"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
Her steps are light as the feathers in her dark glossy wings as she takes a running start before leaping in the air to follow her new Queen. The sun heats her skin as she gains altitude, higher, higher, catching currents and wheeling happily after the gold and blue mare in front of her. Larentia had never really had a place to call home, and to be so readily accepted into the arid highlands of Loess was a dream come true. No longer did she have to slink in the shadows after an absent mother. No more restless nights wondering if she would be alone or hearing the chill howl of wolves to tell her she wasn't. She finally felt free. The clear skies and warm winds reinforced that fact. It was a time for fresh starts and boy was she ready.
She tilts her wings to catch updrafts and revels in the effortless glide of her wings. They were freedom, independence. She takes a deep breath, inhaling her first breath of the the arid lands of Loess. The air tastes dry and warm, the heat amplified by the lack of humidity but not oppressing. She smiles wide, her eyes landing on the glow of the perlino mare ahead of her. Lepis makes flight look so graceful, the sun turning her gold and sapphire. Next to the queen, Larentia feels like a fledgling. Her wingbeats are erratic and excited, flashing like steel in the light.
Larentia drives her wings in powerful strokes to pull up giddily next to the queen. A wide smile tugging the corners of her lips, a twinkle in her azure eyes. Her first glimpse of Loess proper is breathtaking. They wind their way through valleys of red rock, over scrub brush and cacti, all while a warm breeze seems to push them home. She turns her gaze to the mare beside her, gratitude filling her eyes.
"It's beautiful!" she calls out over the rush of the wind, "I've never seen anything like it."
Larentia
It's a long way to the bottom In the darkness underneath
Lepis closes her eyes against the wind. She breathes deeply of the air, warmed by the sun and the radiant heat of the red rocks that make up the landscape below. She never tires of seeing it from this angle, and the dun mare is glad that this is Larentia’s first introduction to the southern kingdom.
“The grassland farther south is Brilliant Pampas,” Lepis tells her, “and though it doesn’t look any different from the rest of Beqanna now, the trees in Sylva to our west wears the colors of autumn year round. Like fir trees, I suppose, but stuck forever in fall instead.” There is some beauty to the Sylvan forest, Lepis admits. Not enough that she wishes to linger there if she need not. The three lands that belong to Loess covered, Lepis turns her gaze back to the darker mare.
“Where did you live before you left Beqanna?” She asks when Larentia has had her fill of the immediate view. There will be many other views, Lepis knows, all still breathtaking after a hundred sunrises. Knowing that sharing her own answer might go a way toward forming a better relationship with her newest kingdom mate, the dun mare speaks again.“I’ve lived mostly in Loess myself, though I spent a few years in Taiga before coming back home to Loess.”
She listens attentively to the dun mare as she begins her description of the lands that fall under Loess' domain. These things may be important later and Larentia just wants to prove that Lepis made the right choice in asking her to join her in her kingdom. She makes mental note of the rolling green of the Brilliant Pampas and the startling shock of rich autumn colors that is Sylva. The large swaths of color that mark the territories are beautiful. A natural painting across the landscape that only those privileged with flight will ever see. She smiles broadly as she takes it all in, a mare thirsty for a new life and it seems like she found an oasis. Bright blue eyes twinkle as she turns her head in all directions staring like a tourist. It is a friendly peaceful flight the atmosphere and pleasant company were something she could get used to.
When Lepis asks where she lived before, her brow furrows deeply in thought. She doesn't really know how long she was gone for or what happened to begin with. Memories flit like angry mice through head, daring her to pin them down.
"I also used to live in Taiga...I think. Or, at least I was born there." She attempts to give a casual shrug as her wings beat against the air. "I traveled with my ma for awhile, until my wings were strong enough to carry me. Never really found a place to settle down. Last I remember was a lot of people getting sick. After a spell I found myself wandering around back in the field. Everything's still a little fuzzy if I'm being honest."She smiles at the queen again. The day is too nice to be sad, and even with some missing pieces she's really just happy to be here.
"Thanks for bringing me back with you."
Larentia
It's a long way to the bottomIn the darkness underneath
At the mention of Taiga, the dun mare’s head tilts curiously. The white-haired woman in front of her does not look much older than Lepis’ children, but she certainly wasn’t born in Taiga in the years that Lepis called the place home. Perhaps she is immortal, Lepis thinks, or perhaps there is truth to the rumor that time outside Beqanna passes strangely. If Larentia had fled Beqanna in the wake of the Plague as her story suggests, a significant amount of time has been lost indeed. At least they’d gotten the Plague healed in the time since Larentia’s departure, Lepis thinks. That’s at least one good thing to come of that passing of time.
"This is a good place to sort of the fuzzy details," the winged mare tells her companion, looking out over the wide expanse. "Or even to forget them, if that’s what you’d prefer." Now she looks back, her cool grey eyes a near perfect match to the autumn sky behind her. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like, doing whatever takes your fancy. If you enjoy the structure of kingdom life, I am sure we can find a place in the ranks for you as well."
The gratitude expressed by the sabino mare is acknowledged with a polite nod by the dun. Lepis always enjoys bringing others to Loess. There is nothing quite like sharing the place to make her all the fonder of it. There is nothing quite like a swell in the ranks to make expansion more feasible. Lepis smiles to herself, picking out a distant purple shape in the valley below. She tracks them with her eyes for a moment before looking back once more at Larentia.
"Would you like a tour, or would you prefer to acquaint yourself with the place?" There are other possibilities too; she trusts the other to speak up and request them if she’s a strong enough preference.
Autumn had always felt like a good time for changes. All manner of creature started the process of bedding down for winter and the plants started to die to make room for new growth. If everything else could adapt and grow, so could she. The steely mare smiled warmly at the queen. Her excitement and joy didn't allow her to do much else. She would just focus on making the best of every opportunity presented while she could. She turns her ice blue eyes back to the mare beside her.
"I appreciate the offer, but I think I would like to do some exploration on my own for now. I have taken more than enough of your time as it is", she smiles widely, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. There was a lingering sense of ease that seemed to carry on the gentle breezes that ruffled scrub brush and feathers alike. "As far as kingdom life goes, I'm a strong fighter and a smooth talker. Just let me know where you need me the most and I will give it my best. I know we just met, but I trust your judgment."
Perhaps she was being far too candid and familiar, but at this point, what did she have to lose. She was displaced, a mare out of time like many of the other inhabitants of Beqanna, and if she had learned anything about the mysterious workings of the magical land it was that when things got rough you learned to fly or you fell. She had never been one for falling. That's why she had wings.
Larentia
It's a long way to the bottom, In the darkness underneath
