"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
It’s nearly dawn, but the full moon hangs still reluctant against the horizon and her chrome light touches the tree’s bright tips still. Even in the nights odd-lighting the fall colors of Hyaline are vibrant, the yellows glow and the reds melt into the darkness. He lets the shadows swallow him, but still his bone-white face shows most times or he lets his magic dwindle on purpose out of boredom with it. He wanders tonight, alone and with no real purpose in mind. The sound of falling water draws him further way from the lakeside and up he goes, roots and boulders and moss laden pathways that wind through rocky steppes.
He finds the source of the pleasant gushing sounds, as one would suspect it is indeed a waterfall. Many times it breaks and pools, trickling out over a ledge or two and then freefalling over the mountainside and eventually to feed the lake. The mists are oddly warm, even with this frosty autumn night air. Soon the crystals of frozen dew and fog with coat everything. Chem follows a small deer-path up the steep incline to a plateau of moss and still green grass. It is where the water bleeds from the heart of the mountain, it seems, and it appears to come out warm – or hot even. Steam rises from the toiling waters, it is not mist, he discovers. It is a waterfall of thermally heated water (or magically? who knows here) gushing over a pristine hillside of red, orange and yellow trees.
He hoists himself onto the plateau, the steam coating his speckled coat and beading in his thick hair. He’s quite happy to see a bit of still lush grass at this late time and it clearly hasn’t been cropped in some time, or if it has, it has been a very little bit. He’s been here for at least a year and some, but has never discovered this bit of treasure before. He wondered if Sreva has seen it, or Xzavier. He sees them now and then, but lately he has been in and out of Hyaline and busy setting up to teach (eventually). He tells himself he’ll need to hunt them down soon, to see how they are, if they still like it in this place.
For now he grazes greedily in the blur of pale steam curling up and around, dampening his hair and veiling the rising dawn-light from touching his back.
Sreva was not one to take walks at night, as she preferred the bright light of the day so she could see the beauty of the land. Watch as the light of the sun's rays danced off the lake, making the water sparkle. As the red and yellow leaves fell from the trees, littering the ground and painting it a beautiful canvas, a sign of the approaching cold season and the snow that it always brought with it.
Though Sreva's winter coat usually came in early, or late fall as it may be, she still retained her sleek, beautiful feminine appearance. Her unique paint and appaloosa-patterned coat did seem odd at certain angles, because for whatever reason her darker coloring's coat grew in sooner than the white spots. But that hadn't seemed to throw anyone off, considering that she had friends here in Hyaline, and Xzavier did too, thank goodness.
If there was one thing that made the mare nervous about moving her colt here a little over a year ago, it was that he might not be able to make any friends. Sure, he was raised here practically from birth so it hadn't been too difficult, but in the beginning, he had been quite the quiet and shy being, preferring to spend time with his mother and father to the other colts, fillies, and young horses that lived here in Hyaline. But, over time, he got better about being around others, and now spent frequent amounts of time away from his parents, wanting to show he could be an independent yearling.
Sreva did miss spending time with her son, but she did have other things here to keep her occupied. There was one thing that worried her though; she'd heard that, after six years of age, horses were often required to leave Hyaline. Sreva herself was already above six years when she got here with her colt. She assumed they allowed her to stay because she still needed to take care of him, as he was, at the time, on her milk. Now that he was a year old and could care for himself, would they ask her to leave if she didn't strive for a position in the kingdom?
What should she do? Sure, she knew how to fight, and she was wise at enough times that she couldn't be thought of as rash or impulsive. But what could she offer to the kingdom that was valuable? Did she have any special enough skills that could be taught to the young foals that found solace here?
The mare spent a good deal of time dwelling on these thoughts, so much so that she didn't even notice how far she'd wandered from the grove where she'd left her colt, or that it was creeping into the dawn hours. There was enough moonlight out that, whether it was dawn or not, she could still see her way, but it's not like she was even paying attention. Her instincts were responsible for keeping her on the move, her hooves searching the ground to help her avoid tripping over anything in her way.
Sreva's instincts, ever so watchful to keep her alert to predators, told her of another sound nearby; running water. She knew that she wasn't too far from the lake now, since she'd been heading there back when she first left Xzavier and the grove. But since she spaced out, she was surprised she still ended up here. The mare's eyes drifted to look at the lake, the light of the moon bouncing off the surface and creating an almost ethereal glow, giving her a pleasant feeling and helping dim down the anxiety she'd been feeling for most of the walk here.
Suddenly aware of how parched she'd become from that walk, Sreva wandered to the lakeside, lowering her head to take a drink. Her tapered muzzle delicately broke the lake's surface, sending out a cascade of ripples with each sip she took of the icy cold water. It helped immensely, despite its frigid temperatures, and the mare lifted her head when she was done, a few stray drops falling from her chin.
For whatever reason, her eyes drifted down to the grass, and despite that it was still dark outside, she saw something. She lowered her head, sniffing at the grass before figuring out what it was. In the wet grass, in front of her... was a foot print. Puzzled as to who could be out here at this hour, Sreva took a step forward, seeing another imprint in the grass. She began following them, her curiosity overtaking any sense of caution.
As she followed the prints, she noticed that she was starting to scale the small cliffside where the waterfall came down and crashed into the lake. She hadn't yet been up to the top to see it for herself, but could only imagine it was quite the beautiful site. Someone else apparently had the same thought, considering whoever it was had gone up that far.
Eventually, she reached near the top, stopping short because she saw another horse standing there. At first, she couldn't really tell who it was, due to how dark it was outside, but after a moment, the speckled coat and proud face became recognizable.
Sreva smiled at getting the chance to see Chemdog; it had been some time since their last meeting. She saw him often as it was, but since he was trying to prepare for his new position and helping take care of the kingdom, it wasn't often enough for her, given she liked spending time with him. She didn't know why he'd come up here at this hour, but she was glad for the chance to see him nonetheless.
She watches as he lowers his proud head to graze, and the mare quietly steps up to avoid startling him. The moonlight bounces off the white patches on her coat, nearly making her glow, her long mane falling gently over the right side of her neck to conceal the noticeable scar that Chemdog didn't seem to mind anymore. Not since the first time she'd shown it to him anyway.
Her forelock fell over her left eye in a tidy fashion, but she could still see well enough that it didn't bother her. She didn't know and probably wouldn't consider it, but in that moment, she did look very pretty. She called out softly to the stallion she cared for deeply, her eyes soft and a peaceful smile on her face.
"Hello Chemdog. It's good to see you," she tells him, moving her head some to look around his shoulder to see his handsome face.
If Sreva had ever wondered, she could ask him what it is they are supposed to do here in Hyaline to remain at ease. He’d tell her that it is he that promised a trade, that Chemdog himself is the only one responsible for carrying their weight in the Kingdom. Amet, their King, gave him permission to build a herd in some small corner of the crystal lake realm in exchange for the speckled stallion’s teachings on warfare. So all in all if Sreva were to express any doubt, he could soothe her by telling her she has no obligation other than to remain healthy and happy and do whatever the fuck her little heart desires. He doesn’t read thoughts though and is far too oblivious to ever offer the information freely; he’s not that helpful, really.
A commotion brings his teal eyes to sharpen on a figure moving gracefully through the fog. “Sreva?” his mouth is full and he doesn’t care, chewing it still as she comes into view, a grin spreading on his dark lips. A whicker rumbles in his chest, his big muzzle pulsing with the sound as he reaches out to lip her face gently. His posture tenses, neck craning with the rush of electricity from her presence. He pulls away after tenderly bumping all over her chest, neck and face, checking her over. “And you as well, Sreva…” A dim golden light starts in the east, but the steam snaking from the waterfall persists and wraps them. “How have you been?”
11-06-2017, 12:23 PM (This post was last modified: 11-06-2017, 12:24 PM by Sreva.)
Sreva surpassed a chuckle when she saw Chemdog lift his head, a patch of grass still partially dangling from inside his mouth; apparently he'd been in the middle of eating when he turned to look at her. She doesn't see the grin that appears on his face, but her ears pick up the sound of the whicker that rumbles out from his chest, his lips blowing out from the sound. The mare felt a stir in her chest, a warmth spreading through her as Chemdog proceeded to run his muzzle over her face, neck, and chest, enjoying the feeling of the powerful stallion near her.
"I have been well," she offers, running her own tapered muzzle down the base of Chemdog's neck, "It has been rather quiet here though, but I must admit, I am feeling rather... bored, I guess, for lack of a better word. My life is wonderful here, but I guess I just, I don't feel as if I'm being useful in any means. You're here teaching the young ones about how to defend themselves, and their home here in Hyaline. I feel like a stick in the mud, a useless bump on a tree, wondering what I could be doing here I guess..."
Her eyes adapted a faraway look for a brief moment, almost as if she'd regretted saying those words. She didn't want to prove to be any trouble to the stallion, not when he'd so graciously brought her here and given her a safe home. And a wonderful colt in their son, his bright and adventurous personality a reflection of both of his parents.
Sreva was almost regretful that she didn't ask Chemdog if he'd like to have another foal with her, for the autumn season had already passed which meant she would not be ready for next year. It felt strangely empty, her belly, but she wouldn't let him know; Chemdog had enough to worry about with his position and trying to keep her, Xzavier, and Amet happy with their life here.
"But enough of my own worries. Xzavier has not been able to stop talking about what he's been learning from you; he's been practicing on his own too. He says that he wants to help you run the warfare portion of the kingdom one day, to help train the new young ones that come here for safe haven. That colt, he's quite rambunctious, but I can see a lot of my father in him, even though I didn't know him all that well. He's got a lot of you too, which is a shame, because I thought that the blackened white coat was enough," she joked, gently nuzzling the stallion under his jowl.
He bent an ear to her while she spoke, the words seemingly spilling from her. He can see the flash of worry as she poured her thoughts without corking them and his muzzle reaches out with a tender swipe of his lip to her cheek. He offers no more comfort to her complaining than that, pulling away to shake the dusting of water beading across his coat. His eyes flicker back over her, a smirk on half of his coal muzzle. “Well,” his voice is cool against the humid air, “What can you teach them?” he refers to the gathering young minds, the minds he helps to mold (in theory).
Their son’s name brings a chuckle rumbling from Chem’s chest. “Oh yes,” He laughs a bit more, “He catches on quick.” His tail tosses thick dreadlocks over each speckled hip once or twice as he bends down for another bite, awaiting her answer to his first inquiry.
11-20-2017, 02:03 PM (This post was last modified: 11-20-2017, 02:03 PM by Sreva.)
Sreva let out a small sigh through her nose as Chemdog brushed his muzzle against her small cheek, the whiskers gently tickling her skin. She is grateful for the silent companionship he offers, the comforting presence of the stallion helping to ease the worry in her mind. Chemdog had informed her that since she was his companion, as well as raising their son, she would not encounter any problems during her stay here. But that didn't mean she couldn't exhibit some worry; after all, she wanted to pull her weight, to show that she was more than just a mare who got a free pass because of the stallion she'd come here with.
A rumble echoed up from the stallion's chest when Sreva mentioned their son, and seeing that he too caught onto the joke, she was somewhat relieved by that too. Even though Chemdog could be lighthearted and poke fun, she worried for a moment there that she'd gone a bit too far with what she said. After all, she absolutely loved the black and white coat the stallion had, his large and muscular frame not only pleasing to the eye but also a form of comfort to the smaller built mare. Sreva could hold her own in a fight just fine, but ever since her encounter with the big cat, she was a bit frightened to go up against one again; she just hadn't told the stallion, not wanting him to treat her like glass, like he had after he discovered the wounds on her belly.
Sreva felt Chemdog's thick tail come up over her tapered hips, and realizing she needed an answer for his question, the mare offered what she thought of.
"I'm not the most patient sometimes, and probably not as experienced in teaching how to navigate the field of battle like you are," she admitted. "I am a fair hoof at teaching young ones how to defend themselves, and those they are protecting. I do not have a silver tongue like some of the others I have seen around here, but I can at least teach the young ones the basics, about how to use their words to avoid starting any sort of squabble that could lead to serious consequences. Do you think that would be enough?"
Sreva felt a small rumbling in her gut as she looked Chemdog over, his neck bent down to retrieve a mouthful of grass. Her eyes wandered the fine lines of his stature, a tug at her heart reminding her what she'd wanted to ask him some time ago but did not out of concern for his position here. He was already involved in Xzavier's life, and he had the young ones to teach. Even if she had the desire for it, she did not want to hamper the stallion by asking him to have another foal with her. That question could come at a later time, when he seemed more confident in his position and happier with life here. He had just seemed a bit 'off' lately to the mare, and that concerned her, but she knew she couldn't force him to tell her anything. She just hoped that if something was bothering him, he would tell her so that if she could, she'd help him.
