"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
They should have met long before now. Still, Heartfire had taken no great strides to ensure it would happen. It is one thing to peer into the sordid details and secrets of other’s lives, but quite another thing to have the knowledge one could do the same to her. Still, given recent events, it is long past time the two women had met.
And so, Heartfire takes the initiative. She had always preferred to have the upper hand, and so she had taken the time to prepare for this particular tête-à-tête. The woman she had come to see may be able to read thoughts, but she could not predict the future. Nor could she the truth of past and present as Heartfire could.
And therein lies the rub.
There is a great deal that could be gained here, should she play her cards right. And, well, let’s just say she prefers to play with a stacked deck.
The territory she seeks is rather conveniently close, just on the other side of the Taigan forest. Before long, the green begins the blend into bright autumn colors, a telltale signature of the land she now approaches. It has been quiet, tied so unambitiously to Loess. Until recently however, she’d had little interest in this particular territory. Now though? Now she’s intrigued.
An intrigue that has little to do with the land itself, of course.
She settles comfortably along the borders, waiting to be noticed. She does not announce her presence in any overt sense. Instead, she merely makes herself more… noticeable. Enough to draw the eye, should the newly ascended leader glance her way. Enough to stir curiosity.
and let me crawl inside your veins. I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain.
Since she was young, she has always held a strange appreciation – borderline obsession – with the powers that others possessed. She did not covet them in the usual sense. She was not envious; she did not long to be able to wield what they could. What she did want, however, was for them to be on her side. Friends in high places had proven to be a successful tactic so far; it had worked well for when Loess needed allies to take on Tephra, and while a clear winner was difficult to discern, it was no secret that they had wreaked havoc on that land.
And that’s all she ever really wanted – just a little bit of chaos. Just a small spark to brighten up a dull, repetitive world.
She was familiar with Heartfire because she would have to be absolutely ignorant to not know of the Nerinian queen. However, the leader of the North was the only one she had yet to meet. In the back of her mind, a trip to Nerine is on her figurative list of things to do, but her personal life, and trying to adjust to Sylva, had pushed everything to the wayside. Their paths would cross, of that she was sure, but she would much prefer if they could cross on relatively friendly terms than, say, in the crossfires of a new war. She isn’t entirely sure why Loess had not sought an alliance with Nerine, when Heartfire was, quite possibly, one of the most powerful – although quiet – forces among them. She was certainly someone that would be worth getting to know.
There is a flicker of surprise when she realizes that the northern queen has decided to come to her first.
She sees her, standing along the border of Sylva. Her sudden appearance is enough to cause her to glance twice, with a glimmer of confusion that she quickly smooths over with an amicable smile. “Well,” the purr of her voice is thick, and the delight ever present in her intensely dark eyes as she closes the distance between them. “If I had known you were planning on visiting I would have made the place a bit more presentable.” The sentence is punctuated with a laugh, since Sylva was, evidently, empty. There wasn’t much to clean up. “ I’m Starsin.” And here, there is a knowing tilt of her head, with that cloying smile still curled across her lips as she says softly, “But you already knew that, didn’t you, Heartfire?”
starsin
it’s not like me to be so mean. you’re all I wanted. ( just let me hold you Like a hostage. )
If there is anything that Heartfire could be said to be obsessed with, it would be the cultivation of the… right relationships. It’s true she has little diplomatic finesse, but that does not mean her words are issued without a great deal of forethought. No, in fact, quite the opposite is true. Her words are rarely offered unless they have some meaning or substance.
Whether or not her companion of the moment can understand the subtext though, is another thing entirely. But she doesn’t need others to understand subtext in order to plant ideas or turn certain gears one notch this way or that. She is a great believer in the ripple effect, after all.
Besides, there are many, many types of relationships. Her expertise lies much more in cultivating the unseen and ignored aspects of those relationships.
And if there is anyone who might understand such a thing, it’s the woman even now approaching her. Of course, there is much more at stake here than something both women would consider quite banal. A deeper game afoot that serves to both intrigue and give pause to the blue roan. A situation that would require far more care than she normally gives such things.
She is entirely unsurprised by Starsin’s knowledge of her. She must know at least something of her abilities, even if this is the first time they’re meeting. After all, she does know her grandson. Still, she would try not to give too much away (not that she is particularly known for extending the same courtesy to others).
Lips twitching faintly, she eyes the dappled mare openly, foregoing any semblance of proper diplomacy. Given the situation however, she doubts Starsin will object. “Is there really any point to answering that?” she retorts, answering with the rhetorical question of her own. They both already know the answer, of course. After a moment, she continues wryly, “You must already know why I’m here.” She pauses then almost thoughtfully, though she does not wait for an affirmation before continuing. Really, why bother with the idle talk when they both already know how pointless it is?
“I do wonder though,” she asks slowly, her blue eyes are sharp as they fix on Starsin, a cunning knowledge evident in the pointed line of questioning. “why you obey Castile so readily. It seems…” She trails off, but she does not doubt Starsin can see how that sentence would end. Ill-fitting. Unlikely. As though she’d failed to realize how much more she could be.
and let me crawl inside your veins. I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain.
She could be arrogant, but, she also knew when to accept when she was in the presence of someone more powerful than her. Heartfire had years on her in terms of life experience, politics, and almost everything else; it would be foolish of her to think that they stood on equal footing. There were some, that though higher ranked than her, she still did not feel an ounce of respect for, and knew that it was only by an intangible title that they could fool themselves into thinking they were something. Heartfire was not one of those. She was far more than just the current queen of Nerine, and when or if she should ever step down, she would still be someone that all of Beqanna would do well to pay heed to.
Starsin recognized this almost immediately, and even though she could not so easily shake what had become second-nature to her (the guarded way she watched her, with an apparent thoughtfulness and something that was almost calculating, storing away certain things for safekeeping until they might be useful), there was nothing malicious or hostile to be read in the lines of her face. “I could make an assumption, but it might be wrong,” she says with that almost lazy, nonchalant simper of hers. She is sure Heartfire is here to discuss politics of some sort, which ironically enough, is Starsin’s least favorite topic. She preferred action to discussion, but she was becoming calmer and less rash as she outgrew her adolescence.
But the discussion takes a surprising twist, and since it is not often that Starsin can be caught off guard, it takes her a moment to realign the impassive mask to her face. Obedient wasn’t a word she would use to describe herself, and the other mare implying that she fit into that category caused her blue eyes to flash indignantly, before narrowing slightly. “Obey isn’t the word I would use, personally. He is the current king of Loess, and while I do not freely give my respect just because someone has the title, I do feel as though he has earned it.” There is a clip to her voice in the beginning, but it slowly recedes into a cool indifference. Something in her eyes sharpens, and her veins simmer with the excitement that often accompanied banter such as this. There is a newfound heat to her smile, and an amusement that glints in her navy-blue eyes as she asks, "Do you not like Castile? I find that him and I typically agree on most things."
starsin
it’s not like me to be so mean. you’re all I wanted. ( just let me hold you Like a hostage. )
There is a moment of treading as the two enter into conversation for the first time. The careful test of toes in the water, a provoking thought or word place just so to see the reaction one might have to the other. To see how the very first pieces of their untested relationship might fall. Many might believe it a foolish notion, but Heartfire knows first impressions play a much greater role than anyone might assume or wish to believe. She knows these first few moments are the most crucial puzzle pieces as they each metaphorically circle each other, determining the lay of the land.
Starsin does not disappoint.
Heartfire’s comment, her subsequent thoughts, had meant to provoke. To stir a reaction. And she could not be more pleased by the way in which Starsin had responded. Perhaps it had seemed largely meaningless. Thoughtless, even. But anyone who knew Heartfire would know none of her words are actions could ever be described as any of the above.
Head lifting slightly, she eyes Starsin, the sharp blue of her gaze gleaming with a certain knowledgeable light. The flash of offended indignation is smoothed quickly enough as she realizes perhaps there is more to the question than face value had given. Heartfire continues eyeing her, but her body eases faintly, as though they were having nothing more than a light, relaxing conversation. After a moment of heavy silence, she comments rather dryly “Respect and obedience are entirely different things. In fact, I respect Castile a great deal.”
It went without saying however, that she had never once in her life submitted to or followed his direction. Their last conversation had ended in a draw, with neither conceding to the other. But then, Castile had demanded Nerine’s deference to cement their alliance. A thing Heartfire would never be willing to give. And yet, he had let her leave without even a truce to pave the way between their two kingdoms.
A mistake if ever there was one. And now, he had made the first move, believing her weaker than he. But then, Castile had always failed to see the larger picture.
She can only hope Starsin would have a more open mind.
She listens almost idly as Starsin offers an explanation of her loyalty. After a moment of contemplative silence, Heartfire only replies with a non-committal, “Hmmm.”
After all, it really isn’t a question of like or dislike, or of whether he had earned anything or not. Perhaps he had. Perhaps not. He had built his kingdom off the back of Wolfbane’s and Vulgaris’ efforts. An indisputable fact. She doesn’t have to wonder what he would have built had he not had that fairly significant stepping stone.
After all, she had seen what had occurred in Island Resort.
So, no, in the end, it is not a question of respect, or dislike. Rather, it’s a question of whether or not he truly has the guile to hold what had been given to him. And quite frankly, if his goal were all of Beqanna, he had rather overlooked a few crucial elements.
“Have you by chance visited many kingdoms outside of Loess’ sphere of influence?” She already knows the answer, of course. But it’s not really that which she is after. “I have a feeling you would find it an eye-opening experience.”
and let me crawl inside your veins. I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain.
“Is it classified as obedience if I also agree with him?” She inquires with a tip of her head, supplementing some of Heartfire’s thoughts with her statement. “The only situation I can think of where I would have been instructed to do anything was the attack against Tephra.” Here, the muscles of her shoulder roll in something like a shrug. “If I wouldn’t have been distracted by killing the dragon attacking Ophanim, I would have wondered why we only burnt half the kingdom, and not all of it.” Her dark blue eyes sharpen like a blade, but her tone remains level.
Her cruelty was often underestimated.
When she cared for someone, she cared with everything she had. Her loyalty was depthless, and unbreakable.
And when she didn’t?
To put it simply, she has never wondered how Tephra faired after the war. She didn’t feel remorse for the life she had ended. She didn’t regret suggesting they acquire healers during the plague, which had served as a catalyst for all of this.
Vulgaris and Castile may have always wore the crown, but Starsin had not exactly hid in the background, powerless. She has whispered her fair share of evils into their ears, and though she tended to be quieter and more discreet, she was not a sweet little lamb waiting for her shepherds to give her direction.
“Eye opening in that no one likes us? Everyone is waiting for us to fall, or plotting our demise?” She asks with a quirk of her brow. “I’ve lived my entire life being disliked. This isn’t startling news.” There is a smile, a razor-edged and sickly-sweet thing, when she asks, “How are things in Nerine? We were devastated to see Wolfbane and Lepis leave the south to take up residence in Taiga, but it must be nice to have gained such ambitious and experienced leaders for one of your lands.”
starsin
it’s not like me to be so mean. you’re all I wanted. ( just let me hold you Like a hostage. )
Heartfire has not come here because she believed Starsin a sheep who only obeyed orders given to her. Quite the opposite, in fact. She had come with full knowledge of the dappled woman’s role in the farcical war that had inspired the tensions even now coursing through Beqanna. She is also well aware Starsin had never openly claimed credit for it, despite the fact that she could easily have done so.
Just as Heartfire had never claimed credit in the role she had played in bringing the plague down upon Beqanna. Curious that similarity, isn’t? After all, she doesn’t regret, even a little bit, the role she had played there, despite the boundless tragedies it had wrought.
No, she is not here because she believes Starsin innocent or filled with regret. She is not here because she believes her to lack any culpability in the path Loess had trod in their hungry greed for power. In fact, she’s here because of that very culpability.
She’s here because she knows it was not Castile’s (or even Vulgaris or Wolfbane’s) brainpower behind those things. She’s here because she knows exactly who had whispered those devilish ideas into their ears, sending them on a path from which there was no return. And truthfully, if all she had wanted was muscle, she might have gone to Castile rather than Starsin.
Without even realizing it, Starsin had provided Heartfire with everything she’d wished and more. In the end, perhaps all she really needed was the reminder that she doesn’t need to answer to Castile. She doesn’t need to answer to anyone.
Heartfire hadn’t come here with thoughts of tearing Starsin from an alliance with Castile, after all. She’s not interested in fruitless endeavors.
No, her plans were far more devious than such an obvious and misleading ploy.
The silence is a heavy one after Starsin offers her final, bitingly sarcastic remarks, though Heartfire is neither angry nor troubled by them. Instead, she’s rather thoughtful. After a time, she slowly replies, “No.” A faint, humorless smile touches her lips then. “Eye-opening in that Loess does not have nearly the reach or power you seem to believe it has.”
She says nothing further. Starsin could no doubt use the time to stew on that bit of knowledge anyway.
