"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
It had been a couple weeks since he had met the bay mare Roseen, at first he had little desire to start a romance with her, but after he saw Leilan's reaction it was almost a mission. He had finally met his children from this season, and even said goodbye to one of his lovers as he stumbled upon her decaying body. He had lost her.....but gained so much more.
He leisurely strolls through Loess, it was like he had never left, of course a few new equine here and there. He allows a whinny to escape his maw, hoping to find Roseen alone today, show her around Loess. Perhaps, if he was lucky, he could even wiggle his way into her heart. It was almost summer and the days were growing warmer, although the sun was setting and it offered the perfectly cool temperature. The sky was filled with pink and orange hues on the beautiful spring evening.
His mind was racing, curious to what Lepis and Rey have been up to in his absence, what Bane has been doing. He was excited for the future of the kingdom, though he could not deny he missed the thrown. It was an honor to remain the champion of Loess, willing to give his life for the kingdom. He had so much to think about now, not only his lovers but his foals, successful pregnancies this season. His thoughts were disrupted when the sound of another nearing rang through his ears, his head flicked in the direction of the source, hoping to see Roseen appear.
I want to swim away but don't know how Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean
The journey to Loess was longer than it should’ve been. Roseen had travelled in the direction she believed Loess was located, only to become hopelessly lost. It was only after she had managed to gather the courage to ask for directions had she realized she was going the wrong way, and was told where Loess was actually at. Things went smoother that time around when she started on the right path, and finally reached the kingdom. She only wished she had asked for directions before she set for Loess.
Roseen stopped for a moment to take in the sights, staring in amazement. Leilan and Breckin were certainly right to suggest she visit Loess; it was beautiful, despite some of the rather rough looking terrain. However, she couldn’t help but feel frightened of the place. Other than the sights, she had heard nothing good about Loess. Both Leilan and Breckin weren’t really fond of it, and even Arthas himself said that the kingdom could be cruel. She gulped, ears laying back with fright. How well did they take visitors? Surely Leilan and Breckin wouldn’t suggest she visit a place that was unkind to visitors, right? Hesitantly, she took a step further into the kingdom’s territory. She was cautious with her ears pricked and eyes wide. Her senses were on high alert, as if she was expecting someone or something to attack her out of nowhere.
She searched around for the familiar dappled coat that belonged to none other than Arthas. Every moment that passed without seeing him put her even further on edge, until she began to worry. The poor girl was far too paranoid. Finally, she spotted him amongst the other horses, the sight causing her to sigh and smile with relief. She trotted closer with a little excitement. Somehow she suddenly felt more comfortable and far less on edge when she saw him. Perhaps it was just because she saw a familiar face within a crowd of strangers. “Arthas,” she called, practically singing his name joyfully, and surprised herself with her own cheeriness. She wasn’t that happy to see him, was she? Smiling softly while briefly averting her gaze, she spoke again, “I-It took me a while to find you. I was beginning to think you weren’t here.”
His ears did not lie, soon enough he spotted the petite bay mare. She trotted over towards Arthas and seemed to have excitement in each step she took. A small smile tugged at his lips as she drew closer, announcing his name. It took me a while to find you she said and a small chuckle escaped his maw.
When he first saw her with Leilan he only intended to disrupt the pairs conversation, although as the trio mingled he noticed how it bothered Leilan. The two aren't enemies....but it would be more satisfying to be able to steal the mare from the roan stallion. He steps closer to Roseen, closing the gap between them, did you have fun with Leilan? He asks, she was supposed to go with him first. He extends his neck to trail his maw from her neck to her shoulder before stepping back to find her gaze.
If you want I can show you Loess, I have lived her for some time now. He says with a smirk on his maw, he flicks his head to the left and his body follows. Loess has so much to offer, a shore line when you want a nice dip in water. A plethora of mountains, of different sizes, offering protection and hiding. The kingdom is beautiful in scenery, although the mission that Bane now has for Loess can be dark for some. Although Arthas does not mind, he has always been more dark and less for the pretend goody two shoes kingdoms. He figures he should start by showing her one of the larger meadows in Loess, an open field with nothing but grass and trees in sight, and a mountain off to the left view. So what is it you are looking for in a kingdom? He asks moving his gaze to Roseen.
I want to swim away but don't know how Sometimes it feels just like I'm falling in the ocean
The sudden gap closing between the two certainly caught Roseen off guard. Her instinct almost had her take a step back to avoid being so close to the stallion, but something was keeping her from following through. Her eyes widened at his question as her face grew a little hot. His words seemed like just an innocent question, but the way he said it, especially with being so close, it sounded suggestive to her. “U-uh...well-” her words faded, her thoughts scattered. How was she supposed to think with him so close? Much less answer any questions properly. And as if she wasn’t nervous enough, Arthas ran his maw across her neck down to her shoulder. She froze under his touch, and released a breath she was unaware she had been holding when he finally stepped back. If he wasn’t careful then there would be a misunderstanding. Acting in such a way towards a girl as fragile-hearted as her would only mislead her into believing he was actually interested. And there was no way that could happen.
She almost frowned at the thought, but forced herself to smile a little instead, though it was sheepish. He offers to show her Loess, adding that he had lived there for some time, and her ears raised a little. She would’ve liked nothing better. Exploring Loess on her own was a frightening thought in her mind, especially after all the less than pleasing things she’d heard. So having someone nice that she somewhat knew to show her around was a relieving offer indeed. Her smile softened, and she visibly relaxed, “I’d love that. I’m not sure if I’d be able to look around on my own.” A sheepish chuckle escaped her lips, then he asked one more question.
This one was a little more difficult to answer for some reason. With a thoughtful hum, she raised her gaze a little and went over everything she wanted in a kingdom. “I don’t want to have to worry about food, so someplace with plenty of vegetation would be nice,” she began. “The weather doesn’t bother me so much, as long as it’s bearable. And, it would be nice if I felt welcomed by the other members, instead of threatened. I don’t mind a little strictness and hard work if it’s necessary to have a decent life. Umm...” she paused and blinked, a little confused as to whether those things were really important or not. Roseen smiled sheepishly once more and turned her gaze back to Arthas, “Hehe, well, I guess as long as it’s a place where I can be happy. I’m...sorry if that doesn’t really help you any...”
She forced a smile but her boy was stiff, almost as though she was nervous being around him. He moved slightly to the left, allowing space between them once again. He was always a very flirty stallion, but some mares did not like his forward approach as much, Roseen just happens to be one. She stutters trying to find an answer to his first question, but she cannot piece a response together. He does not press the conversation, instead he just awaits a response to exploring the kingdom.
He was glad he did not scare her off earlier, she perked up at the mention of exploring the kingdom. A small smile tugged at his maw and he dipped his head in acknowledgement Shall we? he turned his head to the left, gesturing in the direction. They trailed off together, he would start in the middle of the kingdom, a wide open field with a perfect view of all the mountains surrounding the kingdom.
As they walked he asked what she wanted out of a kingdom and her answer was not what he expected. She just wanted a place with food and protection, and to be welcomed. Not all horses wanted a part in a kingdom, and that was fine with him. Interesting he muttered, a few moments before speaking again I think Loess could be just that for you. He smiles finding her gaze The kingdom members are rather nice amongst each other, I guess you could say the missions we carry out are not exactly the nicest. There last mission was trapping Klaudius, requested by Nerine, they captured and brought him to Nerine allowing them to do as they please to him. Aside from there missions, the kingdom fit the bill.
He stops as he reaches there first destination This is our main field he gazed around, the mountains towering all around them. There was a break in mountains were in the distance was a forest of trees, it would meet up with Sylva. All the grass you could think of a small chuckle escapes his maw, she did request a good source of food. At the end of the day she would pick the kingdom she felt the most comfortable with, with the horse she feels most comfortable with. Shall we go closer to the mountains? He asks, his ears raised towards her.
