"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
Lauchlan has a wonderful caretaker, a new home (even if it is only the meadow), a beautiful new pair of feathered wings and no wretched spider problem to speak of! For the first time in his short life, he is starting to feel comfortable in his own skin. And, for the first time ever, he’s actually willingly ventured out on his own!
Riva had barely had to give him a nudge in the direction of the open meadow and he’d darted off on his own, a uncharacteristically enthusiastic spring in his step.
Even now, as he forges out across the grassy plain, there’s an unusual brightness in his normally anxious eyes. For the first time ever, he is enthusiastic about the prospect of meeting someone new, about the possibility of making a friend.
For the first time ever his future seems bright and open, and full of possibility.
But, his newfound positivity is not quite enough to erase the past. Though he is certainly more confident than before, he is still not quite comfortable and confident enough to try actually approaching another. The realization comes to him when he spots a younger filly whose unusual colour (dark blue and orange) intrigues him. For one brief moment, he considers walking up to her … before he realizes that he would have absolutely no idea what to say.
The unfortunate result is that, instead of actually walking up to her and introducing himself, the dark yearling just stands there and stares at the girl, looking for all the world like a slack-jawed idiot.
She felt eyes burning into her back and looked over her shoulder to find the culprit. Her bright crest twisted with her movement, flaring out from her dark neck like a warrior's battle plume. There he stood like a petrified statue painted in rich black to look like a real boy, blatantly staring at her with a wide, wooden gaze. Her eyes narrowed warily as she turned to face him.
He was a little older than her, certainly taller than her, but not yet full-grown. Probably closer to Lilitha's age than her own, a girl she met briefly in the meadow just a day ago. She'd seemed nice, but that didn't mean this one would be too. Raeg'n had already had her fair share of not nice, and she wasn't all that interested in having another go at it.
The hell you lookin at, kid? she gruffed, bobbing her nose at him. Her eyes were more curious than hostile though, but it sure paid off to be cautious. Damn her if she was ever caught unawares again.
She'd been through her own bit of hell already, but it was just the same as so many others no doubt. Her greatest loss was her mother. The mare had been endlessly kind and sweet, and each day in this cruel world was a bitter reminder of what she would miss out on. It was up to her to take care of herself now.
The vibrantly coloured filly turns about, amber eyes suddenly fastened on Lauchlan. He’s instantly aware that now would be a good time make an escape, to turn tail and run, but his legs have suddenly decided to become fastened to the earth.
The navy blue nose bobs at him in obvious curiosity (he can’t blame her, he is being uncomfortably weird). “The hell you lookin at, kid?”
Lauchlan’s mouth works furiously for a moment, gulping at the air, but no sound comes out. The only effect it has is that it makes him look somewhat like a fish gasping for water. Awkward.
He stands there for a moment, trying to wrack his brains for something to say, some excuse, before finally coming up with, “Uh … you’re blue.”Oh good job Lauchlan. Good job at pointing out just about the most obvious thing in the world.
His head immediately lowers in awkward shame. This interaction just keeps getting better and better. He is never going to ever make friends at this rate. Oh god … how on earth will he explain this one to Riva? He can already see the mix of pity and amusement on her face …
But the girl is still staring at him with an unsettling intensity, and raises his head to meet her gaze. “I’m sorry, of course you’re blue.” Wow, this is just getting better and better. “Ummm, I’m Lauchlan. Nice to meet you?” He really wouldn’t blame her if she bit him.
He gaped like a fish out of water, mouth not quite working how he wanted it to. What the hell was wrong with him? She scrutinized him warily, trying to figure what kind of game he was playing at. He spit out "Uh... you're blue" then ducked his head.
Baffling boy.
His eyes rose again and met hers. A single brow lifted as she waited for him to continue. Oh yes, do go on. "I'm sorry, of course you're blue." What was that supposed to mean? She frowned and glanced down at herself. Was blue an oddity? Was it a bad thing? She grimaced and looked back up to him.
"Ummm, I’m Lauchlan. Nice to meet you?" Raeg'n.. she returned skeptically. He seemed uncomfortable, maybe a little fidgety. Maybe blue was a bad omen for him or something. She wasn't all bad. At least, she didn't think she was. Hell, she'd be a great warrior one day. She could swear to that.
Her eyes looked him over from foot to face, lingering briefly on those elegant bird's appendages. She jerked her chin at them, Nice wings. Honey-amber stare returned to meet his again and a weird silence fell over them. It didn't bother her, she kind of liked the quiet.
Well, he didn't seem dangerous after all, so.
She walked up to him and punched her nose at his shoulder. You know how to fight? She didn't, not really. But she wanted to learn. Maybe he'd be a sparring partner or something, while he was clearly doing nothing but staring at people. Strange kid.
She sniffed at his neck a little while she was there. He smelled.. nice. He was a bit bigger than her but it wasn't like he towered over her. He'd felt pretty solid when she bumped him. Soft, but.. solid. Nice.
Oh, oh dear. She’s grimacing now. She’s clearly noticed how dumb he’s being. Well. Of course she’s noticed how dumb he’s being. It’s pretty damn obvious. Ugh.
At least she’s being polite and responding … more than he deserves, really. “Raeg’n … that’s a nice name.” In fact she doesn’t seem angry at all, more curious than anything.
He can’t help but stand up a tiny bit straighter when she compliments his wings. It’s so nice to have wings again. He’d been born with them, but his mother had ripped them off moments after birth leaving him with little bony stubs. To finally have his feathery appendages back where they belong is just SO wonderful. “Thank you! The faeries gave them to me when they … well. The faeries gave them to me.” He’d been about to say ‘when they took away my spider problem’ … but that is not exactly a conversation he wants to have with this girl. He’s made it awkward enough already without bringing his most embarrassing secret into the mix.
Oh god he’s cringing already at the thought of having that conversation.
But she’s suddenly walking up to him, and Lauchlan’s mind is instantly hyper-aware of her closeness. She bops him on the shoulder his head cocks to the side, mouth partially open in surprise. What? “Fight?” Does he know how to fight? “Umm … not really.” Fighting hasn’t even really been on his radar before. Up until the change, his life had revolved around hiding his spider problem, since the change, it has revolved around exploring the world and his wings. But this interaction is going rather better than he had expected, considering how awfully it had started, and he tries to insert a cheerful curiosity into his voice. Maybe he can make a friend out of this after all. “But I can learn!”
Shortly after losing her kind-hearted mother, she'd found herself in the company of a brutal man. She could remember every detail of him and his rough treatment. He'd been large, so big. And inky black like this boy. Though she had been just a small child, he'd gripped her crest and threw her, among other things. For a time, she'd been his ragdoll, a tiny punching bag. Meaningless but for the stuffing that would entertain him.
Her eyes sharpened. She'd not allow anyone to be ill-treated in her presence. With hardened resolve, she'd swore she would become the fiercest warrior. Protect the weak. Be their voice, their champion. Learning to fight was her first step.
She listened closely to his every word, just as her mother had done with her. She wanted to be like her, and often wondered if she'd been an angel. Perhaps that's why she had vanished. With her earthly work done, birthing an angel's child, she'd returned to her higher plane to watch over her daughter. It made sense. Raeg'n was left here to fulfill a purpose, one she felt deep within her.
Her angel mother had let that man harm her. A hard lesson to teach her girl what could be at stake for the ones she would come to protect. A necessary price for knowledge gained. She held no resentment for it. She was better for it.
"Fight?" he repeated. "Umm... not really. But I can learn!"
She smiled slowly, cold with determination. Her eyes lit with flecks of golden mischief. Let's play! She nipped playfully at his neck where she stood, leaping away as though to avoid a counterattack. Laughter bubbled out of her, and she darted back in and tried for a different spot, lower on his neck or shoulder. She tried to focus on moving quickly. Short, swift actions.
C'mon Lauchlan, she laughed with delight. It was the first time she'd done anything remotely childlike, having had to grow up too fast on her own. But she felt comfortable enough with him to try it, to forget the sobering purpose she'd been shouldered with.
Let's see your moves!
Perhaps it was the smoothness of his voice that dropped her guard so swiftly. It seemed to naturally soothe her and put her at ease. After her initial wariness, anyway. Or maybe it was his taller, black figure. It did remind her of that other, but that stallion had been grudgingly strong and solid. Her new friend might grow to be as well. And this time the dark one would be on her side.
She’s smiling now - a calculating expression that he’s not entirely sure if he likes.
She suddenly nips at his neck (sending a burning sensation through his body that isn’t entirely to do with pain), before leaping away and giggling. Then she darts in again to nibble at his shoulder.
He’s frozen for a moment, dark head cocked to the side in confusion. “C'mon Lauchlan.” She’s smiling, laughing, clearly enjoying herself already though he doesn’t know what he’s done to instigate it. A strange sensation is twisting his gut, and he’s still trying to figure out what on earth it is when she finally says, “let's see your moves!”
“Oh … OH!” Right, she wants to practice fighting! Goddammit Lauchlan use your brain for once.“Um.” How exactly does one fight?
He decides copying her is probably the best place to start. He tentatively takes a few steps forward, shakily reaching out his neck to nip gently at her shoulder (he doesn’t actually want to hurt her after all). Then he steps back to get out off her way.
But no. This really isn’t good enough.
She’d been quick, her nips had hurt, only a little. If he actually wants her to like him, he’s going to have to put a little more into it. In a little moment of inspiration he rears up, striking out and flailing with his front hooves. He actually manages to look fairly impressive for a moment. Just a moment. Then, as only Lauchlan’s luck would have it, his hoof slips in a patch of loose earth that he hadn’t noticed. And crash! He teeters over backwards, first falling onto his rump, then his back. He rolls to his side and lies there for a moment, trying to keep tears from his eyes. “Ow.” He mutters quietly, though the threatening tears are more over the embarrassment than the actual pain.
He seriously can’t do anything right, can he.
Slowly, gingerly, he lifts himself back up on to his feet, and, cringing lifts his head to look at the blue filly. Part of him hopes that she’d somehow magically missed it, but he knows it’s impossible. “… clearly I need some advice.”
It was the first time she had done anything like play. Of course there was a part of her that envied the other children, a part of her that wished she could be like them. Maybe with a mother nearby to worry over her. But now here she was, romping with a colt as though she had no cares in the world.
He was stiff as she made her attacks, but gradually he seemed to catch on. Recognition lit his eyes, and he manuevered to mimic her. She stood their and watched him come, his nervous-looking bite barely scraping her skin. Her head cocked to the side a little, wondering if that was all he had. If so, she was going to have her hands full bringing him up to speed.
He seemed to catch on to that too, though, and up he stood on his hindlegs. Fierce front hooves thrashed out towards her and she laughed in delight, ducking to the side to barely avoid them. He learns fast! He looked bigger like that, strong and maybe a bit scary too. His wings even fanned out like a powerful gryphon.
And then.. down he went in a clumsy tumble. She held back a laugh as he flopped to his side. He had such a fragile look in his eye though, and her brows tugged together in concern. Had he gotten very hurt? She felt a sudden pull to go to him, check for wounds and be certain he was alright, but he was carefully dragging himself back to his feet. "...clearly I need some advice."
A timid smile tilted her lips as she stepped up to him. It was the closest they'd been so far, but she wasn't afraid of him. He wasn't like that other man. She hovered her nose near his, breathing him in a moment, before moving on to examine his legs. She would have no idea what to do if he were hurt, but she felt like she should at least look for him.
Do you hurt? she asked surprisingly soft, giving his back leg a light tap. All in one piece still? She teased lightly as she walked around to his other side, stopping to stand at his shoulder.
The fact that she doesn’t laugh means more to him than she’ll ever know.
His eyes widen she steps towards him to look him over, and his heart melts at the gentle smile on her face. It’s the closest he’s ever been to anyone, except for Riva and his former mother, and his skin tingles at her soft breath on his nose.
His breath catches in his throat as her amber eyes scan over him (though he cringes internally at the thought of her inspecting his soft, skinny body). He’s frozen for a moment, unsure of what to do, unsure of what to say until, tap! He jumps forward in surprise at the soft touch on his leg. “Do you hurt?”
His head hangs for a moment, but something in him makes him raise his head to meet her eyes. Those beautiful amber eyes. “A little … but my pride hurts more.” A wry smile crosses his lips. It would be just his luck to run into a possible new friend (and such a pretty possible new friend), and to end up making such a complete and utter ass of himself.
But, he tries to make a joke of it, and turns his own head around to give himself an exaggerated once over. He stretches his wings experimentally before turning back to look at her with a silly grin on his face. “As far as I can tell!”
He feels emboldened by her attention and kindness, and some (though of course not all), of his embarrassment begins to melt away. Maybe … maybe he hasn’t messed up here, not entirely. Maybe he could still walk away from this with a friend (his heart firmly shoves down any other possibilities, he knows better than to entertain any thoughts in that direction). “Any tips? Then, so unlike his usual self, he takes a risk and asks a personal question. “And why are you so interested in fighting?”
He startled at her touch, drawing a soft chuckle from her. So skittish. His pride was the most damaged, he'd said. A little grin tipped his lips and, belatedly, she realized he was actually kind of cute. It made her think.. that some day, she would have a fairly handsome friend at her side. All the women would be surrounding him, and she'd be in the background rolling her eyes and telling him to hurry up so they could spar or leave for some great mission. It was a funny thought, and widened her smile. He wouldn't have a clue what to do with them, either, would he? Boys were so clueless, she was quickly learning.
"Any tips? And why are you so interested in fighting?" I will be a great warrior one day. The very best! Her eyes gleamed in tune with the passion in her voice. All thoughts of play-fighting with him left her completely. Somewhere along the way in their time together she'd decided he would be sticking around. She was comfortable with him, and that was more than she could say for anyone else in her life.
Midnight-colored nose turned and buried into his soft wing absently, thinking on her future and what she felt were her purposes for being here on earth, an odd-colored orphan child. My mother was an Angel, she said quietly, almost to herself. She felt the familiar sadness of losing her tug at her young heart. The woman had been so very gentle, kind, loving. Entirely perfect. Of course she was an angel.
She left me here for a purpose: to protect the innocent. And returned to the heavens where she belonged. She fell silent, suddenly realizing how stupid it sounded now that she'd said it aloud to someone. He probably thought she was crazy. Just a dumb little girl with foolish ideas, grand schemes that made herself better than just a lonely orphan like the others. It felt true though, it all made perfect sense, so surely it must be.
She sighed and pulled away, avoiding his gaze. Time for a subject change, perhaps. So, Lauchlan. Do you live in this meadow, then? If she were going to train, she would need to leave him eventually. One day she hoped to find him again though. Maybe he wouldn't think she was all that crazy after all. Maybe one day, he'd even join her. It did sound like a lonely sort of life to live. Having at least one person on her side would mean the world to her.
