"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
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
In a way, Amet had felt like a part of him had been restored when Iset arrived in Beqanna. He can't remember the reasons he'd used to leave her in the Dunes with Sakir, nor does he want to. She's safe with him here, away from Him, and Sakir is safe in the Dunes, where the yearling boy had always been the quiet, unharmed favorite.
He is still hesitant, of course, to have his hot-headed younger sister in Beqanna without the mediator who was Sakir. Not even slightly prepared for the constant verbal barbs, the metallic Akhal-Teke had mumbled a see you in a bit, don't follow me to Iset and then turned himself in the direction of the coast. Brennen, the winged beast who smelled of salt, had told him of a safe place called Nerine, and while the colt was not yet prepared to trust someone enough to protect his sister, he couldn't help that he wanted to see Brennen's kind bay face once again. The young Amet hadn't realized how tiring the trip would be.
He trots with heavy fatigue down the grey sand shore, his lithe body damp with sweat and sea salt. Amber eyes dart anxiously this way and that, his soft nostrils flaring to accommodate the variety of new scents. There seemed to be many here, who called this place home, and it makes Amet sweat nervously, his movements jerky and uncertain.
Finding his voice after a few minutes, the colt swallows hard before calling across the wide shore and the cliff that borders it, "Brennen?"
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
It is never as quiet here as it was in the Tundra - even the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore is louder than the deadened silence of his snow and ice covered homeland. But he's traded the quiet for beautiful thermals that lift him effortlessly above the Kingdom, and it is there that he soars, glancing down occasionally to see if anything is out of place.
The single form has drawn his attention and he drops lower and lower in wide, lazy circles until he can see the horse better - and is pleasantly surprised to recognize the boy from his strange little encounter in the Field a few weeks ago. He lands a ways away and is already making his way through the sand when his name is called, and he responds with a friendly bucket as he crosses the distance. The heat and sand has clearly taken its toll on the boy, but Brennen pretends not to notice. The pride of the young can be prickly indeed, and he is simply glad that Amet has sought him out.
"Amet," he says when he is close enough, a little smile dancing on his face. "I wasn't sure I would see you again. What brings you to Nerine?"
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
BRENNEN
I'm pretending that Amet told Brennen his name in the Field even though I don't think he did. Lol. Also sorry if this is bad, I'm at work and on my phone but I want to move this along so we maybe get established before the deadline for lands disappearing.
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
Amet's amber eyes flick upwards as his gaze catches a brief flash of movement just inside of his peripherals. The winged bay floats majestically, circling slow and lazy as if he had meant to be in the skies all his life. The metallic colt feels something akin to awe blossom in his chest, but he's too fatigued to truly express it. Instead, he waits patiently for Brennen to land, the young colt's voice shaky despite his attempt to sound confident as he calls to the bay.
Shifting his frame uncertainly, the Akhal-Teke sinks comfortably into the warm sands of the Nerine shore, his ears fluttering instinctively at the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the beach. He's drawn in by Brennen's friendly smile, and finds that his own lips have curled to return the gesture. "Brennen, I..." The metallic bay falters momentarily before puffing out his chest and steadying his gaze on the stallion. "My younger sister, Iset, has also found Beqanna, and we have decided to stay at the Lake together." She had escaped Him, had followed Amet's path (much to his chagrin),and would be, perhaps, Brennen's largest challenge, should he accept the proposition soon to follow.
"We need someone to help us keep it safe and to... keep us safe," he offers almost meekly, before tossing his head at the bay, "You were the first kind soul to find me here in Beqanna, and I'm hoping you would be interested in helping us turn the Lake into a safe haven and maybe some sort of training grounds so that we can keep other foals safe," his gaze hits the sandy earth, knowing full well that his motivation behind this plan would be questioned, and he is unsure if he's ready to share his and Iset's past with Brennen.
Amet
Lol no worries! Sorry this one is kinda short too - way too excited for our plan!
04-16-2017, 07:11 PM (This post was last modified: 04-16-2017, 07:12 PM by Brennen.)
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
Whatever his flaws, and he has many, inability to listen is not one of them. Once his question is asked, he settles into listen to whatever the boy’s response may be. Inky black wings are carefully folded against his sides, his body shifting to one side as he lifts one hoof and settles into the sand. The sun shines brightly off of the boy today, giving him a sheen that Brennen hadn’t noticed in the Field; it reminds him of Yael the Deserts Queen and of the son that had left the Deserts for the Falls to be with one of the many young people he had watched over there – the girl had been Natilyn, but his name is escaping the bay for a moment (it started with an M?) – but he supposes there must be many somewhere outside of Beqanna who look like them.
Brennen is at first simply glad to hear that the boy has found a place to stay, if somewhat disappointed that it isn’t Nerine. He knows of the new places that have cropped up, has flown over them, but is slowly becoming attached to Nerine and hadn’t bothered to explore. Still, he can picture the verdant and blue lay of the land to which he is sure Amet is referring, and it is beautiful. It reminded him in a way of the Falls, but he had smiled down and kept flying, never giving it a second thought.
Now, though, his gaze sharpens with interest, though he does not allow his body to stiffen or show any tension at all while he listens to the proposition. For a long moment he simply looks back at Amet, clearly turning the words over in his head, and wondering. Is it a remnant of the other filly from the field’s paranoia that leads him to seek to turn a new land specifically into a place for the young, a safe place, or is there something in the boy’s past that prompts him to state his question like so? Something in the way that Amet has interacted with him so far hints at the latter, but Brennen decides against asking. Some ghosts and secrets are not for the sharing, and some are certainly not for the earliest stages of a friendship. Still, he takes another beat of silence to make sure that his absolute fury at the idea that someone would harm a child is tucked away, because it wouldn’t do to frighten the kid now, especially since it’s not Amet he’s angry with.
“It does sound like a project I would be interested in,” he says at long last, letting another smile flicker across his face. “A cause close to my own heart, as well, because everyone deserves to grow up safe and learn to be whatever they want to be.” He hesitates only for another moment, and tilts his head, wondering what the boy knows of Kingdoms and owing allegiance, whether he has experienced them or grew up like most of out-Beqanna, in a herd. “I will have to consult with Nayl, the Queen here in Nerine. I owe her my allegiance, and I think that it would be best if I stay an official resident here. The best way to ensure that the Lake stays the sanctuary you want it to be, I would think, would be to make it so that there are no adults allowed as permanent residents. So while I would be happy to offer guidance and protection, I shouldn’t live there full-time. And if I am to remain here as well, the Queen will have to approve.”
Brennen pauses, waits to see if he objects immediately before he goes on a little. “I think Nayl will approve, though perhaps will want you to be associated with Nerine in some way, even if you are mostly self-governing. A subkingdom, perhaps. She is recently become a mother herself, and seems fond of my own children and grandchildren, and I think she will support an endeavor to provide a safe space and training ground for the young.”
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
BRENNEN
"he responds with a friendly bucket" thats what I get for typing on my phone before 0_0
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
The moments between Amet's question and Brennen's response are long and nerve-wracking for the young colt. Had he any real choice in the matter, he would have led the Lake with Iset in paranoid solitude, but he is not naive enough to believe that they can maintain a territory without the help of an able and mature leader. And, admittedly, it will give him reason to get to know this new place, this Beqanna, instead of hiding away by the lakeside for the rest of his life.
Brennen flashes a smile at him and the metallic bay instantly relaxes, the loosening of his lithe frame probably quite blatant. His winged companion is polite but practical in his response, and the young Amet feels suddenly assured that he has made the right decision. Pricked ears flutter in their tousled bed, listening intently to Brennen's explanation of allegiance and of a woman named Nayl, whose name sounds foreign but nice in his head.
"Thank you," he breathes quickly, the relief showing in his narrow face. His mouth feels like cotton and he clears his throat uncomfortably, unsure of what else to say to the stallion who had so easily accepted his proposal. Amet had expected to do at least a little bit of begging, but he is appreciative that it hadn't come to that. Shifting and pivoting in the sand, the young colt takes a few steps back towards the way he came, offering an apologetic smile to Brennen. "I'm worried, with Iset there alone." He supposes that he must be completely honest with the stallion now - it's the least he can do, considering he would be taking on a large project, assuming the Nerinian Queen would approve. "Will you come see us after you've spoken to Nayl?" Another pause and a quiet chuckle, "And I should warn you, Iset can be fiery."
A kinder word than any of the ones He used to use.
The bay Akhal-Teke bows his head to his new friend before making his way back up the shoreline and, hours later, into the Lake.
Amet
Sorry this thread was so short, I'm excited to keep going forward with this! Did you want to post a thread to Amet & Iset in the Lake?! <3
