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    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


    anyone;
    #1
    Burn my lungs and curse my eyes
    Mother left. It isn't permanent but nonetheless she is gone.

    Nayl takes the opportunity to wander. Her eyes of autumn sweep across the world of green in mild awe. For the last few months the girl has seen a great deal of the kingdom but she ventures now into more unfamiliar areas as she tries to acclimate herself. The growls of nearby jaguars once startled her but she has since learned that they mean her no harm. Their glowing eyes peer out from the shadows as she placidly walks the worn trails. A glance is occasionally spared but nothing more.

    There isn't a real destination in mind that Nayl is searching for. Her wanderings are aimless and unplanned as she finds herself deeper and deeper in the bosom of her home. It's wilder in these parts, more ferocious in comparison to the brighter and more tamed borders.

    A jaguar roars.
    A monkey chatters.
    A macaw swoops overhead.

    A smile reaches the child's lips as her senses truly open to the world and the vigor that it holds.

    The Jungle embraces one of its newest children, holding her steadily until she breaks free to follow the voices. There's children's' laughter and conversation. Curiosity propels Nayl toward the subdued areas of her home but she looks back over her shoulder in realization of how she loves the wild.

    Nayl
    covet and myrina's creation
    #2
    She is rarely away from her mother and twin, but Dorne had let them wander today. Six-month old Ephrelle had almost immediately lost Roe, and is clearly unconcerned – if her jaunty trot and curious gaze are any sign. She knows that her brother will be safe in the Jungle; Mother has always told them that the Jungle is a safe place.

    Having not met many horses other than her family, the varnish roan filly is doing her best to find them, peering through the trees. There is movement, but it is only a tapir, and she continues forward, her bottlebrush black tail waving like a little flag. Ephrelle – Ellie – is not nearly as bulky as her mother’s size might have indicated her children would be. Ellie is a typically long-limbed child, but there is no extreme broadness to her build. She’s inherited her father’s elegant head but is dark haired like her mother. She’s already started to show the telltale sign of her mother’s appaloosa coloring, but she lacks the distinctive spots of her brother. She’s simply black and white (still mostly black) with bottle-green eyes as a laugh like birdsong.

    She’s laughing now, watching the antics of a young capuchin in the canopy overhead. She’s distracted enough by it that she nearly walks into another horse. Catching herself just a hairs breadth away, Ellie backs up with an apologetic smile, her young face embarrassed.

    “Sorry!” she says, taking the time to look at this stranger, who is not terribly much older than she is. “I was looking at the monkey. Did you see it? It’s right… Oh.” She trails off, realizing that the little creature has disappeared into the Jungle, and then looks back at her companion. “I’m Ellie, by the way. What’s your name? Do you live here too?
    #3
    Burn my lungs and curse my eyes
    It's as though the Jungle injected something into her. There is fire in her soul and passion in her heart. It ignites her step and eases across her face comfortably. While drinking in the sights Nayl is finding herself more and more embraced by this wild kingdom. Her footsteps are in sync with her heartbeat - so alive and invigorated - and her attention is far too engulfed by her surroundings that she, too, nearly collides with the other filly. The crack of a twig is what awakens her from her hazy trance. Stopping abruptly, Nayl finds herself face-to-face with the other small girl. They are both children of approximately the same age, both fillies of the Jungle.

    The other is so quick to smile, apologizing for their near collision and indicating the monkey that had distracted her. Peering up curiously, she sees the trembling branch from where the primate had been before her autumn eyes fall to the girl. "You're an Amazon. Don't be so quick to apologize or give excuses. Exude confidence," her voice is silky despite her young age. A smile nearly dawns across her lips but it takes pause when only a single corner of her mouth lifts. Mother has always advised Nayl of the mannerisms and reputations that the Jungle finds itself homing. The mares here are different from all other kingdoms; they are an entirely different breed.

    Her own small tail sweeps from side to side as she regards Ellie with a gentler expression. "I'm Nayl," the girl finally offers with a raise of her small head before she inches closer. "Yes, I live here. I don't plan on leaving either," she pauses to overlook the area they've found themselves in. A grave is off to her right, a mound of dirt and an expanse of sprawling vines. Their eyes meet again. "You should stay here with me in the years to come. We could be the best of friends." Nayl forces herself to deliberately smile this time, her voice subtly sweetened.

    Allies, she muses to herself, because every ambitious soul needs allies.

    Nayl
    covet and myrina's creation
    #4
    Dorne has never told her children that the Amazons are not her true home, and Ellie is too young to realize that the lack of a vine and blossom on her mother’s chest signifies anything of importance. The other women have them, yes, but they do not breathe fire and playing tricks with the vines like her mother does. Ellie likes the tattoos, and imagines that someday she might have one of her own, when she is old enough. Everything will happen when she is old enough, but despite all of her question, the filly has not yet managed to figure out exactly what age old enough actually is. Older than she is now, most certainly.

    So when the black and white filly tells Ellie that she is an Amazon, Ellie’s little heart swells. She smiles even more brightly – imagine her, an Amazon! – and misses most of the rest of the advice that Nayl dispenses. She does notice that Nayl is poised, still and confident in a way that Ellie has not yet mastered. It reminds her of the way that the panthers lounge on the branches overhead – slow and lazy. Nayl probably pounces the same way those big cats do, sudden and out of nowhere. It’s an exciting thought.

    Though Nayl and Ephrelle are the same age, there is a vast difference in the way that Ellie nearly vibrates with energy and Nayl remains composed. Ellie replies to Nayl’s name with a blurted “Nice to meet you,” that is clearly rehearsed, but no less enthusiastic of genuine. She brings up leaving, and Ellie looks around them at the Jungle. Are there places other than the Amazons? She has heard of them (Mother has plenty of stories), but has never truly conceptualized them as places she might someday leave for. Why would she want to leave?

    “Oh yes!” She says to Nayl’s suggestion that she stay and they become friends. “I do want to stay!” And she does, despite the fact that it might someday break her mother’s heart. “I don’t have any friends yet, just my brother. What do friends do?”
    #5
    Burn my lungs and curse my eyes
    Nayl's eyes are bright. They are beautiful even as they contrast against the black surrounding them. They are a splendid mixture of her parents' - a swirling mixture of golds and oranges - and are the embodiment of autumn colors. They flash when Ellie replies to her introduction. The girl is so eager and has a joyful air that radiates from her. It doesn't have an effect on Nayl as she stands rather quietly in the dappled sunlight. Her mind, unable to be touched by outside forces, is actively reeling and taking in the options she has.

    Ellie could be useful but really, anyone can be of use.
    The world is too corrupt to be able to truly trust and befriend anyone. There is no sense in love or friendship when there is so much betrayal.

    Her head lifts slowly when she considers Ellie's question. When her gaze finds that of the spotted child, Nayl forces a seemingly genuine smile. "You don't know?" She musters a look of shock followed by forgiveness as she reaches forward to touch the curve of Ellie's shoulder. "You'll have my back and follow my lead. We can always look to each other for, well, anything." Perhaps one day, if Ellie follows her lead and always supports Nayl, she could truly be trusted and perhaps rewarded. That's years from now though; they are merely children. "Who is your brother?" A small amount of interest is piqued. "And your parents?" Always curious, always hungry for information.

    Nayl
    covet and myrina's creation
    #6
    Like his twin, Yronwood is swept up in having permission from their mother to explore the Jungle, and the chestnut appaloosa boy's head is constantly a-swivel at each new sound or sight. It had been much more fun for him before Ellie pulled a disappearing act on him, because now he had no one to marvel at things he found with, and what was the point in that? The colt's eyes narrow slightly; something needed to be done about that. Tracking down his runaway sister was business of the first priority, and he sets off on said serious business from the last place he had seen her. Listening hard, he hears distant voices, one of which he knows is none other than Ephrelle, and the spotted boy trots eagerly in that direction along the path until he comes across her.

    He had assumed that she was being spoken to by one of the Amazon mares, who all went about with some form of tattoo on their flesh as a kind of ID badge that he finds oddly fascinating, due to how the tattoos seem to be living things themselves. But, no. This is another filly, a girl their own age. His ears perk up as he realizes that their conversation had extended to himself, sort of, just as he happens to be close enough to answer the question himself. He nips briefly at Ellie for running off on him, then sets his chin on her back in an equine hug. "I thought we were exploring together today, what got into you? " With his twin, his tone is bantering, but as he turns to address the other filly, he is only polite instead--she is a stranger to him, after all. "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Yronwood, the brother you were curious about. Twin brother, in fact. " He smiles at the unknown filly. It was important to try and make friends, wasn't it?
    #7
    Still sweetly simple, Ephrelle doesn’t doubt the meaning behind Nayl’s smile. The expression that she returns is equally benevolent, utterly content at having found her very first friend.

    “I can do that,” She replies, unaware of exactly what Nayl’s lead might entail but clearly willing to follow her regardless. She has been exposed to so little, here in the protection of the Jungle. The rustling of branches pulls her attention away and she turns to see Yronwood emerging from the underbrush. She nibble gently at his mane in affection as he hugs her, and then shrugs away an explanation of why she’d left him. Life was simply too exciting to stay in one place for long! Her brother introduces himself to Nayl and Ellie looks happily at her newest friend, hopefuly that she will want to be friends with him as well.

    “Yes, this is my brother Roe. And our mom is Dorne – she doesn’t really live here. Our dad is Ammit, I’ve never met him.” She glances over to Roe for confirmation, and then asks: “Who are your parents?”
    #8
    Burn my lungs and curse my eyes
    "Oh, wonderful," and as quickly (and easily) as that, Nayl has her first ally.

    This will all be a game, but she must keep herself at an advantage. Allies and trustees must favor her because there is not enough honesty in the world to have true friends. It's about her own survival, her own success. As she grows and matures Nayl will understand what lies are to behold and what extremes anyone is willing to reach for their own personal gain. She will be just outside of the fray - looking in - and she will be calculating while the others are bickering and acting fools.

    She dryly licks her lips when she hears the rustling of nearby plants. Her autumn eyes swiftly find the young boy as he joins them after embracing Ellie. Just as she is about to ask him who he is, the colt introduces himself as Ellie's twin. "Ah," she manages a feeble grin as she watches the play of sibling affection. It seems that it was a year of twins; Ellie and Yronwood, Thorunn and her twin (whomever she may be). For a fleeting moment Nayl envies having another half to her, a sibling that she could be so in sync with, but then she remembers that there can only be one to rise. An alpha and an omega. It would force her parents attention to be divided.

    No, she wouldn't want a twin.

    "A pleasure to meet you," she finds the voice to say with a subtle tip of her head, "I'm Nayl." She straightens herself then and glances between the twins. The wheels in her mind are stirring. "Will you be living here long, Roe?" Or does he have ambitions like her? Will he rise as well or will he find solace in the shadows of his ancestors?

    Nayl
    covet and myrina's creation
    #9
    She seems friendly enough, and he nods back to her, though he is privately a little worried at seeing how quickly his twin is seeming to idolize her. For Ellie's sake, he hopes this other filly will be worth the trust that is being placed in her, especially if he is not always around to look out for his sister. He lets it go for now though, trusting in his twin's good sense and not wanting to mar what seemed to be her first new non-family friendship. Perhaps Nayl was as excited as Ellie to make a friend, but showed it less on the surface. As long as Ellie was happy, he was happy. "I'm not sure yet, but I'll be here for at least a while longer even if I decide to live somewhere else....." A time or two, Dorne had mentioned brothers that dwelt in the Tundra. As a male, that might be his best bet. He lacked the attachment to the Jungle that Ellie had, and, well, he couldn't even really gain or hold a rank here even if he did choose to stay.
    #10
    so this isn't really a post, but i'm probably going to post Ephrelle separately to Yronwood in a couple days after the zons/tundra treaty and she's already chilling with Nayl in the Chamber Big Grin

    so basically this is a warp-up the thread post Smile




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