"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
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
He had wanted to feel at home in Nerine, because that place that was the rebirth of the Amazons was the closest thing in the new world he could think of to the old world, and his memories there. Serving the new Amazons kept him anchored to the old world, but that had never been enough for him. The cliffs and shores of Nerine had always felt familiar but never like home, and eventually Brennen had moved on to Ischia; and in Ischia, he had found a piece of himself that had been missing since the world changed. It would never be the Tundra, never the Falls or the Deserts, but it was a place he loved.
Hyaline was separate from Nerine. Hyaline was the product of something Brennen truly believed in; a place founded for the young to thrive and grow. He loves the idea of it, but he is far too old to actually be a part of it, and he could not stay as Hyaline’s protector from Nerine when he left Nerine. He knows in the time since then they have broken from Nerine, and of course Amet will have grown up, but as he wings his way in their direction, the bay stallion is curious what they are now. Have they lived up to the promise he had seen in Amet?
The mountains appear beneath him and he descends, landing lightly near the lake. Winter is well upon them in the mountains and there is frost beneath his hooves, and ice forming on the edges of the water. Brennen breaks the ice nearest the edge because even though it is cold, the sweet mountain spring water is irresistible. When he lifts his head and steps back from the lake he casually scans the horizon and finds the mountain much as he left it, though he supposes the faces have changed. The woman who stole him, for instance, is not Amet. And it no longer smells here so strongly of the brashness of youth, which makes him think that they are no longer the Kingdom just for youth as he had always hoped for them.
But regardless of their current beliefs, he has been stolen here for a visit, and honor demands that he fulfill it, and so here he is.
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
It is hard to be a kingdom for the youth, when the youth are not plentiful in Beqanna any more. Once, perhaps, there may have been an abundance of young ones in need of homes, without parents to guide them... But now, now they are all being clung to as if they are the future: and they are. Beqanna is quiet. She is bleeding. And the mothers of the land fear that bloody silence.
It's not our fault we've had to conform to a more traditional form of functioning within this kingdom; but as I say to anyone I meet, Hyaline is a sanctuary, for any who seek refuge.
When Beqanna heals, there will be more young ones to tend to... Perhaps then Brennen's hopes will be fulfilled.
I have watched him drift down from the heavens to land on our borders, and am now approaching. Queen Solace had told me about her attempt to steal the high-ranking Ischian, as we happened to attempt a steal around the same time - though mine for Tangerine had been deemed unsuccessful. It smarts, to have failed, but then again, I seem to be the only Hyalinian (besides Solace) to be making any effort at all, successful or otherwise.
Nickering softly as the distance between us officially comes to a close, I extend my tapered nose to softly exchange breath with the man. He smells of the sea, though in a different way than I do - more sandy, earthy, whereas our kingdom is arid and thin. A soft smile is upon my lips as I lean back to speak.
"Good to see you here, Brennen. My name is Kagerus, I'm a diplomat in Hyaline." I dislike having to say my title just for the sake of saying it, but I haven't really any other choice. He would be confused if I didn't introduce myself fully, especially after such an Old Way of greeting. "Solace mentioned that you would be visiting, so please, come in."
I side step and pivot, coming alongside the pegasus as we begin meandering through the kingdom, towards the Lake. "How fares Ischia these days?"
They had never met, but yet she knew him at a glance. With a quiet pride, he descends from the sky and the young Queen watches with interest from her place on the other side of the vast lake. But only a moment passes before she is springing from the frost-kissed bank and into the air. With practiced ease, the tri-colored mare glides over the clear waters to where he will soon land. Amet and Tangerine had both told her countless stories of Hyaline's origins and in many of these stories, this man was a mainstay.
The first Protector.
Another appears along the bank and she is not surprised to see the painted mare has found him first. It is a comfort that, because of Kagerus, he is not forced to wait long. Perhaps Solace had taken aggressive measures to secure his visit, but she sees him as an honored guest none the less.
Solace lands several paces behind Kagerus just in time to catch her introduction to the dark stallion. Several long strides bring her to the overo mares side and Solace places the customary touch of her muzzle to the diplomats should by way of greeting before looking to their guest. "And I'm Solace." She adds with a respectful dip of her pale face. "We are honored to have you."
As Hyaline's diplomat enquires after the state of his kingdom, Solace she finds her cerulean gaze lingering on his ageless face, for longer than perhaps it should, as she waits for his answer.
Diplomacy she reminds herself.
She needed to make this visit count.
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
The bay-and-white mare is first to approach him, and introduces herself in a way that is perhaps old-fashioned but Brennen is just Old, so it works out alright. He simple returns the exchange of breath and then his eyes follow to the other who arrives, their queen. He does not bother with his name; they both know who he is, instead forming polite platitudes that always seem contrived even when well-meant. “A pleasure to meet both of you,” he offers a little half-smile, his politest diplomat face. They are, if not friends, at least friend-ly, after all.
It is nice to walk a little, and talk. Hyaline is beautiful, even in the winter, and familiar, and he treads easily as they walk along the lake. “Ischia is quiet,” he bites his tongue on anything more than ‘quiet’ because part of him wants to grumble about how quiet the Kingdom and its Queen is, but that would be inappropriate in this venue. From a well-known bachelor and former Tundra dweller, ‘quiet’ is partially a complement, after all, and could be taken as a positive reflection on Ischia. “But we have seen a few newcomers as of late, and I think perhaps recruiting will be easier over the winter. It’s not cold in Ischia, after all,” he laughs, and it’s all engineered to seem cheerful and confident in his queen even if inside, he is anything but. “If nothing else, it is warm and safe on the islands.” Still, great things tend to happen in clusters, and perhaps the Alliance will begin to shift the sands towards a less complacent Beqanna overall.
“And how fares Hyaline?” He repeats the phrase back to Kagerus, and ok, so he can’t help the very proprietary feeling that wells up in him. This was his brainchild before it belong to either of them, after all; he is interested in what they are doing with the Kingdom even though he has no desire to live here full-time. He would still be more than a little inclined to come to their aid, if they called. If it has become somewhat of a mash-up of the Hyaline he had dreamed of and the Sanctuary the Falls had always offered, it might still be worth his protection.
He glances at one mare and then the other – he had never met them before, but knows both names from the Alliance roster. Kagerus even though she had introduced herself as a diplomat, and the pretty little Queen doesn’t have the scars of a great warrior either. He might meet either of them on the battlefield shortly, and he is intensely curious about them.
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
I smile warmly at my Queen upon her arrival, curling my neck to meet her nose as it rests on my shoulder. We have grown close in the year that I have lived here, perhaps because of our kindred spirits, or perhaps because of how slavishly we both work for this kingdom. Even though we've both been recruiting, it's still been quiet here; but we fare better than some.
At least, according to Brennen. My ears are attuned to his words as we peruse the beautiful mountain kingdom, my nutmeg eyes occasionally flashing to his so as to demonstrate my attention. And it's not a political demonstration, really, more of a mannerism that I would show to anyone who has earned my respect. And despite not having known this stallion prior to now, I do know his name, and that I may soon face him in the coming alliance; and, he was the original keeper of Hyaline. That information is more than enough to render me respectful of him.
"Well, you do have that over us, I'll warrant," I joke cheerfully. "The mountains like to hold on to the snow for as long as they can." So, Ischia is quiet; but Brennen does not seem like the kind of man to allow for such things to go on for long. When his eyes move to rest on Solace, I narrow my gaze and inspect him more closely for a moment: the bay of his fur, the scars that line said coat, and the way he carries himself. This man has seen many things, and far more battles than either Solace and I ever will. Ischia will not grow stagnant on his watch, I can feel it.
It is my turn to speak, however, and I unscrew my gaze, smiling again as I am wont to do. "Hyaline hasn't been silent, but we've a ways to go before we are rightly boisterous." I look to Solace, and bump her shoulder amiably. "What activity we do have is largely thanks to this woman, here."
I address them both then, my smirk turning mischievous. "Funny, isn't it, that we might all face one another on the battlefield this winter? I think so."
Once again Solace is impressed by Kagerus and the way she blends diplomacy and friendly conversation. Solace had always kept formality as a shield around her, a habit she was trying to soften.
"Newcomers appear in our foothills frequently, but they tend to be of the wandering variety," she adds when Brennen mentions recruiting.
Kagerus offers her a compliment, which is only half true, and Solace tilts her face towards her diplomats briefly. "For the time being, we have expanded beyond Hyaline's original mission - now taking in any who wish to call these mountains home as long as they can hold the peace." Solace takes a moment to fill him in on the only thing which had really changed since Amet's rule before the conversation turns.
Ah yes, The Battlefield.
"Brennen," She speaks his name with a step forward, a thrum of excitement tightening the nerves along her spine. "The winter Alliance will be a new challenge for me," she glances over her shoulder to Kagerus with the ghost of a sly grin on the corner of her lips. "Less so for Kagerus, but still new to us both." During their sparring sessions, the gaps in Solace's warrior education had been glaring - especially with her refusal thus far to utilize her light beam emission - and he would figure it out quickly enough if they were to meet as opponents.
Her level, aquamarine gaze returns to their guest.
"I asked you here to help us with that," a brief pause as she realizes that her questions don't have a simple answer, and then she dives in. "What do you do when you're outmatched, and still you must fight," she barely takes a breath before following up with a second question which should help to clarify the first.
"What is the most valuable lesson you learned while fighting a more powerful or skilled opponent?" A light laugh follows, "hopefully it is not rude to suggest there ever has been one."
Her need for a Protector of Hyaline also tugs at the back of her mind though they speak of other things. But there is one story Amet had told, only once, of a terrible night when fire and mayhem had gone uncontested in this land. The pain in his voice had haunted her, and now the memory of it effectively silences any words she may have on the subject. When the position was filled again, it would be by a citizen of the mountain kingdom.
But that was something she decided long ago and the thought does not interrupt the focus and curiosity in her clear eyes.
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
Brennen enjoys the winter wind across his face, because it reminds him of home. Home-the-Tundra, not the home he is making in Ischia. It was part of what drew him to Hyaline in the first place when it was empty and open to claiming – the mountains so like his cliffs and mountains, with the winter snow atop them. Brennen would have taken Hyaline for his own, but the young man who had arrived to claim it before the bay warrior had impressed him with his vision, quite clear for one so young, and so Brennen had backed Amet in his claim and brought the might of Nerine to protect the young people Amet was brining to call the Kingdom home, at least for a time.
He was not here when Amet chose to distance Hyaline from Nerine, or the unfortunate events that followed, and he stills feels some guilt for that, though is absence had been unavoidable. Perhaps that is why he is ready to accept Solace’s vision for Hyaline; it seems much like his also-beloved Falls, after all, with the peaceful populace and the welcome sign hung out front for all. As long as it remains so, a sanctuary, Brennen will probably choose to support them, though any deviation from that vision would change his allegiances.
Once they have skimmed through all of the polite smalltalk expected of anyone from two Kingdoms of such rank meeting under peaceful circumstances – Brennen a Watcher in Ischia, Solace Hyaline’s Queen and Kagerus one of their top diplomats – the two mares turn his attention from peace to warfare, Solace quite straightforward that that is the reason for bringing Brennen, specifically, from Ischia to Hyaline. Kagerus is playful and perhaps eager, but Solace is honest in their shortcomings, and Brennen approves of her practical nature, though he still grins at Kagerus’ smirk and takes the opportunity to harmlessly flirt a bit (he can’t help himself), “I would be honored to face such beauty on the Plains rather that my usual grizzled warrior opponents.”
Then he turns serious thought to Solace’s more practical questions. “There is always someone more skilled or more powerful than you, or even me.” is what he says first and any hint of teasing is gone, his face and voice deadly serious. Something, perhaps, even haunted in his tone. Something about Kagerus tells him she might be older than she appears, but Solace is quite young, and the time which haunts Brennen would be quite before her time. He can’t resist starting with an anecdote, but the harsh memories of loss that accompany the war with the Valley and the God-age Carnage steer him to choose a different tale. Once, he was not so different from them. “I entered my first major tournament as a three-year-old.” A wry smile tells them he has long had time to contemplate the foolishness of this action. “I had just found my father, in the Tundra, and I wanted to prove myself to him and prove I had worth to the brotherhood. I had no business in a tournament of that level, but I was careful and bold, and that served me well.” He remembers fighting Marston, and Snake, and finally Shotgun, and he remembers the feeling of returning home with such unexpected victories under his belt. It had been a good feeling, for a lost boy basically raised by birds; it had cemented his devotion to his father’s Tundra.
He turns his head to meet Solace’s eyes, and finds nothing but honesty there. She is not understating her own abilities to make him underestimate her on the battlefield, but seriously seeking his advice. And Brennen has always been equal parts teacher and fighter. “The hardest lesson many fighters have to learn is not to ever allow anger to take over for you in a fight. Fighting like a beserker, blinded by the battle-rage, is a mixture of brute power and muscle memory; muscle memory comes from experience, and brute power can always be outfoxed.”
“When you are outmatched, you must be smarter and braver than your opponent. The mindless fighter can be quite physically powerful or showy, but easy to bring down if you can outthink him. Find every advantage you have and milk it for all it is worth. If they are bigger and stronger than you, you must be quicker and more agile – if they can’t catch you, they can’t hurt you, and they will tire themselves trying.” It’s a very basic example, but still relevant. He looks pointedly at Solace’s wings, and then back to her face. “Unless your opponent is also blessed with flight, you should be basically untouchable. Attack, and flee to the skies – spend as little time as possible where they can reach you. If you have any other magics, use those to attack instead.” He looks to Kagerus, who has no wings but a horn. “You don’t have that advantage, but remember you can use your horn to keep your opponent at a distance – because you can strike with your horn, you have more reach.” Some go into a battle thinking that to use their traits almost exclusively is cowardice – but Brennen has always been in the camp that it’s better to fight smart than to fight hard.
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
BRENNEN
I wrote you guys a novel instead of a post, I'm so sorry
03-19-2018, 11:21 PM (This post was last modified: 03-19-2018, 11:22 PM by Kagerus.)
Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
The conversation between the three of us flows easily, and for a moment, as we all take a breath and bask in a short silence, I can almost imagine that we are friends. Out for a walk, nothing on our mind but the pleasant company of one another, perhaps a laugh and a caress here, silent gazes and smiling lips there. We could almost be those carefree people, but --
-- But. The knot - the child - growing inside of me kicks as if to remind me of why we can never be those people.
"Perhaps I'll dream I am the most beautiful mare in Beqanna and force you to fall in love with me on the battlefield then, Brennen," Comes my easy answer to his flirtation. My smirk says the rest of what I might be thinking, but the conversation moves on swiftly, and I leave the moment be. The Alliance isn't about beauty, nor love, though perhaps there is a kind of passion involved. At any rate, as Brennen begins explaining strategy, it seems as if he truly is passionate about it.
"Keep your cool," I murmur as his speech comes to the part about fighting like a beserker. I tuck the advice away in my mind, lowering my gaze and trying to visualize myself in a battle where I am more angry than calm; then, I visualize regaining my focus, and continuing on collectedly. It isn't an actual mock, but I've found that little day dreams like this do help my real performance when it comes to battling.
I nod my horned head when he addresses it, grateful that I had been gifted such an item just in time for the alliance. "That makes sense. It's a kind of extension of my defensibility, I would say." I look to Solace and smile, then back to Brennen.
"Thank you so much for giving us this advice - I truthfully had no idea our meeting would be so beneficial. I mean, I knew we were all in the Alliance, but -" I drop my gaze, smiling sheepishly "-but anyway, thank you for your honesty and your insight. Hyaline won't forget that you helped us in this Beqanna-wide competition, instead of setting us up for failure." My smile is more genuine now, feeling a calm affection for the pegasus stallion, wondering if perhaps I will see him again. But ah, no time for romance when the child you bear is bound to kill you.
I turn to Solace. "I'll leave you two to it - I've got to go check on Khaedrik, he said he had an idea about my little bundle." The phrasing is light and cheery, but Solace will understand my meaning. I am lucky to have such a friend as her to trust... A friend, for now. I step towards her and press my muzzle to her shoulder affectionately, then turn to Brennen. "Thank you again, Brennen, for everything. Please, if you're ever in Hyaline, seek me out," I say lyrically, stepping forward and offering the same shoulder-kiss with a demure, kittenish look in my down-cast, looking-up-at-you-through-my-lashes eyes.
With that last exchange, I turn and canter off - serves him right for flirting with me.
Kagerus
sweet nothing
@[Solace] @[Brennen] sorry guys, 33 threads is TOO MANY, I had to dip out. But....... Brennen should come flirt Kag at a later time
Solace feels at ease as they walk together, it is a feeling she misses from the days before she wore a crown. Kagerus returns his flirtation without missing a beat, and Solace laughs from her belly at her friends unique, new battle tactic. They transition to speaking more seriously, and she is grateful Brennen chose to remain so amiable in a situation which could have undoubtedly ruffled the feathers of many others.
'muscle memory comes from experience, and brute power can always be outfoxed... Attack, and flee to the skies – spend as little time as possible where they can reach you.'
She listens carefully to his tips, locking them away to think on later when she can fully dissect and plan her different attacks. She nods as he addresses her, allowing him the floor. He offers each mare their own personal strategy to consider and as Kagerus thanks him Solace ads her own praise.
"Your information and experience is invaluable. Thank you so much, Brennen."
The party splits as the young mother-to-be has to leave them. Solace hides the concern which threatens to dampen her features, wondering how much of her own discomfort Kagerus is hiding while in the presence of their guest. As the bay mare presses her parting touch to Solace's pale shoulder, the Solace playfully tungs on an ebony tendril of her mane. "Get some rest, friend. I will see you tomorrow."
They are alone then, the queen and the warrior. Solace takes a step forward to fill the space which Kagerus has left behind, pausing in their walk. When he had arrived the noon sun had been high above them, but now and it lowers the curves of her bone-white haunches catch the golden rays as she cocks a hip, settling into a more relaxed position now that the mission has been accomplished.
"You are welcome to stay for the night, or I understand if you need to be heading back straight away." She knows he must have many duties back in his homeland, yet a part of her selfishly wishes he will choose to linger among the mountains if only for a few more hours.
"I doubt there is much of Hyaline you haven't seen," she says with a touch of a laugh, "but I would be happy to show you around, regardless."
Then her smile grows almost coy as her sparkling blue gaze finds his "Of course, maybe you should be the one showing me around"
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
Brennen is not immune to the feeling that the women are experiencing, a comfort level that has been rare in his life recently. It’s not the old-friendship ease he shares with Scorch, with whom he’s recently reconnected, but it’s nice. He had forgotten that as much as he enjoys relative solitude, once upon a time he also had a network of friends outside of the Tundra. Perhaps, given time and patience, he might find that here. He does like Solace and Kagerus, at least so far. It’s worth keeping in the back of his mind, with the other ideas brewing there.
Kagerus thanks him for his ideas, and Brennen nods with a small smile. “Any time,” is all he says though, because explaining his complicated feelings about Hyaline is a little much for this first meeting of potential new friends, and anyway the painted mare is making her goodbyes. He suddenly remembers she’s pregnant, and eyes her belly just a bit warily (pregnant women are always a mystery, most especially to long-time bachelors like Brennen), and so is taken by surprise when she flirts back again, brushing her muzzle against his shoulder. His mouth drops open for just a second of shock, surprise in his bright eyes, and then he laughs out loud at himself as she walks again, admiring her as she goes.
That leaves him to walk beside Solace, and he is pleased to do so, and just as pleased to stop and watch the very first tendrils of sunset alongside her. Battle is a serious business but they are also right in that it is a passion for him, and he is always glad to share and to teach, even amongst those who are not his own.
Though in a way, Hyaline will always be partially Brennen’s, as long as it is the place Solace envisions it to be. Still, it is a heavy subject and it’s nice to ease back into other topics. “I have a child due myself, any day now,” he says, thinking briefly of Kagerus and her quite full belly again, but it’s quickly replaced in his mind with a gently smiling Galilee. This is the first time they’ve shared a residence when she was bringing one of their children into the world, and he wants to be there. So often, he doesn’t get to witness his children’s births or first few hours; even first days or weeks. But Galilee is quite sure it won’t be today, or he wouldn’t have come today. “So I should probably not stay the night. But I am never opposed to a nice moonlit flight, so I have a couple more hours.”
Honey-brown eyes slowly pan the horizon he can see, and he doesn’t laugh but he quirks a quick half-smile in her direction. “Everything changes, over time. And I was never a true resident here. I lived in Nerine, I was just here a lot during the days to help Amet. I am sure you know Hyaline better than I.” Still, he had done a little bit of exploring. “I think my favorite thing as always how clear the water is, and how still. You can see every rock, and every plant, and every fish. Though, it’s terribly cold.”
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
![[Image: kag]](https://78.media.tumblr.com/2e8039018ce4dff6112c167ec23e886a/tumblr_p72zjit7wC1s5a0qvo1_100.png)
