"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
She had taken a few days to settle in after her tour with Scorch, and been happy to have Sochi seem to get along quite well with Scorch’s daughter Philomena. And it is peaceful here, with the constant sound of waves on the rocky shore, even now in the dead of winter. The caves offer plenty of shelter, and the grasses atop the dunes are somehow both salty and sweet. She hasn’t met anyone else yet, though she has smiled at a few from a distance, like ships passing in the night.
But enough time has passed, that she thinks it is time to seek the Queen, as Scorch had suggested. And the grulla mare knows her new friend was right; if she is to be happy, to find a purpose here, she must let the Queen know of all of her skills, and put them to use. So she leaves Sochi to play with her friend, and goes looking for the black queen with the green eyes (which is all she knows of Hestia, this description she has gotten).
So she leaves her cave, hooves nearly silent even over the rocks, and slips along the cliff face in the sand, up to the dunes, and then further, seeking high vantage points to look at the Kingdom spread out below her – but then always down into a valley or a nook between cliffs, and then another climb. Finally upon one high point, she spots her quarry and changes directions, approaching the Queen with a polite nicker. Not for the first time, Sloene wishes her winter coat weren’t so…fluffy. It’s nice because she’s not cold, but even the most thorough grooming routines don’t prevent her from looking a little shabby.
But she stretches to her full (not very tall) height, and gives a nod of her head before meeting the mare’s green eyes with her own silver. “Queen Hestia?” she offers, and waits for confirmation from the other mare before continuing. “My name is Sloene. I’ve recently been brought to live here by Scorch, and she recommended I seek you out, to discuss my role in Nerine,” her voice is pleasant, almost lyrical, and she waits for a response before she considers disclosing what talents have led Scorch to suggest she introduce herself to the Queen.
She’s slacked off terribly and feels horrible for it. Almost crawling in shame at how terrible she’s been over the winter months, grumping and hiding against the cold. It’s to miserable for her. She hates the cold, loathes it with a passion. Dear gawd how do her regular residents stand this?! She shakes off the last of the snow, turns her flames inward and comes out of her hibernation among the caves.
The flowers begin to peak, the weather is tolerable, even if it is sometimes wet. She can handle wet, but the fucking cold of snow? Hell no, she refused to visit the Tundra, shied away from any responsibilities in the winter in the old world. In the new world she is no better. Worse even, because now in the winter there is no warm Jungle she can run to. Well there is Tephra, but if she knew about that place theres a chance that she would never come back to Nerine, just because of the dumb ass weather.
It plain just sucks here on the coast. One minute its decent, decent mind you, never pleasant. And the next its butt ass cold. Hestia tries to keep up, tries to get to know all who claim this place as their home. But she’s just to whimpy to come out in the dead of winter. She’ll bitch out and wait to meet them come spring. If Nerine wants to survive it’ll have to do that on its own during those cold months because Hestia will have NOTHING to do with it in that time.
When she does come out, there is a hoard of people waiting for her. and she feels somewhat guilty for taking that time selfishly. Maybe its time for her to change? She thinks next year she will make more of an effort to be present through the winter. Hello She states to the grulla when she reaches the mare after hearing her call. Her voice is a soothing gentle one, much like Hestia’s own. Light and musical. She seems slightly nervous. Hestia presses her lips together, not sure how to comfort the mare other than reaching out to touch her shoulder. Welcome to Nerine Sloene, tell me about yourself.
She wants to get down to business? Hestia’s good with that. She tries to take everything in stride. Nodding her head to let the other know she has her full attention. Her wings tucked against her sides. The wind plays with mane and tail, coyly trying to distract her from her job at hand. She thinks she rather likes this lady before her. Thinks that maybe she will be a good influence among the ranks of whatever she chooses. We have warriors, and diplomats, I also have a few select specialists that I reserve for particular jobs. She doesn’t disclose more information just yet. But those specialists, she likes to keep them close, knows that having them around is important for kingdom health. She also is thinking of forming another branch, if enough of these come around to the kingdom. But all in good time. Nerine is just getting back on its feet no need to push further than she is capable at the moment.
She is glad that her first instinct is to like Hestia; she liked Scorch a lot, and so she wanted to trust the people Scorch trusted, but to be honest her trust is weird. She instinctively trusts some, but others have to work extra hard for it, if her first instinct is to be uncertain. “Not much to tell, I’m afraid,” she answers with a little expression that might be called a smile if you’re quite generous, but is much too lonely to be a real smile. “I was an orphan, raised in a herd by two lovely mares who were making it their job to train children to serve Kingdoms in whatever capacity they were best suited to.” what she doesn’t say, rarely says, is how lonely it was to be the only ordinary child amongst a sea of rainbow-colored and magic-talented Carnage babies that had been so plentiful those few seasons. Branka had loved them and Nera had trained them, but no mare can raise twenty something babies and make them feel as loved as a mare raising one or two. “I was just about to find a Kingdom to serve when the world fell apart, and so I went wandering instead outside of Beqanna. I’ve recently returned. Scorch brought me and my daughter to Nerine from the field, and I’ve been pleased by what I find here.”
And what whiplash that was! To find the world so changed. She hesitates after Hestia mentions special roles, and then plunges ahead. If she doesn’t tell her now, trust Scorch’s judgement, maybe she never will. So, now or never. “They trained me to be a spy. I was good at it, so I learned well. Since then I have also been gifted with magic that will make me even better at it. First, I am immortal but not like most. If I am killed, I will come back immediately in a new body. A body nobody knows.” she hasn’t given herself time to think about what it will be like, to die, because she has only let herself think about the benefit to her profession. “More recently, I became able to hypnotize others, which will make it easier to get information. If there is a need for someone to gather information for Nerine, I would like to volunteer.”
SLOENE
I've got a lump in my throat
cause you're gonna sing the words wrong
Sorry this took me eight years. :/ also written on my phone so ignore and dumbness
It is only the beginning of her time here in Nerine, and her footing is unsure as she moves forward. Even if she doesn’t act or speak of it. She fears the future as anyone her position would. Unless of course they are clairvoyant. Every so often she thinks of her mother, her sister, and father and wonders what they would think of her. If they would be proud or disappointed in the work she accomplishes with Nerine. At least Hestia hopes its an accomplishment? Hestia looks to the others smile. It’s something she doesn’t do, and she can’t stop pondering over it for a moment.
The queen listens not interrupting, giving no sign of approval or disapproval. As rare as it is for her to smile it is still rarer to find sympathy from her. Life is what it is, and it’s the hard times that make the good all that more pleasurable. She likes knowing where people come from or don’t, and she will listen. Never judging, glad to know some of what makes who her people are. She only nods after the female has finished her tale, a twitch of her lip that could be taken as a sign of her gladness that Sloene has found a home here. Another familiar with the times she comes from. Another that anchors her in the chaos of the new world.
They continue with the small talk for only a short time before it is moved on to the more important things. Thank you for confiding in me Sloene, Any orders will come through the spy master as I do not have immunity from magics and do not wish to put any of you at risk. Hestia takes a swift sweep of the surrounding area looking for any that may be listening in. When she is confidant that none are around she quiets her voice stepping closer to Sloene. I do hope that should any… problems arise within the caste I can trust you to keep me informed of them? Hestia has such a hard time trusting, and this branch is the hardest for her to trust. She doesn’t create it blindly. The ebony mare has thought over and over of the implications. Another reason she desires to get to know her people.
She knows that she can trust Djinni as long as Nayl and Walter are happy here, but if one of them becomes ill at ease with her leadership, Hestia wonders what this would do to the shaky relationship they’d formed in the small conversations they’ve had together. The green-eyed queen has a hope that they will be good friends, but nothing is ever set in stone quickly. That sort of thing takes time and effort. Until then Hestia knows the benefits of finding all of their weak spots. Especially with this many powerful people in the kingdom. Just as it is their strength, it could be her weakness, her undoing should she not be just as strong and cunning as they are. Hestia can only hope that she does not fall and that all she does will earn their trust and loyalty just as they must earn hers.
HESTIA
The devil whispered in my ear, you’ll never survive the storm I whispered back, I am the storm
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