"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
Warrick does not stay in one place for long. He is currently dedicated to Tephra (being fiercely loyal to a fault), but even then he has not been there very long. He had not settled down anywhere in his entire life. He remembers moments briefly in the land he was born in with his mother and his twin sister, but even then they were not there long enough to be ‘settled’. He figures that with the way his life has turned out so far, in a few years or so, something will happen and he will pick up again and vanish. Unless there could be something to make him stay. He remembers a short time with Orani and Beyah, where he and his twin were between children and adulthood. They were still very much nomadic, but they were happy. As long as he was with them, he was home – no matter where they rested their heads. The time they spent together feels shorter and shorter as the days pass. He remembers the day they left him, abandoning him on the mountain. But he was starting to forget them – he could barely remember what their voices sounded like, their faces he could barely make out when he closes his eyes, even the way they smelled. It was all vanishing before him just like they had vanished that dark night on the mountain.
Warrick does not stay in one place for long. That is why he found himself stealing away from Tephra at dusk, briskly trotting south like he normally does. Instead, this time, he heads west. He passes the field and the meadow, continuing on his way without any real destination. He reaches the forest, which was still familiar to him, so he continues – waiting for when the scent of the land was no longer recognizable. He begins to notice, as he moves quickly and stealthily through the forest, that the trees were starting to get taller as he moved further in – even the forest floor was becoming denser.
He slows just as the sun was about to set beneath the horizon. It was terribly dark in the forest, blacker than he would have guessed at this time of night. In Tephra, just before sunset was bathed with golden light from both the sun and the distant volcano. Here, though, he was shrouded by the silence of tall, stagnant trees. He stops, trying to quiet his breathing. He felt like was too loud, like he was intruding on the trees and their very growth. His cobalt-tipped ears flick to and fro, listening to the sounds of the forest. It was so very different than anything he had ever witnessed. It was so deadly quiet – he felt like he could hear the trees growing.
Warrick glances upwards, his bright eyes taking in the scenery above him. The tall redwoods seem to stretch onward endlessly, sturdy and strong in the chilly autumn air. He snorts inquisitively, his breath forming in a cloud of vapor as it exits his navy nostrils. He could see the stars peeking through the canopy, desperately trying to be seen through the thick trees’ branches. He’s kind of happy he cannot see them quite clearly.
Judging by his surroundings, the sights and the smells, Warrick knows he is in a place he has never been before. He has heard of Taiga, with their great redwoods and the forest so large that you could easily become lost, like a maze – but seeing it with his own eyes was much different than merely hearing about it. The whole wood was simply majestic – he felt like he should dip his head in respect to the tall trees that tower over him.
Soon his scent (and perhaps his entrance itself) would be caught on the wind by a resident. He stands quietly, admiring the scenery with wide, curious eyes. He’s not sure if he even knows how to get back home if he tried.
She had never been much of a traveller, except for some trips to the forest. And from the Taiga it was easy to get there, the only thing that signalled the border was the river between the lands and change of scent. Where the Taiga mostly had pine trees, did the forest lose its leaves in the autumn. It was very different from her first home, the Jungle, but Jinju couldn’t imagine herself living elsewhere. This is where her family lives, this is her home.
It was not like she didn’t want to venture out, because Jinju would love to visit new places and explore lands that were unknown to her. But her father had asked her to stay, at least for a while. And thus she would. He needed her right now and she loved him dearly. He might not be her sire by blood, but he was the father that raised her, with help of her mother of course. The arrival of a stranger was as close as she got to discovering new lands as of now.
Droplets of water drip down, back onto the surface of the small river. Her head is still slightly lowered, but dark ears twist around. She was damn sure she had just heard something. This far into the night, that rarely signalled something good. The rendezvous with Ouija was still fresh on her mind. His scent follows next, carried towards her by the wind. Jinju follows it, going against the wind to mask her own scent, her approach. She had learned the silent way of the wolf from the best, though she had yet to become a master.
Unlike Ouija, he does not look dangerous. Jinju does not doubt he could be, if he wanted to, but right now it does not look like that was his intention. ”Good evening” she greets him, now more curious than ever. His scent was laced with something else, something that made her guess he had a home. Vaguely familiar too. Maybe he came from the same land as those diplomats all those years ago. ”What brings you to the Taiga?”
04-28-2017, 06:30 PM (This post was last modified: 04-28-2017, 06:31 PM by Warrick.)
He is not here on business, like most others were when they made their way into another land of Beqanna. The golden light of daybreak’s end still attempts to filter through the thick canopy of the trees, small pricks of dusty light cascading down like spotlights on the dark, fertile world beneath. He can feel the slight chill of autumn on the darkening breeze, sending a slight shiver through him. Accustomed to the lush and sultry air of Tephra, Warrick’s blood was thin when it came to the cooler weather.
Darkness finally settles and that is when he first hears her approach. The bay stallion had a feeling that eyes were on him from the second he came into this land (that he would learn was called Taiga), and thus not completely surprised when her voice reaches his ears. He was surprised, however, how close she had actually gotten to him before she let her presence be known. He snorts softly, brows rising curiously as his brilliant blue eyes shift to find the source of the voice. It did not help that the mare was as dark as the pitch-black world around them. He squints his eyes, trying to focus on her shape in hopes that the curves of her body and face would lighten as he adjusts. Finally, the shape of her can be seen.
Warrick lowers his head in silent greeting, taking a single step back in hopes that the gesture would be seen as one of peace; he was not here for ill will. “Indeed it is,” he replies, his voice rich and deep against the eerie silence of the forest around them. His ears cannot help but turn and twist, searching for any other sounds besides their voices on the air, although his eyes remain on the ebony mare before him.
“Fate, I believe,” he answers casually, lifting his head. He pauses for a moment, watching her carefully before continuing. “I am Warrick, of Tephra. I’m sorry to happen on your home at so late a time – when the sun sets, I tend to wander.” It was habit for him to be out and roaming with nothing but the pinpricks of stars to guide his way – it’s been that way ever since he was a young colt. “Though it seems you would understand that.” His indigo lips give way as a smile finds him.
The closer she gets, the more she realises that she knows the scent that is laced with his own. He must come from the same land as the three diplomats that had visited the Taiga years ago. Jinju had only been a child when she had met Magnus, Longear and Aranea, diplomats from the Tephra. This didn’t look much like a diplomatic visit though, which diplomat would come in the darkness of the night?
Curiously her ruby eyes take him in and lightly her head tilts to the side. Lips curl up as she realises that she was well hidden in the forest and slowly she makes her way over to a spot where the faint moonlight falls through the pine needles above them. Her head dips lightly when he returns her greeting, though she still carefully studies him. After all, it was not too long ago that Ouija had sneaked into their land with bad intentions.
She chuckles lightly, not able to not be somewhat amused by his answer. Fate. But what was fate exactly? Something that was meant to be? And if it was meant to be, then why? It does not seem like something bad. Jinju offers him a smile before stepping closer. She extends her neck to offer him her nose, to exchange scents. ”In that case, welcome to the Taiga, Warrick of Tephra. I’m Jinju, one of this forest’s dwellers.”
Jinju cannot help it but to grin and it still shows on her face as she pulls back. Ruby eyes shimmer in the dark, her head slightly tilted. ”Shall we wander through the Taiga together then?” For her home, for him a new land.
Warrick will always feel more at ease when night encompasses the land, even though the darkness brings pained memories that he would try to forget. He had been raised to love the night, to find the constellations and know the legends that accompany them – he will always feel at home beneath the stars. He had the feeling that the dark woman that stood before him, graceful and confident as she makes her way towards him through the pitch-blackness of Taiga, felt at ease in the night as well. It is a commonality between them, bringing them together on this still, silent night.
She steps into a splinter of moonlight, the silver light spilling onto her ebony skin and illuminating the soft curves of her features. He’s able to see her a little better now and can make out how she looks, given the dimness of the world around them. She is tall and muscular, standing before him much like the trees that surround him – silent, thoughtful and towering. She stretches towards him, having to reach down a bit to meet where he was, touching muzzles briefly in greeting. He inhales deeply, studying the ruby red of her eyes with the crystal blue of his own. Her eyes shone like brilliant gems against the blackness of her skin and he wonders what kind of things she had seen or magic she has encountered.
He is thankful that she has found him, for he isn’t sure if he would have been able to make his way through Taiga safely on his own. The redwoods were like a maze and the blackness of the forest was unfamiliar to him. He’s almost confident he would get lost without a guide. “We must,” he replies with a smile, drawing his head back to where his chin nearly meets his chest. “Please, lead the way. I’m afraid my eyes are still adjusting to the darkness.”
She liked the cover of the night. And she was at home in the Taiga, day of night time made no difference. She welcomed the company and the promise of an eventful night. The good type, and not like the thread Ouija had opposed. Jinju takes her time in exchanging scents. Not something to be rushed. It confirms her prior assumptions too. He came from the same land as Magnus lived.
The blue of his eyes is not new to her. Though she would have to admit it was rather charming with that rich brown coat of his. Her lips curl up when he agrees, her youth suddenly showing on her features. Jinju could still barely call herself an adult. She might have reached that age, but her heart and mind were still free like a child’s. ”Don’t fall behind then” she lightly teases him, pulling back with a smile on her lips.
”Anything in particular that drawn you to the Taiga?” she asks, bending her head a little to glance back at him with one eye. Her tail sways casually, hinting at a fly that irritates the tender skin of her flank. She guesses he will forgive her for lightly hitting him. And if not, well, they were still close at the border and she wouldn’t object to showing him the way out. ”Or any view you usually like?”
He takes solace in the darkness, letting its blanket envelop him and cover him with cool, prickling fingers. He almost wishes he could see the stars above him, burning radiantly in the abyss of deep night. The tall, regal trees that tower before him make it impossible to see any kind of light that would be attempting to break through and reach the surface on which they walk, the silver glow of moon or star hidden by the thick canopy above. It was a kind of darkness that was unnatural, given the trees’ covering, but was not discomforting. He still found the tendrils of darkness wrapping around him delicately, embracing him warmly into this unfamiliar land.
The brilliance of her flaming eyes is stark against the darkness of her skin, seemingly glowing as if a fire was ignited within them. She seems more than happy to accommodate him in such a late hour and for this, he is glad. He returns her smile easily, the curve of his cobalt lips turning up slightly. He follows her at once, without hesitation. She moves fluidly and expertly through the pitch-blackness of night, graceful and nearly ghostlike as if she is floating above the ground. He’s a bit more uncoordinated, lumbering within the forest’s floor somewhat loudly – but he keeps up; he refuses to let the ebony enigma of the night leave him behind within the forest’s maze.
When the onyx tendrils of her tail gently wisp against his cheek, he does not take offense. Instead, he reaches out with his lips and attempts to nip at her tail as it brushes his face, a boyish smile finding his face. Warrick was still youthful and clings to that sort of simplicity: where he could meet a stranger in the mists and eagerly follow where she led without a moment’s hesitation or thinking about consequences.
“I’ve wanted to see the great forest,” he says to her, his voice low as he tries to remain quiet within the stillness of the world around them. He’s becoming more comfortable now, becoming less clumsy as he moves, his eyes slowly adjusting more to the darkness. Warrick still remains close to her, knowing full well that he would never find his way back without his guide. His head is near her side, muzzle close to her (though not yet touching her) as his blue eyes continue to wander the forest. “The world is offering too much for me to sit in Tephra without enjoying the other wonders around me.” He smiles, but it is too dark to see it, though she could probably hear it in the sound of his voice.
Lately she found it difficult to rest at night. Something kept her up, her mind spinning as her thoughts never let her alone for a moment. Napping during the day turned out to be much easier. It left her to wander at night. Sometimes patrolling the border and during other times her legs would just carry her somewhere. To not have to wander alone was a welcomed difference.
The Taiga had been her home for so long now, she would almost dare to say that she would still be able to walk through the thick redwood trees being blind. Jinju had gotten to know each and every corner of their forest. But she gladly lightens up the path for her visitor, her companion for the night.
Small fires ignite above their heads, floating in the air for a moment before Jinju pushes them forward. One stays close to them, as the other two go a little ahead, showing the path they are to take. The black woman bends her neck a little to look back across her shoulder, her lips curling up slightly as their gazes meet. Her tail sways again, this time in his direction, though with a bit less force. Perhaps as in a silent challenge. How far would he go, with his attempts to catch her tail?
Her soft laugh breaks the silence around them, where he tried to not disturb it. ”You want to see the forest, but you come at night when it’s pitch black?” she questions him, the laugh still in his voice but never meant to humor him. Jinju is genuinely curious. Yes the forest looked great a night, and with her little makeshift lights he would be able to see something, but it was not daytime. She’s careful to not let them too close. Though it wouldn’t hurt her, Warrick does not know that.
”You’re right. Beqanna has too much to offer to stay in one place all your life. I would like to travel and visit some of the other lands too, soon I hope” she answers with a slight nod. She simply agreed with him. With the fire showing their way she leads him towards the river. Fresh and cool from the mountains, where the snow melted and on its way down the little stream grew into this river. ”We can follow it for a while, if you like?”
He follows her passively, his blue eyes searching the darkness as the different shadows begin to make sense to him, slowly forming shapes before him. Suddenly, just as her tail flicks playfully before him again and he is about to nip lightly at the onyx of her hip instead, light appears. It is soft and glowing, lighting their path until they were near on top of it, then disappearing and relighting itself before them again. Immediately Warrick’s ears fall forward, his eyes trained on the floating flames as the light their path, with such intense curiosity, that his pace beside Jinju now quickens. His head is now at her shoulder, then equal to hers, then further ahead. He reaches his muzzle out without much thinking (obviously) but just as his lips were about to touch the flame, it would go out and tease him a few lengths away. He laughs, his voice deep and reverberating against the tall solid trees that surround them. “That’s you?” He asks, though he already knows the answer. “Brilliant.” His voice is almost breathless.
Warrick waits only a second, his eyes watching the next floating flame admirably, so that may fall into step beside her. He was becoming more confident as they make their way through the deep forest, never doubting his guide. She teases him for coming into the darkness of night to see Taiga. Perhaps it had been his fault, not considering the travel time from Tephra to the forest. Whatever the reason, he is glad that he is here, especially in the darkness, with the curious girl with flaming eyes to match the flames that float quietly above their heads. He returns her laugh with his own, chuckling almost embarrassedly, though he wasn’t really. “If I had come during the day, would the chances of you greeting me have been lowered? Surely there’s no one else in Taiga that I’d be interested in meeting.”
His crystal blue eyes fall to her as his grin spreads across his indigo lips. Though he was in a foreign world, he felt like a welcomed guest among the dark and silent trees of Taiga. He watches her for a moment as they walk, then his eyes flicker to the soft crackling of the lights that float in the distance. He narrows his lids for a moment in thought. “You know,” he says thoughtfully, “if you came to Tephra at night, you most likely wouldn’t need to light your own way. The lava does it for you.”
Blue eyes peer out from beneath a mess of tangled and black forelock, curiously watching her for a reaction.
OOC: I’m sorry to keep you waiting all the time . Will try to do better!
Jinju
”I wouldn’t do that if I were you” she warns him, with a small grin on her lips as he steps up to her side and reaches out. She cannot be more thrilled. Jinju truly enjoys to use her gift, which comes so natural to her, and it was nice to share it with another in such way. ”Yeah, I was born with the gift of fire” she honestly answers him without bragging, even if he already knew the answer.
With the light shining down on their path, moving is easier for them. Side by side they walk through the trees. Jinju enjoys her company, and it’s fun to share a bit of the home she loves so dearly. Not much longer and they’ll reach the river she was leading them too. The small stream of fresh mountain water. Blue like the color of his eyes. Her ruby ones almost dance in the light of her fire as she replies. ”Perhaps, perhaps not. You charmer.” She laughs softly, leaning in to gently nip at his shoulder. Payback. Or maybe did she just like to tease him back like this.
She’s curious to learn about his home, her head tilting a little to the side as her left ear turns towards him. Though she’s very comfortable at home, lately she’s gotten more and more curious to learn about the other lands. And his home sounded amazing, unique. ”That must be an amazing sight” she answers, a soft hum in her voice as she truly considers. ”Would you show me around?”
Then suddenly the sound of the small river is louder, as it finds its way down over rocks and branches. ”Oh, we’re there” she mumbles, more to herself than out loud, before turning her head to look at Warrick again. A smile lies on her lips and she gently jerks her head towards the stream. The dots of fire that lighten their path are mirrored in the water, making it sparkle and glow in the dark.
