"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 AM I FIGHTING FOR? THERE MUST BE SOMETHING MORE. FOR ALL THESE WORDS I SING, DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING?
She is so, so tired.
The purple-spotted mare plods slowing through the little herd land, brown eyes scanning for a quiet place to rest. This pregnancy has been a difficult one, and she’s nearing the end of her rope, both mentally and physically. She can’t wait for this child to be out in the world.
She finally finds a small cave, groaning loudly as she lies down on the cool earth. “Ahh that’s better.” She glances briefly at her belly. It hadn’t bounced back properly after the birth of the twins, and her sides have grown twice as much as they had with Merida … just as it had with the twins. She really, really hopes it’s not twins again. She adores her sons and wouldn’t trade them for anything, but she doesn’t think her body could handle another double birth right away.
And then suddenly pain shoots through her sides. “No!”
Morigan gasps as another pain shoots through her, then another. No, this can’t be happening! It’s too soon, the baby isn’t due for several weeks yet! But instinct takes over, and soon her body is straining and pushing to bring the child out into the world.
The birth is long - too long. But, eventually, it’s over.
Morigan raises her head, and is surprised, though not entirely, to see that there are two bundles beside her instead of one. “Figures,” she murmurs quietly. She strains to get her feet under her, but she’s too tired, too spent. And then she notices the blood coating the two fillies, and the cave’s dirty floor. “Oh … oh no …” It’s an awful lot of blood, more than she’s ever seen for a birth.
She realizes suddenly that she’s growing weaker, that the corners of her vision are starting to fuzz. She reaches towards the twins in a vain attempt to reach them. “Taria! Kosaka!”
Then everything goes black.
She’s gone.
SAID I'M OKAY, BUT I KNOW HOW TO LIE. YOU WERE ALL THAT I HAD, YOU WERE DELICATE AND HARD TO FIND.
He missed everything, but can smell the death – he can taste the silvery taste, the distinct taste of blood. Panic sets in, immediately his thoughts go to one of his women. To be frank, he'd forgotten about his rights to the purple spotted lady he'd only seen in passing. He'd wanted her badly then, but somehow the chaos had swallowed his priority to her and the subject of Morigan got lost. But here she is again. Sprawled at his feet, stiff as a log and bloodied from a bad birth. “Shit.” He eyes move from the gore of Morigan to her two orphaned children, fresh, wet, and motherless.
Shit shit shit.
He eyes shift around in a panic, no one around but him and ol' dead-o. “Fuck.” He startles when one of this children shift, or coo, or whatever it is they do. Instinctively he bends his massive black nose to sniff them and check them for signs of vibrant life or draining energy. They seem find. They're mother may have even been able to nurse them for a moment (colostrum?), so that'll save them for a minute at most...
Chem let's out a loud bellowing whinny. A few more. They start out deep, and loud and trail to the shrieking sound of a spirited whinny. Like the loudest laughing coyote you've ever heard in your life. He needs a willing and capable mother or he will have to deliver them to the faeries.
chemdog
astra inclinant, sed non obligant.
whoever can mother them lol
or if they're not staying, i can have chem escort them somewhere
i'm not sure if there is a plot going on or if they've just been pooped here xD
anyone is welcome to rescue chem from being alone with a dead girl and her kids
feel free haha
Sreva, by this time, was used to Chemdog calling out late in the night, or day, or whatever, for one of his ladies to come visit. Sometimes, it included herself, unless she was sleeping, then she would ignore him. But for some reason, this call sounded different. It was hurting, pained... Sreva's instincts told her something terrible had happened.
The mare's head shot up when Chemdog let out another call. Sreva turned on a dime and took off, sprinting as fast as she could toward Chemdog's call. She didn't know how long she'd been running before she reached the stallion, her neck slick with sweat from how hard she'd pushed herself to run fast as she could. Her hooves echoed against the cave floor as she entered the area, her eyes looking around rapidly, a bit wary since she'd never been in here before.
Her stomach moving at a rapid pace as she regained her breath, Sreva took in what lay before her. Next to Chemdog's hooves, she saw a horse laying on the ground. At first, she thought the mare was sleeping, but then Chemdog's call would've made no sense. Not unless the mare was...
Oh no...
Had that really happened? No, it couldn't have happened to her! She was too strong! Sreva didn't know her too well, but enough so, she knew the mare was a strong one. To have this happen... it broke the heart of the normally stoic pintaloosa mare.
Next to Chemdog she saw something that made her heart ache more. Two foals, fillies, motherless ones. No... please... no...
"What... what happened?" Sreva asked, nearly speechless as she approached the stallion and the fillies.
Disturbed from the only peace and quiet they knew, the dark and comfortable home they resided in, separated from each other. The bay roan filly entered the world first, accompanied a few moments later by her blue roan sister, it was much colder and brighter in this world. There eyes gazed around with the bright light settling allowing them to view the purple spotted mare before them. The twins smiled looking at her, assuming she was there mother, but she did not seem happy, instead she seemed stressed and blood continued to poor from her body. She extended her neck towards the fillies, deeming the red one Taria and the Blue one Kosaka before dropping down not making a noise again.
The fillies cried out unsure of what happened, they just wanted someone look after them, someone to provide milk and comfort. Shortly after being alone someone appeared, the fillies heart beat grew faster terrified the visitor was not here for good intentions. He talks to himself before lowering his muzzle to check out the fillies, Kosaka extended her neck bumping her muzzle into his. gently laughing turning to tug on Tarias mane.
A painted mare joined them, causing the fillies to tuck in closer to each other, perhaps this stallion would protect them. But she proved to be of no harm, perhaps she had food for them. Taria was the first to attempt to walk, hoisting herself off the ground and stumbling forward before falling back to the ground. Kosaka attempted, with a similar ending. Again lifting herself up Taria stepped forward moving with the pull of gravity, learning balance. Soon enough both fillies were capable of standing and walking on there own, still slightly wobbly. The pondered over to the painted mare who had no milk to provide, a sad cry exited there mouths, stomachs growing with hunger.
The gold mare traveled through the herd lands, watching her colt grow every day. Although today was slightly different, a musky stench was in the air, a stench of death. She looked around, praying it was not Chem, that the heard was still safe. She tucked her colt into hiding safe from any predators and moved out to find the death that hovered over the herd lands.
It was pretty easy to follow the trail, the smell of blood grew closer and stronger as she moved east. Soon enough she could pick up Chemdogs scent, as well as a few others. Her heart beat grew faster, Chems scent in the mix, hoping it was not he who was harmed. Her pace quickened sliding to a halt seeing a group of horses, one of them Chem, standing and healthy. A small sigh of relief escaped her body, but as her gaze turned from the horses above she turned to look at two fillies looking for a food source from the painted mare, down to the ground of a dead spotted mare. Her eyes grew wide, she had never met this mare, and those foals did not look like Chems.
Terrified at the scene, every mares worst nightmare, dying in childbirth, no help but to bleed out to your death. She shook the thoughts from her head and her attention turned back to the fillies, scanning at the mare who could not provide milk. She only knew of one other mare pregnant this year, but she was not here, and if the fillies would live they would need food. She was not the best mother, but Chem seemed upset over the outcome, to please him she stepped forward nudging the fillies towards her milk. The both quickly latched on and went to town.
Her gaze looked for Chems "I will take care of them" she spoke gently, it would prove to be a struggle, the milk would be thin providing for three foals, but if they should live they would need her.
Sabé
OOC: I will just have Sabe take care of them since I play Taria and Kosaka
our plot will go on as planned Prism
07-06-2016, 10:49 PM (This post was last modified: 07-16-2016, 10:10 PM by Sreva.)
Sreva's head went up when she heard someone approaching. Her ears forward, the mare recognized the golden form of Siba coming up on them, a worried look in her eye. The mare seemed highly anxious, which did not surprise Sreva. Whether Sabe was worried about the now dead mare or the twin foals that had no mother now, Sreva did not know, nor really care.
For some reason, all she cared about right now was finding these foals someone to care for them. She wanted to offer, but realized she would be unable to give them food, since she didn't have a foal and, therefore, no milk. The mare watched as Sabe told Chemdog she would take care of the foals as she nudged them toward her teats so they could have milk to help them regain their energy. Energy that would have been quickly lost otherwise.
Sreva didn't know why, but for some reason, a newfound jealousy burned within her heart. Why was she so upset with Sabe? The mare didn't do anything wrong. She was providing these foals a source of food, and a caring presence that would nurture them until they were grown. So why was Sreva so upset?
Was it because she had wanted to care for the foals? Was it the fact that she was angry with herself that she didn't carry milk since she hadn't had a foal? Whatever the case, Sreva was mad, but couldn't take it out on any horse here.
Eiria had seen her sire upset before, but never like that. The day that the rival stallion, Chemdog, who had once lived in the Frontiers, stole Morigan from the herd, along with the unborn foal, or foals, within her belly. Archam had gone off in search of more mares following that, leaving Eiria's dam, Anahi, to watch over the remaining members of the herd, which were quite limited at the time.
Now, with Devnot, and some new arrival, Varnish, he was starting to get that herd back. He also had his twin colts, Andras and Francois, Sirana and Nerius, Eiria's siblings, and his lead mare, Anahi. All in all, he had a stable herd back, but not enough mares apparently.
Even if Eiria couldn't help him win some mares, the least she could do was check on his foal with Morigan. So, after Archam had gone out on another journey to look after his kingdom and more mares, the yearling had snuck off with her older sister, Sirana, to go check on Archam's foal within Chemdog's land.
The two had been quietly walking through the territory, keeping a careful eye out for the stallion. At first, they'd seen nothing, until Sirana had spotted a pintaloosa mare galloping across the meadow grass toward a tall mountain in the distance. The sisters had followed, eyes widening when they spotted a cave.
Eiria glanced at Sirana before she took a couple steps closer. Luckily, she was still out of ear, and eye, shot when the pintaloosa mare had come racing back out of the cave. Once she was gone, Eiria poked her head in, curious as to what had happened that caused the mare such distress.
Inside, she spotted the stallion, along with a mare she didn't know, two fillies, and a body. She assumed the fillies to be Archam's, given once she took another look at the body, she recognized the form of Morigan. Her heart nearly stopped when it came to her that one of her sire's favorite mares had passed away, leaving her two fillies among this world.
For right now, given their age, there didn't seem to be a lot the sisters could do. Still, Eiria would ask. She turned to look at Sirana, a worried expression in her eye.
Sreva's arrival couldn't have come quick enough and Chem's gut fluttered to see her come running for his call. She, obviously, was as shocked as he to arrive to such a scene – but he hoped something different would stir in her now, something maternal. “I don't know what happened. Twins being a'li'l too hard for 'er, I'm assuming.” He bends to sniff the body, then the pair of wet foals. What would they do with them? Were they Archam's? Somewhere in the back of his mind things began to coil and turn like a serpent. A scheming serpent who is ever on the move for more.
But schemes were for later. For now they must remain alive and under the tutelage of the Villagers.
They wobbled and rose on shaky legs. Weary now, he thought, but perhaps they will be warriors or skilled spies. His mouth curled at the edges as he daydreamed fates for them. It felt like longer but only a few seconds bleed by as he stares at the fillies stir and find their balance. He offers a steady nose if they need to lean, but otherwise just watches them.
He didn't notice his golden lady's entrance but her voice seems to awaken relief in his eyes. He knew Sreva would be a good guide, but she had no nourishment. Sabé on the other hand, in all her fertility, holds those precious sacks of nutrients necessary for them. “You'll make them strong like our other children, certainly.” He reaches out to bump her dark nose. She had become the Mother Sol of the herd, he ponders as he watches her. Rearing children successfully, willingly, and with wisdom. And now she takes two more Daughters of the Ash to raise. He could feel Sreva beside him. As if her insides trembled, he could see something boiling in her eyes. He bumps her shoulder with his inky nose. “They will need you too Sreva. I want them to have a little piece of everyone's knowledge and experience.” His undivided attention cannot stay on her long, though, as the younglings began to stir even a bit more.
[Chem's too busy to notice the sisters spying from afar, but feel free to throw 'em further in the mix! <33]
Sirana was a fan of going out on her own, so, if it had been up to her, either she would've tried to get Eiria to stay home, or allowed the yearling to go to Chemdog's herd land by herself, since Sirana had wanted to do something else. However, knowing her dam and sire wouldn't forgive her for letting her little sister wander off like that, probably to get in trouble, the two-year-old had agreed to accompany Eiria, truthfully curious as to what had become of Morigan.
Archam had seemed quite upset when the spotted mare had been taken away from his herd. Sirana knew that her sire had feelings for all his mares, but the way he'd reacted when Morigan had officially left, stolen by that narcissistic stallion, Chemdog... Sirana's blood boiled as she thought about him. If she saw him here, she didn't know whether she'd try to run away before he could get her, or comply with the urge to kick his teeth out.
The sisters ventured cautiously through the stallion's territory, knowing that if they were caught, it might mean big trouble for them. They followed the strong smell of horses to a nearby cave, poking their heads cautiously around the edge to peer inside. Sirana's eyes narrowed as she observed the two young foals, not able to tell from this distance if they were fillies or colts.
If there was one thing she could figure out though, these two were definitely Archam's. Forget the fact that one of them had blue coloring, but the roan on both of them came from one stallion Sirana knew.
Eiria asked her older sister what they should do concerning the foals, if they should try to take them back to Archam is probably what she was implying. Sirana had to admit, she would like to do so, given that it would make her sire happy, but at this age, there was no way that was possible.
Sirana looked down at Eiria, "We can't do anything for now. They're too young to be moved or taken anywhere; at the very least, we can tell Father they're safe. For now, we should head back home before we get caught here," she said.
The two siblings turned and prepared to head off, but Eiria, not used to this rocky ground, different from home, cried out as she slipped on a small rock. As she tried to regain her balance, the rock tumbled away to the cave's entrance, something that Sirana noticed.
"Run!" the two-year-old cried out, not caring if someone did hear, only that she and her sister get away from the stallion before they got caught.
Unknown to Chemdog, something was indeed stirring within Sreva. She wanted to be the one to help take care of these foals, but at the same time, knew she couldn't. She didn't have a foal of her own, therefore, no milk to provide for the young ones. At this stage of life, it was what they needed. This was something that only Sabé could give to them, since she had a foal of her own this season. She was producing milk, so she was the obvious candidate for the caretaker of the two roan foals.
Sreva had to work hard to hide her displeasure. She desperately wanted to take care of them, and though Chemdog's words that they would learn from everyone in the herd helped her a little, it wasn't the same. She was still a bit angry that she could not be the one to take care of the foals. It would be tough for Sabé too, given she had three to take care of now.
Oh screw it, Sreva wanted to help how she could. It was some instinct burning within her, something that, right now, she could not hold back. The mare stepped closer to the foals as they took turns nursing, her gaze on the fillies. She began to clean them off a little, help to warm them up so they could get their blood flowing, which would hopefully help them adjusting to this new world. It wouldn't do for them to be cold in a place such as this.
