"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
They had danced all night, bodies slick with sweat and never parting far. It had been one of the most wonderful nights of her life thus far. Well it hadn’t been extremely pleasant, her body had longed for his touch badly. And Jinju had loved every second of it. The day after had almost been better. She had disliked the thought of having to leave her side very much and thus she had pushed it away. Until she no longer could.
Sooner or later she had to go home. Soon the night would be over and the first daylight that was just around the corner would mark the second day of her absence from home. Ever since Jinju had gotten back after her brief trip away from Beqanna she had never spent longer than a day from home. And this surely wouldn’t have gone unnoticed. Normally she was always around. She had chosen this time to return on purpose. If she would face someone familiar tomorrow she could always say she had been patrolling the borders, the sweet spice of the pine trees would soon stick to her skin again.
During times like this she was grateful that her father had taught her the way of the wolf. The butterflies in her stomach made her feel light like air and she moved her slowly getting heavier body around with grace. Careful Jinju made sure to not step on any branches or fallen pine needles. Her ruby eyes took in the dark forest, ears moving around and alert to sounds that would tell her someone was near. Breathing soft and shallow, all to make sure she would get back in unnoticed, like a teenager getting home after a wild party far past curfew.
04-30-2017, 11:48 AM (This post was last modified: 05-17-2017, 04:34 PM by Ruan.)
He walked a brisk pace with a line of worry pinched firmly in his dark brows. She had become a constant presence again, never so far that he could not find her or call for her. Sometimes, she would leave for the field or meadow or anywhere at all that she wished, but she had always returned. Always.
Until now.
Two days. Nearly two days now that she'd been gone. He moved for the forest's border, his chest and shoulders tight with tension. What could have kept her from coming home? What could have happened to her? She was strong, quick. She could fight or run from trouble. She was so powerful, too. Could easily incinerate a number of attackers at once if she must, singe their skin and melt their intentions. Nothing could have kept her from coming home.
So he settled himself to wait. To watch. To worry and stress. Waiting for her return as still as a sentry, staring out toward the forest and praying she would show. And when she finally did, she was so quiet, her steps light and careful, deliberately placed. Her eyes and ears searched the area vigilantly as she continued further. He was washed with relief at the sight of her, a river of cool, and calm, and grateful. So grateful that she was safe after all, and the tension melted away from his back and shoulders, his eyes softened.
"Jinju," he called quietly, the relief clear in his voice as she walked straight for him. She hadn't noticed him yet as she focused on the forest to the sides of her, searching for others. But as she startled to a stop before him, he caught her scent, saw the sweaty marks at her sides where someone had held her beneath them.
His eyes glowed with an instant, frozen fury. The temperature dropped so suddenly from his wild magic that the ground at his feet illuminated with a glittering frost as the forest around him seemed suddenly darker. What selfish bastard would take her against her will, force themselves and their desires on her? He stood still and rigid as he stared at her, hot breath steaming from flared nostrils like some furious hellbeast, nearly growling like the wolf he used to be. He wanted to comfort her, tell her it would be okay, but he was so deep into his anger that stepping forward would appear aggressive.
And then..
He realized her behavior that he'd so quickly dismissed in his relief at seeing her safe and home at last. The way she had returned in stealth, watching for anyone that might witness her sneaking home. His jaw clenched against a new hurt he had no name for as he stared into her face, his brows still tightly furrowed.
"What have you done," he said in a deadly quiet, his voice harder than he'd meant it to be. The smell of sex on her burned in his nose, singed his heart. She was an adult, he kept reminding himself. An adult. Old enough to do these things. No longer his little girl, but a woman grown now. But he hadn't seen it coming, wasn't aware that she held any interest for anyone. With his marriage to Reagan, surely it meant more to her than just a night of fun? That thought burned another deeper, wider hole in his heart, flaring and quickly growing, taking him over in its destruction.
A night of fun.
A night of fun.
He swallowed, shut her out from the fresh pain bleeding into his eyes as he closed them. His head shook slowly and he forced himself to breathe more evenly, the line of his body wilting in defeat. "I'm sorry," he murmured, low and gravelly. He didn't open his eyes as he continued, just as quietly. "Are you happy?" Because that's all that really mattered: her happiness.
It was a peaceful time out; the weather was calm, the meadow remaining undisturbed as some of the Taiga's residents were content to graze on the autumn grasses that would soon begin to disappear when winter arrived. Already there was a heavy change in the air, Aten could sense it. Despite winter still being some time away, the winds were chilly, not completely unlike the frigid winter Aten had gone through in the Falls shortly before the Reckoning. Being his first winter, and not having a complete adult coat yet, all he remembered was how frigid the temperatures had been.
Now, with a couple of seasons behind him, and a thick adult coat to back him up, Aten felt more ready. But that still didn't mean he had to like the colder season. His winter coat was already starting to grow in, a trait he had inherited from his sire, so his dam had told him. According to her, Archam had a tendency to grow his winter coat in early, as had Anahi's parents, from what she remembered. So Aten didn't find it surprising that, now, before winter, his coat was already getting thicker to help protect him from the icy winds that would soon roll over the Taiga.
But he could enjoy these last peaceful days, doing his best to ignore the cold winds at night. Currently, the young stallion was relaxing in one of the bigger meadows Taiga possessed, one of his hind legs relaxed under his powerful body. Despite this, his ever-watchful brown eyes were scanning the grassy land, on the look-out for potential signs of danger. Though there weren't that many residents in Taiga, where he currently was at least, the young stallion had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on those who were here grazing, if only to make sure some unforeseen danger didn't rise out of the shadows, awaiting its chance to pounce.
Aten wasn't the leader, and neither was Ruan, at least, not that he identified himself as one. But Aten respected the older stallion, viewing him as the leader due to his commanding presence and the respectful way the others talked about him. About an hour or so before, Ruan had departed, heading in the direction of the kingdom's border that lined the forest. Vaguely wondering what he was up to, Aten surmised it might have something to do with how Jinju had disappeared almost two days ago. He was concerned for his friend, but, like her sire, knew she could take care of herself. So, while Ruan was gone, Aten decided to stay and watch over the others as they grazed peacefully, not disagreeing if one of them wanted to leave since he couldn't tell them what to do anyways.
Eventually, as time passed and it seemed like things were going to stay quiet, Aten allowed himself to chew on the grass, a little bit on the bored side. Never having watched over a herd of his own, always on the lookout for himself and running from trouble that he couldn't fight on his own, Aten had no outlet to get rid of his energy. He may not have as much as his ever-playful older brother, Nerius, but enough that the young stallion was getting restless. Despite this energy building up, it was nothing compared to how Sirana and Nerius had been when they were younger, but Aten suspected Nerius had retained his playful attitude from colt-hood. He briefly suspected that not all was right in his brother's head, but he had nothing to say about that now. He hadn't seen Nerius since before the Reckoning happened; he couldn't badmouth his brother when he hadn't seen him in so long. That just wouldn't sit right with him.
Munching on the grass peacefully, Aten almost didn't feel it. The change was difficult to describe; it was as if he'd suddenly been poked in the ribs with an icicle, the frigid sensation spreading over him. It was faint, the source far away, but within range enough that, somehow, Aten picked it up. His dam had always been mentioning that Aten had a closer tie to the gifts and magic of Beqanna, even though he'd been born with no special talents. He would define it as some sort of 'innate', or sixth sense, so to speak. He didn't know how he could pick these things up, getting a tingle in his body whenever some horse was using one of their gifts.
Perhaps it was because he'd been born within a year of Beqanna's Reckoning? A slim stretch, since he hadn't been a newborn like Raxa's filly. But maybe that was the case? Whatever it was, all he knew was that, sometimes, he got a tingle if some horse using a gift was nearby.
Said tingling feeling made the young stallion look to the forest, in the direction Ruan had gone some time before. Was the stallion in trouble? Had he sensed something wrong at the border? Had Jinju returned with dire news regarding another kingdom? Whatever the case, Aten wanted to investigate, in the case that he could offer his help.
With a last glance to make sure the others here would be okay, Aten headed toward the kingdom's border, noting the unsettling feeling he got as he entered the forest. Everything seemed... wrong, to put it simply. There was this anger in the air, and, for some reason, Aten got the feeling he knew who was causing it. If Jinju had returned, well, it would be her fault because then, if she was angry, the trees might be set on fire. But since there was no burning inferno, that left the only other option...
A short while of searching led Aten to eventually spot the two horses, upwind from his current position. This worked in his favor, he decided. Having approached quietly enough, despite his heavy structure, Aten hoped they hadn't heard him. It was not his goal to eavesdrops, but rather just to make sure the father-daughter duo was okay. From his current place, he was far away enough that he couldn't hear anything, but close enough that, should trouble arise, he could be here to help.
Ruan seemed to be the one that was angry, given that Aten could see something by the stallion's hooves. But he did not go any closer. He did not want to break the trust he had forming with both Jinju and Ruan. Hell, if they saw him back here, which wasn't that hard to do with his bright coat, they might just think he was eavesdropping and chastise him for it. So Aten remained in hiding, using the darkness of the trees to conceal his coat. There looked to be some tense matters going on here, and he didn't want to intrude unless it became absolutely necessary.
For now, he'd let Ruan and Jinju work out their problems on their own.
OOC: I hope you don't mind me jumping in; the title of the post said 'any' and Aten hasn't been very active lately since, well, haven't really thought of anything to do with him yet. Man I hate school.
If you'd like Aten to exit from this post, go ahead and let me know so it won't make the situation awkward if he gets spotted.
05-10-2017, 06:26 AM (This post was last modified: 05-10-2017, 06:27 AM by Jinju.)
Jinju
She should have known. Of course would he notice her absence. It wasn’t a surprise that he found her without that she noticed he was there, only giving himself away as he calls out. Her first reaction is to freeze, though she quickly catches herself, flicking her tail as if nothing was wrong. ”Dad” she warmly greets him with a smile as she turns to look at him.
But his icy eyes don’t show any happiness at her being home. Instantly Jinju jerks her head up holding it high as her ears turn back towards her neck. Her muscles are tense and she’s ready for what was to come. He does not move though nor speak, until he accuses her. This has her bearing her teeth, his anger feeding her hers. The fire was always easy to flare up. That she had gotten caught didn’t make it any better.
Almost, almost she had hissed something back that she would regret. She might be a young adult, but her fiery nature could be quite rebellious. Ruan apologises, though the look on his face still shows his real thoughts. ”Don’t look at me like that” she murmurs back instead. Her ruby eyes seemingly dance, burning with the fire’s intensity. She does not move closer towards her father, nor does he seem willing to come to her.
His question baffles her though. For a moment Jinju can only stare at him, almost dumbfound. Did he really think she would have let this happened if she didn’t want it to? Perhaps she had wanted it for the wrong reasons, but she had known what the consequences might be. Slowly she steps closer, reaching out to him, suddenly desiring his support over all else. ”I won’t say I’m sorry, dad, because I am not. I wanted this. So yes, I’m happy. Can you please be happy for me too?”
She hasn’t noticed Aten’s presence. Her wolf usually would, but the situation was different now. Emotion ran wild and raw and the tingling in her stomach was now fighting the fire that burned and the need for her father. Ruan might notice him, but his wolf had always been stronger than her’s anyway.
Her fury was instant, ignited so quickly just as the fire inside her was want to do, eager to lick into flames. Her ears tucked away from him and she stood tense. "Don't look at me like that," she told him quietly. After a moment, she stepped carefully closer to him. "I won't say I'm sorry, dad, because I am not. I wanted this. So yes, I'm happy. Can you please be happy for me too?"
He'd stiffened at her admission, that she'd wanted this, but he said nothing. Maybe she'd always be his little girl, but it was so hard to accept that she would choose this. And without a marriage like he'd had. Perhaps such bonds were rare, though. It wasn't fair of him to feel disappointed. He certainly didn't want marriage for her if it would turn out like his did in the end.
He brushed the thoughts away and smoothed his face, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "If this is what you want, then I am happy for you." With a roll of his shoulders, he tried to shake the tension that had released more of his magic before stepping to meet her with a light touch across her nose. "I'll do whatever I can for you through this. Just call and I will be here. If your mother were here--"she could help you through this. He cut himself off, his heart burning that he'd even brought her up. Maybe a father's steady support would be enough for her first pregnancy, her first child. He couldn't possibly understand it as a mother could, but he'd do anything for her.
"Whatever you need," he repeated instead.
His ear flicked to the side, a nerve in his neck pinching and tingling. Instinctively, he tried to catch a scent, but found none despite intuition telling him someone was near. Watching. His head turned, searching until he caught just the slightest movement in the shadows, just a bare flicker of shaded gold. Recognition flashed in his bright eyes and he gestured with a small jerk of his head for the young man to join them. "Come."
He'd been wanting to speak with Aten anyway, and it was fitting that he would show now.
His attention returned to Jinju to allow Aten time to approach them. "When you're closer, showing more, I'd like you to stay within the Taiga where I can help protect you and be nearby if you need anything. Please, for me, it would make me feel better knowing where you are." He expected her to fight against that request, growing more and more independent with each day. Needing him less and less for anything at all. "For now, will you join me in paying a visit to other lands? I'd like you to come to Tephra with me and see Magnus again. Then after, continue without me to Nerine. Take Aten with you," he added with a glance to him. Keep her safe, he didn't say.
It didn't matter that the gold stallion hadn't shown any magical abilities, whether he had them or not wasn't why Ruan had chosen him. The young man had shown himself to have impeccable instinct, had seemed to trust his own intuition like a close friend. That was what Ruan needed from him, what Jinju might need from him. He had a better chance at sensing dangerous situations, weighing little details that others might overlook. And he could be trusted. With the amount of toned muscle, he could probably hold his own in a fight as well, if he had to.
"Can you do this for me?" he asked them both, meeting the fire of Jinju's ruby eyes.
Aten wordlessly watched the father-daughter duo as they talked, his facade staying calm even though his emotions turned inside. Jinju's posture changed so quickly Aten almost didn't notice it. In a flash she was baring her teeth at the stallion, Ruan appearing to say something in response to calm her down. The filly's temper cooled like it had water thrown on it, and she moved closer to Ruan, saying something to him while she reached out.
In an instant, Aten knew what she was looking for. He never thought Jinju would so openly show it, so for that to be the case now, there had to be something very troubling going on. Almost troubling enough to make Aten want to show himself. But the stallion controlled his urge, remaining hidden in the trees as Ruan moved closer to Jinju to give her what she sought.
And then, suddenly, Ruan's attention was focused in Aten's direction. Even before the stallion said anything, the champagne knew he'd been busted. With a sheepish gaze in his eyes, but his posture held confident, Aten strode out of cover, obeying Ruan's command to join him and Jinju.
As he got closer, he could make out bits and pieces of what the older stallion was telling Jinju, though he'd missed the crucial part at the beginning. By the time he could hear them clearly enough, Ruan was requesting that Jinju join him on a trip to the Tephra kingdom, then down to Nerine, with Aten himself as her companion. The stallion almost stopped short, surprised by this.
Why would Ruan trust him with such an important task? Not only to visit another kingdom on behalf of Taiga, but to protect his daughter. Did the stallion really have that much blind faith in him, or was this some sort of test to see how capable Aten was?
Aten didn't fail to notice Ruan's glance, and he picked up its meaning immediately. He gave the older stallion a look of his own, its meaning also quite clear. With my life. he promised. It was a promise he would make for any fellow resident of the Taiga, as well as for his family and friends. Aten was a loyal beast, a trait he'd inherited from both his sire and dam.
Ruan then asked if both Jinju and Aten would take this responsibility on. Though he could tell it was moreso directed at the filly, the stallion still took a step forward and nodded his head, keeping it low to show Ruan his respect, "I would be honored to take on this task for you Ruan. I will make sure to be a good representative for the kingdom. I will not let you down."
It is as if weight gets lifted off her shoulders. She steps closer to him at that first touch, hoping he wouldn’t turn her down, because she wanted and needed him close to her. She simply needed him. ”She.. She doesn’t want to see me” she replies softly. It hurts. But there is nothing Jinju can do to change it. She had tried to look for Reagan, and her mother had allowed her to find Enfys, but refused to show herself.
But she still had her father. Ruby eyes find his blue ones and a small smile curls up the dark corners of her lips. ”I need you” she softly tells him. Not only his support, but also his advice and help. Enfys had already been a couple of months old when Jinju had stumbled upon her, and even so, it was nothing compared to becoming a real mother herself.
She does not get the chance to tell him that all. As he notice something, she searches for it too. Instinct kicks in and she raises her head, ruby eyes scanning their environment. Ruan beats her to it. And just a moment before Aten steps out, Jinju has found his hiding spot too. Jinju watches him approach them, not really sure what she had to think of him spying on them like this. Not that she gets the chance to ask him, Ruan is already speaking to her again.
The idea of being caged, locked up home, she does not like it. But she does understand it. So Jinju nods, her muzzle out to touch him. ”At that point I’ll let you know where I am” she promises. Until the moment she would be very close to being due she would probably keep roaming, but it he would feel better if she would tell him where she was going to, then she would.
Never before had her parents asked her to participate in politics. She had done so briefly, having met both Magnus and Nayl, but only because she had approached them first. A child’s curiosity you could say. Never officially. Her gaze follows his to Aten. She didn’t hold anything against the champagne male, one day she might even consider him a friend, but it sort of felt like being assigned a babysitter.
”I can and I will. But please remember I can take care of myself too” she replies. They couldn’t blame her for feeling slightly offended and like she had gotten stepped on her toes for this. Aten agrees too, and perhaps her gaze is a little colder as she looks at him, but at the same time Jinju knows he’s only doing what her father asked. ”When do you want to go to Tephra?”
"She doesn't want to see me," she said, and it repeated through his mind a number of times, each one stabbing at his temper. He'd never expected her to fail him as a wife, so maybe he shouldn't have been surprised that she'd failed their children as a mother as well. He grit his teeth and said nothing, though. He would not speak ill of her to their children. To anyone. It wasn't anyone else's business.
"I need you," Jinju added, and he melted the stiffness in his muscles enough to reach again for her, to brush a cold cheek with the heat of hers in offered comfort. "You have me," he promised softly.
He straightened as the young stallion neared, sharing a silent conversation with him in their eyes. "I will not let you down," Aten promised, and he nodded solemnly. "I trust that you won't," he replied, and he meant it.
If the young man had shown anything about himself thus far, it was that he was fiercely loyal and had a good head on his shoulders. He also better understood by now that they were not much of a kingdom, really, not in the traditional sense. A pack, a unit, a family. Strong and wild and free. Ruan wasn't much of a king, had never aspired to be such a thing, and he felt Aten knew enough of their home now to represent them at Jinju's side. Helping to keep her safe, while at it.
"I can and I will. But please remember I can take care of myself too," Jinju spoke again, and he smiled at the chill in her voice. His fire-child had always had a spirit that could never be broken, no matter what seemed to happen in her life. He chuckled softly, "I know. You are very powerful. It won't hurt to have Aten at your side, though. He's a good man." He shifted around on his feet and lined himself with her, shoulder-to-shoulder, with a light touch at her neck. "We'll go tomorrow afternoon," he answered her other question, "C'mon, let's get you home so you can rest."
He nodded again to the young man, hopeful that he was correct about him and his loyalty. "Thank you, Aten. She'll come for you after our visit, and you can find me at anytime."
