"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
In another life, she was once a queen...a daughter...a mother...a wife. She had stood by the great stallion with the sun in her eyes and love in her heart.
But it had all been lost.
Her children, now nearly young women, had taken off. Gone, gone, gone. The white and gold mare had been left by them all. True, Maribel had heard of Liv's return to Taiga but she shied from her child. The blue girl acted much too old for her young life and Mari feared this would cause her trouble one day. Liv would always be stronger than her own mother ever had.
Maribel picks her way carefully over the moss, changing colors like a chameleon as she moves slowly. The suble shades of green, brown, and gray suited her life and her mood. Shallow breathes fills her lungs quietly as she looks over Taiga like a forest druid keeping her watch but today something has changed. Maribel grows sick of her life of solitude and ventures or the safety of her forest.
Nostrils expand and catch hints of another equine amongst the tree. Pale blue eyes catch sight of a gray mare moving quietly along the well threaded deer path. "Hello." The feeble voice all but flls flat from her lips as Mari attempts to call to the other. Liquid gold slowly crawls up her legs before blending into the snow white of her hide as Mari assumes her usual coloration. Blue eyes blink as she attempts to offer a small but shy smile. "How are you today?" The gentle soul, the sunshine girl. She tries her best to rekindle the warmth in her heart by speaking to the other mare with a bit of an awkwardly crooked smile that she seems to have lost control over it it lifts and falls from her face. Mari tries to control the emotions that are lapping like waves against her nerves and eventually wins out and remains rooted to the soil where she stands.
And when she laughs you'll always take notice.
'Cause her heart's charm will shine right through it all.
Maribel has finally returned home, after many months wandering about in mourning. Reagan had hoped dearly that her friend would return. Missing the company of another female—a friend—in the quiet of the trees was quite a painful thing, even when one is surrounded by their family. It is sometimes necessary to remind oneself that their self worth should never be defined by what another thinks of you, but rather by the peace you hold in your own heart. What had happened to Romek, Reagan had never been sure. But the sour taste that was left in the she-wolf’s mouth was that he had not taken his family with him.
And so the angel goddess, once a queen, was deposed, and the gray mare tinged in brown and green had taken her place. Never a Queen for Reagan though. For hers was a family, and nothing more. For while Romek and Maribel had ruled as Kings among the wood, Reagan and her kin were merely its caretakers. The trees provided shelter, food, and protection. In turn, the magician defended it; it was her home.
And she hoped that Maribel would make Taiga her home once again as well.
So as Mari calls out to Reggie, it seems that she does not recognize her friend—though they have walked this exact path many times before—and Reagan smiles, trying not to be too excited to see the white and gold lady approaching her. “Hello Maribel. It has been a long time. I hope to the deepest of my soul that I can tell you ‘welcome home’.”
Blue eyes are distant, unfocused and red rimmed. Maribel fought like hell to rid herself of the demons, shake away the questions and blame. But still, after all this time,she finds herself back in the land of Taiga.
The pale mare drifts like cloud mist, her collision into the gray mare is indirect and thoughtless. Down cast gaze lifts at the familiar tones of Reagan. A small but fleeting smile crosses her lips as she look to meet her friend's gaze. "Oh, Reagan." The bright sapphires glitter in their depths as Mari fights the urge to let the tears fall. For so long she had been lost, ebbing and flowing with unrestricted tides. The compass had long since been broken at the absence of Romek but now...now things had the chance to right themselves...to restore the porcelain creature draped in gold.
Mari does not hesitate as she steps forward to wrap Reggie in an embrace. "Thank you." The words are spoken in hitches as the dark loneliness begins to dissipate. Perhaps if Mari were a bit kinder, a bit gentler on herself, she could find the sunshine once again in her heart.
And when she laughs you'll always take notice.
'Cause her heart's charm will shine right through it all.
Lately our little sunlit girl has been quite clingy to her daddy, following him around like a little puppy dog. She plays with him like she would play with Isaan and Terra, and maybe even Jinju. But now that her father's wings are gone she feels lost even bit distraught, she feels less connected to him than before. As if someone built a wall between the everlasting relationship of father and daughter, so our upset little princess seeks out her mommy.
She gallops through the foliage, and tangle of brambles upon the forest floor. Her amber eyes forever remain lost, as she searches the forest terrain for her mama until she sees her speaking to another. Someone new in Taiga! Yay new friends she thinks to herself, as a hopeful smile returns to her lips.
Her navy blue tinged limbs slow as she reaches the grey mare, pressing herself tightly to her mother's side. She reaches her muzzle out gentle brushing her mommy's shoulder with her velvet in a greeting. "Hi mommy." her honey sweet vocals ring out, as she allows her amber gems to raise, meeting the eyes of another. "Hello!" She greets prancing forwards, towards the stranger. "You have a very pretty coat!" She exclaims, the essence of joy hinted in her words, as she allows her eyes to fixate upon the porcelain and gold mare.
HEDA
Go right ahead, laugh at the girl who loved too easily
How long had it been since he last felt the wind of the Taiga move through his fur? How long had it been since he had last had its leaf-filtered light fall pleasantly upon his spotted back? Years, it must've been, although Romek had not kept track. Of course he hadn't. It was hard at first to not think of the days passing, of the time filling the space between them all like sand. But, like everything in his life to date, it got easier. He started thinking things like 'they've probably forgotten me by now' and 'how will i ever be able to come back?' And so the space grew and grew and grew, and although it was hardly an oceanic amount, it was vast and distant enough that he could barely see the other side anyway.
But, more than anything, Romek was good at coming back. And so here he is. Back.
The spotted man moves through this familiar terrain with ease, his amber catlike eyes scanning his surroundings, always scanning, always moving. No doubt that by now Reagan has picked up on his presence in the Taiga - he has been back a fair couple of months, though for a fair few obvious reasons, had declined to make his presence known. He blended in well with the local fauna.
It is the scent of Maribel that causes him to pause for a moment. It had been literal years since they had seen each other, and it felt even longer since they had had a proper conversation - before, even Maribel had stepped down as his co-leader, his Queen... Their dream had more barbs than it first appeared to. He wonders, briefly, whether she has moved on - he wouldn't blame her. It had been a long time.
And so he slips into their conversation, Reagan and Maribel and a child he does not recognise. "A reunion, and I'm not invited?" he says, with a slight tilt of his head. "I'm hurt." he pouts a little, 'though this is mostly for comic effect. "but not really surprised."
He looks at all three of them, quietly and without moving, evaluating.
Reagan smiles. What else can she do in this situation. Upon seeing her old leader appearing out of almost nowhere, Her eyes flex and focus on the rest of them, her old friend Mari’s eyes lit unspokenly and she knew that her heart would finally have a chance to heal. Their home would always be Taiga, whether or not they led this land, it ran in their bones and protected them as it did the grey magician and her ice-wielding mate. Regan tucked Heda into her side, looking at Romek. She was slightly puzzled that he had managed to catch her unawares—but being without magic, his ability to slip into the cracks of her borders would make sense. And yet, it perplexed her.
That Taiga could be so easy to penetrate—to sneak into—worried the mother in her, and she made a mental note to push for a stronger military. Perhaps it was a job for Romek. One that could make him feel useful—and put her mind at ease. If he had the ability to sneak around a magician, then there was always use for the tiger here.
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