Open Desolation comes upon the sky // Any

so give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'cause oh that gave me such a fright

He knows, that Breckin wants him. The same way he had known when family stepped foot on his island, and the way that he had known when Leilan’s distress spiked in Icicle Isle. It’s a super handy trick he’s gained, and surrounded by this much water, not even a drop in the bucket in terms of power, so the mental ‘net’ stays up all the time. He himself is on the island, keeping an eye on Scorch’s most (in his opinion) worrying offspring. There’s a new presence here, one more powerful that the power-augmenter, and he’d rather someone be here to back Leilan up if he stumbles into the more powerful presence and pisses it off. Still, it seems to be stale-mate at least at this precise moment, and so Brennen answers their need, vanishing from the snow and ice and reappearing between the trees between his lover and his new Queen.

The bay stallion tucks his dark wings tight against his side, pondering that he needs to spend more time in the sky. He’d been so good at first to only teleport occasionally, for the practice, but lately everything has felt so urgent and he hasn’t taken to the sky in what feels like ages. He steps up beside Scorch, running his muzzle down her shoulder in wordless but affectionate greeting, and turning his chiseled head to offer a little smile to Breckin – no less affectionate, even in its solemnity. “Of course you can always have our advice,” he murmurs, and settles in to listen.

“I’m less conflicted than you,” he admits when she is finished. “The fae have told us only one land will remain a true Kingdom; if we renounce our claim on Icicle Isle, we will face these strangers in conflict again, and risk becoming a subkingdom of them. I would have told you that we were more than a match for Phasus and her cronies, but there is something else there now – something I’d rather face now, than allow to fester and set in to be faced later.” There is a worried look in his eyes, something he doesn’t bother to mask because he trusts the two mares; in other company he would have been mild and unconcerned. “If Leilan and Camomila take the Isle, I feel safer about them as neighbors. And, honestly, Leilan could use the responsibility.”

Breckin and Leilan have some sort of…thing; he knows this, but that makes him certain that she knows his quirks as well as she knows his strengths. In Brennen’s opinion, the responsibility to hold Icicle Isle, and play nice with their new friend, would only help to give Leilan some maturity and perspective. “That’s in addition to it’s value as a safe place. I know it’s cold,” he flicks an amused smirk at Scorch, completely aware of her refusal to go visit it, “But it’s not uninhabitable. We have healers, but we don’t know the scope of this disease. There’s no guarantee that we will be able to heal everyone, so better to save the chances for when we really need them.”

He has no input directly on birthing or motherhood; his role as a father is perhaps ten steps removed, but no less important. Still, it’s not the same. He stays quiet on this front, simply pressing close to Scorch and doing a mental check on his own children. The littlest ones first – Blue, the twins, little Tocca that he’d only discovered briefly before departing Ischia. Then he progresses onto older children, and grandchildren, and Brothers, sisters; a mental rundown of everyone important to him. No one seems to be in mortal peril right this second, so he stays, waiting patiently for more discussion or instructions.

but I will hold as long as you like
just promise me we'll be alright

BrenneN