"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
Nostrils flared, eyes glittering, her thick black forelock lashed against her face as she slammed to a stop. Tangerine was nearly vibrating with excitement and passion. The autumn breeze brought her new smells... now that she was standing still for the first time in hours she had the chance to take in each one. New horses. New Forrest. New songs to sing. With a deep breath, she steadied. She knew she was green, she had to keep her head on her shoulders. Naturally, her mind moved in leaps and bounds. Sometimes this gave her an advantage... other times it got her in trouble.
This isn't a daydream! This is really happening.
She was young, not old enough to be a mare but old enough to leave home. She had left a good family behind. Love was all she had for them, but not time to think about them now. She wasn't the homesick type. She wasn't the brooding type. She wasn't any type! Young and alive was what she was, she didn't have to decide who she would be yet.
The reality was now. She was alone, in a good way... independent. For the first time in her life she felt freedom. Her inner glow radiated out. She stood tall and strong, her mane and tail a full wild tangle. The buckskin segments of her painted coat matched the autumn grasses, the white made a match to the blazing orb of the sun. Her heart was that of a lover.
The strangers around her all represented opportunity, she would wait. Fate had been kind to her thus far. Time to see what the breeze would bring her.
04-18-2017, 03:52 PM (This post was last modified: 04-18-2017, 03:54 PM by Warrick.)
He’s taken to the field, though he doesn’t really know why. He knows, of course, the real reason that most come to this place – to find a home, a family, protection. He cannot place why exactly he has come here though, but he cannot help where his legs take him. Warrick has a home. Family? We’ll see. Family is irreplaceable and he has lost those who share any of his blood – but each day dawns with a new horizon and the blue and mahogany stallion tries to convince himself that it also brings new possibilities.
He hasn’t come here with the sole purpose of bringing someone back with him. He doesn’t know his purpose for the trip, but he does know that he enjoys wandering every inch of Beqanna when given a chance, especially when the season was changing. At home, there was only one true season – tropical. He enjoys venturing Beqanna during the other months, to feel the bite of cooler air on his skin.
There is a soft breeze on the air, causing Warrick’s inky tendrils of mane and tail to twist and spiral against his auburn coat. The atmosphere was a bit different today – the sweltering heat has given way to moderate weather. Once bright green grasses now stiffen slightly as they brown in the colder air, much like the sunset hues that now take up residence in the nearby trees. Warrick’s eyes watch the leaves as they sway together in the wind, their tri-colored appearance surprising to him.
Warrick’s eyes fall downwards, their brilliant blue color stark against the darkness of his face. When his gaze falls, it immediately comes to rest on a golden and white mare that was relatively close to him. He watches her for a moment, the excitement that she felt very apparent on her young face. He smiles gently. He knows the feeling.
He trots towards her, blue-tipped ears pricked in her direction. He greets her with a soft nicker as he stops beside her, though keeping enough distance between them that she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable by his joining her. “It’s a great day to be out and about, isn’t it? A great day for adventuring.” he says to her with a smile pulling at his cobalt lips. “I’m Warrick.”
The blue sky shone bright and crisp contrasted with the waining tawny grasses. There seemed to be endless grazing in this new land. The land of plenty, a dreamland. Back home her mother had asked her to wait for spring, winter at home with the herd. But once Tangerine had an idea in her head she became obsessed. She had moved on to new places in her mind and home couldn't hold her. Sometimes her daydreams consumed her like that. She was aching for places she had never seen. Now she was here. Somewhere new.
But how long would this place, or wherever she wintered stay that magical somewhere new? She would think on that later.
The breeze shift and there is another new scent, distinctly male. With curiosity she turns her head, simultaneously flipping the forelock from her amber eyes. She gives a smile as his warm greetings reach her. It seems like she has found a friendly land after all. Her face is open and readable, her ears always gave away where her attention was focused by their direction and right now... both focused towards this new stallion.
Her eyes search his face and find the sky. She blinks. She has never seen such a vibrant blue as his eyes. Does he have magic? The thought flickers across her mind, but quickly is pushed aside. A little too enthusiastically she replies It is! A beautiful day to roam! He seemed to verbalize her feelings! She turned towards him and spoke again, a little more composed this time. Hello Warrick, I'm Tang... well, I'm Tangerine. You can call me Tang if you like. Without taking a breath she spoke what was most on her mind You must know these lands well? Tell me, should I pause in my journey or continue on?
She is still determined to succeed. The filly knows that Brennen had set her the task of recruiting someone to the Lake to prove she was old enough to live there thinking she wouldn't succeed, but Bristol wants desperately to prove him wrong. More than anything, she wants to prove that she is as smart as Carwyn, as pretty as Cassidy, as strong as Brennen, as fierce as the mother she's never met. So even though he thinks she's safe tucked away in the playground, it had been an easy flight over to the Field to try and find someone who wanted to take a chance on the Lake.
She folds her wings against her sides, today having adopted the brightly-colored plumage of a blue songbird she'd seen in the playground, and turns towards the first voices she hears, delighted to see a young mare not much older than herself. A perfect recruit for the Lake! Bristol approaches the two of them with a huge smile, catching the other girl's words as she arrives. "Oh this is no place to stay!" she chirps, glancing at the unfamiliar stallion for a moment before turning her attention back to Tangerine. "This is where people come to find new homes. I'm Bristol, by the way, pleased to meet you."
Father says she talks too much, but at least he's attempted to each her home to be polite. "I'm from Nerine, which is a nice place, but I'm going to be moving to a new place soon I hope, called the Lake, and it's going to be a grand adventure."
i know you're bleeding, but you'll be okay. hold on to your heart, you'll keep it safe.
If Tangerine ever decides to ask him (and maybe she will), she would come to find that the stallion was as ordinary as any other horse, besides the navy blue of his legs, ears, and muzzle. This wasn’t to say that Warrick could be anything but ordinary, but in a land brimming with magic, he lacks any kind of enchanted powers or abilities. He sometimes wishes he could take to the skies to soar through the airstreams high above the world and perhaps never come back.
He is gentle, as Warrick has always been. He’s a guardian and protector ever since he was a young colt and he would probably continue to be that way well into old age. His intentions pure, he watches as Tangerine teems with excitement as she surveys the new land around her. He remembers his first time returning to Beqanna (which was fairly recently) and before he had found Tephra. He did not share the same excitement and enthusiasm as the golden and cream girl before him, though he wishes he had. He had returned to Beqanna for reasons that were no less than tragic. The pain is still there, sometimes peeking through the cracks on his face when he fails to keep the memories hidden.
But here in the cool and fresh air of autumn, with the sun pressing its warm fingertips along his back, his mind does not wander to that place. He is completely distracted by Tangerine and his focus is on her, which could be the reason he even approached her in the first place. She reminds him of Beyah, so positive and encouraging. The thought of his lost sister stings momentarily, a glimmer of sadness flickering across his pensive blue eyes. But in another moment it is gone, and a smile grows on his indigo lips. “It’s nice to meet you, Tang,” he says with a nod of his head, black tendrils of forelock falling haphazardly across his auburn face.
Before he can answer her, he turns his head towards the sound of another approaching. A bay filly flutters down to greet them, her brightly feathered wings tucking carefully against her small sides as she joins them. She answers Tangerine’s question truthfully, her voice bubbling with delight and youthfulness. Warrick’s brows rise amusedly; he’s met plenty of younger horses, and he’s becoming more and more fascinated with how independent each one was. The field is not necessarily a terrible place (any area could become terrible depending on those who venture into it), but the young filly Bristol was absolutely correct. “She’s right,” he states, agreeing with the winged girl and nodding in her direction. “The field is for wandering. If you’re in search of safety and a sense of togetherness…here isn’t where you should stay.”
Bristol mentions Nerine and the Lake. He knew of Nerine, which was a land far from his home on the other side of the coast, with cliffs running into the open ocean. His indigo lips press firmly together in thought, realizing quickly that the other land she was speaking of must be one of the new lands that have magically appeared. He’s not sure who currently resides there at the moment and he makes a mental note to ask Lucrezia if it’s a place they should perhaps visit.
“There are many places in Beqanna that you could call home, Tang. Even an adventurous soul like yourself needs somewhere to rest her head.” He smiles easily; his gaze bounding from Tang to Bristol, and then back again. “There is a place for everyone, if you look hard enough. I took awhile to find my home. It’s a bit north from here, guarded by a volcano. That’s how most know that they’ve arrived in Tephra.”
She warmed under his gaze. She liked the feeling his countenance gave off. His Aura her mother would call it. Gentle yet burning like the auburn of his coat. Quite waters run deep another contribution from her mothers bank of sayings. She was more like The Storyteller, her dam, than she would admit. But today was not a day for reflection. She had a feeling today would be a day that fed reflection, later. Today Tangerine was writing her own story, today was the first chapter. Everything before now was prologue.
The elation from her new found independence cast a golden glow on all she saw today. Even the grasses seemed to smell sweeter here. But then she saw something which put a question in her round amber eyes. There in Warrick's eyes she caught a flicker, like a small quick flame. Not even a fully formed flame, just a spark. There! Then it's gone. But in a dry forest a spark is all that's needed. One spark in an ancient bed of nettles can light an entire woodland. She tucks away that look in her mind. The softening of his focus, a slight tightening in his brow. It was a memory she saw there... and it didn't look like a happy one. It wouldn't do to address such a thing now, and anyway she doesn't have time even if she wanted to.
His focus was pulled away from her. A flutter, a thump, as four light hooves connected with the earth. Mimicking his move she looked toward the new arrival who mysteriously came without the heraldry of approaching hoof beats. Her breath caught, her heart jumped. In front of them stood a winged creature. Up close, the massive birds feathers of the girls wings were fascinating. Of course Tang had seen many feathers as she played in the grasses of home, they had always been a novelty to investigate. But to see such feathers as these! Feathers longer than her tail the details and shimmer momentarily mesmerized her. She had seen these winged horses floating in the sky during her journey, lazily drifting on thermals or blazing like comets, covering miles faster than the fastest hooves could manage. But so close, her wonder was fresh. She had assumed they were a separate race, nobility or deity. The stranger spoke in a casual and relaxed manor, she smiled. Tang reflected the youthful smile back to her.
The stallion spoke in his calm way and she looked back to him pointedly, trying to take a cue on how to interact with such a creature as this winged filly. To her surprise he seemed completely unfazed. Apparently she had a lot to learn.
A place for everyone he said. Is that what she wanted, a place? She didn't think so. Her gaze was drawn back to Bristol. She addressed the two of them in general. Well you two know these lands much better than I! I have no particular place I'm going. Although, I would like to find a home for winter. But I'm not looking for a place to grow roots. She wondered how tightly these territories they spoke of were controlled, patrolled, regulated. She hadn't thought of that. What if she trespassed? She may be young but she knew not all the horses she would meet on this journey would be as welcoming as these two.
Her eyes watched the novel filly, but she kept one ear on Warrick.
04-19-2017, 10:46 PM (This post was last modified: 04-19-2017, 10:46 PM by Bristol.)
Warrick reminds her of her father. He just seems steady and ageless, exuding a sense of calm even though Bristol’s own body and voice are brimming with excitement and the other girl, while certainly not seeming to feel threatened, isn’t nearly as complete unfazed as the stallion. It gives her a little bit of comfort, since she’s wandered away from the place she told her sire she’d be, to have found someone close to her age and a stallion who seems just as reliable as Brennen.
The little bay pegasus doesn’t really take note of the surprise her appearance incites in Tang; she simply assumes that there will be some surprise and concern and tension in anyone who has to come to the Field to find a new place to live. She admires the way Tang casually speaks of not wanting to grow roots, how she alludes to wandering, because that is the reason that Bristol wants to move to the Lake! It is nice knowing that Brennen and Nerine will always be there, but already she grows bored of the same old things day in and day out, and it’s not like there’s anything exciting to do, because all of the exciting things are jobs the adults already have; she doesn’t even have the claim to need to learn how to be a good prince or lord, not like Castile and Ivar with the powerful mothers.
“I’d steer clear of Pangea,” she says after a moment of contemplating Tang’s words, a little frown of concentration temporarily gracing her face. “Papa says it’s a place full of darkness and death. Which sounds rather less than appealing if you ask me.” Everyone may still be getting the lay of the land, but rumors spread in Beqanna; nobody can miss the scar of land that is Pollock and Carnage’s magical mistake. “Any of the other lands are probably nice. Um, there’s Nerine, that’s where I’m from we’ve got the ocean and lots of cliffs. And Warrick’s Tephra has a volcano, which sounds exciting. And, um,” she thinks hard for a moment, drawing the names Brennen has mentioned from the depths of her young memory. Taiga and Sylva – I think they have lots of trees. Ischia is an island, so I guess it also has ocean but I don’t know about an island once the water gets cold, seems kinda like a bad idea to me.” she laughs, a bright sound, imaging horses skittering across a channel of ice that was once water.
“And then there’s the new lands that have just appeared. We don’t know much about them really because they’re only partially explored. That’s where I want to move to – one called the Lake. The people who found it are setting it up just for young horses, to learn and grow up and be whatever they want, and then they can move on to other Kingdoms or a new adventure.” She’s still hoping that maybe she can convince Tang to come with her – after all, it’s supposed to be temporary anyway, which sounds like a great start for a young mare who doesn’t want to ‘put down roots’. Suddenly aware that she’s been chattering away all by herself, the filly sends a sheepish glance first to Warrick, then to Tang, and falls finally completely silent.
i know you're bleeding, but you'll be okay. hold on to your heart, you'll keep it safe.
She is bold and wild, even with the bustle of activity that was only known to a place like the field. She was not afraid, though cautious. She knew what she wanted (or at least at her young age) and seems to be on a journey to find the exact thing she is looking for. Her confidence is electric, for both Tang and the fledgling Bristol by his side. Though naturally he is a protector and guardian for the younger ones that he meets, his intention was not to forcefully bring anyone to his home. Everything in Beqanna (to Warrick) was an option, a choice; one thing leading to another by decisions. He merely, for the moment, wishes to be in their presence and join in conversation, all the while on alert for any peering eyes that would wish them any harm. He could not help it.
He doesn’t realize yet (and of course, neither does Bristol) that Tang perhaps had never been around the magic that flows inwardly and outwardly of Beqanna. Warrick has no magic himself, but he was born here – it was natural to him to see winged equines. Tang was in for much of a surprise if she was to continue to explore Beqanna – she would definitely end up seeing much more than feathers!
For being young, Tang was rather smart. So was Bristol. He nods in agreement as she speaks about the various lands that make up Beqanna. “Bristol is right about Pangea. Be careful in your wanderings that you do not accidentally travel there. It is not a place for happiness.” His voice is solemn, grave. He has heard quite a many things about Pangea and their leader, whose name left a bad taste in his mouth. He hopes that the two girls would never find themselves anywhere near that place or near one of its inhabitants.
“You are young. Roots are not necessary now – maybe not ever.” He smiles gently, returning to his own years as a young colt where he ventured nonstop, never slowing down and never staying in one place for very long. In fact, he hadn’t stopped wandering until he had found Tephra and even then, there was no guarantee that he would end up ‘planting roots’ there. If he had to leave, he would be able to – that’s the thing about not having a family…you’re never tied down. “The Lake sounds impressive,” Warrick says with a rise of a single brow in Bristol’s direction. The idea behind their small domain was a noble one. “Tephra is very close to here and is warm all year round – that would solve the winter problem.” He laughs, smiling at the two before him. “Remember though, Tang. Right now you are lucky enough to make your own choices and decisions for yourself. Do yourself kindly and choose a path that you will be happy with. Do not let us force your hand in anyway.” He glances at Bristol, hoping that the young girl would agree with his statement.
Pangea: A place of darkness and death. Well That sounded like the opposite of what she wanted. "And Warrick’s Tephra has a volcano, which sounds exciting" It did sound exciting, Tang had never seen a volcano. And the the New Lands "We don’t know much about them really because they’re only partially explored. That’s where I want to move to – one called the Lake." Both of her new acquaintances gave her good information. She tried to tuck it all away. This realm, a group of such unique and contrasting lands was an interesting place. A Very different from the endless rolling grazing plains of her home.
“You are young. Roots are not necessary now – maybe not ever.” His words brought a smile to her lips as she turned to look at him. Naturally she found the blue eyes again and held his gaze, pausing for a moment to think.
It dawned upon Tangerine that she had an ultimatum. Her new acquaintances each represented two different lands. Although she was young Bristol seemed bold and knowledgeable. She could see the two of them getting into trouble when Bristol was a little older. And Tang liked the girl. In the few moments they had been together Tang could sense their kindred spirits. But the filly was still a child. Tang liked to consider herself a Mare; in the spring she would be entering her third year.
And she was tired of playing the child. Once Tangerine took time to analyze her flight from home she would find this was at the heart of the decision. At this point in her life this feeling manifested as a lust for that abstract adventure. She had left home because she was ready to move on and grow.
Warwick represented life experience. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but that was something she didn't have much of. Her mothers endless storytelling had given her knowledge beyond her years. Her active imagination had allowed her to completely submit and melt into the stories. Sitting at her mothers side, eyes unfocused she had lived one hundred life times. She kept the stories close to her heart and this allowed her to walk the world as one who had lived and loved more vastly than Tang's opportunities had allowed. That was, until you got to know her a little. Under her outward wildness was a pure innocence. A big heart.
For the first time after arriving in this new land she felt conflicted. She looked to the sun. It was on the descent.
It didn't take long before she had an idea.
Tang took a step towards the filly reaching out her muzzle and arching her neck in a playful manner. Her look was earnest and encouraging. "You spoke of a land just for horses like us, the young and free" she meet the girls eye full on, her own round amber eyes shining. "And now I'm curious. I want to meet these others!" But the girl didn't live there now. Which wasn't a surprise given her age. Her voice grew more serious but retained its vibrance "Bristol, look for me in the spring. Your future home sounds like wonderful. Will you be there in the spring? Will you tell the others I'm coming?"
And she wasn't ready to leave the stallion just yet.
With a prancing step she circle back to stand beside the Warrick, a little closer than they had been before "So...." she tossed her head in the general direction of the north "Tephra has a volcano?" The smile on her lips grew a little cheeky. She was A Mare now after all.
