"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
06-22-2016, 08:16 PM (This post was last modified: 06-22-2016, 08:31 PM by Odezsa.)
Autumn. Her favorite time of year for a multitude of reasons, but mainly the mere enjoyment of watching everything die. Not in a sadistic way; no, our Odezsa just like the thought of life after death. How exciting to watch the withered leaves, though still holding onto their hues, fall gently from the tress overhead. She picked up her feet with purpose, each step aiming to hear the satisfying crunch of a leaf's life ending beneath her hoof. Soon winter would come, cleansing everything of the previous year and waiting anxiously for spring to arrive, to rebirth the delicious greens to eat and provide a warm sun for the foals that would inevitably make their way from the comfort of their mothers bellies and into the world.
Yes, dear Odezsa loved the fall. What she did not like was being alone. Her mind, though beautiful and complex, wandered wildly and often left her terrified of her own thoughts. In fact, sometimes the silver lady wondered if she even liked being alive. Perhaps it was because she was young, likely to believe what others told her, and what they made her believe about herself. New faces surrounded her, and her wide eyes could hardly take in all the sights. Yet she could not bring herself to speak to any of them. And so she swayed, shifting her weight back and forth on her haunches and occasionally lifting her head at the sound of approaching hooves. Almost always they would pass by, and she would dip her slender head towards the ground. She began to pass the time counting ants, wondering just how many she had accidentally killed in her lifetime. Ten, ten thousand? Life was so fragile, ending abruptly more times than not. Her brows furrowed, as she internally vowed to be more aware of her extremities to avoid harming any little critters. After all, she wouldn't want someone bigger stepping on her.
ODEZSA
the world is a beautiful place and I am no longer afraid to die.
ooc: boo! I'm Tate and holy heck I haven't RP'ed in forever but thank the lord I found an active site.
The silence drives her out, out past the trees that seem to grow higher with every passing day, out past the fire-scarred lines, and out into the rest of the world. The steel-gray mare breaks into a canter to warm up, and as she passes the Beach marker, turns up her speed, until she is in a heart-pounding gallop.
Lagertha needs the wind in her face, she needs to feel it whipping her mane into a tangled mess, feel the ground give way beneath her hooves, and focus on nothing more than the internal rhythm of running. Good fucking lord, it feels good to stretch her legs like this! She laughs, and though no one can hear her, it almost seems as if the weight of the thorned mantle lessens, falling away with every bead of sweat that is hurled off her hindquarters. It is a long way to the Field from the Jungle, and even Lagertha cannot maintain that speed the whole way. At some point she slows, but in the cool autumn air, the evidence of her exertions take a while to fade away - and she looks nothing more than some wild woman when she enters the Field.
This is nothing, of course, compared to what she can make herself look like. But there’s no point in scaring the ladies off yet. Her measured gaze lingers on the groups in the field, taking note of the stallions and oh - there’s Yael - she wouldn’t put herself in competition with the Desert magician. Instead, Lagertha turns to a buckskin mare who seems to be by herself (a rarity, given the season and the plethora of stallions who seem to pounce on every single female who prances by. She’ll never understand). Sweat-stained, but steady and with the look of someone who knows what she wants (and usually gets it), the Iron Queen approaches Odezsa.
She attempts a joke, which is a very rare event. Sarcasm comes easy. Jokes do not. “If you’re a fan of ants, we’ve got a lot in the Jungle. Though some of them might kill you if given the chance.” She offers the lady a slight smile, and chuckles dryly. “I’m Lagertha. Who are you?”
Archam made the travels to the Falls to the field as he usually did, it was more of a ritual than anything. Complete the kingdom border patrol, check on the herd, visit the field, return home. It was now autumn and almost all of his mares were expecting his foals in the spring. The herd has recently dwindled in numbers and he was looking to expand again, to a larger and stronger herd.
Autumn was like spring, the air was cooled down and no longer dense, breathable. It carried a sweet scent to it, not like spring when the flowers were budding but sweet like honey, like a goodbye from the plants. He took in a deep breath as he reach the entrance of the field, walking in deeper. There were plenty of equines around, chatting to one another, grazing off on there own, and even searching out for a kingdom or herd. Coming to the field was an enjoyable task, getting out to meet others with the hopes of bringing a new face back to the herd. As he scanned the area, now in the heart of the field, he stopped when he found a silver buckskin. A smile grew on his face but she was already talking to another darker mare, he gave a shrug and figured it was best to give it a shot.
He picked up a slow trot and made his was over to the pair, he caught the end of the conversation when the gray mare introduced herself as Lagertha. He heard the name, and grew aware of her status in the Jungle. Not only did she have a strong scent of the Jungle, the Falls had an alliance with her kingdom and he grew familiar of the members names. He gave a dip of his head to them both Good morning ladies, I am Archam of the Falls He did not feel the need to repeat the question of the mysterious mares name as Lagertha already inquired. I am the lead stallion of the Cobblestone Creek if you prefer a herd atmosphere His gaze turned from the gray to the buckskin, curious to if it was a herd or kingdom she desired.
06-26-2016, 02:11 PM (This post was last modified: 06-26-2016, 02:13 PM by Odezsa.)
Odezsa was not faced with the daunting task of trying to keep her mind under control for long. As the ants marched by her, hopefully to go home after a hard days work, her ears flickered towards the sound of hoofbeats, this time they were surely approaching her. A sweat-stained lady stood before her, and the silver mare's interests were immediately engaged. She briefly let her gaze ligner on the approacher's left thigh, her curiousity running rampant but her mouth remaining shut. It looked painful.
"Well, I suppose if they meant to harm me I'd have to kill them then, wouldn't I?" She mused back, glancing down at the ants before meeting the darker mare's gaze. "Lagertha, she allowed the name to roll off her tongue, lips curling into a half smile. "That's simply lovely."
She tucked her left knee in a bowing gesture, her lopsided grin now breaking into a full blown smile at the thought of company, of perhaps a friend. When asked for her name, Odezsa stood tall, stretching her withers as high as she could. Her dainty frame would never look anything but, however it never hurt to try.
"I'm Odezsa, I'm still learning these lands." Her attempt to sound falsely confident about how quickly she was learning was anything but convincing, but the glimmer in her eye made it difficult to tell her the jig was up. Her muzzle parted, prepared to speak again when her eyes darted to the side. A stallion had joined them, and not just any stallion, but a lead stallion at that.
Odezsa raised a brow, a bit confused by his statement. Was she to go with him without knowing anything about him or this Cobblestone Creek? Her body language shifted quickly, ears submissively lowered and her stance shrunk to appear small. Her mother had not paid much mind to the filly when she was growing up, but she had warned her how dangerous men could be. Of course, Odezsa wanted to believe no such thing. Surely everyone was good deep down. But her mother's warnings stayed buried in the back of her brain, so she always chose to play it safe.
She dipped her head back in Archam's direction. "Pleasure to meet you, sir." She made note of the name Cobblestone Creek, because any home is still a home, and there is safety in numbers. Besides, he seemed nice enough. Her thoughts drifted to Lagertha, where did she hail from? She didn't ask though, simply smiled and awaited to be spoken to.
ODEZSA
the world is a beautiful place and I am no longer afraid to die.
She cannot hide the slightest curl of her lip when Odesza corrects herself in the presence of a man. Now, look - for all the ‘Queen of the Amazons’ and ‘all-female’ kingdom thing, she doesn’t hate stallions. In fact, she has several beneficial friendships with men, ones that have resulted in children, and others that end in alliances. They are all based in mutual respect and a knowledge that they are, for all intents and purposes, equals. But a herd stallion is not her equal, no matter how much they may style themselves ‘King’ of their own lands. This one may not do that, but she has the luxury (and arrogance) to lump him in with those that do. It is not a group she likes.
Lagertha is of the opinion that mares who choose to live solely within a herd are brainwashed. That might just be the sore loser side of her talking, though. She’s had several potential recruits stolen out from under her nose by the resurgence of stallions and herds.
“Thank you,” she says simply. She’s never thought of her name as lovely, nor has she ever truly commented on the nature of a name. She wants hers to be remembered. That’s all that matters. But back to the matter at hand: how Odezsa changes when Archam comes near. Now, the Warrior Queen doesn’t think that this particular one isn’t a real threat, so she doesn’t don her armor, but she does a slight bit of posturing herself. Big, brawny, and brave - that’s what the Iron Lady is going for. The sense that she could protect her newest acquaintance, if need be. “He -” she bobs her head in the stallion’s direction, “offers the complete opposite of what I have. I’m Queen of the Amazons, a kingdom where only mares hold ranks. We’re a sisterhood, and we’re looking for new members. Does that interest you?”
Her long tail flicks back and forth against her hocks, with only the minutest sign of aggression.
He listens as the buckskin introduces herself as Odezsa, he engraved the name in his head turning to listen to Lagertha. The mare spoke about the Jungle, the kingdom that only allows mares in, a good kingdom to choose, although he was a little biased to his home in the Falls, a perfect blend of mares and stallions, of course each to there own.
The Jungle held a hatred towards stallion, and he felt nothing less of that from Lagertha, she seemed almost disgusted with Arhcams presence, unable to help fix her feelings, for whatever reason she came about them. He piped up once again Although I am the lead stallion of a herd, I reside in the kingdom the Falls, you are more than welcome to join a caste and travel about the kingdom and herd lands he made sure to give all details to the mare, allowing her to chose whichever sounded the best for her lifestyle. He eyed the queen before trailing his gaze back to the buckskin, the herd life wasn't for everyone, and he respected there decision. He would protect the mares that reside in his herd, as well as the kingdom he belongs to, as much as the Queen would for her kingdom members.
Vaughan was not much for recruiting - he had never really had to do it before but the Tundra had recently made changes and women were now welcomed with open arms. Most men didn't seek the field for a home, be it out of pride or simply just never occurred to them. Personally, he found it rather odd to see a stallion galavanting as someone tried to sway them to their home; isn't that what they call prostitution in some states? Regardless, he thought perhaps his visit with his sister could be work too so into the fields he went.
He watches as he sees a familiar (though very vague, we was so young) woman approach a mare with a stallion. The Falls and the Jungle, he sense but he wouldn't know for certain until he joined them. He is nearly to his peak in life, hovering around four he's finally filled out, his muscles formed and tried within the Tundra's army. He is nothing special, no wings or fancy decorums - spare a battle scar or 'ear' rather that hangs lopsided against his head. He catches the tail end of their conversations, the mare's name and the Fall's member - he already knew Lagertha's. "I'm Vaughan and I'm on my way back home to the Tundra. Lagertha, nice to see you not wrecking havoc on the Chamber," he chuckles, although he doesn't mean it ill-intended he's heard that the Iron Lady isn't much for jokes. He likes to live on the edge, you could say. "Odezsa, I'm here to provide a third option because to be quite frank these both sound a little extreme don't they? Go to a herd, have children year after year, no purpose and always pining for affection or go be with the Amazons and stew on everything, have a sisterhood but feel guilty for wanting the company of a man. The Tundra has recently undergone changes; we are welcoming women to both our homes and ranks," he says, though still unsure of all the inner workings that Offspring has in mind, "now it is cold but I am sure you'll have no problems finding warmth." He coyly smiles, glancing both at Odeza and Lagertha - perhaps his last smile if he kept toying with the Queen.
He doesn't address Archam, perhaps it was rude not to but Vaughan was not over the fact his sister had disappeared on the Falls watch. The Iron Lady wasn't the only one to keep grudges, she simply stated hers aloud where he kept his under lock and key.
Odezsa stood with her eyes averted, her gaze never holding that of Lagertha's or Archam's. Not because she was trying to be rude, solely because she was lost in thought. A home of any sorts sounded delightful. Friends? Perhaps. Safety? Well that had to be a given, right? She could not remember the last time she truly had a place to call her home, her stay. The thought churned in her brain, and she felt as if the individual hairs all over her body were pricking up one by one with excitement.
Eyes still trained on no one in particular, she parted her lips to speak and abruptly stopped when she noticed a third party. Honestly, the last time she had spoken with so many people was in her younger years, and a filly who wanted nothing but to play. In a way, Odezsa was still that filly. Grownups didn't allow themselves enough playtime, and she was almost always in a playful mood, no matter how well she disguised it. She couldn't help but think she'd be a lovely babysitter of sorts, watching youngsters grow all the while stretching her legs and letting go of some energy. The thought of motherhood petrified her, and she did not foresee that changing. But she still loved kids, being one at heart and all.
The new stallion exuded confidence, she could not help but think. Odezsa was not intimidated by Lagertha quite as much as she was by either stallion, but she now knew the lady had power- she was a queen for christs sake. However, the newcomer seemed accustomed to her and when he chuckled, Odezsa's silver skin shuddered. The vibe she was catching was one she did not know how to respond to.
Vaughan, as he introduced himself, caught Odezsa's attention immediately and she could not hide it. The moment he spoke of the herd life and having children. Her eyes grew wider, doe-eyed with innocence. The blackened tips of her ears tilted forward and she let out a small squeal that took her by surprise. "I um..." She paused, trying to find the best words. "I don't think I want be a mother, at least not right now." She looked shyly to Archam, worried that perhaps he would be offended.
Vaughan's last comment is what sold her, the way it dripped with hidden meaning that she could not ignore. Curiosity killed the cat, and it would kill Odezsa as well if she wasn't more careful. She smiled angelically at Vaughan, dipping her head at him.
"My, my," She cooed, "I am so lucky to have been shown so much hospitality, but I simply cannot turn down such an offer."
So off to Tundra it would seem.
"Lagertha, can you please take me home? I'd like to meet my sisters." Odezsa took her turn to grin coyly at Vaughan, and for perhaps the first time in her life Odezsa was almost a little bit petty. She was not sure what the deal between her new Queen and this cold soul was, but she knew that she was more than delighted to pick Lagertha's brain and find out.
