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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


    as if a glass could contain the sea; tang
    #11
    The moonlight filters down through the thick foliage, playing silver patterns on their backs as they travel. He lets his mind go for a moment, only thinking of Tang and where he was taking her. She does not question him nor hesitate in following him, loyal and faithful. He knows his time with her is short; spring is near and she has already spent too much time here in Tephra. It pains him to think she must leave him and he would have to be alone again until she decides to come back to see him (would she, though?). What if life in the Lake was more than she had ever dreamed and her mind never wanders back to him? What if she looks up at the stars and she doesn’t think of him? Would he ever see her again?

    She draws up beside him, eager and curious to where he is taking her. The volcano is quickly becoming larger as they approach, breathing and pulsing with an orange glow. He smiles at her, knowing that what he was about to show her was nothing she could guess. He only replies to her with a soft snort and a toss of his head, changing his gait to an easy lope and striding ahead of her, urging her to follow.

    Finally, they are right next to the volcano. From this angle, the glowing top could not be seen, as they were near its rocky base. He slows to a walk, blowing hard as he tries to catch his breath, crickets filling in the silence like an orchestra.  For a few moments they are walking around the volcano, until Warrick’s keen eyes find what he’s looking for. Barely visible to those who were not looking for it, there was a slight opening in the volcano’s rocky side. It opens up just enough for him to slide through, his hooves clicking loudly on the damp, cave-like floor. The sound of small drips of water hitting the rocky floor fill the area as he walks slowly, being careful to find purchase on the slick bottom. The path they were taking begins to slope downward slightly and he nickers softly to Tang in warning, though his face remains breathless and smiling.

    Soon, darkness envelops them. The moonlight and natural orange glow from the volcano no longer illuminated their way, so he expertly touches the cold, stone wall with his lips to lead him. The absence of light gave the stagnant air a cold chill. “Stay close,” he whispers, his voice reverberating against the cave walls.  After a few moments there is a pinprick of light and it was obvious that was where Warrick was headed.

    As the light grows, Warrick’s walk becomes quicker. The stone they were walking on was slowly becoming dirt instead. He walks through the opening, stepping aside to let Tang now be in front of him as the small, dark cave they traveled through opens up to a large cavern, the walls reaching high above them. The air was warmer here and fluid, no longer torpid and stale. Before them lay a crystal clear pool, illuminated with silver from the moon’s face from an opening at the very top of where they stood, stars looking down on them. The spring steams in the night’s air, bubbling slightly as the lava that flows through the volcano warms it.

    He is not looking at the hot spring nor the moon’s light. He is only looking at her.
    like the sun,
    swallowed up by the earth
    warrick


    @[Tangerine]
    #12
    tangerine
    face to the sun

    Soon they are at the rocky base of the volcano. Golden ears tipped with black prick with heightened interest in their surroundings, as she tries to anticipate what she will see. Tangerine looks up at the steep walls of volcanic stone for only a moment and that’s all it takes for Warrick to disappear. But she catches a wisp of his tail as it vanishes into a crack in the mountains side, the ringing of his hooves beckoning her to follow.

    She takes a few trotting steps to catch up, diving into the gloom after him without hesitation. 

    The passage is dark and narrow- her body responds with a small dose of adrenaline. They seem to be spiraling down into the belly of the volcano. Her hooves struggle to step true on the stone below her and she walks slowly, carefully. Her muzzle periodically bumps Warrick’s flank to help her stay to the middle of the underground path, although this is mostly unnecessary - the echo of his steps on the stone would have been enough to guide her. 

    The journey by itself is exciting, so she stops trying to guess at what will be waiting at the end. “Stay close.” He whispers and she happily accommodates. Soon there is a glow ahead.

    With the light his form comes back into view; the silhouette of his delicate ears makes her long to kiss him again. But the ground is changing, becoming softer, yielding. And she looks ahead to see where he has brought her. 

    Oh, she is not disappointed. 

    Before her is one of nature’s cathedrals, exquisite and wild.  “This is incredible, I had no idea…” but her whisper falls short, as not to disturb the sanctity of the place. The grotto is a perfect scantuary. Warm, but not smothering. Restful, yet filled with small sounds and soft light. Tang looks up to see the heavy moon gazing down on them, and her awestruck look turns into a girlish smile. What a gift he has given her. “I had never dreamed of seeing such places as you have shown me.” Her love and gratitude fills her voice with a sort of reverence. She thinks of the endless ocean, the tropical world of Tephra, and the feelings he has awoken in her. Feelings deeper than bodily yearning.

    Lurking in the back of her mind, Tang worries she is letting herself be captured by Warrick. Why can’t you just relax and enjoy this? She isn’t ready to give someone such power over her. But she wants to, and that scares her. She must leave like she has always planned on, she needs some space, even if she doesn’t want it. 

    But she won’t leave without first knowing she will see him again.  The darkness that crossed her eyes, only for a second, vanishes as she turns to meet his steady gaze. His eyes appear almost silver in the moonlight. 

    I think I’m going to miss you Warrick.” That’s an understatement, but she doesn’t want to intimidate him after her previous misstep – even if he has given her all the signs that he isn’t bothered by it. “tell me when we will see each other again and I will be much happier” She says this with a light tone, not wanting to plunge them into somber parting words, but to talk about a happy reunion in the future. “maybe someplace neither of us has been before! Or you could always come and see me in The Lake.” She smiles at him, hoping he readily agrees to see her in the fall. “You know, when you decide you need to stretch your legs” she adds playfully. 




    @[Warrick]
    #13
    To him, the place he’s brought her is extremely intimate. It was like he was showing her yet another secret, another side to himself that he had kept hidden and now has led her to it. It was symbolic and meant to be cherished, a gift to her that he knew she would appreciate for days to come. Perhaps it was also a last attempt, a grasp at straws, at bidding his time with her and maybe, just maybe, she would forget that spring was here. Maybe she would forget her promise to Bristol and she would stay here with him in this hidden cavern until stars fell from the sky or they were both taken up by stardust.

    She loves it. He can tell. His heart swells with joy as her eyes widen and she gasps, her voice trailing off as she takes in the mystery and beauty around her. He had shown no one and has only enjoyed the spot by himself; the breathtaking views were much more stunning with her sharing the moment with him. He continues to watch her reaction, standing beside her with a charismatic smile on his cobalt lips. He knew she would love it. Her voice is filled with admiration and gratitude, though as she continues he can sense the hesitancy in her voice. His presence, this night, was making her uncertain about leaving, he realizes. With a gentle huff, he presses his navy lips against the smooth skin of her golden and cream cheek, comforting her with small, hushing caresses.

    “This is why you must explore,” he says quietly against her skin, his voice tight yet solid (as always) as it reverberates deeply off the cavern walls and rumbles into her very being. His eyes are still on her, their cerulean depths glittering with a type of longing, an ache that yearns to be relieved. “What I have shown you is just a small part of this wide world – there is more to see, there are others to show you…” Warrick’s voice trails off and his mouth closes, his eyes falling downcast as they become shrouded by a hooded brow in thought. He was not going to pretend to be excited about her upcoming trek to the Lake, but he knew it was only fair that he encourages her as she has encouraged him.

    He doesn’t tell her that it might be impossible for him to visit her. With the recent calamity in Pangea, the residents there are out searching for a new place to live. Ellyse seems to have disappeared into the night (this thought pains him – another one gone – but he brushes it aside), and with the quiet calm over Tephra, the bay stallion was worried about who would be here to help Lucrezia if something terrible were to happen. He cannot tell Tang this – he knew she would not leave if he did. So instead, he whuffles softly into her skin, realizing that he had subconsciously made his way from her cheek to the corner of her golden lips. The stark navy of his own rests there, lingering precariously.

    “Perhaps if I visit, you will have something to show me that I have never seen,” he says gently, his breath warm against her lips, a closeness that felt natural and comfortable. A quick moment passes and with the flickering of his eyelids closing, he softly presses his lips against hers. Gently, tenderly, he then says: “Tephra will seem dimmer without you.” He wonders what it will be like in the months that she is not here, and whether the darkness of doubt will creep back and bring him into its obscure depths.

    It was a goodbye, of sorts. For he knew she would not accept an actual goodbye from him. He smiles into her warm skin. She would probably be angry with him if he even utters the word ‘goodbye’.  

    The sun and the moon, they were.  
    like the sun,
    swallowed up by the earth
    warrick


    @[Tangerine]
    I'm gonna miss them so much! D:
    #14
    Her amber eyes are heavily lidded and a soft smile is dancing on the corners of her mouth as she leans into his touch against her cheek.  His gentle huff stirs her mane that is falling into his face.  Again, they unintentionally seek the intimacy of the others touch. If Tangerine had more experience in love she may have better understood what was happening between them.

    His words are sweet and understanding. From the start, she had felt like he knew her so well. His encouragement heartens Tang as her resolve is faltering. And his words aren’t empty reassurance, he verbalizes what is in her heart. So many treasures were waiting to be discovered, this world was young, her legs were restless.

    She would be wonderfully happy with Warrick if she stayed, or so she thought. But she also though she may regret it someday. Not being with him, but being tied to anyone or anyplace. She loved no one on the earth more than her mother and little brother, and she had torn herself from them for this same reason.  She had the energy, she had no weights to carry, and now was the time for her to follow the breeze wherever it may take her.

    At this point in her life she doesn’t understand the deep loyalties of citizens to their leaders, the idea of a structured hierarchy has never crossed her mind. But she understands that somehow he is tied to this land, and she doesn’t pain him by asking him to accompany her. This spring and summer is a time for her to continue her journey, exploring and feeding her mind. In the morning she will leave him, and it will be a bittersweet sunrise. He will stay, the noble guardian of a seemingly vacant tropical paradise.  

    In that moment, Tang decides that if she hasn’t seen him by the fall she will return to Tephra. The fall was when they first meet, and it would be a fitting time for them to be reunited. It seems like a vast amount of time as she stands there beside him… but it would pass so quickly.

    “Well, if you haven’t found me by the end of summer, you can expect to see me right here in the fall.” She says this with stubbornness softened with affection.

    She almost wants to apologize for leaving him, after all he has confided in her. She feels guilty leaving him in this lonely place with only his thoughts and his stars to keep him company.  But she checks herself, she has nothing to apologize for, and she thinks he would not accept her apology anyway.

    Dawn can’t be far off not, maybe an hour or two at most.

    Tang once again brings herself into his orbit. Why try and break free? They had decided what this night was about... and not about. She leans into him, which is beginning to feel natural now.

    “Wherever we meet, it will be the perfect place.” Tang places a kiss on his muzzle, they pale pink and white of her lips contrasting with the rich navy of his. Instead of pulling away she lingers for a moment and then turns away from him and walks to a soft place along the pools bank.

    She sinks down into the sand with a huff. Looking up to him from where she rests on her side. “Tomorrow will be bittersweet for me." She smiles up at him, a whisful smile laced with sadness. It is as close as she is going to get to saying goodbye. 

    "So come, let's rest easy for what's left of tonight." 


    OOC: ok HTML wasn't working ... idk whats up. But they will be together again soon <3
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