"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
It seems that Aten could just not catch a break, and now he was sorely regretting coming out of his self-imposed exile in the Forest for all those years. First, he'd lost his dam and siblings after the Reckoning. He'd been kicked from his sister's herd by the stallion who had claimed her. He found friendship in Taiga, then lost it to destruction. He found comfort in a friend he grew to love, only to discover her heart was claimed by another, and she had changed following their home's disappearance. And now, he'd lost Ischia, a place he was looking to consider home.
That didn't mean he'd given up completely. He had yet to receive acceptance from the island nation's king about joining, but then the Plague came down with the full force of a tsunami over the land. Horses were dropping like flies with the sickness, losing their hair and spraying blood from their mouths and nostrils. Luckily, Aten had not yet been infected, but the longer he remained out here, he knew his chances grew.
He'd heard that Ischia had decided to join forces with its sister kingdom, Nerine, and the stallions and the few mares from the island had migrated north. He'd also heard of the four new islands that had popped up in the surrounding ocean, apparently safe havens for those who wished to escape the dangers of the Plague. Aten at first didn't know what he wanted to do and still didn't. He just didn't know how much more of this he could take. Losing three of his former homes... his family... his friends... the one he'd grown to love...
He wasn't contemplating the ultimate reckless action of saying goodbye permanently, but it sure felt that well in the ever-present icy-cold grip that held his heart. Fitting, considering the horses of the island kingdom he'd grown to like had gone north to the island half-covered in ice. Perhaps he should investigate, see what it was like?
But the journey would be long, especially since he'd detoured halfway across Beqanna's east side. A lot of the island horses had to make the journey to the mainland anyway, or the island near Ischia that was a safe zone. Given Aten had not yet received approval from the king of Ischia before the Plague, he'd returned to the mainland himself, retreating for the solidarity of the Forest to try and get away from the sickness.
He knew the Forest could be teeming with those who were sick, so he had to get somewhere safe. Best bet for him was to go north, where other island horses were; perhaps he would meet a familiar face, like Ilma or Brennen. Hopefully, the king was still feeling generous enough to offer the golden stallion a home. Aten was not a heavy draft breed, but his sire's side definitely contributed to his more hardy appearance and ability to better survive the chilling winters.
As it was, trudging through the snow provided little challenge for the stallion. His heavy hooves crushed the white powder as he walked atop the snow layer, only sinking in here and there when a pothole was masked. The layer was not thick, to begin with, making this journey even easier. Aten decided to stop by the River for a brief while, to rest, knowing he would need some of his strength for the trek north.
The stallion had to get much closer to the River than during the warmer months to actually see it against the white backdrop. A light layer of frost had formed over the top, but it did not stop him. Lifting a rock-hard hoof, Aten pawed at the ice until he broke through, chipping away at the edges to make a good-sized hole for him to drink out of.
Lowering his shaggy head and neck, the stallion took a long drink, his throat chilling from the frigid water. It did little to faze him, while it did cause his stomach to turn cold, he knew he couldn't stop just because the water was freezing. He needed water to survive, just like food, and that was hard enough to come by as it was here.
Lifting his head for a moment, Aten gazed around just to try and spot any trouble while he took a brief break. Some of the water droplets on his chin hair had already frozen, creating a crafty yet funny look that made it seem like he had rain falling from his mouth. Lowering his head again, the stallion took another drink, ears up and eyes gazing side to side to make sure no Plague-ridden horses could sneak up on him.
He passed through the trees in relative silence, appearing as a giant wolf at first glance. He was horse though, all horse. Only equine. His days of shifting were gone, though it had stayed in his thick coat and replaced his original color of sooty black and purple spots.
A trade of sorts to protect an innocent boy from those that hunted him.
His head jerked up and his heart stopped the moment he caught that familiar scent. Dark ears forward, he scanned the direction it had come from, pacing forward, and then loping. Aten! The boy who'd grown into man and taken his place in Ruan's heart as a son. A son he didn't have with his own gone from him, perhaps living his own life. Ruan would never know.
Breath clouded from his parted lips, blue eyes bright and alert as he tracked the scent trail until he could see a glint of gold through the trees. He slowed, muscles rolling beneath his fur-like coat as he carried himself forward. He came to a cautious pause, his head dropping mid-way as a wary wolf might.
It was him! It was Aten.
Ruan was afraid he would look too different from his old self, from the last time Aten had seen him. More than just his color, he was different. He was harder, sharper. Colder. Wilder. What if he was unrecognizable to this young man that meant so much? The wolf in him wanted to howl mournfully, but he no longer had that ability.
He shifted his weight with a few restless paces to the left, huffing out more clouds of heat in the chilly air with exaggerated nods of his head. This was his son. He needed Aten to remember him.
Then he shook out his coat, the snow dusting off his back from it, and stilled with his head held low again. He remembered something, though. He remembered a time when Jinju's fire had been wild, setting their Taiga ablaze. And how Aten had rushed into it to protect her. How Ruan had tried to help keep him safe by layering an armor of ice over the golden man.
He lifted his wolf-colored head, steady eyes on Aten and ears forward. With his heart racing with anxiety, he carefully shaped a thin, glass-like sheen of ice over Aten's back and shoulders. He manifested that memory in as respectful a way as he could, without trying to feel that he was forcing his magic on his son. He knew too well what it was like to have magic forced on him.
It only reached along Aten's spine, spilling over his sides at the top, and over his withers. Then Ruan bottled it back inside, and let it sit light enough on Aten that he could shake it off and shatter it easily.
But he hoped it would connect this harder wolf-man that he was now to the warmer man that he had been before. He hoped Aten would remember him. And be glad of it.
Even though the new stallion's arrival was quiet and some other horses might not have heard him coming, Aten was perceptive, cunning, and careful. So it was no surprise that he lifted his head when he heard the sound of pounding hoofbeats approaching, water dripping from his chin and nose, creating tiny ripples in the river.
The stallion was of decent size, possibly around Aten's age if not slightly older. He had a coal black mane and tail that stood out against his gray coat, a line of dark purple fur lining his dorsal stripe and his color patterned like one of the wolves Aten had seen roaming the land. Aten and the stallion stood on opposite sides of the river for some time, staring at each other, before Aten came to the conclusion that he didn't seem to be a threat. Still, he was unnerved with the other creature just hanging out there and not doing anything.
The golden stallion turned and prepared to start walking away, but stopped when he felt an odd sensation stirring on his back. It was a chill similar to the snow when Aten was caught out in a blizzard. His muscles started twitching so he could shake it off, but before he could, he became trapped in his thoughts, recalling memories from one of his more recent homes.
The chill spread over his withers and shoulder blades, almost like a bird spreading its wings and giving him a hug. He remembered something like this happening before... a fire... his friends in danger... the trees burning... the fur on his pasterns being burned and blistered, leaving a series of scars...
All he could see was everything on fire...
The stallion's muscles rippled under his skin, his back legs taking the brunt of his weight as he reared and threw the ice off of him. He jumped away as if the ice had burned his back, completely stuck in his mind. Only when one of his back legs went through the ice and into the water did it shock him back, and he remembered where he was.
The River... that stallion... he turned around to look back at the other, his brown eyes wide and a bit panicked, but searching, recognizing...
He was proud to find Aten's senses so alert, so attuned to his surroundings. He couldn't have been more thrilled, filled with more affection for this man that had been more a son to him than his own son.
As he spread his ice gently over Aten, the young man reacted in a way that hurt the wolf's heart. He bottled up his magic so fast, nearly regretting that he'd tried as the golden stallion reared and threw the sheen of ice off his back. God, he was sorry. That was foolish. Thoughtless. He knew better than to force magic on someone, especially someone he loved.
Aten seemed to wake from it though as his hoof crashed into the water, looking at him with those strong brown eyes. "Ruan? Is... that you...?"
A careful smile lifted the corner of his mouth, and he nodded slowly, cautiously stepping forward in case he was not so welcome after all. "Yes," he answered, solid and quiet. He had never been too afraid to offend someone, more than willing to be a lone wolf and make his own path through life, not caring to follow the norms set by others. But Aten, of all, he did care not to cause offense. He yearned for this young man back in this family's life.
"Magic," he explained simply. Magic had changed him. Magic had taken him away for what had amounted to years while only being a short while for him. The past is of little matter, though.
"We are home." Jinju had been there for most of the whole time, it seemed, keeping to herself and surviving as best she could. She was made young again, a death and a rebirth setting her back to childhood and now a two year old again. So young again. He hesitated. Because actually, Jinju was not currently home.
"Jinju has gone to the mountain for a cure for the plague. To care once more for those that choose to live within the Taiga."
He shifted on his feet, pausing a polite distance away though leaving himself open for any physical contact. It wasn't exactly like he'd ever cuddled the boy when he was younger, he'd been too old for that, but Ruan would welcome affection from family anyway if Aten still considered himself to be. He didn't want to assume that this attachment was mutual.
And perhaps, if Aten did consider himself to be family... Perhaps he would return home with them as well. He imagined Jinju might like that, maybe. And Ruan most definitely would.
11-20-2018, 04:04 AM (This post was last modified: 11-20-2018, 04:04 AM by Aten.)
Aten could scarcely believe that the stallion answered his question with an affirmed nod in addition to a 'yes', his posture quiet and relaxed to try and let Aten know that he was not there to hurt him. Not that the golden stallion thought he would do so, but a lot of things had changed in Beqanna recently, and he recalled some of the abilities that Ruan had. Who was to say that he wouldn't let those abilities take control?
But the fact that he hadn't spoke volumes; it seemed he was here for one purpose. He'd sensed Aten and had come to see him, reaching out to him with his magic to let him know who it was. Ruan then went on to say that 'they were home', which at first Aten didn't understand. He stretched out his muscled neck to try and inhale Ruan's scent, his eyes going a little wide. The smell was different, not completely the same to the one he was used to, but it was familiar enough...
Could it be possible? Did Ruan indeed come from the Taiga, now recovered from its destruction and playing home to a number of Beqanna horses? Aten almost missed everything Ruan said about how Jinju had gone to the mountains in search of a cure for the Plague, something that frightened him considering how dangerous such a task could be. But he should've known better; much like Aten's dam and his older sister, Jinju was definitely not one to idle on the sidelines and let others solve her problems.
It was one of the things he admired about and had grown to care for her.
Ruan had come a bit closer, and at first, Aten retained his distance. But over a small amount of time, recalling the fond memories he shared with the stallion and his family, his tension lessened, and he shared a friendly smile, his nostrils slightly expanding from the relaxed breath.
"Home... that would be nice, to see it again. And Jinju and any of my friends who are there... and Jinju's little one if he is there," Aten stated, remembering that Jinju did indeed have a foal. "Is... is Taiga doing all right after what happened? Is it providing a safe enough home for those who live there?"
Ruan smiled back, reflecting the kind expression on Aten's face.
"Home... that would be nice, to see it again. And Jinju and any of my friends who are there... and Jinju's little one if he is there."
Ruan's eyes saddened. Her boy Ander was not there with them thus far. Grown, now. Likely off on his own adventures with his own family. Jinju had died and been reborn, raised beside him nearly as her son's sister. It was a delicate topic for her, so he shook his head shortly. Her child was not there, and they didn't speak of it.
"Is... is Taiga doing all right after what happened? Is it providing a safe enough home for those who live there?"
His eyes hardened and he nodded sharply, resolute. "The Taiga survives. With the return of family and friends, new and old, it will thrive again." Safe was now a relative word with this sickness spreading over Beqanna. He attended to that topic without hesitation, directing their focus to it. If Aten was returning, it was an important note that he was not immune to it.
"The Taiga is not one of the safe havens, and the Plague is capable of spreading to our family." Family in this statement included all that called Taiga home, as it usually did. "It does not currently infect any within, but that is surely temporary. No one in Taiga is safe from it."
He did not point out that none had died from it either. Perhaps that may be wrong, but he hadn't heard of it taking a life yet. The levels of sickness seemed to vary as well, some hardly showing any symptoms at all and some looking as though death had a strong grip of them.
He would face the danger as the rest of the Taigans were.
"Would you like to visit at least? See Jinju again?" His daughter could use a friend now more than ever. He didn't say that either, didn't want to pressure Aten to put himself in danger if he wished to remain healthy.
Well, it wasn't the best news he wanted to hear, but the knowledge that Taiga was still standing despite everything going on was somewhat of a relief. It would, of course, be much better if it was considered a safe haven, like the Isicle Isle or the Island off Tephra's coast, but beggars shouldn't be choosers. At the very least, Aten was grateful to not hear Ruan say that Taiga was proving to be as sickly a land as Pangea; from what Aten heard, any horse that went near that realm was stricken with the Plague, regardless if they'd previously been lucky enough to avoid it.
He suddenly feared for the lives of his siblings, if they were living there or somewhere else, safe. He hoped the same for his dam, despite not having heard anything from her in years. But if there was one thing about Aten that would never change, it was his concern for family and those he loved. Even though he hadn't spoken to any of his siblings or his dam in many moons, he figured they were out there, somewhere, surviving. All he hoped for was the best; this extended to Aten's friends, those who he cared about enough to consider them family.
Naturally, this included Ruan, who had taken him under his wing during his first few months in Taiga before it's rebirth. Regardless of what happened between him and Jinju some time ago, she was also included. Aten didn't care if she only thought of him as a brother for the rest of their lives, just knowing she was safe and that they could continue to be friends was enough for him. Admittedly, one day, yes, it'd be nice to have more. But it wasn't like he could say anything anyways. He cared for her, and her family, and friends, and would not stop doing so.
Which is why Aten did not hesitate in what he said next.
He looked to Ruan, "I would like that very much. I have been away from Taiga for too long; I miss it, and would like to return."
