i feel
a bad moon rising
a bad moon rising
The chill of autumn nights grows strong as the pair of them move north. They are more exposed to the elements here in the highlands, though the rock formations that erupt from the earth shield them from much of the wind. The progressively taller stones block the sun as well, coloring the path ahead of them patchwork of unobscured orange-reds and cool purple-blue shadows. Lepis passes a patch of late-blooming bluebells, pulling her gaze from them when Oceane begins to speak.
The dun mare smiles again. This smile not so joyful as the one she wore to greet Oceane. Rather, it is almost wry, and it fades to nothing at the mention of Alcinder. More pressing matters, Oceane mentions, but Lepis stops, her long tail tangling with the bluebells. “Aquaria stayed with him much of your absence," Lepis tells her. "She only recently left, and I’m sure Alcinder is missing her two boys." Lepis had never gotten to know the two of them, though she knows their names from hearing their play. At first, she’d thought the older one was one of Castile’s grandchildren. There was something of her uncle in the boy, and the stripes were reminiscent of the now-absent Sochi. She knows now the boy is Aquaria’s, and even that had merited some scrutiny. She’s spoken to Aquaria of Pteron once before, but Lepis is certain Halcyon had been conceived prior to that talk. Lepis doubts Aquaria is that skilled of a liar, and while she is hesitant to make assumptions, she decides it is more likely the boy’s father is some unknown Ischian. "He’s missed you in your absence, but never worry that he’s been alone."
Oceane has resumed walking, and Lepis takes longer steps to match those of her companion. She’d had to already, for the opalescent mare is taller and long-legged. As they walk, she adds: "I did tell Castile not to risk angering them." She’d commanded him, actually. And he’d ignored it. "They still have another Loessian. Rebelle." A younger pink mare, Lepis had only ever seen her from a distance. There are too many things that can go poorly for a young mare in captivity, and Lepis swallows the bile that raises in her throat. There is nothing she can do about that at this moment. She swallows it down.
Leilan’s name catches her attention as they resume their walk, Lepis nodding in agreement. She, too, has heard this news, and she, too, believes there might be a way to remediate relations with the northern island. "Nerine, well, at least one of the residents, seemed surprised we’d offer to help when I went to see for myself about the safety of the island residents." The dun mare says idly. It’s like the bone mare had equated the desire to geographically expand with being heartless. Lepis envies the rest of the world the comfort of their small minds on occasion. They surely must be easier to keep neat. "Dracarys wishes to go as well. She saw the burning, and others did as well. I will not be surprised if Loess is considered responsible, or at the very least, complicit."
Lepis is his family, after all, and Castile is still flying about unpunished, free of any consequences for his actions in burning down an entire territory. He’s likely to remain so, as long as he remains within the confines of Loess. Lepis’ quickly growing ability appears to have a geographic limit. The peace is limited to lands she rules, which Lepis is quite sure is Straia’s way of giving her blessing. There will be peace everywhere where she rules. She needs to rule everywhere. It’s only logical.
Yet that logical conclusion has had barriers, one of which is carrying the heavy weight of a kingdom alone on her shoulders.
There is not a day goes by she is not in the Field. She’s not seen Elio in weeks, not since she sent him off to find Brennen. She’s not seen some of her children in years. Well, Pteron has come by now and then to visit, though getting him to stop long enough to talk was sometimes a challenge in itself. He is so determined to find that Aegean fellow. Lepis reminds herself to look into him. She has not heard anything of Wolfbane since she’d faced him wearing their dead son’s body. Celina has recently started coming around again, leaving Lepis cautiously optimistic for a mend to the rent in their relationship. She has been to the Pampas, Nerine, and has plans to leave early the next morning for Tephra with Lomasi.
There is quite a bit to bear, and she is nodding agreeably long before Oceane finishes speaking. It is as though no time at all has passed since they last talked, walking shoulder to shoulder through Loess.
"You deserve to lead. You will make an excellent ruler." She tells the other mare, and though she smiles there is enough sobriety for the compliment she means. "But death is the only thing that will wrest Loess from me this time." She had let power go the first time for adolescent foolishness. The second time had been for the thrill of love, and the third for the safety of her family. She’d forsaken it in Taiga in a moment of weakness, and has been blessed by the Fae – perhaps by Straia herself – in taking Loess yet again. She had said as much to Oceane as well, the truncated story of her life spilling out as they wind farther into the smooth-sided canyons. Lepis has touched on a few of the smaller, lighter things, but never like this. There is no emotion in this tale – simply a recounting of facts as they occurred.
"Now a cursed creature is roaming Beqanna in any of a thousand shapes. I mean to kill it, and to use Loess as a means of doing so." Killing it will pass the curse to her, Lepis knows, and she has shared that with Oceane as well. "Once I’ve done so, Loess will need a new queen. You should be the one lead us into those better times."
@[Oceane]
The dun mare smiles again. This smile not so joyful as the one she wore to greet Oceane. Rather, it is almost wry, and it fades to nothing at the mention of Alcinder. More pressing matters, Oceane mentions, but Lepis stops, her long tail tangling with the bluebells. “Aquaria stayed with him much of your absence," Lepis tells her. "She only recently left, and I’m sure Alcinder is missing her two boys." Lepis had never gotten to know the two of them, though she knows their names from hearing their play. At first, she’d thought the older one was one of Castile’s grandchildren. There was something of her uncle in the boy, and the stripes were reminiscent of the now-absent Sochi. She knows now the boy is Aquaria’s, and even that had merited some scrutiny. She’s spoken to Aquaria of Pteron once before, but Lepis is certain Halcyon had been conceived prior to that talk. Lepis doubts Aquaria is that skilled of a liar, and while she is hesitant to make assumptions, she decides it is more likely the boy’s father is some unknown Ischian. "He’s missed you in your absence, but never worry that he’s been alone."
Oceane has resumed walking, and Lepis takes longer steps to match those of her companion. She’d had to already, for the opalescent mare is taller and long-legged. As they walk, she adds: "I did tell Castile not to risk angering them." She’d commanded him, actually. And he’d ignored it. "They still have another Loessian. Rebelle." A younger pink mare, Lepis had only ever seen her from a distance. There are too many things that can go poorly for a young mare in captivity, and Lepis swallows the bile that raises in her throat. There is nothing she can do about that at this moment. She swallows it down.
Leilan’s name catches her attention as they resume their walk, Lepis nodding in agreement. She, too, has heard this news, and she, too, believes there might be a way to remediate relations with the northern island. "Nerine, well, at least one of the residents, seemed surprised we’d offer to help when I went to see for myself about the safety of the island residents." The dun mare says idly. It’s like the bone mare had equated the desire to geographically expand with being heartless. Lepis envies the rest of the world the comfort of their small minds on occasion. They surely must be easier to keep neat. "Dracarys wishes to go as well. She saw the burning, and others did as well. I will not be surprised if Loess is considered responsible, or at the very least, complicit."
Lepis is his family, after all, and Castile is still flying about unpunished, free of any consequences for his actions in burning down an entire territory. He’s likely to remain so, as long as he remains within the confines of Loess. Lepis’ quickly growing ability appears to have a geographic limit. The peace is limited to lands she rules, which Lepis is quite sure is Straia’s way of giving her blessing. There will be peace everywhere where she rules. She needs to rule everywhere. It’s only logical.
Yet that logical conclusion has had barriers, one of which is carrying the heavy weight of a kingdom alone on her shoulders.
There is not a day goes by she is not in the Field. She’s not seen Elio in weeks, not since she sent him off to find Brennen. She’s not seen some of her children in years. Well, Pteron has come by now and then to visit, though getting him to stop long enough to talk was sometimes a challenge in itself. He is so determined to find that Aegean fellow. Lepis reminds herself to look into him. She has not heard anything of Wolfbane since she’d faced him wearing their dead son’s body. Celina has recently started coming around again, leaving Lepis cautiously optimistic for a mend to the rent in their relationship. She has been to the Pampas, Nerine, and has plans to leave early the next morning for Tephra with Lomasi.
There is quite a bit to bear, and she is nodding agreeably long before Oceane finishes speaking. It is as though no time at all has passed since they last talked, walking shoulder to shoulder through Loess.
"You deserve to lead. You will make an excellent ruler." She tells the other mare, and though she smiles there is enough sobriety for the compliment she means. "But death is the only thing that will wrest Loess from me this time." She had let power go the first time for adolescent foolishness. The second time had been for the thrill of love, and the third for the safety of her family. She’d forsaken it in Taiga in a moment of weakness, and has been blessed by the Fae – perhaps by Straia herself – in taking Loess yet again. She had said as much to Oceane as well, the truncated story of her life spilling out as they wind farther into the smooth-sided canyons. Lepis has touched on a few of the smaller, lighter things, but never like this. There is no emotion in this tale – simply a recounting of facts as they occurred.
"Now a cursed creature is roaming Beqanna in any of a thousand shapes. I mean to kill it, and to use Loess as a means of doing so." Killing it will pass the curse to her, Lepis knows, and she has shared that with Oceane as well. "Once I’ve done so, Loess will need a new queen. You should be the one lead us into those better times."
@[Oceane]
