"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
Minette knew she would pay for every moment of her rebellion, but she regretted not one moment. The innocent face of her daughter swam before her eyes as she ran. The speckled gray mare had only waited to see that Gryffen and Anguisette were on their way to the Chamber before she turned and ran full tilt towards the Meadow. Her hooves tore divots in the ground beneath her.
She was agitated, her eyes full of wild excitement. Her heart beat quickly within her chest, the sound of it filling her ears. She had a name. A name she'd heard in connection to the Amazons, but little else. Minette felt her mission failing as she looked out over the field of horses. How was she to know which one was the mare she sought? She'd tried to arrange this meeting but she couldn't be sure Tantalize had gotten the message. Minette's contact with the outside was extremely limited.
She stood on the edge for a moment, letting a feeling of despair wash over her. And then, straightening her neck, she stepped forward, her eyes constantly seeking.
The gray mare wasn't sure how long she had, but it had to be enough. Her heart railed against the thought of her child being the plaything of the wolf who held her captive. Minette knew she had no chance against him but Anguisette… she deserved better. She deserved a chance at a life where she could make her own choices.
Minette felt she was a poor mother, but in this she could not fail.
"Tantalize." the mare sighed, the name a breath on the wind.
There are plenty of birds that flit throughout the jungle and many of them carry messages for the warriors that reside in their depths. It doesn’t happen too often but that day had been different. A dazzling male bird of paradise had appeared before her as she was once again stretching and strengthening her new wings. She has still not learned to fly and to be honest the anxiety of the task is eating at her. Everyday she practices with them, trying to get the feel of them. The large feathered appendages still feel strange to her, the way they brush against her sides and spread open when fully unveiled. But she stretches them, practices beating them. Preparing for the time when she will first take flight. The bird has come to mock her she thinks. It’s song is high and fast so she glares at it with golden eyes and flares her nostrils at it. But then the silver jaguar spirit had appeared and lounged behind the bird. So she gave it another go and this time a name and a place appeared in her head. How very odd.
Today she stands in the Meadow with her wings outstretched at her side, jaguar spots shining in the dewy light of day. Waiting for the face that would come with the name. There are many here which is probably for the best as it seems that she is being sought out for some reason of desperation. She usually comes to this place anyway but it’s the first time she’s been here with the gift the kingdom had bestowed upon her. Hopefully Demian wouldn’t see her and think she had gone completely fan girl/stalker on him. First the spots, then the wings. Though in fairness, she had always had the spots first.
A pale mare stands not far from her with a strained look on her face. It’s from her lips that the jaguar mare’s name falls and her golden iris’s contract slightly as she focuses on her. With wings still unfurled (for she has forgotten they are still outstretched) she approaches the other, her expression blank. ”I am she. Why have you called for me?” There is real curiosity that tinges her voice for why would anyone seek out the fallen Khaleesi? She wasn’t much to anyone besides the present sisters in the jungle who still saw something in their fallen ruler. As she takes in a deep breathe, inhaling deeply, something flickers across the features of her face. A scent she recognizes. It’s a more narrowed and suspicious look that she casts on the young mare now as the name spits forth from her in a low growl. ”What does Gryffen want with me?”
Minette feels a small smile flit across her face as the jaguar spotted mare appears. It is the first genuine smile she's bestowed in awhile, and it feels strange. It has been a long time since she's had any reason to feel unfettered joy. Even the birth of her daughter brought mixed feelings. She remembers being a lighthearted child, and a playful, joyful mare. Those days feel farther away than the half a year she has spent with Gryffen. Minette is not the same. She feels much older than her four years.
The suspicious question takes her surprise, although it shouldn't. The pale gray mare knows she must reek of Gryffen. He's marked her carefully, making sure she is known as his and that she will never get away. Minette thinks she sees a black bird out of the corner of her eye, and she startles a bit.
"He wants nothing from you." Minette says, her voice weary and tinged with bitterness as she remembers all that Gryffen demands of her. Obedience. Submission. Children. He wants a plaything, and Minette was offered to him as if on a silver platter. "Not that I know of, anyways. But what I ask of you… he may desire something from you after this."
Her plea begins quiet, but steady. Her eyes shine with feeling, and desperation. This mare may be her only hope.
"I know little of this place. Every moment since I arrived has been a moment in Gryffen's keeping. Even now, I am not far from him, and he will not be happy when he finds I am gone."
Minette says this with calm acceptance. She knows she will suffer, and she will need every scrap of courage and strength to make it through the days ahead.
"You are an Amazon. I've heard it said you are a land of mares, and that you can help a mare in need. I ask nothing for myself. I will remain a captive," Minette pauses, bitter, before continuing with urgency. Time is moving too quickly. "But my daughter. She is newly born. Gryffen is her father. He will control her, shape her into someone beyond redeeming. Please. Can you take her and keep her safe? I beg of you. If you know Gryffen… you know there is danger, but I would do anything to keep Anguisette away from him."
Her body is tense and does not loosen as Minette explains why she is here, what Gryffen has done. However her hard suspicion melts away and there is concern in her golden eyes. She knows her brother is a twisted creature and has heard whispers of rumors and stories of the mares in his keeping and the things he got up to in the Chamber. Gryffen was a cruel man, a heartless individual. Her heart goes out to the poor mare who had gotten caught in his clutches. Her flanks heave as a soft sigh escapes her lips, wings ruffling uneasily as she considers the situation. ”If I take the girl… It could cause problems between the Chamber and my kingdom.” She states slowly, not sure what the sisters would think of all this. Surely she should speak to them first. However if there was ever a safe place for the child, it would be in the jungle. She wages a war in her head and finally comes to a decision. Take the foal first, deal with the consequences later. It’s not the usual approach she would go for but she has a feeling the sisters would agree with her choice.
Her own mothering skills were rather poor but she could keep the child alive at least, plus she would have all the sisters to watch over her. ”Ok, I’ll come get her.” Golden eyes take in the mare, noting the scars and the exhaustion written on the lines of her face. Extending her muzzle to briefly bump against the others. ”And what about you? Are you sure you want to stay behind?” She would do her best to help them both if she could. She doesn’t see the raven take flight from it’s watchful perch where it had been listening. She doesn’t see it fly off towards the Chamber.
09-09-2015, 02:31 PM (This post was last modified: 09-09-2015, 02:33 PM by Minette.)
There is a lost and breathless moment when the gray mare fears all hope has vanished. That Tantalize will not help her, and Minette will be forced to watch her daughter grow up under the careful instruction of a cruel dictator. The corruption of her innocent daughter would be her undoing. She feels she can bear so much in her life, but not her child suffering because of a whim of fate. She would make any sacrifice to keep the wolf at bay.
But the moment of terror passes, Liz speaks, and a wave of gratitude and relief sweeps over Minette. She releases a shaky breath.
"Merci. Thank you." The words are simple but the soft, grateful look in Min's eyes speak beyond her words. For a space in time she looks more like the hopeful, playful mare she used to be. It passes, and all that remains is her haggard, scarred form.
Minette relishes Liz's gentle touch. She can't remember the last time someone was so kind to her. Every touch Gryffen has laid on her has been in punishment or as a mockery of a caress, a reminder of who she belongs to.
"More than almost anything I would like to go with you but I cannot." Minette breathes deeply. Every inch of her hates the steps back to the mountains she must take but she knows that she has no choice. Anguisette's life is worth more than hers. "He will pursue her, but he would be doubly persistent if I accompanied her. I hope that by staying I can distract him from my daughter."
The price she will pay for being that distraction lies unspoken. She has an inkling of an idea of what awaits her when Gryffen returns to find his daughter spirited away. Minette nearly loses her nerve, her body shuddering. Before her courage can fade on her, she straightens her neck and looks into Liz's eyes.
"I cannot thank you enough. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate. You will know where to find me."
She has so little to give, but she offers it wholeheartedly. And then with a hurried dip of her head, Minette turns and sprints away, unwilling for Gryffen to find her in the Meadow.
