"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
hey leave in the early hours of the morning after the kingdom meeting, when the sun is just beginning to raise its head above the ocean-wave horizon. Wound can scent the dawn in the air but even the tropical fowl of Tephra are still asleep in their nests. She nudges Wishbone away from among the protective embrace of their sleeping place and allows her daughter to stop for a drink before the wade across the sandbank to reach Beqanna’s shore.
Their journey takes much longer than Wound had anticipated, even with her daughter in tow. Wishbone manages to keep up her bewildering energy and trots so far ahead on the trail that her mother must call her back. Hyaline is a much further distance from Tephra’s shores than the Field, and they must weave between Sylva, Taiga, and Loess’ borders before they cross the river to reach their destination.
It is late morning of the following day of their departure that they reach Hyaline’s border. They had spent the night nestled somewhere between Sylva and Loess, but Wound hadn’t gotten much sleep. She had been too agitated watching over her sleeping daughter and, for the first time in her life, had gotten a glimpse at what her brothers had felt the first six years of her life.
“Now, my love, be sure to put on your best manners… We are guests here and we are representing Tephra and your father as well.” Wound had given Wishbone a brief talking about how to act in the face of a diplomatic visit, but she reiterates it now as they stand near the borderline. A peaceful call leaves her lips, though it isn’t urgent. Her mahogany daughter stands nestled against her side, though Wound knows it might only be moments before the wild girl is off climbing some bundle of rocks or wading through a stream.
credit to nat of adoxography.
Diplomatic visit from Tephra! Anyone is welcome to participate, but @[Solace] is of particular interest <33
Spring has matured into summer, ripening beautifully across the mountains of her home. In the spring, the lake kingdom had been a sea of pastel colors, blushing and shy, but now each plant and bird wore vibrant hues of fuschia, veridian, and violet.
Plants and baby birds were not the only things in Hyline which were blossoming. Solace felt more comfortable in her role as Caretaker since she had gained her wings - since Smoak had returned. And the foals, mothers seemed to be drawn to the sanctuary, and each day their young ones grew bolder.
From the sky, Solace floats (she only flies for the glorious moments of floating, seemingly above the reach of gravity) and as she floats she spots two more faces. With a tilt of her sky blue wings, the ivory and gold mare begins her unhurried decent, allowing herself to feel the channels of air which ripple and flow around the craggy peaks and carry her to the newcomers. She lands softly beside them, and instantly her cerulean gaze turns to the dark mare.
"Welcome," the young Queen greets them with the sincerity which she doesn't have to force, it bubbles over from a heart which has never been truly wronged. "I'm Solace and you have reached Hyaline." She had inherited her father's steadfast soul and her mother's easy smile, and the combination gave her a quietly cheerful air. "I heard your call, is there someone I can help you two find?"
She glances to the girl and there her gaze involuntarily lingers as something in her soul softens. Foals were everywhere along the lakeshore this summer, but this gild holds Solace's attention - something about the shape of her brow, and the curve of her ears is resoundingly familiar. Curiosity fills her, seeping into her voice as she addresses the filly "and whats your name little wildflower?"
02-11-2018, 02:30 PM (This post was last modified: 02-16-2018, 05:49 PM by Kagerus.)
Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
Although much of what I do with my free time is gamboling with creatures of darkness and guiding them into a realm far beyond understanding, I have also been trying to fulfill my duties as a diplomat. The field has seen me once or twice, and not with awful results either. And I have also been participating in war training, though I am not a warrior - but perhaps that will change... I am not yet sure. For now, I will do as much as I can for Hyaline, regardless of the duty's nature.
A gentle call is issued from the border, and my ears perk up at the sound. There are not many here whose voice I do not recognize, and so I figure that it must be a newcomer, or else a diplomat from elsewhere. Either way, my curiosity is spiked, and I kick up my heels, cantering quickly and elegantly through the light trees until the scentline approaches.
My Arabian figure approaches the group just in time to hear Solace's words. I press my muzzle to my queen's white-and-gold shoulder, nickering beneath my breath in greeting. Then I turn to take in the sight of the mare and her filly, the way the two press together, and the obvious connection between them. A light smile graces my lips, one ear trained on Solace, the other on the newcomers.
Having had most of the necessities said, I settle for introducing myself. "And my name is Kagerus. I am a diplomat of Hyaline - Solace is our queen." I smile a little sheepishly at this, knowing that Solace probably left out the title purposefully. But if this is what I suspect it to be - a diplomatic meeting - then this stranger must know her station.
ound cannot deny that Hyaline is gorgeous. The summer blue of the sky is perfectly underlined by the mysterious yet tranquil etch of the mountainous horizon and the color that vibrantly exposes itself pulls at her coffee-hued eyes. She can feel Wishbone beside her, nearly vibrating with the desire to shoot off like a firecracker and explore the unfamiliar terrain. As they wait, the mother turns to touch her nose to Wishbone’s shoulder and whispers something about staying close by.
Just then, a winged mare floats down from the sky looking for all the world like an angel. A polite smile is already dazzling Wound’s mouth as the mare lands beside them. Warrick had given her several options as to which kingdom she might’ve wanted to visit, and in the end Wound and Wishbone ended up here. She knows only a few details about the kingdom — it’s led by Solace (who happens to be one of Warrick’s daughters) and Tephra shares the other half of an alliance with the kingdom.
Before the buckskin splash’s introduction, Wound hadn’t known what Solace looked like. Now, with the queen’s name fresh in her ears, the silver bay can see the resemblance. It’s paralleled in Wishbone’s own facial features, though there are slight alterations (signs where Wound’s own genetics shine through and where Tangerine’s genetics portray onto Solace). A somewhat more warm smile graces Wound’s lips.
“Thank you, I’m Wound.” The silver bay is about to continue when another mare approaches, introducing herself as Kagerus and Solace as her queen. Wound’s coffee eyes land on the bay and white mare with a sincere gratefulness in her gaze, although she already knew Solace’s title from Warrick’s briefing.
Before Wound can continue further, her daughter’s vibrant little voice pipes up. “I’m Wishbone! You’re my sister and you’re very pretty.” A brief flash of embarrassment washes through Wound, but she quells it with an apologetic smile. “I wasn’t planning on starting this visit off with something as dramatic, but Wishbone seems to have other ideas,” Wound’s voice is apologetic even so and her coffee eyes turn to silently scold her daughter, who looks exceptionally proud of herself despite the circumstances.
“Wishbone and I are here for a friendly visit from Tephra… We understand we have an alliance with Hyaline and wanted to stop by to fresh up pleasantries, as well as get to know some relatives.”
She knows the surprise manifests on her face, the thought embarrassingly wriggles in the back of her mind as her eyes lift back to Wound. Solace struggles to quantify this woman, who is not her mother, yet has birthed her sister.
consort? mistress? herd mare?
Solace had never felt for Tangerine the way a child should feel for their mother - the far-seeing woman had often looked right over her children heads and probably her lover's too - but still, that Warrick could take others to his bed causes her to momentarily falter. The surprise burns hot yet quick and she settles the flair of emotions and confusion before her sister's mother, Wound, begins speaking again.
The grounding touch of Kageru's tapered muzzle to her shoulder helps return Solace's usual composure just in time for her to realize that these two are not seeking sanctuary, but that she has stumbled into her first diplomatic meeting as Queen. The pale mare gives Kageru a quick glance weighted with gratitude before looking back the filly, Wishbone.
Of course.
Warrick would never leave his child's mother to wander the country seeking sanctuary, she knew that of him. "Sisters," she repeats as if she were the child, her lips adopting a shy smile as she forms the word. "It nice to meet you, Wishbone. You are a strong traveler, it was years before I left the islands." The weight of the other two mares expeditionists and her duty as Caretaker fill her mind then, but her growing family remains ever present in her thoughts as she returns her attention to Wound.
"Come, let's walk and talk. The lake is this way and you must be thirsty." After stepping towards the center of her kingdom Solace pauses to match her stride to that of her guest. "All is well in Tephra?"
02-16-2018, 05:16 PM (This post was last modified: 02-16-2018, 05:49 PM by Kagerus.)
Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
It would seem as if I arrived at the perfect time, returning Solace back to reality with my gentle touch. She smiles then, and replies to Wound's explanation of their relationship. While they speak, there is not much for me to say, but I listen attentively, and watch the body language of the sisters.
My brother and I, we are very close, though I am close to fifteen years his senior (looking only three years his senior, however). When we are together, we are often touching, enjoying the close proximity and the comfort of each other's bodies. By the looks of the younger sister, Wishbone, perhaps that could be a reality for these two; and yes, even by looking at Solace, that thought is reassured. My queen is soft-hearted, though not delicate by any means. I appreciate her light nature - it is what drew me to Hyaline, despite my recent taste for the darkness.
But darkness is not prominent in me today.
Smiling politely as Solace suggests a journey to the heart of our kingdom, I pivot around and make space for Wound to walk beside the golden pegasus. As all of our legs fall into a unified pattern, I find myself walking next to Wishbone, the energetic little girl to whom I feel perhaps the most connected in this little event.
While my queen and her mother speak (and indeed I am listening), I throw her a glance and a friendly phrase.
"What do you think of Hyaline, Wishbone? The mountains aren't volcanic, but I think you'll find that the are appealing in other ways."
ound is sure the situation must seem odd for Solace. The production of Wishbone hadn’t been much past the desire to procreate mingled with the warmth of friendship (though if time pulled at her emotions long enough Wound might feel otherwise) and she feels an ache in her heart for the confusion and surprise that twists across the queen’s golden-and-ivory face. The silver bay wishes to still her fears and reassure her that her parents’ relationship isn’t in jeopardy — she had seen the way they glanced at one another and the way their touches stilled each other’s doubts.
But they are here for the main purpose of a diplomatic visit. Perhaps Wound will be able to reassure Solace near the end of their visit. Wishbone’s face lights up brilliantly in response to her sister’s encouraging words. The girl isn’t like most other children her age — while they spend the days playing, they all tend to race back to the embrace of their mothers come nightfall. Meanwhile, Wishbone prefers spending both day and night surrounded by the adventures and wilderness of the world around her and she doesn’t have any issues telling her mother just that.
They begin to make their way toward the lake, Wound and Solace taking the lead while Wishbone and Kagerus trail behind. The silver bay keeps one ear dipped back toward her daughter, lest the filly race off into the Hyaline wilderness. “Tephra is doing well. We’ve been flourishing in the recent peace between the kingdoms.”
Her coffee brown eyes dance over Warrick’s daughter, sure she wants to know about her father. How long had it been since they had last seen one another? “Your father holds the title of Overseer well. He misses you, Queen Solace.” Her eyes are warm on the queen’s face, empathy found in their depths.
Meanwhile, Wishbone trails behind her mother, barely withholding the energy contained in her bones. The scents and sights of Hyaline war at her senses, daring and taunting her to explore their foreign wilderness. The other mare — she doesn’t remember her name completely, just as Kagsomething — asks her what she thinks of the territory and Wishbone twists her mahogany head around to look up at her. “I wish I could explore it all,” she states plainly. A little hop accompanies her statement, as if the action would expel the energy.
“Do the mountains have names? Do you have any mountain lions here? What about caves?”
Her wings settle, rustling lightly as they fall into place, tucked neatly along her golden top line as they amble towards the lake. The young Queen takes Wound's words with gratitude, nodding her acknowledgment as Tephra's diplomat tells her what she had hoped to hear. A short silence grows between them, but Solace's mind is too preoccupied to feel it's pressure.
"Hyaline was a subkingdom once," she begins, as she assembles the ideas which had taken up so much of her thoughts and energy over the last year, but which she had never fully articulated to anyone before. "With that history in mind and our reputation as a sanctuary to uphold, I am hesitant to form military alliances because of their steep cost. I will not commit my subjects as 'soldiers in the wings' for other kingdoms whose rulers may be eager for power or war." Her cerulean gaze stays cast out towards the lake as they walk, as the thoughts in her mind each compete for attention.
Despite the awkwardness of their initial greeting, Solace feels comfortable while speaking with Wound. The trust her father has already placed in this woman is enough to allow her to drop some of the formality which often protects her while addressing political matters. Her distant gaze clears as she turns her pale face towards Wound with a new intensity in her voice.
"Tephra would be the exception - not because of the blood I share with your King, but because of my unshakable trust in Warrick. I know he would never call us unless utterly necessary, and that is a risk I'm willing to take for the immense value of knowing that the might of Tephra is ours in a crisis."
Out with the golden we sew, and the lower past that crawls.
Now, to the doorway you run, to the girl that's not lost.
Although I have fallen behind my Queen and her visitor, I keep an ear trained on their conversation at all times, determined to be involved or at least up to date with the current affairs, kingdom to kingdom. I am shocked to find out that Hyaline was once a sub-kingdom to Tephra - a land that I know embarrassingly little about - but hide the emotion, internalizing it.
Although I am not in a position (literally) to add my two cents to the conversation ahead, I wholeheartedly agree with Solace's sentiments in regards to committing our army (what little of it there is) to any other kingdom's name, especially with how flippant some individuals turn out to be after the initial meeting. Furthermore, this peace we are experiencing - it will not last. Though I still can't taste the winds of change, not just yet, I know they are coming - they always are.
Wishbone is addressing me then, and I turn to smile down at her, my nutmeg eyes warm but not over-the-top. I laugh softly at her bubbling questions, and answer her when there is a pause in the conversation ahead of us.
"Perhaps when you grow up, you can come spend some time here with your sister and see all that there is to see." It would make sense, after all, considering the close bond shared between our kingdoms. Plus, if she liked it here, well, that's no loss of Hyaline's - and Tephra seems to be the strongest kingdom out there these days, so they could stand to lose Wishbone to our cause.. Potentially, anyway.
"The mountains do have names, but many people call them differently. I like to call this one, on our left here with the split between the two peaks, 'Mount Rou,' after my grandmother. And that one in front of us, I believe it is known fairly solidly as 'Hya Glacier.'" I chuckle at her last question. "And yes, there are mountain lions, but they mostly stick to themselves. As for caves, those are mostly along the coast, and we aren't near them right now. We're heading to the heart of the kingdom, to the lake."
The group is coming towards the middle of Hyaline, where the heart of the country flourishes around the crystalline lake. Wisteria and willows line the glass-like water, sprouting blossoms in a myriad of colors while long, thin branches sway in autumnal breezes. Despite the slight chill that the wind brings into the depths of the valley, a golden and alabaster man with feathers in his mane swims purposelessly beneath the clear sunshine and blue-scrubbed sky, diving beneath the surface and coming up again, lilypads with white blooms parting from his broad chest with each strong stroke of his muscular legs.
Svedka hears voices, and with an excited jerk he turns his head towards the slope of the valley that the group’s voices now cascade downwards, the wind sending them their scents and their excited voices. He snorts, swiftly moving to shallower waters in a few strides, droplets of clear water leaving his nostrils. He recognizes Solace’s voice (queenly and regal, yet light and graceful), and his brilliant blue eyes begin to sparkle. His mind does not wonder if the group is here on business, but there are new faces amongst them and it is not in his nature to keep to himself - especially when his sister is involved.
As his hooves strike the pebble-covered lake bottom, he lifts his nose into the air and calls to them loudly, his body shaking with the reverberation. He is smiling wistfully, parting from his familiar lake with strong leaps from where he had once stood at shoulder-depth, his hooves meeting the damp mud of the bank with a powerful stride. Water runs down his sides and chest in rivulets, spinning from his ivory and blue mane and tail, pooling beneath his strong hooves. He comes towards the group at a choppy gait, lakeweed clinging to parts of his shoulders and legs. He is a wild spirit contained within an equine body, sliding to a halt before them with a breathless smile. There is a child amongst the group, and two other women he has never seen before.
“Solace!” he gushes, waiting for his twin to walk closer so that he joins her on the other side, looking at Wound (though he does not know her name yet) from over Solace’s shoulder, bobbing his head in greeting. “Are we all going for a swim?” He asks, the lake water still dripping heavily from his body. “The water is still warm from the summer, we must enjoy it before it is too cold!”
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