"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
09-11-2015, 12:28 AM (This post was last modified: 09-11-2015, 12:28 AM by Lyris.)
She’s relieved when she notices Texas’ presence, despite her previous run in with the stallion. She’s well aware of the fact that they need a member of the Falls to make the healing waters work for them, and being that she doesn’t particularly want Scorch to die, they need him. Luckily he keeps his grouchy mouth to himself though, so she stays silent as well.
She remains quiet in fact until Malka appears, and asks after what’s happened. Being that she’s the only one not actively engaged in helping Scorch or the newborn slimeball, she feels obligated to answer. “Something went wrong with Scorch’s pregnancy. We brought her here to try and help her and the child.”
Answer given, she falls silent again as Malka points out that it’s probably not the best to impose so much on their allies. A valid point, especially considering Texas’ attitude towards her the last time she was here. Grumpy old fart.
She’s about to turn and head for the border when Prague steps forward, taking charge. Lyris’ eyes widen in surprise when the grey mare says they will search for the other child that Scorch is mentioning, ‘Volcan.’ She personally had chalked it up to a delusion brought on by blood loss, but if Prague believes there is a second child … the grey mare is a self-proclaimed magician, perhaps she detected something that the rest of them cannot. Prague asks if she will lead a search, and she nods. “Sure. I can get a better vantage point from the air.” And really, it’s not like she’s doing anything else particularly useful anyway.
Then the mare’s voice rings out in her head, even though her lips do not move. She’s definitely believing the whole magician claim now. She tries to reply mentally, assuming the magician will pick up on her thoughts. “She’s never really gotten along with Lagertha, but I don’t think she’d pull something like this. I know she had issues with another mare, a sister who decided to leave, but I don’t remember who. Happened right after I returned to the Jungle.” She wracks her brain, trying to think of the mare's name. It had been the talk of the Jungle when she'd come back, but she hadn’t paid much attention. From what she’d heard though, the mare had thoroughly hoodwinked the former Khaleesi.
She wishes half the jungle hadn’t come with them. They only needed Prague and Sunday to go, and maybe Rhy. Even Rhy wasn’t sure if she was necessary. It’s not that she isn’t grateful for the bond that drags more than half the sisters from the Jungle to the Falls. But if they weren’t here, she would have been able to scoop Scorch up in a solidified bundle of electric and fly her ass to the Falls.
She follows though, because it is was Rhy does. She almost doesn’t go, but when they get there, she’s rather glad she has. No one quite seems to know how the healing waters work. Scorch plops in, but they need a member of the Falls to actually make the waters do anything. But they do work, and she can’t help but turn invisible, disappearing from the crowd as nature takes over. Rhy can’t help here. Sunday and Prague can, but Rhy is nothing.
What she can do is find out who’s helping them, and make it a point to thank them later. She does eventually find him, and she jots it down in her head. She’d be a terrible diplomat if she didn’t. Though she also knows the waters work better with a horse from the Falls actually inside the waters, but magic evolves over the years. It has been a long time since her grandfather discovered the healing properties of the water.
Malka arrives before Rhy returns from her little jaunt as a ghost. Malka is speaking now. She doesn’t disagree with Malka though, as much as the two mares have never particularly been close. Prague takes charge, and Rhy keeps slipping through the group until she reaches Sunday. She’s been here, but out of the way, because there were a thousand sisters floating around and they hardly needed her, too.
Besides, she had so little control over her own empathy (it was still too new, too unformed) that she could hardly stand in this crowd without breaking down into a pile of other’s emotions. She had no idea how Sunday did it. Unlike all her other traits, she could not seem to shut this one off.
Still, she was here for Scorch, and though the mare is taken care of, Rhy comes back into partial view when she’s finally beside one of her only real friends. “I’m here for you Scorch. I can’t stay, but I’ll keep checking.” She would never leave Scorch (or any of her sisters), despite what Malka might have thought. She slips back through the crowd before turning fully corporael. “Sunday, Prague,” she says, looking for the two sisters. “Will you stay and take care of Scorch?” She doesn’t ask Malka, because in this, she trusts the once Erinak. Malka would do everything she could.
This is one of the few things Rhy cannot do. She cannot heal, she cannot search out heartbeats. She is many things, but all of them are deadly. Funny, because she descends so much from a family bent on healing. “The rest of us should return to the Jungle. Prague, when you have leads, you’ll be able to let Lyris know, yes?”
They wouldn’t find the child. At least, Rhy doubted. But they would try. Still, if there was reason to believe there had been two – not just Scorch’s size – then there were only a handful of horses in Beqanna that could have magically whisked one of them away.
And so she thinks, only to Prague, Camrynn betrayed the Jungle and Scorch.
But there were really too many sisters there. And as much as it pains her to leave Scorch, she knows it’s time she returns to the Jungle. Time to help Lagertha. She’d be back, even if they never saw her, just to check on her friend. But she knows that the best thing she can do for all of them, for their alliance with the Falls, is to leave the kingdom behind for now.
Apparently Scorch isn’t exactly crazy. There’s suppose to be another child. The firstborn is still close to her, snuggling into her side. It’s such a foreign feeling, one that she had forgotten. It makes her feel awkward and somewhat uncomfortable, not liking the sudden ache she feels in her heart. Then the girl pulls away bleating for her mother. ”There now.” She tries to console the girl, her plush muzzle against the little one’s neck. ”Your mother is right there but she’s not feeling well.” It’s close enough to what is happening, not wanting to scare her anymore then she already was. The other sisters are speaking, some are going to go search for the missing baby. Others are unsure of what to do next except that they must leave the Falls. She’s one of those that is hesitant as she has the child by her side. Should she stay or go? Should she escort the child away or let her see her mother. Her golden gaze turns to Scorch, knowing she is overwrought with the loss of her baby but she did have one right here in front of her. ”Come child, I think it’s best if we return to the jungle. We must let your mother heal.” She murmurs softly, glancing at the stricken mare in case this would upset her further.
A voice enters her head, that of Prague. Asking for clues. All she can do is shake her head slowly. She has no ideas or assumptions. Too newly returned, she knows nothing of Scorch and the enemies she may have had.
There are more of them than she originally anticipated. The Falls reeks of the warrior women, though Scorch didn’t particularly notice. She hasn’t noticed much over the past few minutes; indeed, she’s been thoroughly dazed. Their voices float through her head as though through water. Volcan, where is… Volcan?
Slowly but surely, the healing waters sink beneath her hairless skin. The pain has certainly faded; whatever magical injuries were inflicted during her daughter’s kidnapping are being slowly melded. By the time Malka lands reassuringly on her shoulder, Scorch has nearly regained consciousness. When the quetzal grooms her soothingly, the mare’s eyes begin seeing again. Aware of her delicate state, Scorch nickers, frightened of raising her head. The sound is low, but calm.
Nostrils flickering, she scents her remaining daughter. Shivering, the feeble woman slowly lifts her great mass until, like her very own newborn, she stands teetering on all fours. Water slides effortlessly across her malnourished, hairless body. Constantly aware of her unstable condition, Scorch does not attempt to decipher the words around her. The magician does, however, break through her disoriented barrier. Looking blankly towards Prague, Scorch nods her head. A silent thank you is all she manages.
She slides a hoof out of the water, sensing a resemblance of her true self returning to her. The first face she focuses on is Sarkis; Scorch murmurs for her to go home, that momma’s alright. The second face is Rhy; she says she can’t stay, but Scorch trusts in her return. Texas glares moodily towards everyone, but even in her state, she recognizes his good will here. She mouths a thank you towards him without waiting to see if he caught the gesture. And as she steps further from the water, more and more faces confront her. Her breath catches.
In the end, she settles for following Prague’s gentle instructions. Ears straining for her newborn, Scorch presses wordlessly through the crowd, though her nose brushes each she passes gratefully. Sickly blue eyes suddenly find Tantalize’s newly adorned figure, though said figure has begun retreating as requested. Heart lurching dangerously, Scorch lunges towards the two, or rather, stumbles.
“I,” She tries, staring as though terrified of herself. “Thank you, Liz.” Gulping, Scorch leans down to nuzzle her darkly coloured child. Inviting the girl closer with soft nibbling and tugging of her baby mane, Scorch brings Vi to her side. “Hey there,” She coos; obviously the dysphoria has not yet worn off.
Meeting Tantalize’s gaze gratefully, Scorch begins trudging back towards the healing waters. She may have come to her senses, but all was not yet well. Halting in hock-deep waters, Scorch encourages Vi to feed with some gentle nudges. Glancing back towards the assembled horses, the fallen Khaleesi nods to them as a whole. Stomach lurching, she lowers her gaze. It matters none to her the fool she has made of herself; the anxious clenching of her guts is caused by one thing, and one thing only:
09-12-2015, 12:26 AM (This post was last modified: 09-12-2015, 12:27 AM by Vi.)
The strange mare says something to her, but it doesn’t register. She whinnies pitifully, stretching out her thin little neck and craning her head around the stranger, trying to catch a glimpse of her mother. “MAMA?!” The spotted mare puts her muzzle against her neck, trying to draw her back in, but she’s having none of it. “MAMA?!” But her mother doesn’t appear.
Sniffling, she backs up until she’s once again at the strange mare’s side. “Mama?”
And then she’s there. The hairless mare towers above her, reaching out and nibbling at her fuzzy dark mane. Vi catapults towards her, slamming herself into Scorch’s side as close as she can get. As young as she is, she doesn’t understand that now is not the best time to be rough. She just wants to get as close to her mother as she possibly can.
Scorch starts moving back towards the water and Vi follows without prompting, still clinging to her mother’s side as close as she can. The hairless mare nudges at her to feed, and Vi complies, latching on to Scorch’s teat with gusto. She feeds for a few minutes, then, tummy full, she snuggles back into her mother side with a tiny smile on her face. “Mama.” She whispers happily. Everything is right in the world.
Or at least it is until the animals appear.
The ground beneath her feet begins to tremble, causing violent ripples in the water. Her little head pops up, suddenly nervous. There, bearing down on them from across the small meadow, is a massive group of animals - giraffes, rhinos, hyenas and lions. And they’re all racing straight at Vi and her mother. Her tiny voice reaches a hysterical pitch. “MAMA!”
vi
the tenth child
Hahaha soooooo Vi got "Jumanjied" in the quest, hence the animals. Enjoy?
(I'm soooorry D: )
Sarkis was as quiet as she had ever been, watching the sisters gather around her Mother. For the most part the young girl was lost amongst the stress and confusion of the situation. What was otherwise a happy go-lucky life, had quickly been covered in an ominous shadow. At least for now. Her face was a mess, tear stained and wet, paths of water spider-webbing down to the ground. The filly sulked, ears spread out flat across her head. She was like a puppy kicked out into a rainstorm, too defeated to even whine at the door.
Her Mother wakes, a bit of her old self again. Go on home she tells Sarkis, and the roans head droops. She didn’t want to leave, she wanted to stay here, even if that meant living among strangers. Anything to stay with her momma, but she was a good girl, she would listen. ”Y-yes mom-ma, ok-okay.” She’s an awful mess, with little self-control and even less motivation to attempt it. She reaches out to press her head into her Dam, taking a parting embrace, she didn’t know when her mother would be well enough to return. Rhy speaks to them all, only continuing to solidify the others instructions to leave. To go, because even with an alliance, the Sisters were not as welcome as she had guessed.
She turns about face, stumbling towards the painted erinak. She wishes to shrink, to become as small as she feels in this big world. Find a rabbit hole to fall into, and maybe she would be returned to the time when things were well. A beam of light had been shed, and she struggles to come to terms with how cruel the world could be. She follows close the woman, brushing her hung head to a multi-hued side.
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