"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
BETTER BEWARE, I GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT DEVIL-MAY-CARE WITH A LUST FOR LIFE
Kreios was gone.
How long had it been since she had laid beside him? Felt his touch? Smelled his scent on her skin? Sylva was quiet and Ygritte can no longer feel him. She was frightened at first. The mare had forgotten what it was like to be on her own...to be without Kreios. Their children were grown enough to survive without their parent's constant meddling but still, she calls for them as well as any other member of her home.
The salmon and bay woman emerges from her place of rest to an opening that would allow for them all to gather. It does not take long for Marlyn to find her mother. The painted girl gives her mother a loving nudge before falling in with the other gathering equines.
Amber eyes watch and she can not help but smile broadly to all the horses that had chosen to followed the spotted stallion. This was their home and Ygritte could not let them down. With a soft cough, Ygritte begins.
"Kreios is absent. I am stepping up in his place to help run Sylva till he returns." She speaks calmly and clearly while meeting the gaze of every horse. "I can not tell you how happy my heart is to see all of your faces and I hope that you will decide to stay under my leadership but I am giving you the option to leave if you should like. but I hope you decide to stay." Her voice clips off as she takes a deep breath. "Those who do stay, I need your help desperately. I would like for everyone to start recruiting. I know there are homeless and displaced horses looking for just the kind of home as Sylva and I ask that you seek them out." Ygritte worries briefly about a possible attack from another territory but for now Sylva needed to build her numbers.
The grey mare nodded; she knew whole kingdoms had been left homeless from the change. "I'll go, start recruiting. Many of them want a safe home, and we can provide that." She says, as she waits to see if any others would go with her.
Deep down, on the inside of the back of her mind, under her shed winter coat, so to speak, she worried about possible ambushes or attacks. Greatly worried for her still-weary mother; she was starting to recover but not as well as she should be. Sunfall worried it was her age, keeping her from recovering quickly with how fast she tires. Despite it being a healthy season, summer, Blazed was not shedding her winter coat. Sunfall stood stiff as she realized that she might not make it through the next winter.
10-14-2016, 04:02 PM (This post was last modified: 10-14-2016, 04:03 PM by Ygritte.)
BETTER BEWARE, I GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT DEVIL-MAY-CARE WITH A LUST FOR LIFE
The salmon and bay woman smiles to see her friend's face once again. It was a comfort to know that she and Marlyn were not alone but Sylva was quiet and without so many. It would require all of the remaining members to restore the land that Kreios had staked out for them.
"Yes we can Sunfall and a safe home is what we will offer." She smiles gently to the other with a nod before meeting the gaze of her spotted daughter. The two year old reminded Ygritte so much of Kreios that her heart but Ygritte had to be strong..she had to show Marlyn what is is to survive. "Marlyn and I will do the same. We will need the cooperation of everyone." The words were simply spoken as it is apparent that Sylva needed a new foundation as most of the old members had vanished by way of the Reckoning or other means.
The mare nodded gently, smiling at her daughter's mention. She had a few thoughts swirling around her brain and decided to ask them. "So many of the old members are gone.. Where do you think they went?" She asks quietly, not wanting anyone else to hear her query. She flicks her left ear back, hearing some rustling. Of course I hear rustling. It's a god-forsaken forest! She thinks with a swish of her tail, annoyed at how stupid of a response to the noise she still gave.
It had been a while since the painted stallion was in Beqanna, perhaps the embarrassment of what he did to Sunfall drove him away. What was done, was done, he could not dwell on it and he loved Sunfall….his children. He made a return to the lands, to Sylvia, the land that Kreios took control of for the old Falls members.
He stepped onto the lands, the cool crisp autumn air filled his lungs and a gentle smile tugged at the corner of his lips, he was ready to be back here. It must be his lucky day because Ygritte had called a meeting, he stood off undetected as he listened to her speak. Jedi wasn’t the only one to take his leave, Kreios did as well and Ygritte was stepping up to lead the lands. He gave a dip of his head, she was always a great Queen and he had no problem following behind her. The only other member to show up was Sunfall, the beautiful mare happy despite his disappearance. So willing to help the Queen she grew up knowing.
His heart was beating out from his chest as he stepped out of hiding, he gave a dip of his head as he reached the mares Ygritte, Sunfall he spoke, her name tasted bitter when he spoke it. Its nice to be back he looked around for there foals curious to there whereabouts, but instead looked to Ygritte I will also help recruit members to these lands it was a familiar feeling, almost like he was five years younger doing this for the first time for the Falls.
Raxa was a warrior at heart, so imagine her surprise when Ygritte gathered the kingdom horses and expressed her wishes for all of them to head out into the unknown territories, as well as the fields and the meadows, to look for potential members to recruit.
Raxa had only encountered a couple last time, and that was purely by accident. She didn't want to play the part of a diplomat, it had just happened, and she wasn't really a big fan of it. Hence why she'd spent most of her time training in the old kingdom, or heading to other ones to scout out the other kingdom territories to find out if they were planning on a raid of the Falls.
Now that the castes were still being worked out, and more members needed for such a thing, it did make sense that Ygritte wanted all the members here to go out and seek those who needed a home. Still, it didn't mean Raxa would have to like it. If anything, to try and appeal to the softer nature of those she encountered, she'd enlist the help of her daughter, Zhenga, who still held that bright-eyed bursting personality even as she was getting older and learning the tricks of the trade from Raxa, the fighter, and Anahi, the peacemaker.
Raxa regretted the next words that came from her mouth, "Zhenga and I will head out, see what we can find. We'll be on the lookout for horses that need a new home."
Raxa motioned for her filly to follow, the little one prancing on ahead as she thought of the wonders the outer lands had for her to explore. As the duo went, Raxa glanced over at the familiar painted stallion, a pained gaze within her electric blue eyes. To this day, since she'd found out, she hadn't forgiven him for what he'd done.
She wasn't made at him for starting two families... she was mad because he did not have a wish to tell her... that he had started a family, or that his original intention was for it to be one family, with Sunfall...
And not Raxa.
That wasn't saying Raxa didn't hold anymore feelings for the painted stallion. However, after her recent findings, she'd buried them deep within, not knowing really how she would act around him anymore. So, instead of saying something to him, she just trailed after her filly, trying to focus on how she'd suppress the warrior's instinct to fight back and snap out with a silver tongue, and instead talk up the good things of her home to potential newcomers.
When the mare heard Raxa's voice, she stiffened. Looking towards Jedi, she gave a gentle call for Kylo and Praelia. If Raxa's going to play that game, I will too.. The thought rang through her mind. "Kylo, Praelia. Come here." She called softly, looking towards where she saw them a moment or two ago. She moved towards Jedi, looking between him and Ygritte. She didn't look at him directly; she didn't feel he deserved that right now. "Where have you been?" Sunfall asked him after he said 'it's nice to be back'.
Oh the awkwardness he felt, he hadn't noticed Raxa and she appeared with Zhenga. Raxa....and Sunfall standing in front of him. He looked to Ygritte who showed no mercy, his attention only flicked back to Raxa when she spoke. Noting that her and Zhenga would go out recruiting, a small smile at the thought of his child partaking in the new lands duties. Although is quickly disappeared when Zhenga ran off, Raxa tailing behind, a small snort escaped his maw. It would have been nice to spend time with Zhenga but Raxa apparently sees it the other way.
He can't really hold a grudge after all, he didn't tell her about Sunfall and than when she found out he vanished from the lands.
His attention than flickered to Sunfall who called Kylo and Praelia, a smile formed at the sight of the twins. Kylo pranced about bolting every few steps to fall back into a casual stroll. He felt Sunfalls eyes burning into his pelt, and when he looked she was there but she wouldn't stare at him. 'Where have you been' she asks. His ears lowered in embarrassment I was taking care of some business a lie, he had no business. I hope did well while I was gone. I was hoping to have a moment alone with you at some point. he hoped to salvage any possible relationship that lingered.
Praelia snorted at her brother's randomness in his pace, she maintained a steady jog towards her mother. She saw her father and gave a small hello, aiming between the two of them before darting towards her brother Kylo and nudging him on the flank before prancing away, her ears forward and eyes bright.
Sunfall nodded when he said he had business. He seemed nervous when he spoke, but she didn't read much into it. Even the warrioress herself was still slightly shaken from all that happened. "All has been well. As you can tell, we received a land." She spoke nonchalantly, a dip at the end of her voice into a slightly higher pitch showed her contentment with Sylva.
It would be a lie for Sunfall to say she thought Sylva replaced the Falls, but she knew this was as similar as they would get. She smiled at the twin's antics, laughing on the inside when Praelia nudged at Kylo. She shifted so she was closer to Jedi, her ears forward and eyes soft. She noticed he seemed tense, but didn't mention it.
Ygritte
