11-22-2015, 07:51 PM
And what's the worst you take from every heart you break? And like
the blade you stain, well, I've been holding on tonight.
The stallion before him seemed pensive and Michaelis briefly wondered if he was interrupting the other’s self-imposed solitude. But the bay introduces himself with no inflection of irritation or inattention to his voice as he exited the cool waters and the shadow child relaxes. But it seems that people always arrive in droves – all it takes was one to start the race. A mare slides alongside him with a soft noise to signal her arrival, but he had heard her footsteps about a hundred yards away.
The tendrils bunch tighter together as they shrink away from her and the shadow child offers up a nod of acknowledgement to her soft greeting. Of course, she immediately asks about his intentions but he supposed that all the kingdoms were always rather picky about who wandered in and out through their claimed territories.
“Simple curiosity and a sense of sentimentality, I suppose.”
A rambunctious child rushes past both of them and proceeds to throw herself at the bay stallion – all the while shrieking the name ‘Mama.’ Michaelis tries to smother a chuckle at the put-upon look that flashes across the other stallion’s face. But he could tell that Texas secretly held great affection for the child in the way he gently grooms the girl’s mane and half-heartedly chastises her.
“I’m honored to meet you the most, Sparrow.”
He flashes her a gentle and warm smile.
The shadow child has always enjoyed children – which most would not think of him. But he has raised several of his own along with a few picked up along the way. He briefly thinks of Baptiste, Luzja, Wayra, and Nebibi before returning his wandering thoughts back to the trio of strangers before him.
One could possibly say that the whole of the kingdom has gathered to greet him.
He glances at Texas briefly before following his gesture towards the waterfall behind him. There was a whole kingdom that’s been built around this particular natural formation for centuries. Each resident deeply identified with the roaring waters and Michaelis had always wondered how it could inspire such devotion and loyalty.
Loyalty and devotion to people made sense in his mind.
Giving himself completely to a piece of land was always something he could never quite wrap his mind around.
“My father often spoke of the natural beauty of this land. He really loved it here.”
( The Shadow Child )