"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
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
They arrive at the water by sundown. In the light of the setting sun, her wings glow more orange than they would during the day, because it's the very sun they get their structure from. Soon they will disappear wholly, she's already told the man she brought with her today, lest he be too shocked about it.
Along the way, they haven't talked much about their kingdoms any more. Instead, she tells him about her children, how they're growing up, that Llowell is no longer really around Hyaline any more but that she knows he's probably wandering about and forgetting his mother, instead doing whatever it is young wandering stallions do at that age. About Tähti's setback last winter, and how her oldest child and only daughter has decided to protect Hyaline, something she greatly appreciates.
And the sandbank is slowly cleared as she talks, and they walk the last bit in near silence. Wondering about Ischia. She hasn't been here for a long time; last time she'd visited, she had spoken to Belgaer, who had seemed to be a really nice guy although they hadn't otherwise discussed anything among them. This time, she figured a new diplomatic visit (other than the one time Belgaer had asked Solace and Kagerus to come talk to Brennen) would be more fruitful. If only because she'd basically recruited her new friend for them, as a good ally would when they realized that their own home might not suit the recruit. It was just up to the brothers to make a good impression, now.
And her wings indeed dim when the sun has truly set; but in the darkness as they make it to the beach there's a glow from both up as well as below, when glowing algae are disturbed by their hooves as well as the waves, and the light the beach and give it a peaceful glow. "So this would be Ischia." she tells her companion, and smiles. Then she calls out with a light whinny, not too loud because she doesn't want to disturb those who are already asleep.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten] @[Brennen]
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.
True to the kind nature Aten could tell this mare possessed, Ilma led the way to the border of Beqanna's mainland, stopping just short of the sandbars that made up the bridge to the island kingdom of Ischia. Unknown to the mare, Aten had actually been there many moons ago, but had left shortly after in favor of the mainland and trying to find out what happened to his family after the Reckoning.
When it became clear he would hear nothing more than the limited information he could share with Ilma, the stallion had gone into hiding, and the rest up until now was history. Aten enjoyed the pleasant company of the mare on their trip to the border, making small talk on the way and commenting on the sun starting to set on the horizon as the water moved with the tide change, exposing the sandbar bridge underneath.
Recalling his previous trip, but knowing that time and the ocean water may have altered the sandbar bridge, Aten placed each step with care, something that was not hard to do in a multitude of ways. In addition to not wanting to slip off the sandbar bridge and potentially get stuck in the deeper stuff below the waves, Aten's back hooves were also still very sensitive to ocean water since he received his injuries during Taiga's destruction. With the passing of time, his physical wounds had healed, leaving a series of ugly burn scars on his lower legs, pasterns, and underside of his belly. None of these marks could be seen from a distance, due to location or the hair on his legs that had grown back, but upon getting closer, they were easier to spot since the skin was a dark pink/red in color compared to the golden coat he possessed.
Thankfully, Ilma did not seem to notice, since she didn't comment on them at all. For some reason, Aten was grateful, and yet secretly desired to share his pain with a close soul. However, even if what he and Ilma had was the budding of a new friendship, it would take some time before he could feel close enough to her to reveal what had truly happened the day he lost his home.
On their journey as well, Ilma mentioned her wings; Aten felt a bit embarrassed, as he had been staring at them a few times when his eyes drifted and caught sight of them in the sunlight. She explained that, unlike other wing sets around here, they shifted form and color with the rising and setting of the sun. Given the position of the celestial body in the sky, it explained the mare's wings' orange color. Aten was a bit intrigued by this type of wing style, for he had never seen them, but he'd grown up around horses with abilities and physical features, even some similar to the mare's, so he wasn't very surprised he met yet another horse with a special gift.
As the pair converged on more small talk on their way across the sandbar bridge, Aten was relieved when the conversation steered away from their kingdoms - in Aten's case, former, - and instead opted for a more comfortable topic: family. Ilma told Aten how she had two grown foals of her own, a colt named Llowell, and a filly named Tähti. Llowell was living the life Aten once had, more than likely the same his older brother was somewhere in the world, and how Tähti had set out to be one of Hyaline's protectors. The way she spoke of her foals showed that the mare had pride in the both of them, and Aten found it very charming, how she thought so highly of her young ones.
While she was going on about them, Aten did not notice that he became lost in thought, wondering what other mysteries he could uncover about this mare. Thankfully, he came to his senses again before Ilma would notice and make a comment about how he'd been staring again.
Aten decided to share a little of his own history, but nothing more than the last he'd heard of his family. He explained how he had three older full siblings; two sisters named Sirana and Eiria, and a brother, Nerius. He'd gotten to know three of his half-sibling brothers before they all went their separate ways, and how the last he'd heard of his dam was how she'd been driven from the place she called home with her friends, and no one had heard from her since.
He had little to say about his sire beyond how he'd known him for only a few months before his death, and that despite what little he did know, his dam had often said Aten was more like his sire than he would ever guess. Aten had to laugh at this; according to his dam, Archam had been a bit of a player despite making Anahi his lead mare. Aten would not aspire to be like that, but he withheld that information from Ilma, figuring she didn't need to know since it wasn't extremely important.
The pair continued in their small talk until Ischia came into view, at which point, a few yards from shore, their walk devolved into comfortable silence. Aten noticed how the mare's wings did indeed fade as the sun fully set, the once blue sky painting itself black as the moon and stars took over for the night. From the corner of his eye, Aten noticed something else glowing, but below him, not above like the moon and stars.
The stallion looked down, eyes going wide at seeing the source of the glow was coming from the water. It was then he remembered from his last visit a long time back; the plants in the water, algae, emitted a glow at night, causing the beach to turn a vibrant bright green in color when the plants were disturbed. The pair continued to kick the plants apart as they stepped through the rising ocean water, Aten gritting his teeth to avoid making a sound as his scars began to sting.
He reigned in his urge to charge out of the water when they got to shore, opting to slowly step out to try and minimize the movement of his legs. Once he was out, he breathed a small sigh of relief, lifting each hoof and giving it a light shake to rid it of the ocean water. While he was doing so, Ilma spoke up, informing him of this being Ischia, a fact well known, before letting out a call for someone he presumed was the leader.
The duo waited patiently, Aten looking out over the trees lining the beach. Since it was dark, their color wasn't mesmerizing, but they were still pretty to look at. With the glow on his backside illuminating his golden coat, the stallion turned his head and shoulder to somewhat face the mare.
"It may be presumptuous of me to ask, but, when you were speaking about Ischia, you had a look in your eyes I know well. It seemed almost, distant, as if you were remembering something. May I ask what about this place made your memories surface?"
hold me in this wild, wild world 'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
The world is stirring around them, but some things never change. Twice a day, the water clears a path to their island, and Brennen watches to see if anyone crosses. Other things do change – before, the Kraken would have had to make his way to the crossing physically. Now, he simply waits for the ocean to tell him if it has been disturbed. Only then does he leave his sleeping family and go to the beach, but now he has economy of time on his side. One breath he is in the grove, a blink and he is standing in the bright sand, warmth still radiating up from where the day’s sun had heated it.
“Hello,” he calls, voice low, as he walks across the shore to meet them. Glowing particles still cling to their legs, the bottom of the tails, and the glow reaches out behind them like blue stars on the expanse of the sea. He loves his island at night, but he’s not used to visitors at night…at least, not friendly visitors in peaceful times. But a brief, unobtrusive touch tells him that whatever Ilma has to share, it’s not bad news; and so his muscles relax fractionally, and he comes to a halt before them with an easy mind. “Ilma,” he nods to her, a little smile on his face, and then nods to the stranger. “I’m Brennen,” he introduces himself to the man, “Welcome to Ischia.”
Somewhere behind him, his children and his mate slumber, and dream; the people of his Kingdom do so as well. He would be perfectly please, if their current situation never changed.
hold me in this wild, wild world and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
And there's a lesson waiting to be learned the firestarters always get the burns and the good guys never get the girl
She knows their timing has been more ill than she’d hoped; but with Aten simply unable to cross until the sand bridge had been cleared of water enough, they had had to wait. And she’d not seen herself fit to wait until the next morning to bring him over, if she was completely honest with herself.
Aten’s question makes her smile, and shake her head. ”I rarely ever come here, so the one time I did is still clear in my mind, but it’s nothing special I’m afraid.” she smiles apologetically, but has no time for further explanations.
Nonetheless, the winged bay she’d hoped to introduce, simply appeared before them in the sands, and she blinks at the man a few times before speaking. ”Brennen,” she greets him with a dip of her head, ”I do apologize for the timing, please excuse us for not waiting on the daytime bridge.” She smiles, and looks at the man she brought. ”I met Aten today, and after talking some, I had the feeling he might be a better fit for your kingdom than mine.” she explains kindly, looking from one to another. She’d leave any other introductions to themselves, thinking it unfit for her to do all the talking. The Brotherhood was best explained by a brother himself, after all.
and shooting stars cannot fix the world
@[Aten] @[Brennen]
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.
Ilma's reply was simple, but gave Aten the impression she had something, even minor, to hide. Still, he didn't press the matter. If she wasn't hiding anything, it would make sense as to why she was remembering something from this place so clearly. Seeing it only once in a while gave it a whole new feel of wonder and stunning. No doubt Ilma was remembering the last time she came here when she gained that faraway look in her eyes.
The pair were soon joined by the presence of another, a stallion, with a glowing bay coat, a powerful stature, a silky black mane and tail, and a pair of feathered wings to match. Aten hardly batted an eye at the appendages on the stallion's back as he came up to greet them, calling out 'Hello' in a low, calm, soothing voice.
Aten noted the minute tense strain in his muscles, something that told him to be cautious, but not present himself as a threat or one that overreacted at the simplest of readings. He forced himself to remain light in his posture, to show the bay stallion he was not here to cause any sort of harm. Even though Aten was a capable fighter, he had no doubt the stallion would best him in competition should he choose to fight in the sky.
He greeted Ilma first before introducing himself as Brennen, welcoming the duo to the island kingdom. Before Aten could introduce himself, Ilma cut in, apologizing for the late hour of their arrival before moving on to the purpose of their arrival here. Aten's gaze moved from the mare to the stallion, and before he spoke, he bowed his head as a sign of respect.
"Well met Brennen," Aten spoke in a proud, even tone. "As my companion already introduced my name, and our purpose here. I have heard a great deal about your kingdom from Ilma on our travel here. Sadly, not much more than what she can share; I've not spent a great deal of time among the company of those living in the Field as of late.
"True, I might grow to like your kingdom, but I am wondering what you could tell me about it? I do not wish to make myself part of the puzzle if I feel I will not fit in a place here somewhere."
