"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
The anticipation rakes across him the moment he returns from an inexplicable hiatus. The prospect of having fathered children again sends a surge of electricity through his core. There is a greater part of him that wants to play a fatherly role although he has miserably failed at it times before. From lies to secrets to entirely unknown Tiphon has yet to play a truly successful part in a child's life. It fuels him at this point in time because he doesn't want to fail again - not when it means helping the Dale.
His eyes are pools of molten gold. They peer into the dense underbrush when he materializes on the brink of the kingdom. A humored grin plays across his lips. It feels as though he has been here countless times now, as though this should be a second home.
This time he has a purpose: to meet his child.
A call rings out for the first time ever before he falls quiet, waiting.
this will never end, ‘cause i want more, more, give me more
She’s been a busy, busy little General bee. Plotting. Scheming. Making moves that might eventually work in her favor. Lagertha is playing the long game, and Tiphon and their son are a potential part of it.
However, the eggs are not counted. The chicks remain unhatched. Everything is in flux, and she is sure he is as curious as he to see how they might all come together. He had been vague (purposefully, she knew, for if she were a Queen, she would not make promises she couldn’t keep), yet seemingly enthusiastic about their alliance. A part of her wonders if it is simply at the prospect of having more mini-me’s running around Beqanna, or if it was for their newfound relationship. Perhaps both? The whole mess is certainly must certainly pique an outsider’s interest.
Dalten is her fist child, and Lagertha often finds herself at a loss for what to do with him; feed him, keep him safe at night, yes all those things were apparent. Yet she had her duties, patrols, and training to tend to, and the boy could not come with her everywhere. Better yet, she wouldn’t want him continuously at her heels. She often wonders what he does when he is alone - does he find others his age and play? Does he explore? Has he made friends amongst the sisters or the youngsters of other kingdoms?
She’s asked once or twice what he does, but doesn’t like to be nosy. If it’s important, he’ll tell her, and she will listen. So long as he doesn’t come home bloody and broken. If that makes her a poor mother, so be it; she prefers to think she’s fostering independence instead of hovering like a helicopter parent.
As it is, the two of them are lingering over the first meal of the day when Lagertha hears Tiphon’s distant call. She pauses her munching and lifts her head, trying to determine from which direction it came from. While she hasn’t been expecting him, she assumes that the man would want to see what they have produced. A very faint smile touches the corners of her mouth when she turns back to the dark colt beside her. “Dalten, today you are going to meet your father.”
She waits a few minutes for him to finishing eating and then leads him through the dense foliage towards the border. He may know the way himself, but he does not know what his sire looks like (he resembles her more in color, though time will tell whom he resembles physically). When the pair finally breach the edge, she looks around and spots the white and gold stallion. She nudges Dalten forward a bit, so that the two of them can walk side by side instead of one behind the other, and starts towards the King of the Dale.
He better not be disappointed.
lagertha
carnage x grim reaper; amazonian general
[aeris, i believe jet is going to post dalten too ]
It doesn't take long, just as he expected. The Amazon is typically prompt and seems to frequently patrol in the inner walls of the kingdom.
From afar Tiphon can hear the footfalls of a pair approaching, in which he assumes to be mother and child. A strange anxiety laps over him and chokes him of air for a fleeting heartbeat before he shakes his head and gathers himself. There are a number of his children running around now, but few will have an opportunity to attain power. Few have the combination of two kingdom families merged into one. This child, male or female, may potentially wield power in one of the two kingdoms, if not more should there be marriages among other countries across Beqanna. There are plans for this child so perhaps that is the reason Tiphon finds himself fidgeting until they arrive.
The colt is black. There's no hint of magic to be seen but Tiphon doesn't fault the boy at all. It's a colt; he has a son to potentially inherit the world.
A smile slips across the angel's lips before his gaze lifts to meet Lagertha's. "What's his name?" She met him with silence as to allow their child to have the attention as though on display. Together, this is what they created. There are no defects, no problems. Even she seems of decent health after having carried their product for so long. "Will he live here until he is weaned?" The colt would have no role in a matriarchal kingdom. At least in the Dale, he will be a prince and have siblings to occupy his time. Little does Tiphon realize how the thrill of power may consume all of his children.
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