11-29-2017, 08:20 PM
like the sun swallowed up by the earth
For some reason, being with Ellyse brings him an unexpected feeling of comfort; the anxiousness has left the once taut muscles of his shoulders and haunches, relaxing as her presence engulfs him, as the air fills with her familiar scent and the sound of the billowing feathers of her great wings brushing against the cobalt of his own. It also helps that she is happy to see him (part of him worried about the length of his absence, and what had gone on during it, and what the reaction would be when he returned), for he doesn’t think he would be able to bear it if the pale golden woman ever turned him away. Her smile elicits one of his own, spreading warmly on his mouth until the expression alights in the cerulean blue of his eyes, which dance with the reflection of crinkling seawater and sparkling stars overhead.
‘Much has changed,’
She repeats it, with a certain tone that causes his smile to slowly fade.
He cannot hide the expression of solemnity that finds the auburn angles of his face, moonlit shadows pooling into the crevices of his jawline and cheek, a bit of a frown finding the corners of his navy lips as he pointedly listens to Ellyse’s voice as she brings him up to date.
Hyaline, an ally. A good change, and not surprising. The bond that the blue-winged stallion shared with the golden dragon king was not a secret, and he is not shocked to have found that their friendship would now cross over into diplomatic ties.
Sylva. An ear flips towards Ellyse in interest, a flick of his navy tail against his haunch as the word enemy leaves her lips. Not a good change. Taiga, gone. Ischia, Loess, and Nerine - silent. The stallion snorts sharply, blue-tipped ears flipping backwards into the darkness of his mane, the ever-growing frustration easily seen in the way the muscles in his jaw jump as his teeth grind, as well as evidence of a building terseness in his stance that is slowly easing its way back into his body.
She mentions Sylva again - a captive, and the name has a face and it is prominent as it reaches his ears - (“Karaugh?” he had breathed in a hushed whisper at the sound of her name, though he does not interrupt Ellyse or implore her to explain further just yet) - and then Gryffen; an unfamiliar name that comes with the familiar taste of acid as it rises in his throat. It’s an innate response, the dread burrowing into the pit of his stomach and the bile boiling rancidly in agitation - Warrick is of peace and gentle-natured, but the idea of Gryffen and his Sylvan residents (and his thought of the white-winged mare fallen on the beach, with a broken body and a broken mind) causes anger to flash beneath his eyes. A rare sight, but the blue-bay stallion is bristling beneath the moonlight, his wings flexing with agitation at his sides.
But after a pause Ellyse continues, pressing forward (always forward) into other matters. Offspring has stepped away from his role as Overseer and Ellyse now plays the part. This part of her explanation causes the anger to wane momentarily, turning his neck towards her to glance at her from beneath the thickness of his forelock, brows rising curiously. He remembers being humbled in front of Ellyse at their first meeting; he was merely a resident and she, the head of war. And for the longest part of their friendship they were the diplomatic heads of Tephra, and now she stands above him once more, but the intimidation does not find him like it did so long ago - instead, he realizes his respect (and love) for her has suddenly deepened - she carried Tephra because she had to, because much like he would have done, she would not let it fall.
He opens his mouth to speak, to further delve into the matters that have arisen within his absence (where is Solace?), about what they are to do and how does Kolera’s mother find her way back to Tephra after so many years, about whether Offspring still lumbers at the edge of the volcano or if he and Tantalize were gone, or even to tease her about her ‘coronation’, but the solemnity in her voice and the way her hazel eye falls to him almost helplessly, the stallion falls silent.
As if to encourage her, he tenderly presses his lips against her cheek, nostrils huffing softly against the gentle gold of her skin.
“ - but you have always held Tephra in your heart, Warrick. I know that Offspring wanted it to be you. Tell me you would consider being the Overseer that Tephra deserves.”
The statement brings his muzzle from her cheek, nearly to his chest, as his brilliant blue gaze stares into her, a mixture of surprise and contemplation finding the shadowed edges of his face. The wind stirs as he is stunned into silence, his mane and forelock twisting haphazardly in the sea’s wind that hauntingly howls through the empty shoreline.
“Since I first arrived here, I have always said I will be whatever Tephra needs me to be.” He pauses, thoughts flickering through his mind at an unreasonable pace, so quick that he could not even understand the words as they flow out of his mouth. Offspring had mentioned the title to him before, so he is not so surprised that he is completely shocked, but he understands how accepting this role, especially now, would not be an easy feat and nor would it be a lofty title - but his heart flares with protectiveness of his homeland, and his spirit is not dwindled by the enormity of the task she offers him. “I don’t break my promises, and I certainly don’t plan on starting now. If Tephra needs an Overseer, and both you and Offspring find me fit to do so, I cannot find a reason within me to say no. I do, however, ask a favor from you.”
Warrick steps forward so that he embraces her chest to chest, curving his neck around her own in a solemn and sincere embrace. “I will lead and guide Tephra until my dying breath or until the stars fall from the heavens - I need to know that you will always be there to lead and guide me. ”
Warrick
@[Ellyse]