"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
No longer seeing anything of the stallions, she had looked down at the foal. A colt. "Echtzeit. Welcome into the world." She says warmly, overjoyed at her foal. She had just heard Raelnyx's promise-threat when ice swirled up and crackled into a thick barrier.
"I would never give up a foal, whether of my blood or not. It is time I raised a foal who is innocent, honest; the regular manered gentleman who had no idea of the darkest area of this realm. You shall not have Echtzeit or myself." She calls over the ice, and her ears were back; she would protect her blood and flesh even if it meant more... unwelcome burns and harsher bites.
She did not care for the ice - it reminded her of the bland grey tone of his eyes. But she loved the escape it provided her from the world of drama and crowds. Of show-offs and fashionable competitions in front of colts and stallions alike to show off their attributes, traits and looks, from color changing to wings and horns, it was all for attention. And it was all annoying, noisy and ignorant. G'ren Fire herself did not care for this at all.
She loved the stallion-ruled lands of the Tundra. It's icy walls protecting, isolating them from the noisier of the Kingdoms. Until he came and ruined the peace. He had, somehow, remembered her and left the Cove - if that's where he still lives - for claiming her. And then trying to take her own child. Even if he had, indeed, sired it, he had no rights over it if he was born into the Tundra.
She heard little noise on the other side of the barrier while Echtzeit nursed. "Echo. Echo is a good nickname." She murmured softly as she nuzzled his small neck, looking at his grullo coat and sharp markings, his soft, confused eyes and small hooves.
I love the way that your heart breaks with every injustice and deadly fate.
The flames lick his skin, caressing him with its delightful heat even as the ground trembles beneath his feet and ice crackles and grows. The sizzle of hot and cold meeting echoes in the air as the charred stallion presses close, relishing the feel and sound. It has nothing on the scent and taste of burning hair and flesh, but it would do for now.
As it were, his interest in the mare had waned upon her refusal. In truth, his only interest in her had ever been in her potential. She has proven, unerringly and incontrovertibly, that she is the same as everyone else. He had thought her different, thought her special even, but he had been wrong.
And so she would be forgotten as easily as all the others (the ones he had left with child and just as easily abandoned, the inconsequential ones).
Now he has other reasons for staying. Primarily because he is terrible at taking orders. Certainly he would not start now.
And these men might (just might) be able to provide him with exactly what he has been aching for since he had been ejected from that dark god's cave. Even at the thought, his scarred skin tingles with remembered pain and joy. With his hide so blackened and burned, he has little feeling left. But perhaps, just perhaps…
A terrible smile curves his lips as he turns, gray eyes fixing upon the giant black beast rimmed by ice. There is a rare delight etched into his hideous features as he erupts into a lunge, massive, fire-encased body and bared teeth aiming for the smaller gray stallion between them.
She heard a clatter of hoofbeats and caught a glimpse of Raelnyx charging Brynmor. She looked once towards Echtzeit, murmured softly "I'll be back soon, Echo." and charged towards the end of the icy wall and followed the barrier until finding the end. It would be a slight squeeze, but she felt certain she could fit if need be.
"You dared attack my family, threatened to rip my son from me straight after his birth, and expected me to tolerate this!" She roared with a mother's rage, bearing down on them quickly as her mouth opened, obviously heading for the fiery stallion she once trusted. But, now, all she felt for him was an urge to kill him, savage his flesh until no more fire burned upon it's horrid surface.
She came within reach of the stallion, and bit on his back, not caring about the burns she was receiving from his fiery, ugly, horrid hide. She knew nothing now except protecting her newborn son and guarding those who had once, many seasons ago, taken her in. She may not be in a caste and has never entered those caves - but merely looked in from the entrance - to receive her scar as the stallions do, but she fought him like a stallion.
"Just.. Because.. I.. Am.. Not a stallion... Does not.. Mean I won't.. Protect.. MY SON!" She starts, at first a threatening hiss on the air, and at the end a roaring voice. She thought how he had forgotten those who had left, who had seeked new homes, even his children. Why? Why suddenly simply come for her? Why not try for those others, who left you so much sooner?
Echtzeit, or as Mom would call him sometimes, Echo, heard the roar of her mother's voice and worried, wanted his mother back. He didn't feel very safe, all alone like this. He didn't like feeling so.. Left out, or as if secreted away. That stallion tried to take him, and then that other stallion made a barrier of the Tundra's sturdy ice. Who was his father? He wanted to know.
She is quite fiery and defiant. He would have to give her that. But neither Brynmor or Offspring – he was sure that the black king didn’t see it different – would give up on either of them. The stranger would leave empty handed and that was it. But now they still had to make him leave, one way or another. And he could only guess that the scarred male wouldn’t leave willingly nor easily.
It seems that he was right, but the graying male would’ve never expected those flames to dance across the stranger’s scarred skin. It did explain the scars, burned ears and well, Raelynx’ whole state of being, but who would’ve guessed it? Brynmor obviously hadn’t. He can only stare at the creature, glancing in Offspring’s direction briefly. He couldn’t be more glad that his king had decided to step in too.
Little did he know that motives has changed, but even if he would know, Brynmor wouldn’t have backed down either. Not when he or another being of the Tundra was being threatened within their borders – not that he would accept it outside of their lands either. His blue eyes followed Raelynx’ gaze to Offspring, not missing the wicked smile, but as result he learned too late that he had become the target in this game.
He was already coming for him, flames licking his body. He was too slow, reflexes not able to catch up with the lost time. The stranger is able to bite his teeth into Brynmor’s flesh, as he tries to dodge sideward. Instantly the scent of burned skin is in the air around them and the graying male grits his teeth to stop himself from crying out. Turning himself around to have his back facing Raelynx he kicks his hind legs out, aiming to slam them against the other stallion’s chest.
It burns again, but the coolness of the snow soon sooths him. To create some distance between them he gallops away, just a few steps, and turns himself around to face the flaming demon right on. Brynmor had intended to lunge himself forward, to attack Raelynx himself, but G’ren beats him to it. He’s shocked and surprised, angry even. She shouldn’t be here with them, instead she should nurture and shelter her newborn child and rest. A labour was painful and exhausting, and yet she stood her ground facing the father of her child.
And in the moment he spots a distance between G’ren and Raelynx he pushes himself in between, rather taking a friendly fire and the fire that came from the stranger than allow him to hurt her more. ”This is not your battle G’ren. Rest and sooth your child, please, let us protect you” he urges her, not commanding but his words aren’t just a proposal either. This was something he and Offspring had to deal with and not a mare who had just birthed a child. Brynmor wanted to keep her and her child safe, and protect them from the harm this stallion could inflict on them. And that could only if she would find shelter with her child.
