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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura


    this is the road to ruin
    #1
    Each step away from the Mountain and towards the new land seems filled with hope. Beqanna had taken heed of their petition and has granted them another chance at a home.

    This one, Kreios is sure they will not lose.

    This one, he is sure will be everything they need.

    The snow is deep, and so the pale stallion leads the way, pushing through the icy accumulation with his broad chest to clear a path for the rest of his family. He is grateful for the hours of exercise he has spent, and for the luck of size he had inherited from his sire and dam. They are going steadily downhill, and the trees around them grow more numerous and -strangely - less barren.

    At first he assumes that the first leaves are remnants from the fallen, a few stubborn clusters of leaves that had refused to fall with the turn of the season. But as they progress further in the direction that the fairy had sent them, the leaves grow more numerous. As the trees become more dense, the snow is far shallower.

    Eventually it is gone entirely, and Kreios lifts his head to look at the canopy overhead. It is dark, covered in snow, but there is just enough light to see that the full bloom of autumn leaves is what has kept the snow off the ground. By the time they reach the heart of the new land, the noonday sun seems like barely more than twilight around them. He places one last hoof forward, and the fading sense of "this way" that the fairy had given him fades away entirely.

    Certain that they have reached the right place, the spotted stallion turns back to the family and friends who had followed him here, to the individuals who are as eager for a fresh start as he is.

    "Well," he says, looking over each familiar face with a smile, "This is it. The land that Beqanna has given us."

    The place is vast, full of unexplored land. What wonders might they find here?

    "Perhaps we should take a moment to rest," he suggests, knowing the the journey through an unfamiliar and frozen Beqanna was not easy on any of them. "And then we can decide what to do with this second chance."

    @[Jedi] @[Raxa] @[Neoma] @[Blazed] @[Ygritte] @[Wessex] and of course everyone else.

    the poll is also up to vote on the new name of our land :)
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    #2
    The not-yet-three filly stares in confusion at the lively trees' leaves - reds, yellows, golds, near-whites in color despite the harsh winter's cold and plainly alive - as she pauses, silently giving Kreios thanks with her eyes for the pause in the snow. She saw Blazed, who had fallen behind, and swiveled around to meet her mother. "We're resting for a bit. This is our home now. We're safe. We have a home." She says to the mare, perking her ears forward and standing next to the tired mare. Why has she been so quick to tire? Is she sick? These thoughts pounce into Mandalock's and she looks over Blazed, noting she had started to go sway-backed and her movements were labored. She seemed ageless most of the time, but this was sudden. Unexpected. She didn't understand what was happening to her dam, didn't know she was older than Mandalocks had assumed..

    And never would have guessed that a sickness might be ringing her death toll while it ravages her from the innards out..
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    #3
    Listening to the hoofsteps, she followed, swinging her head to see the images on the right side - the leaves were paler on that side, versus dark reds and ambered golds. She didn't hold herself as well anymore, her age showed. She felt pains inside herself, and worried a sickness had hold of her - her mind seemed sharper than her body despite her having been in a decent shape before the change, was it because the reshaping of Beqanna? - as she looked at her daughter Mandalocks. "I'm glad we found ourselves a new home, and that Beqanna granted our wishes for one." She says, her voice rough. She stumbles, landing hard on her right foreleg. Great, now I have a double-weakness on that side.. Perfect! She thinks, anger inside her boiling as she struggles to her feet again, not wanting to succumb to the sickness. 'It's just because of the cold. I'll feel better when spring comes, and this devilish wet mush is gone..' She mutters inside her head, shaking it and moving towards the group for warmth. She didn't want to accept the death toll ringing through her body, taking a breath from her lungs each time she steps, each time she speaks.

    Would the old mare overcome this sickness, this horrid illness wanting to ravage her, rot her organs and slowly tear her form apart with a black material form? Or would she, like some others, perish under it's molten grasp on her life?
    NO WINTER LASTS FOREVER
    Blazed
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    #4
    She is a stranger in a strange land; made more so by the fact that her mother (for her own reasons, she knows - she tried to explain to Wessex, but ended it with ‘it’s what’s best for you right now’ and ‘it’s just until the Sisterhood gets a home’) is not here. She knows her mother trusts Kreios, and that is enough for the little black yearling to trust him too, but it isn’t the same. Nevertheless, she follows the massive chestnut and white stallions silently, picking her way down the path after him. She lingers towards the back of the group, staying out of conversations and generally keeping to herself.

    Her blue eyes are drawn upwards, immediately noting that the are still on the the trees despite there being a thin blanket of frost on the ground. And how beautiful they are! She gazes up at the multi-colored leaves and finds herself almost overwhelmed by emotion, and wishing that Lagertha could see this. Tears well up and she blinks them back - but still she says nothing. It isn’t until Wessex realizes that all of them are perfectly relaxed that red flags are raised, and she begins to look around wildly for potential danger. `
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    #5
    Raxa was quite relieved when the herd finally reached their new home. Beqanna had been quite generous it seemed; the gang had been given a land to travel to, a place where they could establish a safe home and raise their foals in peace.

    This, surprisingly, included Raxa herself. The brindled mare still couldn't believe that she had had a foal almost immediately following the change of the land. She was somewhat frustrated that she had to worry about caring for the little one during these times of change, as Raxa was still adapting herself. Still, when she looked down at the little bay roan filly that trotted at her side as the herd moved to their new land, the mare couldn't be more ecstatic.

    By the time the herd had been ready to move, snow had already started falling upon the ground. Zhenga had been a bit unsure about what to think of this strange white powder, but Raxa simply assured her daughter that it meant her no harm; it was a signal that winter was here, a season of renewal and change while the earth got ready for spring, the same time frame when Zhenga had been born.

    So the filly had learned to love the white powder, kicking up mountains of it as the herd moved. A number of times, the filly got snow on horses other than her own mother. In particular, Anahi, who had been nearby, got a pile of snow on her head that somewhat resembled a pile of moose dung. Raxa had to hold in her laugh as the champagne mare shook her head and chuckled at the antics of the filly. Raxa believed her friend was sad, upset because she still had yet to find any sign of Aten.

    More than likely, the champagne mare would head out once she knew where their new home was, so that she could bring her colt back. Raxa could only hope that Aten found his sister, Sirana, since the now-grown filly was off with a herd of her own. Perhaps they'd gotten lucky... Raxa felt terrified at the thought of something happening to Zhenga. Her little weanling filly...

    Raxa, like Kreios, and other members of the herd, noticed how the snow on the ground seemed to fade as they journeyed deeper into the trees. Finally, Raxa felt the grass beneath her hooves once again, and her electric blue eyes showed confusion. Was the winter here just not as bad as it was elsewhere? Why had the snow not fallen?

    A glance upward told her; the canopy of still-covered trees prevented the snow from reaching the ground. The faint light of the sun did little to warm Raxa's skin, but that's not what she was happy to see the sun for. It was a new place, a new home; the sun revitalized her spirit, the notion within her that assured her everything would be okay.

    Keri's spoke up and instructed everyone to rest, as it had been a tiring journey. Raxa would rest, yes, but turned to face her filly first, a happy look in the mare's eye.

    "What do you think of our new home Zhenga?" Raxa asked.
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    #6
    Despite the fact Zhenga was still young, she was quick to learn and displayed an intelligence not common among foals her age. She loved solving problems and trying to figure out the world around her, constantly asking her dam questions when she wasn't playing and enjoying the strange white powder that covered the ground.

    After Zhenga's birth, when she'd first felt that strange substance beneath her, the filly had been a bit nervous and huddled under the safety of her dam's belly. Though, true to her curious persona, Zhenga had asked her dam what this stuff was, and why it was falling from the sky. Raxa had told her it was part of the earth's timeline, that the land went through four seasons that revolved around death and renewal so that it could remain healthy.

    Zhenga knew she would figure out more about it one day, but right now, she wanted to play. The filly was quite happy to be bounding around in the snow, excited to be on the journey to the herd's new home. Already the filly had made a number of friends, including Nerius, a two-year-old colt through Raxa's friend, Anahi, and a couple other grown mares and stallions that traveled with them.

    Zhenga had also been excited to meet her sire, Jedi, something Raxa seemed eager to do to. However, she did warn the filly to be careful about saying the words 'father' or 'dad' out loud. When Zhenga asked why, Raxa said that it was because she just got this feeling about Jedi and another mare in the herd. Zhenga's young age made it hard for the filly to understand really, but she let the topic go for the time.

    When the snow began to vanish beneath their hooves, Zhenga snorted in displeasure; she'd been enjoying herself quite a bit. However, that disappointment quickly vanished when she saw what lay before her. The limited sunlight made it a bit difficult to see a whole lot, but she knew that when more became visible, she would grow to love this place.

    Raxa asked her what she thought of the new home. Zhenga turned and smiled at her dam, an excited gleam in the filly's eyes, "It's so pretty mama!"

    The filly pranced around a bit before noticing a spotted stallion - Kreios, she remembered - in the distance. Zhenga raced over, looking up at the older horse, "This place is so beautiful! Is it going to be our new home King Kreios?" she asked.
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    #7

    BETTER BEWARE, I GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
    DEVIL-MAY-CARE WITH A LUST FOR LIFE

    Ygritte follows behind the group quietly with her spotted daughter, Marlyn. The bay spotted filly is nearing two and already as tall as her mother. Ygritte occasionally lips at the youth when she strays to look around with young eyes. With a press of her salmon muzzle, Ygritte nudges the girl forward to catch up with the group.

    Amber pools watch as the herd follows after Kreios, her lips upward in a dreamy smile. She is proud of the man for who he is and the leader he has become. Not so long ago, (the time had tangled up and drifted by in the mist of the Falls), the pair were meeting after Texas had decided to take his leave. Cocoa pools had scrutinized him, boldly eyeing the male but now...now look at them.

    A handful of years and three beautiful and healthy children later, he still takes care of the woman, providing for her and the children. Ygritte takes her time to slow behind the group as they stop in the thickness of their new home and she burns the image in her mind's eyes. Upturned faces filled with hope, a spotted king proclaiming their new home, the feeling of admiration and pride for him.

    The honey pools drift to take in scenery and her pleasure is noted on her calm features. Ygritte had once been a plant manipulator and that feeling of love for the plant life had not left her even when magic had. Sturdy limbs move her to gaze upward at a tall pine, the cold wind purifies her, the scent of sap and earth fill her veins. The joy that fills her in not contained as she smiles to the king stallion, her heart bursting with happiness.


    Ygritte.
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    #8
    They settle quickly, and the sense of ‘finally home’ is nearly palpable in the air around them.

    Kreios watches as Mandalocks tend to her mother, making a note to check on Blazed sooner rather than later. The journey looks to have taken more out of her than it had the rest of them; he does not want her to think she suffers alone.

    The black filly that Lagertha had entrusted into his care seems on edge as well, but Kreios feels certain that – at least for now – they are safe. He tries to catch her eye, to give her a nonverbal “it’ll be alright”, but they are little more than strangers, and he knows that she has no reason to trust him other than the word of her mother.

    Raxa and her filly – who bears more than a passing resemblance to the General of the Falls – arrive quickly, and Kreios smiles down at the young filly who races up to him. He bends down with an easy smile, tapping the bay foal gently with his pale nose as he says, “Yes. Yes, this is going to be our new home.”

    He looks up to meet Ygritte’s eyes, smiling at the salmon mare. The expression gives voice to the happiness that he does not voice, the contentment that they are all safe together once more. He’d seen Raene trailing them and knows that Zai is nearby as well.

    When they are all gathered Kreios addresses them, knowing that it is best that they organize quickly. It is best to know what is happening, to have plans and goals. It would be nice to simply rest for a while, but he suspects that they will have time for that later. Now it is time to plan.

    “Everyone,” he says, waiting to gather their attention back to him. “We have the chance to make this place – Sylva – anything we want. You chose me as your leader in this new Beqanna, but I am as willing to listen to suggestions as when we lived in the Falls.” He wants them to know this, to be sure that he has no plans to become an iron-fisted dictator, even if – perhaps – that might be in their best interest in these early days.

    ”We can divide ourselves into two castes again, dissolve castes entirely, or form something new.” The spotted stallion pauses, looking from face to face, wondering which of them will be the first to speak. “I want to know what you all want from this new place.”
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    #9
    As Nerius looked around at the group of horses that had followed Kreios to their new home, he began to feel a sense of longing in his heart. He had yet to tell his dam that he one day wished to leave as well; he strived for independence, and secretly envied his elder sister Sirana for the fact that she did not have to stay here under the watchful eye of Anahi. Of course, Sirana's situation was different, but the point remained that she was somewhere else, living her life.

    Nerius wished to do the same thing. Maybe he'd claim life as a bachelor. Maybe he'd join a different kingdom and serve as a liaison. Maybe he'd settle with a mare or two and have a small herd of his own, or even just one mare, like the painted General of the Falls, Jedi, who had settled down with Sunfall.

    Though, Nerius knew the stallion was going to be in a heap of trouble once the secret got out. A secret that he knew, along with his sister and dam...

    But for the sake of sparing their friend any more heartache, the trio had withheld it from Raxa. Though, Nerius, and his family, suspected that the brindled mare would start to figure it out, considering that her roaning color was starting to lean more towards the base of her sire's, rather than her mother's bright roan white-streaked brindled coat.

    Never a more unique feature had Nerius ever seen, even with his own champagne roan coat and black mane and tail. He didn't know it, or didn't acknowledge, but he was growing into a fine young stallion, one who would surely follow in his father's hoof steps and become a powerful leader in his own right.

    Kreios called out to the horses that had followed him to the new kingdom. He proclaimed his gratitude that he had been chosen as the leader before asking for the opinions of others to see how they wished for the kingdom to be formed or run.

    Nerius stepped up, eager to say his piece, "If I may be so bold King Kreios, while I fully support your being chosen as the leader, I believe that we would benefit from having some sort of council, some horses elected to help make decisions to keep the benefits of the kingdom at the front of discussions so that priorities are met. You, as the king, will still be the tiebreaker, but I believe it could be beneficial, rather than the decisions being made solely by one horse alone.

    "Also, I think that the castes should be further divided; perhaps there are some warriors who are solely trained for battle, and others that are trained moreso for defense, protection, so that they can help defend the others while the other warriors and fighting the intruders so that the others have a chance to escape. Perhaps some diplomats as well, but split that too. Some who travel, some who stay here to help maintain order. Maybe even some horses that are trained to use their environment to their advantage so they can keep a lookout on the other kingdoms so that we can be on the alert should anything like the raid happen again that could anger Beqanna."
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