"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've never seen you look like this without a reason.
The red mare had been busy lately, between family politics and birthing season, she had traipsed all over Beqanna. Now the Earth-Mother had brought her back to the place her family had temporarily called home. She was no refugee, she had never had a home, but this was where her clan had chosen to call theirs, and leave Circinae and Canaan's side...well that was not an option. The new arrival of Made-From-Love had only cemented their bond, and she longed to always be within view of the trio nowadays. She still hadn't grown comfortable bedding down inside the borders of any land, and so she made her nest near the edges of the Dragon-King @[Amet]'s Hyaline.
Her memories of Hyaline were mixed, as of yet. She had fought the beast here, her false-lover, and won. Still, the lake made her wary, anxious. Sometimes she caught herself just staring down into it, waiting for the siren to have crawled back from the Earth-Mother's wet embrace to exact it's revenge. He never came. However, she had met the Daughter-of-the-Stars here, and she was doing well. Then had come the birth of the girl. She signified the dawning of a new chapter in my flower child's life, one she was ready to dive into headfirst. She entertains herself as she does on many nights when she wanders, by playing electrical tag with the fireflies. She stands beneath a tree, the poor thing burned and badly gnarled, feeling sympathy for it. She leans against it's rough trunk, watching, waiting.
Another promise fallen through, another season passes by you.
The moonlight shone where it could through the canopy, the air thick with the aromas of spring blossoms that always preluded the warm nights of summer. It was a clear night, a good night… Heh he blew out softly, bittersweet. Such a strange and light-hearted thought to have had after so long a time.
He’d hidden himself within Hyaline’s multihued forest for more than a year. Slinking out from the charred trunks only when he’d become aware of his own smell and he’d had to bathe the stink off him. It shamed him to know his brother had found him in such a way only nights ago. And now that Amet had found him once it was likely he’d do so again. Suddenly a quick dip within the waters to shed his scaled body of smell and grime seemed fitting.
He waited until less and less stirred before creeping out of the forest and down to the sparkling waters of the lake, Hyaline’s watery heart. The initial icy bite of the water unpleasant as always as he waded in deeper and deeper until his chest and then shoulders sunk beneath the rippling water. Some nights he’d let himself drift out beyond the grounding of the mud underneath and paddle beneath the moonglow. On those nights he’d never had the tingling sense that anyone had watched him. Though what would he know? He’d always been either too deep or numb of thought to be aware of anyone else’s eyes. But he felt something now, or rather, he saw.
Strange zaps of light appeared on the bobbing surface before him, they dazzled, tiny flashes of brilliant bright before fizzling away into nothing. He cocked his head and stared with puzzled wonder, gawking until his fascination transformed into a frown when it dawned on him those little lights weren’t from the water. They were a reflection, reflecting something from somewhere up and out there.
It chilled him with an iciness that wasn’t solely from the water. Argh, I’m not alone… And with an awkwardness unbecoming of him, he swished around in the water like a frenzied fish, clamouring for the shallows and then onto the shoreline. Most of him wanted to race back to the trees. Most of him, not all… that small defiant part kept him rooted ankle deep within the water, his eyes finding her easily in the night as he watched her through the tangled, wet mess of his forelock. He did not know her. But there she was, red enough in the darkness to draw the eye as she leaned against that crooked tree… watching him? He wondered, as she played with her electrical pulses of light.
I hope his interpretation of what Jah’s doing with the fireflies is alright
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
His heart is content and happy, another piece of it returning to its rightful place after his conversation with Sakir. He had waited too long to talk to his brother (wasn't that always the case?), but now that they have spoken, Amet feels more hopeful for their future, and for Hyaline's. Darkness has fallen for the evening and the Dragon King has yet to settle beside the lake as he usually does; instead, he is meandering down the mountain path leisurely, enjoying the cloudless sky and the bright celestial objects within it. The night is warm, reminding him that the end of spring is soon upon them, signifying another year spent in the cozy sanctum of his home.
He can hear only his hooves and the crickets as he moves down the worn path, heading for the center of Hyaline and the lake that marks it as such. In the distance, he can see the surface of the crystalline lake stirring, though he's still too far away to make out the source. Curious to see who is still awake, the gilded stallion hurries his pace a bit and eventually comes to the clearing, where his amber eyes fall on Sakir. He smiles happily that his brother has pulled himself from the forest finally, but doesn't wish to disturb the other leather-plated stallion, and so comes to a halt just at the edge of the clearing to watch.
Flickering lights by his charred wisteria tree catch Amet's attention soon after and he turns his amber gaze to the source. Beneath its gnarled boughs rests the red medicine woman who had revealed herself in Ciri's time of need, the one who had somehow brought himself and Circinae together. He grins pleasantly at her surprise visit, moving in her direction just as Sakir pulls himself dripping from the lake to regard the healer's electric fireflies. Amet nickers to his brother warmly and comes to a stop just between the lake and the tree as his amber gaze turns to the mare. "Jah-Lilah," he says warmly, her name given to him by water-wolf.
"Ciri is doing well, thanks to your help," he lowers his head to the red soothsayer, "I'm indebted to you. I was wondering if I would see you again, after Circinae showed up in the middle of the lake," his expression is full of amusement as he turns to watch her fireflies dance, his gaze finding Sakir again shortly after. "It's good to see you out, Sakir," he offers gently to his younger brother, though opts not to mention their previous conversation any further.
10-04-2017, 12:52 PM (This post was last modified: 10-04-2017, 12:56 PM by Jah-Lilah.)
Jah-Lilah
I never took the smile away from anybody's face.
They flocked to her, the scaled siblings, as if she was the Mother-of-Dragons. She watches them, each beautiful and strange in his own right. One finds her by mistake, the other has been seeking her for months. She doesn't attempt to hide or conceal herself, she just has a knack for blending in to the nature around her, a talent she perfected over her years as a vagabond. With the return of summer, her fireflies have come back as well, and she's been delighting herself with their game every night. They light up, she lights up. They have an understanding.
The first of the brothers appears, slinking through the dark, it seems he thinks he's alone. She smells him before she sees him, and wrinkles her nose. That boy needs a bath! Be nice, Jah-Lilah. He seems to agree with her silent opinion, because his trajectory is the lake. @[Sakir] hesitates at the water's edge, then slides in with barely a ripple. She watches, taken back to her journey in the Underneath briefly, but her trace is broken by his quite curious behavior. He's staring into the water, mesmerized by her light show. Realization dawns on him and he looks around, face panic-stricken. He flails about, all grace and beauty gone, water all over the place. My flower-child stifles a chuckle, the boy is sweet. He finally spots her and shoots her a look, and all she can do is nod, a smile tugging on the corners of her mouth. That was when the sound of approaching hooves drew her attention away.
He has arrived, the Dragon-King, and watches as she watches, the show below. His vision finds her, and his happiness is evident upon his greeting. He calls her by her truename, and she smiles knowingly. He must have met her mate, Circinae, (and Canaan) were among the select few who knew her by Jah-Lilah. He is warm and inviting, insinuating that his visit with the Wolf-of-the-Water, the Queen-of-her-Heart, went well. Jah-Lilah suspected it would. She nickers a quiet hello, dipping her nose respectfully. "Hale, Dragon-King. I'm glad to hear your Star made it. I told you she would, she is strong and hard, but she needs you." She continues to watch the younger boy in front of them, speaking without looking at the Dragon-King, she is in another world, it seems. "I'll tell you like I told Daughter-of-the-Stars, you owe me nothing. I go where I'm needed and come when I'm called by the Earth-Mother." She glances at @[Amet] for a moment. "However, while my tribe calls Hyaline home, you may see more of me than you think." She muses softly, following his gaze once again out into the water.
That's a desperate way to look for someone who is still a child.
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
The red wytch's presence is enough to quell any discomfort in the young stallion - there has been much on his mind as of late, between Ciri's desire to leave and Gryffen's proffered truce, and nary a moment to relax. Despite his happiness, these things still weigh on his mind and Amet is barely able to keep them compartmentalized. Jah-Lilah's arrival, though... there is something special about it, and finally (thankfully) he has a moment of reprieve.
It seems that his brother, even, has taken a moment to quietly relax.
The soothsayer's voice is warm as she greets him, the name Dragon-King falling from her lips as if it is the most natural thing. He had heard it once before, that title, but he has preferred to keep it tucked close to himself, lest others think him conceited or vain. It still draws a small smile from the gilded Akhal-Teke, as does her comment on Ciri's strength, though a wave of sadness washes over his expression for just a brief second. Ciri doesn't need anyone, he thinks, least of all him. She is strong, that silver-eyed warrior, and everyday it seems more and more likely that she will be leaving him alone in Hyaline.
"You and your tribe will always be welcome here, as my thanks," he offers to the red wytch kindly as his amber eyes move back to the lake and Sakir. He allows silence to befall them for some time and slowly, involuntarily, his lips turn back into a frown. "Ciri means to leave Hyaline, I think," he offers quietly but leaves it at that - he would never force the smoky black mare to remain in his home if she wished to go elsewhere, but the thought of watching her leave is more than enough to ruin his mood.
In a big country dreams stay with you, like a lover's voice fires the mountainside.
He calms almost instantly beneath her gaze and her voice, getting control of the youthful persona inside of his kingly shell. My red mare smiles. She extends her neck to reach her nose out to sniff him, remembering the evening they had first met. He was older and wiser already it seemed, but heavy is the head that wears the crown. The boy is weary, stressed. She bumps him gently with her nose, a motherly presence. She knows, Dragon-King, the ways of the world are hard and unforgiving. Chin up though, it get's better.
He speaks about Daughter-of-the-Stars, sadness and longing in his voice. Jah-Lilah scoffs, holding back a chuckle. She wears a half-smile as she turns to look at him, shaking her head. "Then let her. Nothing can be kept that doesn't want to be." She sighs, searching for the words to help him understand. She contemplates, then speaks again. "It's like this, the Wolf-of-the-Water, the Spirit-in-the-Sky, I am theirs. I am loyal to them, I belong to them, mind, body, and soul. But they don't try to cage me. My soul is old as the sun, old as the moon, as all of us are, I cannot be kept, but I am bound to them. I love them, and they me, so they give me my freedom and I theirs. They know where I am though, always, and I know where they are. The fact that I don't call Hyaline or the Meadow or anywhere else home doesn't make me less theirs." She exhales wistfully, dreamy eyed and far away in her head. She snaps out of it and returns back to @[Amet]. "If anything, my freedom to roam makes me more appreciative of them when I do see them. I love them. I could never truly vanish from their lives, and they know that."
She continues to put on a display for the Dragon-King, her electricity lighting up the night. She tosses her head, her feathers tapping against her neck. The newest one belongs to her male consort, and she quite loves having a piece of him with her always. If only she could think of a way to carry her Wolf with her as well. Nevermind Jah-Lilah, we'll figure that out another time. "Let her go, Dragon-King. Let her find more of herself. Tell her how you feel, tell her she always has a place to come back to. Everyone needs an anchor, even if we don't realize it right away. She'll be thankful to have you and the Lake as hers. Trust in the Earth-Mother, she'll always take care of you." She bumps him softly again, seeing the worry and distress all in his body language. "She'll come back to you. Stop worrying about that one." And with that she nips him sharply on the shoulder, trying to stir him out of him sour mood.
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
Jah-Lilah gifts him with a gentle nudge, prompting a warm smile from the young stallion. When he was younger, he had envisioned conversations with Shalla, ones that helped them bond and he learn. They'd never had those conversations, not for lack of desire on his part. The yearling colt hadn't known what had caused Shalla to pull herself away from him, or from the twins, but she had given the three of them up to Him without so much as a second thought. All for a golden crown upon her head. Amet has grown to love the responsibility that is Hyaline, but never would he trade his own child into a life of slavery and torture for a chance at the throne. His golden eyes watch the red wytch with a new curiosity; has she her own children, who she coaxes and rears into a flourishing life? Does she take pity on him?
He listens closely to the soothsayer as she entrusts him with her wisdom. Her gentle tone and enlightening story relax him and persuade him away from his brief sourness - instead, a whimsical smile plays at the corners of his lips as he listens to Jah-Lilah speak of Circinae and Canaan. Her love for them is blatant and pure, and it makes him feel full simply thinking on it.
"I hope to have your wisdom someday, Jah-Lilah," he chuckles quietly as she nips at his shoulder, side-stepping quickly but not quickly enough. Her electric fireflies dance all around them and Amet turns his attentions back to them for only a moment, before his gaze moves to watch Sakir for a short while. How he wishes that he'd had a chance to confide all of these things in his brother. But these are not things to discuss when their sister is still absent and their family is torn asunder. He does not have the luxury of discussing such things when they have much larger issues to worry about.
Thankfully, though, the red wytch seems enthusiastic to answer his questions. Mulling over his next inquiry, knowing full well that it will give away his true feelings, the young King sighs quietly before he asks. "How did you know... that you loved Circinae?"
I thought that pain and truth were things that really mattered.
The young Dragon-King leaned towards her affections, eating them up. She notes the sorrow in his body language, and deduces he is in need of a motherly figure. Whereas Jah-Lilah is not in the business of adopting children, she has always been the mother to all who needed her. Lessons learned from her own mother, the only mother, the Earth-Mother. She sighs knowingly, and welcomes him to her, closing the gap even more between them. She leans her shoulder gently into him, applying soft, firm pressure.
He comments on her wisdom, and she can't help but laugh. "You have me all wrong, Dragon-King. I am not wise, just old and open-minded. I've been wrong countless times too, but as long as a lesson is learned, your time isn't wasted." He is smiling now, thankfully, and watches her sparks. His gaze returns back to his sibling below them, and again he seems filled with regret. "He'll come around when he's ready." She reaches up to take a bite of the overhanging purple branch, her cravings have been strange and all-consuming these days, and she wonders what deficiency she's developing to make her want to eat such strange and specific things these days.
His next question hits her in the heart, and that familiar feeling of breathlessness and butterflies in her stomach comes. How to explain to @[Amet] the way her she-mate makes her feel. How does she describe the instant zing she felt when their eyes first met? How to put into words the need to be with this mare every minute of every hour of every day until she dies. Can she paint that picture in his mind's eye? How much more beautiful the mare becomes every time she leaves and returns to be at Jah-Lilah's side? She will try. "It's not about knowing, it's about feeling. I feel like I will die without her. I feel like I will give my life for her if asked. I never knew how much I needed her until I had her. I share her with another, who in turn I love just as much, and I feel no jealousy, no anger. No lies, Dragon-King, just love." She looks at him, wondering did he understand, and more importantly, did he love the little fallen star who had crashed into his lap?
You can't stay here with every hope that you had shattered.
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
Under the cover of darkness, it's easy to ask Jah-Lilah these things. Whether it be the night, her demeanor, or a combination of the two, Amet doesn't know, but it seems they are on track to have all of their conversations beneath the moonlight. The red wytch diminishes the distance between them, resting her warm shoulder against his and the leather-plated stallion leans back against her. Her laughter is warm, echoing through the shadows of his lakeside home, and Amet can't help but to join in the laughter.
She catches him as he falls into regret again, fueled by his view of Sakir in the moonlit lake, and brings him back up again. His younger brother will come around, Amet knows - it may just take Iset for Sakir to do so. Leaves rustle overhead and the dragon-hide stallion twists his head to see Jah-Lilah lipping at the purple branches of the wisteria. He snorts with laughter and glances at the red mare out of the corner of his eye, "Interesting choice," he says playfully (though truthfully, the flowers are too bitter for his liking) before provoking their conversation into another direction.
The crimson soothsayer takes a few moments to answer him. Amet waits patiently - he finds that he deals with enough urgency during the daytime to succumb to it while confiding in a friend in the night. And when Jah-Lilah finally answers with crooning enthusiasm, the gilded King's heart beats more quickly and he begins to dampen with sweat. There is something terrifying in the idea of needing someone that much, but when he thinks about Ciri, it doesn't sound so bad anymore. His lips twitch upward and, despite his desire to hide the infatuation on his face, Amet knows the attempt would be futile.
"I... I do feel that way," he confesses as he thinks of his starry-eyed akmar, of the way everything else just drifts into nonexistence when she is near. She is his perfect match in every way. There is one thing, though, that he has a hard time understanding and he is afraid to shine light on it, lest it make him a bad person. "I just..." he sighs in exasperation, "I want no one else. And what if... she does? Am I selfish for wanting to be her only? Am I being naive?" It makes him nervous to consider these things, but there is something about the soothsayer that tells him he can ask these questions without being judged.
He laughs with her, and then takes note of her snack. She means no disrespect, she only means to curb her taste buds. As he raises an inquisitive brow at her, she blushes and smiles rather sheepishly, feeling the need to explain herself. "Not normally a choice of mine either, but for some reason the flower tastes good to me today. I hope you don't mind, it seems I can't help myself." She says with a soft chuckle. He is a worrisome king, which is admirable. He worries for everything around him. It is endearing to my little red mare. She watches him continue to watch his brother, and exhales. She bumps him again, then motions toward the water. Setting their course for the edge of the lake she looks back to see if he is following.
When he begins to move, she turns back to the water. A sudden cramp in her abdomen causes her to pause for a moment and kick at her belly, but then the pain subsides and she continues. He asks her more questions about life and love, and she grins. When the reach the edge she dips her muzzle low into the water and drinks greedily. She snortles into the surface, making bubbles again. A small giggle and then she's finished. She contemplates her next statement before looking at @[Amet]. "You aren't naïve, Dragon-King, you're young." She can feel the uncertainty in his body language and she can smell his fear and hesitation. The dark female scares him, loving her scares him. His face is wrinkled in thought and she knows he's agonizing over their conversation about love. "There's nothing wrong with how you're feeling, it happens to everyone. This shit is scary. I hadn't loved anyone in years until the Wolf and the Wind came along, and I was unsure about them at first. But you can't compare our willingness to share with your own situation. I am fluid, shapeless, like both the river and the breeze, I love male and female alike, and they both are me. I am selfish still, just like you. I want only to share them with each other, anyone else can fuck off. I am he as she is me as he is she and we are three together." Her heart races as she thinks of them, thinks about the life she is preparing to bring into the world for them. "If you want to know who she loves and where she wants to be, just ask her Dragon-King. If you want her to stay, tell her. She won't know these things unless you do admit them. What you won't do, another one will, always remember that."
I can live and breathe, and see the sun in wintertime.
