"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
The family took pause while Amen searched for a place to rest for the night. She had nearly dozed off when he returned to suggest a small cave he had found. Shifting her gown of feathers once again she nudges the foals to follow.
Once at the cavern the twins look at its daunting opening. Escence of course is excited for the new experience and Eviction is hesitant. "Come on its ok," she says encouragingly to the pied colt. She steps into the darkness, Eviction at her heels. Where Escence flames create dancing shadows on the cave ceiling and walls, Evictions glow diminishes them. He seems to relax as the area is lit by his glow and settles quickly to the cavern floor.
Soon after Escence joins him, her exploration limited in the small space.
Reaching her muzzle to press into Jacks body, she listens for a time to the soft patter of rain on the world outside.
04-08-2024, 06:19 AM (This post was last modified: 04-08-2024, 06:20 AM by Jack in the Box.)
As the evening sets in, Jack observes the foal's energy wane as they all enter the cave. He positions himself near the opening, where he is greeted by Aurora's affectionate nuzzle. In that moment, surrounded by his loved ones, everything feels harmonious.
As the sound of rain lulls him to sleep, he is plagued by a haunting dream of Zain confronting him and Eviction in the orchard. In the dream, he witnesses the gradual decay of the entire orchard and the inevitable decline of Eviction. He feels utterly powerless to prevent it, only to find himself succumbing to the same fate, with Zain's red eyes being the last thing he sees. Startled awake, he gasps for air and scans the cave to find the babies and Aurora still peacefully asleep. After taking a series of deep breaths, he gazes out of the cave's opening, where he is met by the sight of the morning sun rising over the horizon. With a sense of calm washing over him, he closes his eyes and drifts back into slumber.
Amenadiel finds a sheltered spot outside the cave, spreading his wings to shield himself from the relentless rain. The night seems endless, and he senses the warmth of the fire swirling within his barrel. Releasing a controlled burst of fire, he eases the chill and comforts himself as the temperature plummets.
As the rain subsides, the clouds part to reveal the moon and stars, casting a serene, moonlit glow on his surroundings. Despite the weariness of the long night, Amenadiel is resolute in his duty to safeguard and unite his family on their journey to a new home. He notices Jack stirring behind him, but as the sun begins to peek over the horizon, he succumbs to sleep, knowing that he has fulfilled his watch.
Her dreams tonight lull her consciousness into the unknown future. Even though she has never seen the Dale with her own eyes, her mind uses Amen's description to paint the pictures she sees in the dream world. It is much different than the meadow they have come to know, but there is a tranquil peace to be found.
She awakes to the clicking sound of hooves on rocky terrain. Eviction is at her side per the usual morning routine. She smiles before looking to where Jack has settled into sleep. The soft glow coming from the cave opening was a sure sign that dawn was breaking and soon they would be on the move again.
As the sun slowly rises above the distant hills, the forest awakens from its slumber, gradually coming to life like a well-oiled machine. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, and the scurrying of small animals all blend together in a harmonious symphony, signaling the start of a brand new day.
As the first rays of the sun start to creep over the horizon, Amenadiel awakens from his restless slumber. With a giant yawn, he unfurls his wings and stretches them downwards before taking to the sky. His sharp eyes scan the surroundings, searching for any potential threats or signs of danger. He flies over to the river, with the Dale visible just over the horizon. The rocky hills crown the foreign land, their peaks looming over the hillside.
As he soars across the sky, the melodious chirping of the birds fills his ears. The does and their fawns emerge from their restful slumber, ready to face the day ahead. Though it's going to be another long day, they are in a good place and should be able to cross the river before the next sundown.
Amenadiel returns to the cave, having scouted the best path to the river. He lands gently on the ground, where Jack and the others have already awakened. "Good morning," he greets them. "Are you ready to keep going? If everything goes well today, we should be able to cross the river, and the Dale will be just beyond it."
The sun slowly rises and the group of friends outside the cave start to stir. Jack, who had a restless night, is the last one to wake. He joins the others, shuffling his hooves as he stands beside Aurora. Jack nuzzles her softly as Amenadiel explains the best route to take to reach the Dale.
Although Jack nods in agreement, he can't shake off the thought that's been troubling him. Zain. Will he know where they’re going? He hopes not. He doesn't want him to ruin their adventure. The adventure for the babies.
Jack takes a few nibbles of grass, his eyes scanning his surroundings, before they start walking. The babies, filled with excitement, gallop ahead of the group. Jack turns his head towards Aurora and asks, "How did you sleep?"
As the twins become more lively, she shuffles them outside so as not to disturb anyone still sleeping. They are quick to continue their horse play and so she settles into grazing. She notes that Amenadiel is not within sight, but she does not worry.
Eviction begins to root around by some tall grasses, his flaming heels smoldering the dry blades of vegetation. He watches intently as they turn from brilliant green to a sooty brown. Thin veils of smoke begin to rise and dance around him. It isn't hard to tell that he is becoming upset.
Lifting her head and taking note of the change of disposition, she walks over to him, "What's wrong Eviction?" Her voice is soft with concern. He looks to her with his large glowing eyes, tears beginning to form in his tear ducts. He sniffles, "Am I like my Dad? Do I kill everything good too?" Her caramel face lowers to him, "Of course not. Why would you think such a thing?" His head lowers with a shameful weight, "Because he said I'm like him and he kills things..." Her muzzle brushes along his glowing crest trying to bring him some comfort. "You are nothing like your father Eviction. You are kind and thoughtful. You watch over your sister and care about your family," she pauses as he looks up to her with soft eyes, "You are everything your father is not." She smiles as she brushes away his tears just before Escence comes tearing around behind them. "Let's go see if Jack is up yet," she says to them both.
As they approach the cave Amen has just arrived and she comes to a stop near him. Jack soon comes to stand beside her, and they listen to the plan for the day. She smiles and nods in agreement as the twins begin to play once again.
"I slept well," she says with a smile, "you?" Following in suit she begins to pace onward, ready to settle into their new home.
As the group of five headed towards the Dale, the babies, with their playful flames prancing around them, turned the once light green grass into a burnt shade of ash. Jack lies through his teeth as Aurora inquires about his sleep, pretending that he had a good night's rest despite being tormented by nightmares. He walks beside her, with Amenadiel positioned between them and the twins frolicking ahead.
Jack turns to Aurora and opens up about his nightmare. In the dream, Zain appeared in the orchard and destroyed it before setting his sights on Aurora, the twins, and him.
“Zain makes me so angry. He knows how to make me angry. I tried to hold it together to not scare Eviction anymore than he already was. I blew up, and I know that’s what he wants, but damn it, he makes me so mad. Ruins any good thing I have,”
Despite their concerns, they continued on their journey, taking breaks to let the babies rest and graze on the grass. However, as they approached the river, a new concern arose - how were they going to get the babies across the water with their fire?
Their groups pace is leisurely, but anyone who would set sights upon them would know they had a destination to reach. Her eyes rove between the foals and the landscapes they pass by. They follow along the river that cuts the mainland's in half. Weaving around the craggy cliffs before reaching another plateau. She can't help but notice the sharp contrast between them. To their right is a desert like landscape with tall pillars of stone. While on the left, on the other side of the river, is enormous mountains. She figures they must be nearing the Dale now and the landscape to the right does not match Amens description.
Jack pacing alongside her and she can tell something is gnawing at him. She doesn't have to even ask as Jack lets the flood gates open without prompting. Her eyes look to him with understanding. Thinking to this morning's events she can't help but realize that the interaction was affecting both of them. Her thoughts turn hopeful to their future though as she speaks, "Eviction was upset this morning too. Seems to me this move might be good for everyone. Get some distance between us and the past." She knows there would never be enough distance but maybe just enough to start fresh.
Their steady pace continues and soon the river where they are to cross comes into view. Eviction stays back with caution, but Escence surges ahead. Weaving about, she pretends to fly like she had on Amens back earlier. With her imaginary wings outstretched, she zooms about. A few of the flames along her body concentrate near her shoulders and begin to stretch outwards...
"Escence!" She shouts in a warning tone. The fiery girl turns around and heads straight for them, a mischievous grin on her face.
Amenadiel notices that the family seems to be running away from something, but he can't tell what it is. He continues leading them towards their destination, and the terrain becomes rockier and hillier than the meadow they left behind.
Suddenly, Aurora screams for Escence as they approach a river. Reacting quickly, Amenadiel leaps into the air, unfurls his wings, and lands in front of Escence just in time to block her from falling into the water. He is aware of the potential danger that could arise from her flames and water mixing, so he pushes her back from the river's edge. Jack and Aurora rush over to check on her.
As they all stand there, Amenadiel wonders how they will cross the river. He hesitates to suggest that he could fly the twins across, although he could manage it.
AuroraElis
