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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    Exploration - Vadar
    #1
    Roseen

      The River...

    It had been a while since she had last been there. It was where she met Briseis and learned that Leilan didn’t love her. That was the day everything went downhill. From learning she had been deceived and felt more like a fool than ever, to her visit to Nerine afterwards where she gave birth to Thorgal, and had an argument with Leilan. It all started at the River. If she hadn’t been there that day, would things have turned out differently? No, she only would’ve learned the truth later on, when it was too late. 

    But now as she followed the riverbank she was empty. Those once painful moments now became meaningless memories. She had learned to let them go, and felt nothing now. The past is in the past; there was nothing to be done about it now, so why continue stabbing herself by holding onto the memories? The only thing she cared about now was her son, who walked at her side.

    Yes, they were part of Nerine now, but she wanted him to see the land. She couldn’t isolate him from everything outside their Kingdom; he was a curious chap, and needed to explore. Hopefully he could make friends across the land. 

    “What do you think?” She asked softly, smiling down at Thorgal as he pranced.


    even if you feel all alone, it can’t rain everyday, it don’t rain forever


    @[Vadar]
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    #2
    Thorgal was more than pleased when his mother told him they would go on a little adventure. He was thrilled. It had taken all of his strength to control himself from leaping and singing with joy. Not only had his mother begun allowing him to wander on his own -though he couldn’t stray too far from his mother- she was now taking him to see the land beyond Nerine. Already he had seen all the sister Kingdom had to offer, which was satisfying to the chap for a time. However, the young boy couldn’t help but wonder what lied outside the borders of his home. He was told about the other Kingdoms his mother had visited, mostly with his father, and one with another stallion he doesn’t know. And he was also informed of the common lands, the Forest, the Field where she had met his father, a stallion named Arthas, and the Queen of Nerine, Breckin.

    But first they would visit the River, since it was closer to their home. They had followed the edge of the land and worked their way around Hyaline the best they could to get there; his mother didn’t want him visiting the other Kingdoms quite yet. Why, he didn’t know. But he was happy to go anywhere at all. This showed as he pranced at his mother’s side, his legs itching to carry him along the riverbank as fast as he could. But he restrained himself.

    He had stepped closer to the water’s edge, adding more force with each step so the cool liquid splashed beneath his hooves when his mother spoke. “This is fun!” He squealed gleefully, but then quickly lowered his ears a little from slight embarrassment. He may have been young and hyper, but he didn’t want to be too energetic. He tried his best to be mature for his age, hoping that his mother would trust him enough to handle more on his own. It wasn’t like he didn’t enjoy being with his mother; she meant the world to him. But it was her teachings that made him want to prove he can be the good stallion she hoped he’d grow to be.

    He stopped his childish playing and started walking calmly at his mother’s side, taking to examining his surroundings. As far as he could see, there weren’t very many horses nearby. Just a couple here and there, but all further from the River where he could barely see their figures in te distance. He and his mother were practically alone there. Would she take him closer to the others so that he could try meeting new horses? Or would they remain by the river’s edge?
    Reply
    #3

    Darling leave the light on for me
    I'll be there before you close the door

    Summer was beginning to fade. A young stallion, not yet in his prime, with sable-colored fur and a bleached white mane and tail made his way from plain to plain, enjoying the warm promise of perhaps a few more clear nights before questionable weather began to set in. Vadar had traveled from the shadowy depths of Taiga and out into the unnamed fields just north, finally ready to interact with whomever was willing enough.

    It wasn’t exactly the easiest thing making friends, when your face was marked the way his was.

    Two white patches over a pair of pale red eyes, and a less-than humorous white line painted over his lips like a smile. The silver black horse had kept mostly to himself, from necessity. Now his short but sturdy legs carried him further on and near the River, where he could see a few groups of equines lingering near the banks and further off, some stragglers.

    Pausing to lower his head for a bite, Vadar considered them equally and decided against joining an already established group, favoring instead the sounds of a foal in the stream not far from where he stood. His head rose, a curtain of pale hair drifting across his gaze as he admired the tawny colt from afar. Not long ago he’d been just a boy himself, but manhood swept up like a raging tide and now he was grown as well. It was time he started thinking about his future, and that included mingling.

    For a second or two his vision shifts, moving aside from the youngling to where a bay mare stood alongside him. The careful lines of her face expressed gentleness, something Vadar could appreciate, while at the same time a complete attentiveness to her son. She didn’t seem the type to bite his head off for wanting to talk, so the two-toned stallion meandered closer until he could give both a warm, throaty nicker of greeting.

    “Hello there!” He called, mouth splitting into an even wider sort of grin, “You mind if I chat for a bit? Gets boring, passing the time alone with myself.” He drawled kindly enough, just a warm heart covered up by a strange exterior.



    @[Roseen]
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    #4
    Roseen

      She watched with gentle amusement as Thorgal played with the water, who quickly stopped out of embarrassment. It warmed her heart to see him so jolly. It had been a difficult and reluctantly decision to take him away from Nerine in the first place, for she was unsure what would happen. Whether he was still too young and would grow weary of the journey, or if they came across anything dangerous. Apparently there were creatures in Beqanna that would be less than shy about taking a foal while their mother wasn’t looking. 

    Roseen wasn’t sure she wanted to risk it; perhaps she was overprotective of her pride and joy, which was difficult to hold back. But she didn’t want to give him a life that was too sheltered. She wasn’t immortal like a lot of other horses in Beqanna, she wouldn’t live forever. And if she kept him too sheltered, he wouldn’t be able to make it out in the world on his own. He’d be used to relying on her to protect him and tell him what to do. So, to make sure he was able to think for himself and protect himself for the time her short life ends, she would take him on adventures, allow him to see and experience the things in the world he was sure to live around when he’s grown. But that wasn’t to say she still didn’t protect him. She wouldn’t dare put him in any danger.

    Her smile brightened at his reply, her tail switching as they continued along the riverside. Thorgal was so energetic, interested in the world and all it had to offer. He was friendly as well, and looked forward to meeting someone new and making friends. He reminded her of herself when she was his age, before her life was turned upside down when her father tossed her out of their herd. 

    And speaking of making friends, Thorgal didn’t really have any yet, did he? He had met two of his siblings already, but Roseen hadn’t been there to see them, nor Leilan and apparently his own mother and sibling. It was a reunion she regretted missing, but surely there would be other times. And because she wasn’t there, she didn’t know how well he got along with his siblings. But other than them, had he even met anyone?

    As if her own thoughts had the power to summon another, a stallion approached with a pleasingly friendly greeting. Stopping in her tracks, she turned her head to look his way, and was admittedly a little shocked by his appearance. His dark coloring, the marks over his pale red eyes and the unnatural line that appeared as a smile over his lips could be a little unsettling to others, but it made Roseen more interested in him instead.

    So, she smiled with a friendly dip of her head in greeting. “I don’t mind,” she replied kindly. “I understand how that feels myself, so you may stay as long as you like. My name is Roseen, and this is my son,” she glanced down at Thorgal, with a look in her eyes that would’ve nudged him forward if they could. “Go on, introduce yourself.” 

    even if you feel all alone, it can’t rain everyday, it don’t rain forever


    @[Vadar]
    Reply
    #5
    He examined their surroundings, taking in each scent and sound, all the while suppressing his urges to play. The weather had cooled down a little now that summer was ending, and autumn approached. This was his first autumn, and next would be his first winter. His mother had already explained how the seasons work, and what happened during each one. Autumn was apparently breeding season, but also when the heat turns to cold and the plants begin to die. Other animals stock up as they prepare for the cold winter, when it sometimes snows, making all the land white. And then when the snow melts, it becomes spring, the opposite of autumn where instead of everything dying, everything is born, including foals. Perhaps everything was exciting to Thorgal, a new addition to the world where everything that happened was a new experience, but he looked forward to autumn and winter. Snow was especially exciting, for he could apparently play in it more than he could in the summer grass. 

    But the idea of experiencing new things had brought back his desire to meet others. He looked back up at his mother, parting his lips to ask if they were going to go speak with any of the other horses nearby, but before his voice could leave him they were approached instead.

    His eyes lit up like the sun, a smile stretching across his small features. He had already seen many unique looking horses, so he wasn’t really moved by this one’s -what might be unsettling- appearance. Perhaps it was because he was born and raised knowing magic of Beqanna as well as unique appearances of others. Unlike the childhood his mother had. He was already used to it. But right now, all he really cared about was his chance to meet someone new. 

    He could no longer contain the tingling of excitement that rose within him. He leaped forward towards the stranger and began introducing himself, barely managing to not interrupt his mother while she spoke. “I’m Thorgal!” He chirped, tail and ears raising to show his jolliness
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    #6

    Darling leave the light on for me
    I'll be there before you close the door

    Lucky enough to have found a few horses willing to engage him, Vadar’s grin only widens at the welcoming nature Roseen exudes. There’s something of a light in her, distinguishable from the way she so obviously tried to ignore his markings, and for someone who’s own light could hardly be extinguished, the black and white stallion deems the bay mare a rarity. In all Beqanna he’s never met someone so obviously cautious and yet, so obviously kind.

    From beside him the colt chirps up, attentive and (in a way only children can seem to manage) excited over the prospect of a newcomer. Vadar reasons that these two have been secluded for a while, as Thorgal is practically vibrating with energetic gusto, and he wonders what could’ve possibly happened to force them into shunning company. “Thorgal! A strong name.” The silver-maned stallion smiled, pawing playfully near the tawny boy.

    His eyes, pale red in a sea of milk white, flick up to catch the attention of the colt’s mother in case she disapproved of rough play. Wound, his own dam, had been willing enough to let him romp now and then since he lacked a sibling to match. “Not all mothers are like Wound.” He thinks to himself, winking gently at Roseen through ivory eyelashes.

    “My name is Vadar.” The stocky brute says, easing a bit closer now that he’d been given leeway to make himself comfortable. “Are you escorting your mother to the River today, Thorgal? Pretty lady like that needs protection, right?” He jokes half-seriously, only for the benefit of Thorgal’s pride. Had he come across the mahogany female alone, the approach to a compliment might’ve been more direct, but he’s not hungrily lusting or trying to make her feel uncomfortable.



    @[Roseen] sorry for the wait! <3
    Reply
    #7
    Roseen

      A soft smile seemed to only grow as she watched the stallion and her son. Thorgal’s excitement and willingness to greet a stranger warmed her heart, for she knew that meant he wasn’t too shy to speak up and make friends like she had once been. And the stallion, complimenting on Thorgal’s name -surely an attempt to make the colt feel proud- and then his playful movements only made her giggle lightly, though she did her best to hide it. Only for a heartbeat did she catch him looking her way the way he had, and she simply replied with a gently nod of her head. 

    He then introduced himself, and continued speaking with her son in an amusing manner. It made her think that’s how a father would act around his son, but she wouldn’t know, and neither would Thorgal. Leilan was never around; he just walked out of their lives, so she wouldn’t have been able to see a father in action. And her own father wasn’t even worth consideration. He never cared for any of his children, never paid attention to them, yet expected too much in return. 

    It was how well he was doing with Thorgal that made her feel so comfortable around Vadar. But as the stallion indirectly complimented her, she, in all honesty, felt nothing. Perhaps when she was younger without the maturity motherhood causes, she would have blushed, stuttered, and felt weak in the knees just at the comment. But now, after all that’s happened, she had decided to give up on ever finding love. She was certain that no stallion would truly feel that way about her, believing that she’s beautiful. Those feelings became so strong that every time someone complimented her, she just brushed it off and decided they were just trying to be nice. 

    So there was no reaction from her, no falter in her smile, no hope in her eyes nor heart. She only remained quiet for now, too caught up in watching Vadar and Thorgal interact. 


    even if you feel all alone, it can’t rain everyday, it don’t rain forever



    @[Vadar] No problem! ^-^ I absolutely love Vadar xD
    Reply
    #8
    Already he was liking the stallion a lot. If it wasn’t the fact that he had come over to Roseen and Thorgal in the first place, then it was the compliments that won the colt over. Heart swelling with pride at hearing that the stallion thought his name was strong, he puffed his chest out a little bit with a confident grin. “Thanks!” He replied, tail raising happily. 

    And as the stallion says his own name, Thorgal’s eyes beamed brighter (if that were even possible). “We’re on an adventure!” He replied with an excited hop, then pawed playfully at the stallion in return. The compliment towards his mother went completely over his head, however. Too young to even realize that another stallion may end up wanting her as their wife. But he chuckled, thinking about the question as more of a joke. He knew he was the one who needed protection, not his mother. But he did fancy the idea of things switching around someday. His mother wouldn’t stay young forever. But that was something he didn’t like to think about. 

    But, the thought was entertaining, so he humored the stallion anyway. “That’s right! There’s no telling what kind of dangerous creatures are lurking about, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce,” he glanced from side to side with suspicion, as if he were on watch for such creatures, but his goofy grin gave him away. He spun around, looking across to the other side of the River, head low, ears raised with alert. “If anything tries to hurt momma I’ll tear them to shreds!” He looked back at Vadar from over his shoulder, giggling.
    Reply
    #9

    Darling leave the light on for me
    I'll be there before you close the door

    Roseen laughs tenderly, so light that Vadar almost misses it right before her son declares their intentions. He and his mother are on an adventure, it seems. The black stallion eases comfortably onto his hind legs, admiring the nature of the colt and the way his sturdy legs keep him from teetering when he spins around. The marvel of life and the fact that this young boy was already prepared for the monsters out there (some of which were terribly real, despite Thorgal’s joking) made Vadar secretly wish that he’d found these two a while ago, and not by chance today.

    He could see himself in the silver-haired youngling, and could see just by glancing at the dam how easy it could be for him to stick around and give them company. But for all he knows some lucky stallion is waiting for them to return, or headed this way right now to gather them up before the day slips away from them.

    “I’d help you do it!” Vadar declares, seemingly just as eager to pounce on a horse who might threaten Roseen. His dark ears turn down and he flashes white teeth in a loud snap, comically attacking something invisible as if to say, just try me! Afterwards his own boisterous laugh mingles with Thorgal’s giggle, and for a moment the red-eyed stallion seems at peace.

    Possibly joyful.

    Then their world changes and the Mountain shudders, screams begin to ring out in the air, cutting through what was once a peaceful hum of conversation. Vadar jerks into a rush of adrenaline, his eyes frantically switching between the fawn-colored colt and the black-dappled-bay mare, driven to action by the side of him that instinctually wants to protect and the side that hears Beqanna’s fairies telling them where it’s safe to go.
    A plague? Pestilence. Disease.
    For a second the tender image of the mother and son he’s looking at turns to horrible death, both of them transforming to hairless animals covered in boils, but Vadar is aware that he’s suffering from shock and slight terror - it’s just a brief panic. He snaps back into action-mode, a red aura of pure light beginning to glow faintly over every inch of his ebony skin. “Roseen, Thorgal - we need to go to the Mountain where it’s safe.”

    It’s the first place that comes to mind, since he doesn’t live anywhere and he’s not sure where they’re from. According to the fey it’s a safe zone as well, so he circles the two in a desperate trot and tries to urge them ahead on dancing hooves. “I promise to protect you.” He says a bit too loud, smiling (always smiling) in hopes that the child won’t latch onto fear, (how could you tear a virus to shreds?) and then his eyes harden, and he glances straight at Roseen.

    “Trust me.” He says, dropping his hooves firmly into the ground and growing calm. The soft crimson light grows harder, emitting a comforting heat when the clown-faced outcast moves from behind them and leaves Thorgal in the middle. “Let’s go to the Mountain.”



    @[Roseen] her reply can be in the Mountain or I can post a starter there! Geographically it's the closest "safe place" and they can talk more there. Just let me know which one you'd prefer Wink Discord me
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