She had been so small, spindle-legged and petite. Lilli can remember her mother’s embrace after another long night of Aletta being absent and talking with her stars. She can remember the silver mare murmuring words into her dainty ears, telling her how beloved she was, how precious and cherished she was. It became a ritual between mother and daughter. Aletta would be gone most nights, leaving a cool space next to the place she should have been sleeping. Lilli would curl her little body against Brielle or Jay, seeking the comfort of their warmth and the solidity and presence of their bodies. But as the sun would start to rise and light the sky, as the night would rescind its black hold, Aletta would come and wrap herself around her little girl, whispering those sweet words in her ears as Lilli would intertwine herself up in her silver mother.
She sometimes still hears those gentle words and can recall Aletta’s soft voice coming loving and warm in the early hours of dawn. My little grace, she would murmur. My saving grace, she would tell her blue-eyed girl. And Lilli knew that there was nothing she wanted more in the world than to make her mother happy, to have her say those words. She would snuggle closer, content with warmth and happiness thinking that there was no one greater in the world than her mother.
All these years later, Lilli still thinks that. Her mother had forsaken one home and had intended to see the world. Instead, she had met a blue-eyed stranger, a Guardian who had smiled at her beneath a winter sky and changed everything the silver mare had ever wanted. Out of that bond came Lilli and her siblings, five children who had been nurtured and loved and cherished. Lilli had found herself wanting to be the balm and trying to be the glue that held them together even when everything around them fell apart. Lilli tried and tried, pouring her heart into doing what she could to make her mother and the rest of her family happy. At the time, it was all she had ever wanted.
But the world can be a cruel and harsh place. As much as Lilli tried to keep her family together in the face of adversity, changes beyond her control broke them apart. And as Lilli has gotten older, she has learned that is the natural way of the world. She might have offered some comfort for a time but eventually, things would change as they inevitably do. Malachi, her eldest brother who held on to the promise he made their father, came to accept that at some point, his mother and sisters would become beyond his protection. Their mother always had a mind of her own and it had been only fitting that the decisions she made came on her terms, refusing to bend to the will of anyone else (including her children).
Even with the changing times and this new, strange place, it is stranger still for Lilli not to belong somewhere. It is strange to not have a family surrounding her, nieces and nephews clamoring for a game or story, her brother and his mate nearby, to know that her mother is no longer with a days’ traveling distance. Any advice, anything she might need, anything she might do for them is now completely beyond her reach.
The chestnut takes an immediate liking to Brazen. Perhaps it's due to her already open nature, the way she greets Lilli as if she more than a passing acquaintance. Brazen comes into her life just when she needs her and this bright light she brings, beaming and radiant in her kindness to the young mare who still feels so lost in this strange place that holds so much mystery and magic. Something Brazen’s laughter eases Lilli and the mare feels her smile broaden, those blue eyes becoming warmer with each lilting tone that comes from the roan filly.
She speaks her thoughts about the Dale out loud and as Brazen’s pleasant smile fades, Lilli feels her heart drop. She wonders if she has said something wrong if mentioning the Dale is something that shouldn’t be spoken of. Her expression mirrors her new companions and then her gaze follows, almost eagerly, to the trees (as if there might be secrets hidden there) where Brazen glances. The next words that come out are both a relief and yet disappointing. Hope had built up in her chest for just a minute, rising enough to make its fall felt. The stories she has been told are so old and ancient that it seems foolish to her now to think that anything would be left of the Neutral Mythic kingdom. Just when Lilli thinks the whole idea a futile and silly idea, Brazen offers another idea.
The brightness comes back to Lilli’s face, illuminates her blue eyes that look to Brazen’s own and she grins. ”Really?” The words come hurriedly (and a little breathless with excitement), ”If you think she wouldn’t mind, I would love to hear what she knows.” Just when her hopes have almost been dashed against the rocks, here comes Brazen with another course to take. There is a bold, almost brash manner to the fellow chestnut that puts Lilli in mind of Elaina. There are some similarities there, enough for Lilli to admire them and to make a comparison between the two. Her grin is reckless, impish even as she replies. ”Please,” says Lilli as she dips her head in playful anticipation, ”lead the way.” Even if this is a mistake (though how could it be with company such as Brazen?), Lilli had a feeling that it would be anything but boring.
@[Brazen]
She sometimes still hears those gentle words and can recall Aletta’s soft voice coming loving and warm in the early hours of dawn. My little grace, she would murmur. My saving grace, she would tell her blue-eyed girl. And Lilli knew that there was nothing she wanted more in the world than to make her mother happy, to have her say those words. She would snuggle closer, content with warmth and happiness thinking that there was no one greater in the world than her mother.
All these years later, Lilli still thinks that. Her mother had forsaken one home and had intended to see the world. Instead, she had met a blue-eyed stranger, a Guardian who had smiled at her beneath a winter sky and changed everything the silver mare had ever wanted. Out of that bond came Lilli and her siblings, five children who had been nurtured and loved and cherished. Lilli had found herself wanting to be the balm and trying to be the glue that held them together even when everything around them fell apart. Lilli tried and tried, pouring her heart into doing what she could to make her mother and the rest of her family happy. At the time, it was all she had ever wanted.
But the world can be a cruel and harsh place. As much as Lilli tried to keep her family together in the face of adversity, changes beyond her control broke them apart. And as Lilli has gotten older, she has learned that is the natural way of the world. She might have offered some comfort for a time but eventually, things would change as they inevitably do. Malachi, her eldest brother who held on to the promise he made their father, came to accept that at some point, his mother and sisters would become beyond his protection. Their mother always had a mind of her own and it had been only fitting that the decisions she made came on her terms, refusing to bend to the will of anyone else (including her children).
Even with the changing times and this new, strange place, it is stranger still for Lilli not to belong somewhere. It is strange to not have a family surrounding her, nieces and nephews clamoring for a game or story, her brother and his mate nearby, to know that her mother is no longer with a days’ traveling distance. Any advice, anything she might need, anything she might do for them is now completely beyond her reach.
The chestnut takes an immediate liking to Brazen. Perhaps it's due to her already open nature, the way she greets Lilli as if she more than a passing acquaintance. Brazen comes into her life just when she needs her and this bright light she brings, beaming and radiant in her kindness to the young mare who still feels so lost in this strange place that holds so much mystery and magic. Something Brazen’s laughter eases Lilli and the mare feels her smile broaden, those blue eyes becoming warmer with each lilting tone that comes from the roan filly.
She speaks her thoughts about the Dale out loud and as Brazen’s pleasant smile fades, Lilli feels her heart drop. She wonders if she has said something wrong if mentioning the Dale is something that shouldn’t be spoken of. Her expression mirrors her new companions and then her gaze follows, almost eagerly, to the trees (as if there might be secrets hidden there) where Brazen glances. The next words that come out are both a relief and yet disappointing. Hope had built up in her chest for just a minute, rising enough to make its fall felt. The stories she has been told are so old and ancient that it seems foolish to her now to think that anything would be left of the Neutral Mythic kingdom. Just when Lilli thinks the whole idea a futile and silly idea, Brazen offers another idea.
The brightness comes back to Lilli’s face, illuminates her blue eyes that look to Brazen’s own and she grins. ”Really?” The words come hurriedly (and a little breathless with excitement), ”If you think she wouldn’t mind, I would love to hear what she knows.” Just when her hopes have almost been dashed against the rocks, here comes Brazen with another course to take. There is a bold, almost brash manner to the fellow chestnut that puts Lilli in mind of Elaina. There are some similarities there, enough for Lilli to admire them and to make a comparison between the two. Her grin is reckless, impish even as she replies. ”Please,” says Lilli as she dips her head in playful anticipation, ”lead the way.” Even if this is a mistake (though how could it be with company such as Brazen?), Lilli had a feeling that it would be anything but boring.
@[Brazen]
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind