"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
Winter was truly a beautiful season, but every time it entered the woods, stripping the trees of their leaves and color, he was forced back into hiding, not wanting to be seen against the white snowy backdrop thanks to the golden coloring os his coat. He had learned the ways of the Forest, how to blend in, but that didn't mean it was always easy. Take this winter, for instance; he'd slipped up, allowing himself to be spotted by a big cat because he hadn't bothered trying to hide when he smelled danger was near.
He'd gotten away without serious harm, save for a series of three claw marks down his left flank. Other than the ones he already bore, the stallion didn't have any serious injuries, something he was grateful for since the series of scars he had been quite painful to acquire in the first place. There were times when, as he walked, feeling the twinge of pain in his lower legs, that he would suddenly recall how he'd gotten those; the raging forest fire, the flooding of his home. There were also times when he had nightmares about it, and he could recall the sensation of feeling the flames lick at his hooves so clearly he would think everything else had been a dream and he was still trapped in Taiga's fire.
But then he would trip over something or have his senses jarred, reminding him that Taiga had already recovered from it's destruction and was once again home to a number of horses, many of whom he'd never met. But that was explainable; he'd spent the last two years in solitude after all. Why would he get to know any new faces, when all his time was spent hiding out here in the forest?
The morning passed in somber silence as usual, the stallion taking some time to dig through the snow for grass in his usual grazing spot before he got tired and moved along to the river. The grass tasted the same in both places, but he did not want to dwindle one food supply down so far that if the other suddenly dried up and died under the snow, he wouldn't have anything to eat. Yes, the grass was bland and had no taste, but it was better than not getting anything in his belly.
When the stallion reached the river that wound through the forest trees like a snake, he lowered his head and sniffed at the ice by the bank. The ice was tough, for sure, but Aten was strong too. What also helped was that, near the bank, the ice didn't have as much water to freeze over as it did in the river's center. That made breaking the ice with one's hoof much easier.
Finding a good spot, Aten lifted his hoof and began to paw at the ice along the bank. It took some time, but eventually, he heard the resounding sound of his hoof smashing the ice into bits, revealing the icy cold water that lay underneath. Lowering his head, ignoring the chill of the frigid water on his lips, Aten took a number of sips to quench his thirst, paying no mind to the water that now covered his bearded chin and front of his hooves where the water had splashed up.
@[Ilma] Not a huge opener, but there's little to do in the Forest right now so I kept it simple.
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
The whiteness of the forest made it easy to hide in for Ilma - enough that she escaped to it more often, to get away from her troubling thoughts at home. The river was her usual go-to, honestly, but nowadays even that was thick enough with memories that she didn't feel like going there.
Perhaps she should be anywhere else but here - Nerine, to ask Breckin what the Leviathans thought of Loess; Ischia, to talk to Brennen instead of Belgaer this time and see what was left of their alliance, if the brothers would be willing to help train Hyaline foals; Sylva, now that it seemed to have a new leader; Tephra, to see what their new leader was up to; Loess even, though the latter relationship was ultra-fragile - she still had never met their leader Wolfbane.
She did none of those things today. Today she hid from the politics. Today she hid from the world. And whenever a warning growl came from one of the forest animals, she attracted more of the daylight to reinforce her wings and simultaneously light up the place where she walked - telling whatever the predator was, that she saw them coming, would blind them, would put up a fight.
Seemed enough for now. She was a well-fed mare even in winter, knowing where to graze in Hyaline and more importantly, being able to get to higher places than other horses could by using her wings. She was no easy prey.
The sound of ice cracking attracted her to a stallion a little further away. She presumed he had less means to food sources than she, but only because now, near the end of winter, he was showing a little bone. Looked haunted, but perhaps that was just because of the wound on his shoulder.
She stopped a while away, watching him a moment. Then, she approached. Making no effort to hide her hoof-sounds on the forest floor, she hoped this would alert him to her presence long before she greeted him. "Good day. I hope you're not having too much trouble this winter?" she started with, looking him over. Some trouble, obviously. But not enough to kill him either. Unless he had trouble with politics too, but he did not smell of kingdoms honestly.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
Aten didn't expect anyone to be out this deep in the forest, but he didn't let his minor surprise show as he didn't look up immediately when he heard the voice. He dipped his muzzle in the water again to take a few more sips, the frigid water sliding down his throat with the feel of ice on one's tongue. Only when he was done did he lift his head away from the water before brushing his chin against one of his front legs to get rid of the water on his beard.
After doing so, the young stallion turned his head to see who it was that came up behind him. It was a mare with a coat the color of snow, every part of her matching the winter season's trademark save for her nose and eyes. She was standing close enough that Aten could see the color of her eyes, a unique amber against the more normal coloring of his own. That trait, combined with her white coat, made her a rather pretty creature, but Aten didn't take real notice of that yet.
His eyes were focused on the mare, seemingly still normal, but behind the veil of calmness, his gaze was dead, blank, his emotions now locked away inside his heart. Still, he portrayed himself as a normal horse, to the point that no horse could see the true expression of his eyes.
The mare questioned Aten on his day, if he had been experiencing trouble at all. The stallion turned his body to face her properly, his thick mane falling over the top left half of his neck while the rest switched sides and fell to the right. He gave a light shrug of his shoulders, "I guess that would depend on your definition of trouble against mine."
A moment of silence passed before he turned a question back on her, "You're quite deep into the forest; I've not seen many others this far in. What lured you out here?"
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
He has a peculiar way of putting it - it's apparently, not 'no trouble at all', but perhaps for a loner in the hardships of winter that could have been expected. She issues closer to talk to him, for his answers reveal he is a thoughtful man, not one to jump at her and rip her throat out - at least she hopes. She's not naive enough to think that he couldn't harm her in any way at all, but she has to take the chance if she wants to befriend those of good nature.
"I would hope it's only the hardships of winter and those animals of predatory instinct that harm you these days; even so, I hope not too many of them. Troubles of the mind can haunt one much longer than that, I'm afraid." she looks at him, puzzling his words and neutral actions. "But even with those, I hope a bit of distraction could ease you. Just like the forest helps me clear my own mind." She smiles then, and continues. "I'm Ilma, from Hyaline. Have you always been living in the forest?"
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
Aten watched the mare closely for a moment, though his eyes showed no signs of hostility. She edged closer to the golden stallion, keeping a respectable distance but showing she wanted to interact with him. Aten lifted his head some to make himself appear less intimidating; his older sister often joked that was the case since his forelock was so long and had a tendency to cover his eyes when his head was down.
The mare made a comment about Aten's answer, stating her wish that only the harsh winter season had been his sole hardship, and not any of the predatory animals that lived in the area. The stallion's thoughts went to the recently acquired wound on his left flank, that area of his body seeming to twitch as if it knew what he was thinking. He shifted his weight to stand tall on all four legs, and to hopefully get rid of the annoying pinching feeling in his hind leg.
The mare also made a comment about how actions and trouble of the mind can continue to haunt one longer than any sort of other trouble, something that nearly made Aten scoff. Through sheer will he held it in, but couldn't help thinking to himself, Truer words have never been said...
When it seemed she was ready to move onto a new part of their conversation, the mare offered her name and the kingdom she hailed from. Ilma... it was a pretty name, well suited for the mare. Aten dipped his head in greeting, even though official 'hellos' had already been exchanged.
"Well met Ilma. My name is Aten," he offered. "And, no, I have not always lived here." He hesitated a moment, unfortunate memories being dragged to the surface of his mind, "I... once called Taiga my home, before its destruction some time ago. I... some friends of mine and I had planned to go back, but... something happened to one of them. I dropped contact with them, and... I came out here, to the forest, to escape for some time. I've been here since. I'm not sure why, but... something in my gut was just telling me I had to come out of hiding, for a change. I have yet to learn why."
He questioned her again, "I had heard a great deal about Hyaline, before I left Taiga. What is such a kingdom like now? Has it changed much from the view it was many moons ago?"
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
”Well met indeed.” She listens to the rest curiously. The things he talks about happened before she ever made it to Beqanna, which meant either he had been young when these things happened, or like so many, his age had been tampred with by the magics of the lands, like so many around her in a way. So when he asks about Hyaline, it’s the story that she remembers from Nyxa that she has to compare with. ”As far back as my memory goes on these things, Hyaline was always a sanctuary. It’s not a subkingdom any longer as I have been told it was before, and also no longer sends those of adulthood away. Instead we welcome any kind of refugee, and try to secure our borders for those refugees we harbor.”
Easing into kingdom talk, she hardly sees his shift of weight, thinking instead of the kingdom he mentioned. ”I’m afraid Taiga is still considered inhabitable since the Reckoning. Have you heard anything about the other kingdoms in the lands since that time?” she wonders. It seems his self-seclusion after the loss of a friend, however reasonable, had left him a bit behind on kingdom matters, and she would be happy to help him catch up. At least, if he was still interested in the kingdoms anyway. But if he wanted out of the deeper part of the forest, he needed some basics perhaps.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
It was Aten's turn to listen in silence as the mare told him of the Hyaline kingdom she knew, referring to it as a 'sanctuary' for Beqanna's refugees, which Aten figured referred to bachelors like him, young fillies and colts who had been separated from their heads before their time, young adults, or older horses looking for a quiet life.
He too had tried to seek out refuge in Hyaline before turning to the Forest to make his presence disappear like a ghost; so far as he knew, his siblings and dam didn't know he was even alive. He hadn't heard a word from his oldest sister since she'd been taken by that stallion again, and not a word from his older brother and sister since they'd gone off to live their own lives.
Hyaline had seemed appealing at the time, and he'd gone there for a short period to see if it suited him. However, eventually, the Forest's call was too loud to resist, and he vanished into the mist as if he had never existed.
Until now; he was out of the Forest, speaking to a mare he'd never seen, talking about a kingdom he had not been back to since it's destruction. And, according to her, after she finished talking about Hyaline, still uninhabitable, which only served to deepen the stallion's pain. Whether or not he ever returned to Taiga to call it home, he wanted to see the kingdom recover from it's destruction. No land as beautiful as his old home deserved such a fate, even though it's residents had been the ones to cause it in the first place.
"No, I am afraid I lack current knowledge on the other present kingdoms," Aten informed her. "I only recently emerged from the deepest part of the Forest, and no horse has come so far in until you, so I have not yet had a companion to talk to. My knowledge is... lacking so to speak, I believe made quite obvious by how I did not know Taiga is still uninhabitable."
His warm eyes find hers, wanting to know what about the other kingdoms she has, and is willing, to share, intrigued by this mare's depth of knowledge and friendly personality.
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
As she had guessed from his words earlier, the man had been lost for a time and neglected all kingdom matters. Not that she blamed him: she was tempted to do the same at this point, refuse the pressure of being Hyaline’s ambassador and advisor for a time, ask Solace to find another heir for the unlikely event something happened to both her queens - but it idnd’t suit her to give up on responsibilities like that, however much she disliked Lepis’ actions (though, not knowing about Valdis’ disappearance yet, she did not blame the mare for feeling wronged, she had purposefully done that to teach her how it had felt for Ilma after all).
Blinking once, she refocuses on the male. He’d basically asked her to elaborate after all, even if not with so many words. ”From what I know, Tephra is a neutral kingdom, hoping to seclude itself from politics. Admirable in a way, and similar to what we do, however with the difference that Hyaline does keep up with politics and harbours her refugees more temporary than those who seek out the Tephran peninsula, I believe. Then there’s Ischia; Brennen is king there now, and he’s turned the island into a new brotherhood, they call themselves Krakens. Not as exclusive to men as it used to be, if a mare wants to join, she just has to accomplish the same tasks as the men. They’re closely allied, as sister kingdoms, to Nerine, a sisterhood calling themselves Leviathans, the previous Amazons although they also harbour some men in their ranks. Hyaline’s closely allied with the both of them.
Loess has recently changed course just like Ischia, and has since become a band of mercanaries and harbours some herds. Only a few of them hold ranks, as I have come to understand. They serve themselves and whoever has contracted them, and no more. Then there’s Sylva, which until shortly was a gathering of horses preferring their darker nature to overcome them, they have stolen, raped and murdered. One Loessian, their former Champion, has claimed their throne when it appeared to be empty, so I am not yet certain what their new direction will be - but I suspect it won’t differ too much from the Loessian perspective or the previous Sylvan ones.” It is clear from her tone that she does not like the latter two kingdoms at all even when she tries to hide it in a neutral stance and wording. Shaking her head a little to clear her thoughts, she looks at the stallion, wondering if his ears are ringing yet. ”Sorry if that’s too much information. I tend to overdo it sometimes.”
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
It seemed the mare had quite a lot to say about each of Beqanna's kingdoms, evidenced by how she went on for quite a while when Aten inquired about his former home, among others. Several that she named, mainly Tephra and Sylva, he did not care much for, nor did he listen. Tephra had never held much of his interest to begin with, and Sylva had never felt like home ever since his sire died and his dam had fled in an effort to get away from the stallion who strode in to take over. From what he remembered among herd gossip before he disappeared into the Forest, that was also the last place his dam's old friend, Raxa, had been seen, before she vanished and hadn't been glimpsed since.
Ischia and Nerine, he'd heard were sister kingdoms before his disappearance, so that was not new. However, it did seem their ways have changed, so he listened intently. It seemed neither kingdom were no longer exclusive to stallions or mares respectfully, instead allowing both to harbor ranks in each residence even if it seemed preference was still preferred based on what Ilma said. She also stated Hyaline was allied with both kingdoms, something that made him feel a little better. If he were to join a kingdom now, he'd prefer one with an ally or two instead of joining one like Sylva and having every other horse in Beqanna chomping at his pasterns simply because of where he called home.
Loess, he also never paid much attention to, but it held his interest more than Tephra. Ilma stated it had also changed its ways, forming into a kingdom of mercenaries along with a few herds here and there. Aten briefly recalled his own herd life, before Beqanna's Reckoning, how the days had been peaceful as he played with the other foals, his dam, the lead mare, watching over them all whenever Archam was away.
But in the blink of an eye, it had all vanished... just like Taiga...
Aten's pastern burns once again started to itch, but he ignored the sensation. Ilma's tone started to darken when she described Sylva's system, including how a former Loess resident had risen in the ranks of his or her former kingdom and taken Sylva's throne. It also seemed Ilma didn't have high hopes for the darkened forest-dwelling kingdom to change it's ways, something Aten shared. His dam always taught him to have hope, but that was long before everything went to hell.
Aten also found himself wondering less and less if any of his family were still alive; his direct family, anyway. He knew his sire was deceased, but no word on his older siblings or dam. If he had any half-siblings out there, it'd be something short of a miracle if he ever ran into them. Not that he cared anymore; he didn't think of himself as much of a family stallion now that he didn't have one.
Ilma shook her head, the action telling Aten she needed a moment to clear her thoughts. It was a display he knew all too well, considering he'd done it a number of times during both his youth and bachelorhood. It was also a habit he'd tried to get rid of, since he didn't want any strangers to see him doing it too often and thinking something was wrong with him.
The mare apologized for the overload of information, to which Aten gave his head a light shake, thoughts of trying to kick the habit going out his ears as he spoke up, "It's all right, no harm. There have been a lot of changes it seems, so it would only make sense that you have a lot to say.
"And, judging by your tone, you are about as fond of Sylva as much as I am," he stated, his own tone slipping into the darkness before he remembered he needed to remain calm. Or else... well, he didn't have any sort of special ability like other horses here, but he could be quite rude and callous when his temper was flared.
"Does Loess have no allies that would try to speak with Sylva's current throne holder to see if he or she has plans to change the kingdom? Even if Loess is currently a home full of trained mercenaries, no one's heart can be so dark as to completely ignore their teachings and where they came from simply for power. Has there been no word on it's direction that you suspect it will be no different from it's past?"
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
His reactions, the little ones while she speaks, are quite enough for her to get to know him. The light shake of his head eases her, he's not one to be irritated when someone talks a lot, which marks him patient. And he eases into calling Sylva out as not the greatest place to live just like she had thought, which marks him... well, not dark anyway. Not much else probably. Still, it's something.
He asks about Loess and allies and she chuckles. "They're mercenaries, but haven't been around for long. Only one contract has been made so far that I know of, and I doubt it will result in a lasting alliance. They don't want one, I think. And I really don't know about the new Sylvan king. I guess he might not be as bad, but then, how come the old Sylvans are staying and keep him on? I haven't heard anything about change so far, but, perhaps it's just too new. We'll see. I'm not going out there all alone." she tells him.
Looking to change the subject, she looks him over. "So, Sylva's not your thing. By the sounds of it Loess won't be, either. If you're looking for a new start, that is." She realizes at the last sentence that she would almost point him in a direction, like she did with many others in the field. Some stayed in those kingdoms, many others remained kingdom-less. If she had to take a guess, it might be Ischia or, a guard of Hyaline he would eventually want to go to. But chances were he would rather stay on his own. Wander. Or even find a mare to settle with, with or without a kingdom or herd.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten]
Any fool knows men and women think differently at times, but the biggest difference is this: men forget, but never forgive; women forgive, but never forget.
