"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
03-05-2020, 04:42 PM (This post was last modified: 03-06-2020, 09:23 AM by Ruthless.)
if you do not have shadows, you are not in the light
The sun is setting over the bay, and Ruthless stands facing the blue abyss inhaling the salty air. Spray flies from the tide rolling in and refreshes her chest.
The sun is vibrant, a red-orange hue that tints the landscape in a plethora of warm colours. Though the air is colder here now than in the summer, she still dips her front feet into the crisp water to feel it swirl around her legs.
She came here for him, and hopefully he feels that because she needs him right now. There hadn’t been a word spilled over the events that had taken place in the field that day, not at least from her. If Fiorina or Lilliana had chosen to tell the tale then so be it, but Ruthless was willing to bet they hadn’t.
Fiorina has probably battled many monsters over her days of being blood thirsty and irritable, so Wolfbane is just another chink in her armour. Lilliana had made a cowardly call, even if Ruthless never dared to say so. She probably didn’t feel it necessary to defend that.
So, the secret had likely stayed as that. A blip for Fiorina, an escape for Lilliana, and a nightmare for her.
She needed to tell someone, a soul that would keep this with them until Ruthless knew it was time. Until Ruthless knew if there would be a time. Lilliana is clearly not an option, not now. Not until Ruth is ready. Brine forfeited her right of being an option that day in the field. Pteron is the only other horse she knows, and he looked sad enough.
But Kalil. Kalil had been in the centre of her mind since the moment her eyes laid on his golden coat against the crystal blue water. He is exactly who she needs to see, who she feels best to talk to.
It had been a long while since they had spoken. She has grown from a naïve cub to a prospering lioness. Her body had filled, her proportions had balanced, her coat had developed a gloss that illuminated under the golden rays of the sun.
A black wing stretches and brushes the water rolling in lightly before snuggling back to her side for heat. Would he think to come here?
With the sun beginning it's descent over the far horizon, there was still a thin seam of light shining through the redwoods of the northern border. The coat of the stallion racing through them was lit several shades brighter whenever he passed through a space wide enough to accommodate the sun, his now black mane and tail reflecting like an onyx jewel. Then, he would once again disappear among the shadows despite his bright coat, giving off the illusion that he had only been there for a brief second like one's figment of imagination.
It wasn't all a trick of the light though, for, like many horses in the land, the young stallion possessed a special gift that, to his annoyance, had taken a long while to perfect and get a hold of. He'd had more than one embarrassing situation where he was either hidden or visible, and no doubt his siblings, friends, and parents would tease him about it for years to come.
But he took it with a grain of salt; he wasn't against a fun poke at his pride on occasion. Not if it was another horse he felt close enough with. Those he hated, absolutely a different story. One in particular as well, especially when he did something as gutsy as insulting the stallion's family.
Should he do it in front of both the stallion himself, and his sire, well... it wouldn't end well, to put it in the mildest tone possible.
The golden stallion had a number of things to deal with lately, mostly his own turmoil. He felt the same stress his sire did even though he didn't have the weight of a kingdom weighing down on his shoulders, which, if he said that out loud to many, may not have even seemed in the same class. But to the young stallion, it was. He still considered himself in training, for he had never been on a mission alone, and barely any with his dam considering it was fragile times they were in, with one territory striving to try and take over theirs, and a crazed enemy of his sire's on the loose who knew where.
Kalil also felt sorry for his sire as well. He knew that Aten preferred to avoid conflict, especially physical, even though he was more than tough enough to handle something of that matter on his own with no trouble. And despite the rage he felt toward Wolfbane, Kalil knew that Aten would avoid fighting if he could, simply because he felt it was a waste of time and only led to unnecessary bloodshed. Kalil saw it his sire's way, as well as the way Wolfbane must have.
That, sometimes, fighting was the only path...
But the young stallion didn't want that type of thinking lingering in his mind. His dam had taught him that there was always a choice, even if one path seemed like a much more difficult contender. And Kalil was growing careful enough to assess his options, but he knew a true test was yet to come. He could wait on that chance, considering enough craziness had happened lately.
He had heard about what happened in the Field, and, upon the return of one of his sire's friends, something began drawing Kalil to the northern bay where he often liked to go for his runs at certain times of the day when the winds were much more aggressive. It was a test of his strength, to run against such a formidable power of nature, and he wasn't afraid of it like he had been as a colt. It inspired him to push himself, to continue his search for strength.
If only he knew at his age, it wasn't just about one's physical power.
Kalil's hooves thundered over the ground as he neared the beach, his hooves easily accepting the change in terrain as the earth shifted and made way for softer ground before transforming into the sand that lined the waves and prevented the ocean from thrashing against the land. His pace did not slow, his muscle memory easily helping his balance adjust so he wouldn't trip when the ground beneath him shifted so suddenly. His hooves sank a bit in the sand due to his weight, but it did little to deter his galloping speed.
Kalil himself, like his sire at his age, had filled out quite nicely as he neared a stallion's age. He was not yet as developed as his sire, but the young stallion's muscles were already lined and thick, but not building out against his frame, strapped against his body and framing his stature. His hooves had darkened in color to match the socks on his front legs, while the ones on his back were just a few shades lighter, echoing his sire's bloodline since they weren't known for a color past bay.
His mane and tail had also grown dark to as black as the night sky, naturally, but time of running along the sandy beaches and the dust that littered the forest floor during the dry months had speckled his hair with a light layering of dust, causing his mane and tail to be just a few shades lighter. However, they had grown to be as thick as Aten's already were, but short enough so that it didn't fail to nicely frame Kalil's neck, jowl, and face.
His face had grown quite handsome as well, the lines fine and proud, his muzzle tapered and handsome. He had more whiskers than his sire and dam did, but he lacked the longer hair under his chin that Aten had, giving the young stallion a less scruffier appearance. His forelock fell easily over his forehead, the hairs more spread out and sometimes blocking the corner of his eyes until he shook it loose.
He still looked young, youthful, but he had definitely grown to fit the physical image of his sire, at Kalil's age, to a t. Even Aten himself could see it, he just hadn't said anything out loud.
The young stallion's instincts were pulling him a bit south now, but definitely closer to the ocean. His eyes spotted the outline of a horse standing not far from the ocean's tide, much higher than during the day, licking at the other horse's hooves with each crashing wave. He recognized her instantly upon seeing the beautiful shining gold coat in the sunlight, his thoughts only confirmed as he got closer and began to see the fine lines and form that his fill friend had begun developing over a year ago.
He almost didn't say anything, afraid of breaking the beautiful illusion standing before him. Even though Kalil was still quite a young stallion, and hadn't had the urges to the degree his sire did during the late spring months, he occasionally felt the stirring in his gut that those of his kind were disposed to. He wouldn't consider himself jealous, but on the off occasion, if another colt or stallion was close to Ruthless, he would get a bit defensive and try to stay close to her, to intimidate others away from her.
And now, seeing her, he was glad he wasn't having those urges.
He watched silently as Ruthless brushed the water with her wing as gentle as a mother cat would groom her young, slowing his pace to a walk when he was only a few yards from her side. He blew air out of his nose to not only get rid of the sand that had gathered there, but also to alert the filly to his presence. He felt comfortable enough around her to walk to her side, gently brushing his muzzle along the line of her crest, an easy feat since he was taller than her. He felt the feathers of her wings brush his chest since he was standing close enough, a smile appearing on his face.
He didn't say anything, he just decided to stand beside her, to give her comfort. He could tell she had to get something off her chest, but he wouldn't push her to say anything if she didn't want to. He would let her speak when she felt ready.
if you do not have shadows, you are not in the light
The children had more in tune than their dragged pace and sand-matched coats. They both harbored the gumption to serve and thrive, a naïve front-line soldier with an extra skip in their step.
Unlike the worn first lieutenants and captains, their newly-found-will to avoid what once ached deep in their bones. They knew the troubles they sought; they learned the consequences. They didn’t wish for it anymore.
She smells him first; a scent so sweet her mouth savors for a moment. It sets into her skin, spreading a wide tingle that will likely hole up and stay awhile. She missed him, but she didn’t know that until now.
His snort is a flower that roots into her heart and pulls to her throat, amidst ash and blackness.
“Kalil,” it’s a name she holds as it melts to her tongue, feeling the gentle stroke of his lips caress her crest; a friendly, soft touch. It reminds her off the soft pressure of Lilliana and Fiorina as they pressed their strength against her ribs, the growing threat of Wolfbane notably small in that exact second.
A touch that brings her back to the ground where she ran carelessly and free.
He doesn’t say anything before her, nothing but the bellowing crash of waves against cliffs in the near distance swallows them. She would appreciate the silence if he hadn’t been so silent, so reserved.
He knows, he must.
The waves ripple up to their feet again, his footprints that had disclosed his path now being inhaled by the water. It pulls away, the softness of his imprint swelling until an unscathed replacement of dewy sand is left leaving her to question if he ever had walked to her at all.
The star-crossed pair stood side by side, her soft breathing almost too calm. She can’t help but wonder if perhaps everything in life is as temporary as the footprints drowned by nature’s desire to be perfect; a firm impression made and then suddenly… gone.
She leans into him more, wanting to escape every inch of herself to appreciate the moment in its entirety.
“Life is becoming more and more hard,” it falls from her mouth as she turns her head slightly to curl in his neck. A soft surrender and admission to the weakness she had harbored internally for so long. The mare from the mountain would be ashamed of her right now.
The silence accompanying the two wasn't uncomfortable, and if it there wasn't the crashing waves on the horizon before settling back into the ocean and kicking up with the tide to lap at the hooves of the young horses, it would've even been peaceful. But there was something stirring in the air, something lingering within Taiga's shadows that Kalil worried would bring destruction.
A thought entered his mind, fleetingly, and he did his best to push it out, for it only brought dark memories. He did not want to focus on that right now; he could tell there was something wrong. There was an underlying tension in Ruth's shoulders; her crest was stiff, her stature unnerved. Her tail was tucked against her hindquarters, a sign of tension and nervousness. She was trying to mask it with calm breathing, but Kalil could tell she was forcing it to a degree.
It wasn't relaxed in a way that said she was truly okay; she was hiding something. And he wanted to ask her what was bothering her, to badger her until she got whatever was bugging her off her chest so that she could feel better. But he was not the kind to force anything, to force any horse to speak if they did not wish. He would just be there for his friend until she was ready, whether that was an hour or a whole season from now.
Kalil felt Ruth lean into his side more, and shifted his weight onto his right legs to better support both her and himself so they wouldn't fall. He blew warm air from his nostrils onto her shiny coat, now thinned out since shedding the winter fur their species grew to protect them from the cold season.
Before she speaks, Ruth turns her head into the colt's neck, stating something that wasn't exactly foreign knowledge. But Kalil made no sarcastic quip, rather, he maintained a steady presence, his chest calmly rising and falling with each breath.
"Indeed," there is not much more that can be said. Ruth was not wrong at all; there was a lot happening over the recent suns, not all of it good.
"My father is doing what he can, but there is a lot on his shoulders right now. And knowing what could be lurking out there..." Kalil trails off. He didn't wish to dampen the mood.
"I feel there is more brewing today than the storm," he hints at what could be troubling the filly, but leaving the option to tell him up to her.
