"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
I can see through you, see your true colors Cause inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me
He is as smooth as the stones in the river, not a flicker of worry or uncertainty mar the features of his expression. His insides are a different story, twisting slightly as Ledger, Cheri, and Aela fall into step together behind them. It’s hard to ignore Cheri even when she is out of sight, her presence annoyingly prickling as if he can feel those jaded eyes glaring right through his back. Aela’s voice (shy and cunning) catches behind him and he almost snorts with laughter. The thought of the golden mare being timid of anything is hilarious. His confidence returns with this thought, remembering that she is also behind him and it soothes the writhing serpentine feeling that coils deep within his core.
The painted golden marks that streak across the defined ridges of his handsome face sparkle as they catch in the glow of the rising sun as he turns his neck to better look at Oceane as they walk together. “Tarian.” He amends agreeably, having no reason not to. “He did not leave his name.” A wiry grin given as he remembers the ruffled feathers of the older stallion who had seemed none too pleased to find Obscene amongst the flowers. Oceane is the exact opposite, being nothing but pleasant so far and he has enough sense to know that they are both carefully feeling each other out. His elfin ears swivel towards her as his red eyes glance over the canyons that tower over them, his expression still even and calm. “So far the crown is easy to wear but that’s to be expected when the land is quiet. I’m prepared for what is to come when that changes.” He responds matter of factly, his crimson eyes directly meeting her amber ones.
Offspring had stepped down from his rule of Tephra a mere month before he had been born but he remembered the consequences that lingered long after his abdication. Even when the burden had been removed, there had always still been a slight sag to his shoulders. As if an invisible weight had been lifted but the damage had been done, no matter how hard his mother had tried her best to help him. Both of his parents had known the burden of ruling and both had shared those stories of success and failure with him in those few months before they had started to withdraw and then simply disappeared.. leaving him behind and alone.
“It seems fitting to have a Fae amongst the flowers. It’s not as empty as it use to be either.” He finally finishes with a slight shrug of a rolled shoulder. There was only a handful of them. Aela and Wherewolf that had accepted a place in his trickster court. Revelrie, a ghost of a mare that sometimes watched storms with him. His Wisp companion if that counted. A few others called the place home that had avoided him but he didn’t really mind. They accepted him as leader and it was enough. If they wished to live quietly amongst the open fields of flowers then he would leave them be. It was not something he would openly admit but the few beings that called the Pampas home were the closest thing he had to family in a long time. All of them were under his protection (even Steve). Regardless if they liked him or not and regardless of how unpleasant he could be, how drunk or blitzed he constantly was, or the pranks and trouble that his Inner Court might stir… He had accepted that role willingly and would act accordingly. Offspring had imprinted that much on his youngest son.
He is aware of the conversation that continues behind them but it is nothing that still requires his attention so he keeps it on the Loessian Queen. “Tarian” he stresses the name with a small roguish smile, “seemed concerned about the Pampas being less quiet. I wonder if you feel the same way?”
06-06-2021, 08:14 PM (This post was last modified: 06-06-2021, 08:18 PM by Aela.)
YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS
A delicate ear flicks towards the royal pair walking ahead of them but Aela keeps her lovely face glancing between the mysterious Ledger and the alluring Cheri. There is a moment where she thinks that she catches the dark mare frowning - at her? at Obscene? at something else entirely? - but the palomino turns her attention towards the grizzled stallion and smiles charmingly.
(And that is a hard feat for Aela to do, given the current situation. She wonders if the golden stallion is aware of how free he is with his memories, of how even his one eye betrays him. Aela decides to show him a different perspective and flashes a quick memory from the Eclipse - an eight-legged monster with even more teeth that should suit his roving gaze.)
Her expression brightens when she looks at the crystalline diplomat, her face lighting up with recognition. "Oh," she says softly, "that must be why you look so familiar." There is a knowing gleam in those blue eyes as they spark and linger a moment too long on the young mare. Her smile is a little too knowing when Aela adds, "I know I've seen you somewhere before." The slender creature continues to walk along and for a few moments, she does admire the stonework in Loess.
It is unlike her beloved Pangea, but there is something familiar about the sandstone kingdom that makes her recall the place she had called home for so long.
Aela listens to the few things that she can hear coming from ahead: 'I am prepared for that when it changes.' Obscene claims and she truly wonders if he is. There is no preparing for change; as much as any horse can boast that they are ready, it always seems to take them by surprise. Her expression turns thoughtful - perfectly timed as Ledger speaks of the old lands and mentions Tephra and Sylva. She tilts her head prettily towards the older member of their walking party, "Haven't you heard?" she playfully teases the brute. "Obscene means to fill his Court with the loveliest and most powerful that Beqanna has to offer." The young mare explains.
How he means to do that is something she intentionally leaves out.
Oceane finds comfort in diplomacy; she is adept in the throes of discussion and well-versed at carrying herself with authority. It's the unknowns that bother her - the happenings beyond her borders, behind her back, whispered in ears. So to have Obscene and Aela here with her own diplomats at the ready, Oceane swiftly falls into a comfortable rhythm. Clearly, she has been here before. And she's still waiting (with some discomfort) for Ledger to ask her about her past the next time they share private company.
There is the expectation of reciprocity, regardless of whether or not he has explicitly asked for it. He had shared his entire life with her, and though he had not been a willing storyteller Oceane does find a growing desire within herself to share with him stories of her own history.
He did not leave his name. The Loessian Queen is pulled back to the conversation and she returns the fae's wiry grin with her own soft smile. "Tarian is quite duty driven. I'm sure he only neglected to share it because he wanted to return home swiftly. News of a usurpation doesn't come everyday." She wonders after Noah for a brief moment, and finds herself hopeful that the former Queen of the Pampas is in good health, wherever she may be. Oceane can't imagine she had decided to remain with the borders of what had become Obscene's empire.
The obsidian stallion's words are accompanied by their measured footfall and the pleasant murmur of the trio behind them. He, of course, has her full attention - and when he finishes speaking with the affirmation that he is ready for the Pampas to change and grow less quiet, Oceane believes him. He is well spoken and self-confident, if not a little brazen, though she has an inkling that he will use that to his benefit.
And then Obscene refers to himself as a Fae, leaving Oceane to wonder if this is where his brazenness stems from. It's something she feels inclined to ask, to see if he is willing to share the extent of his ability with the woman who oversees his realm, but he's suddenly speaking again and it's on her to answer the query he has presented. She'll have to circle back.
"Tarian," she retorts with her own sharp-lipped inflection, "is only concerned with the wellbeing of the Southern kingdom." Her words grow soft at the edges again, the brief tautness of her lips giving way for the return of a gentle smile. They come to halt at the edge of Loess' largest hot spring where she motions for the trio behind them to explore or swim if they so choose. They will move on in a few minutes to show their guests more of the land. "I'm quite eager for there to be some life in the Pampas. My concern lies with your methods. I care about those who call the South home above all else, and it's important to me that they are safe." She shares with him the South's struggles with the Eastern kingdom, deciding that if she is to give this Fae an opportunity to prove himself at the helm of the Pampas, he is required to know all of the Kingdom's relations. "What you do inside the Pampas is your business, but keep in mind that actions taken by you and your court outside of its borders will reflect on the entirety of the South. And I will not have anyone endangered. The South is not an instigator." Her amber eyes, while not unkind, fall sharply onto his crimson ones. "With that being said, I do not expect anyone to allow themselves or their fellow herdmates to be victimized without immediate retaliation. And if the Pampas finds itself in such a situation, you will have the South's Vanguard, led by Fiorina, and Champion - Tarian - to assist."
She is silent for a moment as she turns her molten gaze to the hot springs and their diplomats. Even in the midst of negotiations, she is pleased to see bustle in the foothills. When, a few moments later, she turns her attention back to the gold-flecked fae, there is some amusement that permeates from Oceane again. "I'm curious, Obscene. Was it only the ease of swiping the crown in the Pampas that drew you to it? I'm honestly quite surprised that Noah had not been removed before now. But surely you scouted out others before choosing your home." She watches him closely, her opaline head tilted and pensive. She gambles, makes an assumption: "Like Sylva, perhaps. What did you think of Sylva and its protector?"
Help me out before I drown Save me now before I give up
There is Oceane, beautiful and vibrant, and his new heart quickens as his one eye falls on her backside. And then there is suddenly a monster in his mind, a frightening creation of 8 legs that seems to have crawled right out of one of Carnage’s living nightmares. For a moment he thinks he is back beneath the Mountain and his hoof catches on a rock, making him stumble slightly. And then it is gone and he is looking once more upon Obscene and Oceane, talking as if nothing is wrong.
The new heart is frantic in his chest, his anxiety rising quickly as his fight or flight kicks into overdrive. He had forgotten the depth of feeling and his panic feels worse without the glass encasing to protect him from such a heavy suffocating sensation. Quickly he glances at the two young mares but they seemed focused on each other, as if nothing is wrong. He cannot fall apart here, not now, and he tries his best to take slow breaths and calm the racing rhythm of his restored pulse. It is a different vision that slips into his mind, one of Oceane’s gentle voice and a soothing touch beneath his jaw.
He is still on edge but not shattered when Cheri brings the attention back towards him and that is a victory in itself. Enough to smile at her warmly and catch what she had said although his muscles are taunt beneath his reddish gold coat and there is a bit of strain to the gold flecks of his eye. Enough to respond to Aela and ask her a question in response. The answer she gives is not one he was expecting and he can’t help but snort, somewhat in amusement and disbelief. A welcome distraction. “Oh?” He asks her, smile still in place. “How is that going?” He’s not particularly impressed or put off by such a statement. It’s also not the first time he had heard such a tactic, Gryffen comes to mind (as well as the white ghosts red eyes) which makes his own gaze flick back to the dark stallion with such similar vision.
Both rulers have stepped away from their little group now and he halts besides the two girls although his gaze still lingers on their retreating backs. “I’ve never seen someone like him before.” He admits, thinking of the glittering gold and long strange ears but then realizing that’s not true. He does look familiar. Offspring had not come to mind instantly but he does look so similar to the Tephra Overseer he had once served that he’s surprised it hadn’t come to him sooner. The last kingdom and monarch he had served before falling from grace. But Offspring had been black as night, not a speck of gold on the man who could wield fire like a blade, and his ears had been as normal as his own. “What is he?”
Ledger
@[Cheri]
@[Aela]
@[Oceane] - Are you proud of me Patrick?
Concentrating on two conversations at once was a new habit Cheri was trying to manifest, but she couldn’t entirely peel herself away from the attentions of Aela. Thankfully Ledger had the sense to take over after she promoted him by name, and Cheri was able to catch snippets of what the two horses in front of their envoy were discussing. Tarian’s name was mentioned often, piquing Cheri’s interest, and then she realized (turning her cheek halfway to throw an appropriately attentive smile at her) that Aela was speaking to her again.
It took only a second for Cheri to switch mental gears, but she did very little to soften the confusion in her expression.
She was fairly sure she’d never met Aela in her life, and would’ve certainly remembered her if they had. “Is she daft?” Cheri considered, stifling a broader smile by flicking her eyes away and out across the grand expanse of the southern Kingdom. In response to the golden mare’s comment she casually shrugged; perhaps it was true, most likely it was not. If she were being honest she’d suggest that the golden mare lay off the nectar for a little while.
It was easier, then, to slip back into a close study of her Ladyship and the Pampas Prince (the latter of which she vehemently kept her eyes off of.) Oceane had become something of an idol to her younger apprentice, absorbing for Cheri to watch in hopes that someday she might apply the same mannerisms to her diplomatic duties. She was suave, confident, not afraid to navigate the rougher waters of conversation when necessary, and most importantly of all she looked the part.
Had it not been for Aela’s ridiculous commentary, Cheri could’ve absorbed herself in the ebb and flow of inter-kingdom discussion all afternoon. As it was, the Pampas diplomat drew not only Ledger’s attention but Cheri’s as well - quickly, too.
The green-and-black pegasus jerked her head toward the other mare, forgetting herself in the moment and chuckling at her brazen declaration. It was good that Ledger replied first - the opportunity to tack on a comment was tempered by his steady response. Still, Cheri couldn’t help herself. “Yes… That’s very ambitious of him.” She slipped in casually, no discretion evident. Her tone was the same an elder horse might use when applauding a foal’s first choppy attempt at using their powers.
“She must be daft.” Cheri smirked to herself, slipping away from the two other horses beside her in order to meander among the thick vegetation crowding a nearby pool. Having just bathed the previous night, she wasn’t in the mood for a soaking. She would, however, dip her head into the most plush of choice edibles for a little midday grazing. “If that’s the type Obscene is interested in,” She pondered wickedly, ripping up a cluster of grass to chew over, “then I wonder why I was ever jealous to begin with.”
Cheri lifted her head and settled comfortably across from the others.
Set against the backdrop of a beautiful day, Cheri couldn’t have looked more stunning. Again she appraised Aela with the flick of her eyes, briefly, and thought her less comely than she had when she’d first saw her standing so close to the Fae Prince. Her hesitations about this little courtly gathering faded away, and she waited with an almost eager sort of attention to hear any further hilarity from the knee-striped mare thereafter.
I can see through you, see your true colors Cause inside you're ugly, you're ugly like me
As the group disbands he glances, only for a moment out of the corner of a red eye, at the little trio that mingles away from them. The scarred stallion and Aela remain together as Cheri breaks away towards some undergrowth. She doesn’t seem perturbed at all by his presence and a spasm of irritation twitches along his withers although his expression remains smooth. Instead of looking at her (how the black of her coat stands out against the brilliant red of the canyon walls and her green seems to fit amongst the lush undergrowth) he turns to Aela. A lingering look that curls at the corner of his lips into something challenging as he wonders if they might explore some of the secret spots Loess has to offer once official business is concluded. The thought seems to ease his annoyance and he pushes both mares from his mind as he turns his full attention back at the one in front of him.
Now it seemed they were getting to the meat of the matter. Oceane had the talent that most experienced rulers had of being able to maintain the fine line of pleasant decorum while getting straight to the point. He arches his neck, a glitter of gold catching amongst the thick strands of black in the awakened morning sun as he listens to her update on a history lesson he had not been aware of. The tensions between the South and the East was not something he had known and he tucks that information to give to Aela later. “The South is not an instigator.” This will become the biggest obstacle (if Aela has anything to say about it). Since he could do nothing but tell the truth (beholden to the limitations of his Faeness) it had become a game to find the words to speak true while not giving away too much. Lying had once been his top skill and now this was his new one, an art form that he enjoyed trying to perfect. He’s not sure how familiar Oceane is with faerie but if Cheri served her (and if she was clever enough to remember his words on that dark stormy night) then she might already know of his inability to lie outright. So he gazes at her directly as if he has nothing to hide. Which he doesn’t, not really.
“I have no issues with the South being as one.” He says with a shrug. It’s true, there was no point in stirring the pot so close to home, especially while they were still filling the ranks. No point upsetting the neighbors, regardless if his Seneschal felt otherwise. He knew the wisdom in that at least. “However my court is one of tricksters and pranksters and they sometimes need more then frivolity and indulgences of the flowers. Harmless pranks.” "Mostly", he thinks with a slight grin. The thought of ambition made something in his soul curl up and die. Maybe it was because he had seen what ruling a full kingdom had done to his parents, maybe because it meant he would have to live up to others expectations and take a hard look at himself as more than a drunken Prince. Aela thought differently however, having enough determination and hunger for the both of them. It wasn’t that he disliked ruling, no he quite enjoyed the title of Prince and putting together his court and all the privilege that came with it. He wasn’t half bad at it either really. The thought of taking over such a large responsibility though (a full kingdom instead of a territory) was rather terrifying and his own sense of worthlessness held him back from whatever true potential he might truly hold. So he let Aela steer most of the course for them but at the end of the day it was he that led the Pampas and if the day came that he had to take the reins out of her hands then he would. The wilted thing in his chest hopes that day will never come.
“Bringing attention to the South doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dangerous or is intended to be so.” He says discreetly as he gazes at the Loessian Queen. “Perhaps if you had a suggestion regarding an outlet for my court, somewhere that might not distress you and your Champion, they can be guided in that direction. I will not stifle my people or keep them from their potential nor would I like to disrupt this harmony the South has found amongst each other.” There was always a middle ground, he remembers from the few lessons he had gotten from his father. It might take some poking and prodding to find it but he’s sure there’s a compromise here. Somewhere. Before he can make a comment on what methods she exactly finds distasteful, she asks him a question that he wasn’t expecting. The grin lingers as he picks up something in that question regarding Sylva. He’s not sure what it is exactly that lays behind her words but he’s sure something important lies in this seemingly nonchalant question.
“I was born in Tephra.” He admits freely as his crimson gaze follows her own before returning back to her. The others at the moment are forgotten, whatever dramatics they’ve gotten up to ignored, as he regards Oceane. “My father had abdicated his crown before I was born but I saw the aftermath of what it had cost him. I’ve taken a different approach then he, one where I work smarter and not harder.” Of course he had taken the Pampas on a whim, had seen it empty and simply took it because it was easy. Simple. His words reflect that without saying as much. He had no desire to return to the ash-lands, had no desire to go anywhere in particular after growing up in the common meadow after his parent’s disappearance. It had truly only been out of spite from the silence he found on the Mountain summit that had led to his whirlwind swoop of the Pampas. “I suppose I was just drawn to what lay among the flowers.” He says with a small smile (for it’s not a lie either) as he prepares to answer the question she really was interested in.
“Before my ascension I had a… run in with Sabra. She convinced me to visit Sylva and all it holds. I chose to strike out on my own despite her kind offer.” Here his vermillion gaze seems to glitter darkly as the red of his eyes becomes something harder. He had not liked the way she had managed to pry things from him that would usually be kept hidden, had managed to loosen his tongue with those hypnotic eyes. Different to the images that Aela could slip into his mind, Sabra's abilities were much more invasive. He still couldn't remember even agreeing to visit Sylva in the first place or how they had gotten there and that prickled at his insides more than anything else. Who knows what else she could "convince" someone to do. That had also happened when he could still lie. Now, well now Sabra was even more dangerous (more than he even realized) when he had no choice but to speak the truth. “I’ve found I like to be on the right side of her stick.” He smirks slightly but he is careful here as he tilts his own golden flecked face back to her. Because he’s curious. Curious to where this could be going and he has some questions of his own for the Southern Queen. With a slightly raised brow he says quietly, “I’m surprised that you two exist so peacefully considering her methods.”
06-23-2021, 06:01 PM (This post was last modified: 06-23-2021, 06:03 PM by Aela.)
YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS
Aela focuses on Ledger, wondering if her little 'trick' did as it was intended. The scarred stallion manages not to trip up or give any indication of the horror that she had intentionally sent his way but his hind hoof catches on a rock. It gives her a small sense of accomplishment and the way that there aren't more lascivious images coming from his mind an even bigger one. A frantic emotion feeds into the air and Aela's smile curves slightly while it crashes off the palomino.
It'll steady, eventually. But she enjoys this, making waves without any horse ever being the wiser that it was the petite company they were keeping. The golden Loessian is still harboring some of it when he addresses the spotted Cheri and Aela turns her slender head to the dark female in their little trio. If the appaloosa couldn't put together where she might have seen her before, well, all the better for Aela. She intends to be the blow that Beqanna never saw coming. If they think her silly and diminutive, that could suit her just fine. "Well, he has me." Aela says and flashes another smile, one that says that she is confident enough in her abilities to be a good starting point. "But hopefully soon we might have some new recruits."
She doesn't need to mention that with her half-brother Reave ruling Nerine, that he can help see anybody that might be of interest for the Pampas. That with Skandar, who can be anything that he should have no problem convincing them to stay. And then there was the Pampas itself, a place so idyllic that Aela imagined most wouldn't even mind their required stay. They can fill the Pampas with potential - keep those that show it and want to stay - and then dismiss the rest.
It's the first part of a plan, one that she hopes might eventually shake every corner of Beqanna.
"You know," she muses in a sing-song voice to Ledger, "I don't really know. Some kind of kin to the Mountain horses is what he told me." The palomino glances back to leaders ahead of them, still trying to keep pace with that conversation. Aela might feign that she knows nothing of leading (and really, she doesn't) but it doesn't mean that she intends to miss the politics of it. They will be necessary for later when they return (though with the way that Obscene is thinking, Aela doubts that there will be much talk of politics until much later). The conversation shifts towards Sabra and her mouth wants to curl into a frown. She had met the Sylvan leader once and that had been more than enough for the glowing mare.
"Funny how the Magic works though," Aela says between the pair, loud enough that the ebony mare should still be able to hear her though she is still looking at Ledger. "He didn't look like that when Cheri or I first met him."
"I'm sure they will be able to find a perfectly suitable outlet somewhere within the Pampas. It's quite expansive," Oceane leaves no room for negotiation on this matter. Despite the warmly amused smile that still lingers at the corners of her lavender lips, her tone is clipped enough to communicate steadfastness. She had made it clear that she did not expect them to roll over and show their bellies in the event someone took a swipe at the South, and that is the only concession she intends to provide for now.
Despite this minor disagreement, they continue forward quite amiable. On occasion, her gaze turns away from the Fae to watch the trio of diplomats or to linger on the casual movements of some canyon wildlife, but the tilt of her ears never leaves Obscene as he works his way towards answering her inquiry about Sylva. The opaline Queen nods as needed, affirming that she is listening to the gilded man as he speaks and offers small bouts of laughter whenever he quips.
"A sound strategy," she responds genially at the mention of working smarter, not harder, but feels relief as he finally rounds the bend to her finaly question. I've found I like to be on the right side of her stick. Oceane grins that pleasant grin of hers and nods in understanding, an ear flicking at the observation he concludes with.
She offers a small shrug before she adjusts the wings at her sides and pulls them tight. "There was a time I did not feel it was my place to meddle with the thrones of those who have existed within the Southern kingdom since before my time." As far as her own understanding went, Castile had been the one to place Sabra at the helm of the golden forest. The thought of it has always struck her as odd, and though inconsequential, it was this fact that had always deterred her from pressing in on the odd Sylvan woman.
Oceane offers her companion nothing more on the subject, neither statement or question, as thoughts of his own feelings on Sabra linger in her head. "Well I believe we've covered quite enough business today. I will leave you and Aela to explore. Please expect me in the Pampas in the coming weeks. It's been too long since I last admired the flowers."
She calls to Ledger and Cheri, informing them of her plans and extending an offer for them to join her or remain with their guests. Before departing on luminescent wings, Oceane ensures that she thanks both Obscene and Aela personally for visiting the head of the Southern kingdom.
Help me out before I drown Save me now before I give up
There is a mental note to remind Cheri later to work on schooling her facial expressions better. The best diplomats were not just extremely observant but didn’t give away too much, something that he too still worked on but at least benefitted from having one less eye to expose his true thoughts. There is blatant confusion on her face but the young mare is at least quick enough to flick her gaze away and seems to settle herself with a small shrug as if she doesn’t care. The one-eyed stallion gets the sense that maybe she does care and he can’t help but notice how those green eyes move so quickly from Obscene to Oceane. Too quickly. He makes a note to either ask her or Oceane about this later, curious to why she is so adamant in avoiding the dark Prince. As Aela mentioned that the Prince in question has her and speaks of recruits, he nods slightly and looks at her with a pleasant expression. “Which category do you fall under? The beautiful or powerful one?” He responds smoothly, having a feeling he already knows the answer to that question. Most of them had secrets beneath the surface. Ledger had the bear, Cheri had her healing amongst other things, Oceane with her new power to grant the most powerful of wishes. What secret does Aela carry, he wonders.
Cheri finally chuckles and mentions something about his ambition before slipping away from them at a distance, leaving him standing with the golden mare. Another thing, he mentally thinks, to remind her to work on later. The green and onyx mare doesn’t wander too far, still in hearing distance and he settles himself beside Aela as they both look back to where the two rulers spoke. She speaks of Mountain horses and it is his turn to be confused as he observes the pointed ear stallion. Any mention of the Mountain made him wary and his thoughts naturally turn to Carnage. Was that who she spoke of? It makes him wary but he still cannot shake how similar he seems to Offspring, something that once seen can’t be unseen.
“Funny how the magic works though, he didn’t look like that when Cheri and I first met him.”
He keeps his one eye on the duo ahead of him as he realizes that his instincts were once again on point. So Cheri did know this stallion, perhaps a bit more personally from the implied tone of Aela’s voice. “Oh?” He asks with a general interest, looking to both Cheri and then Aela with polite curiosity. As if such a statement wasn’t groundbreaking in any way. “What did he look like then?’
Oceane calls for them but he lingers long enough to catch whatever it is that Aela responds with before going to join her at her side. Whatever the fiery golden mare says is enough to make him think and when the Loessian Queen asks of staying or leaving, his choice is (of course) to leave with her. There is something he needs to tell her, something he thinks important. He offers his own polite goodbyes to the gathered crowd before ambling off by her side although his eye lingers for a moment on the red gaze of the Fae Prince. Similar. So very similar, he thinks.
Ledger
@Cheri
@Aela
@Oceane
Looks like it's just the golden trio ;p
Ledger was right: Cheri needed practice. If she was going to find herself in similar situations from here out, she was going to have to learn to keep her temper in check. That was the problem with growing up in a place like Taiga, with parents like hers and bountiful cousins who became fast friends. She had only ever learned to be herself. If she’d stayed in the redwoods with Targaryen there might have never been a reason to change, but instead she made the choice to come south and learn what it was like to truly divulge herself in courtly life - and she was still getting the hang of it.
Like her fairytale games as a young filly, Cheri grew up to realize that living amongst vipers required one to grow their own set of teeth in defense.
Obscene and Aela had already been practicing their whole lives. Ob had moved quickly since the two of them had first met, from a nobody to a stallion who walked past Cheri without a second glance so he could walk alongside her Queen as a ruler himself. And Aela … as much as Cheri wanted to view the rich golden mare through a lens of her own making, (and not a polite one at that) she had to admit to herself that perhaps the little irritant was more cunning than she let on.
Her musings could easily be overlooked; her comment about Obscene, however, could not.
“Less golden, shorter ears.” Cheri replied in place of Aela, finished with her snack. She turned a soft smile on the pair of horses some feet away from her, burying the annoyance at having to remember. “He grew up among the fey as I recall, so it’s really no surprise that he became more like the family who adopted him as their own. I think it suits him.”
And that was no lie.
Luckily for her, she had the opportunity to direct her attention elsewhere. Cheri nodded a silent goodbye toward Ledger after that, declining Oceane’s offer to join the Loessian pair as they went about their business. Like her elders she, too, had the ability to pick up on subtle cues when she looked hard enough, and the energy she was reading between her Queen and the one-eyed stallion was palpable enough to keep her away for the moment. She watched them go with a conspiratorial expression, reminded of her own paramour waiting in the gully cavern she called home.
In truth, she longed to cut her time here short so that she could be reunited with Targaryen, but she swallowed her desire painfully and left the grazing area by the hot spring instead, headed for Aela’s company. “Would you like a guide?” She felt forced to ask, hiding the discomfort she felt at the idea of being a third-wheel among the Pampas visitors.
![[Image: Obscene-Pixel.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/fTkjKh9Q/Obscene-Pixel.png){kind=tracking}