"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
i suddenly feel like a different person from the roots of my soul comes a gentle coercion
So much has seemed to happen in a matter of weeks. Marlyn had taken Sylva, removed the caste structure and replaced it with her own. A new home for the weak and weary, a sanctuary for those who did not fit nice and neat in the cookie cutter shapes of good and evil...light and dark. Sylva was for those who wanted peace and solitude when it seemed as if the basic needs of horse kind was at it's very edge...
But now, in her good fortune, she had met with the fairies. Perhaps her 'wrong place, wrong time' was indeed exactly as it should be. The mystics had granted Marlyn her gifts back and in return had tasked her with the very same abilities. A small but hopeful smile moves across her lips as she is quiet about the secret.
Amber pools drift around as the mare looks upon the small groups of equines, some were indulging in quiet conversation while others chewed grasses or drank from the icy stream. Small coils of steam form frosted clouds with each exhale as the leggy mare stands amid the falling flakes from above. With the return of her traits, no longer did she shiver in the cold. Her spotted skin remains unflinching even when the sharpest cut of cold attempts to steal her breath. Mar pays it no mind as she continues her search. She wonders briefly of the stallion that had been granted the same ability and how she was uneasy about the way he smirked and spoke.
Marlyn would use this chance to spread the good in Beqanna. She would use this small gift to those who appreciated the generosity of the fairies. Marlyn would be sure to pass along the gospel for she was not a magician amongst horses and this power was granted by the great fairies. Marlyn was not a goddess amongst her kind. No, she is but a humble creature doing the bidding of a great power.
They'd been in the meadow for most of their time together. The expanse of grasses and wild flowers met the blue of the sky like no other place. But today was a day for change. The thick canopy overhead shadowed them, throwing him into bleak darkness and yet still she was as radiant as ever.
Every so often, he would brush against her. A tender sweep across her cheek, a sweet tap to her shoulder. It seemed he couldn't go too long without touching her. At nearly two years, he'd finally grown taller than her. Thick with muscle, he walked as solidly as a stallion. His voice had gotten deeper, shadowy hair longer and draped across his thick neck. And his Cerva had not aged a day, still as youthful and stunning as the day he'd met her as a wee little colt.
And there up ahead of them, between some trees, was another. She was similar in color to Cerva, but with a spotted blanket draped over her rump. He slowed and edged closer to Cerva. Another mare was not as threatening to him as a male would be, but he still found comfort in the warmth of her pressed against him.
He thought about changing direction, guiding them elsewhere to continue their quiet stroll through the woods together. But he worried he might be smothering her. What if she wished to speak to other women and was too kind to ask it of him? Her gentle heart would do such a thing, overlook her own desires to please others. And so he continued in the other mare's direction, greeting her with a neutral smile. Whatever Cerva wished for was his to procure.
A lovely morning to be walking about in the forest, isnt it? he asked just in time for a calm breeze to slip through and curl around them. The snow couldn't penetrate the thick foliage in most places, and it almost felt a little warmer beneath the roof of white. Still, he leaned into Cerva just a little more, hoping to keep her warm.
I'm Dovev. This is Cerva, he introduced them, beaming at his lovely mare. Wasn't she perfect? And all his.
@[Cerva] to get their powers restored, or simply a new friend / or home <3
i suddenly feel like a different person from the roots of my soul comes a gentle coercion
Marlyn had opted to remain in her true cocoa and white sprinkled form. The white of the mask on her features seems to float in the evening of close setting shadows but Marlyn still smiles quietly to herself as though harboring a happy secret. The sounds of hooves thudding gently on the ground breaks the little world that the young mare had woven around her.
A pair were closer that she had noticed and Marlyn quietly scolds herself. The males words, strong and sure, begins with a small rather rhetorical question but Marlyn nods along in agreement "It is lovely to meet you both. I'm Marlyn." Introductions are always fun and awkward in her mouth no matter how many times she must do them. "It sure is a lovely morning." A smile warms her features, her aura open and inviting. "Perhaps this is an odd question but did either of you lose anything in the Reckoning?" Marlyn had made up her mind to offer the gift of the fairies to the first of a few who went out of their way to say hello to her.
In reality, Cerva is the mother figure and yet she has gradually lost grip on the title. She finds herself following Dovev more than not and has settled passively at his side. There is nothing more to teach him; he is considered an adult now, and while most mothers abandon their children to life, she simply cannot. He is all that she has, all that she has ever truly cared for. The love that warms her heart when she looks at him has amplified over the past couple years and she can’t bring herself to let it all slip through her fingers.
They are inseparable and she finds comfort in the way he occasionally presses against her during their stroll. His body heat is a blanket wrapping around her; she smiles to herself even as the cold, white snow falls around them. While they had initially struggled to find a home Cerva has since concluded that she is happy with only Dovev. There is perhaps less heartbreak if it’s only the two of them. There would be no worry if the world crumbled again because she is attached to only one, only him. With this realization, she reaches her muzzle forward and glides it along his shoulder as it ripples when he walks. He is taller than her now and so she has to look up to see the focus in his eyes as he navigates them through the forest. She doesn’t object, content to simply be here with him.
What she didn’t expect in this endeavor, however, is for him to stop near another mare and engage them all in conversation. He greets her and so there is not yet a reason to speak. Her nutmeg eyes quietly drink in the scenery, her body soaking in the dappled sunlight when the branches above sway and groan. Although Cerva has never been an admirer of winter (she remembers how it weakened mother) she allows herself to smile and find joy in it for the simple fact that Dovev is with her. Glancing sideways to him, she listens to his deepened voice before following it with a tender, ”It’s a pleasure.” What comes next is rather unexpected and it shows by the sudden brightening of Cerva’s eyes as her brows furrow curiously. There is a moment of hesitation as she reflects back on when the Reckoning happened and when pieces of her soul had been ripped from her. The time has quickly pedaled by her and she has to actually think of what she could once do and how empowering it made her feel. ”I did,” she admits as though embarrassed. Her gaze sweeps to Dovev briefly before funneling on Marlyn. ”He isn’t sure if he had anything to lose; he was born around the time it all happened. I, on the other hand, was once able to control poison ivy and shift into a badger.” It was nothing compared to her family members, but those things still made her unique.
The worlds were aligned with Cerva at his side. They were inseparable, untouchable. She would always belong at his side, his treasure. The new mare names herself, Marlyn, her voice soft and delicate. If he hadn't already found his mare, he might have kept this one. But who was to say he couldn't have more? No, it was unthinkable. Cerva was the embodiment of perfection, there was no other like her in the world. He'd chosen the very best for himself.
Marlyn asked if they'd lost anything in the Reckoning, the event that created the Mountain, that created him. He couldn't say that he lost anything, he was born this way, but his bottomless-black gaze shifted to Cerva with a soft smile. Her eyes were bright and hopeful as they briefly met his, then shined back on Marlyn again.
Cerva explained his own silent thoughts to her, that they weren't sure if he had any magic, but she certainly had lost hers. He was thrilled to think she might have them back someday, that he might see her in her full glory. He held still at her side and turned his attention back to Marlyn with eager anticipation.
Do you know of a way to restore magic? he asked, a boyish tilt to his head as he peered into her eyes.
ooc: his shortest post ever LOL also, his traits will have a slightly delayed effect so they wont show immediately xD but yayy cerva magic!!
Marlyn engages her conversation with the leggy male. He is stuck somewhere in that world between child and adulthood. He is quiet, calm, curious and it opens Marlyn up more the prospect of restoring the 'lost things'. but the bay mare, who has decided to join them, speaks most clearly for both of them.
The spotted woman greet the other qith a warm grin as she offers up the lost traits from the Reckoning but also that Dovev could perhaps have lost something...but could not have as well.
...there is only one way to find out...
With a small nod, closed eyes and an envisioning of a restorative light, Marlyn returns the magic to both the mare and the boy. This time had left Marlyn less exhausted as she has gotten the hang of this. "Yes, Dovev, the fairies let me showed me and now both you and Cerva have been returned what was lost." The words are warm as she speaks, mimicking the smile that crosses her lips. "I hope you are pleased Cerva-" Her attention glides gently to the brown woman then to the painted boy, "and if there is anything, it has been returned Dovev." Mar falls quiet for a moment as she looks to both with undeniable happiness. It felt lovely to return magic. "Best of luck to you both. If you should ever desire, come to Sylva and visit sometime." The offer is tossed over one spotted shoulder before the feathered limbs draw her away to the next horse..
MARLYN
this is a poopy post but both cerva and dovev not have their traits returned!
Big black eyes rounded on his mare, alight with excitement. She was fixed now! She had everything she'd once lost, and he'd made it happen for her! She would surely love him now! For real this time.
Maybe she'd even be able to forgive him when he had to leave her.
He smiled a little shyly and backed away from her, giving her room to show him what she could do. He wanted to see her ivy twisting and curling, wanted to see the little predator she could become. He wanted to focus on her. And not the seed of disappointment trying to sour his mood. He was a disappointment. He had nothing to show her in return. He felt..different. But he had no magic.
His face fell and his eyes lost focus as something roiled within him. Bones rolled and rumbled, shifted unnaturally. It was only there for a moment, and then everything settled again. He held still, waiting to be sure it was gone. It had shaken him, unsteady, and he raised wide, frightened eyes to her. But he was the man, he could not be frightened. His features very slowly smoothed again, certain that the event had ended. Perhaps only growing pains, then. Yes, growing pains.
He refocused on her, forcing the occurrence out of his mind, dragging a smile to his face for her. This was her time. Like a birthday. A re-birthday.
They didn’t have to scramble or grovel. They merely chatted and smiled, exchanged pleasantries, and suddenly Marlyn is telling them that the magic will be restored to their broken souls. Cerva glances to Dovev worriedly but says nothing. Instead she sidles closer to him, wanting – needing – his warmth to reassure her like a blanket. Her muzzle finds the curve of his shoulder and nestles into it gingerly while breathing in his musky scent. It lulls her as pangs of fear riddle her mind. This could be a trap or maybe even a trick, but Marlyn seems far too kind for such antics and Dovev is confident and brave in the matter.
(Why can’t I be so lionhearted?)
Cerva is supposed to be the mother figure and yet she is meek in the face of this proposition. She doesn’t shy away but her eyes are glassy with concern until she closes them and presses her face into Dovev.
Then it’s done.
It’s as though pieces of herself are paved back together and sustained by a far greater magic. Her muscles quiver unexpectedly and her heart quickly patters against her chest. Marlyn is speaking and while Cerva still has her eyes shut and her cheek resting against Dovev she is still listening. Only after she has bid them a quick farewell does Cerva have the bravery to peel herself away from her son’s side to look at him. There had been the sense of shifting in his body as though he was changing, but when her eyes open to see him, there is no difference. Her mouth opens to speak, but before she can muster the strength to say anything he is already asking how she feels.
At first, she shrugs uncertainly.
”I’m whole again,” she senses the fullness inside herself as the pieces fit back together after almost a year apart. ”I can try,” she has to search herself for the power after having lacked it for so long. The gentle brush of magic has become foreign and so strange, but she taps into it curiously. It triggers a warmth in the pit of her stomach and her body trembles anxiously. With another bout of effort, she can feel the pulse of the earth in her legs and it slowly creeps higher and higher into her body. Her eyes shine brightly when she sees vines of ivy slipping across the ground and coiling up her limbs. ”Yes,” she whispers inaudibly before retracting herself and inching back against Dovev. ”My poison ivy,” she murmurs happily as more vines slither toward her like snakes. They begin to reach for her, wanting her, but then she severs the tie and they halt. The vines that had been inching up her legs collapse as though suddenly dead by blight, wilting and curling away from her.
Unable to stop her curiosity, Cerva delves deeper inside herself and remembers how it had once been to shift. The unfamiliarity of it is daunting initially, but within a few moments she has become a badger scrambling across the ground curiously. She takes pause to admire her claws and all that she has become, but it’s short-lived as she reverts back to her equine self in order to stand once again by Dovev’s side. ”It’s wonderful.”
She edged to his side and his heart paced instantly. He watched her behind thick lashes, soaking in her every move, her every slightest touch. It fueled him. Took his breath away. How did she do this to him? And when she pressed her face into him, he could swear his body radiated more heat. His breath was shaky with a need he didn't understand. The way she trusted in his decisions, let him lead them, was so thrilling.
She.. was treating him like a man.
He stared down at her in awe. How long had she done this before he finally realized it? God, he was a fool. Such an idiot. Why was he always questioning himself, how she might be seeing him? And here she was treating him just as he wanted her to view him. Full grown. Responsible for her. All hers.
"I'm whole again," she said softly, her eyes lighting. She seemed to concentrate within herself and he watched on in silence. Hopeful. After a few moments she seemed to change somehow and returned to his side again. He didn't even notice the ivy until she said it, bringing his attention to the slithering vines reaching for her. In an instant, she snuffed them out, and they wilted as though dried by the hot sun. Such power.
And then she shrank into a furry badger, and a wide grin split his face. He laughed aloud as she scurried around a moment, then reappeared at his side as her normal self. Instantly, he was burying himself in her embrace. Where he belonged. With a sudden pang of sadness he knew how deeply he would miss her when he left. He would have to make it quick; he'd never be able to live for long without her at his side.
It seems I may not have a magic to match you as I'd hoped, he said quietly, his eyes falling to his feet. He couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself for his lack. Maybe he didn't deserve her after all. He thought, maybe, when that odd shift inside him... but it didn't happen again. Only his normal body still. Oh well. Regardless, there was a talk they still needed to have..
Cerva.. he started carefully. I know I said a long time ago I'd need to go away some day.. Just for a while. He shifted uncomfortably a moment, then turned to bury his face in her hair with a sigh. Was he really going to leave her alone without him? How long would it take before he could have her again. Damn, but he couldn't say it. He couldn't tell her the time was now.
Instead, his mouth found her neck, kissing and lipping at her sweet skin. His heart raced as a new sort of fire ignited within him, one he hadn't felt before. He tried to ignore it, tried to force gentle kisses up her neck to her cheek. But it soared through his blood with an urgency and soon he was nipping little stinging bites along her instead, nearly growling in teenage lust.
Mine, he whispered low, his voice husky. He wouldn't leave her until she knew it, until she really understood that she was his. Only his.
