Raul was stoic, it was true. Never as outspoken as his twin had been in childhood, the year he'd spent mute -sacrificing his voice in an unholy quest- had made him downright quiet. In the decade or so since those events had occurred, the scarring internal to his throat still made him incapable of much more than a rough whisper. Louder only made him hurt.
So he took his words slowly, and typically only said what seemed necessary. Words were measured and judged before being allowed vocalization. If his quiet ways were considered rude by some, well that wasn't his intention. Raul had simply grown into a stallion of few words, and liked it that way.
That did not stop him from smiling warmly at the girl who seemed far more comfortable with speech. Like his daughters, she had an observation for everything. A deep chuckle feathered through his throat at her admission, fatherly amusement in his eyes. Ah yes, a boy.
There were worse reasons to leave home, of course. And heavens knew there was no talking a heart out of what it wanted. Still, the golden stallion couldn't help but spare a glance for the lush foliage and sparkling waters that they stood near. "I lived in Ischia, too. For a short time." From the time he and his brother were no more than a moon old, when their mother was swept away by magic that meant her no good. Until the time magic came again, and that time sought the twins.
The past shone in his eyes, ghosts of times so far gone he had almost forgotten them. That they haunted him now when he had finally found the peace he'd been seeking all along seemed cruel. Some kind of joke. With some effort, he dragged his mind to the present. To the girl who only wanted to talk to him.
With a sigh, he leaned back on his heels a moment, stretching the stiffness his back had begun feeling recently. Age, creeping up on him.
"My wife brought the magic of Healing here," he said softly, nodding to the water falling from the volcano's side. It was catching fire in the evening light, reds and golds glittering so brightly he thought they might burn should he touch them. Instead, they healed all who had need. Magic, in its purest form.
"I stay for family, for friends. For home." He paused, turning to fix the winged girl in his steady gaze. "Home is the most precious thing, when you have looked for it as long as I have." Home was where his beloved curled against him at night. It was where their daughters grew and played and laughed. Home was wherever they were together, and he would not trade it for prayer or power.
@[Vita]
So he took his words slowly, and typically only said what seemed necessary. Words were measured and judged before being allowed vocalization. If his quiet ways were considered rude by some, well that wasn't his intention. Raul had simply grown into a stallion of few words, and liked it that way.
That did not stop him from smiling warmly at the girl who seemed far more comfortable with speech. Like his daughters, she had an observation for everything. A deep chuckle feathered through his throat at her admission, fatherly amusement in his eyes. Ah yes, a boy.
There were worse reasons to leave home, of course. And heavens knew there was no talking a heart out of what it wanted. Still, the golden stallion couldn't help but spare a glance for the lush foliage and sparkling waters that they stood near. "I lived in Ischia, too. For a short time." From the time he and his brother were no more than a moon old, when their mother was swept away by magic that meant her no good. Until the time magic came again, and that time sought the twins.
The past shone in his eyes, ghosts of times so far gone he had almost forgotten them. That they haunted him now when he had finally found the peace he'd been seeking all along seemed cruel. Some kind of joke. With some effort, he dragged his mind to the present. To the girl who only wanted to talk to him.
With a sigh, he leaned back on his heels a moment, stretching the stiffness his back had begun feeling recently. Age, creeping up on him.
"My wife brought the magic of Healing here," he said softly, nodding to the water falling from the volcano's side. It was catching fire in the evening light, reds and golds glittering so brightly he thought they might burn should he touch them. Instead, they healed all who had need. Magic, in its purest form.
"I stay for family, for friends. For home." He paused, turning to fix the winged girl in his steady gaze. "Home is the most precious thing, when you have looked for it as long as I have." Home was where his beloved curled against him at night. It was where their daughters grew and played and laughed. Home was wherever they were together, and he would not trade it for prayer or power.
@[Vita]