"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
By the time winter finally rolled around into Beqanna, Thanata felt ready. The mare couldn't deny she still felt pretty nervous, with the job she had ahead of her and all. She'd received her training and had Nymphetamine's blessing to go out to the Loess territory and see if the kingdom could provide a worthy alliance for the Tephra, but to be taking on such an important task like this, it's no wonder she was a big uneasy.
When Nymphetamine first called all the diplomats together and handed out their assigned tasks, Thanata did feel prepared. But, looking back, she realized she was prepared to feel important, to show she could handle such an important task, rather than actually take it on. The mare wanted to prove herself worthy to the Tephra, to show she could be a valued member. It wasn't that she was afraid she would be removed from the territory for not pulling her end of the workload, but she did worry she'd be looked down upon by the other kingdom members if she didn't contribute.
Which is why she'd jumped the gun and told Nymphetamine she was ready, even though she'd never done anything like this by herself. It was too late to back out now though, so swallowing her nervousness and bidding Nymphetamine farewell with a promise to return with news soon, Thanata departed the Tephra and made her way to the Loess territory.
Though another diplomat had been assigned to territories on the same side of the mainland as Loess, Thanata did not encounter any of them as they had probably all taken different routes in their journeys to the other kingdoms, like Sylva, Nerine, Hyaline, and the Taiga. Loess was sort of smack in the middle, so Thanata didn't see why she wouldn't have encountered them. But it wasn't her business; they all had jobs to do.
Given that Tephra and Loess were on opposite sides of Beqanna, the trip did take a few days. Thanata didn't take time to stop a lot, except for when she got hungry. Then she'd rest a while, nibble on some grass she could find beneath the snow, nap for an hour, and then be on her way. But given she hardly stopped, wanting to return with news as soon as possible, the black mare found herself at Loess' border around three days after she'd departed home.
Thanata knew she was reaching the border when she felt the footing beneath her change. Even though the ground was covered in a blanket of snow, Thanata's large structure made her sink a little beneath the white powder. As such, she felt the land change from the soft earthen meadows of the Field and Forest to the craggy mountain bluffs that lined Loess' border. Pieces of flora stuck up from the snow due to the unique plant life here, though there was a heavy sense in the air since it was wintertime.
At one point, Thanata's gut told her to stop. She wasn't entirely sure if this was the edge of the border that lined Loess, but she'd rather risk that being the case than entering the territory without permission. The mare's eyes scanned the white blanket covering the land, knowing that now she was here, she could not stop. But was she really ready? Was she ready to face such an important task, to speak with a member of Loess' territory and explain why she was here? Omitting certain facts of course, not wanting to give away too much and possibly endanger her home.
Thanata quickly ran over some of the facts known about Loess. Not much info about the territories was passed around unless horses actually went there to investigate. Most of the info she had came from what she'd learned in the Field on her way here. The land was ruled by a mare, a golden one named Head. It was rumored she originated from another territory called the Taiga, but others had their own versions of the story.
Thanata would worry about that if she confronted the mare herself. For now, she could not worry about who she'd encounter, more like what, instead. If the horse was a threat, or not happy to welcome strangers even if they sincerely meant no harm and if Thanata kept thinking like that she'd start suffering a panic attack.
She could not dwell on this any longer, not if she wanted to get over her fear and report back to Nerine. Sucking in a breath and swallowing her fear at the same time, the black mare tilted her head back and let out a call to the residents of Loess. It was not a threatening call, or a summons, but rather a question, to see if there were any here that would answer her and see what she wanted.
Once finished, the mare waited patiently, somewhat eager to see who would appear from the white drift and ask her to tell of her business here.
She is here, because she is always here and she wouldn’t expect to find herself in any other place. Loess is quaint yet solemn, especially with the frigidity of winter on the cusp of the wind. The icy air twirls throughout the hilly land, groaning as it cascades through the large rocks and sparsely growing trees, which now almost appear completely skeletal with the incoming of winter’s harsh bite. The once blue and bold sky is now scrubbed with a soft grey and white, seamless and broad as it stretches across the yawning expanse, hinting at the inevitable snowfall that will coat all of Loess in more amounts of white, powdery flakes.
Her black skin shivers at the thought, her red-freckled hide shimmering like smoldering embers along the slope of her haunches and muscular shoulders. Her coat is thickening each day with the decreasing temperatures, readying herself for winter’s wrath. The ponds have already begun to freeze and her willow has dropped its leaves – she could already feel the cold, wet snow against her legs, knowing that soon she will have to trudge through it in order to get where she needs to go. She’s heard of lands that are further south, with tropical temperatures that last nearly year-round. She snorts softly, her exhale a plume of vapor as it leaves her nostrils, pluming around her face as it rises. Merida is thankful that at this current time, the sky is clear and that there would be no more snowfall – at least for the time being.
She hears a soft call, brought to her by the frigid winds that swallow into Loess. The black mare’s head rises slowly, her red tendrils of mane and forelock twisting around her face like flames licking against her. Blazing red eyes search questioningly for the source of the unfamiliar voice, a call to request entry into Loess. Merida snorts once again, her lips falling into a thin, dark line. Perhaps she should start thinking of herself as the escort of her home.
Merida moves quickly and purposely, though the banks of freshly fallen snow made what should have been a quick trip a bit more difficult. The snow is not at all packed hard against the ground yet, causing her muscular legs to fall easily through the soft white powder, in turn causing her to use more effort in her steady walk that what was normal. By the time she reaches the black mare, she is breathless, which causes her to take a moment to compose herself before saying anything to the stranger.
It is an awkward few seconds.
The black mare raises her head, deeply breathing as her fierce gaze falls on the one who has requested their presence, her black ears tipping backwards flippantly. She’s sure that Heda is on the horizon and would find the duo quick enough, though she cannot help but think that the golden and navy mare is fretting as to what Merida will do before her arrival.
The thin line that is her lips then breaks into a simple smile.
“Hello,” she says with a flick of her tail against her haunch, “Can I help you?”
Well, not the mare that Thanata was hoping for, but a resident of Loess nonetheless. She would take advantage of this opportunity and perhaps get some information from this mare, after properly introducing herself of course and all that fancy stuff that came with going to a new territory.
So, when she caught a whiff of the mare and saw her appear above the snow, seemingly out of breath, Thanata waited patiently while the other composed herself so she could speak without wheezing out her words. Thanata took in the appearance of the other mare; a young one, with a healthy black coat much like that of the Tephra mare's. The main difference between the two's colors was that the other mare had a fiery red mane and tail, while Thanata's matched the shade of her own coat.
Once the other mare caught her breath, she seemed to examine the situation for a moment before giving Thanata a friendly smile before inquiring if she could offer her help. Of course, Thanata didn't take in that sense; the mare obviously meant she wanted to know what Thanata was doing here.
The mare gave a short dip of her head in greeting, "Hello," she began. "My name is Thanata; I have traveled here to Loess on behalf of the Tephra, who wish for me to perhaps discuss a potential future alliance with the leader of your territory. I have heard tales of her, and I was wondering if you knew if she is around? I would like to speak with her."
There was a time in her life where (quite recently, actually) Merida would not have trusted the black mare. She may have tried to run her out of the area, and not in a very polite way either. Words would have been said, teeth would have flashed…Actually, the words still might be coming. Merida cannot help but to be brash and incredibly nosy when it came to certain things; a filter, she did not have. But the black and red-flecked mare has become quite content with her little quaint piece of Loess, and she is rather comfortable with strangers arriving, for it took the boredom out of her day. Of course, most everyone she ran into was looking for Heda, but that didn’t matter. The case is the same as it always is. Merida listens intently though, brows rising as the mare introduces herself – Thanata – and explains her reason for coming into Loess. Winter’s chill causes Merida’s skin to shiver instinctually, the slate of grey sky with darkening and brooding clouds threatening to bring more snowfall to the area. Merida tosses her head as Thanata finishes, her blazing red tendrils falling haphazardly across her face. Merida is not one for politics or business, as she’d rather stay away from the royal duties and pleasantries that came with monarchs. She snorts softly, thinking how she would give anything for a decent roll in the grass right about now, before shifting her equally red eyes back towards the mare. “She’s here,” she says flippantly but confidently, her black shoulders shrugging with emphasis. “Somewhere,” she adds, glancing around the barren kingdom with a small flick of her tail against her hocks. Merida is slightly surprised that Heda had not found her way into the conversation already; the buckskin was normally in the skies, keeping a watchful eye on all who enter and leave the hilly territory. Perhaps the winter’s bite kept the mare’s navy wings frozen from flight. “An alliance, you say? What would that mean for us, yeah?” Straight and to the point as always, Merida lets her gaze float back to the black mare, curiosity on her face and in her voice, despite the harshness of her inquisition.
Thanata couldn't help but chuckle when Merida told her that Heda was around, somewhere, but appeared to be off taking care of her own business. It reminded Thanata of Offspring a bit, how the stallion frequently went off to take care of things but showed up at just the right time. Seems like Head shared that trait a bit, but considering that both she and Offspring were rulers, Thanata didn't exactly blame them for going off alone. Whether to take care of responsibilities or have some alone time, they deserved it. It had to be difficult running a kingdom, no doubt, and Thanata wasn't sure if she ever really wanted to experience that.
The mare then questioned on what the Loess territory would get out of an agreement such as this. Thanata had spent some time thinking about a matter like that, what the Tephra could offer for an alliance. However, she also knew she had to tread carefully. Nymphetamine had assigned the diplomats into only searching for information and stating their interest in forming an alliance. Had she already messed up?
"Well, the Tephra itself does have a good deal to offer in terms of alliance. There is nothing certain as of yet, given that a lot of kingdoms are still building, but we have the power behind us to make things happen depending on what the situation calls for. Do you think that your leader would be interested in talking about matters such as this?"
07-27-2017, 10:58 PM (This post was last modified: 07-27-2017, 10:59 PM by Heda.)
Heda
Lately she had been quite the popular queen alliance wise, with Hyaline now all squared away, and her father backing her side on every decision there were only a couple left to make decisions and to reach out to. And definitely it wasn't a surprise when someone of the diplomatic nature found themselves face to face with one of her most reliable and possibly her most interesting and secretly favored residents. If anything Heda should be taking the initiative to have Merida by her side.
And surely it sin't no surprise that yet another's come fairing diplomacy from another kingdom, she had left this one to linger. To entrust this into the hands of Merida for a moment before intervening, she soars overhead, navy tipped feather fluttering the warm breeze of spring. Before landing in an ever so elegant manner beside the red glossed mare, her head dips in a short yet respectful greeting.
"I believe your looking for me." She states simply a smile plastered upon her navy lips as always. "I'm Heda and you are?" She doesn't take the effort to force a title forwards, for f anything she would much rather being called Heda than queen. For she hadn't quite earned that privilege yet in the eyes of her residents.
Her gaze flickers about, as her lobes swivel towards the obsidian mare who smells of volcanic earth. not quite hard to catch a whiff of, especially knowing the terrain of most Beqanna kingdoms, and with little knowledge suspects that this mare is indeed a diplomat sent from the helm of Tephra, the tropical kingdom. "I assume we have much to discuss, concerning a possible alliance perhaps?" She hints the words rather quickly, as she had grown quite used to this diplomatic stuff lately.
When another voice drifted into the conversation, Thanata assumed that it was another horse that thought it was the subject of her searching. However, this one proved to be right, for the mare that appeared before Thanata and Merida was a beautiful navy-striped buckskin with golden blue-tipped wings. Thanata knew even before the mare introduced herself that this was Heda, the mare she was looking for.
With her manners in place, Head introduced herself and asked the black mare for her name. Thanata was more than happy to give it; she dipped her head in greeting to the mare, a gentle smile on her face before she spoke, "Hello Heda. I go by the name of Thanata, and you are correct in that I have been looking for you."
Heda questioned Thanata's motives for being here shortly after the mutual introduction, and again proved to be right. Based on what she said, Thanata assumed that other diplomats had probably been here recently, which would explain why Heda seemed so prepared for this matter. Thanata nodded in response to the queen, "Yes, that is why I've come here. On behalf of Tephra, I would appreciate being able to discuss terms of a possible alliance with Loess, if it is in your interest."
08-27-2017, 01:39 PM (This post was last modified: 08-27-2017, 01:40 PM by Heda.)
Heda
Her gaze flickers as she watches the mare, Thanata, perplexed by such an offer, but indeed this forwardness of both herself and the inky mare is not surprising.
With ease she settles into the conversation, hazel hues honed upon the ebony women, "It's a pleasure to meet you Thanata, and welcome Loess." her words are sweet, yet graceful maliced in diplomacy and business. For she had gotten used to the game now, "I am indeed interested. Tell me, what do you propose that will make an Alliance with Tephra in my best interest." She answers, poised and quick witted.
Her gaze lifts, hovering upon Merida for a moment until returning her attention back to the Tephra envoy, whom stood before them.
At first, Thanata is not entirely sure of what she should reveal to the buckskin mare. Diplomacy was not an easy matter among kingdoms, even if they presented a friendly face and the willingness to cooperate with other kingdoms during hard times. But here, Loess was a bit of a foreign territory for the Tephra, which is mostly why Thanata had been sent out here in the first place; there would've been no need for it had Loess been familiar.
So what exactly would be safe territory here for Thanata? What if Heda would only agree to an alliance just for the sake of gaining information about Tephra to use against them later, perhaps in an effort to take over their land? She couldn't jump to conclusions just yet, but playing safe also never hurt any horse.
"There is information that has been withheld from myself, however, Tephra has numerous members, all with varying skills that help protect the kingdom's resources as well as provide a friendly and welcoming home for those wishing to join. We have leaders who can help train in diplomacy, battle skills, and how to protect our homes to best defend against those who would otherwise invade and take over in an effort to increase their own power. We are prosperous in our own right and would be more than willing to not only help you acquire any resources you may need, but also provide you with the means to defend Loess.
"It may not seem the most tantalizing offer, however, it was the information I was given and am proud to present in the hopes that you would at least be interested in forming an alliance. If you wish to speak to one of the leaders for clarification about these matters, I could escort you back to Tephra to meet one of them, or perhaps maybe see if one of them could come here. What will your answer be?"
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