"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
This... was definitely a new experience for the young stallion. Well, not exactly young, but definitely in his prime. He didn't want to deliver the news to the kingdom residents like this, but he didn't exactly see another option for what else he could do. It also wouldn't be fair for the kingdom residents to find out from any other source than him, so the stallion made the tough choice to do something for the first time.
Gathering his wits, Aten strolled toward one of the larger meadows in the kingdom, where an outcropping of stones was located so he could stand higher than the residents to look down and see who had come to attend the meeting. He tilted his head back and called to those of Taiga, requesting their presence in the meadow so he could inform them of this important development.
As they trickled in like running water in a blocked river, his eyes drifted over them to take account of who showed up. When enough of them gathered, if not all, since there were still new faces Aten had yet to officially greet, he cleared his throat and began speaking.
"For those of you who have yet to meet me, my name is Aten. I am a trusted friend of Taiga's leader, Lilitha, and a formal visitor to our other territories to establish good relationships to help continue Taiga's protection. If you are wondering why I have asked you here today, there is an important and... interesting reason for it.
"I was approached by Lilitha as of recently, and am saddened to report that both she and her daughter, Singe, have contracted the Plague. Lilitha finds herself in an unfit condition to continue as Taiga's leader, and has asked me to step up in her place to make sure our kingdom stays functioning and protected. After thought, I accepted her offer, but I wish to meet with all of you here to, not only inform you, but to hear what you have to say of this, and inform me in turn of what you wish to see here of our kingdom, things that I may keep in mind going forward so that I may do my best to be a worthy leader of Taiga."
When he finished, Aten stood quietly, looking down at the residents, waiting patiently for what each of them may have to say.
He knows, he knows - he promised Sabrina he’d go with her to Sylva and tell her father the good news. He would, but as the two animal shifters passed by Taiga a faint call caught his attention. Mid-run he paused, digging his claws into the soft, dark soil before raising his sandalwood colored head to listen. When the echoing command faded out he’d told Sabrina to run along without him. He had business to attend to.
Weaving through the shadowy, ancient forest like the slip of a ghost, Crevan lifts his own head to answer Aten with a mournful howl.
There was no one else who replied.
He brushed past the undergrowth and out into the clearing with a bold presence, dark eyes gleaming and his shoulders rolling with immortal health and grace. The pale wolf was a force to be reckoned with but he hadn’t come here to challenge Aten’s rule; actually the opposite.
There was opportunity here and he intended to seize it.
“Nice speech.” Crevan answered through sharp teeth, once the golden horse had finished. “It’s too bad I’m the only one here to appreciate it. We can change that though.” He shrugged, taking a seat.
“I was born here long before you ever came around and I’d like to stay here, to help you out. Taiga has potential and I have unlimited time to give her.” The Wolf-shifter comments. He asses Aten quietly and confidently, never betraying a single thought. His face remains untroubled. “But my service shouldn’t be given freely. If I stay and bring others, I want you to consider me your partner. Your… co-ruler, if titles are what you like.”
Crevan smiles, his ears tilting forward in quiet anticipation. The soft thump of his tail against the forest floor can be heard above the silence. “What do you say Aten? Are you the type to build Taiga, or close her off from the world?”
04-22-2019, 12:39 AM (This post was last modified: 04-25-2019, 01:39 AM by Aten.)
He may not have seen them, but Aten knew that the small number of Taiga residents could feel it. There had been a shift in the wind, something... upsetting the balance. Even if they did not know he had been handled the mantle of leader yet, Lilitha's missing presence would quickly be noticed.
Aten had big hooves to fill, but he had enough confidence in himself to know when help was not needed. Such as in the case of the arrogant newcomer who had decided to make an appearance. The creature came strutting into the clearing with an air of narcicism about him. Aten could be getting the wrong impression, but the way he saw it, to him, it was simple. Aten was surprised that, unlike what he originally thought, this creature was not a rival stallion, but a wolf, a strong predator with razor-sharp fangs and talons.
Perhaps the younger couldn't tell from this distance, but Aten knew he outweighed this wolf by a good number of pounds, and was definitely taller than him too. Size-wise, Aten had nothing to be intimidated by. The same could not be said about fighting skill of course, if it came to that, but Aten was the patient type and knew how to play his cards.
The wolf didn't smell of Taiga's land, nor any that overwhelmed the scent of a nomadic lifestyle on his body. Perhaps he was claiming residence elsewhere, or was still adapting. Either way, what concerned Aten was now this wolf had crossed Taiga's border without so much as a greeting. He wouldn't have cared so much if the wolf announced his presence when crossing.
Little did he know that the wolf was the cause of the howl he heard earlier, but it had also been close by. It hadn't come from the border.
The wolf went on to surprise Aten a bit by saying he was born here in Taiga, but already his words were wrong. Aten was emotionless, and did not reveal that he had been a resident of Taiga long before it's fall, and most definitely before this wolf had been born.
The wolf went on to make an... interesting offer, but the golden stallion knew there was a catch. Sure enough, it was said, and immediately Aten's senses were offset. His posture tensed in just the slightest manner, but from this distance, the wolf would not be able to see it. The golden stallion would not simply hand over a portion of the legacy Lilitha had left him to an arrogant creature just because he made an offer that he couldn't promise to keep.
The soft flapping of wings was heard, and Aten's eyes drifted skyward for a moment. A large bird of prey was seen circling above the predator and prey animals before it tucked it's wings and took a dive down toward them, opening it's large tools of flight to slow it's fall. Flapping it's wings rapidly to almost halt it's descent so it's talons wouldn't dig into the skin of it's target, the bird landed on Aten's back, making sure to keep it's grip light to avoid hurting the stallion. It's frame stretched slightly below Aten's head when it's back was straight and Aten's head up, showcasing just how large of an animal it really was.
Aten's eyes locked onto the large bird of prey, the intelligent animal doing the same. It's sharp, almost unnerving gaze might have intimidated those of a faint heart, but not the stallion. They seemed to be having a silent moment of understanding before Aten turned back toward their visitor.
"A bit presumptuous of you to think I would close off Taiga from the world, when it is part of Nerine as a growing land. It is a sanctuary for those who need a refuge, and while I will upkeep that in honor of Lilitha and Ruan, I also have plans to help it grow myself. But that plan does not account for handing over a portion of my leadership to a stallion who thinks it is polite to march into a land that is not his and make such an offer with what others might not percieve as an arrogant attitude.
"Your offer may be tempting to some, but I do believe we both have some growth to do before I will consider it further. You are welcome to stay, as you said, but I will not hand over a portion of leadership to you."
The golden stallion had nothing more to say. With Turul at his shoulders, Aten turned and left the scene, his ears listening for the wolf in case he decided to follow and show he wasn't done talking.
