"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
Home. Such a funny thing, fluid and fickle and never really about the location. For now, the Tundra was her home, strange though her position was in a sparsely-populated land of bachelors. Tarnished had, for the sake of simplicity and keeping his new brothers off her back, claimed her as his mate. They both knew what was between them was more friendship than romance; she was still recovering from the loss of her family, and he…well, she was never quite sure if he was genuinely oblivious to her idle interest or just didn’t return the sentiment. Either way, he was her best friend, and she had no objection to the ruse.
She had, of course, claimed him right back, whether it was How Things Worked in the Tundra or not. If he was offering her his protection, she would do the same for him. And if it meant playing along, making bedroom eyes at him and running her lips along his skin in public every now and then, well, she could certainly handle that. What was more of an adjustment for her, really, was the entire concept of belonging not to another person, but to a kingdom. Nish wasn’t the first she’d called hers, though she usually meant it in a different way. But her loyalty had never before extended beyond family, tribe, friend, lover. She wasn’t sure she liked being A Woman of the Tundra. However. For Nish, she would give it a try.
Besides, there was worth in the task she had taken on, training the Tundra’s neglected sex in the art of surviving. Helping them find their inner strength, nurturing their talents, and if they happened to turn into an army of badass bitches, well so much the better. It would certainly make for interesting company in the frozen north. Of which, as it happened, there was very little at the moment. She was, as far as she had seen, the only woman in the entire kingdom. And there were surprisingly few men at the moment too.
Maybe it was the weather.
Dom, for one, was not exactly set up for success in a world made primarily of ice and snow. Oh, she could handle herself just fine in the Meadow or traveling the lands between kingdoms, but she had arrived in the Tundra in the middle of a ferocious blizzard, and she hadn’t spent all late fall and early winter building up a coat thick enough to withstand the frigid climate. So she was eager enough, when conversation turned toward reinstating an exchange program with the Jungle, to make the voyage to a land where for at least the duration of her trip, the cold wouldn’t sink into her bones until her teeth chattered and her body shook with it. Oh, she would adjust in time. But a break would be nice, that was for damn sure.
Thus, she found herself at the edge of the vibrant, verdant kingdom Tarnished had once called home. The trek had taken long enough that Dominion was idly hopeful the weather would have turned by the time she arrived back home. She paused just outside the Jungle’s border, knowing from lessons with Nish that someone would come and find her. Apparently the kingdoms had a habit of letting their people know they had visitors, so she didn’t concern herself much with the practicalities of the visit, and instead took advantage of the opportunity to look around. It was, after all, her first time visiting a jungle.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
10-09-2015, 01:09 PM (This post was last modified: 10-09-2015, 01:10 PM by Joscelin.)
There's a song in your lung and a dream in your eye.
It was almost inevitable that the Jungle would win her heart. She had never felt as though the Dale had been the place for her. And though she loves her family dearly, she could never have stayed there just for them. But here she had grown into her skin, had learned of her own power and strength. And for her, that is everything.
She has long since grown accustomed to the noises of the jungle, to the subtle differences when something new is going on. The scent too. Though strong and pungent to many outsiders, she could now detect the subtle differences in smell, could pick out a change from a fair distance away. Today she notes something different. It has become a habit of hers to meander through the gnarled vegetation during her days, allowing her easily detect any changes. Patrolling, some might call it. Exploring, she prefers to think. Patrolling sounds so droll, so mundane.
A very faint hint of ice and snow linger upon the air, peaking her curiosity in a way little else could. Of course she is familiar with ice and snow. Though the Jungle never saw it, the Dale had. She had loved playing in the snow as a child, had found awe and wonderment in the fluffy white powder as it had fallen to the ground. But this is different. It is spring now. The ice and snow had melted, leaving behind the scent of green and growing things. Which meant this newcomer could only be from one place.
She had never been to the Tundra before, but she is quite curious about that far off land. A land of men. On second thought, maybe she isn’t too keen on going there after all. But she is surprised when she follows the scent and finds not a man, but a woman. Golden gaze fixing upon her, she emerges from the darkness of the trees, her cracked skin flashing with a subtle light.
”You smell of the Tundra.”
Her metallic eyes peruse the spotted woman for a long moment as she studies her form, a hint of curiosity suffusing her features.
”What was a woman like you doing in a land bachelors?”
If she had ever needed proof that she would likely make a poor diplomat, here it is. Remembering herself then, she offers an introduction.
”I’m Joscelin, by the way. What can I call you? Besides beautiful, of course.”
She flashes her a brief smile before reflecting that perhaps she should not have said that last part... she really should not have said that.
Joscelin
Tiphon x Elysteria
html c insane | picture c mikanicole.deviantart.com
It didn’t take long for the Jungle to provide her with the company she sought. Nish had been right about that, apparently. The kingdoms protected their own, to some extent at least. Not in the way of a raging mother bear, roaring and slashing and destroying those who dared to threaten their young. No, the kingdoms protected more in the way of a wise elder, letting the young ones make their own choices, make their own mistakes, and giving gentle nudges in the right direction. Maybe there were perks to kingdom living after all.
The company in question emerged from the shadow of the trees with a quiet rustling, and the crackling of light that danced along her skin. Intriguing. She was something between flaxen chestnut and a bay whose black had been turned to white, light where a normal bay was dark, and those metallic gold eyes studied her with interest. Curiosity. Dominion studied her right back, green eyes following that crackle of light across her skin.
Dom was taller, broader, heavier than the other mare, not that she made the mistake of thinking that meant she was more powerful. Beqanna held all sorts of strange wonders, and she wasn’t about to underestimate someone based on appearance. Aside from the fact that she’d stopped aging somewhere along the line, Dom was fairly normal. Well, that and the starlight that sparkled along her skin, constellations of a sky long dead tattooed on her body during an incomplete mission for Beqanna’s dark god. Aside from the starlight, she was fairly average in appearance, strong and well-built but nothing particularly fancy. The breadth of the old drummers, the spotted coat of the tigers, a bit of refinement from other tribes whose bloodlines ended with her, but nothing remarkable.
“Does the smell still linger?” she asked, a wry grin playing at the corners of her lips. “And here I’d hoped it would fade during the journey. I only just settled in. I guess it sinks into the skin even deeper than the cold does. Ah well.” For Nish’s sake, she would smell of ice and snow and raging testosterone. For now. “I? Well, I’m shaking things up a bit, of course. Training any girls born there, any women who wind up there. The fact that the kingdom’s androcentric doesn’t mean the women should be weak.” Frankly, from Dom’s point of view it was all the more reason to give them the tools to stand up for themselves. “Hell, it means they need to be strong. And that’s where I come in,” she added, letting that grin spread across her face. “At least in theory. Depends on who actually steps forward and accepts my offer of training.”
Oh, hello. Well then. A gentle tingle started low in her belly, spreading across her skin. Oh, it had been a good long while since she’d been flirted with. She’d almost forgotten what it was like. “Dominion.” The name came out with a bit of a purr, her grin turning just a little bit wicked. “You can call me Dominion.” Wait. Pause. Right, she and Nish had just declared their...arrangement moments before she’d left. Formality or no, she wouldn’t do anything to betray him.
With a bit of a sigh, she added, “Unfortunately, I’m here on business, not pleasure.” Dammit. Oh, she loved Nish. And there was no denying she was attracted to him, always had been. She’d make their union a hell of a lot more real in a heartbeat if he’d ever expressed so much as the slightest interest. But she was at least reasonably sure that he wasn’t in the same place she was, and she wasn’t the type to throw herself at someone who didn’t want her. Or…or perhaps didn’t want to want her. Either way, it had been a damn sight too long since she’d had a good flirt. Or more than a good flirt. So if they hadn’t just formalized their partnership by speaking it in front of the entire kingdom he sought to rule, well. This trip might have just gotten a lot more interesting.
“Tarnished, my mate,” she explained, her smile tinged now with a hint of apology, “who depending on how his meeting went may or may not be one of the kings of the Tundra, and his likely co-king Hurricane, are interested in renewing an exchange program between our fair kingdoms. I would be in charge of training our daughters until they reach age two, at which point, should they be interested in joining the Sisterhood, we would happily send them to you in even exchange for your equally trained and equally interested sons. Is there someone in particular I should talk to about the idea?”
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
10-11-2015, 10:14 PM (This post was last modified: 10-11-2015, 10:15 PM by Joscelin.)
There's a song in your lung and a dream in your eye.
Her golden eyes linger upon the mare’s dual-toned coat, catching upon star-like objects twinkling along her skin at regular intervals. How intriguing. Had she the time, and the other woman the inclination, she would have spent much longer studying those lights embedded into her body. They are lovely in a way that is hard to describe, a striking reminder of the horror that is her own body. She avoids looking in reflective surfaces anymore, but she has her own appearance memorized far too well. Though the shade of her coat is lovely, with its bright red coloring fading into alabaster white points, the fissures splitting every inch of her skin is an unsightly mess. The bright light that flickers along those cracks highlights her imperfections. But, more than that, it displays her power. Her ability to survive. It also serves to regularly disconcert those that have never before seen her. An incredibly useful tool, she might add.
While Joscelin had been admiring the taller mare’s appearance, the woman had started speaking. Damn. Joscelin jerks herself from her reverie, forcing herself to focus on the conversation at hand. And yet another reason why she would make a poor diplomat. Those reasons seem to keep piling up by the day. The black and white woman is quite forthcoming in her explanation, surprising Joscelin. Of course, most days Joscelin herself is rather reticent. As a result, it always surprises her when others are less so.
As she speaks, a slow smile begins to curve Joscelin’s pale lips. A trainer of the Tundra’s women, is she? Impressive. From what she understood, there were few women in the bachelor’s land. But then again, her knowledge and familiarity with the land is extremely limited. She can only think however, that any woman willing to live in that wasteland must he impressive indeed.
”Well, were I one of these mares, I would quite happily accept your offer. You certainly look capable.”
She gives her another lingering perusal, under the guise of assessing the validity of her statement, naturally. She cannot regret her thoughtlessly spoken words however, for the mare before her is indeed quite lovely. And appears to be quite capable. Her next words, however, give her pause. She would have to pick one that has a mate. Of course, she should have known any female living in the Tundra would already be claimed.
”Hmmmm. Pity.”
She says no more, though a small, soft sigh does escape her lips. She has never been one to pursue pointless endeavors. But she really does seem to have rotten luck. Or perhaps just terrible instincts. Or terrible timing. Or maybe all three.
”Well, in that case, the one you would want to talk to is our Khaleesi, Lagertha.”
Quirking a brow, she offers her another lingering look before making one small addition, largely because she simply cannot help herself.
”I would be quite happy to put in a good word for you.”
Joscelin
Tiphon x Elysteria
html c insane | picture c mikanicole.deviantart.com
