"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
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through, oh you fill my lungs with sweetness and my head is filled with you
Time in the Dale has done wonders for her. Although her memory is as blank as it had been since the day she had stumbled into the snow covered fields, her physical self has much improved. Her flesh had filled out, skin no longer stretching over sharp bones. Her coat was sleeker, her mane and tail soft and shiny. Yes, the Dale had done wonders to her as well as good rest and plentiful grass and clover. However her mind was blank and hollow. Every day she tried to remember and little flickers of an image would pop up when she looked around the kingdom. A tree seemed to spark a memory, a horse from afar would make her do a double take. However the memories still evaded her, disappearing as quickly as they had come which left her feeling empty and discouraged. Would she ever remember where she had come from? Who she truly was?
Although she had been gaining weight steadily, her barrel seems to swell as if she had eaten a little too much clover. It stuck out from the rest of her slender figure and she has an inkling of what has happened. She had been making her way back from the field when a dark panther had crossed her path. Obviously she had been frightened until the big cat morphed into a stallion before her very eyes. Atrox had been his name and he had been so charming, he was nothing that she had ever seen or met before (that she could remember that is). It was lost on her, their connection. For they were connected… Connected from her mother to Magnus and from Magnus to Atrox. But neither of them knew this and it was highly doubtful that the stallion would have cared. It had happened so fast she still wasn’t sure what she made of it. He hadn’t been gentle but he also hadn’t been too rough and it had all been consensual… Hadn’t it?
She really couldn’t remember, she blamed her faulty brain for it. With a sigh she tilts her head and eyes her extending side. Either way it was happening. Her first child. It made her nervous, how could she be a good mother when she couldn’t even remember how she was raised? It’s a distraction either way, pondering how she will raise her child keeps her from despairing over her lost past. Slowly she wanders the Kingdom as she has been prone to doing after Ramiel had suggested that maybe she will stumble across something that will jog her memory. It’s different today though, today she longs for company and hopes to seek out the others. Hopes to make a friend.
She is healing, slowly but surely. Certainly she could have gone to someone for healing, but she has had little desire to leave the Dale. The memories are still too fresh, too raw, for her to do much beyond cower within the borders of her beloved kingdom. It is ironic, really, that she should have such overwhelming, vivid memories when their newest member has so few.
The numerous lacerations scoring her right side from shoulder to flank had largely healed, though as she suspected, a number of them had left permanent scars. Her shoulder is still healing, continually causing her to favor the limb. She has yet to fly after the terrible episode that has left her so scarred, and perhaps that is the most heartbreaking thing of all. She misses it so greatly, but with terror clutching at her belly every time she attempts it, she has little confidence in her ability.
She knows that Ramiel had brought a new mare home with him, their latest recruit. She had not yet had an opportunity to meet her. But then, the woman likely would not have enjoyed meeting her in her injured state. She had been quite a sight to behold. And unfortunately that was not a good sight. But today it seems she is to be given a chance to rectify her neglect.
Having finally decided to improve her presence within the kingdom, for it had been sorely lacking lately (for good reason, but no reason is ever good enough), she is slowly making her way to more commonly traveled areas of the kingdom. Lirren travels with her, a near constant shadow in her time of healing. The small filly had disappeared several times, but she had always returned hale and hearty. Which is fortunate, as Elysteria doubted she would have had the speed or energy to keep up with the rapidly growing child.
As she tops a rise, she spots the pale mare standing a short distance away, appearing quite lost in thought. Elysteria is normally quite friendly and outgoing, so going for such a length of time without regular interaction had been something of a trial. Needless to say, she is more than ready for some companionship. A soft smile stretching her lips, she approaches the Dale’s newest member, only a slight limp to her step as she does. Lirren follows closely, teal tipped ears canting forward in curiosity.
“Hello!”
Elysteria calls out the greeting, her tone warm and friendly. Hints of her old self are beginning to peek through the darkness that had been clouding her, and for that she is grateful.
“I’m Elysteria, and this is my sister, Lirren. I don’t think we’ve had a chance to meet yet.”
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through, oh you fill my lungs with sweetness and my head is filled with you
The silence doesn’t linger for long. Swinging her head to the side, she spots the two horses coming her way. Their hooves crunch over the light layer of frost on the ground and she smiles softly as they grow closer. One was older, the other a young filly and at first she thinks they may be mother and child. The baby inside of her kicks out into her ribs and she gives a soft huff in response. It’s as if her unborn child doesn’t want her to get any ideas though what those ideas could possible be are lost on her.
While she is nervous to meet someone new, she relaxes visibly at the warm greeting of the mare. ”Hello.” She replies softly, turning her body around to face them head on. Cobalt eyes land on the filly as Elysteria introduces herself and her sister. Ah, a little sister. Not mother and child after all. ”No I haven’t met anyone really yet, I wasn’t feeling so well when I first got here.” She laughs softly as if almost freezing to death was no big deal. She had been in terrible shape when she had arrived, white skin pulled to tight over jutting bones. It was a completely different story now, a little too much skin these days. Once this foal was born she would hopefully be back into shape.
”it’s nice to meet you both. I’m Soliel.” A quick tug at the corner of her lips as she frowns slightly, taking in the scars along the other mare’s side. ”What happened there? Are you ok?” The wounds looked mostly healed but they were large and concern reflects in the pools of her eyes. Hopefully whatever had hurt Elysteria wasn’t around any longer.
Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like a volcano, then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision.
As she nears she notes that the pale mare’s belly seems slightly rounded, perhaps due to a child on the way. A small smile touches her lips at the thought. She loves children, and to hear the laughter of young fillies and colts filling her homeland once again would be wonderful. She has fond memories of her own daughter’s childhood. She had been a rambunctious child, continually leading Ramiel into trouble. Her own daughter would have been enough to give anyone gray hairs. She is eternally grateful that Ramiel had been there alongside Joscelin, for she is positive their now king had been a calming, steadying influence upon for her daughter.
Their newest member greets them in a friendly manner, offering an explanation for the delay in their meeting. A small frown tugs briefly at Elysteria’s lips as concern flashes across her features. Apparently she had not been the only one suffering lately.
“I do hope you are feeling better now. You appear quite hale, but I do not wish to stress you if you are still unwell.”
Her warm russet eyes study the mare, ensuring her wellness for herself. She does appear quite healthy. Somewhat round, in fact. It had been kind of the woman to offer such an explanation for their lack of prior acquaintance, but the truth is the fault had likely been Elysteria’s. She had been hiding, wallowing in her pain and self-pity. But no longer. One can only wallow so long before it becomes redundant.
The white mare continues then, offering her name, inquiring after Elysteria’s own welfare with concern evident upon her features. A reassuring smile curves the red mare’s lips as she dips her head in a nod. She can feel the worry emanating from Soliel, and she does her best to put her fears to rest.
“I am well. Very much improved, actually. I’m afraid what happened was something of an accident. You needn’t worry.”
Lirren chooses that moment to insert herself boldly into the conversation. Stepping forward, she nudges Soliel’s shoulder briefly before turning her silver eyes up to the mare’s blue ones. The teal and red filly has yet to learn restraint, which unfortunately means that she has a tendency to say whatever pops into her mind.
You’re so white.
Elysteria freezes, torn between laughing at the girl’s statement and scolding her for her rudeness.
You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is.
in the morning when I wake and the sun is coming through,