"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
Standing beneath the trees, I watch as the few flakes of snow drift to the frozen earth. The snow is barely more than a dusting here beneath the fiery canopy, and while I keep my wings tucked close to my golden body, it is not necessarily for warmth. Sylva lacks the hot springs of Loess, but it is not without its own natural charms. The wind here is less harsh, less chilling than the gusts across the open hills.
I suppose the reds, golds, and oranges of the place are lovely as well, but I prefer to look away from those familiar hues, and instead keep my blue-grey gaze lower. I am waiting for Arthas, not far from the copse where we had me during my first stay here in the woods.
Much has changed since those times. He is no longer king of Sylva but of Loess, and I am no longer a captive of this kingdom, but rather its queen. I had expected to feel something different, to find myself changed. Yet despite my acceptance of a place at his side, my ascension into my rightful role, I find that something is still missing.
I mean to distract myself from this uncomfortable feeling, and I know that Arthas will help with that. There is certainly much to discuss; I have many questions about the kingdom. I have grown accustomed to the ways of Loess, to a pattern of thinking much more mercenary than traditional. What will be my role as Queen? How will it differ from that of Cleric? Will I remain Cleric of Loess as well? And to which king do I owe true fealty? Reason tells me that it is surely to Arthas, to the dappled stallion who I have given myself to, and yet I find myself dubious of my own desires. I dislike the indecision, and so I seek out the king of the autumn forest.
@[Arthas]
thought i'd catch them up to present day since i've been away! :)
It has been a couple weeks since he last saw Lepis, since they last spoke. She agreed to be queen of Sylva, beside Arthas, but he still was not convinced her heart was in it. He could not blame her, she has been through a lot the last time he called Sylva home. He has been out and about in beqanna, meeting with a few different kingdoms and he event caught up with Wolfbane. His heart will always call Loess home, and luckily for Arthas they have a great relationship and with it the two kingdoms are tied together.
He finds himself without a mission today, and he casually walks through Sylva, tracing the border ensuring its protection. It was not long that the scent of his queen ran though his nares and a smile grew upon his maw. When did she arrive? He did not know that she was here already but he would not complain, he quickened his pace and headed towards the direction of Lepis.
With each step the snow beneath him crunched, leaving an imprint of his hoof. The navy and dun mare was within his view and a gentle whinny escapes his maw, he comes to a halt when he is beside her and he extends his neck to wrap around her. Lepis his voice is warm, and his cold body quickly grew warm with her company. He was always okay with remaining embraced with Lepis, and it never seemed long enough, but he eventually let go and looked for her gaze. How is Sylva? He asks, scanning there surroundings, the trees were all bare with the winter season but soon enough they will blossom and offer protection from those in the sky.
it’s easy to lean against him. The motion is familiar and comforting, and I breathe deeply the familiar earthy smell of the dappled stallion. Arthas is a rare constant in my life, and I am immensely grateful to be once more in frequent contact. I’d missed him while I was in Hyaline, and often thought of him and our son, Delta. I smile to myself at the thought of the buckskin colt, and tug gently at a bit of bramble caught in the king’s inky forelock.
For a moment I forget that we are in Sylva.
It comes rushing back when he pulls away, and the intricate pattern of grey dapples I’d been focused on becomes brilliant red and gold. I blink with surprise, and by the time my vision adjusts, Arthas is asking about Sylva.
”It’s fine.” I tell him with a navy smile, my blue-grey eyes covered briefly with a blink of dark lashes. I consider telling him about how I feel, about the constant state of indecision I dwell within. I consider asking him why Rey has come to Sylva and if she’ll be bearing him another foal come spring. I consider all these possibilities, and I decide against them. He had asked how Sylva was, after all. Not how I felt about Sylva. My responsibility is to keep Arthas happy, and he will be happy if I make him so. I’ve thoughtlessly spread contentment into the air, tainted the space around me in an attempt to control my own emotions. I realize this just as I am pulling away, and so I add:
“There aren’t many familiar faces.” The worst of them I had known would be gone. Modicum Mortem, the monster that had broken my wings and my spirit. The woods seem lighter with him gone, though I suspect that is something only I would notice. I’ve not seen anyone I know, truly. Not the fox girl or the pond creature, nor the lavender cream pegasus. Arthas and Delta are the two faces most familiar, though Mary and her mother are becoming more familiar as well.
“What are the plans for Sylva?” I ask him, shifting my hindquarters to better press myself against his warm side. It is no colder here than Loess, though Sylva lacks the hot springs that I love so much. These days I am always cold, and know that Arthas won’t mind the feel of me pressed against him.
She presses against him, a comforting feeling that he never wanted to forget, but it was always a short embrace. As the two's embrace broke he found her gaze with a dull smile, she agreed to live in Sylva with him but was he truly happy to be here? To be with him? He has never tried so hard to make things work with a mare, and he honestly wasn't sure if he was even doing it right.
It's fine she responds to his question, a smile that seemed almost forced. The response caused his smile to fade, was she not happy...? There aren't many familiar faces she says, breaking the silence. Did she mean from her last time in Sylva...or overall? Delta is here! of course, the thought of there child makes a smile grow on his maw Rey and Mary as well Rey might not be the exact equine that she wanted to see everyday, but they were here to stay. He agreed to be loyal to Lepis, but he would not leave his children behind, and with it comes Rey. It was true, she was a temptation, but she was a good fit for Sylva, and she was loyal and supportive when he initially took over Sylva.
She asks what the plans are for Sylva, a shift in the conversation that caused a smile to grow on his maw once again. It slipped his mind that she was not here when he initially took over Sylva, she missed the conversation on the vision for Sylva. She shifts her body to press against his, he leans back into her, taking in these precious rare moments. Sylva and Loess will act as two united kingdoms. His relationship with Wolfbane was if anything stronger since he took rule of Sylva. Loess members can freely move about Sylva, and vice versa. Should Loess be hired for a job and require more assistance we will help. Should a war break out, because some kingdoms like to throw out threats. he says his last words with a few kingdoms in mind we will be there for each other, at the end of the day we will be the two kingdoms that beqanna fears.
09-17-2018, 07:16 PM (This post was last modified: 09-17-2018, 07:16 PM by Lepis.)
Had I known how he worried, I would have been quick to reassure him that there was no need. He is kind and caring and attentive: everything that a mare could want in a stallion. He had even offered monogamy, an archaic tradition that I hadn't accepted as readily as he had seemed to want me to. I do not mind the other women; if anything I appreciate them for what they can give him that I cannot: genuine cheerfulness, satisfaction, children. That awkward admission still lingers between us, and so when he adds that Mary and Rey are here, I wear a smile that looks perfectly genuine.
"Yes, I've seen them a few times." I reply, before leaning farther into the familiar warmth of his side. The physical affection is easy, so long as it remains innocent. I had been frequently, and perhaps suspiciously, absent from the hills of Loess during the autumn, but now that the leaves have fallen (at least outside of Sylva) I'm far more relaxed in his presence.
"Are we to take contracts as well?" I ask, wondering how much of Loess' mercenary command structure we will imitate. "Have we sent out diplomats to the other kingdoms to announce the change in leadership? Is Sylva going to remain a haven for evildoers?" There's curiousity in my dark eyes, but I am glad that Arthas cannot see my face as I ask the questions. My tone is carefully neutral. It's not my place to presume how much independent power I will have as a queen, but it is good to suss out how things might have changed from my position as Cleric of Loess to Queen of Sylva.
She said that she was alone, but when he mentions Delta, Mary and Rey a smile grows upon her face. A relief, perhaps the most genuine smile he has seen from her since there last conversation in Loess. I've seen them a few times she says and a smile grows on his own maw. Delta and Mary were fast growing! They were from two separate mothers but might as well be twins. They had two completely different personalities, Delta was so serious and would make a fine ruler one day....Mary one the other hand...she was a wild child, always looking for trouble and disobeying when she could. He only hoped she would grow out of her childish ways and attempt to prepare for a position in a kingdom.
She presses into him and he gladly accepts the affection. They shared one night of passion but since then there usual affection was as far as it went. He noted the lack of physical desire, but would not press the topic...it took him a while to catch on but perhaps that was why she was not so fast to accept a monogamous relationship with him. The thoughts filled his head but his face remained neutral.
Are we to take contracts as well a question he pondered back and forth for a while. I have not fully decided, what do you think? He values her opinion, perhaps she could settle his mind. I don't see why we wouldn't since we act as one with Loess...
The conversation shifts....She asks if any diplomats have gone to the other kingdoms to announce Arthas and Lepis' new rule....she also asked if Sylva was to remain a haven for 'evildoers'. He stepped away, no longer leaning against her, his gaze looked for hers. No one is a diplomat so far...Brennen from Ischia came, and of course Bane knows, but aside from them no kingdoms have been contacted. He has recently visited Nerine and Tephra so it may come as a shock to them to learn of Arthas' new position. If you do not mind visiting the kingdoms, I can accompany you if you want. Thought he does not doubt her capabilities, she was great at her diplomatic duties. As for our 'evildoers' they are free to stay here, as are any equine who wants a home. We are looking for equines to the dirty work of other kingdoms, the delicate flowers probably won't work out here. Not only because of the tasks they accomplish, but because of the equines who already live here.
I would give nearly anything to be able to know what is going on behind his eyes. How is he interpreting my words, how much weight he places on my actions. Each conversation is a chance to better perfect my craft, though with Arthas the performance had long ago become my favorite. It is comforting, the routine and role I know so well.
Keeping Arthas happy is all I've thought about for years.
I'd had that startling realization after a probing conversation with a stranger. What makes you happy? he had asked me. The answer had eluded me ever since, always a half pace ahead of my questing self. There were immediate answers, of course, and while some of them were right, none had been perfect. Delta. Loess. Arthas. Cleric. Wolfbane. None were what I needed.
I try to keep that in mind when I answer.
"There is a limited demand for mercenaries in Beqanna. Most of the kingdoms espouse neutrality, a desire for peace and quiet." Piecing together the bits of gossip, my conversations with Wolfbane and sources in the meadow; this is my forte. It's easy to get what I need when I project an air of comfort, familiarity, friendship. "And if you expect me to stay in this nightmare of a forest, I'm going to need a few creature comforts."
There, a flash of genuine emotion. I do not pause to gauge the dapple stallion's reaction, and instead carry on. There's entitlement in my tone, just enough to place me as someone who had grown up royal. "We need to convince the rest of Beqanna that Sylva is safe again." He has just told me that it isn't - and it won't be, so I trust him to know that I mean that I will be less than truthful in my diplomacy.
"I think I can spin that story. In the meantime though, I think I'll go to Ischia. It was the last place I flew before my wing was broken." Broken by Modicum Mortem, by the stallion that Arthas had given me to.
Despite the subject, I was relaxing as I spoke - never fully, of course - and by the end of it my head is resting across the rise of Arthas' withers.
The kingdom had been sitting full of talent begging to be used, but the last two rulers failed them. They talked loud but did not take action, Arthas was here to change that. He wanted Sylva to move in the right direction, to become among the strongest kingdoms in Beqanna.
When he asks Lepis what her vision for the kingdom was she responds that there is a limited demand for mercenaries in beqanna. That was true, but if Loess and Sylva were tied together as one they would act together, even still it wasn't enough. She notes that most of the kingdoms desire peace and quiet and he only responds with a snort, the kingdoms that are so open to letting strangers walk through there kingdom. They are all to trusting of strangers, but beqanna has been shaken-ed up a bit and they appear to be a tad bit more protective of there home.
The next words the came out of her mouth made him flinch if you expect me to stay in this nightmare of a forest was she not happy? Did he miss something....what was it that she was missing...but she continues on like nothing happened. We need to convince the rest of beqanna that Sylva is safe again. He tilts his head slightly, but is it? the kingdom had some seriously dangerous equines living in it....but he did not mind the personality of equine who lived in Sylva so long as they were determined and hard workers.
She notes that she thinks she can convince the other kingdoms, and he had no doubt in her. She was one of the best diplomats in beqanna, if anyone could do it, it was Lepis. She mentions that she will go to Ischia, a kingdom he has not had peace with in history. The last part is what really stung it was the last place I flew before my wing was broken was she taking a jab at this now? Years later? Was she still mad? Did coming back to Sylva bring back resentment?
He was not fully sure how to respond, but she rests her head against his withers and he happily accepts her warmth. Whatever you think is best, I am sure you will do great things, and if anyone can convince Ischia, it is you. words that he hoped would be proper, pleasing to her ears. When will you head out? he asks only curious when he can expect her departure.
Accepting Arthas' invitation to come with him to Sylva had been the wrong choice. It is not so much that Arthas is the wrong choice (though truthfully we are both aware of the lack of spousal companionship between us), but rather that the ever-fire woodlands bring back far too many memories. I had been able to handle them at first, but as they days wore on and I began to flinch at every shadow, I began to realize that I'd need to wear a mask again.
Despite the sharpness in my voice, Arthas is not baited, and his only response to my outburst is to wait it out. That is a habit of the men in my life, I realize, thinking suddenly of a mistake I'd made on the dawn of my return to Loess from Hyaline.
'I want to go back to Loess. I don't love you.'
That is what I want to tell him. But I don't. Instead, I blow a warm breath into the dapples of his shoulder. "Tomorrow probably. I want to get an early start." There are other places to go, after all, a myriad of destinations and none of them are anywhere in Sylva.
It was courageous of Lepis to agree to rule Sylva, with everything that happened to her. Perhaps he was narrow minded in thinking that she could return with little discomfort from her past time here. He only hoped being queen would make her happy, all he wanted wss to make her happy....
It appears the harder he tries, the more she pushes him away. He devotes himself to her, and she tells him its ok to have other partners, he asks her to be his queen and she throws tiny daggers when she can. He wonders if she even truly loves him, they feel more like best friends than lovers. There situation was slowly starting to frustrate Arthas.
She breaths into his shoulder and his tenseness quickly fades, she notes that she will be leaving tomorrow. He gives a nod and steps away from her, his frustration was swirling into anger. very well then, best of luck. Let me know if you need anything. He glances at her before dipping his head and departing for the inland of Sylva. If she did not want to be with Arthas, than he has no problem setting her free.
@[Lepis] OOC: loose canon Arthas, feel free to stop him or end the thread here. Whenever the Ischia thread is done perhaps we can do a new one with the results and introducing Lothar?
