"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
Josie has lived her whole life in the Dale, a quiet isolation. She had ventured out a few times as a foal, once to the playground and once to the forest where her mother met Phaedrus, her current care taker. She never met her father and so Phaedrus was the closest thing she had to one, they have lived in his herd lands since she was about six months old, but she was no longer a foal. She had an urge to leave the Dale, it was the life her mother chose, but not one she chose.
Josie was not sure what she wanted, but she knew it wasn't the Dale, she wanted to be busy, more than just a broodmare. Josie spent her days wondering around the Golden Plains, but she has probably traced every inch of the land fifty or more times. It was time to make a life for herself, she ventured out from the Dale last night and with some rest in between she finally made it to the forest. It was even more beautiful than she remembered, it smelled of pine trees, it had a glow to it like the sun was always lighting the area. Her tail swayed gently as plodded into the opening, the sun was starting to set now, it was hot out but much more bearable than its peak.
She slowed to a stop and gazed around, a few equines were out, but all were in a conversation. Being out here was good enough for her, it was nice to see a world outside of the Dale. Horses having conversations, and enjoying themselves, it was nice to just watch them. She pushed forward stopping to rest beneath a large pine tree, it offered shade and a cool breeze would wander by every now and than.
She has never left the Jungle before, but she is still quite young. Her mother was well into old age by the time she ventured from the hall of vines and heat. Aoi had told her stories of her life as they roved the Jungle together.
That was before the war. That was before her mother was stolen into the jaws of a hellhound without even a trace of blood to confirm her death.
Sitra has tried not to dwell on the events of the war that left her motherless at such a young age. Leaving the Jungle to explore new worlds (or worlds new to her) seems just the cure. In fact, when the Plains open up to her and the oppressive humidity vanishes, Sitra runs as fast as she can for the first time in her entire life. Her witch knotted mane whips against foreign desert winds. Her lungs fill with air breathed by the ancients, but it all feels fresh and untouched.
She tires eventually, and the rest of her journey is kept at a moderate pace, slowed by rolling foothills and climbing altitude. When a dense forest envelopes her, she feels almost relieved - almost as if she is home. But, the Jungle voices are many miles away, and this forest is filled with other, less volatile sounds. In fact, this forest is nearly silent compared to the Amazons.
Nevertheless, Sitra bends and weaves through the conifers until she comes upon a stranger standing in a small clearing: a filly not much younger than herself.
“Hello,” she says with a smile trailing across her lips. “Is this your home?”
Josie lowered her neck to graze upon the fresh grass raising her head only when the sound of another was in earshot.Another equine was trailing near her, her ears pricked forward towards the sound when the mystery equine revealed themselves. It was a filly around the same age as Josie, a filly who appeared to be friendly.
The mare had a scent she could not name, it was certainly not the Dale, and it was not a scent from the surrounding kingdoms. She did not smell of the forest, so it must have been from a Kingdom that she was not familiar with. She is aware of all there names but was curious of her home. She gave a greeting and asked if the Forest was her home, Josie gave a small laugh before replying. No, but I wish it was! I am Josie, from the Dale. And which kingdom do you call home? she asked curious to the fillies home lands. She had so many questions to ask this filly, the first equine she has met outside of the Dale. She barely knew what kingdoms were in alliance with the Dale, maybe she belonged to a kingdom that was an enemy to the Dale. She pushed the thoughts out of her head, gazing intently on her awaiting a response.
It can’t be helped that Sitra is naive to the world outside of the Jungle. She has only ever heard snippets of gossip from her sisters. Her view of the outside has been purely constructed in her own head.
She thinks of her mother and wishes that she were here to guide her. In all reality, Aoi would have been only slightly less lost than Sitra. Her mother was never an explorer. She has always prefered the comforts of her home; she prefered the devils she knew.
Luckily for Sitra, the black filly seems friendly enough. Sitra blinks at her with mismatched eyes as she explains that this is, in fact, not her home. When Josie mentions the Dale, however, Sitra perks up. She has heard the sisters talking of the alliance between the two kingdoms.
“I am Sitra, of the Amazons.” she says with a swish of her tangled tail. It seems that flies live everywhere. “I have heard of your kingdom. Is it far?” she asks with a curious gleam. “If you don’t live here, who does?” She glances through the hollow forest before settling back on her new friend.
When we were young, things came much easier to us.
She contently gazed over the filly infront of her, she seemed good hearted. She was happy to meet an equine that did not belong to a herd, she would never understand the herd life. Although that was the path her mother chose, and Phaedrus, her only father figure, it just was not something she could settle for. Her ears perked up as the filly introduced herself, a small smile grew on her face. Is this what friendship was like? Josie grew up without the company of other foals, the only conversations she had that wasn't with adults was with Sheba Phaedrus' spirit animal.
Its nice to meet you Sitra she smiled its a pretty decent travel to get her, what about you? Is the Amazons far from here? she responded to her question. She heard of the Amazons but just through listening to conversations, she has never met an Amazon member. She scanned the area as the filly questioned who lived here, in the forest. Critters she blurted, surely the squirrels and other forest dwelling creatures call this place home. Perhaps even a few equines called it home, she sure wouldn't mind calling it home, if only it was a more populated location.
