"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
As discussed, Oceane had found the obsidian and silver stallion after she'd readied herself for a trip to the Pampas. There hadn't been much to prepare, truly, but the Loessian Queen had needed the opportunity to gather herself and her emotions before venturing into Noah's hovel with dreadful news to share.
She gives Mesec a small smile as they enter the Pampas, though it's miles away from reaching her sad amber eyes.
She decides to come to a halt just beyond the cusp of the border; the Pampas is a territory of Loess in
a manner of speaking, but this is Noah's domain and the newly singular Queen is not one to overstep when its her intention to foster a new and meaningful relationship.
She calls out into the cold winter air, her breath fogging as it departs her warm body, and rustles the wings at her sides in an attempt to draw more warmth into herself. “Have you been here before?” she asks Mesec quietly as they await Noah's arrival.
The little red mare is no stranger to long periods when she sees only her own family - the Pampas is far from a busy metropolis, and it never has been. She was the child without a home, she and her father a wandering tribe of two, and so Noah has always been content with the small family she gathers around herself, and living peacefully amongst her fields and flowers. Vaguely, she knows she owes some allegiance to Loess, but her Kings and Queens have rarely called on her in any capacity besides their friendship, and so the Kingdom seat has always been more of an idea, and her loyalty to those who have sat at its head, on the basis of their own merit and not just because they are rulers.
Noah is delightfully, and intentionally, unaware of most of what transpires outside of her own borders.
Her own daughter is grown, and mostly free-ranging. Her once-dead ancestor had raised her own daughters here, as well as Ryan and his family, but the children have mostly grown and gone like Noma. The remaining residents are a strange bunch. Ryan remains, though Noah rarely sees him - or at least, she rarely sees her longcousin the horse. He has a tendency to spend most of his days feline - which discourages the settlement of other large predators, so nobody really can complain about that. Nikkai has also mostly settled down here, in the land of her own childhood and Noah likes her, but it's hard to really connect with a woman of your own family myths, even before you factor in the terrifying amount of magic she seems to have nowadays. So, really, Noah is mostly alone. So she welcomes the appearance of strangers at the boarder with a bright smile and a nicker of greeting.
"Hello!" she calls out as she approaches. "Welcome to the Pampas. I'm Noah."
NOAH
that's all there is
the most loveliest of tables by jassal manip by devin | stock credits: @szmigieldesign at unsplash.com madishmade, darkbeforedawn23, xxtgxxstock, cactuskim, madetobeunique @ deviantart.com
“You’re very welcome, I appreciate the opportunity to travel and help - even if it’s just to provide company.” The silver-laced stallion says this without any bitterness or irony, he really was happy. It gave him the chance to meet new places and explore more of this place.
It’s fascinating to watch the landscape change and he marvels at the Pampas when they arrive. Ocean asks if he has been there before but he shakes his head - he’s not sure how many lands in Beqanna he has had a chance to see but he is sure that it must be a very small percentage. “I have not - but it’s beautiful.” He says in a awed voice.
They are greeted quickly by a winged mare - and her bright smile brings out a friendly one in Mesec’s silver eyes. “Hello Noah, I’m Mesec and this is Oceane - we’re from Loess.” He stops there - deferring to Oceane for anything else. He’s belatedly unsure whether he should have presumed to introduce the queen but hopes she won’t mind - and hopes she’ll forgive him if she does.
Despite her aversion to the cold and the heavy news that hangs in her mind, waiting to be shared with an overwhelming sense of foreboding, Oceane’s journey with Mesec thus far has been a pleasurable one ─ his companionship is warm and polite, and he had seemed to pick up quickly on her preference for comfortable silence over forced small talk. When she finally does break the silence between them with her vocal gratitude (in hopes that her pensivity has not discouraged him from future missions), the pangare stallion returns her statement with his own genuine appreciation.
His willingness to help lightens the woman’s mood a bit, and when she settles comfortably next to him to wait for Noah, she offers him another smile. This one is noticeably warmer. “Perhaps when we return home, we can discuss what you hope to see in Loess’ future, and how you’d like to help get us there.” She won’t say much else on the topic now ─ while the Pampas is part of their own Kingdom, the opaline Queen is particularly reserved when discussing changes, at least until they are infallible. At least now, if he hasn’t already, Mesec will have the opportunity to consider what hopes he has for the future ─ both his and Loess’.
Oceane reminds herself that that’s where her head needs to be, too.
“Yes, I’ve unfortunately only visited a handful of times, but it’s certainly serene. Especially in the springtime,” her words have only begun to fade when a strawberry roan mare with a kind face begins to approach them. Lepis had told her once that Noah was, perhaps, one of the warmest equines the late Loessian Queen had ever had the pleasure of befriending. And if the approaching woman’s wide smile is any indication, the visiting pair has found the person they had come to see.
Surprised, though not offended, when Mesec takes the opportunity to introduce both of them, Oceane nods politely at Noah when she is introduced and then rustles the feathered wings at her sides as a brief bout of discomfort swells over her. But she has repeated this news enough, now, to get through it without her voice breaking, and has healed enough to be able to offer comfort to others instead of asking to receive it.
“Noah, it’s so nice to meet you finally,” the lavender and turquoise woman begins, her voice betraying a hint of sadness despite trying so hard to press it back, “Lepis asked me some time ago to lead Loess beside her. I’m unsure if she ever had the chance to come share the news but─” Oceane sighs quietly, forcing herself to pause to avoid uncomfortable rambling. “It’s with great sadness that we come with news of Lepis’ death. The fire in Loess was set intentionally, and it took her life.”
