"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
The first time she had been left behind on purpose. Dumped in the Den, oblivious to the clear intention with which her biological dam had brought her there. There two mares had found her, and she had found a new mother in one of them. Lexa brought her to the Jungle, gave her a home. But Lexa too she had lost. The Jungle queen had been taken from her during the Reckoning, leaving her alone a second time.
Jinju refused to let it happen a third time. By now she was old enough to take care of herself, she had even reached adulthood already. That all didn’t mean that she didn’t miss her mother. First, when they had first met, when Reagan had taken her to the Taiga, she had referred towards the gray and emerald mare as aunt. Too traumatized by all that had happened to call her mom. The fear of being left behind had stayed with her a long time, but now she had finally learned to trust and relax, it was almost like one of her worst nightmares came true.
”Mom?” she calls out, making her way through the forest as if it was her second home. The black damsel – she was no longer a girl, yet not a woman either – had always preferred foresty areas. Much like the Taiga and the Jungle. Far as she knew the forest was also where Reagan roamed. ”Reagan” it sounds next, not sure how many mares would be out there in the forest to react to the not so very unique call of a daughter for her mother.
But the only thing Jinju hears are the sounds of the forest. The wind that makes the leaves rustle, braches breaking underneath her hooves and forest animals that run away at her approach. No signs of Reagan though.
But for as long as Enfys could remember, It has been her and her mother, and not much else. Other than the trees. Mummy always spent her days cloaked in shadow, whispering to the trees, and crying. There was never a day that Enfys could not envision her mother crying, and in fact, did believe that grown ups were rather boring creatures that did nothing but cry all day and all night. The stresses of being an adult were much too much for poor little Enfys to bear, and so she does not, choosing instead to live he life as a child forever.
She would never grow up.
If she had anything to say about it.
And so the grey girl stalked the shadow of her mother, an imposing black thing with fire in her eyes, only-- "Ouch!"
Not a shadow... Ergo not her mother.
The grey appaloosa falls back on her bum, shaking her small head, her purple hair tossing about. Ice blue eyes stare up at ....whatever it was that she had just run into. Quickly she rights herself, taking a step back her amethyst colored legs backtracking as fast as they possibly could.
"I..I'm sorry. I'm clumsy."
Enfys was anything but clumsy....but anything to cover up for the fear she felt.
The child that drops down on her bum is not what had Jinju expected to run into. She had hoped to find her mother, though she also knew deep down that she wouldn’t find her as long as the gray mare didn’t want her to. Her next option would be another horse, who would get curious due to her calls that disturbed the forest’s peace. This child clearly wasn’t either of that.
On the moment Jinju’s eyes had landed on the girl, she had stopped right in track. What did a young child like this alone in the forest? Her head dips a little towards the ground and a small but warm smile makes her lips curl up. Though she’s not blind to the fear that takes over the filly’s body. Gray, with spots, purple points and icy blue eyes. All strangely familiar, just as the scent that clung to the little one’s body.
But Ruan would’ve told her if her mother had left being pregnant? The girl distracts her from those thoughts as she scrambles up and apologizes, which leaves Jinju to gently shake her head. ”No need to be sorry, there is no harm done” she answers with the same soft smile, accepting the excuse to keep the peace. ”I’m Jinju, what’s your name little one? Why are you roaming the forest all alone?”
04-17-2017, 03:04 PM (This post was last modified: 04-17-2017, 03:05 PM by Enfys.)
This black lady was so biiiig. Unlike Reagan, who was short and mouse colored, This woman seemed wild, exotic, and perfect.
Much like Enfys envisioned she would one day grow up to be.
That is, if she ever grew up. Which she wouldn't. Ever.
Because grownups only cry. They only cry a lot.
No need to be sorry. No harm done. Envys takes an audible breath and steps forward again, her bright blue eyes resting on this thing of beauty in front of her. She is not amazed, or intimidated--indeed, she is appreciative of it. Her mother's power--and hers--had given her an appreciation of magical abilities, and yet Enfys had an idea that this girl, with her flaming red hair was anything unlike what her abilities were. A girl for a love of snow and ice.
And then the woman speaks to her again. Her ears rotate around her purple halo and she twists her lavendar mouth into an open smile. "I'm Enfys," she says, nodding and taking another small step towards Jinju. "Oh, I am not lost. My mother is around here somewhere. Or at least... she was. She's hard to find these days."
She tosses her head again, her spotted hide jerking as she fiddles with her coat, looking around through the trees...hoping for a glimpse of the shadow of her mother... and knowing that she wouldn't get it.
She does not pull back when the child steps forward. With the breath she takes it is almost like she shakes the prior fear off and Jinju likes that. The little one had power. Ruby eyes met icy blue ones, and the black woman cannot stop herself from smiling. Even though there was also a slight pain in her chest.
From the dark purple points to the icy blue eyes and then we didn’t even mention the gray base and the spots just yet. But there is more than the pang, something else stirs inside her too. She just want to pull the filly close and cradle her to her chest. ”It’s nice to meet you, Enfys” she answers with a sort smile, reaching out towards the girl that stepped even closer. ”So you’re all alone?”
Jinju does not know what to think of that. There was no way she wouldn’t put one and one together to create two. The resemblance was just too much and if that was not enough little Enfys says something about a magician. The inky black woman tries to keep her expression friendly, tucking the pain and worry away, and she reaches out slowly, not trying to scare or surprise her, to gently nuzzle the filly. ”Where do you and your mom live? Here, in the forest?”
The world was much too dark for Enfys. She had been born in a den to a dying mother whose only words muttered were..I love you over and over while she bled thick black blood into the snow. Enfys had barely woken up, before she looked back to witness the power of her mother's blood, knitting her body back together. Her milk had come in, and Enfys had known instinctively what to do.. But Reagan had never awoken. So the girl stayed dutifully by her mother, around the den, for the first few weeks. Her magic sustained her, but when she awoke, her mother was a different creature altogether.
The anguish had taken its toll, and even Enfys could see that something was not quite right... even though she had no outside perspectives on life.
And yet, she loved Reagan as no other... if for nothing more than she could tell her mother loved her deeply... just that the latter found she could barely take care of herself, let alone a baby girl.
Enfys knew that she had been born to power. That much was certain. But as for herself... well, she had little appreciation for what she could do, because, while she figured that she could do something, she did not know what that something would be.
And so now, having the first living equine in front of her (besides her mother), she stands with a steady gate, and a genuine smile on her small face. Her bright eyes are open, and she finds that she has nothing to hide. "We do live here in the forest, or at least. We did..." her voice is breaks off then, and she looks around again for some images of her mother.
Jinju's kind eyes probe her face, and Enfys sees in them a sense of a familial tie...almost as if the older girl knows her. But she is a child, who has known nobody. She blinks, heavy lids hooding over ice blue eyes, and she contorts her ears around her head. "My mother is... well. She is sad, you see. She wanders this way and that, almost as if she is constantly looking for something. Has been this way since the day I weaned from her. I could fend for myself while she..." A solitary tear trails down the grey girl's cheek, before Enfys focuses her eyes on the dark woman in front of her.
"I guess I am alone... now."
Damn it. She's started to cry.
She promised herself she'd never grow up and cry, like Mummy does.
04-19-2017, 06:02 AM (This post was last modified: 04-19-2017, 06:02 AM by Jinju.)
Jinju
It’s a good thing that Jinju does not know of what had happened to Reagan after she had left the Taiga. It would break her. Not only pained that her mother had to go through that all, that she wasn’t able to help and support her, but also the fear of losing a mother. Again. She would be devastated if Reagan would be taken from her life too. But maybe, maybe that was why little Enfys was send her way.
She loves the bright smile, the sweet face and those familiar eyes. It stir something in her, love, perhaps, but something else too. Something she can not just yet explain. It is the thing that makes her pull the small girl against her. ”You’re not alone” she murmurs softly, gently nuzzling that purple halo on Enfys’ head. Not alone. Jinju wouldn’t leave her alone. She wouldn’t wish that upon anybody.
”Don’t cry little one, don’t cry..” she murmurs softly. Her head was lowered to the ground, neck bend, all to cradle the filly close to her side. Jinju hoped it was comforting, but she clearly wasn’t doing much of a good job since Enfys was crying. She was desperate to not let the tears show in her ruby eyes, now it wasn’t the time and she should behave like the adult she was.
Pulling back slightly she brushed her muzzle across the girl’s cheek, kissing away the tears while she tries to calm Enfys down with soft hushes. Jinju couldn’t promise that everything would be okay from now on, she wished she could, but that simply wasn’t up to her. ”What about if I showed you a different forest? A proper home?” She does not know how to do this. She doesn’t have the instincts that her mother had years ago, but she hoped that Enfys would agree."And I promise you I'll go look for your mother." Our mother.
Enfys looked up at Jinju, the last tear falling to the ground before it turned to ice at her feet, and she blinked and stepped back. The sheer coldness of her soul giving a peek into the kinds of abilities that Enfys herself knew she had. Instead, she allowed herself to be embraced by the mare, and for a while, the grey child did not feel alone. Forcing herself not to cry again, her ears flicked when she heard Jinju mention a home. A different forest.
"Would I have... a family? Or would it just be you and me?" Reagan and her had been a family too... but what Enfys wouldn't give for a family. More creatures like her. Sisters, brothers. Friends.
"A father..." she whispers to herself.
She smiles small, before looking up at Jinju, when she mentions Reagan. A weight lifted from her, and her eyes brighten. "I would like to have a family. And I miss my mother. If you can promise to find her, I would love you forever. We could be... sisters!"
She did not miss how the little droplet turned into ice. If she still had had any doubts about this girl’s linage, then she would’ve known now. Enfys was her youngest sibling. Knowing fire and ice didn’t always go well together, she keeps the heat within herself, though hoping that her body warmth would sooth the girl as they hugged.
Jinju nods, offering a warm smile as she nuzzles the pol of hair on Enfys’ pol. ”Yes a family, quite a big one if I may say so. Would you like that?” A lot of her siblings had disappeared, either left to follow Reagan or to walk their own paths. Heda still lived at the Taiga, but where Iasan and her other siblings had gone off to, Jinju didn’t know. The soft whisper is caught by her ears, that turn in Enfys’ direction. ”A father too” she promises.
She nods. It wasn’t hard to promise that she would find the gray and emerald mare, she had been looking for her quite a while now. ”Sisters” she replies softly, reaching out to brush the velvet of her nose across Enfys’. ”And I promise I will try to find her.” That she could promise and Jinju would try everything to make it happen. But she also knows, if Reagan had wanted her to find her, then she would’ve long ago.
Pulling back a little her ruby eyes take in the now slightly smiling girl. ”What do you say, shall we go home?”
