"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
Even though winter had taken Beqanna into it's cold grasp the islands of Ischia seemed to be untouched. The tropical weather was a welcoming embrace in comparison to the winter chill that had threatened to make him miserable back on the mainland.
Early in the morning the buckskin overo is awakened by the excited chatter of the white-head capuchin monkeys in the trees up above. With slow and sleep filled movements Kelsie finds himself looking upwards and for a while he watches them as they move through the trees collecting various nuts and fruits. As the minutes passed the monkeys grow louder and louder and soon it is more than he can stand. With a loud and bellowing voice he shouts suddenly, "Hey! Quiet!"
With loud screeches the family of monkeys dash off into the distance through the branches of the trees, their calls fading with them the further they move away. With a soft grunt of approval once the last has gone the grumpy stallion looks down and begins to move forward and towards the white sandy beaches of his tropical home. It doesn't take long for his large hooves to begin to sink into the sand and soon after the sound of waves crashing against the shore soon follows.
Coming to a stop at the water's edge Kelsie looks out over the waves watching the light bounce off of it's surface in a dazzling array. Off in the distance Beqanna's mainly sits, drawing his attention only momentarily until finally he turns away, continuing his morning walk. It takes a while for him to come across anyone else, but eventually he spots the colorful mare that had claimed the islands as her home. Without much thought the stallion continues to walk, soon coming up next to her and with a soft grunt he nods in welcome. "Good morning," his voice is quiet. "How are you liking the Islands?"
KELSIE georgian grande buckskin overo stallion the immortal diplomat of ischia
-Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me-
Circinae had been waiting. Rising early to meander through the tangle of jungle growth and pausing every now and then to admire the bold livery her bird inhabitants sported, the dual-colored Keeper of Ischia was only briefly wasting time in an attempt to calm her otherwise restless thoughts. “Where is Corvus?” She thinks, sighing wistfully as the curve of shore breaks the untouched green backdrop into an outcropping of jaded palms and wispy seagrass, “Where is Nyxa, and Crevan?”
Her children, the anchor of her life and purpose to her every waking moment, are nowhere to be found.
So she waits; and while she does Kelsie seems to find their paths in alignment and chooses to draw alongside the leader he’d chosen, but never spoken to. In acknowledgement Circinae tilts her head aside, away from the roaring sea and its manifold mysteries, to where he pauses near her. “A good morning, I agree.” She replies, completing the action with a soft smile. “I find it hard to dislike them, if you know what I mean.” Circy offers, glancing away again to resume her earlier watch over the breaking waves.
“No natural predators, temperate weather year-round, fresh water for those who aren’t kin to fish,” She chuckles lowly, “it almost seems too good to be true.”
It was, but she doesn’t wish to indulge Kelsie with these ideas. There’s ever the constant pressure on her shoulders that comes with being Keeper, or Leader, or Queen - however they saw fit to think of it. Ruan had let his duties slip into nonchalance, Gryffen inspired fear and from that fear, savage loyalty, while Amet had built a throne and then found himself much lonelier on that pedestal than he had expected. She sighs again, a deep and withdrawn sound that relays her feelings without words. “Do you have children, Kelsie?” She asks rather suddenly, the stark pale blue of her gaze snapping around to pin him with intrepid curiosity.
Her smile in response to his quiet greeting surprises him momentarily and before it shows on his face he looks towards the ocean, watching the waves with curious eyes. The way the light bounces and shimmers atop the water was beautiful enough that even he couldn't ignore it. Though as he watches the sea he has no one to think of. Unlike the keeper of the islands he has not a touch of family anywhere. All of his history was gone and fertilizing the earth, helping to give new life to other things.
"I find it hard to dislike them, if you know what I mean." Her next words pull his attention away from the ocean and for a moment his eye meets hers and he nods thoughtfully. "I can definitely understand that," he says in response, "I have been unable to find fault with them myself to be honest." He watches her as she turns her attention back to the waves, waiting for he wasn't entirely sure what. But when she speaks next his lips twitch into the smallest smiles as he nods in agreement. "You couldn't be more right," he sighs softly, "It is our own little piece of paradise -- I have a feeling you will do a good job with this place. I have faith in you."
Turning his head his eyes trace over the beach beside them, and he takes in the peaceful place they each now call home. Though he had never spoken to the mare before, he hadn't a problem allowing her to take her reign. It was probably true that this place needed leadership for such a beautiful place could not having a group running amok. History had proven too many times that such homelands never worked out. Though unlike Circinae he didn't have the experience of leadership. He had never worked closely alongside a leader, nor had he ever attempted to take such a position.
In all honesty he had never even thought of such roles. He had always tried to stay away from them in his earliest years. They just seemed like something he wasn't right for. But without the knowledge, could he really have an honest and truthful thought of such things? Slowly he turns his gaze towards the ocean once more, watching the waves as she does and before he knows it she is speaking again. "Do you have children, Kelsie?" Blinking in surprise he turns his gaze back to hers and coughs slightly. "Um, no. I haven't tried to have children." He says slightly nervously.
"They've always been kind of annoying to me. But maybe one day I will.. You know, if I find a suitable partner." He rolls his shoulders in a slight shrug. "I hope that doesn't make me even more of a grandpa than I now I am." He chuckles dryly before looking down towards the sand. "How about you? Do you have any kids?" He'd honestly be surprised if she didn't. And if she did he'd listen carefully. He may not like kids now, but he could always respect his leaders and even friends offspring.
KELSIE georgian grande buckskin overo stallion the immortal diplomat of ischia
-Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me-
Kelsie’s encouragement is unexpected, but not unwelcome. It gives the green pony a little thrill that someone who had been rather recluse was observant enough to see her workings and find them favorable. If he had been noticing, who else might be watching over her shoulder?
The thought kills her moment of joy.
“Um, no. I haven’t tried to have children.” He says at first. It tips her lips upward into an encouraging grin, even though the hesitation is rigid in his tone. “It never could and yes, I do.” She replies in turn, wondering if he too had pegged her correctly. “Three of my own, to be exact.” She starts, ever the proud mother when given the chance to explain.
“My eldest two are twin stallions now; the younger one, Crevan, has your down-to-earth sensibility.” Circinae explains with tempered humor. “And my youngest is Nyxa; a dainty little cream-colored mare with wings.” She describes. “I’m sure if you walk the shores long enough you’ll come across her. Though, don’t blame me for whatever comes out of her mouth. I certainly didn’t teach it to her.”
Talking like this was an almost forgotten art to the bicolored diplomat. It’d been so long since she’d talked about menial things like her children, or the weather. And Kelsie’s company during? Refreshingly uninvolved. His view and emotions were always kept in check, so Circinae never fears offending or rubbing him the wrong way. He simply listens.
