"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
Camrynn would never think to argue that Scorch shouldn't feel betrayed. No doubt - no doubt - Camrynn had done her wrong. But at the same time, Scorch tried to sit a horse on the throne of the Deserts, and she hadn't thought to inform the rulers first. Add to that the fact that Scorch had only known Camrynn as a tiny filly so impossibly sweet that, well, it could only be a lie (or Wrynn), and the whole thing was just a delicious mess. Not to mention that Camrynn had implanted a magic trip wire on Scorch's last visit, a little spell that would trigger the next time the Jungle queen became pregnant, and the black mare knows that it's triggered, and delivered exactly the baby that Camrynn had defined it to. Oh yes, it doesn't get more strange than this - and now, she is set to approach the jungle, with Pevensie and Zilpah in tow, to make a diplomatic offering that would continue the ties that bind their kingdoms together.
If nothing else, it can certainly be said that the whole lot of them are capable of putting their kingdoms first.
They leave from the Deserts early in the day, choosing to go on foot the whole way in deference to Pevensie and Zilpah. She hopes that the Amazons will take their little party for what it is: a signal of diplomatic reverence rather than a raiding party. For all the things that she may personally have done, she doesn't intend the Deserts to have any further ill-will with the Amazons. Not that their two kingdoms have ill-will per se; after all, hadn't their respective populaces voted unanimously to keep the bonds between them? Perhaps it's really just a thing with their leadership.
Maybe they all need to go on a team building weekend and work it out.
"Zilpah," she explains as they leave the Deserts. "Pevensie and I asked to come along to the Jungle because our last meeting with the Amazon queen Scorch when she visited the Deserts was...tense." That was one way to put it. "I'm not sure if Yael told you anything about it, but this will be something of a delicate situation. Just know that if Pevensie and I seem to lead the conversation today, it's no reflection on your skills." she pauses for a moment, smiling at the girl. "Like I said in the meeting, you're developing into quite the diplomat." she says, and genuinely means it. She could easily see the girl taking over for Yael, should the once-queen ever choose to retire.
It's a beautiful day for the walk. It is the height of summer, but they day is blessedly cool and breezy. But as they approach the jungle, the heat gets more dense, weighed down by the humidity. It eats the breeze, and when they pause at the canopy, the temperature is surely uncomfortable.
But not for Camrynn. She doesn't do discomfort, and so as she stands there, tall and proud and black, she looks as beautiful as ever. Her eyes are a bright green in honor of the land they're visiting. Her coat is black, the gilded crook-and-flail stand out against her skin in sharp relief, and the line of diamonds and gemstones that so beautifully approximates a necklace trails down her left cheek, elegant as ever. In deference to their mission, as they stand outside the boughs, she sighs and allows the Amazons tattoos to melt onto her skin. She hasn't been branded a traitor yet (amazingly enough), although she'd be entirely unsurprised to see that it happens at this meeting. The vine and bud trails up her foreleg, ending in a red plumeria (conveniently just out of the way of the gilding on her chest). On her haunches a sun and moon appear, sun on the left and moon on the right, alive with occasional clouds.
And with that, she looks to Pevensie and Zilpah before she offers a gentle call into the thick underbrush. She knows that the sisters will hear, and she knows that they'll come.
CAMRYNN
co-queen of the deserts, magical, mother of badassery
Sid, let me know if she has in fact been traitor-branded already and I'll adjust Also, I'm gonna reply with Wrynn too because reasons.
The Jungle seems to be in the midst of a few diplomatic visits. It provides amusement for the young girl. Although mother has ventured off Nayl has taken it upon herself to wander the kingdom and regard any visitors. She wants to learn; she has the makings to be an Amazon and wants to show that. Mother failed but she won't. She can't.
The arid scent flutters Nayl's nostrils. Such a strange smell it is; it's barren and dry in comparison to the luster of the Jungle. It still draws the girl forward from the wild depths of her home. Unafraid of the unknown Nayl is enveloped in a confidence that is uncommon to see in one so young.
She has to pick her way down the worn trails and weave through trees. When mother is here, she clears paths they walk so there is minimal effort in their travels, but alas, the child is alone this day and is forced to make do - which she happily does.
When she arrives, she is the only Jungle inhabitant. The others are slower to meet the outsiders. "Hello," she initially says as her autumn eyes sift across their faces carefully, observing. "Who are you?" Nayl is less eloquent with words than the diplomats, instead taking a more direct stance on matters.
The scent is familiar, even over the dense and perhaps overwhelming scents of the Jungle (overwhelming to outsiders, but not the Sisters). She had been in the Deserts when Yael still ruled, while the next monarch was being chosen. The rest she knows of only from being told around the Amazons, because she could not make the second trip with Scorch. There were other matters to attend to as well, and sometimes it was better to divide and conquer. Rhy probably should have known better than to leave Scorch alone on a sensitive diplomatic mission though. Their firecracker of a queen was not the best diplomat all the time.
So this time, when the scent of the Deserts finds her, she’s quick to respond. Not quite so quick as the filly that keeps butting into to diplomatic visits, and Rhy thinks she needs to have a talk with the girl. Not that she shouldn’t join, but that she should do so in the correct way. Rhy is always looking for more diplomats, after all.
There are no sparks on her skin at the moment, given that greeting diplomats with electric usually doesn’t go well. She does notes the change in the once child that ran around the Jungle though, the gilding on her neck. The other two she doesn’t know. Pevensie was before her time in the Jungle, and the younger mare was a stranger to her.
“I’m Rhy,” she offers to the two she doesn’t know, with a simple nod to Cammie as well. She will always be Cammie to Rhy now. It’s hard to change old habits. “What can I do for you ladies?”
Zilpah understands everything; for all her seeming naivete and innocence, she understands the nature of the world, but has never encountered any of its evil. It’s probably better that way, because an evil would rip our Zilpah to shreds. Though she has simple pleasures, she is not simple, in the way that indicates a lack of intelligence. Though she may chatter away like a chipmunk, it is just her way of filling the silence or trying to make a friend.
Zilpah is quite happy to accompany the Queens to the Jungle (or rather, in her mind, have them accompany her), though as the walk drags on, she kind of wishes they could have flown. Couldn’t Camrynn have magicked Pevensie some wings? Or like.. levitated her or something? After she says to Cam, “yes, I understand. Don’t worry… nobody can get mad at me. And I’m good at keeping others happy,” and throws her a saucy little wink, she continues on in relative silence. Except for the moments when she darts off to talk to some critter, and then casually report what they said to the Queens. ‘Cause that sort of info is important, you know. It’s like reconnaissance. They should know what’s going on around them.
The ex-princess is probably the plainest of the trio, sporting only a simple pair of red-tailed hawk wings that seem to match her bay coat rather well. But that doesn’t stop her from being the first to speak, if only to get some words in before the higher ups start talking. She stands very proudly, mimicking Yael, and when the first Amazon, and then the second, comes along, she begins their side of the introductions. “Hello! I am Zilpah, and this is Queen Camrynn and Queen Pevensie of the Desert. It’s very nice to meet you! Who are you?” That last bit was directed at the curious filly. “We have come to talk about continuing our kingdom’s relationship…” She starts to say something else, but then suddenly stops, not wanting to get off topic and make a bad impression.
Nevertheless, her eyes dart around, hoping that somewhere in the leafy greenness, Pharaon or Prague will appear. It would be nice to see them again.
I lost my post half way through so here's this piece of shit.
Scorch has been expecting the call for some months now, ever since she had left the Deserts. She is excited for the Jungle, and yet nervous. No matter how long it has been, Scorch's memory retains the image of the saucer-eyed bay filly pledging herself to the Jungle. Perhaps she wishes that things could have been different. Do not doubt: Scorch totally still hates Camrynn and does not want to talk to her at all, but a part of her wishes that she could still be Cammie. In a way, the black magician is, for Scorch recognizes that fact that while Camrynn still has her tattoos, though their existence depends on the following conversation and the Desert's allegiance to the Jungle.
The Khaleesi arrives fashionably late, walking into the meeting along with Rhy. Nayl has arrived first - something of a nuisance. Scorch, or perhaps Rhy, shall show her the proper way of doing things. Knowing Scorch, any teachings by her should be thoroughly avoided. As it is, Nayl is not her daughter but her niece, so she matters very little to Scorch, though plenty more than children without her blood.
Perhaps a small bit of Echion had worn off on her, after all.
When Ziplah has said her piece, Scorch tilts her head in a miniscule nod before beginning the true business. At first, she is careful with her words (Rhy may have her electricity bound at the moment, but one misstep and Scorch would be Scorched) but in the end, she cannot help but reveal her true curiosities.
"You have met my Avthillar and my niece, Nayl," She offers huskily, inclining her head to each individual before facing the Deserts Queen - one sporting the traitor's brand, the other faintly tattooed, as though the sun and moon are near their end-day. Inhaling slowly, Scorch's indigo eyes meet first Pevensie's, and then Cam's. "But you carry an answer for the question that has long been asked, otherwise this visit will have been for naught. So… What shall it be?"
The world has gotten gentler now, a little bit kinder. It's no longer just her mother with the anger, it's also her father with the strange words that seem to mean nothing to the little girl, but also mean everything.
When she hears strangers at the border of the jungle, she is immediately curious, but in a gentle sort of way. She doesn’t feel distressed by their presence, because she believes that everyone can be friends. But nonetheless, she feels a strong tug toward them. She doesn't think much of it; perhaps she's just meant to meet them, for whatever reason, but of course the actual reason is something more sinister. Her body remembers the magic that had caused it to exist. It knows, although no one else but Camrynn knows, the magic trip-wire that had been placed within Scorch, set to trigger the next time she had children and create one in the very image of Cammie. Literally the very image – right down to being impossibly sweet and good-natured.
Gently and sleepily disentangling herself from her brother, she yawns widely. She's beginning to gain a hint of control over her eyes, but they still have a tendency to be more mood-ring rainbow than Cammie's (or Camrynn's), which were always more laser-focused on a particular color. Today they're a haze of greens, chased sometimes with other colors as they swirl.
Gently, the bay girl makes her way to the little gathering. There's so many of them – her mother, a mare she hasn't met yet, another filly she doesn't know, and three horses who smell like a place she's never been. She smiles to all of them, gently, kindly. As she makes her way to her mother's side she touches Nayl and Rhy gently with her nose, a delicate, unspoken greeting. It is lucky for her that Rhy has kept the electric locked away for guests – although Wrynn would never think to hold it against her if she were to be shocked.
She ends next to Scorch, not tucked between the woman's legs, not hiding and not afraid, but not far away from the Khaleesi. Her muzzle gently touches her mother before looking back at the assembled group, a smile still on her face, making it impossible to confuse her silence for unfriendliness. She's simply respectful – the grown ups are talking, and she's just glad to be here watching.
05-16-2015, 12:42 PM (This post was last modified: 05-16-2015, 12:45 PM by Camrynn.)
so you wanna play with magic?
She's not surprised to see how many mares come out of the woodwork. Hadn't it been the same, when the jungle had come to the Deserts? Had not Yael and Romek came too, just for a diplomatic visit? She doesn’t know Rhy, of course; the mare hadn't been there in the Deserts, but it's easy enough to pluck her function from collective memory, and Camrynn respects her immediately. She doesn't know the young filly either, but she's not put off by Nayl's words. She understands what it is to be young (probably better than the majority of fifty-plus-year-old horses, due to her own recent experience with the business).
Zilpah starts speaking, and Camrynn is content to let the girl introduce them. She hadn't lied when she had said that the girl was shaping up to be a good diplomat, although she needs a little bit more self confidence. Right on cue, as Zilpah trails off, Scorch begins speaking again. Camrynn watches the dragon mare carefully, noting how she seems to be keeping herself in check, but barely, and how she gets right down to business. Camrynn is not nervous about the answer; it is what it is, it is the answer that has been given by the entirety of the Deserts, and it stands, no matter what.
Unlike Scorch, Camrynn is not nostalgic. It's absolutely cruel, but it's true. In her mind, she's given Scorch little Cammie again – a thought that is driven home as Wrynn herself appears. Camrynn does not react (if she has her way, there will never be any way to prove her connection to the filly) but can't help admiring her work, just a little. The girl looks identical to Cammie, and it's clear from the way she interacts with her mother and the horses around her that she's got exactly the personality that Camrynn had crafted for Cammie. With the noticeable difference, of course, that Wrynn is all authentic, and Cammie had always been an act.
Camrynn's eyes fixate on Scorch's, keeping their bright green color. "Yes, we bring the answer that's long been promised. I apologize for how long it's taken, but we wanted to be sure that every horse in the kingdom had a chance to vote." she says, her velvet voice cool and poised. "Thank you all for coming here to greet us. It's a pleasure to meet new faces." she nods gently to Rhy, Nayl, and to Wrynn, despite the fact that the filly hasn't been introduced.
"The Deserts has voted to continue the alliance, to continue the relationship our kingdoms have had for so many years. Support in times of trial, joint training exercises, complete honesty, the full reach and breadth of the strongest alliance." she pauses here, letting the words sink in. "But we do not offer more than the strongest of alliances. The horses of the Deserts voted against sister kingdoms."
And with that, the magic-mare is silent. The ball is now in Scorch and Rhy's court, to decide how to react to this latest development. It's not sister-kingdoms, but the practical relationship would be very much what Scorch had desired, simply under another name. Respectful (for once), she doesn't pry into their minds, doesn't do anything but wait, watch, and listen.
Because no matter what they say, the Deserts will be fine, and she knows it.
CAMRYNN
co-queen of the deserts, magical, mother of badassery
To be fair, it is only the Queen and the Athvillar that are really here for any diplomatic purpose. The other two mares that crawl out of the woodwork are childen still, and one simply standing beside her mother. Still, she needed to have some sort of conversation with her diplomats about the fact that they didn’t need four members of the Amazons at any diplomatic meeting unless it was a hostile one.
As far as she knew, this was not. Though of course, Rhy has no idea what’s gone on before this since she hadn’t been in the Deserts. Though she’s quickly getting the impression that she should have been. Sister kingdoms? She had thought it was only an alliance that they were seeking. Scorch had hoped to strength that alliance through Cammie, yes, but apparently that hope had been misguided. Perhaps Rhy had missed the implications in the vote – it’s possible – but she remembers the word alliance considerably well.
Again, she feels a bit blindsided by her Queen’s actions, though not exactly surprised either. This was Scorch, after all. And thankfully, Rhy is very skilled at keeping her true emotions concealed. That had been the only way to control the electric for so long, when she hadn’t been capable of the control she is now. She’s glad that her emotions no longer control her trait, but she’s equally glad that they once did. The training she’d put in to schooling herself then has come in handy in her career as a diplomat.
She can’t help but note the Amazonian tattoo that still stands out on Cammie’s leg and breast, and she wonders if the Jungle will wait till Cammie leaves this kingdom for the final time to turn the flower to a red X. Not that Camrynn couldn’t simply cover it, but still, she can’t help but wonder how the Jungle handles this. It wouldn’t be Scorch that strips the mark, but the Jungle itself. That much she knows. But she knows little else about how the magic works.
Rhy is fine with the alliance, and she simply nods her head slightly at Scorch. The sisters had preferred the Deserts to the Valley, though Rhy cannot help but wonder now if the two kingdoms are not so different anymore. She trusted Camrynn more than Eight, but not by much. Rhy’s family was stepping down from the Gates throne as well, so she could no longer rely on what the Gates might do. Strangely enough, the only kingdom she trusted to at least tell her the truth was the Chamber. Straia would be honest with her cousin, though any admission might be one of war too. The Chamber couldn’t be trusted not to attack, simply to tell Rhy that they were.
Rhy doesn’t say anything at this point though. Scorch knows her feelings – certainly, the Queen can read her meaning in the nod, they know one another well enough. And so she waits to see what Scorch has to say. And also, waiting to see if she needs to keep her Queen’s tongue in check. Rhy’s getting pretty good with her electric, after all.
Somehow Nayl realizes that she isn't welcomed here.
But she doesn't care, either.
Quietly, the girl watches as the adults filter in to confront the outsiders. They aren't strangers, however, as they name each other except for the few introductions. Nayl is prepared to speak once she has heard the strangers but Scorch has already arrived and announced her niece to them. Glancing up warily the child searches her aunt's eyes before returning her attention to the distant travelers. Her skin burns with their calculating stares - Rhy, Scorch, Camrynn - they are all likely wondering who Nayl is and why she has taken such an interest in these diplomatic congregations. Laughter echoes in the child's thoughts; a smug girl she is and perhaps somewhat insubordinate.
Those who are passive and sweet, however, never make it into the history books.
They can't delve into her mind. It's a brick wall curtained in darkness. They can't hear the laughter or the thoughts that are threading across Nayl's consciousness. They are unaware of what schemes may be brewing.
Nayl is forced out of her thoughts when Camrynn speaks of the relationship between the two kingdoms. Blinking, she can't help but wonder what transpired in the Deserts. What previous meeting are they referring to and turning away? Sister kingdoms? Her tongue slides thoughtfully across her lips before breaking her stare to glance at the other filly. Curiosity, however, shatters that concentration and Nayl finds herself peering up at Camrynn again, then Scorch. "What was entailed in being sister kingdoms?" It had to have ben drastic or demanding if the entire Deserts ruled against it.
They want to be friends, but not tied together in chains as sisters.
Interesting, she muses, as silence consumes her once again.
She follows the other two into the Jungle, letting them lead, bringing up the rear. She welcomes the warm, moist heat with the same resentment she feels for the harsh dry heat of the Desert. Both her most recent homes were not the intended habitat of her kindred. She groans, remembering the oppressive feeling as her chest starts to condense, as it gets hard to breathe in the humid jungle air. Luckily, Cam is leading the way, chatting to the new mare Pevensie scarely recognises. She'll need to make the effort to get better acquainted when they return to the Desert, in fact, she needs to get better acquainted with all her subjects. She seems to have left them all high and dry, without an introduction, their lost Queen only showing up to the most important meetings.
It'll give them all the wrong impression of her. She mentally notes to do better.
However, more urgent thoughts are at hand. She can hear the squeal of the monkeys above, scampering across distant treetops. It brings a smile to her face, remembering the exotic animals which were once her companions. She even grins as a brightly coloured bird bursts from the depths of some tangled vines, winding its way up toward the top of the canopy. Yes, the jungle might be beautiful, but Pevensie will be the first to tell you, she is dangerous too. Her fangs pack a deadly punch. And that's just the animals - the women here are not to be underestimated, she would know, she was amongst their number once.
The meeting starts, the names are exchanged, the sun-mare remains quite. She begins to glow, sucking the sunlight from the air around her, darkening the atmosphere about them all subconsciously. Maybe it's the tension, or the nostalgia, or all of it together that makes her reveal her hidden strengths. She doesn't want them to underestimate her, or her kingdom. Her sunlight is the only punch she has to throw - but they don't know that.
She eyes Scorch as Cam delivers the final message, the reason they made this journey from their homeland. She eyes the fire-mare, offering her a forced smile. Then again, the old wise words do say 'keep your friends close, but your enemies closer'. At least this way they will bide their-selves time, avert the wrath of the Amazonian horde. The kingdom is not ready for war, not with the powerful women of this tribal heartland. They have not the soldiers, they have not the willpower, nor the inclination. At least as allies, the kingdoms will both be secure in the knowledge that neither can hurt the other without serious consequences, without reciprocation.
"Does this please you, Scorch?" she asks, cocking her head, finally finding her voice.
Also, I'm gonna reply with Wrynn too because reasons. 
![[Image: scorch2.png]](https://66.media.tumblr.com/d3f8827d56fd033f445fc5aa8055947a/3778d5ee43303690-eb/s1280x1920/532e323d08dfe066db7c4d27a9277d571bf7cdb2.jpg)
