"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
Rhy is glad the mare wants to come to the Jungle. It’s best to come see it, to decide if you can learn to live with the heat. Most can, though it does take a little getting used to. Then the mare asks for her name, and Rhy pauses for a moment, sure she had given it already. Manners were important, and she tried to follow them at all times. But then again, she’d been speaking quite a lot, and it was rather easy for a piece of information to get lost in the mix of it all.
“Rhy,” she says. Short and to the point. The daughter of Riagan and Rayelle, Rhy ended up with a very short piece of each of their names. “Come on, I’ll show you the way.” She says, nodding her head toward the Jungle (not that anyone would know exactly where she’s nodding, except by context of the conversation).
She walks slowly, obviously deciding she can’t just scoop the mare up on the wave of electric and send them flying back to the Jungle. That might be a bit of a turn-off, and she only dared do that one to Lagertha. Instead, she uses the time to answer any questions Sana might have, adding in a few pieces of information as they go.
They pass the Deserts and the Dale as they go, and Rhy points out both kingdoms. They don’t quite pass the Valley, but it’s not far from the Amazons, and she points out the direction of that kingdom as well. By this point though, the heat is becoming a bit more palpable so far south. The trees rise up, dense and impressive, and Rhy smiles just a bit. Seeing them always feels like home.
She slips into the trees, moving slowly, giving Sana a chance to figure her way through the dense underbrush and trees. They keep going, the sounds of the birds and monkey’s becoming louder, the heat thicker. It is, honestly, overwhelming at first. Rhy still remembers her first time here. But now, the rest of the world is just cold and quiet, if you ask her.
After a little ways, they reach the heart of the kingdom. The trees clear some, and more sisters mingle in this area. A nice river flows through, and moving around is far easier here. Rhy comes to a stop, flashing a smile at Sana and a curious look. “What do you think?”
Sanatae's muscles quivered with excitement. This might be her last day travelling! She might have found a home! As the two walked along, she took the time to ask many questions, hoping this wouldn't put a damper in their newly made friendship.
The longer they walked, the more hot and humid it became, until beads of sweat trickled down her forehead and neck. She flared her nostrils, her barrel expanding and shrinking with the effort. She knew this was what jungles were all about, and frankly, she kind of liked it.
Her slender audits swiveled, suddenly picking up many different odd and beautiful sounds. The birds and monkey's voices were faint at first, but once they entered the mass of giant, looming green trees, they seemed to be engulfed in the music. It came from all around, flooding her ears with the rhythmic clatter.
She was slow at first, picking her way through the dense foliage and young trees. Her eyes were intent of taking everything in. She had never been in a place with some much... well... green! After a few minutes, she was fairing pretty well with hurtling the bushes, fallen trees, and creeks. As they entered yet another clearing, her eyes widened. This one was different. There were mares milling about everywhere, and the whole thing was just quite lively.
Her eyes widened with delight and more excitement surged through her. This place was just absolutely amazing.
"What do I think?" She repeated, almost forgetting Rhy had asked her a question. "I think.. I think it's just purely amazing."
Rhy certainly doesn’t mind questions. She had wished someone had been around to answer her questions when she joined (so long ago now). When Rhy had joined the Jungle, no one had even found her on the border. Instead, she’d ended up plunging in headfirst and alone at some point until she found the kingdom meeting that had been called at the time. The braches had scratched her all over, the underbrush and vines had tripped her up on more than one occasion.
But that didn’t discourage her. Her grandmother had lived in and ruled the Jungle once upon a time, and Rhy had never gotten the chance to know her. But living in the Jungle was what she could give to her grandmother’s legacy. And so this is where she ended up, falling in love with the place for her own reasons.
She smiles rather widely at the site of the mare’s face. “Glad you like it. You’ll get used to the heat, too.” Rhy gestures to herself, having barely broken a sweat. It becomes normal, and her coat stays thin year round to accommodate. Granted, trips to the Tundra in the winter are no picnic with her perpetual summer coat. “We have ranks that you can join, peace and army. I’m the head of the Peace caste here, and I can say we’d be happy to have you, if that’s what you want.”
“But you don’t have to join the ranks either. You can simply live here. We also have initiation for those who really want to stay forever. You swear yourself to the Jungle, and in return get a tattoo. They should be coming back soon, as the magic in Beqanna settles. But you don’t have to take the oath till your ready, because it is binding for life.”
Sanatae listened with a nodding head. Having a rank was a must for her, because she needed something to do. She was a horse who couldn't sit still. The heat of the jungle and the buzzing life brought out her true self. She had been reserved, and very quiet on her journeys, and quite cautious too. But she was brought up well by her parents. She was bold, determined, and never gave up. She was good at holding the strong stance, but all the same, stayed peaceful. She could also fight. Her father hat taught her some battle tactics just as self defense in case she ever needed it.
She was slightly intrigued by the initiation prospect. She was a very loyal mare and if she found her heart belonged here, she would definitely consider that as an option. For now, she was just here to try things out. She spoke up with yet another question.
"Who is the head of the Army caste?" She began, but then continued on with another string of inquiries. "What are the jobs in the Peace caste and the Army caste?" She smiled sheepishly. She had recently come up with a dramatic influx of questions. What was she going to do with herself?
She just then noticed the tattoo on Rhy, her eyes intently taking in the intricate designs. Once she realized she was staring, her eyes shifted quickly back up to Rhy's face with another apologetic smile.
"You'll have to forgive me. I have never seen anything quite so fascinating before."
Rhy doesn’t mind the questions, honestly. It gives her something to do. Keeps her from dwelling on the things that have changed. Too much had changed, too much had happened. She has this imagine in her head of what her life could have been. Could have, because if she thinks should have instead of could have, she’ll just fall into some spiral of a pity party. But she’s not that kind of girl. There’s a reason she lives here, after all.
Still, she can’t forget her brush with death. Can’t forget finding her parents in the afterlife, and having no idea they’d be there. Can’t forget that’s she half dead herself (and strangely, but simultaneously mostly immortal now as well). Go figure, because that clearly didn’t make lick of a sense. But such is her life.
“Ask all the questions you want. That’s part of my job. I’m Erinak, or Lady, as well as the head of the peace caste. So I’m here to help however I can. Lagertha is both our Khaleesi, or Queen, and head of the army until we find a new general.” No one had presented themselves for that role though, strange as that might mean in a kingdom of warrior women.
”Lagertha is a little rougher around the edges than I am,” she grins, thinking of her warrior friend. They had a strange friendship, certainly. But it worked out so well for them, each making up two half of a far better whole. “But she is a good Queen. You’ll meet her soon enough, I’m sure.”
“The peace caste is in charge of diplomatic meetings and upholding our alliances with other kingdoms, as well as stealing. Though the army can steal from other kingdoms as well. And the Army is in charge of defending the kingdom and handling challenges. In addition, members of the army are expected to seek out challenges for practice, even if it’s just a friendly mock.”
(Hey, so its still Amelia, I just finally got around to making a character account for Sanatae. )
Sanatae was very interested. She did enjoy challenges, and fighting for what she believed in. She felt that the Army caste would be the best choice, but she worried that since she was in the opposite caste, she she may not be able to see Rhy very often. She frowned at the thought, for she liked hanging out with her.
"If I decide to join the Army caste, will I be able to see you often?" She questioned, visibly worried about the potential predicament.
She was very thrilled to be joining something once and for all, and her tail swished an abundance of times. It curled up upon her flanks, gently falling back down and brushing against her feathered hocks.
"The Army caste seems like to best fit. I'm so glad you found me, Rhy." She said, her voice meaningful and pure. She gazed around at all the other horses, blue and brown eyes dazzled. her ears moved along their axis, listening to all the exotic calls and sounds.
The mare is obviously taken with the Jungle, and Rhy is glad she’d spotted her in the field. There are some that simply belong in the Jungle, and they know it the second they walk into the dense forest. Rhy had been like that, long ago. She was raised for a year in the Dale, but it had never been home. Never felt like home. But even scared and alone and uncertain, she had known the Jungle was home.
“Anytime you want. We still live together and work together. And if you want, you can certainly tag along on some diplomatic missions even. You just aren’t required to.” In truth, Rhy didn’t have that many here she counted as her friend. Lagertha was sort of it. There had been more, but Rhy had outlived them at this point. And would continue to outlive so many of them. Both a perk and curse of being half dead already. Her life was far longer, and perhaps immortal (she’s still not entirely sure).
“I’m glad you are so happy, Sana. That’s the real goal.” She says with a warm smile and a light tone to her voice. Because that was really the truth. To give any mare that wanted it a place to feel safe, a place to become something.
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