if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes

His gilded shoulders are lighter now without the whole weight of Hyaline bearing down on them. No longer is his head heavy with crown, either ─ instead, that gold adorns Solace's head. He has been there to guide her when she needs him, but the daughter of Tangerine and Warrick is a swift learner and the residents of Hyaline have already taken to the kindness in her heart. Amet is proud of her and her progress, and though he knows that his sanctuary home is in good and capable hands, he still cannot bring himself to leave.

He lingers beneath his wisteria tree, amber eyes roving the glassy surface of the lake. He is an ever-present sentinel, a fixture of Hyaline itself. He has brightened over the last few months, no longer fatigued or weak, and the gleam has returned to his golden scales. His time spent with Jah-Lilah had been more eye-opening than Amet had realized at first, reminding him of the beauty in life that exists even when Ciri is not around.

He thinks on the panther cub frequently that had been born during his drug-induced trip, curious if the young feline had anything to do with his unborn (perhaps born now, though, he's unsure whether Ciri remains in Ischia or if she even plans on telling him) child. Still, though, he remains lake side. He is a former king, one who has sworn himself to Hyaline's protection even after passing the throne to Solace, and it will not do him well to dwell on a broken heart.

The gilded stallion wonders if he should visit Jah-Lilah soon to see how the soothsayer fares. He had not heard word of her in some time. Amet hmmms in consideration as he pivots away from the trunk of his purple-boughed tree, only to settle his gold-flecked eyes on the horse that has been the topic of his musings. "Jah-Lilah!" he calls to the red wytch happily, eyes falling to notice the blatant swell of her barrel before returning to her kind face.

"I was just thinking of you," he admits with a warm grin as he steps from the shade of the wisteria and into the bright sunshine.

Amet

Jah-Lilah

someday, we will foresee obstacles

Close your eyes, have no fear.


There had been no time to dwell on the sadness in her she-mate's departure, and perhaps that was for the best. My little red mare had a whole new little being to bring into the world, so all her focus had to be on her beautiful, perfect unborn. It had been hard for my mare to be still, to sit placidly on the shores of the beach anymore, so she had went for a stroll. The always-present scent of the purple wisteria trees had called to her on this spring afternoon, and so it was she had found herself in Hyaline.

It had been ages since she'd seen the Dragon-King, but she was quite certain he wouldn't mind her turning up here unannounced. His lake had beckoned her, and she was more than willing to come forth. Partially submerged in the water, she allows herself to float. The pain in her sore legs and hooves is temporarily alleviated as she is rendered weightless. Dog paddling back to the shoreline, she emerges and shakes herself. The sun begins to immediately warm her and dry her out, and then she hears a familiar voice.

Her name tossed into the air, she turns to find the young king @[Amet]. Jah-Lilah grins broadly, emerald eyes dancing with mirth. Grunting, she shakes herself and starts off to meet him halfway. Her mane is a tangled mess, new feathers and old matted into the hair, her body aches, her belly swings as she walks, yet she feels amazing. Something inside of her is telling her it's almost time, and she is beside herself with excitement at the thought of meeting her new child, Canaan's new child.

The scaly male finally reaches her, and she arches her neck, nipping at him in greeting. "Hale, Dragon-King! I am well, glad to be in your thoughts. How are you? It's been ages since I've seen you!"


The monster's gone, it's on the run, and your mama's here.

Jah-Lilah's scarlet frame gleams beneath the summer sun, darkened by the lake water that still clings to her coat. Her tangled mane and tail cling to her as she moves and Amet can't help but laugh good-naturedly at the sight, pleased that she feels welcome enough in his home to also make it her own whenever she visits. They each work to close the distance between them and the gilded stallion can't help but to toss his narrow head sheepishly as she calls him Dragon-King. "Former King," he retorts with amusement in his voice as the soothsayer serpentines her head out to nip at him.

"I'm feel much lighter, Jah," Amet tells her truthfully, his amber eyes settling on her warmly, "thanks to you." His time spent in Ischia had helped the young stallion to... realign himself. She had reminded him that there could be happiness outside of Ciri, that he could not dwell in the darkness. And he will forever be grateful. "Solace has taken the helm and I've taken to relaxing," the Akhal-Teke tells the red wytch happily as his amber eyes move from her and to the their vibrant surroundings, "The view is different now that I don't have my crown to worry about." The confession is easy and natural ─ it's always been easy to be truthful with Jah-Lilah. Their first encounter had been wrought with his own fear, and there had been nothing for him to hide from that moment on.

"But I want to hear about how you've been, Jah," the stallion grins at her, ears fluttering forward pleasantly, "How are you doing? And Ischia? Cancancancan?" It's been nearly a season since the young stallion had been able to make it to the tropical island of Ischia. His last venture there, to bring Solace, had cemented an alliance between Hyaline and Circinae's kingdom, but he senses that much has happened since he had seen the nomadic family last.

Jah-Lilah

someday, we will foresee obstacles

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful girl.


Laughing joyously at the reunion with her friend, Jah-Lilah looks him over. He is shiny, smiling, and has a new lightness to his step. He looks sheepish and embarrassed that she's still calling him King, but what is a mother for if not to embarrass her children? Even this adopted one cannot hide from her playful chiding. "You'll always be Dragon-King to me, little son." Her swollen belly inhibits her usual bouncy activity upon the greeting of such a close companion, but she still manages to arch her neck and snort excited, stomping a dark hoof deep into the ground.

He begins to muse aloud about the benefits of retirement, and my red mare smiles warmly. "I can tell the weight has been lifted in more ways than one, but you have no one to thank but yourself." Although she had provided him with the tools to expand his mind and way of thinking, he had been the one bold enough to take the blind leap of faith and trust completely in her. Given everything the young stallion had gone through in his short life, she wouldn't have been offended in the slightest had he turned down her offer to take a trip. The fact that he could still find room in his heart for loyalty and love spoke volumes about the content of his character. She listens intently as he describes the new girl, Solace he calls her, who has come to care for his dear Hyaline. His delight is infectious, and she can't help but find herself grinning and nodding along as he fills her in on all the details of his life.

Turning the focus seamlessly to her, he inquires about the goings on in her end of the world, and it would seem as much as changed for her as it has for him. Never one to mince words, my firefly jumps in immediately to confirm his suspicions. "As you can see, I've been wonderful, a busy little bee, you might say." She motions coyly to her immense stomach, eyes suddenly glazing over with a dreamy look. "And my Wind, he's...everything. I could ask for no better soul mate or lover than what the Earth-Mother is given me in him. He takes care of me, he loves me, anything in this world or all others he would get for me, if I so desired it. He is all the things inside of me that are good, and I've never been more in love."

Snapping out of her dazed state as he inquires upon Ischia, she frowns momentarily. Taking her time to visibly swallow, she chooses her next words so carefully. "The island is...no longer a home for me or mine, I fear. The Wolf has vanished, no trace left behind and no goodbyes said. All that remained behind was a shell at her favorite place on the beach, and quite frankly I had no idea what to do with it, so I left it there. A young mare has taken over, but civilized life is not for me or my winged king, so we are nomads again, and glad of it." She sighs heavily, the weight of leaving her homemade nest behind was trying to overcome her again, but she fights it off and carries on. There were better places for her and her family out there. "Part of the reason I came here was to impose on you a bit, I suppose. I was hoping I could find a place to call ours here, at least until the baby came, but it seems I'm asking the wrong one now!" Speaking with an ornery smirk, she nudges him, loving the fact that she can still tease him after everything he has been through.


Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful girl.

"If it pleases you to call me that, I suppose I don't mind," the young stallion says, his voice laced with an easy, natural laughter that seems only to surface when the crimson soothsayer is in close proximity. She has shown him much in the year that he has known her, and Amet can't imagine his life without the wisdom or pure happiness that is Jah-Lilah. His ears flutter excitedly as she grows coy and motions to her inflated stomach, drawing his amber eyes to the obvious swell of a growing babe.

"Your child is going to have the happiest life, Jah, I just know it," he blurts in his excitement before settling back into happy silence to listen to the red wytch croon about her Wind. He is familiar with Canaan and is pleased that the two kind souls have found each other in this world. The gilded stallion had thought, briefly, that he had found something similar with the starry-eyed Ciri, but alas, it had not been meant to be.

He does his best not to dwell on this fact anymore, and grows distracted by the sudden sadness that lingers at the corners of Jah-Lilah's lips at the mention of Ischia. The emotion seems out of place on her kind face, but soon he understands. The Wolf has vanished. Amet finds that it's his turn to frown now. The moss-colored mare had been a kind and able Advisor and Guardian; to disappear suddenly was simply not Circinae, but it's not his place to press and so Amet simply nods his understanding of the situation.

"I would not consider it imposing," Amet says with amusement as the happiness returns to Jah-Lilah's face, though he doesn't get a chance to answer her inquiry before they are joined by the winged form of Canaan. The gilded stallion bobs his head in warm greeting to him, a gentle chuckle falling from his lips. "Thank you for your kind words, Canaan. I think I owe you a congratulations," he says with a flicker of amusement in his amber eyes. "And I promise that you are not intruding. I will let Solace know that you will be staying here for as long as you need. But..." he trails off for a moment, gaze slipping between the two of them playfully. "Only if I get to be called Uncle Amet."

Jah-Lilah

someday, we will foresee obstacles

Before you go to sleep, say a little prayer.


When she looked into his eyes, it filled her so full it was almost too much to bear. Almost. Just when she had begin to think she had seen it all, he showed her there was more to see. He was as much a part of her as the Earth-Mother, master and commander of the wind and of her heart. A breeze takes hold of her, and she loses herself in his grasp as he swarms all around her. Her beloved is near. There is a certain fear that comes from giving one self away, to relinquishing all power and control, to being at the mercy of another being. Jah-Lilah is no longer afraid. Despite what her past has taught her, she trusts him, blindly and wholeheartedly. The pair of them had to endure heartbreak and trouble to finally find one another, but every bit of it was worth it to the red sorceress. My mare was now proud of who she was, proud to be taken, proud to be at the side of another. Jah-Lilah's soul was changing. 

A thin layer of sweat had begun to coat her pelt, and she shifted her weight uncomfortably as the babe within her tried to reposition itself. A great shift in the wind, then the sound of wings, and she is instantly at ease. Raising her head to watch him land (gracefully as always, he was so impressive), her eyes dance merrily. Her heart leapt with joy at the sight of him, relieved he was here. Her sides heave, her breathing labored although she isn't exerting herself. Internally, she blames the waning heat of the sun, but secretly she is concerned about their little one. Her tail swishes aggressively against her haunches, but she barely notices she's doing it. Her soulmate gravitates to her, placing kisses tenderly down her body, and the sea inside her is temporarily quelled. Smiling through a particularly bad cramp, she chuckles and nibbles his shoulder in return, leaning on him more than normal.

"Ah, my Wind, right on time as usual." The words are spoken through momentarily gritted teeth, then she exhales as the pain subsides. @[Canaan] was the only thing she wanted right now, the unfamiliarity of motherhood leaving her ignorant to the fact that she was having contractions. It had always been so easy to be the midwife, now it was her turn to be the new mother. Grunting again, she speaks, her voice an octave lower than usual. "I'm glad you've found me, I don't feel very good today lover."

She can't help but smile as @[Amet] fumbles out compliments about the future of her unborn. It is a welcome distraction from the pain her abdomen. The Dragon-King is still the same awkward youngling she had met seasons ago, unsure of his place in the world, but good and kind. It delighted Jah-Lilah to see ruling a kingdom and then giving it away hadn't gone to his head or ruined him. Another wave of pain washes over her, and she can only nod her gratitude and agreement in his words, huffing and puffing her way through the tightening in her womb.

As she turns to her winged king, something different consumes her, and she cries out quietly. So much for asking him to help her back to "bed"(ahem, with suggestive eyebrows and all, the hormones have been turning her out lately). The contraction rocks her damn near to her core, and she whines, long and low. Suddenly she goes down in front, left knee giving out on her. The rest of her body trembles, in pain this time rather than pleasure, and the next thing she knows her water breaks. A flood like one she's never felt drenches the grass, and she knows what time it is. All the midwife skills in the world and she still found herself unprepared for this moment.


Every day, in every way it's getting better and better.

There is an air of natural comfort between the two of them, Jah-Lilah and Canaan (and no, it isn't because of Canaan's wind control), that Amet is warmly envious of. To see the way they gaze between each other, the way their bodies meld together, the way their faces glow as if their love is new and endless and breathtaking... it turns his thoughts briefly to Ciri and to his own unborn (or born ─ he is entirely unsure, for the scent of the starry-eyed mare is long gone from his home and his life), but the gilded stallion gently tucks these thoughts into the depths of his mind and simply watches the red Wytch and her Wind interact as if the two of them had never had a third. The trio had become a duo and though Amet thinks of Circinae fondly, the two before him had clearly meant to be together Eternally.

The Akhal-Teke is drawn back to the present by Canaan's upbeat laughter and the gilded stallion mirrors it, offering a lopsided grin to the pair. "It's an honor that I will not take lightly," he responds through the laughter, though his gold-flecked eyes shift quickly to Jah-Lilah at the sudden change of her tone. His brow furrows and Amet's laughter fades into silence as his own worry blooms. His pupils narrow as he watches the soothsayer closely, her shoulder leaning now into Canaan's and her red coat suddenly dark with sweat. Amet nickers anxiously to them both, his weight shifting uncomfortably against the soft loam of Hyaline just as the red wytch exhales through clenched teeth and drops her front legs to her knees. "Jah!" he whispers with worry, her name nearly sticking inside of his dry mouth.

Amet tosses his head nervously, golden scales glistening with the movement, as she finally lowers herself entirely and the beginning wave of her childbirth is expelled onto the earth. His amber eyes find Canaan and Amet nickers again to get the other stallion's attention, the anxiety written purely across his narrow face. "What can I do? Can I help? Should I leave?" His tail flicks with agitation around the bronzed scales of his hocks and he pivots left and right, muscles taut beneath the flesh of his shoulders as he tries to figure out what to do. Finally his gaze falls to Jah-Lilah, a pang of helplessness growing in his chest as he realizes the extent of her pain. "Jah, what can I do? Do you want me to leave? Can I ─" he pauses then, amber eyes wide as frantic words start to spill out again, "Jah! The plants that you gave Ciri to help her pain! What do they look like?"