"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
The sun striking Sunblaze's coat as he walks through the field makes him gleam like an Akhal Teke. He doesn't mind, he thinks it makes him look handsome. And with the sun warming his coat, maybe he can pretend that he's at home, in the desert, instead of here.
Sunblaze doesn't recall how he got here. All he can remember is waking up in a strange new land. He knows he doesn't belong. But with no apparent way home, he'll just have to make a new life here. It's a little - okay, very - daunting, especially with no knowledge of Beqanna, but he has no choice.
The roan mare was at it again, stalking the common grounds for new members to recruit. She usually stuck to the river that was nearest Loess and sometimes she would venture out to the meadow but today she stopped by the field. It was just as popular a location as any of the others, perhaps she could find some fresh meet to recruit to Loess.
It was not long before she was able to spot another, the field was open and unlike the other common lands it was hard to find any cover here. He appeared to be a younger arabian, his pelt was gold and it shimmered when the sun glanced on him. She lets a raspy whinny out as she nears him, allowing her presence to be known.
She stops a few paces away and scans over him before speaking My name is Taria, and you are? She was not the best at conversing, it was easy to misinterpret her lack of communication skills as being rude. She did not care though, that was her personality, like it or not. What brings you to the field today? She was not one to waste time, she would gather the few details and than announce her reason for being here, was he interested in going back with her to Loess or not?
Sunblaze is snapped out of his thoughts by a whinny. It's... raspy and not the prettiest sound, but he's glad to have company. The new mare is older than he is, and an entire hand taller. He's a little intimidated by her, actually.
"Hi, Taria! I'm Sunblaze." He hopes he didn't accidentally offend her by not being formal enough. Sunblaze isn't used to speaking any other way. What he is used to is the environment of his former home, where there were no terrifying huge mares and everyone spoke with each other like they were old friends, whether they actually were or not.
"I'm here to find a new home. I just woke up, like, a day ago and I have no idea where I am. This seems like a nice place, though. Maybe you can help me get used to it?" Sunblaze really is curious. This land is huge, like his desert homeland, but with way more variety than just sand everywhere. I could really live here for the rest of my life.
The roan glances at him, he appeared to be caught off guard with her presence. Almost as if she had disturbed his thoughts, or perhaps he was more of a timid equine and her approach was to forward for him. He offers a greeting introducing himself as Sunblaze. His voice was chipper, he may be in the body of a stallion but his mind was still that of a colt. It was normal though, the younger equines still had a joyous outlook on life
Blaze it is she was quick to provide a nickname for the gold stag. He mentions that he is looking for a home and a grin grows on her maw. She was happy to hear that he was in fact looking for a kingdom to call home. He was still impressionable, he would be a nice equine to have in Loess, plenty of room to mentor and mold.
I live in Loess, we are a kingdom that is made of loyal and disciplined equines. We all work to make the kingdom one of the strongest in beqanna. He did not carry the scent of another kingdom, in fact he did not carry the scent of beqanna. He appeared to be completely knew to the lands, and it could be confusing all the information she threw at him of Loess, although she glances and awaits a response.
Blaze...? A smile is quick to appear on Sunblaze's face at the nickname. It grows wider as Taria grins, too. Maybe this mare isn't so intimidating after all. She seems friendly enough now. He is happy to listen to her talk about Loess, it's nice to have company. Sunblaze hates loneliness.
"Loess sounds interesting," he offers when she finishes. "Loyal to whom? And the 'disciplined' thing isn't really me... but I can try, I guess. I'm definitely fine with working for the kingdom. But you aren't... mean, are you? I mean, I get that horses have to fight and challenge sometimes, but I wouldn't want to be cruel." Sunblaze fidgets uncomfortably. He doesn't want to offend anyone, but it's a question he has to ask.
Unlike many of his siblings and his esteemed father, Cagney is not a fighter. Nor is he, at this point, the ‘lover’ typically set as opposition to the warriors, but he is certainly an able-bodied Ischian, and he needs to pull his own weight. That’s what takes him to the Field today - looking for recruits. The homeless, the searching, the hungry. It is the hungry who are most valuable, though hungry not in a literal sense but a metaphorical one. He has
Not felt the drive, the hunger, not since Her, but as his family succeeds he begins to feel it licking at his belly.
(It’s dangerous, but so seductive. It’s what led him to her in the first place, and she was a little Not Good.)
Unlike some who linger and wait for just the right stranger to approach, Cagney simply strolls into the Field and approaches the first pair of equines he sees. He’s unassuming compared to many roaming Beqanna these days, just a plain bay roan, on the short side and stocky though his dished face belies his desert-bred heritage. He catches an exchange of names on his approach and so slides easily into the conversation with an unassuming smile. “Hello Blaze, Taria,” he says politely and gives a nod.
(Polite, polite, but you have to have something. Something to catch them, reel them in. Can he find it?)
She’s from Loess, and he gives her a second look about this. Their envoys from Loess have not returned, but the rumors Cagney has been hearing are not about loyalty and strength. “I come from Ischia, a tropical island where we have established a new reign of the Brotherhood of old, which is welcoming of both men and women who believe in our values.” This, this is where he has begun to feel passion: he lives for the Brotherhood and his Brothers, so it animates his face with passion and excitement. “All for one and one for all, in the short form.”
Another horse approaches. This one is also a bay roan, but he's the same height as Sunblaze and has a head like an Arabian's. He's pretty stocky, though, which is odd for the breed. Must be a hybrid, then. "What's your name?" Sunblaze asks, returning the nod. The stallion's words are polite and formal, but excitement enters his voice and shows on his face as he talks about the Brotherhood.
"What are your values, then?" Sunblaze is hopeful that the Brotherhood would qualify as a potential home for him, but he doesn't let his guard down completely. He is hopeful and he is still young, but he likes to think that he isn't completely oblivious. Sunblaze had caught the wary look the new stallion gave Taria, and it worries him. Did the two horses not like each other? It's possible that the two have bad history between them. Sunblaze hopes it's that and not something wrong with the realms they're representing.
who can say when the day sleeps, if the night keeps all your heart?
only time
To be honest, Cagney does not personally think Loess or Sylva are much of a threat against a combined Nerine and Ischia, much less against the sister-Kingdoms and their friends in Tephra and Hyaline. Not, at least, for some time. It will take them time to take their broken Kingdoms from nothing to something, and time is something he is more acutely aware of than anyone, even when he lets the river of time flow around him, making no attempt to manipulate it.
(Not that he isn’t tempted. He’s always tempted. But he’s learned it has consequences, and vowed to use it less lightly.)
Sunblaze’s interest sparks something warm in him and he gives a little smile, and a nod. “We value loyalty to the brotherhood first and foremost, and in it giving our all to strive for excellence in whatever roles we choose to take. Loyalty to our allies and our families comes second. Chivalry and honesty are highly valued, while heinious acts such as murder and rape are deplored.” The man speaks like from a time of old, because he is.
(Brennen is surrounded by many young sons and daughters, but Cagney is one of the few of his older children who have also come home to roost.)
What else to say of Ischia? “Ischia, where we make our home, is a lovely chain of tropical islands. Pleasantly warm all year round.” Another quirk of a little grin - because that’s certainly an upgrade over the Tundra, in his opinion.
Who can say where the road goes? Where the day flows? Only time.
05-01-2018, 09:42 AM (This post was last modified: 05-15-2018, 08:32 PM by Sunblaze.)
"Ischia sounds pretty similar to Loess," Sunblaze muses. "You know, with the whole loyalty thing. What are some differences between the two?" His mind wanders back to his desert home, where all of his friends and family were. Now that Sunblaze thought about it, what he had been told so far was all about the kingdoms as a whole, and not specific horses inside them.
"Tell me about the horses in your kingdoms," he says to both Taria and Cagney. "What are they like? Not just in general, specific examples. Horses that you know, maybe. Or horses that maybe I can be friends with?" He tries not to let his voice tremble with hope and anticipation at the last question. He doesn't know anyone here, when he's always had someone beside him at home. The feeling of being alone is new to him, and he hates it.
@[Cagney] @[Taria]
