[private] What's My Next Assignment? [Lepis]

[Aten]

The golden stallion felt an irritated urge rising in his bones as he lamented on the events of the past season on his walk to Taiga's main meadow one bright summer late morning. Most likely his irritable attitude could be attributed to how he felt there wasn't a lot of action, so to speak, this season, but instead a lot of waiting around for orders since he couldn't really go off and do what he wanted.

Well, technically, he could, but he didn't want to arouse suspicions, especially not after his latest conversation with Heartfire. He couldn't afford to set off any alarms among the kingdom residents, save for Lethia and her three foals. Anything to keep them safe... Aten would tell them what they needed to know, and nothing more, if it pertained to their safety. He would personally escort them out of Taiga's territory by any means to keep them alive. He didn't favor any of Lethia's foals over the others, but he had become much more protective since the birth of his and Lethia's son, Kalil.

Knowing he had a blood relative out there, for certain... Aten felt an instinct stirring in him like never before. The drive of the lead stallion to protect those of herd... even if in other herds colts would be kicked out when they reached a certain age.

But Aten would never experience those feelings toward his son, not in the current kingdom dynamic. He felt no threat from Kalil, especially with the colt's younger age. And he had quite the personality, so Aten would be surprised if any horse wanted to kick the bubbly and brave colt out of a herd. His drive to explore and the comic presence he provided when he and the marbled cat were around each other was quite endearing. Two presences so pure and happy...

It was a light that would never go out.

The golden stallion's news would be short, simple, to the point. He would not lie to Lepis about what Ruinam had said about an alliance between the Resort and Taiga. So, when he reached the main meadow, he wasted no time in calling out to the kingdom's leader. He almost couldn't wait to tell her... to see what she would think of her own actions when they might have condemned a possible future she considered.

@[Lepis]

[Lepis]

The pale-eyed mare is grazing when she hears the sound of a familiar voice. She raises her head and answers with a soft whicker, letting the golden stallion know where she is even as she leaves her late breakfast and moves toward the sound of his voice. When she sees him, she smiles politely and nods her head in greeting.

When they had spoken, it was of diplomatic visits, and he and Izora LEthia were to set out for Island Resort. Much has passed since then – Lepis’ visit to Heartfire, and the roan mare’s visit here. Lepis had caught the familiar scent of the older woman, but she does not begrudge a jaunt in her woods. Their lands are bound to each other, after all, and as Lepis has no plans to relinquish hers she sees no harm in allowing the Queen her visits to the Taiag. If she knew the purpose of the most recent trip, of course, her attitude would be entirely different.

”Back from Island Resort?” She asks curiously as she settles in a comfortable distance from the taller stallion. The news that the champagne stallion will bring from the western land has been eagerly anticipated. Lepis trusts that the man has carried her offer to the Resort exactly as she’d said it. She is not interested in allies, not yet, but friendly steals and challenges were not too much to ask for, she doesn’t think. It is what they had request of Ischia, after all, and the same is true for Loess, Pangea, and their sublands. Her expression, though there is a serious set to the Protector’s face that keeps her from celebrating too early.

@[Aten]

[Aten]

Lepis' gaze told Aten exactly what he feared... she was hoping for good news. He stood proud in order to betray what he was going to tell her, not wanting her to believe he'd backed off so soon from the Resort's leader like a wolf hustling home with it's tail between it's legs.

He'd done as Lepis asked, approached the matter in a good way. It was just unfortunate that Ruinam asked a question Aten had to answer honestly to prevent a feud and, Epona forbid, bloodshed.

He took a breath and came out with it, "Though I presented your offer in what I believed was a reasonable matter, Ruinam was very upfront in that he was not interested in Taiga were to be pursuing an alliance with Loess. He did not outright refuse the opportunities to have mock fights to increase our own skills on the battlefield, but I am not certain if he would just appreciate if we showed up and challenged a resident. He wishes for your kingdoms to remain on friendly terms, if anything, so there is no immediate threat to any seat of power and the residents, but I am not certain he may even be interested in fights or challenges considering the point he's already made clear."

@[Lepis]

[Lepis]

lepis, comtesse of taiga RUN AND TELL ALL OF THE ANGELS; THIS COULD TAKE ALL NIGHT i think i need a devil to help me get things right The champagne stallion holds himself proudly, and Lepis is certain that he bears good new right up until the first word falls from his mouth. ‘Though’, he begins, and the dun mare knows that whatever follows will not be news she wishes to hear. She balances the disappointment with the memory that her own trip to the other island had been immensely successful. It is not the end of the world, she reminds herself. She has plans in place already to attempt to salvage it, idle thoughts that grow and develop into a plan. “Our territories,” she emphasizes the word, because there is an ache at being reminded she is not a true queen, “have been friendly until now. I won’t be the one to make that untrue, though I intend to speak to Ruinam myself, to see if I cannot remedy this.” Ischia had gone so well, she thinks, and she struggles to believe that this leader of the Island Resort would be so opposed to Loess that he would let it affect the safety – and fitness – of his own people. Ruinam would have sided with Tephra in the war, she realizes. He thought their assault of children was acceptable, but not the steps taken to prevent such a thing happening again. His loss, she decides. It’s not as though Taiga’s fighters would have been able to learn much from cowards anyway, Lepis tells herself, and then nods and repeats her earlier thought as Aten falls quiet. “His loss, then. We have been successful in reaching out to other lands, at least.” @[Aten]