01-20-2020, 01:10 AM
so give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'cause oh that gave me such a fright
'cause oh that gave me such a fright
When he’d sent the little blip along his net, he hadn’t expected much response. Often, he does it with no response at all – just sending little messages of affection and regard down the line to the people who share the bloodlines. Many of them probably don’t even know the fleeting feelings come from him; this sort of response is buoying. He ignores Leilan’s teasing prompts in favor of lowering his dished face to the level of the canine who has come rushing to their group, nuzzling across the pale fur briefly as the fox brushes against his chest.
“Grandson,” he offers the greeting when the white fox becomes the dark equine at his side, favoring his grandson with a warm smile similar to the one he’d given Brazen and Leilan. This boy is nearly the opposite of Leilan, standing quietly where the dragon-stallion had been eagerly contributing to filling the silence, but he vaguely remembers that the two have struck quite the friendship. But he doesn’t have a long time to dwell on them, turning instead to the loud sound of grinding stone, and the appearance of another young woman.
She addresses Leilan as her father, but there’s something else about her…he sets that mystery aside for later, but does put a mental bookmark on it. He does waste the moment to snoop for her name – Eurwen – and at least that means there isn’t a whole other Queen’s reign he’s missed – she doesn’t look old enough for that, to him. And she clearly knows the new Queen, and he is glad for that, in a distant sort of way, because he has begun to realize that maybe their gathering would overwhelm someone not used to the chaos. But finally she speaks again, with something he couldn’t call a friendly smile but at least she’s engaging them.
“Yes, I called them,” he responds quietly, choosing now in this crowd to match her offense with calm; he is all for a good antagonistic tête-à-tête, but he has played the game of crowns often enough and with enough Kings (just recently, the Queens) to know not to push a monarch in front of a crowd, not unless it’s really necessary. “I like to check up on my family, make sure everyone is safe.” There’s a caution in that, the barest hint of the violence he is capable of, but it’s the sort of warning one can ignore if they want, especially if they weren’t all that interested in bringing harm anyway.
Brennen tilts his head when she brings up Heartfire, calm purpose morphing into a sharp frown. “Taken?” he asks, but falls silent again when she tells them what she knows. Her words ring of the truth, and he believes she is not withholding from them when she says she doesn’t know much. But from what he knows of Heartfire (a relation much closer than Brazen, though not as close as Jesper), he agrees that it would have had to have been something strong to take her down. He’s still scowling into the silence, eyes a million miles away, when she finally offers a name.
His face relaxes quietly back into calm, the faintest of half-smiles, and gives a faint nod. “As much as it can be under the circumstances, it’s a pleasure to meet you Neverwhere. I’m Brennen, magician, and Nerine’s Champion for some time. That makes me your Champion, if you’ll have me.” Directness, now, and he focuses on her exclusively for a moment. “I’d apologize for crowding you by calling to my family, but I did not expect such a quick response. In this case however perhaps it is convenient – Leilan can vouch for who I am, and my grandson Jesper leads your Territory of Icicle Isle, and so it is time enough for you to meet him if you have not.” He touches the black stallion’s shoulder briefly, affection written into that gesture clearly no matter the brevity.
She’s young, too, of an age with the spotted girl if he had to guess, and younger than Leilan and Jesper who still seem like saplings to him. The magician guesses from what she said of Heartfire’s disappearance that she wasn’t exactly prepared for this role; but so far she is prickly as a cactus, and he knows that he’ll have to tread quite carefully if he wants to offer any advice, so as not to offend her unduly. His mind, always whirling, has already circled back to concern for the last Queen. “You used a word specifically – taken. That suggests you don’t think Heartfire left of her own accord.” She was too adult, too strong to have ever needed Brennen, but still he worries about her as much as any of the others. “Is there someone else who might know more about what happened? If it’s not someone I need to stay here and defend Nerine from directly, I’d like to go looking for her.”
“Grandson,” he offers the greeting when the white fox becomes the dark equine at his side, favoring his grandson with a warm smile similar to the one he’d given Brazen and Leilan. This boy is nearly the opposite of Leilan, standing quietly where the dragon-stallion had been eagerly contributing to filling the silence, but he vaguely remembers that the two have struck quite the friendship. But he doesn’t have a long time to dwell on them, turning instead to the loud sound of grinding stone, and the appearance of another young woman.
She addresses Leilan as her father, but there’s something else about her…he sets that mystery aside for later, but does put a mental bookmark on it. He does waste the moment to snoop for her name – Eurwen – and at least that means there isn’t a whole other Queen’s reign he’s missed – she doesn’t look old enough for that, to him. And she clearly knows the new Queen, and he is glad for that, in a distant sort of way, because he has begun to realize that maybe their gathering would overwhelm someone not used to the chaos. But finally she speaks again, with something he couldn’t call a friendly smile but at least she’s engaging them.
“Yes, I called them,” he responds quietly, choosing now in this crowd to match her offense with calm; he is all for a good antagonistic tête-à-tête, but he has played the game of crowns often enough and with enough Kings (just recently, the Queens) to know not to push a monarch in front of a crowd, not unless it’s really necessary. “I like to check up on my family, make sure everyone is safe.” There’s a caution in that, the barest hint of the violence he is capable of, but it’s the sort of warning one can ignore if they want, especially if they weren’t all that interested in bringing harm anyway.
Brennen tilts his head when she brings up Heartfire, calm purpose morphing into a sharp frown. “Taken?” he asks, but falls silent again when she tells them what she knows. Her words ring of the truth, and he believes she is not withholding from them when she says she doesn’t know much. But from what he knows of Heartfire (a relation much closer than Brazen, though not as close as Jesper), he agrees that it would have had to have been something strong to take her down. He’s still scowling into the silence, eyes a million miles away, when she finally offers a name.
His face relaxes quietly back into calm, the faintest of half-smiles, and gives a faint nod. “As much as it can be under the circumstances, it’s a pleasure to meet you Neverwhere. I’m Brennen, magician, and Nerine’s Champion for some time. That makes me your Champion, if you’ll have me.” Directness, now, and he focuses on her exclusively for a moment. “I’d apologize for crowding you by calling to my family, but I did not expect such a quick response. In this case however perhaps it is convenient – Leilan can vouch for who I am, and my grandson Jesper leads your Territory of Icicle Isle, and so it is time enough for you to meet him if you have not.” He touches the black stallion’s shoulder briefly, affection written into that gesture clearly no matter the brevity.
She’s young, too, of an age with the spotted girl if he had to guess, and younger than Leilan and Jesper who still seem like saplings to him. The magician guesses from what she said of Heartfire’s disappearance that she wasn’t exactly prepared for this role; but so far she is prickly as a cactus, and he knows that he’ll have to tread quite carefully if he wants to offer any advice, so as not to offend her unduly. His mind, always whirling, has already circled back to concern for the last Queen. “You used a word specifically – taken. That suggests you don’t think Heartfire left of her own accord.” She was too adult, too strong to have ever needed Brennen, but still he worries about her as much as any of the others. “Is there someone else who might know more about what happened? If it’s not someone I need to stay here and defend Nerine from directly, I’d like to go looking for her.”
but I will hold, as long as you like
just promise me we'll be alright
just promise me we'll be alright
BrenneN
I think @[Brazen] is next?