"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
What a waste of her time. Archam had stolen her, hurrah. Now what? She would sit here, legs deep in muddy water surrounded by his no doubt equally as bored herdmares for a stinking year. A whole, sopping, boring year. A year was a long time, plenty could happen. She could give birth - who was to say she wasn’t already with child? She could escape, if she wished it. But Besra is not a coward, nor is she with child, so her choices are limited.
She will stay and she will muddy her feet, because that’s what she had chosen from the first day she strode into the Field. Oddly enough, that was the exact place she’d met Archam, the spotted bay brute as charming then as he was to her now. He was smooth with his tongue, but every silver sword is double-edged. It was false, all of it, and she doubted that Archam had a single sincere bone in his body. She hopes he’s around here somewhere.
“Come out, come out …” She whispers, treading lightly through the running water of his lands, “Wherever you are.”
He watched from a distance as the blue mare entered the cobblestone. She trekked through the creek, her roan body glistened off the morning sun. It was almost summer and the morning sun was already hot, beaming down its light on them. He gave a small laugh as she stood calling him out, like a game. He could tell she already hated him, and he had no bad intentions of his steal. In fact this was very out of character for Archam.
He flicked his tail gently, removing all insects on his hind quarters. Moving forward he revealed himself from the trees that provided shelter. Good Morning Besra He said in a playful voice as he neared her. Welcome to my home, nice of you to visit He spoke sarcastically, knowing she did not want to be here. I would like for you to think less of a captive, and more like you are family. He stared over her, trying to read her body. I can make a promise to you, that I will not make you do anything you do not want. In the field when I said I wanted you, I truly meant it. You tug at my heart strings He said with a smile and moved slightly closer. I do hope you will try to enjoy your stay, and after your year is up, if you choose to go back to the Dale, than you are more than free to He stood awaiting a response. All his words were true, he would not force a child with the blue mare should she not want one, all he wanted was for her to want to stay in his herd. She did not believe him in the field, that he was a gentleman, he just wanted to prove to her that he could offer a pleasing life for her.
Snakes; she’s seen them before. Creatures that slither prostrate on their bellies, eating the earth and tasting the air with forked tongues at your feet. Zeik had brought one to her once, when she was a young foal, he’d stuck it through and through with his talons and presented it to her limp, dead, curled over on itself. Archam, to her, is a snake. Besra would like very much to crush his skull beneath her hooves. She sees the way he gorges on her flesh with his eyes... she bets he'd like to see her as a part of his little ”family”, wouldn’t he?
Then again, people in hell want ice water.
“I don’t expect I’ll be here the full year.” She hisses, ears turning flat against her skull as he inches nearer. She wishes he’d come within range - maybe then she’d give him a permanent mark across that smug little face. Something to always remember her by. “I bet you think you’re so clever, don’t you?” She asks, winding away from him as her head drops, eyes narrowing. “But I’ve got news for you.” She says, stopping suddenly. It’s quiet here and she likes that; it means they’ll hear him scream.
“If you come near me, ever again, I’ll have your eyes ripped from your face.”
At three months old, Sirana had already started to grow into a healthy young filly. Her coat would still continue to lighten, but now that she'd started to grow a finer layer of it, her pattern really popper. Her coat was a bright chestnut, her white star standing out perfectly against her forehead. Her ears were tiny and sculpted against her fine head, her young body filling out nicely as she was growing. Her legs were still a bit long, but she did still have a lot of growing to do anyways.
Besides, the long legs were great for running. On this beautiful summer day, Sirana and her dam were out in the meadow just outside the Cobblestone territory. Anahi apparently liked that area a lot, and so Sirana, while still needing a dam's milk, used her time here to run around and explore while her dam ate the grass. To this day, the filly still wondered what it would be like to taste that green stuff she was always rolling around in. She didn't have the teeth capable of chewing it though, so no point in trying to find out.
The filly let out a happy whinny as she ran through the grass, slowing down enough that she could drop onto her back and roll around. A happy smile appeared on her face as she scratched her back on the earth beneath the grass, grateful to get rid of the itching. She got back up and continued to run some more, kicking her legs up in joy as she enjoyed herself.
Spotting a butterfly on a flower nearby, the filly wandered closer, admiring the bright red patterns on the insect's wings. The butterfly flapped its wings and left the flower, beginning to fly back toward the Cobblestone territory. Figuring there was nothing wrong in following it, as long as she didn't go too far, the filly followed after the butterfly, trotting fast enough to keep pace with it.
When it landed on another flower, Sirana lowered her head, flaring her nostrils at the insect as she tried to get a closer look. The butterfly left the flower again, flapping closer to her muzzle and landing there for a brief moment before taking off again, probably to go find a new flower.
Sirana watched the insect fly away, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Deciding she should return to her dam's side, Sirana turned and prepared to head back, but something stopped her. Flicking her ears back, the filly listened closely; it sounded like there were voices nearby, which meant there were some herd horses. How exciting! One voice she recognized immediately; it was her sire, Archam. That fact alone filled Sirana with a lot of excitement; it had been a few days since she'd last seen her sire, so she'd be happy to see him again.
The other voice, she didn't recognize, but that didn't matter. Perhaps it was a new member of the herd, some new addition to their 'family'. Anahi had told Sirana with that word meant, that even if the horses in her sire's herd weren't all blood related, they took care of one another, which made them like a family. Sirana wanted to make sure everyone in her family felt like they belonged here, so she figured she should go say hi to the new horse.
Cantering toward the voices, the filly arrived there just in time to fully make out what the other voice, the stranger's voice, was saying. She hadn't earlier, but now that she could determine what was being sad, it made her mad. Why was this strange horse speaking to her sire like that? Why was she being so rude?
Sirana didn't like that; her sire was a good, kind horse. He didn't deserve to be talked to like that. She should say something, shouldn't she?
The filly approached the bickering horses, stomping a hoof as she squealed in disagreement with the mare's words, "Don't talk to my dad like that! You don't have to be so rude to him!"
Anahi, like any first time mother, was a highly protective dam. She always made sure that Sirana stayed within ear shot, if not eyesight, so that she could be sure her daughter was safe. That didn't mean she could be overly controlling though. Sirana needed to have her independence, learn what it was like to be a horse. There was some lessons that they couldn't teach each other, as much as Anahi would like. Her daughter did have to learn some things on her own, so Anahi would let her, as long as nothing got out of hand.
So, on that day, when Sirana started chasing another butterfly, Anahi absentmindedly followed her daughter, stopping a couple times along the way to pick up a mouthful of grass. She had a healthy grazing habit, like all horses, but also the need to keep an eye on her daughter, so she tried to not stop for a long period of time, in case Sirana got too far away.
Anahi also picked up on the voices Sirana heard, her ears going forward in interest. Had Archam recruited another new mare for the herd? My, he was certainly getting busy lately. Anahi's job was hard enough, with being a diplomat in addition to the alpha mare. She was considering asking another mare in the herd, or her friend from the kingdom, Nikita, to help with watching them all just to be sure everything was going okay when Archam was away on kingdom business, or in the Fields to recruit.
When Sirana disappeared from sight a moment, Anahi was quick to catch up. Her filly certainly had a mouth on her. Anahi did agree with her daughter, but she also knew it wasn't polite to butt into another's business the way Sirana had. The champagne mare approached her daughter, giving her a light nip on the withers as punishment for doing what she had.
"Sirana, that is not very polite. This matter is between your father and this mare, so let them handle it."
Archam cocked his eye as the mare suggest that she would not be here for the full year Is that so he thought to himself. Humored that she thought someone would come to her rescue, she was walking on needles with Archam, which was expected. He knew she would not be happy with what he had done, although he hoped the roan mare would come around, and truly see he means no harm to her.
He gave a snort as he gazed at her I'm not sure what there is to be clever about cautiously watching over her. She must have noticed him when he stepped closer because she was quick to call him out he did not back up and stayed were he was, truly considering whether or not to move forward. He wanted to, but Anahi and Siranas scents came in the air and he did not want to make a scene around them. I'm not sure why you are being so defensive,I told you I will not make you do anything you don't want to. You are free to travel the lands as you please
His nares did not fool him, as he finished speaking he heard Sirana snap at Besra, he turned to look at her with a warning glance, as if to request her silence, He flicked his tail before turning his gaze back to Besra. He heard the approach of another, and with no new scents in the air was aware it was Anahi, he normally would turn to greet her but wanted to keep his eyes on Besra. His body was relaxed and his gaze was gentle, he meant no harm to Besra and hoped she would enjoy her time in the Cobblestone.
Why shouldn’t someone come to her rescue? A stallion like Archam is easily sized up against his competitors. If he’d had the guts to challenge Phaedrus, Besra doubts the bay would be so confident now. Her warning doesn’t elicit much of a reaction from him, not that she expected differently, and he’s eager to test her limits by holding his position. If anything, Besra reasons that he’s just like every other stallion she’s come across. Eager to get into a pissing match with anything that challenged him and willing to subject the opposite sex to as much discomfort as he could manage. Horses like him disturb the pepper-spotted girl, she finds them … distasteful.
They’re interrupted, of course. The lapse in tension comes when a member of his brood noses her way into the meeting. A filly, the color of dust at the edge of the Desert, opens her little mouth and makes her point quite clear to the bickering duo. With a raised brow Besra can see exactly how much of her is Archam. How telling, that his own children should be so bold when danger rears its ugly head. She can’t decide if it’s stupidity or bravery that she sees in the girl, but her dam is quick to intercede. Though Besra could easily make mountains out of a molehill in this situation, she’s certainly a step above someone who would callously fight with a young foal and an innocent mare.
Her beef is with Archam anyways. “Since I have your permission, then, I’ll be making my way to the Dale.” She retorts, tail flicking sharply at her hind. Perhaps now of all times was the perfect opportunity to try out the Kingdoms and see if any one in particular fit her best for service. It would keep her out of here and out of Archam’s way, which is exactly as she wishes it to be.
His eyes followed as she scanned Sirana and Anahi, she was rather displeased which he figured she would be. She was not pleased with anything of these lands. The next thing out of her mouth was she would be returning to the Dale, did she not understand how stealing worked? she could not just simply return to the Dale. A laugh escaped his maw as she said that, as she moved passed him to head back home he gave a snort. Pinning his ears to his dome he quickly cantered, his legs pounded into the ground as the anger began to boil. Did this mare truly think she could just leave? Did she take him as a joke? He slid to a halt once he was in front of her, quickly turning to stare at her You surely did not think I meant you could travel back to the Dale His gaze was flared with anger You can do as you please in the Cobblestone, and in the Falls, although you are not to return to the Dale until your year is over His ears remained pinned before he slightly backed up allowing her space.
She did not want to be here, which was fine by him, for his own learning experience he tested out stealing and was successful, he surely was not just going to let her leave after all his hard work.
Oh, of course she considered him a joke. Everything he did was either infuriating, or one step away from laughable. His home, his methods of containment, his ludicrous idea that Besra was even mildly attracted to him - ridiculous. It’s not usually in her nature to be so outwardly vicious, but somehow Archam manages to bring the worst out in her. She can hear him thundering after her and she only stops when he swings around in front to block her path. His comment about her restrictions only makes her head rise and her ears fall back in a challenge. She’s willing to stake that even against someone like her, the mighty Archam would lose in a battle.
She wonders if he’s ever tasted blood, if he’s ever watched the horror of abuse or seen the nightmares that really creep around this place. The world outside of his puny herd was so much bigger than he knew. “You would lord yourself over me like that?” Besra questions aloud, voice filled with disgust. “How could anyone ever come to love a creature like you?” She tells him, snapping her teeth together with savage animosity. Her mind is spinning, legs itching to be free of this wretched place.
“But I take it you’re someone who likes his toys.” She says, pinning him with her glass stare. “I’ll make you a deal, Archam.” She offers, voice lowering as her mood changes slowly. Her bright tail swings at her hind, heart clenching with the thought of what she’s about to do. “If you let me go and promise not to steal me again, I’ll give you my first-born daughter in exchange.”
It’s a tantalizing deal - one he’d be stupid to refuse. She's not meant to be here and he knows it, but her daughter? A girl could be brought up here and taught loyalty. Instead of having Besra for a year, he'd have her child for, well, forever. What stallion didn't like those odds?
He gazed at the mare, anger began to boil as he could see her anger. She was truly a stubborn mare and she refused to believe anything he said. He was angry, but not at any of that, he was angry by the way the mare treated him. She belittled him, and made him out to be a vicious stag. Has she ever been near an asshole? He surely was not one, if she wanted to find out what an asshole was she should go to the neighboring herd and talk to that stallion. She surely would come running to Archam at that point, asking him to take her back.
His ears pinned against his head as she asked how another could ever love him. He was truly a gentleman and all of his mares in the herd were here by choice, and because they enjoyed Archams company one way or another. At this point she was offending his herd, not just himself. He stood there allowing the mare to savagely spit out everything she desired, truly showing her disgust for him. And than she came down with an offer, one so juicy that his ears pricked forward. She offered her first born filly to Archam, something truly interesting. If she hated him so much why would she ever offer her daughter to him, surely she knew that he would breed with her. Would she be such a terrible mother that she would offer her filly to him just to get herself away from him? Although it was an offer he could not turn down.
He gave a nod and moved aside so she could freely go back to the Dale I accept your offer, you are free to return to the Dale so long as you hand deliver your first born daughter to me the day she turns two. Do not fill her head with non sense, allow her to make her own decisions. I will hold you to this deal he gave a snort waiting for her to run off, back to Phaderus.
