Once, when she had been very small, all spindle legs and a downy coat that hadn’t yet shown the copper fire underneath, Lilli had been gifted a day of freedom. Her mother had gone on patrol and somewhere between the discussion of who was to watch the Regent’s youngest child, Lilli had slipped through the cracks and had woken up beneath their willow tree alone. Her older twin siblings had parted ways: Brielle gone before anyone could ask where she was even going, Jay with his mind to the stars and the sun and the clouds, trying to read the signs in nature around them. And Malachi, her eldest brother and champion, had stolen a moment with his sweet Kalina.
The little girl had been utterly alone.
She had wandered a while, probably following a butterfly or the lovely sound of a bird, until she came to a path. It was one she had remembered taking with her silver dam as they made their round on a morning patrol. The trail wove and weaved through the wood until it finally came to a spot where the river was, a enchanting bubbling sound that could be heard throughout Murmuring Rivers. On the other side, there had been an alluring bunch of blue flowers. She can remember seeing them, their wonderful scent fragrant and dancing on the midsummer breeze.
It had made her mother smile. Lilli can remember seeing something soften in Aletta’s dark eyes as they gazed across the river, taking a moment to admire the lovely cluster of wildflowers on the other side. So when Lilli had been gifted her freedom, she had thought of those flowers and the way that it made her mother seem so much happier, so girlish and carefree when the Regent was so often made of iron and steel.
The little girl had ventured down that path, to the place where the river bubbled and laughed, invited her closer until eventually, it beckoned her to cross it.
She tried. Her heart fluttered like butterfly wings in her chest and each step took her deeper and deeper, the water rising back her knees, to her chest, past her barrel until finally on the little girl’s head had remained above the water. Her nostrils had flared at the chill of the water, at the push of the current, of the way that ground felt less and less secure beneath her hooves until finally.. the ground was no longer there. It gave way and while the current wasn’t overly strong, the little filly hadn’t been the most adept of swimmers. It swept her down the river, the pine trees blurring into masses of green and all she could hear was the rush of water in her ears.
It filled her lungs. They burned and raged for air and no matter how Lilli fought, no matter how valiant her little hooves tried to find the ground beneath her, she was carried further and further down the river that had so often laughed with her. She doesn’t know when the ground came back or how – she only remembers the feel of sand gritting against her coat, of it everywhere as she laid curled up on the shore. She remembers her lungs filling and pushing beneath her ribs as if they still didn’t believe they would ever get enough air again.
And then she remembers the feel of kisses pressed against her neck, against her forehead, of a warm body that stood beside her as she somehow managed to find her legs again. Aletta murmured words of love and assurance into Lilli’s ears, ”Oh Lillibird.”
Beqanna has been like that day in the river. Lilli has tried to venture out own on her own but somewhere along the way, she has lost her footing. The world has spun out of control and she can no longer feel the world beneath her. Arriving in Taiga, learning that Elaina was in Hyaline, learning that she could help others, has been Lilli trying to feel the world beneath her again.
She longs for permanency, for something steady and stable that won’t give way when the pressures and problems arise.
Talking to Aten, learning that their might be a shred of the Dale out there has helped the young mare take those first tentative steps. His words have planted a seed in her mind and it has taken root: there might be a chance to find out what, if anything, remains of the Dale. Her one last connection to her family.
She seeks the golden stallion out in the early hours of the morning, enough that time passing (she hopes) to finish the morning patrols. The chestnut mare leaves her little hideaway among the massive trees and heads for the groves where she knows to find Aten. Her mind is already reeling with possibilities, still processing his words from their earlier conversation and Lilli is eager to learn whatever knowledge that the stallion has.
She keeps an eye out overhead, seeking his winged companion, but the bird is either aware of her and has already alerted Aten or Lilli, not for the first time, is looking in all the wrong places.
The little girl had been utterly alone.
She had wandered a while, probably following a butterfly or the lovely sound of a bird, until she came to a path. It was one she had remembered taking with her silver dam as they made their round on a morning patrol. The trail wove and weaved through the wood until it finally came to a spot where the river was, a enchanting bubbling sound that could be heard throughout Murmuring Rivers. On the other side, there had been an alluring bunch of blue flowers. She can remember seeing them, their wonderful scent fragrant and dancing on the midsummer breeze.
It had made her mother smile. Lilli can remember seeing something soften in Aletta’s dark eyes as they gazed across the river, taking a moment to admire the lovely cluster of wildflowers on the other side. So when Lilli had been gifted her freedom, she had thought of those flowers and the way that it made her mother seem so much happier, so girlish and carefree when the Regent was so often made of iron and steel.
The little girl had ventured down that path, to the place where the river bubbled and laughed, invited her closer until eventually, it beckoned her to cross it.
She tried. Her heart fluttered like butterfly wings in her chest and each step took her deeper and deeper, the water rising back her knees, to her chest, past her barrel until finally on the little girl’s head had remained above the water. Her nostrils had flared at the chill of the water, at the push of the current, of the way that ground felt less and less secure beneath her hooves until finally.. the ground was no longer there. It gave way and while the current wasn’t overly strong, the little filly hadn’t been the most adept of swimmers. It swept her down the river, the pine trees blurring into masses of green and all she could hear was the rush of water in her ears.
It filled her lungs. They burned and raged for air and no matter how Lilli fought, no matter how valiant her little hooves tried to find the ground beneath her, she was carried further and further down the river that had so often laughed with her. She doesn’t know when the ground came back or how – she only remembers the feel of sand gritting against her coat, of it everywhere as she laid curled up on the shore. She remembers her lungs filling and pushing beneath her ribs as if they still didn’t believe they would ever get enough air again.
And then she remembers the feel of kisses pressed against her neck, against her forehead, of a warm body that stood beside her as she somehow managed to find her legs again. Aletta murmured words of love and assurance into Lilli’s ears, ”Oh Lillibird.”
Beqanna has been like that day in the river. Lilli has tried to venture out own on her own but somewhere along the way, she has lost her footing. The world has spun out of control and she can no longer feel the world beneath her. Arriving in Taiga, learning that Elaina was in Hyaline, learning that she could help others, has been Lilli trying to feel the world beneath her again.
She longs for permanency, for something steady and stable that won’t give way when the pressures and problems arise.
Talking to Aten, learning that their might be a shred of the Dale out there has helped the young mare take those first tentative steps. His words have planted a seed in her mind and it has taken root: there might be a chance to find out what, if anything, remains of the Dale. Her one last connection to her family.
She seeks the golden stallion out in the early hours of the morning, enough that time passing (she hopes) to finish the morning patrols. The chestnut mare leaves her little hideaway among the massive trees and heads for the groves where she knows to find Aten. Her mind is already reeling with possibilities, still processing his words from their earlier conversation and Lilli is eager to learn whatever knowledge that the stallion has.
She keeps an eye out overhead, seeking his winged companion, but the bird is either aware of her and has already alerted Aten or Lilli, not for the first time, is looking in all the wrong places.
LILLIANA
i left home on account of snow
(buried all the things i know)
(buried all the things i know)
@[Aten]
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind