"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
Men and lands have come and gone in her life. Born in the Mourning Mountains, then taken to the Gates by Magnus – her maman’s lover and her assumed father. He ruled the heavenly lands, until someone decided to take over. And then someone else did the same, and the same, and the same. Then Beqanna took the lands, gave hem new ones in return.
Things weren’t so very different in this new world. Although her father had left someone he trusted in charge, Lucrezia had been cast out. Amore had rather liked the golden and peacock mare. She was sweet and kind and honest, and Tephra would’ve thrived under her rule. If she wouldn’t have stepped down.
Amorette had been rather disappointed and even quite upset about it. She couldn’t really blame anybody for what had happened, but that didn’t mean she would have to like it and blindly accept it. She had needed time, taken some, and was now ready to mingle again. And meet Tephra’s new leader, meet some new faces and maybe talk to Warrick again. She liked him.
In all the time she had never left Tephra. She had kept to herself, stayed out of sight and just lived. Day by day, in the caves on the beach. Before, when her father had still ruled the lands, she had seen a couple go in and out of them. Their scents vaguely lingered, but they were no longer around. She had needed the time to think, to deal with things. Tephra had a new leader, which she had learned to accept.
Her gaze moves up the volcano, watching it silently. There is a small smile tugging on the corners of her lips. It still very much reminded her of the past, the first few weeks of her life. Minette, her maman. And of course Besra, her dear friend. All in the past now though, even her father was no longer around. One thing for sure, Amore missed him.
He had left, and nothing good had come of it. Or that was what he had been told.
One year. From one winter to the next he had roamed the common lands, until, in his final act of self-rule he had burned half of Hyaline to the ground. It had felt good, and he did not regret it. Roots, leaves, bones, and bruise - they would heal.
They will be fine! He wanted to shout whenever this exhausting topic was brought up by others. It's not like anyone died.
But he didn’t mind remembering when he was alone... visualizing again the way the flames had feasted with a wild magnificence - from his toes to the horizon. That thought sang him to sleep many nights. He was just tired of talking about it with those who couldn't see the beauty in the chaos. Which happens to be pretty much everyone.
Kolera, Iset, Deathwish… Maugrim. They had seen the beauty in the chaos. But they were aimless, he had ambition. Their names surface in his thoughts now and then, and pushes them aside like old toys. I’m done playing games he had told Kolera. And he was.
These are the thoughts which fill his mind as he catches sight of someone who is familiar yet unknown. The black of her coat is soft, smoky, unlike the stark ebony of his father's. The delicate smile on her face is gentle with a hint of sadness. He had been alone with his thoughts long enough, he was not so proud and to pass her by - he knew her.
“I don't think we have ever actually meet.” He approaches her with the volcano at his back - his mismatched eyes are alert but not suspicious. His body is solid and tall, his shorn mane stand upright on his crested neck. He stops in front of her with enough space between them as not to crowed her. “I’m Levi, I’ve just come home.”
Levi
so scream you, out from behind the bitter ache.
@[Amorette] I figured they would have seen each other around... but they had just never officially met! I hope that is alright
Or that was how it was supposed to be. With both former leaders of Tephra gone, Amorette would have to see if Tephra would still be home to her. She wanted it to be. This was the land her father had ruled, where he had built his new life and where he welcomed her home. It wouldn’t have been for no reason. She hopes.
Just as she hopes that the new ruler would accept her stay. She technically hadn’t left, but she hadn’t truly been around either. Tephra’s scent, rich of volcano and ashes, clung to her skin and mingled with her scent, but that still didn’t really made her a part of the kingdom.
Or, someone might have seen her around. Like someone approaches her now. Honestly, Amore hadn’t paid that much attention to all the new faces, this odd eyed tall black and white stallion isn’t known to her. She finds herself nodding, with a little smile on her lips. ”We haven’t, but it’s nice to talk to someone again” she replies. Curiously she glances up at him, not able to not linger watching his one red eye for a bit.
”Welcome home then, I guess. My name is Amorette and I’ve been around for.. a while” as she speaks she cannot stop herself from glancing into the direction of the beach where the caves were. They had been her home ever since Lucrezia had left. She knew so little others, with Magnus gone. Perhaps only Warrick left. ”Have you lived in Tephra long?” Amore doesn’t ask out of curiosity, or with any bad intention. Just trying to make small talk and let her honest interest show. Maybe that was why Magnus had always told her she would be a great diplomat once.
But that was a long time ago.. Before she got stuck in time due to the Reckoning. Back when the Heavenly Gates still existed.
Amorette
Quand on n'a que l'amour.
OOC: Thanks for writing to me <3. And it's totally fine like this
Levi had been a sharp-eyed child who grew into an observant man. He watches for the spark of recognition in her eye, but he never sees it. Regardless, he is certain that he had seen her along the beach when he was a colt. She watches him, and her words are friendly even if she has never seen him before.
He had told his father he wanted to be useful to Tephra, so it was about time he started making acquaintances. Friends Rapture would call them. He could not indulge in solitude like he had when he was young. Now, he had more enemies than friends.. it was about time he changed that.
Amorette she calls herself. What is the polite thing to say now? “It’s nice to meet you, Amorette.”
After a brief pause her gaze drifts off towards the ocean and he turns his skull to see what she is looking at. No one is approaching (that had been his main concern) but his evaluating eyes linger on the landscape as she asks her next question.
Levi looks back to the smoky mare. “I was born here, and I lived here for two years...” He thinks back to the day he left for the Forest without saying goodbye to his parents, without discussing his plan with nearly anyone. “before I left for a year.” His whole life summed up in a sentence. “But and now I've just come back, and I've been trying to walk every inch of Tephra before summer.”
It was an unusual goal, but one he had thought of the day after he arrived. Levi hadn’t been ready to fall into the society of the volcanic island and learning his environment seemed like a useful way to bide his time. So, with heavy and methodical steps, the large stallion had taken to the outer islands, learning the location of every natural shelter and fresh spring.
He gestures in the direction she had looked to earlier “I haven't gone that way yet.”
07-22-2017, 08:12 AM (This post was last modified: 07-22-2017, 08:14 AM by Amorette.)
Ever since she was young she had had a positive view on life. New faces were greeted with a smile and she liked to think of their best intentions only. Not that she was oblivious to bad ones, or perhaps a little, but Amore simply preferred the more positive look on life. Something she had to thank both her parents, Minette and Magnus, for.
And thus she smiles when Levi agrees that their meeting is nice. ”It is.” Amorette nods, agreeing whole heartedly. It was always nice to meet someone new.
His voice pulls her away from her thoughts, away from the beach. With an apologetic smile she turns to look at the tall brown and white male. As he tells his story, allows her to have a peek into his life, she listens curiously. Not in a crazy stalker way, more like in an interested way. If she wanted to stay in Tephra, it wouldn’t hurt to know some of the other residents.
Especially the last thing he tells her about his history is what interests her. Her smile grows wider and this time she glances across her other shoulder. Not the beach, not the caves, but to the volcano. ”Tephra’s beach you mean? Nothing really special about it, but…” Lucrezia had told her stories about her trip there and even though Amore has been fascinated by it for so long now, she had yet to make the trip. ”… have you ever been up the volcano?” she asks, her head swaying back to face Levi.
Her eyes are almost twinkling. And for a moment she feels like a child again, eager to explore. The volcano was what had made her like Tephra, it reminded her of the past. Not the Gates, but the herd where she had been born. The Mourning Mountains.
Amorette
Quand on n'a que l'amour.
OOC: Okay, major fail XD. Sorry I wrote Levi was black, I totally should’ve double checked that.
“It is.” She nods and smiles, sincerity ringing in her clear bright voice. She seems to be a little older than him (not by much) and a complete stranger too, but he can't help but feel a little charmed by her sparkling eyes. During the last few months, anytime he had met with another horse the conversation which followed had been tense and weighty. He was beginning to think himself incapable of what came so easily to others; the ability to relax and have a non agresive convorsation.
"... have you ever been up the volcano?" Her words cause him to look to the rumbling black beast at the center of their home, bring back memories of playing at the foot of the volcano with his twin. They had never made it up very far before their mother has stepped in and guided them elsewhere. The jagged stones between lava streams did not make a suitable playground for foals.
"I was going to do that last..." he begins to say, his gaze lingering on the massive structure of stone and lava. the hike up the volcano was to be the final phase of his self-appointed quest. Levi had imagined himself making the ascent and then, looking over all of Tephra from this vantage point, knowing he walked over every piece of land his eyes could see.
But here, he seems to have stumbled across a willing companion. She smells of wildflowers, salt, and brimstone - of Tephra. She probably knew this island as well as he did, and she seemed to like him for some reason... so why not give being diplomatic a try.
"But forget it," Exploring with someone else would break the tedium of his day if nothing else.
He smiles then, a natural smile, the friendliest thing he had done since returning to his father's kingdom. "Let's go now." With that, his feathered legs are moving again as he trots towards the volcano, his mismatched eyes already working to pick out a suitable route to climb.
She took after her mother, perhaps a bit too much. Of course her father – or step dad actually, but Amorette did not know that – had had some influence on her character too. Once she had thought that she would become a diplomat for the Gates, but now… Amore honestly did not know yet where she stood. Making new friends and acquaintances, and Levi was the first one in this first step.
When he tells her he had plans to explore the volcano, her ears perk up. She’s genuinely interested in what he tells her, as she is still eager to go up the volcano herself. ”I’ve been told that the view is spectacular.” Lucrezia had told her great stories about her trips there, but sadly enough they had never gotten the change to go up once together. Amorette’s gaze follows Levi’s to the volcano, smiling a little as the longing grows. It was calling her.
She doesn’t know if she should try to change his plans, to invite him to explore the mountain together. Or if she should tell him that saving the best for last was the best option. However, before she gets a chance to say anything, Levi beats her to it. ”No need to ask me twice” she tells him with a wide grin, an enthusiastic twinkle in her eyes. Oh yes, she really wanted this.
Right now.
With Levi.
After all, he seemed just as interested and eager as she was. Why else would he abolish his plans? ”Lucrezia told me it was best to leave early in the morning, but I think we should be fine” she says as she joins him, walking alongside Levi. It was still morning, not as early as their former queen had meant. Not too late in the morning either though.
As they climb, Amore allowing Levi to find the best route up. She did not follow him blindly, aware to place her hooves with enough attention to find her own way. ”What do you think of Tephra? What is it like to you?” she asks, both to keep their conversation going and curious to learn what he thought. All in favour to see if Tephra would still be home to her.
But deep down she knew she wouldn’t be able to ignore the volcano’s calls.
As Levi picks his way over the roots of the volcano, he realizes the mountain is much larger than he remembered it. From this point, at the base of the volcano, the summit is obscured by the smaller outcroppings and minor hills - all of which they will have to navigate to reach the top. But instead of being disheartened by the day long trek ahead he feels the tingling of anticipation.
When the dark mare mentions Lucrezia he slides a curious glance in her direction. The young stallion had not had the chance to meet the former leader before she stepped down and disappeared, but several times he had wondered where she had gone and if she would ever return to her former kingdom. Would her return cause unrest in the thriving kingdom? Levi notes the connection in his mind, but for now, he focuses on the second half of her sentence. He didn't want to talk about politics at the moment. The sun is midway up the eastern sky, admittedly closer to noon than dawn, and he wonders if she is right.
His ivory legs slow to a walk and he falls into step beside Amorette as he responds. "Well, we don't have to worry about the dark." He keeps to her right side, so his black eye is turned to her. A faint grin tugs at the corners of his unwilling lips after he hints at the specific magic he possesses. He could always light their way home with the flames he commanded if they were caught by dusk on the mountainside, but he doesn't tell all just yet. "The view may be even better at night." His resistant mouth cannot remain stoic under the influence of her twinkling dark eyes and he smiles at her for the second time.
It makes him feel lighter, and a little warm, looking into those curious dark eyes. But he hides his feelings, as he so often does, and carries on with their conversation.
"As for Tephra, it is much better than the rest of the world. Far more interesting." He snakes his muzzle out to teasingly nip her shoulder before quickly returning his head to its proud place atop his crested neck. "But what about you? We have whole days walk ahead of us, tell me what you think of our home."
Levi
so scream you, out from behind the bitter ache.
@[Amorette] I'm assuming her eyes are dark because her profile doesn't specify & she is a black horse... let me know if I should correct this!
Lucrezia returning to Tephra, in fact, it would bring Amorette much joy. Not that she expected the golden peacock mare to stir trouble, but because she genuinely liked the older mare. Her father had liked her and Amore’s time with Magnus had only been brief. She would gladly listen to everything Lucrezia could tell her about him. But, with both former Tephra leaders gone, all Amore had left was Tephra. And she was excited to explore more of the lands with Levi.
It’s Levi who makes her look up, she would’ve cocked up an eyebrow if she could. ”Oh? And why is that?” she asks, both teasing and curious. Amore caught the faint curl of his lip out of the corner of her eye. He held her attention, or, most of it, as a part of her was focussed on their trip. Tripping right in front of him would definitely not make a good impression. But there was no shame in admitting he was right here. ”That would be a pretty amazing sight..” she sighs softly. Not only admitting, but she was actually pretty excited for it too. His smile makes her think he’s almost just as excited.
With a smile of her own she gently bumps her shoulder into his, her twinkling eyes holding his for a moment before focussing on the way ahead of them. She had been eager to go up the volcano for quite a while now and she couldn’t be more excited that she finally could.
At the same time Amorette was just as curious to learn more about Tephra. Not just exploring it. She’s all ears for the things Levi is willing to tell her. ”Hey!” she teasing exclaims at the nip, shrugging her shoulder lightly. Though she’s soon to try to pry more out of him. ”How come? Have you been to other parts of Beqanna?” she asks, her head tilting a little as she turns it a bit to the side to look at him with one eye.
His question silences her for a while. Her gaze, no longer focussed on Levi or the volcano, travels around. Tephra. Lush green fields all around them, humid temperature that she found strangely pleasant. Never cold. But that probably wasn’t what Levi was asking. ”It reminds me of the place I was born. The Mourning Mountains are not at all like Tephra, except for the volcano and a few other things, but somehow they feel alike to me. My first steps onto these grounds, it felt like coming home.” And her father had been here to welcome her home. Sadly enough, he no longer was.
He takes his time navigating through the shale and splintered dark rock. It was no easy journey they were making, on another day he may have even found it tiresome or tedious, but not today. And Levi finds he likes her a little more when his little joke to himself about the dark does not slip past her. "Oh, why? You aren't scared of the dark are you?" his tone remains light, he makes an effort to keep anything that might resemble a threat out of his voice. It's juvenile, he knows, but he feels this Amorette isn't opposed to a little banter.
It never really got dark in Tephra - not dark like The Forest could get dark. Sometimes he missed that, the easiness of being nothing more than a shadow in the woods. But that nostalgia was rare. There was no future for him in The Forest or any place other than his home. Even if he did get a thrill out being one with the gloom of the forest like so many had before him.
He turns his concentration back to the trail they are blazing, visually picking out the best course for the next five minutes of their walk. Small flames appear two by two hovering at ankle height above the ground on either side of the trail he has visualized. The fire mage pushes heat into this flames making them glow brightly and despite the morning sunlight each beacon glows hot and white as far as the eye can see.
He had always been more for show than tell.
Each set of flames disappear as the pair passes. It doesn't take much focus to maintain the ones he has already placed ahead, so, he leaves them to light their way.
He consideres her question about his travels for a moment before replying. "I've seen a few, I need to visit more." The mottled stallion doesn't mention it could be a decade before he had a warm welcome from any other territory. But It feels wrong to mention Hyaline when the mood is so light and he didn't have much information about the other kingdoms to substitute in his conversation. Levi rarely lied - even if he wasn't an upstanding citizen in all respects. And truthfully explaining how he had spent his time in Hyaline would darken the mood at best. More likely she would turn and run.
"The Forest and The River both have their advantages if you don't mind the gloom." Damn it, Levi, don't be creepy.
"But Tephra," he begins again with a hint of pride in his voice "Tephra is well protected, organized, and not bad to look at too. I don't think there is anything she is lacking." He looks back to see if his newfound companion agrees and then takes his turn as the listener while she speaks of her birthplace.
He realizes that she was born before The Reckoning, in a world he had only ever heard stories of, and his curiosity only grows. This serves as a reminder of how little he knew about so many of the horses he shared his home with and he decides that after he accomplishes his goal of walking all of the Tephra, his next goal will be to know his countrymen better.
"Is your family here too?" He regrets his question as soon as it leaves his mouth, and he turns his head away from her to look up the path. He had learned that many horses had lost loved ones in the turmoil during and after that terrible event, and in haste, he racks his mind for something else to say which she can respond to other than the question about her family. "I'm glad you feel that way about Tephra though, even if it isn't where you were born. Do you consider yourself a warrior or maybe a diplomat? I'm not sure what I am yet."
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