"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
07-15-2019, 12:18 AM (This post was last modified: 07-15-2019, 12:19 AM by Elaina.)
I can remember a time when I was so afraid when even my shadow wouldn't follow me
Today was going to be a day to remember. She could feel it, deep in her heart that thundered softly within her breast. She wasn't quite sure what it was about the way that the sun touched her frame created of gold not so different from the sunshine that reaches down upon the world. The unseen wind runs its finders through her silken, snowy tresses, and she just knew. Excitement raced through her veins and with a push off from the ground she is racing towards somewhere, no where, every where, all at the same time. That gleaming gold coat reflects off the snow, and she stands out against the monotone landscape. For so long, her days had been spent within so many different protective borders, Windskeep, Murmuring Rivers, Paraiso, Woodlands, Culloden, with eyes watching over her, voicing their concern for her protection. And, for so long, she had been blissfully content with the peaceful way of all of these lands, and the protection she was given. Elaina would spend her morning strolling through both the wooded and sunny areas with one or two or three of her many cousins, and then spend her afternoons beside the lake, exhausted from swimming and racing with her crimson cousin. Only to then retire to Lovelace’s cavern before beginning the day all over again in much the same fashion. What more had she been able to ask for given her situation? She had convinced herself that she didn't need grand adventures or wild thrills to be happy, Elaina thought all she needed was her home and her family.
Until freedom found her bones and a wildness raced in her blood.
She halted her running then, feet finding purchase within the snowy ground to bring herself to a sliding halt. The field. Golden twin peaks flicked atop her head, gossamer tendrils flicking softly against her flank. She was beginning to recognize the pieces of this land as she continued her travels. For once, she finds her mind is no longer on her crimson cousin. (Who she has still gained no word of.) Instead, she is thinking of another face, a beautiful mare she had met out in the field: Kensa. A leader here in Beqanna. Until meeting Kensa, Elaina had convinced herself that she was only sticking around this land to get Lilli and to make sure she was okay, but since meeting the mare, she has found herself beginning to relax, to calm. Roots had yet to take purchase within the soil of this new land, but they had emerged, and were looking for a place to settle. The strangest part of it though, was perhaps Elaina was not fighting the feeling, but rather, she willed them to grow faster. Perhaps, she was going to stay after all.
Her steps once more pick up the pace as she moves into a trot. For what she believes to be only a moment, those amber eyes as bright as a whirling firestorm, close beneath long, dark, feminine lashes, but when they flutter back open, a mass is before her and Elaina doesn't have a chance to stop herself. “Oh no,” she says before bumping into them and quickly shuffling backwards. “Oh no,” she repeats, looking to the face she had just quite literally blundered into. “I am so sorry, I was just enjoying the day and not paying attention,” she says, shaking that head adorned with those blonde locks, revealing the heart shaped marking upon her brow. She grins then, trying to make light of an awkward situation. “I’m Elaina, although I am considering my formal title to be Elaina the clumsy, I hope the pleasure is still mine to meet you.”
The field was the perfect place to settle down and relax while everything loomed over his head, there was no point in stressing over all the current situations, those that had already happened and the current ones that were still to rise.
Ruinam walks deeper into the field, all the scents of different horses travelling through the field or making use of it as a home hit him quickly, brushing past him along with a soft breeze that seems to remain eternally here.
His companion joins his side quickly, he had been off adventuring as usual, but Ruinam trusts him to return to his side once he is done, and he usually does.
As they stand quietly a mare suddenly bumps into him, apologising profusely right after, the stallion's companion immediately jumps into a defensive position but calms as soon as he sees Ruinam is not bothered.
"That is quite alright" he smiles warmly, his stature dipping slightly as he greets the mare "It is a pleasure to meet you, I am Ruinam. What brings you to the field?" he asks curiously.
07-30-2019, 11:07 AM (This post was last modified: 07-30-2019, 11:08 AM by Elaina.)
I can remember a time when I was so afraid when even my shadow wouldn't follow me
She shines like the golden sunshine child she is. Her parents had named her in honor of the afternoon sun, bold and beautiful, burning. In turn, she lived up to her namesake. Elaina had not been like some of the typical legacy girls that surrounded her family, far from the quiet Melody and Starlett. The fillies that were raised by their mothers to be poised and proper, elegant and gentle in the presence of their elders or guests. The colts were taught to be calm and courteous. They were taught the formal and respectful ways to greet maidens and those of higher rank, how to carry a sense of level respect and uphold the family name, image, and honor. Elaina had been born eager to test her limits and find adventures, rather than learn her lessons about duty and grace. She loved the feeling of the wind whispering into her ears and running through her tendrils as she raced as wildly and freely as the eagle that soared high above the trees and mountains. The rush of finding something new, the thrill of not knowing where a trail might take her, creating an adrenaline infused concoction of excitement twisted with uncertainty. She was told this brazen personality came from her father, her godfather had always said he was a bit “against the grain”, while that grace in which she took on the world was entirely her mother’s.
The amber eyed girl with pale tresses like long locks of cumulus looks up at the character she had just so clumsily run into. She hopes she had not caused him to become upset in anyway. His warm smile immediately scatters away any of that sense of doubt. “Hello,” she says with a warm, confident smile of her own, looking every inch like her mother in that moment.
It is then those amber eyes flutter down to the companion at his side. “And who is this?” She asks with a smile, a blink of those same eyes adorned with long, feminine lashes. She wasn't quite sure what this creature was, having been forbidden to travel to the Snow Plains her entire life when she lived in Beyond and never having traveled to a place where ice and snow reign. “I am contemplating a home,” she admits. Elaina had met Kensa not too long ago and she was on her way to her land. “Have you met a leader named Kensa?” She asks then. Elaina only knew what the mare had presented her with, unsure what others may speak about her when not in her presence. “She lives in a place called Hyaline?” She asks, providing as much information as she could to the stallion before her.
Ruinam watches the mare's sun-kissed skin glisten in the sunlight, moving abruptly after their initial collision.
Her attention turns toward his companion who now seems quite surprised, in conversations and confrontations the small arctic fox is usually hidden away or close to Ruinam, he is usually ignored, but now with the attention turned to him the fox grins and struts toward the mare "That would be my companion. He doesn't really have a name though" he smiles looking toward his companion who now curls around the mare's legs comfortably "He is a very good friend, and even though he is small he thinks he is my protector" he laughs gently, the fox was always first to judge those that spoke with Ruinam, always jumping into confrontations with the heart of a lion.
"He's quite happy to be out of the heat. We are from the Island Resort, so he quite likes the cooler weather" Ruinam explains, he knew the fox had to hold at least some resentment for holding him in the resort, his thick arctic coat creating a bit of a problem under the sun.
The mare then centres on his question, speaking about Hyaline and her ruler "Ah, I have not met Kensa personally but I do know of Hyaline, it is quite beautiful there" he smiles warmly.
He had not seen a lot of Hyaline, mostly the corners and borders between the other lands, but he did know the scenery was usually beyond stunning "I am sure you will love it there if you decide to stay, we can accompany you there if you would prefer, Elaina the clumsy" he offers welcoming laugh.
Since the resort had been quite quiet, the stallion had no reason to rush back, in fact, Ruinam felt like he had all the time in the world, letting himself relax and wander around before the birth of his first child.
I can remember a time when I was so afraid when even my shadow wouldn't follow me
Before her mother and her father, before abandoning Windskeep and moving to Beyond, she had been that filly who dreamed of both new and wild worlds, untouched by any and never before gazed upon with mortal eyes, and alongside these imaginings of a world even more wild and wondrous that the one she lived in and walked through, she would also dream of a knight in shining armor to sweep her off her hooves, to take her up into his embrace and tell her just how deeply his love and devotion ran for her. She had begged her mother for the stories of aliant princes rescuing princesses from mighty dragons that guarded towers made of cold stone loneliness. And her mother had been more than happy to weave tales of star-crossed lovers going through tremendous lengths to be together, crossing oceans and conquering mountains all for the sake of a love that rang true in their hearts for their special someone. But now, Elaina is not so sure of these stories. She thinks, more than anything, she is better off saving herself and letting love fall by the way side.
A faint smile finds her lips, hardly noticeable to anyone who has not known her for quite some time. The thing she has come to remind herself is that her life could be a lot worse than what it is. It is clear she is sorry from their collision. Elaina would never intentionally hurt another, it just, was not in her nature. Her smile crinkles further into her face as a silver tone of laughter finds her. “Well my goodness, you are quite handsome, I must say,” she says, admiring the little creature beside the stallion. As he meanders through her legs, the sunflower girl finds she enjoys the feeling of its soft fur against her, the way a child may take comfort in brushing their hand through a beloved pet’s own coat. “Well, I am certain he could do some great protecting,” she says towards the little fox before delivering a wink of one of those amber eyes in the pale stallion’s direction.
“Island Resort,” she questions, curiously. “That sounds like Paradise,” she offers. There had been the beach back in Paraiso, but Elaina has never been to an island, she wonders, even how does one get there? While he has heard of Kensa, he does not have much to offer towards her character and her home, aside from its beauty. But, Elaina takes this in stride as she always does and decides, perhaps, no news is good news. After all, the beauty that is Kensa, Elaina cannot quite imagine her being some sinister monster, even in disguise.
His laugh causes Elaina to echo with her own in response. He was kind, Elaina needed some kindness in her life after such a long road of tragedy. She looks up at him from underneath long, dark lashes. “I would love that,” she says with a breath. She turns to stand parallel to him as they begin to make their way to Hyaline. “So,” Elaina begins, because she was not one for a trip in silence, she loved stories far too much. “How did you end up here or were you born here? And if you were…” she says, she needed to know if Beqanna was going to be the place for her. “What made you stay?”
