"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
Even though Taiga was considered a portion of Nerine's kingdom, and therefore under Heartfire's rule, Aten had not taken the time yet to go pay a visit to the ocean-bordered kingdom to greet the named Queen until Breckin's daughter was of age to take the throne. But now that he had this new responsibility on his shoulders, courtesy of his friend Lilitha, he felt it was time he go and not only offer his respects to the Queen, but also inform her of the leadership changes that conspired in one of her land's territories.
The golden stallion, accompanied by his falcon companion, made the journey to Nerine's heartland, the journey taking about three days time with Aten not stopping often for food or water. Only when his body became in need of such resources did he allow himself to rest, but then would be right back on the trail to the north.
Upon reaching Nerine and Taiga's shared border, the golden stallion considered stopping a moment, but didn't do so on account of how there were some horses in the kingdoms that knew each other, coupled with his scent from Taiga's land. The golden stallion did not show any hostilities to those who smelled of Nerine, the Isle, or Taiga. Hopefully it would be the same here.
The deeper he got into the ocean-bordered kingdom, the more hopeful he became that he would encounter the Queen. But, just in case, he'd call for her, ask if she would pay him a visit. The golden stallion lifted his head and called for the Queen, requesting her presence to speak of an important matter. While waiting, Aten stood patiently, allowing his thoughts to drift and Turul to roost on his withers and preen his feathers until he decided to go off and hunt for his next meal.
There is very little that escapes the Nerinian queen’s notice. Especially something so significant as a leadership change. Of course, that Taiga had changed hands had not bothered her overly much. She knows the kingdom aspires to be little more than a home to those who might wish it. If there were any land that she might consider apolitical, it would be the forest that borders her southernmost point.
Of course, any leader change can stir unusual things. But then, from what she has known of Aten, she suspects it will not change overly much. Still, she is quite curious to see what had drawn the stallion to her kingdom. Taiga had not sworn any allegiance to Nerine, and she hadn’t had much interest in forcing the issue.
Aten of course could not possibly know that she knew so much about him or his kingdom. They’d never had the opportunity to meet, so unless he had heard rumors of her, he likely wouldn’t know just how much knowledge she has at her fingertips. Or hooftips, as it were. Still, she knows she has not lived a quiet life, and certainly she has gained something of a reputation. Of course, whatever he might have heard is likely only a fraction of the truth.
She approaches the gold stallion with an ease and comfort born of confidence. Her steps are not hurried, but she does not make him wait on her overly long. After all, she is quite curious about the reasons for his visit. She has many abilities, but unfortunately mind reading is not one of them.
When she has reached a comfortable distance, she slows to a halt, her blue eyes sharp and interested, her delicately lined features impassive, though not unfriendly. “Welcome Aten,” she begins easily, greeting him by name despite their lack of acquaintance. “What brings you to Nerine?”
Aten was pleased that Heartfire did not wish to keep him waiting; he was a stallion of business and did not wish to waste time. Turul noticed the mare first, squeezing his right talons lightly over Aten's withers to alert the stallion. He turned his head to the left, easily spotting the gray mare heading in their direction. Turul flapped his wings a moment to help maintain his balance, his eyes trained on the leader of Nerine.
Aten turned his body so he could face the Queen, noticing the ease and confidence in her gait. That put the golden stallion at ease; Heartfire's relaxed appearance made it clear that she wished to talk and not start anything that could turn sour. This proved to be promising as well, for he wished to also discuss potential options for Taiga to help Nerine how it could once the kingdom grew, and possibly vice versa if Taiga was under threat again.
Bowing his head to greet the Queen, Aten's eyes glanced over the mare. He had heard rumors of Heartfire's achievements, but he was not one to idle on gossip. He would like to get to know the Queen better as a friend of course, since they ruled bordering kingdoms, but he would hear the stories from her, not rely on strangers who knew more than he did simply because he was curious.
She was a rather pretty mare, her blue eyes striking against her painted coat. She was shorter than the gold stallion himself, but she carried herself with the practice of a ruler that didn't fear much. Her white markings also stood out clearly against her darker coat, and her frame, though lighter in stature than the stallion's more muscular structure, was strong and he could tell she wouldn't break easily.
Rarely had Aten seen a mare he admired off appearance alone, not necessarily off looks. Yes, she was pretty, but her confidence stood out much more.
Aten's own features softened to make his impressions almost unreadable, but still welcoming, "Well met Heartfire. I am honored to finally officially make your acquaintence," he offered. "I feel you have heard by now that Lilitha has stepped down from her throne in Taiga. She has entrusted me with her legacy to rule in her stead, a responsibility that I do find daunting, but I wish to make her proud.
"You have been a leader longer than I have myself. I not only came to seek your advice on how I can provide the best I can for the kingdom, but also, to offer a proposal. The Taiga, right now, is still not much, as not many live there currently. But when it starts to prosper, I would like to offer our assistance how Taiga can help. Nerine was kind enough to offer help in the past. I'd like to return the favor. For the time being, we would appreciate Nerine's help as well, but that decision is up to you as the ruler.
"Would this be something you are willing to discuss?" Aten finished with an inquisitive look, his eyes still solid and posture calm, but his tone betraying him and hopefully thinking the mare would say yes.
As a woman skilled in observation, she can appreciate the way Aten appears to assess the situation so closely, taking his time and proceeding with more knowledge than might be gained simply from a carefully spoken word. It is a common mistake, she finds, to ignore the subtle, unspoken cues in favor of the much louder ones. Of course, there is also a reason she is so carefully composed in demeanor and face.
Certainly she and Aten are not the only ones to read into such things.
The new Taigan leader seems to be a man of careful consideration, and that is something she can appreciate. For all that others often don’t seem to understand her actions, she never does anything without due consideration first. And that Aten seems to be of similar caliber, she feels confident the relationship between their land’s could well benefit from it.
Still, the pale stallion is far more of a diplomat than she will ever be, and his greeting gives testament to that particular aspect of his nature. Being a woman of decidedly few words, she listens quietly as he announces his purposes, only tilting her head faintly in response to the elegantly polite greeting he offers. She makes no move to interrupt as he offers his reasoning for the visit today.
Perhaps the stallion does know something of her, or perhaps he is merely intuitive, but she is rarely able to discount intriguing proposals. And given the quiet nature of both their kingdom’s, presenting a united front could only be beneficial.
Eyes glinting a bright, unreadable blue, one corner of her lips tilts faintly upwards as she considers him openly. “You have intrigued me thus far,” she offers in response after a faint moment. “Though Taiga has always been welcome to Nerine’s protection, a formal accord would be… beneficial.”
She falls silent for a moment then, eyes fixed thoughtfully on the neighboring leader. She shifts then, settling beside him. “Would you care to take a walk and discuss your proposal?”
Though she doubts too many would be terribly interested in eavesdropping on this conversation, she is a woman of natural caution. And movement can certainly be beneficial in ensuring privacy.
Though the emotion in the mare's eyes did not change when there was a barely noticeable glint that indicated she was thinking this through, Aten saw the corner of her lip turn upward, which told the stallion that Heartfire was at least interested if not sold on his proposal. It did not matter; intrigue was all he needed, even if he had to continue trying to persuade her.
However, instead, the gray queen directly told Aten he had intrigued her, as well as informing him that Taiga would always be welcome under Nerine's protection. This was a fact that Aten was grateful for, of course. Heartfire stepped over so that she was in line with Aten, asking him if he would not mind taking a walk with her to continue discussing his proposal for their kingdoms.
The golden king nodded, "I would very much appreciate that."
He decided to wait until Heartfire took the first step, given that he was in her territory and he was the one with the need to discuss terms, not the other way around. Still, he was in line close with her shoulder as he began speaking again.
"Unfortunately, beyond the terms of what could happen once Taiga again has a reformed structure, I am not sure what else I can yet offer Nerine at this time. I can say that I have plans to implement a system similar to how Ruan once had. Recruits would choose whether they would like to be trained in the ways of the silver tongue, or to use their strength and wit in battle to afford physical protection to those who live in Taiga and those in other kingdoms we have sworn to protect. Both of those factions would of course be available to Nerine to use at your leisure, of course, once they have been built up and the Taiga shows signs of regaining it's strength. However, I also plan to honor Lilitha's wish and keep it a peaceful kingdom. I merely wish to have warriors trained so that the kingdom will have the necessary protection should we be targeted for any reason."
They settle into an easy stride, the blue-laced mare picking her way easily along the windswept, stony planes of her home. She follows a path indiscernible to the naked eye, seemingly random in its nature, though anyone who knew her well enough would understand her actions are rarely random. She is silent as they traverse the simple landscape, her features unreadable and bare, ears tipped the take in each word uttered by her companion.
She makes no move to interrupt his speech, listening to his proposal with quiet consideration. Nothing of what he says surprises her in any way, but then, in the end, there are really only so many ways one can head a kingdom. And with her particular abilities, she had long ago seen them all. His plans are solid however, and she cannot fault him his dreams.
“Protection is always necessary for a kingdom, whether peaceful or not,” she agrees finally, once he has concluded his museful observations. She turns her gaze fully on him then, a faint glimmer of amusement crossing her features, almost indiscernible for it vanishes. “I think you underestimate what you might have to offer an alliance. As far as I am concerned, demonstrating a united from is sufficient for the moment. My only stipulation would be that you come under Nerine’s helm as an independent territory.”
She pauses then, allowing the weight of her request to settle. While she is not inclined to remove their autonomy, she does need some basis by which to offer the full weight of the Northern kingdom to the Taigan ruler. After a moment, she continues, “This means that you or a representative of your kingdom would be entitled to a position in Nerine’s council. Not only would our forces be aligned, but your citizens would be freely welcomed into Nerine, to come and go as they please. I have no interest in war-mongering, as you had likely surmised before you chose to come here. At the moment, I am perfectly happy to.... monitor the current situation. And, as a territory, you would be certain to benefit from whatever information we can glean.”
Aten appreciated the quiet persona Heartfire adapted so she could listen carefully to what he had to say. He made sure to explain everything as well as he could, not wanting to leave room for any simple questions that could otherwise have been answered by what he already said. She offered her own words about kingdom protection once Aten was done, words that the stallion agreed wholeheartedly with if his speech didn't make that clear enough.
Briefly, he thought he saw something other than seriousness flash across her face before she continues on, saying that, for the time being, what he had to offer as a ruler was enough, with only one stipulation to seal the deal between them before any other future kinks had to be worked out. Aten did not see a fault in accepting her part of the bargain.
Heartfire was kind enough to let Aten absorb what she said before explaining it in further detail, which he took to heart and went over in his mind to figure out how this could work out in the future. Once Heartfire was done, the golden king nodded and spoke again.
"I have never wanted to pull Taiga away from Nerine in any sorts, considering it seems to have been a territory under Nerine for some time. Being such a quiet place before, I can see why some others might have thought otherwise. However, I find no reason to say I disagree with what you are proposing as well.
"For the time being, until I can train or find a horse who I believe can do good sitting upon a council seat here in Nerine, I will take on that responsibility myself. When it comes to information as well, whatever one side receives first, the other will benefit in a manner. One thing Taiga can offer it it's growth is protection as well; should citizens of Nerine be down here to visit or explore, and trouble brews, Taiga will serve as a defense to allow Nerine time to prepare for whatever may be coming. I will do my part to not only lead, and hopefully be a worthy ruler in the eyes of a veteran like you, but also to help guide Taiga to protect our sister kingdoms from danger as the first line of defense."
@[Heartfire]
I know that things are going through a change, but I figure since this was started a while back, we could say that Aten and Heartfire agreed to what has been discussed, and he will later inform Wolfbane and Lepis so they know Nerine is an ally.
