"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
08-28-2019, 04:55 PM (This post was last modified: 08-28-2019, 05:19 PM by Eva.)
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
The world had been a little simpler when she was a young nereid. It was only her the ocean that surrounds Beqanna. She had never imagined she could walk on the dryland, nor did she ever think she would take up residency in one of them too. At least not until she had met Adria—everything changed then.
She had never thought herself to be ambitious when it came to the politics of the dryland. It all had been very confusing for the young nereid before. Much of what happened on the dryland itself she had no idea was ever truly happening when she lived in Beqanna’s ocean waters. Perhaps the plague had been the very first thing she ever knew to be disastrous.
Many things have changed since then. Eva blossomed into a beautiful mare and from there she found herself becoming a mother. Now there was another one along the way (a filly she hopes). It seemed with becoming a mother, the idea of protecting and raising them, made her reach out to become something more than a simple resident. She wanted the best for her children and keeping their home safe.
Her task was simple for any diplomatic who was skillful; however, despite her little knowledge and skill, Eva was not fearful for handling it. She followed along the ocean current that took her to the most northern part of Beqanna. It felt wonderful to be out in the open waters again—it was something she missed most and already set her in high spirits as she arrived at the shoreline of Nerine.
She had learned a little bit about Nerine’s history before she came here. Eva thought it would be useful to have some idea how the kingdom had come to be. It reminded her about Ischia and the current system they lived in now. She found that she likely would not have a problem relating to the residents of Nerine (but perhaps she was being a little too optimistic).
Eva scans across the horizon of the Nerine that stretches beyond the shoreline. She slowly makes her way inland to better access the kingdom. It was a beautiful place. The purple mare admired the granite cliffs that stretched along the shoreline. Eva continued to look across the kingdom’s terrain as she made her way casually up a small slope that lead down to the shore from the clifftops.
When she reached the top, Eva came to a halt after taking several steps from the hill. Her orange-gold eyes gleamed with curiosity glancing from one place to the next. A warm, soft smile gently touched her purple stained lips. It was obvious she admired the very land of Nerine as she waited for someone to approach her.
There is a simplicity in the ocean, for all that it can be so wild and unpredictable. Perhaps that is why Heartfire so often finds herself at the clifftops, staring across the crashing waves. Of course, it’s true that it also provides an unmatched view of many of Beqanna’s shores. For a woman who relies so heavily on sight, that is perhaps even more invaluable than the stunningly picturesque landscape it makes.
It is here that Heartfire can be found on this particular day, so it should come as no surprise that she quickly becomes aware of the woman approach the rocky shores of her kingdom by way of the unsteady currents of the ocean. It’s easy enough to understand what had inspired her to chose this route of approach, and so Heartfire feels no particular need to immediately intercept. With diplomats of all stripes flocking to her shores these last weeks, it’s hardly surprising that another has come.
It is always the way when possible upheaval hangs so thickly in the air like a weighty, portentous cloak.
Heartfire had not had a moment to visit the Ischian island as yet, so she is glad enough to see a representative of theirs coming to see her. Of course, given her alliance with Tephra, she does not expect this particular meeting to be overly fraught or newsworthy. But it’s doubtless necessary nonetheless.
Only when the brightly colored mare tops the cliffedge does Heartfire finally turn to intercept her. Her approach is unhurried, but prompt enough to inspire no sense of questioning. Her blue eyes are bright and diamond hard as they land curiously on Eva, though her demeanor is pleasant enough, if rather unfathomable. She settles a comfortable distance from the violet woman before offering a greeting, of sorts. “Eva of Ischia, is it not?”
breaking like the waves down on the coastline breaking like the wine-stained glass that held my drink
Eva certainly notices that she is not left unattended for long. She catches the motion of a moving body in the corner of her eye as she still admired the land of Nerine. A gentle smile remains on her lips as she turns to gaze upon the approaching blue roan sabino mare.
There was no hurry in the other mare’s steps. However, Eva is thankfully for the casual approach as she studies the new face. It becomes clear to her that this is likely Heartfire. A classification of who the mare was could be mistaken easily, but she quickly grasps onto the conclusion this is the leader of Nerine.
She finds herself quickly meeting the gaze of Heartfire. Eva considered her bright blue eyes to be pretty as the ocean. The nereid’s gentle smile lifts into a wider expression as the blue roan settles in front of her. Curiously, both of her purple tinted ears flicker forward at the greeting.
“Yes, I am Eva,” her voice is soft and sweet, almost comparable to the song of a siren. A flash of curiosity appears in her eye as to how the mare might know who she is. Eva has always tended to keep to herself, but it seemed perhaps not all her secret doings were a secret. Adria, her adopted mother, might have mentioned her occasionally to others. She knew the nereid visited several other places before. “You must be @[Heartfire] then.” Eva tilts her head to the right slightly.
“It seems I was expected,” she continues carrying the conversation forward. “Although I am sure you have plenty of diplomatic visiting you before the winter season settles.” It only seemed ideal before the oceans became more rapid and the mainland began to fill with snow. Eva has never seen snow before, but she has heard about it from Adria.
Eva shifts her weight easily onto her right hind leg. Her sunset ombre tail flicks gently against her legs as she settles into a more comfortable position. “How does Nerine fare?” It was a simple question. Perhaps one Heartfire has heard before. However, it was a quick and modest question to ask as a new diplomat. Perhaps if she ever grew a deeper relation with the blue roan mare then her question would be different.
09-05-2019, 04:33 PM (This post was last modified: 09-05-2019, 05:05 PM by Heartfire.)
She's got the devil's eyes
Heartfire is well aware she had begun to develop some modest level of notoriety. Of course, monarchs rarely have the privilege of anonymity. Perhaps some seem to lead a quiet, unnotable rule, but many more garner attention whether they wish it or not. Heartfire had always been comfortable with being overlooked. It had made her inclination for information gathering much easier. She is finding however, that, despite its drawbacks, being recognizable does come with its perks. Even ones so simple as rarely having to introduce oneself anymore.
At first glance, she likely does not look as a queen ought to look. Her demeanor is neither regal nor overpowering, her features neither beautiful nor striking. No, she rather falls somewhere between. As though she could be anyone, fade into the back of any crowd, as anonymous as the rest. It isn’t until one finds her gaze that they might realize there is more that lies beneath the surface. A strength and hunger that is nearly undeniable ones it’s noticed, locked so carefully behind the sharp calm of stunningly blue eyes.
A vibrant flame, cold and consuming, boldly defying the blandness of her exterior.
Eva’s reply is everything she had expected it to be when she’d greeted her. Light and friendly, unassuming, words phrased so neatly. The elegant poise and discourse of someone actually gifted in the diplomatic arts. Entirely the opposite of what Heartfire has to offer in return. While it’s true she does rather have a gift with words, the inclination lies much more in the precise and pointed application of them rather than the warm and comforting grace Eva could no doubt offer.
“Mmmmm,” is her reply to Eva’s acknowledgement of who she must be. She says nothing more as she continues, offering blithe commentary on the anticipation of her visit and the influence of the season. After a moment, with the affectation of an almost shrug in her voice, she responds simply, “I’ve found snow rarely seems to impede those whose business is either urgent or nefarious.”
The words equally imply that her business must be neither if she seeks to avoid the snow. A fact Heartfire rather appreciates, given how many gears had seemed to begin turning lately.
After a moment’s silence, she continues, offering a rather broad response to Eva’s question. “Well enough.” Her words are mild, and vaguely friendly despite the lack of inflection. “I suppose you had heard Tephra and Nerine will be continuing as allies?”
