"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
He followed her. Of course he did. Magnus was not capable of keeping himself from the task. She had bid farewell, and he had waited several beats before ghosting into the shadows behind her—knowing full well that whatever had been watching them would watch him now, but also trusting in his ability to lose it on the way.
He stayed far enough back that she would not pick up on the pressing of his weight upon the ground, and he took care to avoid the sticks and branches that littered the path—thanking the heavens for the childhood spent tracking animals through the tangled jungle trails. His training served him well.
When he reached the herd land, he did not cross the border and instead watched from afar, gold-flecked eyes burning, the wind shifting the ink of his forelock across his wide, handsome forehead. She was safe, for now, he thought—although something in his gut burned. She may not be that way forever. There was no sign of Gryffen though, and that put him at ease, Magnus nodding to himself when he saw her meet up with the other mares inhabiting the land and then finally fall asleep. Only when she was still did he leave.
***
It was night when Magnus returned, but this time he did not return by land.
This time, he used the newfound gift for travel, the eagle wings spreading wide by his sides as he glided through the air silently. For an hour, he circled the herd land, dipping in and out of the shadows as the moon slanted through the clouds. He watched the quiet movements of the mares, and the foals, watching vigilantly for any sign of Gryffen. It was only when he was certain that the lead stallion was not there that he altered his path, falling quietly through the rolling fog to land silently near the outskirts of the herd where he saw Minette.
His smile was warm, mischievous, and his eyes flashed as he walked up to her quietly. “Minette,” her name was whiskey on his tongue, and his stomach tightened with pleasure knowing that she was still safe—that no harm had befallen her since their last time meeting. Without waiting, and without pretense, he made his way to her side and held her close, mouth resting gently on her poll for a second. “I am glad to see you again,” his voice was husky and quiet, spoken in hushed whispers between them. “How are you?”
Barely had an hour passed in the long winter months that she did not think of Magnus. The memory of his company sustained her through many weary days. She longed for and dreaded his coming, never doubting that he would.
As time passed, her belly swelled with Gryffen's child, and Minette wished that she was truly and finally free. Only Felinae's young daughter stilled her restless heart and wild thoughts of escape. The winter months had proved harsh, just as unforgiving as the mares had feared, and Besra's survival had been their chief focus.
Especially after Leck had attacked Minette. The gray mare's eyes darkened with pain and worry as she thought of her son. The wound had healed rapidly, unbidden, and Minette had not liked the calculating look in the growing stallion's eyes. Every day she felt she knew him less and less. For the remainder of the season, Minette had kept her girls as far from the roaming boy as possible.
But they had made it through, all of them, and found themselves greeted by warmer days. Still foggy and chilly, for the mountains never let go their icy fingers on the land, but with tufts of green and young ravens to signify spring. The world had kept turning, whether the pale gray mare wished it to or not.
A moment of peace among the mares and their children, and Minette slipped some distance away. Her joints always hurt worse in the early morning air but she had found that taking a walk eased the burning pain some. It was a dichotomy she would never understand, this pain she always lived with and her ability to close any other wound inflicted upon her.
She heard him, then, his footsteps announcing his arrival and defining him from the heavier ones of Gryffen and the lighter ones of Leck. The golden colored stallion with a smile on his face greeted Minette as she turned, relief flooding through her body.
His touch was a rare delight for her skin, a caress both gentle and confident. A quick smile fluttered across her features and his name fell from her lips, as naturally as breathing.
“Magnus.” She leaned into him, a weight of anxiety lifting from her shoulders. “Not as glad as I am to see you, I think. I can't believe you really came. I wanted you.”
A grateful light shone in her brown eyes as Minette studied Magnus, checking him for wounds as surely as he had done for her. It was instinctive, but she cared for him, and did nothing to hide it.
“We're all right. The winter was rough, and Felinae gave birth early, but enough roots and things survived that we didn't starve.” Minette tossed her head towards the herd where Felinae stood with Besra, and Minette's own daughter, Amorette. The girl was beautiful, delicate and tiny as Min was. She felt a great rush of love and sadness whenever the little girl's eyes met hers. What sort of world could the mother offer her?
“Gryffen came back for awhile, in the autumn. He-I have a daughter. The little smoky black one. She is called Amorette.”
Minette turns her head into his shoulder, murmuring into his chest.
"And you? How have you been, Magnus?"
What she doesn't say is that she missed him, but her emotions are as easy to read as ever, and it is doubtful he does not know.
ooc: chronologically, I am placing this as after Minette has given birth for this season. Gryffen showed up at some point and impregnated her. :p Just for reference!
The young girl doesn’t notice her mother walk away as she was too engrossed in her game with Besra. The older filly was taller than her, even though the winter had been hard on them, but that didn’t mean that little Amorette lost all their little games. Hide and seek and tag games were their favourites and especially the last was something the smoky black girl liked playing. She wasn’t that fast or cunning, but she was quite agile – that was if you ignored the clumsiness that came with her young age. And unlike the bluish girl Amorette was able to use the mares – both her own and Besra’s mother – as an obstacle, when she ducked to run underneath them Besra had to make a stop or she would collide with them.
As the darkness settles in completely and Felinae calls her daughter to her side for the evening Amorette notices her mother’s absence. And just then she hears her name, carried towards her on a soft breeze. The young filly turns to look at the cobalt blue roan mare and her daughter, but she can hear the soft lullaby that was supposed to sing Besra to sleep.
A small pout forms upon her lips, still too hyped up from their game to be able to rest too. So instead the dark girl decides to look for her mother. Luckily for her it isn’t too hard to find the light colored mare. What surprises her is the stranger that stands close to her.
Her whinny is shrill as she joins them, coming to stand alongside her mother as she curiously gazes at the buckskin and winged male. Since she had never met her father she is amazed by the pair of wings and it is only after a few seconds that little Amorette turns to look at her mother. Without realising it her head tilts a little to the side and she softly presses her nose against her mother’s shoulder.
”Papa?”
Her soft question lingers in the air as she turns to look at the golden male.
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
Knowing she is safe is the greatest gift he has ever been given, and he breathes easily for the first time since he had last seen her. Breath loosening and pulse slowing, he closes his eyes, feeling her against his chest and knowing that she was precious and worth protecting—and feeling confident that he could do just that when he was here. It was the moments they were apart that frightened him the most. “Of course I did.”
It’s all he says to the matter. Of course he had come back—he had said he would, after all.
The sunshine of the reunion, however, is cut short by the mentioning of Gryffen, and he does his best to not show his emotions on his face. Jealousy (sharp and dark and bitter) flashes in his breast, but he stifles it, instead turning his gaze to the children she referred to. “She’s beautiful, Minette,” he compliments, not resisting the urge to press a kiss to her cheek, breathing in the sweetness of her, “just like you.”
He is about ready to respond to Minette, tell her that he is good—that he has been busy, that the Gates were beginning to stir with new life and she should see it for herself (and stay forever)—but the child has broken away from the rest of the herd and is making her way toward them. He remains quiet, polite, and waiting for Minette’s cue on how to respond, but he cannot deny her childish charm.
He always was putty in the hands of children and women.
“Hello there, Amorette.” He drops his handsome head down toward her, making eye contact with an easy smile. “I’m not your papa—but I am a friend of your mothers.” His voice is soft, husky, “My name is Magnus.” He catches her looking at the giant eagle wings folded at his sides, and he ruffles them for her, laughing gently. “They are funny looking, aren’t they?” Stepping away from Minette for a second, he extends them to their full wingspan, tips of the feathers stretching out to the side. They were rather impressive in this view—powerful and built for a bird of prey. They would serve him well in a fight.
Winking toward her, he tucked them back into his sides and stepped closer to Minette, touching her neck briefly for a second before looking back to the filly. “Would you like to touch them, Amorette?”
11-07-2015, 07:41 PM (This post was last modified: 11-07-2015, 07:43 PM by Minette.)
la jeune fille marquée
If Minette knew of Magnus' jealousy, she would have put his mind at ease. This child, like the two before her, weren't a choice she would have made. She loves them all dearly, even wayward Leck, but Minette had long dreamed that children would come from a stallion of a different type. One who loved her and saw a future encompassing all of life's trials and joys together. She knew it was foolish, and so she never shared that small, sheltered part of her broken heart. As well, it had faded somewhat. Her time as Carnage's plaything had dimmed her natural hopefulness. The gray mare had started to expect darkness from the world, and despair.
But something was changing, and it took form in a kiss.
Minette blinks, surprised and girlishly embarrassed as Magnus' lips graze her cheek. A deep feeling of giddiness rises up in her soul and she laughs, a high, clear sound. It breaks through the fog and startles the ravens above them. The gray mare's eyes dance, filled with light and love, accepting the compliment and reveling in it. Not because she believes she is beautiful. Minette looked at herself and saw only the shadows of scars and desecration. No, she smiled because he believes she iss beautiful, and that is enough.
Minette nickers as the little girl stumbles forth, letting the filly know all is well. She isn't surprised to see Amorette. She is as adventurous as Anguisette was, and immensely curious besides. Her question causes a sharp intake of breath, and Minette casts an apologetic look at Magnus. It's her own fault, really. Minette has never mentioned Amorette's father to her, not even a name, so of course the child would latch on to the first stallion to appear.
“She doesn't know about her father.” Minette murmurs in tones meant only for the stallion's ears, before turning to her little girl, a gentle reminder in her voice. “What do we say when we meet someone new, petit?”
Minette doesn't bother to hide her interested amusement at the interaction between the pair. There is something about seeing the stallion she is coming to care for take the time to be patient and gentle with her child that warms her heart. Impulsively, Minette nuzzles Magnus, the bubbling of emotion she feels needing a physical outlet.
With a playful wink at Amorette, Minette says to Magnus, “You know, they are a bit funny looking. And new, too, yes? Did a passing bird give them to you as a gift?”
An idea is forming in the little mare's mind, one she is trying to be brave enough to express.
Her eyes are full of hope and excitement, especially when he calls her by her name, but which instantly goes away as he tells her he is not. Even though she is only a child, she had noticed how her Maman responds to his presence, and even though that means she has to share the pale gray mare, she cannot help but to feel happy as her mother does so too. In her mind she could see them as a little family, but that fantasy got shattered right away.
If she could she would’ve pouted right there, as she turns her head a little to the side to look at her mother. Yet she also isn’t entirely sure what her Maman meant, it is the first time she meets a stranger. ”Nice to meet you” she thus mumbles, only just loud enough to be heard. Amorette’s gaze casts to the ground, not daring to meet either of the adult’s gaze, afraid that she had said the wrong thing and that she would’ve disappointed her Maman.
Yet her disappointment and insecurity is soon forgotten as he ruffles his wings. ”Ooh.” It is impossible for the young girl to hide her amazement and without realising she steps closer to him, but only to back away again as Magnus stretches them. She can only gaze at them in awe and excitement rises again.
The smoky black girl giggles softly as she hears her Maman’s playful words, eyeing the golden stallion with interest as she waits for his reply. But her naïve mind cannot help but to wonder about the thing Maman had said. ”Maman?” she softly asks, moving closer towards Minette to press her dark muzzle against the mare’s light coat. ”Can I get them too?”
Amorette wonders if she had heard him right, that she understood right, before jumping up in the air. A wide grin spreads across her lips and her short tail waggles in excitement. ”Can I really?” she asks, wanting to make sure that it is indeed okay before she would cross the boundary. Though it doesn’t stop her from moving closer. Her gaze is moving from the eagle wings towards Magnus’s eyes, waiting for him to confirm before she curves her neck to reach for them.
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
Magnus does not miss the disappointment in Amorette’s eyes when he reveals the truth, and when Minette whispers in his ear that the child did not know her own father, his heart sank. What poison had Gryffen been cultivating here? Pressing his lips in concentration, he glanced back at her. “I can be your father though, Amorette.” He glanced back briefly at Minette, apology flashing in his eyes before looking back to the filly. “In this life, you get to choose who is your family.” He is almost whispering now, as if he was sharing a secret with her, his voice maintaining that honeyed huskiness. “I’d be honored if you chose me.”
He ruffles his eagle wings at his side again, never more pleased with them than in this moment when he saw how Minette looked at them and the wonder in Amorette’s gaze. He carefully moved the appendage so that one draped over the gray mare’s back casually, protectively. “They are indeed new,” he concedes to the duo. “They were a gift from Heaven.” His mouth tightens a little, and his voice drops so that he can murmur something into Minette’s ear. “Mast thought it would help us stand against the Chamber should they choose to raid again.” Magnus had not been there for the first fight; had not been given the chance to stand against them, but he was more than equipped to do that this time. He wouldn’t let the Gates down.
His attention though is quickly brought back to the child before them, and his smile is warm. “You can!” A brief pause, “Those who are loyal to a kingdom are often given gifts such as wings.” He extends the wing not hugging Minette toward the child in an invitation. “Go ahead.” Magnus did not have much of an issue with personal boundaries—did not mind when others were near him and certainly not when they were a child. So he just nodded encouragingly to her before smiling at the mare by his side.
“Well done, little one.” Minette says, whickering encouragement of her manners as she nuzzles her small daughter. A high, musical laugh comes from her lips at Amorette's question. Though the mother tries to be solemn, her eyes dance with merriment. Magnus answers the girl's query about wings deftly and the pale gray mare sends him a warm, grateful look. She had not known that such a thing was available in kingdoms. Although Minette cared little about such gifts (she'd been soured on them from her experience with Carnage's “gifts”), she was pleased to see hope bubbling up in her little one. She missed the days when she had thought everything in the world was possible and was thankful to recognize the eager excitement in Amorette.
But there was some sweetness left to the gray mare yet.
A tender look washes over her features at Magnus' offer. If Minette had chosen a father for her daughter, she didn't believe she could have chosen a better one than this stallion. His protective nature, even to checking in on a despondent, scarred mare he barely knows, his genuine interest and sensitivity; all of these draw Minette to his side. She revels in the gentle touch of his wings. It is a place she would be reluctant to give up, although she is only just admitting it to herself in bits and pieces.
“What do you think, Amorette? Shall you have Magnus for your father?” Minette speaks to the girl, but her dark eyes are on the stallion, filled with light. Her voice is husky with emotion and she imagines that her feelings are transparent. How could he not see the strength of her affection for him, when it was written in every line of her body?
Minette scarcely recognizes herself in the words that next leave her mouth. A braver mare is beginning to take the place of the beaten, abused girl, strengthened by the courage of another. “I want to leave with you, Magnus. This place-it's a chapter of my life I'd like to close.” She falters, uncertain, “That is, if you think your home would have us. I want better for Amorette, and the chance to live a life of my choosing.”
She shivers a bit, leaning against the stallion. Fear causes a trembling through her body and she adds, in a voice for only him to hear, “I want this, but I am afraid.”
Afraid of Gryffen. Afraid of Carnage. Afraid of what the future might hold. But in this moment she also finds another fear within her heart. The fear that this wonderful soul she has met will reject the bruised and broken heart she has to offer.
11-09-2015, 11:57 AM (This post was last modified: 11-09-2015, 02:32 PM by Amorette.)
Amorette’s eyes widen a little as Magnus’ words surprise her. In order to confirm that she heard right her gaze moves to her maman, her head tilting a little to the side and she blinks a few times. Did she really hear that correct? And then it settles in. A wide grin appears and her eyes twinkle in delight as she looks back at the golden stallion again.
She doesn’t look towards her maman as she hears her speak, instead she nods, grinning widely as she moves closer towards Magnus to press her nose against his shoulder, no longer aware of any possible boundaries. ”Papa” is the young girl’s final conclusion. Not only does Amorette think that he’s nice, her maman also seems to like him. Then an idea sparks her and the smoky black girl looks up at both adults eagerly. ”Can you be Besra’s father too? You said that we can choose our family right? And it will mean that we’re sisters!” She speaks fast and therefore a little unclear, as the excitement gets the better of her.
A soft, giggling sound comes from her direction as she sees the two adult’s together, her mother hidden underneath the golden wings. She’s too distracted to actually listen to their conversation and even if she would, she’s too young to understand. Except for the part when Magnus tells her she too can get her own pair of wings. And which little girl wouldn’t want such a beautiful gift? ”Maman, I want them too! Oh can I maman? Please!” And with an excited grin she crosses the last distance between herself and the outstretched wing.
Her muzzle ghost along the feathers carefully, giggling softly at the ticklish feeling they give off. She snorts softly and then she suddenly explodes with a burst of energy. As she rears lowly she turns away from the adults before jumping up with all four hooves of the ground. Amorette bounces around the pair, ears perking forward as her legs kick through the air.
She can feel the fatigue settling in once she comes to a halt. Her sides move quite heavily with every breath she takes, nostrils widened and panting softly. But the grin upon her features hadn’t fade. She drags herself towards the two adults and with an not fully meant apologetic grin she moves herself in between them, utterly content with the fact that she has both her parents at her side. ”He’s nice” Amorette says softly to her maman as she looks up at the gray mare with the wide grin still on her lips. And while she fights a yawn she turns to look at Magnus, head tilting a little to the side as she studies him for a few seconds, before blurting out a confession that isn’t really hers to make. ”Maman likes you.”
With that being said the young girl lowers herself to the ground. Another yawn escapes her lips, forcing her eyes closed. Amorette makes herself comfortable, stretching her long limbs as she drifts off to sleep, after all, the night had settled in a while ago already.
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
Magnus heart is complicated in many ways, but in this it is completely and utterly straightforward. His love, his affection, for them is simple in its wholesomeness, and he takes Minette’s daughter into his heart without question—forgetting her true parentage with ease. “Daughter,” he responds to her exclamation with a name of his own, and while it is not one that is foreign on his tongue, it is one covered with rust. His gold-flecked eyes spark briefly, and one corner of his scarred lips rise into a crooked smile.
But it is not over, and she is rushing over her words, spitting out names he does not fully understand. He glances up at Minette for a second—eyes a little lost—before looking back to Amorette. “If she is your sister, then I am sure I will love her as much as I love you,” is the answer that he finally decides upon, and he has to assume that Besra is the other filly to the wayside with the other members of Gryffen’s herd.
It seemed he was adopting quite the family.
Not that the golden stallion minded it.
He is still smiling at the child’s outburst of energy when she fades and comes to their sides to eventually lower herself to the ground. At her confession, Magnus just smiles. “I like your maman too.” And he did. After Joelle, he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to feel affection again; when he had crawled onto the beach, he had been convinced that corner of his heart was forever closed—his opportunity at a one great love closed. He still wasn’t sure what was blossoming between them, wasn’t sure that he could bear to open himself up again, but he knew he loved her in the way of summer showers and gentle beginnings.
So he does not bother to hide the surprise and the resulting joy on his face at her idea. His heart rises into his throat and he just nods his handsome head. “I would love nothing more than helping you close this chapter of your life.” At her faltering, he laughs, unable to help himself, but not unkindly. “Have you? Minette, the Gates would be blessed with your presence.” His face sobers a little, and he drops his voice so that the sleeping child between them could not hear, “And I could better protect you there.” He glances toward the others of the herd, “All of you, if they’d like to join.” Reaching out to touch her neck, he pauses, breathing in her in before continuing. “Don’t be afraid, Minette. This will all be over soon.”
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