her in unison, and she finally caved. "Fine, I'll call in the morning. Until then; the herbs you have for her there sound like they're good, Alec. She'll need a name, too."

"Bambi," Chess suggested promptly. Alec swatted at her with his spoon.

"Really?" he and Becca said drolly.

"Fauna," Twitch offered.

"Apricot," Chess blurted, smirking.

"You're not playing this game any more," Alec laughed. "How about Sprite? As in Woodland Sprite?"

"Wait a second," Austin broke in suddenly. He ducked around a chair and hauled a book off the shelf, thumbing through it quickly. "Here. Rusalka. It means 'Wood Sprite' in Czech."

"We have a Czech dictionary?" Chess questioned, incredulous. "Who owns that?"

Austin put it back neatly and didn't reply. Becca snorted.

Twitch and Alec were smiling at the little doe, who was lowering herself to the rug by the fire, long legs curling under her form. Her chocolate and cream coat glowed gold in the firelight. "I like it," they said in tandem.

"Rusalka it is," Becca nodded. "And Rue for short."

"Or Bambi," Chess beamed. "Can we buy her a little rug?"

Becca sighed. "I'll think about it."

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This tutorial used for the background: [link]
Art and eventual character copyright to *Tattered-Dreams
Design and Fawnling breed copyright to =Ehetere
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.