"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
Once their minds have been decided, the journey goes quickly.
Thal proves to be a strong traveler, and Solace suspects that the young mare would gallop even quicker if she didn't have the recently pregnant Caretaker holding her back. They skirt the coast, keeping clear of the other kingdoms until they reach the river, where they turn sharply west.
"Follow the rivers back to Hyaline if you ever get lost, they flow from our lake out into the ocean." Solace mentions as they do just that. Tracing the waterway they canter upstream, climbing in elevation as they go, and it isn't long before they reach Hyaline's foothills.
Once within the scent lines of her home, Solace visibly. "Almost there," she sighs, "through these mountains their lies a deep, crystalline lake. That is the heart of the territory and a good place to meet the others." The pegasus slows her stride to a trot as she speaks, altering her course to head for a narrow pass nestled between two mountains.
They slip through the narrow alley between the sheer walls of stone and Solace doesn't halt until they reach a clearing at the end of the pass. Bluegrass is plush below their feet as the lake basin opens up before them, and the Caretaker knows that she will never get tired of sharing this view. With a light whinny she calls for any who may be near, and lets her growing family know that she has returned safely.
The mountains had been his home for a short while when compared to some. Living in the shade they provided he had found a peace that had been evasive to him in all his time traveling. The sanctuary had a beauty to it in all the ways that it functioned with such purity. Solace was a fair and just ruler, while Kagerus complimented her mate beautifully. He was honored to be a witness to their leadership.
Even so, and despite Kagerus' encouragements, Hephaestus still had not found himself able to join the majority. Daily he patrolled the outskirts of the land, finding peace in his finally belonging and in his solitude. Swearing his loyalty to Hyaline hadnt changed much by way of choice to remain reclusive. Still a sight more ghastly than most, he could not bear to see hidden horror behind forced gazes. He never wished to become a spectacle.
Wandering lazily about he kept his good eye trained upon the constant rise and fall of the path. Blind left eye turned towards the precipice he veered towards the safety of the trail that looped downward. The path was not unfamiliar to him. Throughout the length of his stay he had traversed the same rocky cliffside since his chosen permanence there. Above him a large tree offered its shade and he paused, his eyes closing in relaxation. Surrounding him there was naught but the sound of insects buzzing and his own accompanying thoughts. His mind slipped and he felt himself slowly drift into a doze. Just as he found his dreamscape the sound of travelers jolted him awake. Slipping father into the shadows he watched and waited for their emergence, the familiar scent of Solace heavy upon the breeze. But she was not alone and he was not trusting of strangers.
08-01-2018, 09:08 PM (This post was last modified: 08-09-2018, 02:53 PM by Thalassa.)
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As Thalassa gallops side by side with Solace, on their way to Hyaline, excitement shudders through her body. She longs to see the mountainous terrain and meet the equines who called it home. The wind tugged at her hair playfully as she ran, air rushing past. She glanced at Solace, making sure she was comfortable with their pace.
They reached another river, lined with a border of duckweed and reeds. As they pass the river, Solace explains how to find a way back to Hyaline using the rivers as her guide. "That's helpful," she replies, interested but enamored with the changing landscape as the path becomes rockier and they get closer to the mountains.
Thal looks up as they trot through two mountains, massive rock towering above her. It is a bit chilling to be so close to something that could be deadly; if there were a rockslide, they'd be pancakes. But comforting at the same time. With so many mountains as guards, it'd be difficult for the herd to be ambushed.
Thal speeds up a bit at the mention of the gate, coffee eyes hungrily searching. Suddenly there it is, a large body of pristine azul water. Sunlight dances across the cerulean depths. The steel mare says nothing for possibly a little too long, but she is drawn to the sea as if spell-bound. Finally, she speaks, barely above a whisper, "It's beautiful." She grins at Solace, who softly whinnies, probably to alert others of their presence.
As for meeting other horses, Thal's nose tells her that may be imminent; she catches the scent of a stranger in the breeze. She looks around, not seeing anyone yet. "Hello?" Thal looks at Solace, wondering if she recognizes the stranger's scent.
Thalassa
MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, I ALWAYS GET UP AFTER I FALL
Solace can nearly feel the energy and excitement flowing off of Thalassa in waves, and it's contagious. Despite their long journey, she feels the urge to gallop down the mountainside and plunge headlong into the cool waters below. But after her whinny, she can see that something has caught Thal's attention, and it isn't long before the same scent floats to the Caretaker. Her brow lifts in delighted surprise.
"Hephaestus?" she calls in the direction of a shadowy patch of undergrowth she could swear she saw move. But she glances back to the steal-and-ivory mare, with mild concern. Sometimes scents drifted in strange ways in the mountains, and the stallion could be nowhere near.
Hephaestus was one of Hyaline's more solitary members, and Solace suspected his disfigurement contributed to this more than his natural born personality - but she had never said such a thing to anyone else - and she wonders if this vibrant young mare could help to bring him out of his shell.
There is comfort found in the cool of his shade. Apprehensively, he ducks his head down low and keeps his eye trained upon the winding mountain road. The travelers' footfalls grew louder as they drew nearer and soon their figures were in plain view of him. Solace leads a strange painted mare and they both halt to admire the scenery around them. Together there is an excitement as the newcomer dances in place. Hephaestus remembered his first time visiting Hyaline. The beauty of the mountainous terrain had reminded him of his home across the sea. There had been joy mixed with a feeling of apprehension. His memories of his childhood home were varied, but he found comfort nestled among the ridges and cliffs.
He remained perfectly still as they continued to linger. Curiosity was not a trait he often possessed, but it seemed Solace sensed his eyes upon them. She moved towards his hiding place and his body grew rigid. It appeard as though the new mare was considering Hyaline as her home, he would only serve to hurt the queen's cause.
Solace's voice beckoned to him and his throat tightened. He had found peace there, but some curses were harder to dispose of. Hiding himself away was easy and he embraced the familiarity of the task. But he had never been able to hide from either of the land's rulers. Theu sought him out and forced him to question the very foundations he had built himself upon.
Tentatively he forced himself forward, stepping carefully into the light. The third eye upon his forehead blinked angrily and he carefully tossed a peice of his forelock over top his more grotesque features. Cordially he nodded towards Solace, keeping himself angled ever so carefully away from the stranger.
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