There's things he needs to do, some related to kingdoms, some related to friends, some to family - but she's the top of the list.


He has a knack for ruining things in his own life, but she's not one of them. Perhaps that's why he left her to grow up with her mother - much safer, not for her physical well-being but mostly for her easily influenced child-mind. But it was spring already without him looking at the time, she was a year old now, and there was a good chance that she'd found out things she might have inherited from him, or his mother, or - had his mother even visited her like he'd mockingly, angrily told her to do? Probably not; in that case maybe he should invite her to see his family in Nerine some time.

Some time later. Today he would be visiting her in her home, instead of happening upon her and her mother by chance again. Nerinians were welcome in Hyaline without it being border intrusion, and, hailing from the north because he'd visited the place, he figured it wouldn't be a problem. And if it was, he could explain.

He took the path among the westcoast rocks, a relatively high place where he could look over a lot of this kingdom, but ultimately, when he couldn't find her, or her mother, he let his call echo between the mountains. He hadn't thought of the fact that maybe Thalassa was in here too until it was too late; at that thought, he moved a bit away from his original spot just not to be caught off-guard. Hopefully, then.

For someone who knows, indeed, a lot of other horses, he's decidedly unimportant - or at least, so he thinks. He holds the lowest rank still in his brotherhood (well, okay, together with everyone else, it seems Brennen just didn't really get into promotions, perhaps he thought that they were better as equals which was actually well on point), he knows a lot of kings well enough to tease them on a first-name basis, like Arthas and Bane Of Our Existence, and Breckin. Though she had always been special to him, of course.

He'd had a title once. But that title meant nothing. Prince of the Amazons - basically, the most fucked-up position one could ever have. Give the boy a fancy name so you can ignore him, right? Right. Seemed the best. idea. ever. To those mares and fillies calling themselves female warriors, at least.

No, he'd rather have no title and secretly know his way around the kingdoms and their high-ranking individuals, sneaking around as it were, than the other way around, having a title that meant he could sit back and watch but don't touch and don't speak. God, he hated the not speaking up part.

The blue roan filly, lanky and sticky-legged but grown, almost at the height she will be as an adult, finds her way among the rocks easily. A matter of practise, he supposes, and he hasn't gotten that much practise yet; used to the meadow, the river, the forest, and the beach and tropical jungle; but never walking among cliffsides much. It would have to change, he supposed, he would have to practise more. Well, he could start today.

She nuzzles against him, and he tugs at her forelock. "You've grown so much. Why'd I miss that?" He asks her, as if she would have the answer, then gives her a coy smile. "No, by a Kelpie." It's only then that he realizes that she once asked if there were sharks in the river, decidedly interested as if she would go looking for them. Oops. He'd better not tell Briseis he mentioned the Kelpie.

"I don't think it'll suddenly transfer to you. But Chryseis, you already have the most beautiful eyes." he tells her, looking at her sincerely as the ice blue settles on some kind of softer blue. Then he smiles again. "And it's inconvenient too, you know. Everybody always seems to know how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking." he sighs dramatically, eyes a green colour, since he's mocking her and not actually thinks it's too much of a trouble. But it probably demonstrates what he's telling her.

Nuzzling her head while he had the opportunity, he chuckles at her answer, busy doing dad stuff. However, it also makes him think about the things he actually did in the meantime, and he’s not exactly proud of that now. But not looking at her face makes it easier to shove the thought to the back of his mind, and it’s quickly replaced by thoughts of Chryseis looking for kelpies. And it’s very important, judging by the tone of her voice, that he says something about it.

He retreats from her hug with a concerned frown. ” I did not get out alive, Chryseis. I was made immortal by a fairy earlier so that I could be here for you, but the kelpie girl did kill me and I can tell you it’s not a pleasant experience.” he stares at her excited brown eyes intensely. ”If you really must, I’ll take you to see her but you’re under no condition will I let you go alone, are we clear on that?” If he has to, he guesses that he will actually tell Briseis about it. He hopes she picks up on that, but if she doesn’t budge, he’ll emphasize.

He sighs then, ”I love you, baby girl. Don’t go dying on me, please.” He gives her a wry smile. ”And I still think your eyes are pretty. I guess brown’s just easy to get lost in, especially if it has a spark to it.” Frowning, he adds, ”Don’t tell Breckin I said that. Or your mother.”

Which gets him to the point in the conversation he actually wanted to reach, and he pushes playfully against her shoulder. ”Did my mother ever visit? Or maybe you’d like to visit Nerine sometime? I’m moving, you know.” Sure, perhaps she would fit well in Hyaline for a time, but his daughter held way too much spirit for a sanctuary kingdom, unlike her mother. Or at the very least she could learn something about defending herself, from the Leviathans.

There’s really only one reason he does so well with Chryseis, he supposes - she takes after him so much, he just has to imagine what he would do or say at that age. It’s why he proposed to take her with him to see Deiti; if he doesn’t, she will go look for a kelpie herself. Maybe not on her own after the warning, but that could mean she brings another overzealous yearling with her, and he doesn’t want to be reaponsible for any of their ended lives.

He cocks his head at her with a grin when she asks if the mermaid won’t eat her. ”That’s why I’m coming with you.” Truth is, Deiti had enough self-awareness to hesitate on eating him (though he’d drowned by then), and he is pretty sure that she would be more conscious if he showed up again. If all else fails he can think of some ways to prevent Chryseis from being eaten, but anyway - it’s still not a safe adventure, but going alone would have her end up drowned and killed for sure.

Her admittance on trying not to die is the only one he’ll likely get, so he takes it and nods. On the topic of Nerine, she is more excited. Go now? Breckin? What - oh, he forgot she went here. Might be painful for her... was this a good idea at all? But seeing Chryseis get so excited - well, he supposes that if she really loves the place or wants to go, he can’t stop her. It’s not like they’re walkig into a bunch of girl-eating kelpies after all. A girl like her would fit with the leviathans. He hopes.

”W better tell your mother where you are before going, okay?”