[open] Sea Salt & Sugar // Any

[Sibyl]

The smoke of war had traveled far, farther than the borders of Beqanna. It had drifted across open ocean and fairer lands - where the residents made games of love and lust instead of fury and blood. And while most of these far-away dancers had no interest in the fleeting foul scent, it made one of those it touched blood run cold. 

The scent of Tephra burning filled the mind of Warrick's youngest daughter; it clung stubbornly to her midnight-painted coat. The possibilities and implications of what the breeze carried would not let her rest. Marble was the first to come to her mind and the last to leave it. From the vast network of young mare's family, Marble had been the nearest to her heart.  After that moment, Sibyl no longer found joy in her lively nights; the kiss of a stranger no longer caused her heart to flutter. It wasn't long before she made up her mind - she was going home.

Even if this far away land of easy loving free folk was perfect for her. 
Even if she wanted nothing more than to stay.

--

Sibyl's journey across the sea is far easier than most who make the journey into Beqanna. She glides and dances through the waves like a creature of the sea. With a little coaxing, the ocean delivers her safely to the shores of Beqanna, and despite the weight on her mind she finds a way to enjoy the journey.

But when she arrives at what should have been Tephra she finds herself looking across a vast flat prairie, dismayingly devoid of a volcano.

With the ocean to her back, Sibyl cranes her neck to peer around as if somehow she had missed it. But of course, Tephra will not be so easy to find.  Instead, she sees a place where the grasses shift in the opposite direction of the wind, and maybe a slip of wings or tail dipping just below the nearest depression in the land.

"Excuse me!" She calls to the elusive stranger. "I just have a quick question!"  The fleeting frustration she felt at finding herself in an unfamiliar place vanishes now that there was someone to point her in the right direction and her voice is light and musical.

Assuming it was Someone and not something, and Someone was inclined to help.


Ooc: Sibyl left BQ before the plague and the rearranging of the lands so she is a little confused!

[Aten]

Disregarding a few special exceptions, there were not many things that the golden stallion feared for a long time. However, trauma could be a powerful motivator, and it was this that had caused Aten to stay away from the ocean ever since his travel across to the islands west of Tephra to try and help find a cure for the now-extinct Plague. He encountered a creature there, the likes of which he had never seen before. The appearance of the animals had been seared in his mind, and the scars that littered his belly and legs would make for permanent reminders of what force he had faced that day.

They, for their small size, had been so strong... Aten could still remember how his blood ran cold when he felt the creatures wind their arms... the long, flexible limbs much like the vines that hung in some of the tropical trees in Beqanna's lands... and dragged him under with the force of a tsunami wave...

He tried to fight... but his head had gone under... the cold frigid waters of the ocean completely surrounding him... he was trapped... helpless... he could only watch as the surface grew dim in his frantic eyes, his lungs burning as he fought with his own instincts to survive, knowing to take a breath would mean his death...

This train of thought had turned into a recurring nightmare, and was often a source of why Aten would sometimes wake up screaming or in a panic in the middle of the night when his small group of friends were asleep. He continued to feel thankful that, so far, his nightmares hadn't disturbed Owin or Popinjay yet.

If they had disturbed Lethia, she had yet to comment on them. But Aten fought that by sleeping a few yards away from the group, masking his true actions by saying he wished to keep a wider ring to protect them while they rested.

But fear was a demon, one that searched to consume the mind, to kill, even without spilling blood. Aten had come to the realization that he could not afford to let this ghost haunt him until his skin was pale and his limbs brittle from old age. He had to face it, if not conquer it, before it drove him into the dark recess of his mind to a point beyond return.

He would not complete his personal task so close to home though... not yet. If those creatures were still living down there... He couldn't face them, not in this state of mind...

For if he encountered them, before conquering his fear... he would most certainly panic.

So Aten headed south, traveling for six suns to reach the much calmer ocean that lined the Field. He passed the herds of horses on his way, nodding to those who exchanged a friendly greeting but not stopping to chat for anything more then a few minutes of time. He was on a mission... he had to get to his destination, before losing his nerve.

When the golden stallion reached the ocean, he took half a sun to contemplate his choice. Was he truly ready for this? The stallion's body quivered as he turned to face the low tide, steeling himself with a breath before striding toward the joining of beach and water.

A full sun passed before Aten had decided he had sufficiently dealt with a good portion of his fear. He had not gone out much farther than how deep the ocean went below the surface at twice his height, but it was close enough to the beach that he knew he could get out in a hurry should this take a dark turn.

Aten had decided that, for now, this would be enough. He hadn't felt as conflicted as he suspected, though that was probably due to being on the opposite end of the land and not near where his trauma had occurred. Perhaps he could wade in to his pasterns the next time? He would make that decision later. He had been away from home for long enough, and he wished to get back to Lethia. They had not only verbally but recently expressed their love for one another, and until things were certain, probably after too, Aten wished to remain near her side to give himself peace of mind.

The golden stallion was on his way back to Taiga through the Field when he heard a voice calling out into the vast space of meadow grass stretching out in front of him. His ears swiveled to pick up the words the owner of the voice called out, finding them a bit intriguing. This stranger to Aten... she had a question? It didn't seem that she was requesting a specific audience to answer her. Perhaps he could be of some assistance? He did not know that she was indeed calling to him though, for it had been his long tail that she had glimpsed disappearing over the meadow grass when a small ridge obscured him from her view.

The stallion altered his trail and began trotting in the direction of the mare. He saw her after a short while, and slowed to a walk to avoid startling her. However, by her stature, he could tell that something was troubling her about all this. If there was something he could do to put her mind at ease, well, first, he hoped he could anyway.

The pretty blue filly, for Aten deduced upon approach that she was no more than four summers old, stood proudly against the bright autumn sun against the green autumn meadow, her navy white-splashed coat in clear contrast. Her smooth mane and tail were splattered in the same colors where they corresponded with the colors of her coat, and her fine, tapered muzzle and proud face were full of confidence. She did look quite a bit darker than what might be her natural color though, and it was on closer inspection that Aten realized she must've recently swum in the ocean as he had.

"Hello,"  he greeted the filly. "Well, perhaps I can help answer your question then?"

@[Sibyl]

[Sibyl]

Dark blue and intense, her gaze never leaves the dip in the land where she thought she had spotted movement, and her quick eye is rewarded. A stallion, the color of grain and well-made, emerges from the grasses and the smile which breaks across her features seems to change her whole face.

"Hello," she calls against the meadow wind, picking up a trot as he slows. "I'm Sibyl," she adds with a slight dip of her head now that they stand near enough not to yell.

On another day, a quieter day, she may have noticed the dark clouds and demons which seem to accompany him. And maybe she would someday if they were to meet again. But today she still rides the high of her grueling dance across the ocean, and the thought of finding her sister is a hard one to displace.

From where she stands, he seems the picture of calm determination, and although her mission is a somber one she doesn't mask her delight at finding someone who doesn't mind helping - jumping right into her question.

"I was born in Beqanna," she begins, but her laughter follows soft and quick as she realizes how strange her introduction must sound to him. She pauses for a moment before reassuring him, "don't worry, I'm not about to give you my life story," and continues more sensibly.

"I guess I don't remember her geography as well as I thought I did. I am trying to visit my family in Tephra..." for the first time, her cheery exterior falters.  A shadow passes over her glittering, gemstone eyes and she watches his face carefully for any sign of discomfort or awkwardness at the mention of the Island.  "So, if you could point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it, somehow I just got turned around."

@[Aten]

[Aten]

The pretty blue filly seemed glad that she was not the only one here, for she trotted eagerly in Aten's direction when he began to slow down. When they were close enough, the filly introduced herself as Sibyl, a smile that seemed to brighten her entire face spreading across her lips.

Aten found her enthusiasm, her brightness, infectious, and could not stop a smile from appearing on his own lips. Sibyl tells him that she was born in Beqanna before giving him reassurance. Ten merely shook his head in a gentle fashion, "There is no need to worry. Perhaps one day you shall trust me with such personal information, but for now, I am glad you felt secure enough to offer me your name."

The filly explained she was in search of the land called Tephra, a land Aten knew of well. He had not paid many visits there himself, but the land was familiar. As Aten watched the filly, he thought he saw a shadow pass over her face, as if she was recalling a dark time. Aten himself did not show any sign that he had been affected by Taiga in the past or present, for in truth he hadn't. All he knew of the land was what he had heard from others in passing.

"I would be glad to help. Tephra is about a five suns walk west from here, possibly three or four if you gallop. I will be heading back in the same direction as well, to Taiga. If you would not mind some company, I would like to join you. Perhaps any other questions you may have along the way?"

@[Sibyl] Apologies for the wait, many things kept me very busy.