[private] it's fine, i'm fine.

[Sabal]

can’t stop staring at those ocean eyes.  The second she’d turned away from Mazikeen in Hyaline the whole sightseeing component of this trip was promptly and permanently cancelled.  The kelpie had left something of herself back in Hyaline, and every step further from her home alerted her to the gaping hole left in her chest.  Her mind was swimming with worries for both Mazikeen and Chasm and she knew that she had to do something.  She’d never felt more helpless. By the time she made it to the other side of the river she knew she didn’t have time to stop and think because the second she stopped the pain would paralyze her.  So she made her way through the unfamiliar lands as quickly as possible, doing everything she could to not draw any attention to herself. She just…didn’t have the time nor the desire to speak to another soul. Nor did she trust herself to open her mouth without a sob escaping herself first. She’d never been more relieved to see the coast than she was today.  The crash of the sea against the shore was a sound that was as familiar to her as her own heartbeat and she didn’t slow as she ran into the surf, instinctually shifting into her kelpie form.  The sea welcomed her with open arms and for a moment she was happy just to let the current have her.  At least in the sea no one could see her cry. At least in the sea her tears simply added to the endless expanse that was the ocean and didn’t burn scars on her cheeks. With a flourish of fins, she was on her way westward.  It was the almost reverse journey of the one she’d taken all those years ago when she’d decided to go out and make a life for herself away.  And here she was now trying to find a way to save the life she had built. How quickly the tides of fate turn.  She knows she’s close when the waters begin to warm. The waters around Tephra are always warm due to the influence of the volcano.  Sabal can feel the apprehension rising in her stomach, but she forces it down.  Despite everything, she would not fail Mazikeen this. She would find her children. She would find Wishbone. She’d make sure they were all safe. Sabal knew little of Wishbone, but if Maze had entrusted the safety of her children to the mare that was more than endorsement enough of her character.  She just hoped that the Curse truly hadn’t wreaked havoc here already, because having seen what it had done in Hyaline…  A chill crawled up her spine.  The kelpie mare made her way up the stream that was fed from the volcanic waters, hesitating only when she realized this was perhaps not the way visitors often entered the kingdom. She was beyond the point of turning back now. Time was too precious for her to abide by customs and pleasantries.  She made it to the shore and found her legs – shifting back to her equid form.  The water rolled off her travel weary body as she took in the unfamiliar jungle – hoping she hadn’t made a mistake in seeking sanctuary here. s a b a l .

manip by squirt


FINALLY!!! Sorry this took so long and this post is so frickin' long. <3
@[Wishbone]

[Wishbone]

it's a mystery to me

we have a greed with which we have agreed. you think you have to want more than you need; until you have it all you won't be free. and when you think more than you want, your thoughts begin to bleed.

Wishbone has never lived in the realm of fear. The world hasn’t made her afraid, and she didn’t even feel scared when Death finally claimed her. She has always risen to the challenges of life, always felt herself harden into a woman of bravery, always stared straight into the face of Death and dared to taunt it. Her spirit of adventure made her abandon worry for herself, but as she settles into the role of motherhood, she finds that it didn’t erase worry for others.

After the Curse casually visited Tephra and left her bleeding at the edge of the falls, Wishbone’s worry for the twins became even heavier. She’s never felt anxiety like this, never felt her heart tighten when a shadow moves out of the corner of her eye or when she hasn’t heard the twins in an hour or so. It threatens to make her insane, teasing her with the idea of hiding the children in a cave somewhere until they’re old enough to protect themselves from Gale. It would be easier; she could put Malou at the mouth of the cave to alert her if anyone tries to leave or enter.

But it would ruin Sickle and Malik’s childhood, and she’d be the one responsible for that. She would have let her anxiety rule her, and Wishbone only allows her emotions to control her when she is the only one who might get hurt. So, despite how many times she might think about wrangling the twins into a safe corner of Tephra and keeping them there, Wishbone’s dismissed the idea.

However, she doesn’t stop patrolling the borders. The purple queen knows she won’t forget Gale’s scent after he killed her, just like she won’t forget the sensation of her heart ripping from her chest. She walks along Tephra’s border religiously, though she doesn’t establish a specific routine so Gale won’t evade her if he does come back.

As Wishbone prepares to cross the stream, her amber eyes identify a shape moving underwater. A chill runs down her spine, remembering how quickly Gale was able to shift from one form to the next (just as Sickle and Malik can). Wishbone wastes no time in tracking the shadow, sticking closer to the treeline so she won’t be seen by it. And she waits in the shadows when a mare pulls herself from the water. The jagged, glowing scar across her chest prickles painfully at the memory of Gale’s unannounced presence in Tephra.

Without another moment’s thought, Wishbone steps quietly from the jungle’s undergrowth. Her magic feels the mare’s skeleton, gently touching the places where it would be easy to snap a thin bone or two. She’s been on edge among strangers since seeing what the Curse was capable of, and she can’t help but wonder if this stranger is just a disguise. Her voice comes out strong, commanding, firm — unwilling to give away the tension that roils inside her. “Who are you?”

credit to eliza of adoxography.

@Sabal