I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness,
nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory
Hyaline had welcomed him home with open arms. Coming back to the mountains he had declared his home as a child had been like falling into a familiar dream; the land was the same, even with different faces, and it was an easy land to love. It experienced the best of every season and the colors of the seasons were magnificent. Even its new Queen had welcomed him with a soft smile and a kind word, but his presence had been all Ryan had been able to give back to Hyaline.
Unlike the first time, he had not left discontent and mental wanderings drive him to leave Hyaline entirely, but neither has he been able to truly engage with its people like a useful citizen should. In his horse form he lurks, mostly, taking on different coat colors with alarming frequency, hiding in plain sight amongst them. He is comfortable enough with Hyaline to appear non-suspicious, but not familiar enough to them with his ever-changing face to prompt them to approach him. In his panther form, he prowls; he is protective and territorial in that form (he can’t help it) and he oftens marks their borders, the scent of grown male cougar enough to warn off many other natural predators and even some passers-by.
But he can’t detach himself from her. He is drawn to the dunskin mare with the bear living inside her skin like fish to water, or flying insects to tempting lights. She is the one who has seen and recognizes his many faces, the one who can see the man inside the cougar. Keeper is his tie to Hyaline as much as the land itself, and he has watched her flourish here with real pleasure despite his own lackadaisical approach to actually doing Kingdom business.
They are on the very cusp of spring, teetering on the final edge of winter before they fall headlong into the growing season. There are buds on the tree branches and early spring flowers poking up despite there still being patches of snow on the ground. He lopes along easily, tawny feline muscles bunching and releasing as he moves towards her den; winter is still shadowing their every move enough that he might find her there, fighting the instincts of the bear. If he arrives and she has already moved on, it will be simply enough to track her from there.
Ryan
( I love only that which they defend. )
@[keeper]/@[Kristin]