We are at war. There will be scars.
He hadn't set out to recruit today, and yet it had happened all the same. He gives the mare a smile. "It is wonderful. But I might be biased." the last bit is gently teasing, even though he knows that both parts are true: it is wonderful, and he is biased. "We'll head there immediately. But watch your step – some parts of the road are rocky, and I wouldn't want you getting hurt." His tones are serious as he describes the possible danger. He knows what effect it will likely have on her when he speaks of being concerned for her well-being. It doesn't escape him that this girl is following him largely because of him rather than because of the Chamber. It doesn't escape him, but it also doesn't impact him. At least, not dramatically.And so they start off. Erebor leads the way through the well-worn path. They pass many of the landmarks of Beqanna as they go. He pauses when they reach the outskirts of one particularly notorious area. "This is the field, where the herdless go to seek stallions and kingdoms." It is quiet now, its vast expanse tucked under a blanket of night, but even now a handful of horses are bedding down within it, and some are still chatting quietly. He looks to Zoya with a smile. "It looks like you and I aren't the only night owls."
They continue on, and as they pass the Falls Erebor nods toward it but does not stop by it. "That's the Falls, another one of the kingdoms of Beqanna. They have a magic waterfall that can heal wounds. Although it's recently lost some of its strength." He thinks for a moment of the talks that he'd attended with his uncle as the Chamber had attempted an alliance. He wonders if they've gotten a resolution on that yet.
The Falls fall away behind them, and all that's left is an empty, moonlit trail between them and the Chamber. He picks his way through the path slowly, carefully keeping a (discreet) eye on Zoya. He legitimately doesn't want her to turn her ankle on anything here, and the path isn't the easiest. Finally, he sees the pine forests of the Chamber ahead and knows they're almost across the border.
He pauses then, letting Zoya come up alongside him. "The Chamber." he nods toward the trees. The forest is a mix of living and dead, hulks of burned trees destroyed in volcanic eruptions some 5 years ago are interspersed with younger, newer growth that has only recently pushed through to the surface. To the Prince of Ash, son of the Queen of Ash and Ruin, these trees, both those hulking with death and their counterparts bursting with life, are the epitome of beauty. This is what he was born for, to serve and love this home, to dedicate himself to every single tree.
Atrox's heart may be the one that is literally buried beneath the ground of the Chamber, but his grandson's heart might as well be the same.
With a smile to Zoya, he continues forward, crossing over the border without hesitation. The path grows thin as the trees close in, and it begins to slowly disappear. "Follow me, and you won't get lost." As they move further and further into the kingdom, Atrox's heartbeat grows stronger and stronger. It pulses up through their hooves like a strange earthquake, but one that Erebor is (naturally) entirely comfortable with.
They break into the clearing at the center of the Chamber, and the pine trees fall away behind them. It's here that Atrox's heart is buried, and here that the pulsing of its beat is strongest. Erebor feels his own heart beat in time with his grandfather's, and he sighs with relaxation. Home.
But he does not forget his manners, and it's only a moment before he turns to Zoya. "Well, what do you think?" he asks, curious to know how she has found the journey.
Erebor
Native Prince of the Chamber
warship x straia
@[Zoya]
@[Stkw]