"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
A rugged-looking, dark filly wanders into an open field, so much to be unknown. She’s old enough to know she had a past, but young enough that one might argue that she didn’t leave much behind in the circumstances. But what are the circumstances, you ask? She is unsure. She knows that her name must be Niphredil, for she is called to by that name in her dreams. There is a constant echo of this simple knowing in her subconscious. She looks down at her feet, covered in mud and sod--signs of early scarring indicative of trauma. She feels as though she should fear what’s ahead, but how to know when what came before is unknown.
She breathes in the sweet, fresh aroma of the openness through flared nostrils. She snorts, tossing her head lightly and her brown eyes widen as she searches for what she is to look for. Is the answer in this field, or shall she pick up her hooves and carry herself onward to a place far away. Any answers, past or present must lie ahead on the horizon.
She nickers softly, for not any reason known to her. Relying on instinct alone, perhaps Niphredil is summoning her future.
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
A lady forgives, but never forgets.
Honestly, right now I don’t think I am capable of forgiveness right away, and resort to finding a distraction. As a new ruler I might not be the first to be expected in the Field, yet here I am. It’s a second home to be as a diplomat and I need it’s normalcy, it’s mundaneness, before going home and trying to make sense of things.
The black filly stands out to me, reminding me of my oldest daughter, and so I approach her with a smile. Or is it that my intuition is guiding me once again? I can’t always say what this relatively new trait of me does… but I shouldn’t mind about it. I’m here now and that’s all that matters. ”Good day to you, my name’s Ilma. I hope you’re well.” I greet her. I know we must make quite the opposing views, my stark, ethereal and sunlit being contrasting to hers. But if there’s anything I’ve learned in this life it is that looks can be deceiving and the past holds no guarantees for the future. So whatever this young lady has been through or done in her life, if she wants a new future she can have it right now.
Beqanna is all about second chances and change, after all. I’ve noticed that much, even if I don’t always see it coming.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Niphredil]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
04-09-2019, 11:28 AM (This post was last modified: 04-09-2019, 11:28 AM by Niphredil.)
At the sound of a heavenly greeting, Niphredil's young, velveteen ears prick forward and she turns her head towards a mare that she perceives to not be of this world. She glows, casting rays to combat the daylight. The filly takes a half step forward.
"And a good day to you, Ilma. I am, Niphredil. I think I am well, at least it would seem that way."
She looks again to the seemingly-shimmering mare before her, and then back down to her feet--dark, dirty, and mortal in comparison. She thinks to herself: Am I worthy in the presence of this Ilma? Where have I landed? Is this a beginning? Will I get answers? Curious, Niphredil eases her breath and begins to open herself up to accepting this interaction.
"To be honest, I do not know how I came to be here."
She lowers her nose ever so slightly, feeling a sense of embarrassment beneath the brave face she naturally carries. But she keeps her gaze on Ilma, wondering if any truth to her being in this field lies ahead through the answers of the shining, white horse before her.
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
Men often forget, but don’t forgive. Truth be told I don’t know if that wouldn’t just be easier?
The filly before me seems embarrassed by her appearance, at least in comparison. However, my dream-like looks are not something I can turn off, and though I can carefully tuck away my wings, and try to dim them, let them disappear like that one time in my desperate need to find a way out of an ice cave, I find it easier to just let them be. For the girl though, I can try - actively seeking to let go of the light, the wings fade at least a little. Darn - I had been sure I could do it, but it seems the magic is fickle.
The girl - at my age I can call her that - states she thinks she is okay, but that she doesn’t remember how she got here. I nod. ”You’re not the first with that experience and probably not the last.” I tell her truthfully. ”I guess what matters is how you go on from here on out. What you do with this new opportunity. Beqanna is a good home, I’ve found. I’ve had some changes, such as this look,” I nod to my legs she has been staring at previously, ”But that doesn’t change who I was, or who I should become.” I smile once more. ”Why don’t we walk to a creek to wash and drink, and I can tell you a bit about this place? Or about my home, if you like. And you can decide who you want to be?”
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Niphredil]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
Without apprehension, Niphredil welcomes Ilma's offer. Perhaps this state of unknowing is a gift of some sort, an opportunity for the filly that she had not yet had before. She nods her dished, dark head; her ears twitching with ease.
"I would like that, thank you. It seems as though a new life is my only option, so I'd like to learn all that I can."
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
I try not to get too hopeful; sometimes another has different expectations, different ideas about what is an ideal life. Still, I find myself wishing she is more suited for the sanctuary than my own children (at least two out of three, the third is still a babe but the first two had decided to leave long ago). Niphredil readily accepts my offer. After all, it’s one that she could hardly refuse, I believe - I haven’t tried to impose anything on her.
Yet, I correct myself. Because I would honestly love to see her blossom in our kingdom, or perhaps in Hyaline or Pangea if I may be so bold. But first things first - she has just arrived, and so I nod in the direction I want to go, to find her some water. ”These lands are called Beqanna, and they hold a strange sort of magic. Some say the place is alive, but I personally believe that the fairies, who help keep us safe, have simply more influence on this world than they may have on other lands.” My wings have slowly reappeared, more strongly in the sunlight, and I waver them a moment. ”There’s something magical out here, connecting us to the lands and the lands to us. Unfortunately we have been struck by an illness that the fae seem to be very busy fighting. There may be a full cure in the future. I too don’t exactly remember my journey here, but it is easy enough to start a new life. We have kingdoms, or if you want less political stirring, territories and herds to live in. Some places are more independent than others, some kingdoms rule for the strongest to survive and others, like mine, take in everyone. I can tell you more about the kingdoms if you like to have a general idea of where you could live, or about the magic?” I don’t know which spikes her curiosity more, and I may not be able to fit all in one meeting, but even then, I can at least make a start.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Niphredil]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
04-10-2019, 12:58 PM (This post was last modified: 04-10-2019, 12:59 PM by Niphredil.)
With openness, the dark filly feels comforted by the winged mare. She sees a sparrow in flight nearby, and looks to Ilma's wings. Magic. I wonder if there is any magic in store for me. She looks down at her dirtied feet again. What if what I left behind was a bad kind of darkness. Beqanna seems to offer much, but at least for now perhaps I should seek sanctuary and normalcy. For now. She looks at the sparrow again, Ilma's glowing wings, and then closes her eyes. She imagines herself in flight with her very own set of dark wings, midnight-black like the a crow to match the rest of her.
Niphredil is in a place between being a child, a foal and a mare. And her she stands in another inbetween-ness, and unknown past and a wide-open future. Though Ilma is a stranger to her, she feels connected in a way. She bows her head and thanks the mare.
"Beqanna seems a good a place as any, and I am so intrigued by this magic. I do not wish to impose, but I believe I seek a place of light and safety. I do not know what I left behind, but I do not think I want to go back there." She looks again to Ilma's wing, illuminated by what light is cast from the skies above. Their brightness rivals that of the heavens. "If you are from a place, or know of somewhere where I might find such sanctuary, I would like to know of it."
The sparrow flies off into the clouds. Niphredil watches. Her past seems to follow it, but it is uncertain if memories of what was will return to her knowing. However, Niphredil wills such memories to fade as what lies for her in Beqanna entices and excites her. I hope I find magic here. She joins the mystical mare at the banks of the water, wading in just near the edge so that the soil from what was left behind may wash away. She drinks, as her thirst is strong from whatever journey she came from.
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
The girl is nearly grown, of an age that a bold youngster might leave home or a less bold one might already have been claimed by some stallion to live within his herd. The perfect age to start a new life, and I can tell she is eager to do so, even though the circumstances might have been better.
I wait for her to wade into the stream and drink some myself, though I am less thirsty than the snowdrop-marked young mare. What she said, sounds promising. A peaceful land she says, a place of light and safety. That, I can provide - as soon as the other kingdom stops making a mess of my short life as a ruler.
”Then I believe you are in luck, or maybe I am. I hail from the Silver Cove, one of the lands safe from the illness in the lands, and the seat of the Sanctuary as we know it today. It originated from Hyaline which lies close by, which is still one of our Territories should you prefer mountains over the seaside. Our other Territory is Pangea, but it might be less light than what you seek. I’d been thinking to house our Sentries there for training, but there’s some unrest currently that had to be resolved first. We’d be happy to have you regardless of what you want to do, even if it means just living with us in the Cove peacefully and secluded.”
“Then of course, if you’d rather find someplace hot, I will help you find my friend Magnus, of Tephra further in the west.” I sort through the other options in my head - but the Pampas are subject to Loess, and the Taiga is too empty (and foggy) to consider. Perhaps Nerine or the Isle; but I haven’t spoken to them for years now. I’d have to reinstate our bonds soon - if anything, I want to leave a Sanctuary to Clay and Dawn that is whole and has allies, instead of the currently cracked one. A good start; and Niphredil can be one of those who can help heal it, I am sure. I think she’ll make a good asset as Speaker or Sentry, and be whatever she chooses to be.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
Niphredil looks down to her reflection as she wades, listening to Ilma's offerings. The reflection in the ripples looks fatigued and empty--but as she looks deeper she sees light within herself much like the single bright marking on her forehead. The Silver Cove. I do like the water.And it's safe from the illness shementioned. She turns to the mare and nickers, bowing her head giving a gentle toss to her mane.
"Your cove seems to be a place I'd like to be. Thank you."
The filly eagerly wades out from the water. She is bursting with excitement for the first time since she can remember...which, admittedly, has not been long. However she may be an asset to the cove or the other horses that dwell in the cove, she is ready to begin. She is anxious for what magic lies ahead. She cannot imagine any returned memories tearing her from such a seemingly prosperous future.
"And let me know how I may be an asset to your herd. I know I have much to learn from you and the others at the cove."
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
I wonder what she's thinking - then, as she decides, I can see her in the Silver Cove. She might be there just to visit or to stay, but whatever the case, I know she will be with me when I return home today. Her words, coming just a few heartbeats later, imply as much and I nod to her. "No thanks. I'd benefit from your staying as much as you, I believe." I tell her with a warm smile.
As she leaves the water, she seems excited, and it's more than I could have ever hoped for. I hope we can give her the kind of life she seeks, but if not, at least we can help her find that out, help her find her path wherever it leads. It's what we've done with several others before her, I think. Time is never lost if we learn at least something of it.
I return to Niph on the shore, and smile to her offer. "We could always use help. Currently, I think we'd benefit from extra sentries most, but if you'd rather not train in warfare, we could use some diplomats speaking for us in this very Field." I offer. Who knows, she just might bring such warriors home as well. It's much the same thing that I was asked when I first came into Hyaline, I believe - and I can only hope that my time as an Ambassador was what they'd expected of me.
As a ruler, I find that I am the sole responsibility for the Sanctuary, and I'm not sure that I like it; however much my help is currently needed. But I haven't told Niphredil, and I might as well now. "I'm the Queen Caretaker of the Cove, currently, but don't feel obliged to call me by any title. Ilma suits me just fine - especially since I plan for it to be a short, temporary reign. Perhaps I'm just better fit as a regent and advisor." I shrug, then nod to the far east. "Did you want to leave right away?"
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
Sorry I'm late, it's been a busy weekend! You can reply here or just start a new thread in Silver Cove!
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
