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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


    [open]  eternity will never be enough for me | carwyn, karat, any
    #1
    “Hmm.” Is Jhene’s immediate reply, but her mind is spinning. Ivar wants Karat back in Ischia, but the palomino appaloosa has no idea why. Her mind has been less foggy of late, and she has started to question many things she had never before wondered about. “Well, he said to offer her the position of lead diplomat of the western lands. So I suppose he must have some plans for her behind just serving as a consort.”

    Plans like he had for the piebald kelpie woman, she thinks. The return of Ivar’s former lover – and former Queen of Nerine – has not gone unnoticed by the nearly-blind pegasus. She wonders, but does not ask, if Carwyn has met her. Jhene has avoided her purposefully, though she has run into the pair’s children: handsome Lothbrok, quiet Crashe and breathtakingly lovely Kaliope.

    The pair of them make their way to Tephra across the sandbars, and Jhene’s belly is barely wet as they finally set hoof on the solid ground of Tephra. Though she suspects the two of them might have been spotted (that too, is part of why she’d wanted to walk, to make sure they were seen long in advance of their arrival), she still raises her head and calls out.

    “Hello?!” Shaking out the presumably sore muscle of her wing, Jhene settles in on the shore to wait to be found. She doesn’t know what to expect of this place, but hopes they might find Karat quickly.

    @[Carwyn]
    @[Karat]
    @[any Tephran]
    #2

    I wanna give you wild love, the kind that never slows down
    I wanna take you high up let our hearts be the only sound

    Not many enter into Tephra’s borders without Magnus knowing, and the pair of them are no exception.

    He watches as they make their way from the island, walking along the sandbars that rise with the friendly pull of the tide. For several minutes, he remains where he stands, contemplating what he has learned of Ischia from Karat. He has not learned details of the place—does not know exactly what resides within the island’s borders—other than Karat’s distaste and frustration and the scars along her withers.

    Still, these two do not strike him as overly dangerous and after watching for several minutes, the spotted mar lifts her head and calls out. Unwilling to ignore them, he shakes and then makes his way forward, stepping through the water that sluices through the land, the vegetation growing thick and as high as his belly in some spots. It brushes across him as he walks, the fragrance of it rising around him.

    “Hello,” he greets as he comes near them, moving across the sand and then coming to a stop. “Welcome to Tephra.” He drops his head in greeting, gold-flecked eyes warming as he considers them both. He is quiet for a moment, watching them both, before he continues. “My name is Magnus. Is there any way that I can help you both?” Other questions roll about in his head, concern gnawing at his belly, but he silences it for now, willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt instead of jumping to conclusions.

    I wanna go where the lights burn low and you're only mine

    [Image: gqYjsHr.png]
    #3
    Once the pair arrived in Tephra she watched as Jhene call out. She noticed the male as he made his way towards them. She gave a small smile to the male. Carwyn took in his words and tried to think about what she would say. The winged girl said "We are hoping to speak with Karat. My name is Carwyn of Ischia. I'm hoping that this will be a friendly meeting. It's a pleasure meeting you Magnus." She wasn't sure how this meeting will go but she hoped that it will go well.
    avatar by Sprite <3
    #4
    Karat
    Blood is Thicker than Water

    After returning to Tephra she has been a hot mess.  Krom forbid her to leave until he got back from the Island and could sort things out further.  She hadn't minded though because truthfully she just wanted to be alone.  Steadfast, she had moved through Tephra and conveniently ran into Magnus.  They had spoke of Ischia for a short while and then parted ways.  The golden stallion was busy with kingdom duties and she was content on seeking refuge someplace within the land to reflect.  Mainly on her lives choices, but also on how her temper flared on a whim.  Causing her to be less than agreeable, she made a mental note to work on this...

    She had spent a few days lost to the jungle flora and was now more settled with all that had happened in her birth home.  Coming to terms with her loss and setting her sights on the future.  She moves through the thick underbrush of the forests with ease.  The silver of her body contrasting with the emerald vegetation, as if she is some treasure of silver and amethyst tucked away from prying eyes.  Her ears flicker to the sounds of tropical birds and chirping frogs.  The dew dripping from large ferns slicks her hide when she finally emerges very near the coast.

    It is here she sees a small grouping of equines along the seashores.  It causes her to stop and make out the identity of the trio before continuing any closer, or turning back.  Silver-hazel eyes settle on the very familiar form of Magnus first.  It was hard to mistake the Overseer as anyone else.  Gaze shifts to find a winged mare that too speaks of more recent familiarity.  But the other is lost to her knowing.  

    It isn't Magnus that draws the silver mare from the jungle, but the winged roan.  A short whinny vibrates from her cords before her hooves begin to move quickly across the lava rock.  "Carwyn! You decided to come after all," she says joyfully and almost thankfully.  When she is near, her body stills next to Magnus with a smile present on her lips, her gaze flickers to the other she is unfamiliar with, "and you brought another Ischian! Welcome to Tephra.  What is your name?"  She inquires to the other mare, unknowing that they are not here for refuge.

    It was hard not to brush ones vision and mind along the scars that all three mares present share.  All marks of the Kelpie kings doing.  A message to any who knows of its origination that they were his...



    @[Jhene] tagging whos next
    #5
    Jhene’s dark eye turns toward Carwyn, watching the roan mare as the golden stallion approaches. There is a clear smile on her face and so Jhene is set at ease, and she too is smiling at Magnus by the time he has arrived. This close it is clear that her vision is not the best, and this is highlighted by the way she turns her head to better see him. He sounds kind, at least, and the appaloosa mare feels some of the tension of the meeting seep from her bones.

    He welcomes them to Tephra and Carwyn is quick to explain their purpose.

    “My name is Jhene.” The pegasus adds into the silence after the roan mare’s words, and th pair of them do not have to wait long before the mare in question arrives. Jhene hasn’t seen her before, but it is clear from the way she greets Carwyn that the two of them are familiar with each other. Good, Jhene thinks, she sounds happy to see her as well. The mention of deciding to come after all is puzzling, but Jhene is focused.

    She repeats: “I’m Jhene,” with a soft smile, and then takes her own turn in speaking.

    “We came here to find you.” She tells the grey mare, whose lavender points create a pleasant melding of shades even to the palomino’s limited vision. “King Ivar wanted to offer you another position in Ischia, since you weren’t inclined to accept the first.” Jhene only knows that Karat was offered the position of consort, and she supposes that this new offer is better. She has spent too much time beneath the water with the kelpie to think that there might be more.

    “Were you to come back to Ischia with us, you’d be the Ambassador, the lead diplomat of the island.” She pauses for just a moment, her head tilting curiously. “Would you like to come back?”

    @[Carwyn] @[Magnus] @[Karat]
    #6

    desire consumes me like a fire consumes me

    It becomes immediately clear to him that he is not dealing with the average diplomatic visit.

    Both of the mares are kind and well-spoken, but brazen in attempting to snag a member of his kingdom out from under him. His gold-flecked eyes widen slightly as he listens to their proposal, tilting his head slightly toward the mare who stills by his side, before sliding it back to the mare who seems more of the ringleader in this scenario. His smile still remains on his face, lop-sided but ultimately kind, but there is more of steel beneath it, his displeasure with the encounter clear in his glint in his eyes.

    “Do you often come to other kingdoms, asking to take away their members so boldly?”

    He snorts, shaking his head and then laughing, slightly incredulous by the abnormality of the situation, as if it was wholly normal. He opens his mouth again, a confused laugh spilling before he dismisses them almost entirely, turning his head toward Karat and studying her for a moment.

    “I do not speak for you, obviously, and should this be your decision, I would support it,” he says softly, remembering how distressed she had been when he had seen her come back from Ischia previously. Still, he reaches out to touch the ink of his muzzle to her neck, his voice softened.

    “But if you do not want this, just say the word.”

    He withdraws his touch and then turns back to the two mares, falling quiet and letting his unhappiness simmer, smoldering with a barely checked rage and desire to banish them from these shores entirely.

    good shouldn’t need to tempt us above



    @[Carwyn]
    [Image: gqYjsHr.png]
    #7
    Carwyn gave Karat a small smile as she joined the three of them. The blue roan mare could feel the tension brewing between them. She noticed the stallions actions towards the lavender pointed mare. Carwyn gave the male a friendly smile and said "We were sent here by Ivar to talk to Karat about coming back with us. We didn't come here to offend you at all." She then turned her attention back to Karat and gave her a small smile. The winged girl said "I am so glad to see you again. I was thinking about coming to visit you but I myself was going to wait until you felt ready. It's quite beautiful here though." Carwyn felt a little weird because she wanted to give Karat a friendly hug.


    @[Karat]
    avatar by Sprite <3
    #8
    Karat
    Blood is Thicker than Water

    Her initial reaction is one of kindness, grateful that the winged mare had escaped the clutches of whatever ruled Ischia now.  Unsure of exactly just what he was but knowing -by some instinct- that Ivar was more than meets the eye.  Greeting them both with a smile and cheerful words.  Words that turn sour quickly when it is made known that the pair were only here on some employment mission.  Her near reach for a hug to Carwyn is stilled in shock when Jhene announces their true purpose here.

    Biting back the bitter bile that was slowly churning her stomach, and threatening to spill unkindness to the Ischians, it is Magnus who beats her too it and distracts her enough that she finds her hold once again.  Her silver-hazel eyes turn to Magnus before settling upon the pairing on Tephra soil.  She considers her words carefully before they leak with a hint of laughter, "Ivar sent YOU to come get me... And what would EVER convince me of going back to that island so long as he is in charge?  A title of diplomacy, so as he does not have to be the one to clean up his mess... I think not." Her gaze shifts to each present before settling on Carwyn, "I would beg you to reconsider any offer Ivar has given you and stay here is Tephra where you will be safe.  Do not fall for his charms, I assure you they are not worth the pain." She is reminded of the wounds along her withers just now.  It hadn't been a grave pain but a pain nonetheless...

    At stating her position, she looks to Magnus, "I stand by Tephra and would only return to Ischia willingly if I was to be prying my mother's crown from that creatures cold, dead grasp." Her voice is steel, unwavering and without humor.  Her lavender and silver face turns back to Jhene, the clear ring leader of this circus, and serves her final answer, "If you both insist on returning to Ischia, than tell your King I  have declined his offer without hesitation."  She can feel the agitation in her, willing the earths metals to begin their ascent.  Wrapping around her body in thin laces of metallic threads, so delicate but at the ready incase the pair do not wish to go home empty handed... 



    @[Jhene]
    #9
    Jhene remains entirely oblivious to the change in Magnus’ demeanor. Even if she had been close enough to see the subtle shift of his face or the displeasure in his gaze, the palomino has not seen such things before and would be unable to recognize them for what they are. The incredulity in his tone though? That she catches. Her head tilts as he asks, and there a furrow appears in her brow. She’s never come to any kingdom before, and makes no claim to understanding their protocol. The mare knows that Karat had been in Ischia at one point, and offering her a position in order to return had seemed perfectly reasonable to her.

    It is clear that Magnus disagrees.

    Karat does as well, it seems, her movement closer to Carwyn stopping rather abruptly. Jhene’s roan companion attempts to smooth things over, but the grey and lavender mare seems unswayed. Knowing little more than what she’s been told, the palomino mare is forced to draw her own conclusions based on what has been said by the steel-voiced mare. “You’ll come back to Ischia only if you can rule it?” She asks, searching for clarity amidst the words, a common behavior for a creature who has only her ears to rely on.

    Her lack of diplomatic experience is showing (though she can’t know it), but Jhene has never wanted to be a diplomat, just a herd mare. She has that – in most ways – in Ischia. It become even more apparent when she says aloud: “You must rule Tephra then? Otherwise why would you be living here?” The words are mostly her musings, questions as hypothetical as Magnus’ inquire as to whether Jhene and Carwyn’s mission is a common one. The palomino mare is unbothered by this discovery she has made and her smile doesn’t fade.

    “I’ve known Ivar for years.” She tells the lavender mare who warns her away from them, all the while wearing the scars of multiple drowning and a more recent mark on her shoulder than Karat’s. “He’s perfectly safe.” There are advantages to the kelpie’s hypnosis, after all. His victims are either dead or without memory. “But I understand. I suppose we should go back?” She directs that last to Carwyn, stretching her wings slightly from her shoulders. Flying here had been out of the question, but it is faster, and when she return to the island she can land in the water, where she need not see a perfect landing spot.

    @[Magnus]




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