good at goodbyes
Tephra and Ischia. Both posed seemingly unanswerable questions. Standing once again upon the shore of her beloved island, the place of her birth, she studied the glistening surface of the ocean as it move restlessly. Retaining no memory of her journey across it she shifted where she stood. Behind her there was a familiar buzz of the island as it wrapped her within its familiarity. Carried upon a blissfully chilled breeze a question begged to be answered, who was Mosrael and who was it that she wished to become?
Turning away from the beckoning of the sea, she fixed her eyes upon the sprawling flora that made up the majority of Ischia. Unaffected by the changing of the season, the tropical climate continued to blossom. Stepping forward her hooves sank into the sun baked sand and she exhaled. It was hard for her to feel as if she belonged there. She was marked, the scent of her father's most recent rival heavy upon her. The evidence of her union with him played carelessly within the waves. Hers was a betrayal the reached beyond the abandonment of her values.
Glancing to her left, she eyed her youngest child, the one who had chosen to follow her back to Ischia's shores. The frosted filly splashed in the frothy shallows as she chased after obnoxious sea birds. Her vibrancy and excitement for life had faded as she'd aged. Mosrael found peace in the observation of her antics.
"Kove," she beckoned. "Come along."
There was much to be done. Trusting that the lavender tufted filly would continue to follow, Mosrael turned her back to the beach. Pushing her inhabitions aside she strode forward. Well trained hooves found her desired path effortlessly. An unexplained pull beckoned her deep into the fold of the forest. The question begged to be answered - her choice to be made known to all.
...Mosrael...
The purple freckled mare halted, her ears swiveling in all directions as the whispered tone set her teeth instantly on edge. Positioned protectively in front of her daughter she squinted her eyes, training them to spot anything out of the ordinary. From the darkness of the under rush a deep, red tinted fog reached out to gather around her hooves.
...Mosrael...
The hissed whisper rode upon the wave of red as fear tightened its burning grip upon her heart.
You don't belong here, the voice taunted hatefully. Traitor, slut, oathbreaker.
Heart pounding in her ears her mind easily accepting the truths presented to her. Unbidden she remembered that fateful day upon the beach. She had been so confident and unafraid to reach out and grab that which she had wanted. Klaudius had been all too willing to scratch an itch she couldn't reach. Weakened by his offering, she found that the state refused to release it's hold upon her. But he had asked her to leave, believing Tephra to be no longer safe. His choices pushing her farther away.
He never loved you, The fog continued as it reached higher, brushing along the curve of her neck. Ambition and lust drove him to you. You, the forbidden fruit plucked too easily from its vine.
Klaudius changed from one moment to the next. Upon the beach he had made love to her, made her feel like she was the only one that mattered, only for her to later find him wrapped in the embrace of another. Time and again he chased his own recklessness leaving her to decipher the meaning of the fragments reserved for her. Just as she believing that there could be a future for them he had dissolved into oblivion, the consequences of his actions finally catching up with him. Like a figment of her imagination, he almost ceased to exist. And he hadn't, at least not in the way she had longed for him to be. Picking up the pieces of her heart that he had discarded, she had been presented with two options. One rose above the other, glorified in its simplicity.
The sky above her darkened, the red glow taking hold of her muzzle in its attempt to choke her. Stumbling backwards she coughed and sputtered, her heart somersaulting in her chest. The slithering voice crackled coldly.
You don't belong here, oathbreaker. It snapped and twisted the thoughts in her head. Did you really think you would be forgiven so easily? That you could run straight into daddy's arms and be welcomed back? You betrayed him - chose the false affection of your king's enemy. Not only have you betrayed the Brotherhood, you've betrayed your family.
He's right. She knew that she could not stay. Her place among the Krakens had been tainted and stripped away the moment her heart chose Klaudius. It was undeniable that she still longed for him, even after he had so swiftly pushed her out of his life. Her loyalty had been compromised and she couldn't even trust herself, so how could she expect her brother to do so? Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, blurring her vision and making it hard for her to see.
...Worthless, pathetic, weak...
Mama?
The sweet croon of Kove's soft voice broke through Mosrael's agony. Behind her, the sweet face of her youngest searched her own, meek concern etched upon her features. Blinking away her tears she warily eyed her surroundings. No sign of the fog remained except for the heaviness that pressed upon her and the trembling of her body, an aftershock of her insecurities. With new resolve she turned around. Whether she was welcomed there or not, she owed it to her child to try. Kove deserved the protection that only Brennen could provide, a victim of unchangeable circumstances. Affectionately she nuzzled the soft fluff of her child's maturing coat, she offered a wavering smile. Inhaling sharply past the lump in her throat she turned towards the path. With renewed clarity she knew that her father would be awaiting her. Making a study of every fallen stick and pebble in her path she wove deeper into the jungle.
All at once sunlight beamed down upon her from above as she and Kove reached their desired destination. Mosrael paused, lifting her gaze to meet that of her father's rich honey. Behind him three others stood in wait, Belgaer among them. The force of their curiosity was upon her as Kove drew up beside her, her lavender mane a clear representation of her parentage. Tentatively, Mosrael peeled herself away from her child her eyes finding her king's once more.
"Brothers," she began, her voice strong despite her hesitations. "I come before you now to confess that my loyalties have been misplaced as of late. I lost sight of what matters most. I have given myself willingly to a named traitor of our values - of our island. I do not deserve your forgiveness, but I have come here ready and willing to swear myself forever to the brotherhood."
She knew the words well, having studied them tirelessly with the aid of her brother. Together they had imagined the day where they would submit themselves to their father's dream. Now a reality she felt the heaviness that came with giving her life to the Krakens.
"I, Mosrael, pledge my loyalty to the Krakens of Ischia. As a part of this brotherhood, I will be loyal to my brothers above all else. My secondary loyalty will be to my family," she paused to glance at both her father and brother. "Of blood or choice. Thirdly, my loyalties will be reserved for those named as a friend of Ischia. Outside of the island's boarders I will present myself with honor and politeness, ever aware of the knowledge I carry. I will not tolerate such evils as rape and murder and hereby swear to punish those of us who betray our values. Should I encounter a wayward brother whose oath remains unbroken, I will escort them home to await punishment within our own boarders."
She could not explain the voice or fog she had encountered, but she found that it did not matter. She was home.
