04-09-2018, 11:15 PM
hold me in this wild, wild world
'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
As much as his spotted son fidgets beside him, Brennen is perfectly still, disturbed only by the slight wind that disturbs his mane, tail, and the edges of his feathers. The rest of him is quiet unto disturbingly so (or so he has been told); but few of his children have mastered this stillness that he has almost always had. Cagney had seemed to have been born with it, but Belgaer not so much. So he is patient, and he waits, and when the chestnut finally spits the words out, he has plenty of time to consider all of his feelings and set some aside before any of them show on his face.
He is surprised, first, because he was expecting something he didn’t already know. And he did already know; he had taught his son to defend himself well, but he had seen Bel’s true path written in the stars. He simply didn’t have the drive to fight for any reason except the defense of himself or those he loved, if danger presented itself. And he long ago dealt with any inevitable disappointment that he still doesn’t have a son who wants to take his place as one of Beqanna’s great warriors. It was never disappointment in his son’s accomplishments or talents, just a fleeting sadness that none of his sons are warriors. There is good in this, though, because a Kingdom needs diplomats as much as it needs warriors, and it is a Kingdom that Brennen wants to build.
So when his stillness does break, it’s because he’s flashing his son a little smile, a knowing glint in his eyes. There are some things a father knows, after all. “I am sure you will excel at diplomacy, just as you would have excelled at being a warrior. I hope you will still keep your fighting skills sharp; just in case they are needed.” That would be what would cause Brennen to be disappointed – if Belgaer were to become lazy in his pursuit of diplomatic skills, and unable to defend himself and his family. But he does not believe that of his fire-colored son, who has ever been faithful to the exercises his father has set for him, even if his heart wasn’t in it.
“I, too, have something I have been meaning to speak to you about,” he offers then, and breaks his own stillness to shift purposefully, resettling his wings as he turns a little to face Bel head-on. “I am sure you have noticed that the Islands have become quite a bit more active of late, with more new faces arriving than the Kingdom has seen in a long time, perhaps in your entire life.” He pauses a moment, waits for a confirmation, before continuing. Bel had been born and raised on Ischia, and it has always been too quiet here. Even before Krone, when they all first arrived and allowed Circinae to take up the role of first Keeper, it had been quiet on the island too long. And the situation had not improved when Krone had taken up the mantle of Keeper – the Ischians still did not have a purpose, or an identity. “Bel, they aren’t here for Krone.”
He is surprised, first, because he was expecting something he didn’t already know. And he did already know; he had taught his son to defend himself well, but he had seen Bel’s true path written in the stars. He simply didn’t have the drive to fight for any reason except the defense of himself or those he loved, if danger presented itself. And he long ago dealt with any inevitable disappointment that he still doesn’t have a son who wants to take his place as one of Beqanna’s great warriors. It was never disappointment in his son’s accomplishments or talents, just a fleeting sadness that none of his sons are warriors. There is good in this, though, because a Kingdom needs diplomats as much as it needs warriors, and it is a Kingdom that Brennen wants to build.
So when his stillness does break, it’s because he’s flashing his son a little smile, a knowing glint in his eyes. There are some things a father knows, after all. “I am sure you will excel at diplomacy, just as you would have excelled at being a warrior. I hope you will still keep your fighting skills sharp; just in case they are needed.” That would be what would cause Brennen to be disappointed – if Belgaer were to become lazy in his pursuit of diplomatic skills, and unable to defend himself and his family. But he does not believe that of his fire-colored son, who has ever been faithful to the exercises his father has set for him, even if his heart wasn’t in it.
“I, too, have something I have been meaning to speak to you about,” he offers then, and breaks his own stillness to shift purposefully, resettling his wings as he turns a little to face Bel head-on. “I am sure you have noticed that the Islands have become quite a bit more active of late, with more new faces arriving than the Kingdom has seen in a long time, perhaps in your entire life.” He pauses a moment, waits for a confirmation, before continuing. Bel had been born and raised on Ischia, and it has always been too quiet here. Even before Krone, when they all first arrived and allowed Circinae to take up the role of first Keeper, it had been quiet on the island too long. And the situation had not improved when Krone had taken up the mantle of Keeper – the Ischians still did not have a purpose, or an identity. “Bel, they aren’t here for Krone.”
hold me in this wild, wild world
and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
BRENNEN