"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
The spring of his childhood was drawing to an end. Yanhua, still a leggy yearling, had spent the first twelvemonth of his life here in Taiga, honing his skills and powers like a proper student of magic should. In reality, the world around him had been thrust into the season of change and busy woolgathering; equines of all shapes and sizes traveled abroad to gather in the common lands, frolicing, while the more settled family lines prepared their kingdoms and homelands for future additions. Yanhua had heard the season called several things, but he knew it by its most common of names: in ranked and high society bloodlines, it was ‘courting’ or ‘coupling’. With the traveling bands and rogue horses it was ‘breeding’ or ‘mating’.
He preferred to avoid them altogether. While Beqanna might be in the midst of rowdy celebration, the maturing son of Lilliana had started to turn a shade more serious. His childhood of spring was ending, turning quickly from wishes and magical beauty into something more sweltering and realistic. Yan was leaving his dreams behind, eagerly looking ahead to the summer of youth where his future had yet to be decided.
“Izora!” He whickered aloud, listening with both his ears as the mare’s name echoed around him. From the ground, Yanhua saw nothing but overarching roots and the strange, scaly pattern of the redwood bark as he passed each gigantic tree on his way. The sentinels bordered the wide, somewhat flat trail that served as a main road through the dark forest, giving the pathway a high bank on either side. He felt like he’d almost sunk into the earth, like a small ant traveling through a flower’s roots in the loose soil.
“Izora Lethia?” The bob-tailed yearling called out again, tramping quietly along. Atop his head, two small but well-established horns had finally grown in. Beneath him, all four of his hooves had turned cloven, like a goat’s. Even his chin had sprouted a bit more hair. It was clear to anyone looking that the youngling was growing; soon enough he’d be a man, and that was exactly why he needed to meet with Lethy.
He figured it was past time he started being useful around here
How long had it been since Lilli had been stolen away? Heck, she couldn't even count the months that had passed, but the situations that had occurred in her abscense where vivid as this morning's sunrise.
She had since kept a quiet eye on her boys. A presence always there but never interceding. As far as she could tell the twins were thriving, at least outside of their inner thoughts and tribulations.
His growth does not surprise her when she spots him through a group if thickets but the fact that her name tumbles from his lips does - it's a pleasant surprise and it pulls a smile to her lips.
She pulls closer to Yanhua, her body pulsing a soft, dark purple hue as her purple eyes crinkle in the corners with her smile. @[Yanhua] , what are you doing? she asks with a matriarch softness.
On Yanhua’s right, a rustling sound came from the woods. Izora had heard him and come out to find him, making her way through the sapling trees and low-lying bushes. He smiled to see her, turning around on his white-stocking legs, shaking aside his glowing gold mane as she slipped down the bank to meet him on the roadway. He found it surprising that, at nearly two years old, he could already look down on her from where he stood. Had he already grown that much in such a short time? Maybe he hadn’t noticed, since he spent most of his time alone with the red giants of Taiga.
“Oh, not much.” He laughed honestly in reply, “I’ve been thinking…” The goat-horned colt started hesitantly, tilting his head and looking away out of momentary shyness, “I’d like to join the ranks. Officially.” He mustered, then ducked his head and asked quietly, “...as a warrior?”
Oof, he thought. Why couldn’t he have just come right out and said it? “Izora, it’s time I become a stallion. Make me a warrior of Taiga.” At least then she might’ve taken me seriously. The embarrassed chestnut chastised himself. He bit his tongue and closed his eyes for a second, then picked up his head to try again. “I know I’m still young, and I haven’t gotten out much, but I’m capable.” He looked Izora dead in her eyes, knowing this much to be true. “Mothe- Lilliana,” Yan corrected himself quickly, “told me I had ‘ways of protecting’ myself, but I’m not quite sure I know what they are… or even how to use them.”
He remembered odd moments of time where maybe once or twice he’d been able to do strange things, like avoid slamming into a tree when he hadn’t been paying attention to what was in front of him, or sometimes being able to huddle closer than should be possible into his mother’s side. When Yan questioned himself about what it was that he could do aside from seeing an echo, those were the instances brought to mind. And, every time he thought about those random occurrences, Yanhua couldn’t help but wonder if that latent ‘gift’ didn’t show itself because he’d never really had a moment threatening enough to bring it out?
Perhaps… perhaps the key was pushing himself past his comfortable boundaries.
“If that means I can use my gifts in some way to keep myself or my loved ones safe - if it means I get to protect Taiga - then I want to learn to use them. Please,” He asked the mare covered in a soft purple aura, “give me your blessing.”
He is beautiful, though she would not expect anything less from Lilliana. A motherly look of pride twinkles in her amethyst eyes as she looks up at him. She chuckles with him and when she sees the lines on his face harden with seriousness she makes it a point to focus her attention on him as he speaks.
She can sense his shyness start to creep in, notices the way he bends away to hide but then pushes himself forward. She had known, of course, that out of the twins Yanhua was the one who kept to himself - to his home. They were like black and white, but where Nash was making political friendships and long lasting kinship with his exploring, right here, right now, she could tell that Yan was one hundred percent serious.
Taiga needed more warriors, it wasn't a secret, but she couldn't help but wonder what Lilli would think when she got home and her son was fighting for Taiga. Lethy had never been one to hinder her children's dreams, and she knew right know that she wouldn't deny Yanhua's.
Life doesn't always turn out like you imagine though and with Beqanna full of magic it was sometimes hard to be certain - what the fairies give, the fairies.can take away. Yanhua, I appreciate you coming to me. I am proud to have you amongst me home. I do not doubt your strength or your integrity, or your youthfulness. she adds. If being a warrior is really what you want you don't need my blessing. I am however the matriarch of Taiga and in being so I am here to help and listen to its people and their needs and wants. Can you amuse me for a moment? You said your mother, this she says with emphasis and with a small encouraging smile, told you you have powers to protect yourself.. Do your powers motivate you to be a warrior instead of anything else? Have they never failed you before, putting you or someone else in harm's way? If you did not have your powers would you still be here asking for my blessing to be a warrior? it was also part of her job to play devil's advocate. To make sure what the people wanted was REALLY what they wanted.
It’d never occurred to Yanhua (since his biological mother had been missing for months now) that he’d been surrounded by loving mother-figures his entire childhood. He’d been so focused on his sadness that Izora’s kind, affectionate twinkle took him by surprise; then he remembered - she’d always looked at him like that, Yan just hadn’t appreciated her unexpected care until this moment. All this time he’d been staring into the faces of other horses, hoping to see his mother. He’d missed what had been there all along.
This time, he makes sure to focus on Lethia when she talks to him. His calm, ocean eyes swept out to where she looked up at him and they drank her up: the crinkle at the corner of her mouth and the hollow shadows on her forehead, her scars - softened over time. Wisdom and age marked her expression, neither unbecoming but rather giving her a distinguished air, and when she spoke Yan felt Taiga grow quieter under the cadence of her voice. Even the forest seemed to give respect to Izora.
Happily, the young colt with the flaxen-gold mane listened to her praise. From what she was telling him it sounded like today he’d get his wish. He could begin his journey on the road to becoming a better version of himself, and after trailing behind his twin for so long Yan could feel the swelling sensation of pride beginning to flower like a red blossom in the center of his chest. Here was something he could finally nurture and attach to himself that was all his own; here was his chance to prove his worth.
Still warm in his limbs from Lethy's approval, Yanhua nodded eagerly when she asked for a moment of his time. Of course he could spare an hour or two if she liked, less if the importance of the matter they discussed was a trivial sort of thing. Truly he was itching to be out on the trail, running his first length of the four-sectioned border that made up the lower south end of Taiga’s woods, but he could practice patience in exchange for all Izora had just given to him. He literally had a title now, after all. He was somebody, thanks to her.
“Yes, she did.” He confirmed when the buckskin mare paused briefly, then, “My powers are still barely known to me… but they are the motivation behind my sudden interest.” The yearling laughed brightly. “So far what I know about myself is that peace guides me, gives me focus. Inner peace, that is.” He explained. “But I haven’t been in a situation yet where I felt pushed to use them for protection, so this is the best way I know to find out if that makes a difference or not.” He shrugged, and his little bobtail came around to slap a fly on his coppery flanks.
“And yes,” Yan kept going, “my powers caused another harm - discomfort is a more accurate word. I can only assume that when I start to discover my own strengths and weaknesses it may happen again. There’s always a risk in using magic, Lilliana taught me that.” The usually bright and beaming colt sombered up a bit, daydreaming about his mother and where she might be at this very instant. Was she taking her own lessons to heart? Was she learning new ones? He hoped she was well, wherever the winds blew her these days.
Yan blinked a few times and mulled over Izora Lethia’s final question, then answered truthfully. “Honestly… I don’t know.” He said, flicking his ears. “I like being alone and the solitude that comes with it, but then again no one should be alone all the time. I’ve never felt the way Nashua does about flying off on grand adventures.” The goat-horse shrugged. “But I love Taiga enough to defend it with my life. So maybe I would’ve still asked, even if I didn’t have my gifts.”
06-23-2020, 10:45 PM (This post was last modified: 06-23-2020, 10:46 PM by Izora Lethia.)
His focus, patience and excitement was contagious, she had struggled to keep her face serious but when she had gotten done with her questioning she gave him a small, encouraging half smile.
She kept her purple gaze locked on the bright, glowing boy - man - as he contemplated her counter questions. She nodded in affirmation as he talked. For one still so young he was confident and sure of himself - the few lessons Lilli was able to provide him with before she was taken still locked tightly away. When he was done she paused for a moment, to let his words settle into Taiga's bones.
The knowledge and know how of your powers will come with time. Our magic is apart of us it can't change us unless we want it to. she said offering a bright, gentle smile. Sometimes our inner peace is more for our own protection than others. Her own blanket of peace wrapped snuggly against her being, she could feel the subtle magic sink instinctively to her very core as she watched Yanhua infront of her.
My own inner peace tells me you are ready to begin your journey of finding who you are, especially outside of your magic. I believe that you were ment to be a warrior, magic or not, you would still be here asking me for my blessing. she took a steady step forward placing her muzzle tenderly to one of Yanhua's shoulders and then the other, with each touch she left a small gift of her own magic.
Yanhua, it is my pleasure to officially welcome you to the ranks of Taiga. she flashed him a proud smile and gave him a tiny bow of her head, and @[Yanhua] .. your mother would be proud of you. She WILL be proud of you when she sees the man you're becoming. If you ever need anything at all, I'm always here. her soft purple glow expanded as she took a solid step back giving him enough room to run off to perform his first duty as a protector.
