"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
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
He wakes her early; he hates himself for disturbing her sleep, but each hour that passes pulls his nerves tighter and tighter. Gryffen was not there, but he could be any second. Gryffen was not there, but Magnus could feel his eyes everywhere. The buckskin stallion was not afraid to fight the Chamber’s ghost, but he had absolutely no interest in doing it in front of the mares and children. They had been exposed to enough without him turning their once home into a bloodbath. He had to get them out of there—fast.
Slowly, he descends from the sky, body slick with sweat after hours and hours of circling the herd land. Breathing heavily, nostrils flaring, he makes his way to Minette and her child and reaches down, touching her shoulder gently. “Minette,” he whispers into her ear, nudging her jaw, “we should go.” He glances up, body tense, feeling as if the white wolf would appear any second. “It’s time to leave this place behind.”
***
The journey is slow, he makes sure of it. From time to time, he takes off to circle around them again, extending the radius further and further, eyes straining to see any sign of Gryffen or his minions. The combination of flight and journey wears on him, especially after the night of surveillance, but he does his best to not show it, the only true sign of it the froth on his neck and the tightness of his mouth. Still, when he lands, he takes the time to talk to the fillies, check in their mothers, and offer soft-spoken words of encouragement to Minette. Words could not express just how much he was proud of her for this decision.
Still, he knew the risk she was taking—the fear she was overcoming. He did not take that lightly, and he made a promise to himself that he would do everything possible to ensure it was not in vain. He would run himself into the ground to keep her safe and sheltered from whatever else the world threw her way. So he touches his muzzle to her neck as they walk from time to time, reassuring her the choice was right.
The tightness in his chest did not subside until they reached the Gates and crossed the borders; then, he gave a low, heavy breath. “Welcome to Heaven,” he says in his honey-whiskey voice, turning to the group of them. His handsome face softens with a grin, eyes meeting those of Minette to see how she was feeling about the ordeal. To him, it was the most beautiful view in the world. Would she feel the same?
At first she found the trip exiting and wonderful, way too curious to different places and the new adventures they could discover. And with ‘they’ she obviously meant herself and Besra, her sister-like best friend. Just like they had explored the playground together a little while ago. And the young girl could only admit that it already looked soo much more promising than her birth home. Sure, the mountains had been full of adventures too, but honestly, Amorette couldn’t say that it had caused her young heart to beat faster in excitement.
Their journey thus far could. Even though she had been wakened early she had had plenty of rest, having slept extremely well in between both of her parents. She had gone to sleep with an euphoric and content feeling and the smoky black filly had awoken in the same state of mind.
But the further they travel the more tired she becomes. Where she and Besra had played during the first part of the trip, she now stays at het maman’s side. It is like she becomes more tired with every step she takes and in an attempt to find some comfort the little girl presses her muzzle against her maman’s shoulder. ”Are we already there, papa?” she asks as Magnus joins them for a second again, a hopeful glint in her eyes even though it isn’t the first time she has asked that particular question.
When Magnus say they have arrived her tiredness is temporary forgotten, a wide grin appearing on her lips as she leaves her mother’s side to stand beside the winged buckskin male. Amorette’s expression changes as her eyes travel across the place, lips parting in a silent gasp. But it only takes her a little while to recover. ”Maman! Besra! Look, it’s beautiful!” she exclaims a little too loud, her forelegs leaving the ground as she starts jumping around in her enthusiasm. Young as she is, Amorette hasn’t yet learned of another way to deal with the sudden burst of energy that now rushes through her body.
11-17-2015, 07:29 PM (This post was last modified: 11-17-2015, 07:31 PM by Minette.)
la jeune fille marquée
Pink light is edging through the mountain fog when Magnus wakes her, and for a moment, she imagines that he is an angel. A slow, sleepy smile flits across her lips. She blinks, shaking out her stiff joints and whickering softly to her herd. Her family. Felinae and Besra, and tiny Amorette. They are tired, but trusting. Min does her best to be calm, encouraging the girls with a soft touch. As they are leaving, a shadowy figure appears on the horizon. The form disappears too quickly for Minette to be sure if it is Leck, or only her guilty imagination. She bites back reproaches. For the second time in her life, the gray mare is leaving a child behind. For better or worse she has chosen adopted family over blood.
That first step over the white wolf's border feels anticlimactic. The ravens say nothing. There is no one to tell. It takes several miles down the mountain pass for Minette to realize that the tension from her body is fading. There is pain, there will always be pain, but her anxiety is lessening so that her steps are lighter and her head is higher.
The pace of the journey suits Minette. She is grateful for Magnus' consideration. During each of his forays into the air on eagle wings, the gray mare chats with Felinae and teases the girls, endeavoring to keep their spirits up. Amorette's constant questioning of their destination makes her mother hide a grin. The girl is always excited for adventure. Minette is glad that the gravity of the situation does not seem to affect the two young ones.
For several miles she had been admiring the landscape, but when Magnus announces that they have arrived, Minette finds herself surprised that this will be her home. It is too much. She feels unworthy, her soul too tainted for this loveliness.
Heaven is the perfect name for it, Minette thinks, but she is too overcome to speak. She watches with unshed tears as Amorette prances about. Great expanses of velvet grass stretch out before them, dotted with a thousand wildflowers she has never seen before. Relief floods her features. She always knew that Beqanna had to be more than the heart beating Chamber and the raven filled fog of the mountains. This place, this was a home.
Minette breathes deeply, enjoying the sun on her skin and the perfumed smell in the air. She could barely believe it. She didn't believe it. She was actually free, and this was a reward far beyond what she deserved.
“Magnus. I can never thank you enough for this... this beautiful gift. Your home, it is the loveliest place I have seen.” Impulsively she reaches up and kisses his cheek. Her lips caress his golden skin, inhaling the warmth and comfort of him. She would grow spoiled, she thinks, having him always close by.
A worried wrinkle appears on her brow and in a voice gentle but firm she adds, “Ah, we have repayed your kindness with trouble. You must rest, mon ange. The girls can explore, and I will watch over you.”
Minette nudges Amorette. “Go on, little one. Take your sister and explore your new home. Stay where you can hear us call if we want you. Papa needs his rest.”
She smiles at the buckskin stallion then, a teasing light dancing in her brown eyes. “Although I am not a warrior, there is strength enough in me to wake you if trouble finds us.”
ooc: A thousand pardons for my inactivity. Toddlers have no mercy. :p
I'm so excited, delighted. I won't deny it or fight it.
When they cross the mountain herd’s border she is strangely conflicted by different emotions. First and most of all she is glad to leave the forsaken lands behind, to escape from Gryffen’s grasp and to be able to make sure her little girl has a bright future. They had to be brave to accomplish that, both she and Minette, but the cobalt blue mare found it all so hard.
Yet as they leave the predator’s lands she cannot help but to feel anxious, afraid that he might return while the small herd flees. Felinae is afraid of his wrath, afraid that he might hurt one of them. Although her general concern is Besra, she wouldn’t want to see Minette or the little Amorette hurt either.
Realising that they would be leaving had caused a fluttering and longing feeling, Felinae had instantly been dying to see Zeik again. The year of captivity had passed and therefor she was official free to leave – that didn’t mean that she suspected that Gryffen would’ve stopped her – but she hadn’t been willing to leave Minette and Amorette just like that, she couldn’t, after what Minette had done for her. But Felinae felt like she did wrong by leaving with Magnus. It would be the best for Besra, but the bluish mare couldn’t help but to feel like she was betraying Zeik.
She stayed at Minette’s side during the trip, both to find comfort and support in the gray mare’s presence but also to make sure that her friend was okay. During the year that she had spent in the mourning mountains she had noticed – how could she not? – that there was something off about Min’s movements. It wasn’t her place to question it, but she that didn’t mean she shouldn’t pay any attention to it.
As they finally reach their destination a small smile appears on her lips and as she sighs deep – to breath out a content and relieved sigh – she presses her nose gently against her daughter’s shoulder. ”Go play with Amore, but listen to what Aunt Minette said, okay?” she murmurs as her lips play with the filly’s sky blue mane, before sending her off.
The cobalt blue roan dips her head when the girls are gone, offering a warm and thankful smile to Magnus. ”Thank you, Magnus.” Her eyes move towards the pair, a knowing smile pulling on her lips. ”You don’t know how much this means to us, you saved us from one of the darkest pits of hell” Felinae continues after a brief pause.
She stays with Minette, moving closer once towards the pale mare as she is sure that she doesn’t intrude the couple’s personal space. Shivering slightly the blue mare presses her muzzle against her friend’s shoulder and tension slowly flows away. Safe. They were safe, safe and provided with a new home. A new life. ”He sure is an angel..” she says softly.
you and I both know that the house is haunted and you and I both know that the ghost is me
His exhaustion is forgotten in the sight of Amorette’s excitement, and his smile widens at her outburst. Yes, seeing Heaven for the first time through the eyes of a child was indeed exciting. He takes a deep breath, steadying his nerves, feeling more comfortable now that they were within the borders of the Gates. Not that the borders would keep Gryffen at bay should he return looking for his herd—they certainly had not deterred him when he had led the raid on the kingdom—but he felt that he could protect them here. He knew the Gates, and he was surrounded by a small group, but a group nonetheless. Plus any attack that Gryffen made now would be interpreted as political, and Straia was a lot of things, but she was not dumb.
Magnus did not think she would condone the beginning of a war over one stallion’s bruised ego.
So he forces himself to put aside his fears over the mares and children, and he just smiles down at the filly. “It is almost as pretty as you, Amorette,” he says kindly, his voice husky and thick with emotion. Looking up, he looks at Minette and just nods, touching his mouth to her cheek, letting it rest there. When he pulls away, his gold-flecked eyes burn with intensity. “I am so glad that you love it.” He laughs lightly at her offer, one wing unfurling to drape over her back as he takes another deep breath, gathering himself.
“You are one of the strongest mares, I know,” and that’s the truth of it. He had known warrior women and women who wore the crown and women who had led the charge of battle, but there was a strength that he had never experienced before in the silent bravery of Minette leading her children away from their abuser. “But I’m okay for now.” His eyes are tight, but he smiles at her. “I don’t need to sleep just yet.” What he does not say is that sleep eludes him often—even when and perhaps more frequently when his bones ached with tiredness. Turning toward Felinae, he just smiles kindly. “You all saved yourselves.”
Hearing her father call her beautiful causes the little girl to burst out in a set of sweet giggles. ”Beautiful just like maman?” she hopefully asks. As she looks up at the buckskin stallion she’s smiling shyly. Oh yes, his words flatter her and spark some fluttering feeling in her stomach, and Amorette doesn’t really know what to do with it. So she presses her muzzle against Magnus’ shoulder as he stands beside her maman. Seeing how the golden male made her maman happy makes it easy for the smoky black filly to like the man too, whoever would make Minette happy would make little Amorette happy.
She moves to her maman’s other side, standing alongside Minette before he muzzle dips downwards to find the udders. As she feeds herself her tail is waggling, she is simply not able to just stand still. ”Oui maman” she simply replies, also nodding to confirm that she has heard the gray mare. ”We’ll stay close” she answers after a short pause, the wide smile still upon her lips as the looks up at the two adults.
Then, with some loud snorting sounds, she jumps away from his side, crossing around the pair while bucking, jumping and rearing. She stops on a hill, grinning widely as she gazes down the beautiful lands, her heart beating fast and full of expectations for the future. It is only then that she turns to look at the blue haired filly, her head tilting a little to the side as a silent invitation to play.
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