"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
Although the initiation of new brothers was quite a happening – after all, they got their tattoos and were officially part of the brotherhood – nothing much had changed in their day to day lives. Except for the fact that they’d gotten a new king and the Tundra seemed more active than before. But maybe that was the effect a new king could had on a kingdom. To Brynmor this was first change in monarchy, as he had first started living in the Tundra under Hurricane’s reign.
Not only did their brotherhood grow, there had also new positions been appointed. And surprising enough he himself had been given one. And now he had gotten over the first surprise it was time for him to learn how Offspring thought of the other kingdom’s and how he’d like to see the Tundra’s relationship with these kingdoms.
Brynmor’s scar, which stood quite prominent on his chest, still stood out against his gray coat, but the hardest lines had started to fade. The black lines contrasted his graying coat, but once he would be fully white there would be no way of missing his signature Tundra scar. And neither was Offspring’s. One day they would be each other’s opposites. One white with blue eyes and a black scar and one white with red eyes and a white scar.
Offering the older male a greeting smile the formerly blind stallion dipped his head slightly. ”How have you been?” he asks, genuinely interested in the other’s wellbeing. It had been a while since they had a one-to-one conversation, and he hadn’t really gotten the opportunity to talk to another who had just joined the brotherhood. Not that Brynmor would prime into his king’s personal demons, but he was curious to learn how the experience had affected the other. Other than the obvious scar that was. Not to forget to mention; the fact that Offspring had recently become a king.
when you fall I'll be the only one who looks away; when you call I'll be the first to tell you I can't stay.
The onset of winter was approaching with a force all its own - autumn was fading quickly into faint, gentle flurries of snowflakes that simply could not retain their structure yet, and each day was growing darker and more dimly lit as these thick, rolling clouds rumbled overhead. It gave him a certain peace of mind to lose himself in the sluggish crawl that the haze of afternoon had as it shifted across the vast sky, and it was all too easy to lose himself in his own thoughts as gray faded into white. He shifted - his muscles rippling beneath his marred, dark coat as he adjusted himself. He could feel the familiar ache of cold settling into his bones, though it no longer bothered him as it once did.
Ice was now a part of him - a gift (a dangerous, unpredictable one still) bestowed to him upon receiving the mark of brotherhood. Little had he realized it was a part of his new reign, though he had a deep suspicion that such may be the case. He knew of many men that had entered the very same caves and yet emerged without ice penetrating their bone marrow and organs; he could feel his breath grow colder and his skin grow tight with a lingering frost that lay at the surface of his skin. He had quietly begun to try harnessing this newly discovered trait, but it would take time - and for now, he kept it a silent endeavor, only allowing soft puffs of ice particles (one day, it would be sharp blasts, in which he could blanket any enemy in a sheen of ice) to be emitted as he idly watched the weather shift and mold itself before him.
He ceases his actions at once upon feeling another's eyes on him - pausing to lazily draw his gaze away, his deep crimson eyes boring into that a familiar and most welcome face. He returns the smile, his lips curved at the edges of his mouth as he drops his thick neck in a nod of acknowledgement. He had observed Brynmor over time, and he has grown to like him immensely, in spite of the few words shared. Actions speak louder than words, he surmises as he studies the once-blind stallion before him, studying his dappled figure as he comes to rest before him.
How have you been?, he asks, and he knows the underlying question that hides beneath. They had both shared a scarring, yet enlightening experience that say, in addition to a new marking - which he took a long moment to admire. A deep, rumbling chuckle rises from the depths of his chest as he gives a sharp shake of his head, his tangled, matted tresses tossed around his broad skull.
"Hello, Brynmor - I am as well as I can be," He begins, pausing to contemplate his next words. He sighs softly, peering out onto the flatland dotted with the various figures of another. He cannot conceal the light in his eyes as he settles upon a dappled bronze figure in the distance - his precious Isle - finally speaking again. "all things considered. That cave was an experience unlike any I have had before. There is much changing now, but it is too good to see the kingdom stirring with life again. I hope that you know that I appreciate what you have done thus far, and what I am certain you will soon accomplish."
He allows his words to settle in the air, which shifts as well with an icy breeze that leafs between their bodies. Finally, his eyes meet his again, imploringly.
The snow didn’t bother him, not anymore that was. Quite a few years had passed since he had first set foot – or hoof – in the icy kingdom and he had fully adjusted to the Tundra’s climate by now. It had been different at first and Brynmor did had some trouble in the past to find his way. There had been little things that would make it easy for him to determine where in the huge kingdom he was, but he had learned to recognize the smallest things. Right now the graying male found it quite easy to pinpoint where he as, still carrying his knowledge of the land with him.
Tangled mane and a thick coat were quite a good way protect yourself from the cold. Of course their coats got wet whenever it rained or snowed, but soaked him through and through. If the formerly blind stallion would be honest he would easily admit that he preferred the times when the Tundra’s lands were covered with a sparkling white blanket. Sure the summer was nice too, but it was the snow that made him truly feel at home.
Icy eyes meet crimson ones. The red eyes didn’t bother him, but that would’ve been different if he would’ve seen Gryffen’s red eyes. Brynmor had never seen the stallion that had made his youth a living hell and he still didn’t know the exact truth behind his past. It wasn’t his past that bothered him, it had been the winged demon’s intentions and the task that had been given to him. He would probably have been troubled by his king’s eyes if he had known that Gryffen shared that characteristic. So it was actually a good thing that Brynmor had never seen his puppeteer.
He listens intensely as Offspring answers his question and he’s glad to hear that the black male had heard the question underneath his words. His gaze follows Offspring’s, staring off in the distance before looking at those red eyes again. ”It’s indeed nice to see the kingdom slowly coming to life again, and I’m glad it does” Brynmor replies, agreeing with what the other said. A glimpse of a smile pulls on the corners of his lips as he dips his head a little again. ”It was nothing, Offspring, the Tundra deserves that much. I would do anything within my reach to get the brotherhood to full strength again.”
He pauses for a moment, eyes moving from Offspring’s gaze to the scar underneath the male’s right eye, before lifting his eyes to meet his gaze again. The other’s scar made him think of his own and like his body knows there is a tingling feeling on his right chest. He felt great and in some sort of way complete, but Brynmor would be lying if he said that his demon’s had stopped haunting them fully. ”I have been okay. In some ways refreshed and more peaceful, but I won’t easily forget what happened” he finally replies. Things had become more clear now. He had finally recognize and accepted the death of his mother, just as he had recognized and accepted that the voice he had heard most of his life wasn’t real. And he had stopped running. ”But I’m ready to face whatever get’s thrown at me.”
The smile upon his lips grows a little knowning and without casting his gaze away he changes the subject. ”That’s actually also what I wanted to talk to you about.” As he pauses Brynmor watches the black king, making sure to have his full attention before continuing. ”I want to visit the other kingdoms, to learn how our relationship with them stands and to see if they would be interested in a treaty of any kind. But first I want to know what your opinion is on these kingdoms and who we want to associate ourselves with. I assume that we’d want to restore our old relationship with the Jungle? With or without the child swaps?” That last matter was something Hurricane had been working on, like other kings before them in the past. They needed new blood, boys to strengthen their ranks, and the Amazonian’s male children could be a way to accomplish that. With their own girls in return of course.
when you fall I'll be the only one who looks away; when you call I'll be the first to tell you I can't stay.
"I know that you would, Brynmor - that is why I put you above the other brothers. I need someone who can reign in our allies, keep me aware of what is going on both inside and outside of our kingdom - these things are immensely important to me." He pauses, thinking to the fateful day in the midst of the dry, warm summer in which he'd first met Isle. Of the bloodshed and vehemence of the war. He observed her now as she lost herself amidst the gray, dull landscape - it was anything but to him; it was an icy escape from a past that had haunted him so long. The frosty flatland held all the allure and comfort and solace and solitude without complete isolation, and it kept his deeply rooted demons at bay.
For this, he was grateful.
The gears within his own mind begin to twist and turn as he focuses his attention elsewhere visually, though his mind remains contemplative of the other's careful, deliberate words. He inhales deeply, allowing the sharp sting of winter's descent to fill his lungs to full capacity. He can feel a rush of oxygen to his mind and he feels instantaneously renewed - reinvigorated. He has never known anything as enthralling and enticing as ice and snow, and he knew he likely never would again. There was nothing to compare it to. Its bittersweet numbness and tight, frozen embrace cradled him close, and he cradled it even closer.
"Good. As am I. We are stronger for it, Brynmor - in spite of what obstacles we have faced and certainly will face."
This time, his gaze does not meet his - he is still looking beyond; searching the thick icy border that lines the kingdom for miles upon miles. He briefly pauses to study the small inlet that allowed those who were desired in and those who were kin to go out. It is such a small passage into such a large, expansive space - it stunned him even that his massive figure alone was able to comfortably fit through it, even with the extra poundage of approaching winter solstice. He listens carefully, though, allowing the dappled male's words to fully sink in. His expression retains stoicism and he does not visibly react to any single one of his words, though his mind grows rampant with thought once more.
"I admire your thoughtful approach," He begins as the rumble of his baritone shakes the very core of his esophagus. He pauses his breath in deeply and exhale slowly, a thick puff of white carbon dioxide exiting his lungs at a leisurely pace as he settles upon his words. "but I am afraid I am not interested in trading the blood of our daughters for the promise of their sons. I would rather raise our own here, within our lands, and sooner send our allies our best - of their own volition, and receive them the very same way. For now, I am uncertain of where we stand with the Jungle."
He holds his breath for a moment, knowing his words break a precedence. He has always known of lingering, albeit strained, alliances between the Tundra and the Jungle - the women and men were often as odds with one another, but had often maintained some semblance of an agreeable relationship in the past. The war had been tumultuous though, ruthless and violent, and many had lost their battles as a result. It left him leery, wary and uncomfortable with the idea of an alliance so easily given.
"I would prefer to withhold contact from them for now. Allow the dust to settle; see where we stand with the other monarchs - we are in a position of strength, Brynmor. We have abstained from war and hold great possibilities in forming new, stronger alliances. I think I would prefer to pursue an alliance with those we can equally benefit from, and not those who simply seek the most they can receive in return. I would like for you to visit the Valley, to see the new Queen. See where she stands and take Patchouli with you. When you return, we will venture to the Gates together to meet their new King."
A small smile lingers upon his lips as he slightly dips his head, accepting the kings words with appreciation. Brynmor still isn’t entirely sure how to feel about the promotion, after all, it had been little to no effort, he had did it for the Tundra. But that didn’t mean he would deny what was given to him, after all, Offspring was more than capable to decide who to promote or not and it wasn’t his place to question it. ”I’ll try my best, Offspring. Whatever you need of me.”
His gaze had followed the red eyed king’s to the form of a mare and he cannot stop the smile upon his lips from growing wider. Like Offspring had Isle, he himself had found Roan. Back then they had been alike, they both had lacked the ability to see – but of course neither of them had known that back then – and both had find a home in the Tundra, where they had been dumped and shoved aside by others. Now they had found each other, and Brynmor wasn’t willing to let her go that easily.
He listens quietly to the black king, nodding once in a while to show it. Honestly, the graying male is surprised to hear that Offspring isn’t interested in the child swaps. Not too long ago Hurricane had brought that subject up and to Brynmor it had looked like that it was a common thing to do. Well, he still had lots to learn, and had to admit that this change of view sounded like the right thing to do. ”It will be nice to see youth running around, they will bring another kind of lively feel to the Tundra. You’re right, we should treasure our children, instead of giving them away just like that” he replies after a short pause, once Offspring’s words have fully settled in.
Offspring speaks of their strength and although he wanted to believe that, Brynmor cannot help but to be a bit sceptical. ”We still are with little, but the war didn’t affect the brotherhood. Our ranks aren’t divided or cracked, yet I’m not sure if other kingdoms will see our neutral hold as a strength. I guess they rather had us sided with them, and they can perhaps feel somewhat disappointed with us? If I recall correctly, before the war we had an alliance with the Amazons and we didn’t help them during their time in need.” He honestly hadn’t known that much about the relationship Hurricane had sought with other kingdoms. The most he had done were trips to the field in order to seek others to join the icy kingdom, politics were quite new to him and he lacked knowledge of the past relationships.
”Is there something in particular you want to learn about their new Queen? You say that you want to know where she stands, but other than that? Her view on how to rule the Valley and in which directions he wants to lead her kingdom? And what she thinks of alliances with other kingdoms? Or are you just interested in what she would think of an alliance with the Tundra?”
He pauses, letting the words settle in and give Offspring some time to think of a reply. But only for a short moment, because there is still another question that lingers upon his lips. ”And what would you be interested in, if she’d ask me about the Tundra’s intentions and motivations?” Brynmor wouldn’t be surprised if she would ask that off him, after all, he would come to her and he didn’t want to appear upon the Valley’s doorstep being unprepared.
when you fall I'll be the only one who looks away; when you call I'll be the first to tell you I can't stay.
"I've been a father many times; the idea of trading their lives for an alliance does not sit well with me. I appreciate that you are able to agree with me on that stance." His voice is steady, but his mind rattles and shakes with the force of memories of the many lives that have touched his own. Gentle bleats, soft kisses and endless adoration - children were something to treasure, indeed, and he would not have any tradition telling his instinct to follow any other path. His gaze lingered on Isle and her lithe, but swollen figure as she rests in the bleak sunlight of day - he could not cease the wandering thoughts that perhaps their night of passion had led to something else, to something bigger than himself and bigger than them.
He could not deny that there was a small bubbling of hope simmering just beneath the surface, though he clung to his stoicism as the thought passed through his mind. He cast the other male a look, studying him for a long moment, listening steadily. The wind slowly slides along his frostbitten skin (day by day, he is becoming more like ice - frigid, icy and encased in a constant sheen of frost), tangling itself in his matted tresses as his dark maroon gaze bores into the other, meticulously calculating his every line and feature. He sensed something much more complex about his brother before him, and he knew in due time, he would come to know each intricate layer intimately through their travels, endeavors and battles shared.
"It is possible that one or two may be disappointed in us, but admittedly, I do not believe we had much to offer the war when its time came." He says finally, his baritone reaching above the whipping gusts that have settled between the plains. "Our military forces have been lacking, and our diplomacy has been little and set far between. With our numbers previously containing so few, we had little to give and had no right to make any alliance with no plans in motion to strengthen our numbers.. To fight in battle does not equate to strength, Brynmor. If you ask me, the war was nothing but senseless violence and a reckless display of magical talent. I see no valor in that."
A low, breathy sigh escapes him now as his gaze averts to the flatland ahead of him, lined with stunning, ice-capped mountains and low-hanging clouds that caress their very peaks as they press through the canyon. The gears within his mind had been stirring and churning heavily since his coronation, as his mind weighed heavily on what would be best for the brotherhood in the long run. What would sustain them; what would revive them?
He knew what (and who) he would prefer to avoid in the weeks and months preceding the war, and he knew who still stood strong and determined amidst the chaos of bloodshed and loss. The kingdom of ice was at an advantage - many of the kingdoms were licking their wounds; tasting defeat and seeking alliances and loyalty in spite of the deafening ferocity of death. All were now equals, climbing from the rubble and preparing to rebuild. If they were to revitalize the kingdom and bring the icy plain to its former glory, it would take change. Drastic change. No longer could they settle for the usual procedures; it was time to rip up old roots and bury new ones into the fresh, blood-tainted soil of a new day.
Finally, he studies the dappled male again, scrutinizing his every facial twitch as he speaks. "She is fresh to the throne, not unlike myself. I want to know of her alliances and what she sees ahead for her kingdom; I have my suspicions but I would like to have them settled."He does not suspect; he knows. Demian had become, in the very least, a personal amicable ally - and now he had gone away, trading thrones in exchange for an alliance."If she asks of our intentions," He begins slowly, gaze set intently on his. "tell her that we seek alliance. If she is interested, I will come to her myself and we can settle the terms. Change is upon us, Brynmor - I hope that you are prepared."
He cannot say that he really knows how the black stallion feels, as he didn’t have children himself yet, but he could kind of imagine it. And honestly, he had to agree that he didn’t like the thought of giving his blood away. Roan probably wouldn’t like it either, and he would already had to tell her that he would have his first kid with someone else. Brynmor wasn’t sure how his bay roan lover would think about that, but it was already too late to take that into consideration. Anahera should be close to giving birth by now, just as Offspring’s Isle was. So he offers Offspring a smile as he nods. ”I still get the idea of the swap like Hurricane suggested, but I have to admit I like your view better. They are precious.” With that he lets the subject go. His king had voiced out his wishes on the matter and Brynmor respected them. The answer was clear.
He too had noticed the changes that seemed to hold the ice king in their grasp. It was fitting and not unsurprising for the Tundra’s king, but somehow he had not really expected it. With Hurricane it had been different. By the time Brynmor got to meet their former king he had been reigning for a while already, he hadn’t known better. But he had met Offspring once or twice prior his coronation. He guessed that the changes were just as odd and strange like his own invisibility was. He was born plain – no gifts, nothing special, and even defected – and would never have guessed he would be rewarded in such way. It would help him serve the Tundra better, but he still had to get used to it, still having to learn how to control it. Whenever he tried to turn himself invisible he somehow ended up appearing and disappearing, instead of succeeding completely.
He listens to what his black friend had to say, blue and red eyes meeting. ”I know, we wouldn’t have contributed much, but I’m afraid they might hold it against us. Maybe it is a good thing to focus on the new rules, and their changing kingdoms.” He eventually replies, seeing opportunity in Offspring’s plans like he understood it. The Tundra, Chamber, Valley and the Gates. It sounded like an odd alliance, something he wouldn’t have ever thought, but somewhere deep down it made sense too. New blood, a changing land with changing rules. And although he still couldn’t say he liked the Chamber and was able to forget the past, he knew he would have to learn to deal with it. ”Isn’t war always like that?” he asks, not really able to see any kind of benefit from it. War meant blood, death, anger and hatred. Nothing good came from it.
”I hope so too” he answers before a sigh escapes his lips. He supposed change was good, but it also was something that could go and turn in many ways, and it would take time before they could learn how exactly things had changed. ”What makes you think she would be a good ally, aside from the fact that she’s new to the throne” he asks once Offspring pauses. It isn’t like he questions his king or his motives, but he’s new to this kind of thing. He wanted to be prepared before he and Patchouli would go to the Valley to greet Queen Topsail, and this was one of the things Brynmor was curious to learn.
when you fall I'll be the only one who looks away; when you call I'll be the first to tell you I can't stay.
"There was a purpose behind it; and no doubt there were good intentions. It is something that I am not personally comfortable doing under my reign. If past and even future rulers chose or choose to do it, I would pay it no mind. My children are precious to me,"Were precious, he thinks, and for a long, quiet moment, he wonders if any inherited his curse and still thrived. He wonders if there might be his own blood lingering out there, somewhere. "and I will not use them as bait. Our strength and wit will be what leads us, Brynmor. If we are to be of any value to an ally, it will be on our word, our principles and when called upon, our actions alone."
He falls quiet once more, observing the icy terrain ahead of them. He had never felt such a deeply rooted sense of belonging in the entirety of his life - not in the way that he felt it now. It coursed through his veins as freely and wholly as his crimson-painted blood did, and the mountains and icy glaciers felt as much a part of his bones and sinew as anything could.
It was an overwhelming feeling to cross the valley, pace the beaten path and enter through the sky-high, unyielding walls of ice - it was a thorough, warming sense of home. A feeling he had never experienced before and had been certain he could not duplicate. His dark eyes fell upon Isle and her soft, feminine features - her glimmering eyes, which now watched him from a distance with such veneration and adoration that he struggled not to lose his stoicism before Brynmor.
His attention is soon drawn away as he meets his gaze again, studying him for a long, hard moment. "You're right, Brynmor. War is always like that. And it always will be. And with war come new negotiations, new opportunities and new alliances. A rebirth, if you will, of the land. I believe we will be seeking allies with those who have new rulers, different intentions and alternate ideologies."
He allows this to sink in, both for himself and for the dapple gray of sinew and muscle beside him.
"The Chamber has retained and maintained the Valley as an ally, to my knowledge - and the Chamber is a strong example to follow in means of diplomacy. Rather than destroying the Gates, they have found opportunity to reform it, to rebuild it and retain it, too, as an ally. That is powerful, Brynmor. The true measure of a man - or woman's - power is the ability to see beyond the bloodlust, beyond hostility, beyond vengeance and make something stronger and greater of it for the good will of the people and their own people. If the King of the Chamber and the King of the Valley see value and promise in Queen Topsail, then we must find it and see what use it can be to us, and what use we can be to them."
”A new ruler doesn’t necessary mean that the ideology will be different though. I’d have to admit that Killdare seems different than Straia, but that doesn’t mean he will rule different than the former Chamber queen.” As he speaks he’s barely able to contain the venom in his voice. He doesn’t sound like himself, but it are his truest displayed emotions. Brynmor is kind and goodhearted, yet the past still bothers him. The only one who could cause a more heavier reaction from the gray male was Gryffen, the puppeteer himself. But it probably was a good thing that the Chamber’s former master of whisperers had disappeared. ”Nonetheless I look forward to the changes and will try to help you the best I can to strengthen the Tundra. Even if I might not like how these changes will turn out to be.”
He had to admit that Offspring was right there, what the Chamber had done, take part in and accomplished was something powerful. But he guessed that the original residents of the Gates didn’t really look at things that way. If he had been in their place he wouldn’t have. According to the rumours the Gates was already much darker than she had ever been, and such change would probably not be liked by everybody.
Blue eyes meet red ones and after holding that gaze Brynmor nods. ”So you seek alliance with the Chamber, Gates and Valley, am I correct?” he asks, naming the kingdoms they’ve mostly been speaking about lately. Those three kingdoms and with the Tundra as forth had gotten a new ruler around the same time. But also the Falls had recently gotten herself a new pair of rules. ”The Falls, what do you think about the Falls? King Kreios and Queen Ygritte have only been crowned short before you took over Hurricane’s reign. Or do you think of their king’s relations to the Deserts as something that will stand in the way?”
With their short term objectives clear – the Gates, Valley and Chamber – he’s curious to learn how Offspring thinks about the other kingdoms. The black king had already voiced out his thoughts about an alliance with the Jungle, but other than that he hadn’t spoken yet. Brynmor wanted to know, or at least where they stood now, as he might get in touch with those other kingdoms during trips outside the Tundra. He had yet to run to any of them in the field, but it would only be a matter of time until that would happen.
