"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
05-17-2021, 04:09 PM (This post was last modified: 06-11-2021, 03:13 PM by Obscene.)
Kiss me again Kiss me until I am sick of it
Signs of new growth are everywhere in Beqanna and the darkness that had once swallowed them whole has started to become a distant memory. It’s not just the return of spring that suddenly blossoms across the land but a taste of magic as well. Obscene had not been the only one to fall asleep and wake up as something new. Magic mutated, abilities suddenly expressed themselves or simply appeared out of the blue. Deep in the redwoods his half-sister wakes to find herself with a shiny new horn and bright jungle flowers entangled in her thick mane that never wither or die. Some of his friends go through their own magical awakenings and the Pampas themselves seem to bloom brighter with the Fae Prince that now walks amongst their blooms.
And while the land seems to blossom with magic, Obscene absolutely thrives.
He takes to being Fae with ease having been part of their community for so long. The nectar runs endlessly in his presence, the red “party” flowers seem to pop up in larger clusters among the hollyhocks and poppies. It was by accident that he discovers exactly what being Fae could mean. His run-in with Sunlights fire had been the first. Steve had helped confirm that it wasn't merely a fluke. He had been feeling particularly impish and had decided to mess with Steve. Sneaking up on the mammoth by prowling up a hill above him had been easy. Kicking rocks at the beast had probably not been his smartest idea but it had been hilarious to watch Steve’s confusion as debris and stone rained down on him. What wasn’t so funny was the large rock that Steve easily pulls from the earth with his trunk and flings back over the hill at his attacker. It plows into the dark stallion, bruising his chest and cutting the sleek black flesh from his broad breast to his shoulder. A sharp exhale of pain escapes him, sounding dangerously close to a hiss, as he staggers back. Annoyance and pain reflect in the dark crimson of his eyes as he looks down at himself, inspecting the damage. Blood drips from the ragged exposed flesh, an ugly injury. As his muzzle runs over the wounds, a soft light emits from his touch and he watches with bright eyes as the flesh begins to cauterize and knit itself back together. In a few seconds the wound is gone and not even a scar marks what had just happened, the ache in his chest vanishing until he feels completely normal again. Low laughter escapes the Prince as he barks over the hill, “Well played Steve!” and he continues to laugh as an answering trumpet echos over the valley.
Becoming fae has eased some insecurity inside of him but others are woven deep into the fibers of his very being, almost impossible to pluck out. He still wears his cruel armor like a shield around the broken parts of himself, finds his tongue is only sharper but now he chokes on words that wish to form a lie and discovers that constructing hidden truths is a lot harder than he had realized. A skill gained, a skill lost.
It’s time, he realizes, it’s time to take his place in the game. He is no King so the responsibilities of kingdoms do not fall so heavily on his shoulders but he does wear a crown of sorts and rumors of the Prince and the Pampas have spread through the rest of the world. It seems he will have to make a little effort in this chess match of politics. It is Aela he chooses as his companion for this visit. There’s a thought of asking Werewolf (making him a diplomat was easily one of the best pranks yet) to come as well but having the two of them bickering wouldn’t do today. Not today. The golden mare has easily fallen into his confidence and with her experience in Pangea he knows she will make a suitable ally on this excursion.
It is dawn when they set out towards the border of Loess, an easy trek as the lands merge into each other. He takes a drag of nectar and a heady whiff of pollen before they set out, feeling more comfortable when he's slightly buzzed. Offspring had stepped down from his rule in Tephra right before he had been born but he remembers his father’s lessons well. He also easily recalls proper etiquette he had watched and soaked up like a sponge in that short time of living in the ashland. So they halt at the beginning of the tall winding cliffs and he allows Aela to make the call deep into the ringing canyons that announces that they have finally come to pay a visit. He had rather hoped this elusive Queen would have come to see him first but the exchange with her servant (easily rankled that one) had been heated enough that he wouldn’t doubt his offer of “fun” had been conveniently left out. His scarlet gaze sweeps the towering dusty rocks with his usual look of disdain, strands of molten gold and the darkest ebony fall in waves against the sleek of his neck as a breeze runs soft fingers through his hair. A single tall pointed ear turned in the direction of Loess, the other turned to her as he glances at Aela with a smug smirk and a glitter in the depths of red.
This meeting would at least be anything but boring if they had any say in it.
Obscene
@[Aela] let me know if I should change anything <3
@[Oceane]
@[Cheri]
@Any It's a party ;p
05-18-2021, 10:03 PM (This post was last modified: 05-18-2021, 10:09 PM by Aela.)
YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS
Aela had been careful to avoid the... peculiarities that the poppy fields brought with them. She had watched as others had come and go, thoughtlessly meandering the Pampas as well as their minds when they had become inebriated by the little red flowers. She admired them, in a way, that something so small could wield so much power.
But Aela is a girl who thrives on clear boundaries and borders; they are so much easier to cut through that way.
She had been pleased when Obscene had mentioned a trip to Loess. It allowed her to contemplate the idea that the fae stallion had put there. Her only experience with the Southern Kingdom had been when Carnage had asked for tribute and she had scoured the Hyalinean border that lined Pangea, thinking that she might find something fitting from the realm of their once-enemies. But all she had found was dust and it seemed better to stay quiet and go unnoticed by Him than risk displeasure. Aela is tired when he rouses her awake, ready to leave for Loess before dawn.
The palomino has never been an early riser, but for Obscene, she makes an exception.
It's a journey that thankfully doesn't take long and if anything, it gave Aela an excuse to stretch out those long legs of hers. The sun catches on her golden stripes as it rises and there is no missing the stunning creature who walks alongside the equally-striking Pampas Prince. With the new glimmer coming from his mane and tail, there is no missing either of them. When they finally come to the border and wait to be greeted, she gives the onyx stallion another one of her coy smiles when he asks her to call out for any nearby Loessians. "As you wish," she murmurs to the Pampas leader before announcing their presence to the Southern Kingdom.
Oceane had debated making an immediate trip to the Pampas following her conversation with Tarian. But she gambled, instead, that the new self-proclaimed Prince would not be looking to ruffle feathers beyond his own borders ─ at least not until he was able to settle himself within the sea of long grasses and bright blooms of his new home. So she gave him time to do just that, allowing a few weeks to pass into the depths of spring.
She wakes early on this particular day and moves to a plateau on the southwestern side of the red rock canyons on hoof with the intention of finding a quiet moment for herself before beginning the flight to the Pampas; dew clings to the sparse desert foliage and from her spire top view the opaline woman can see the lazy, spiraling haze that clings just above the calm waters of the hot springs that dot Loess’ foothills. From where she stands, all seems quiet. And with the increase of new life to call Loess home, it’s brief moments like these, when she is able to steal herself away and simply watch, that Oceane finds herself appreciating more and more.
With balefire wings that shimmer beneath the morning sun as they extend impressively from an equally opalescent body, the Loessian Queen bounds from the plateau and into the open air. With swift adjustment, she begins to move quickly through the skies of Loess and in the direction of the Pampas.
Quickly, though, it becomes apparent that the Pampas has brought itself to her. As the sudden call reverberates through the air, Oceane makes the source of it her new waypoint ─ the pair, their black and gold shining bright in the morning sun, sit respectfully at the imagined border between the head of the Southern kingdom and its subsidiary. Her lips twitch into a small smile at this, recalling the peeved expression her Champion had held upon his face following his own return from the Pampas ─ she had suspected Obscene had been trying moreso to burrow his way beneath Tarian’s skin than cause any true issue with Loess itself.
Despite Tarian’s aversion to the Pampas’ new leader, Oceane is inclined to give him a chance. And further ─ despite his usurpation of the crown and throne, the Loessian Queen can’t find it in herself to feel as if the Southern kingdom had been wronged in any way. Noah had ruled the Pampas for a wealth of years, but she had been quiet since Lepis’ death. For this, Oceane cannot hold malice for the absent woman. She, too, had been close with Lepis, and her death had been jarring.
Once she has alighted upon the lip of the canyon, Oceane reaches out to the mind of a nearby black-throated sparrow, requesting that it find Cheri and lead her to the trio that now stands upon the ridge. Her new charge had wanted to learn diplomacy ─ what better situation than this?
“It’s a pleasure to welcome the new Prince of the Pampas and his diplomat to Loess,” Oceane greets the gold-flecked stallion with a polite smile and a nod before her amber eyes flick to the palomino mare, offering her a similar greeting. “My name is Oceane.” She pauses for a moment, allowing the other woman a moment to supply her name before her watchful gaze moves between the pair once more.
“If you don’t mind waiting just a few minutes before we begin moving further into Loess, I have requested that one of our young diplomats, Cheri, join us today. She shouldn’t be long.”
05-20-2021, 03:44 PM (This post was last modified: 05-20-2021, 03:44 PM by Ledger.)
Help me out before I drown Save me now before I give up
It had been another night of late night wandering for the bear. The invisible line between Pampas and Loess lingers close to his hidden cove so the call catches him on his return, echoing through the early dawn like a rooster calling out its morning salutations. His curiosity gets the better of him as he makes the split decision to check it out, following the lingering echos to the ridge where the trio stand and quickly shifting from ursine to equine before he can be noticed.
His dark gaze lingers on Oceane, of course she missed nothing in her kingdom, and can’t help the crooked smile that appears as he watches her thrive in her element. As his hooves carry him closer, he catches her last few words and he snorts softly to bring attention to his approach. “Looks like you get two diplomats today.” He responds in his low whisky voice, warm as a shot of bourbon hitting the back of your throat.
Cheri was still new to the world of politics and Oceane had asked him to look out for her so he comes to stand slightly behind his winged Queen, to mostly observe but close enough to interject if needed. “Ledger.” He offers to the two strangers as he settles himself in place, taking the time now to let his one eye take them in. He won’t lie, they are both exquisite looking beings. The male with burning red eyes, adorned in gold amongst his coat of black. His eye can’t help but linger on the long finely pointed ears that mark him as something other. She is just as fascinating, a glittering gold that shines as bright as the sun above them. Both of them young but exuding that kind of beauty that only immortals hold.
It’s not hard to deduce that this was the Pampas new Prince and company, the one that Oceane had been so intrigued by. The single eye flicks to the opalescent mare before him, wondering what she made of them and easily seeing why she had been so interested in the first place.
Cheri heard the call, knew who it was, and lingered in her covey far after dawn had risen over Loess. For the first time in forever, the young diplomat felt a spear of anxiety lancing her through the heart at what awaited them on the border, and she longed to remain a little while longer in the softness of a dream world concocted by herself and her friend-turned-lover, Targaryen. Things were changing for her; Cheri was fully a mare now (in the way that mares come to understand themselves through another horse’s touch), and she was hesitant to relinquish that hazy sort of feeling for a harsher reality outside. She looked out at the world bleeding color and thought, “Just a few more minutes.” Right as the bird from Oceane came swooping down to pry her out from her hiding place.
A summons from the Pampas Prince was easily ignored. A summons from her Queen and commander was not. She unfurled her wings in the dewey light of a new day and turned, kissing her paramore softly on his cheek, before taking off into the sky.
The going was slow. Her wings felt heavier than usual, incapable or unwilling to carry her as high as Cheri was used to. She coasted low over the scrub and rolling flatlands, then landed with a light sheen of sweat covering her black fur to navigate the canyons that were becoming more and more familiar each time she traversed them. By the time her journey brought her south, a light dusting of pale sand coated her limbs and clung to her underbelly like a strange-looking marking. She had just enough time to sort out her wings and shake any unruliness from her mane before the redrock hills gave way to the scene of four horses gathered together at Loess’ borders.
Of course her eyes were drawn to the darkest speck among them. Obscene, standing as proud and tall as ever, looked marked and different from the last time Cheri had seen him. He was also accompanied by a diplomat of his own which surprised Cheri, considering the last time she’d been in the Pampas it’d been quiet enough to hear a fly buzz. Lady Oceane stood regal and captivating opposite the two, flanked on one side by the palomino Ledger. She joined them all quickly and quietly, settling alongside Oceane’s empty flank to complete the picture.
Her gaze flicked quickly across the Prince of the meadows and his companion, though her expression remained pleasant as ever - complete with an appropriately charming smile. Obscene looked good; the black stallion had altered his appearance and he seemed sure of himself in a way that twisted Cheri’s stomach for a second. His ears were much longer, his skin tainted by golden streaks. The mare alongside him looked dwarfed by her company, though she and Cheri seemed of similar height to one another. “It must’ve been her voice.” The southern diplomat remembered, wondering why a call from the Pampas had been trilling and high-pitched.
“Lady Oceane, Ledger.” The crystalline mare deferred to her counterpart and Queen with a half-bent nod, and then - as an afterthought - she murmured, “Obscene.”
It’s his nerves that bring him to Loess in the pale pink light of dawn. He’s not much for early rising either except in those cases of when he didn’t sleep in the first place. This was one of those days, having stood on the southern cliffs looking over the sea until he could hear the song of meadowlarks and sparrows greeting the first rays of light that stretched over the Mountain. There had been many thoughts he had chewed over, many different ways this meeting could go. There was no point in putting it off any longer and he would only know the outcome once he was in it.
They don’t have to wait long once Aela’s call comes through the canyon. A winged mare, colored in the fine evening threads of dusk, comes to rest on the lip of the canyon. He would bet his life that this is the gunmetal man’s beloved Queen purely based on the confidence of her greeting. She seems a mare use to running and controlling things, a sure sign of a leader, and although the red of his eyes refuses to soften he does allow his smile to ease in its smugness. “So you’ve heard of me? Only good things I’m sure.” The grin on his dark lips giving off more confidence than he truly feels although he knows that his takeover of the Pampas had spread as rampant as the wildflowers of his home. Oceane easily steers the conversation and asks for their patience. Asks for them to wait for Cheri.
“Not a problem.” He responds casually, a single flick of a red iris going to Aela before landing back on Oceane. Not a twitch of dark skin or a flick of his finely pointed ear gives away the sudden boiling of his blood at her name. The bane of his existence. Of course she was here, of fucking course. There had been no hide or hair of the young jeweled mare since the autumn day he had left her in the Pampas. After he had kissed her like a starving man who may never know the luxury of food again. He reminds himself that it doesn’t matter if she is here or not as he falls into his favorite mantra. She is nothing. She is nothing.
Another joins Oceane, this one with a heavy musky scent (like a predator, he thinks) mixed with the fresh brine of the sea. The older stallion is covered in various scars and brands and has a missing eye to boot. He can’t help the curious gaze he gives the flaxen man who settles behind his Queen and as he offers his name, the red eyed Fae gives a slight gesture of his muzzle in acknowledgement. “I am Obscene and this is Aela.” He looks to his companion for a moment and can’t help the rare twinge of warmth he feels when he looks at her. The fact that she stood proudly at his side, the fact that she had agreed to do this. That for once he wasn't alone.
Her scent hits him like a ton of bricks but it’s only the merest flicker in the depths of red that acknowledge who has joined them. Outwardly he is as stoic as a statue but his insides suddenly writhe with discomfort. She still smelled of storms, of sweat and dust, of another stallion that strongly intermingles with her own feminine fragrance. "Mr. Prayers" he rightly assumes and something deep within him hisses with displeasure. The corner of his mouth curls into a ghost of a frown before it’s quickly schooled into a more appropriate expression of indifference. Deep down he had known that it had been foolish to think that whatever had happened between them, whatever words had fallen from her drunken tongue, had held a splinter of truth. It had always been a lie, that day amongst the flowers, when she had told him she had wanted to touch him, that she wanted him to touch her. He had known, he had always known… but it still doesn’t stop the sharp pain that manages to slip past the hard armor and momentarily stab the crumpled thing that was his heart.
Crumples that small part of himself that had dared to believe her even just a fraction.
She never mattered. He reminds himself of this again and again and then looks at Aela. Takes in the cool hues of oceanic blue and the coy smile on her soft lips. Hardens his resolve and latches himself to the heat of his anger, the fire that roars to life when it finds it’s much easier to hate the green and onyx mare now than it ever has before. As she speaks his name, as if it’s nothing, he allows his crimson gaze to turn to her. It lingers darkly for only a moment (taking the memories of their kiss and feeding them to the hungry flame in his hollow chest) the smug smile locked in place as tightly as the indifferent mask he wears, before sliding back to Oceane. As if nothing had ever happened between them. As if she wasn’t even there. The only lie he could still tell even if it was only to himself.
“Shall we?” He offers to the Loessian Queen, an invitation for her to lead the way as well as the conversation. His muzzle extends to Aela and briefly rests along the supple skin of her fair curved neck, a gesture to walk with them as well as a subtle dig to the young diplomat that shouldn't even matter. A gentle current flows through his glittering strands of gold and black, sending them spiraling around him before settling in tangled tendrils across his broad neck. Metallic glitter catches in the sunlight as he falls into step beside Oceane, a single pointed ear swiveling slightly back to keep an eye on whatever conversation may fall behind them. His focus however remains on the one he’s come to see. “I told your informant that if you needed a break from all this..” And here he gestures to the sweeping expanse of clustered cliffs that make up her home, “That you were more than welcome to visit and let down your hair. The offer still stands if you wish to frolic amongst the flowers.” He laughs lowly with that impish wry smile. Trying to gauge Oceane's temperament as much as he’s trying to gain insight on what she thinks of him and his recent rising.
05-26-2021, 05:48 PM (This post was last modified: 05-26-2021, 05:51 PM by Aela.)
YOU'RE ONLY AS SICK AS YOUR SECRETS
Aela watches the whole proceedings, curious and the way she holds her lovely head indicates that. If any of the horses present asked, she wouldn't have hesitated to say that she is no Diplomat. Politics have always been outside her realm of interest (aside from following them; it did a horse well to be aware of the comings-and-goings of Kings and Queens, the differences between kingdoms, and the reputations that certain territories held). She's never had any interest in peacekeeping or maintaining the lull that floods into Beqanna after every upheaval.
She's always been much more fascinated by the changes themselves, by the machinations that put them into place. By the things that spin them forward. And so when Obscene had asked her to accompany him to Loess, what else could Aela have possibly said but yes?
It doesn't take long for them to be greeted. The Loessian Queen - @[Oceane]? - emerges first in a blaze of color, blues, and lavenders, and other shimmering shades that Aela thinks are wasted on the canyons. Or perhaps the pegasus mare knows that there is nothing to compete with her beauty when there is only red dust and empty canyons surrounding them. Her blue eyes study the other, only glancing over to Obscene when she feels his fiery gaze on her slender shoulder. She turns to look at him and the Pampas Prince moves forward with the introductions. (There is only a slight hesitance in her expression, only a moment where her blue eyes narrow just so. She is fiercely proud of her name - even prouder of her ability to speak it herself after years of silence - but Aela reminds herself that Obscene has allowed her many freedoms in the Pampas. She'll allow him this one, this time.)
And then her thoughts stop there because the red-eyed leader of the Brilliant Pampas becomes a storm of emotion. Because the green-and-onyx mare from his thoughts is standing alongside the Loessian queen with another palomino. Whatever irritation that had flickered in Aela suddenly dies; there is something much more fascinating here. The start of a smile emerges on those pale lips as she dips her head in greeting towards the trio before them.
Being so intrigued by this turn of events, Aela doesn't even mind when the Pampas Leader moves away with Queen Oceane, removing her from whatever political conversation they might be having.
Moving casually behind the two rulers, Aela turns her attention on the two diplomats. "This is my first trip to Loess," she starts to say and assumes that they both know the hierarchy of the Southern Kingdom. That Sylva and Brilliant Pampas were territories beneath the mighty Loess. She smiles and glances shyly between the stallion and the smaller mare, "Have either of you ever been to the Pampas?"
Concerning creatures like Obscene, the Loessian Queen considers even the smallest step in the right direction a success. His waiting at the unseen border between her territory and his is her first success. The softening of his smile from smug to a little less smug, her second. She laughs warmly at the fae's greeting and offers him a coquettish side-eye as she adjusts easily to match his comportment. "Of course," Oceane agrees readily; she would not have lasted as long as she has, adorned with the crown of the South, were she unable to keep up with the happenings of her own kingdom.
"Ah, well, I doubt anything bad even exists to be shared." However easy it is to jest with the aureate and obsidian man, Oceane remains attuned and observant. Despite this, she sees no indication of his history with Cheri upon her mentioning the young girl, and Ledger's sudden appearance steals her attention from the Pampas Prince for a short moment.
Her jesting simper turns warmer as her molten amber eyes collide with the flaxen's scarred countenance, though she is practiced enough to be able to keep the surprise from showing across her own face at the bear-shifter's unexpected appearance. She offers Ledger a nod in greeting before her gaze, along with a flick of her fluted ears, return to the visiting pair.
She makes note of Aela's name, the companion Obscene had chosen for his first meeting with his kingdom head, just as they are joined by the fleet-footed Cheri. Oceane turns to look at the gem-encrusted woman, her bright eyes expecting to find some degree of youthful exuberance in the midst of the first true opportunity to discuss diplomacy, but instead there is only a charmed smile, carefully held at the edges. "Hello, Cheri."
Cheri's mumbled greeting to the Pampas Prince does not go unnoticed by the balefire Queen and her amber eyes sharpen for a brief moment before returning to Obscene, along with an expression that is more charming grin than polite smile. Now is not the time to address anything internally with Cheri, and so she falls easily into step beside the long-eared stallion. Behind them the remaining three converge and together they meander further into Loess, the majority of Oceane's attention on the obsidian fae at her side. "Tarian, the South's Champion," she gently corrects Obscene's use of the word informant; Tarian is much more than just that, and should she and the Pampas' Prince foster a positive relationship, Tarian's presence would ultimately prove beneficial to Obscene, too. "He did pass along the message," she continues with easy laughter, "And I intend to take you up on that offer. I've always found there to be something relaxing about the Pampas. How are you enjoying it so far?"
She is truthfully intrigued at Obscene's thoughts of his new territory and the weight of his crown. His is the first changing of the guard since she'd assumed her own role in Loess, and she intends for it to be a fruitful one.
The arrival of the Pampas Prince and his companion isn’t enough to ruin the splendor of a lovely day, and as Cheri smiled to her Queen assuringly she stepped just as casually in-line beside her courtier Ledger. “He said nothing to me.” The young mare noted of Obscene, diverting her gaze the instant his lips came to rest on Aela’s smooth neck. Had she expected anything else? Perhaps so, since she’d been weak enough to acknowledge him in the first place. Cheri chastised her actions, wishing she would have ignored him as easily as he chose to disregard her, but there was no going back now. She was only happy that his affection hadn’t lingered overlong on the mare he’d brought with him.
Aela’s presence was hard to ignore. Saccharine and painted gold, she was a lovely creature. Capable of rousing what little jealousy Cheri had, if only because of her past where Obscene was concerned. Her black counterpart clopped steadily behind the monarchs who’d begun to trail a little ahead of their consorts, tinkling from the sound of her crystals tapping one another as she walked, thinking of any silver lining she could grasp at in the current situation to keep her from outwardly appearing as agitated as she was by the palomino’s presence here in Loess. “If anything, this only confirms the idea I had about him being a troublemaking scoundrel.” She thought, frowning slightly at the sound of Aela’s voice.
Cheri hadn’t wanted to be the one to reply, but one glance toward Ledger showed his own thoughts preoccupied; the black appy readjusted her wings and glanced curiously at the diplomat, her mind awash with questions she felt forbidden to ask. “The first of many, we hope.” Cheri opted for a courteous remark instead, then answered Aela’s question with a strangely graceful smile. “I’ve been to many beautiful places, the Pampas being one of them. Ledger?” She diverted the topic away as quickly as possible, eager to avoid any further discussion on the matter.
Help me out before I drown Save me now before I give up
He falls into place behind Oceane, keeping a slight distance from both Prince and Queen and studying them both with open scrutiny reflected in the molten flecks of his good eye. He’s not sure what he makes of the dark young stallion with blazing red eyes and long strange tipped ears. It’s too soon to judge his character but those red eyes remind him too much of others (Offspring, Gryffen, even his own grandfather told from bitter stories by Magnus) so he remains optimistic but cautious. One wrong move from either Obscene or his golden companion and the bear would not hesitate to place its claws on their throats to defend Cheri or his Queen.
Ever since that day in his cove (when they had traveled through a wish together) everything had changed for him. As he admires the view from behind the opalescent mare, letting his gaze wander over the roundness of her hindquarters and the way her feathered wings brush just so against the feminine curve of her barrel, he can’t help but remember the way she had pressed against his neck. The way her amber eyes had caught the moonlight when she looked up at him. His tail snaps against his branded flank in sudden agitation and it takes him a moment to realize that there was a conversation happening next to him.
Reluctantly drawing his eye from Oceane (and distancing himself from the dirty thoughts he definitely should not be having), he glances over to the two mares that steadily walk beside him. Years of being quiet and observant as a child had turned into a skill that served well as a diplomat. He didn’t miss much as long as it was in view of his good eye. He had not missed the slight sharpening of Oceane’s gaze on Cheri when the young protege had mumbled her greetings to the Pampas leader. Nor had he missed the way both Obscene and Cheri seemed to make it a point to not look at each other. Whatever had passed in that moment seemed to be, for the moment, put aside as the green and onyx mare deftly responds to Aela’s shy question with a perfectly appropriate response. He gives her a warm look of approval before his good eye turns to Aela. If he was a younger stallion he might have been distracted with the likes of both females beside him. Both were stunning in their own ways. However, it had never been looks that had swayed the one eyed man. It was brokenness that had led him to Ellyse, pain that led him to Cress’s embrace. Oceane’s strength is what captures him now. Her outer beauty was just a bonus to all the brilliance that filled her inside. Nothing could sway this overwhelming feeling of loyalty for her after everything she had done for him. Everything she had seen.
“I was born in the old lands, before the world was broken. Since the breaking I’ve only become acquainted with Tephra and Sylva…” A slight wrinkle of his muzzle is the only sign of his distaste with both places, too many bad memories lingered in both lands. “At this point I am biased to Loess.” He finishes with a charming smile. “What about you Aela? What makes the Pampas better than the rest?”
