"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
The snow falls heavily now, appearing thicker for the winds that whip it all around the trio. He’s never minded the changing of the seasons (as a serious boy years ago, snow had been one of the only things that could entice him to gallivant around like a boy should). But today, witnessing the mare who burrows ever-deeper into the frozen precipitation, he finds himself cursing old man winter. How much easier it would be to help the confused woman without the added possibility of her turning to ice before they can. If they can’t get through to her, it’s not if she freezes, but when. He tries the only tactic he can think of by asking her back to the kingdom.
Recognition brightens in her eyes when he mentions the Dale. Ramiel can see the moment of clarity, can see the lines of worry soothe on her face when she hears of the mountainous land. It doesn’t last long (not long enough to convince him she’s over whatever instability has shaken her) but it is enough to stir his movements. They have a plan and a diversion to save her life, at least. He will take her there, if it’s what she wishes, but he’ll need the larger mare’s help.
Ramiel looks to her now as she introduces herself. A Falls woman, of course, he thinks and smiles back at her. He tries not to have any prejudices – good or bad – for any of the kingdoms, but it is hard not to equate the watery place with kindly citizens. They have a healing waterfall, after all, one which has stitched the wounds of as many outsiders as it has Falls citizens. There’s no time for pleasantries or conversation, though (he figures there will be plenty of time for it on the way home) so he gets right to the point. “As good a reason as any.” The grey stallion turns to the prone white mare, smiling encouragingly. Eld attempts to lift her, and when she’s to her feet, he goes to her other side. He leans into her side, testing the stability of her weight between them. “Are you ready Soliel? Just one step after another – take as long as you need.”
…
They travel in this strange-sling fashion to the border of the Dale. Ramiel is glad to see the familiar mountains rising in the distance. The white mare should be warm, pressed as she is between the two larger horses, but he hopes she’s alright in other respects, too. The snow had greatly slowed them on the way to the Dale, but as they got closer to home, the storm started to relent. Now, the snow is barely a trickle as it falls from the grey skies above – more of an annoyance as it brushes against him than an actual threat. The young stallion turns to his companions, his relief and exhaustion evident on his face. “We made it.”
He’s so grateful the red lady has made the trip with them – he’s honestly unsure if he could have helped the distressed girl all the way here by himself. “Thank you for accompanying us, Eld. You are more than welcome to stay to rest and recover if you wish.” Ramiel acknowledges the land spreading out before them. The rising hills block much of the frigid winds that had whipped against them in the Field. It’s as comfortable place as any in the cold months (besides the Desert and Amazons, of course) and he hopes the mares will find it comfortable should they stay. He turns to Soliel now, concern in his golden gaze. “Are you all right?” He wonders what is here that has drawn her mind back to the place. What does the Dale hold that has pulled her from her obvious distress?
09-08-2015, 03:03 PM (This post was last modified: 09-08-2015, 07:13 PM by Soliel.)
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through, oh you fill my lungs with sweetness and my head is filled with you
She loses track of what’s happening, the cold has done it’s work on her. All she knows is that she’s going to a place whose name she recognizes and that she can feel the warmth of the others who shoulder her weight between them. It’s a long and slow process due to her confusion and frozen limbs. If she could think clearly she would be embarrassed for herself and ashamed for putting them through this. There are a few times when her knees buckle and she gasps out to stop for a moment. Luckily they are always there to catch her, the red mare and the gray stallion. It must be an odd sight, this strange trio making their turtle like way towards the Dale.
The body warmth of the two starts to work a little magic into tired cold bones. She starts to come back to her senses although her skin still quivers from the winter chill, teeth still chatter involuntarily. Although her mind is still clouded with confusion, there’s some clarity in the bright blue eyes that now open easily to take in what’s going on around her. She’s no longer near death’s door and it’s all thanks to them. The snow has eased and she can feel sunlight on her back. Blinking into the glaring whiteness, she takes in the Dale while Ramiel thanks Eld for her help. She should be thanking both of them as well but she can’t, so suddenly struck with fear. She can’t remember anything. Oh she knows this place, she knows that this place means something. But she can’t remember. Maybe it’s because a thick blanket of snow covers everything but nothing sparks a long lost memory.
Exhaustion overcomes her and she sways slightly on the spot. Close to tears she turns her head towards the two saviors that had kept death at bay. ”I can never thank you enough for helping me.” As Ramiel questions her with concern she shakes her head, muttering slightly to herself but loud enough for them to hear. ”I know this place. I know the Dale. I can’t remember… I can’t remember anything.” Her last sentence is strained, a single tear escaping from the others that brim in her eyes. It runs down her white cheek and freezes to her fur. Why can’t she remember?
The big mare is quiet, and Ramiel wonders if she is still lingering in her own concerns for their charge. He follows Eld’s gaze to the smaller mare, watches as Soliel looks out across the Dale. The grey stallion doesn’t have to mimic her sweeping view to know where each and every feature of the place is - the Dale is as familiar to him as the face of his mother. He’d hoped that some clarity would come into her eyes once they arrived. He’d thought she would recognize a landmark or cry out at the sight of the almost-frozen river glinting in the background. But she’s as wide-eyed as she’d been in the Field. Nothing seems to spark her frozen mind in a way he’d thought it might; he only hopes she will remember in the days to come.
She thanks him, to which he simply shakes his head. “Of course,” he says gently, a puff of warmed air trailing off his lips. It’s still rather cold, despite their relative protection underneath hills that serve as natural wind barriers. He’s about to ask her if she is still dangerously chilled when he sees her swaying. Ramiel sidles closer to the white girl, taking up residence along her side, supporting her like he had been before. Just because they’ve made it to the kingdom, it doesn’t mean she will have restored herself to full health upon crossing the borders. It will take longer for her mind to thaw than her body, he thinks.
When he questions her well-being, Soliel responds in a way that is just as he feared she might. She doesn’t remember a single thing, apart from the Dale being a place she had lived. A single tear runs along her cheek, glistening in the too-bright winter sun. The young man doesn’t know what to do; his thoughts race trying to come up with answers for the memory-less woman. Could he ask the older residents if they knew her? Would she even remember them if they said they did? He supposes it can’t hurt to try. “Not many of the faces have likely remained since you were here last. I can take you around and introduce you – perhaps just seeing the entirety of the kingdom will jog your memory, too…”
He trails off, lost in thinking of other plans to help the returned Dalean. She must be older than him, at least by a little. He doesn’t remember her from his recent childhood years. Some part of him thrills at having to help Soliel; some aspect of his personality shines when he takes up the role of knight to save a damsel. Ramiel can feel that familiar pride of his welling up in his chest, somewhere in the space around his heart. It makes him think that anything is possible, that they will learn everything the blue-eyed girl wants to remember, and then some. It makes him tell her, “we will figure this out, Soliel, don’t you worry. But first you need to rest and recover.” His muzzle touches her cheek softly, just enough to wipe away the frozen tear, before he withdraws, not wanting to offend her with his nearness.
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through, oh you fill my lungs with sweetness and my head is filled with you
As ashamed as she is at her weakness and faulty mind, she can’t help but lean into Ramiel when he sidles up beside her. Her body betrays her, unwilling to allow her to pretend to be strong. Exposing her for the vulnerable mare that she is. Although she is full of despair, he is full of ideas and she is utterly grateful for him. ”Yes of course. Maybe that will help…” She mumbles softly, unable to meet his gaze and let him see how afraid she was. For what if there was nobody here that recognized her? Time had played a horrible trick on her, keeping her intact since the day she left but unable to remember when that day was or what her life had been like before she had evaporated into the atmosphere. She doesn’t even know how old she is or as old as she should be.
Ramiel is still a stranger to her but he is the stranger that saved her and brought her to the only place that holds a glimmer of hope. That alone makes him a hero in her eyes. His muzzle touches her cheek as he tries to comfort her, urges her to rest. A thrilling shock speeds along her spine, forcing her to turn her gaze to him and see the kindness in his eyes. He seemed so determined to help her when she didn’t deserve to take up any of his time. A watery smile finds the curves of her lips. ”I believe you.” It’s the only thing she is sure of, that he would help her find a way back to her lost mementos. He seems so determined, how could she not place her faith in him? As he pulls away she feels herself feeling slightly disappointed but says nothing even as her expression falls slightly. ”Who all lives here?” She asks quietly as her icy iris’s sweep over the glittering landscape again. Once again focused on why she was here. She’s only here to recover her past right? To remember? Nothing more. Although she’s not so sure of herself now. Something has shaken her heart, warming it as much as it warms the rest of her body.
Soliel seems agreeable to his admittedly spur-of-the-moment plan. He’s already thinking of where to take her once she agrees, from the bigger landmarks like the eastern foothills that rise up into the mountains, to the smaller ones, like the cluster of ancient oaks towards the south. “I hope it will,” he says, smiling easily at the girl. If anything, he has his hope. He only wonders if she is just as hopeful, or if she’s masking the pain she really feels. Losing one’s memories can’t be easy, after all. Forgetting your past – the faces and places you’ve met and seen – is like forgetting all the aspects you’re made up of. An unbidden thought occurs to him then, that her past had been so dark that she’s blocked it out to protect herself…
He doesn’t share this thought with her, but it does make him wonder. In digging deeper into the mystery of her Before-life, will they dredge up skeletons she doesn’t want to recover?
The Dale is a quiet, peaceful place, though, and that gives him some measure of solace. Nothing in their most recent past would suggest a sordid history of the snow-colored mare. There had been Lea’s murder…but that was surely before this young woman’s time, right? Ramiel notices the fear in her eyes, the way she can no longer meet his gaze, even as she agrees to his plan. It makes him think all the more that maybe things aren’t as rosy as they appear. He’s seen hell and all its ghosts, though. Whatever Soliel faces on her road to recovery, he’s not afraid to stand beside her and take it on. Something about the rather petite horse makes him protective in almost the same way that Graveling does. He’d brought them both back to the mountain-land, and he thinks perhaps it’s this responsibility that weighs on him, that makes him want to be more careful with his own actions – to make sure he’s around to keep them safe.
The grey doesn’t see the way her face drops when he pulls away. He’s already looking out across his home with more focus then he usually has, wondering where best to start the tour. Once she’s rested, of course. For now, it’s enough for them to talk and get to know each other better. Ramiel hears her question and turns back to her, his golden eyes soft. “My mother, Talulah. My father, Tiphon.” Although their presence is less and less each day. He wonders if they are planning on leaving or if they simply have more confidence in his ability to rule. But Soliel likely doesn’t need to hear his own burdens just yet. He swallows and continues on. “Elysteria, Weir, Isetnofret.” As he lists them, he realizes how small the list is – how easy the few names come to him. “As well as some foals and Ea, our traded princess from the Jungle” She’s more than just a trade, of course. But perhaps the explanation will spark another half-memory in Soliel. He touches her shoulder gently. ”Do you have any names you can remember?”
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through, oh you fill my lungs with sweetness and my head is filled with you
The skeletons in her closet aren’t really her skeletons. Her childhood had been a simple one, rather quiet and unobtrusive. The only thing that could truly cause her pain would be her mother’s death, if she was to ever remember it. Her mother had been killed in cold blood on the Beach at the hooves of a madman. She never knew that Raaquel had given birth right before she had died, that somewhere out there wandered a half-sibling. A brother that was undergoing a life far worse than hers. That was a secret that perhaps would never be discovered.
Despite being alone in her thoughts, she is no longer alone physically. She has a home, temporary or forever is unknown, but for now she isn’t homeless. And Ramiel is here, eager to assist her no matter what comes. It’s better than where she had been before. She does her best to push past her sadness and fear, to be optimistic in what’s to come. Instead she listens quietly to the names he lists, not surprised that she doesn’t recognize a single one. Shaking her head gently in response, ”No I can’t….” Slight hesitation, wondering if it was even worth mentioning or if he might just think her crazy. ”Sometimes I dream of a gray mare but I don’t know who she is. Probably isn’t anyone…” A nervous laugh, trying to shake off her embarrassment. ”You said you have a traded princess here? Why is that?” Distracting herself from her current lack of knowledge, she is eager to learn as much as she can. Slowly her legs fold beneath her and she sinks to the ground, unable to stand any longer. ”How rude of me, I never even asked about you or the Dale. Maybe a story would help jog my memory.” She smiles brightly up at him, feeling more like a lost chid than a grown mare. She needs to rest though and perhaps a story on the Dale might dredge up something that was once lost.
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through,