"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
Raxa was never one for diplomacy. The brindled mare was more of an act first questions later kind of horse. That wasn't to say she couldn't be patient, she just chose not to be. She'd joined the warrior caste of her kingdom so that she could fight, practice her own skills and be there to protect her home. She wasn't necessarily loyal to other horses, but to her home, that was an entirely different story. It was just coincidence those horses lived there; Raxa fought to defend her home. She didn't have anyone else to defend anyway.
So why was she still agreeing to do this? Originally, the plan had been for Raxa to accompany Anahi, her champagne friend, up here to the Tundra to seek an alliance for the Falls kingdom. Apparently, Anahi's desire for this had something to do with a meeting Ygritte had called a while back. Raxa hadn't been there, given it was for the diplomats of the kingdom, and she'd been off training with Nitika, Siba, and the other warriors.
Anahi had asked her if she would accompany her out to the Tundra on behalf of the Falls, but before they could make the journey, Anahi had entered her last days of pregnancy. Raxa knew it was highly unsafe for the mare to journey outside the kingdom in that condition, so she'd stubbornly told her friend to stay put and have that baby. Raxa herself would make the journey. If she ran into any Falls diplomats up here, then hey, bonus points, and she could head home, leave the deals to them. Sadly, she doubted that would happen.
She'd heard many didn't like to come to the Tundra for the weather alone. It was frigid up here, even outside of the winter months. Snow wasn't always on the ground, but the air was usually chilly, from what others had told her. Wasn't like it was something she didn't know about tough. Raxa had been around cold temperatures before, even if they weren't really like the Tundra at all.
The point was, she could stand up to it.
A few days travel saw the mare enter the Tundra for the first time. The snow had already heavily melted, just some lingering patches here and there. A breeze was present, but the warm sun did wonders to keep the mare from freezing her tail off. She wandered past the border, looking around curiously. Her tapered head and neck stretched this way and that, the mare intent on taking in everything around her so she could figure out where she was, and the best places to hide should the need arise to do so.
Not that she'd hide first; the mare would fight, whether for her life or not. But if she had the absolute need to hide, she wanted to be prepared.
Once she figured she had a good lay of this space, Raxa lifted her head high, looking out into the distance. Wandering in a bit more, she silently wondered how to approach this. Again, why had she agreed to do this? Or at least why hadn't she waited until Anahi's foal was born and then a bit older? Oh wait, by then, it might be too late. That, and Anahi had nagged her to get up to the Tundra and seek alliance before the winter weather made traveling too difficult. According to the champagne mare, it would be good experience for Raxa, even if the brindled mare was more about teeth and hooves rather that talking and hashing out agreements.
Raxa rolled her eyes; she really needed to stop offering favors for her friend. The mare reared up high in the air, kicking out her front legs as she let out a call to the members of the kingdom. She really didn't care who showed up; the ruler, a subordinate, as long as it was somebody who could help her work out a deal. She didn't want to be here longer than she had to.
His own story was quite the opposite of brindle mare’s. He was active in both castes and he had truly intended to put more effort in the war caste than the peace one, but in the end he clearly had been more of a diplomat than a warrior. The graying male had his reasons for it, but even those hadn’t been enough to make him a good warrior. He still tried though, because Brynmor wanted to give his all to the Tundra. The only ones that could rival his love for the Tundra were Roan and their daughter
Over the years he had grown in his diplomatic role and his promotion to not only an ambassador, but also the king’s right-hand, was his most recent achievement. It also meant that he was Offspring’s second in command, meaning he would temporary lead the Tundra if Offspring was unable to. Brynmor had grown to like the black ice king and their friendship went beyond the bond of the brotherhood. He was as much loyal to Offspring as he was to the Tundra. Although he had to admit that his red eyed friend had surprised him with the announced changes that the Tundra would soon go through.
Even though the spring had already set in, the Tundra’s grounds were still covered with a layer of snow. The snow would only disappear for a brief time during the summer and because of that his coat was still thick and fuzzy. Today was one of those rare days with a lot of sun and Brynmor enjoyed the warmth that shone upon his back. He had grown to enjoy the snow, he had adapted to it, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy some of the delights of the summer.
And that was exactly what he was doing. His newly gained wings were folded at his sides as he stood there snoozing. With his promotion to ambassador and right-hand he had had to give up his invisibility and accept these kingdom granted wings. At first Brynmor had thought it was a pity, because it had taken him quite a while to gain full control over the invisibility, but he understood Offspring’s reasoning. Wings to be able to move around faster would be a more fitted trait for a high ranked diplomat than invisibility, for he didn’t need to sneak.
It are those same wings that carry him towards her, the stranger that had crossed their border and had wandered in without a notice. Brynmor always disliked it when that happened, because their ice wall – which protected their entire southern border – was not that hard to miss. And it demanded everybody who passed through the small opening realise that it wasn’t there for nothing. The brindled mare didn’t seem to care about border, nor respecting them.
He was already close when she reared and finally decided to make her presence known. He wouldn’t have been a good diplomat if he hadn’t noticed her arrival prior to that already, after all, he was known for lurking at the border. From above he circles around her, before deciding to decent. Landing was still somewhat difficult for him – he didn’t have much practise yet – but he managed to do it somewhat gracefully. Brynmor knows that she would’ve already noticed him coming, the sound of his wings and the soft thud of his landing would’ve been enough to tell her that. So he doesn’t speak up, only watching her for a second.
Brynmor doesn’t dip his head in a silent greeting, but his blue eyes study her intensely. It is clear she wasn’t a lost soul that had come to the Tundra to seek a shelter and a home, no, she was here with a different purpose. ”I’d welcome you to the Tundra, if you hadn’t already decided to disrespect our borders. Please do respect them, and us, if you’ll visit us in the future, we would highly appreciate that.” Although his words are a bit harsh, his tone isn’t unfriendly and neither is his posture aggressive. She’s taller than him – but who isn’t? – but she doesn’t give off the air of a threat, like the stranger Raelynx had had. After ruffling his wings slightly he folds them at his side, but all without taking his gaze off her.
But then a small smile breaks through, hoping that would clear the somewhat tense atmosphere. She couldn’t blame him for it though, for all he knew she could’ve been a threat that had wandered in to harm them. ”I’m Brynmor. What can I help you with today? I assume you didn’t come here to have a simple chitchat?” He had always been direct, but in these past few years the gray male had learned to be direct without coming off too unfriendly. Both his posture and tune had changed for that, but it was for the better. After all, he was more a diplomat than a warrior.
BRYNMOR
OOC: Sorry otl, I got a but too enthusiastic on this one. The lenght got a liiiiiittle out of hand xD.
A dark shadow passed in front of Raxa's hooves, briefly startling the mare. She gazed upward, surprised to see what appeared to be a horse flying in a circle above her, much in the fashion a vulture would when hunting its prey. She doubted this horse was dangerous, and she wasn't incredibly startled by the fact s/he could fly. She'd seen too many other odd things to really find wings an incredible sight anymore.
She kept her blue eyes on the horse as it came in for a landing. It wasn't all that graceful, so Raxa wanted to laugh, but that was ruined by the fact that the horse managed to stay on its hooves. Pity, the sight of a crash landing would've been rather comical to the brindle. She saw him watching her, something that caused the mare to snort and paw at the ground. She was warning him that he'd better not try anything funny, lest he be met by teeth and hooves. Raxa was a cautious, and fiery, creature, so the fact he was watching her without saying anything stirred her up to the point where she was getting ready to charge him.
Their eyes met. Raxa found it interesting he shared blue eyes with her, even though they weren't the same shade. He did not offer a greeting, but instead jumped right into what he wished to say. Raxa rolled her eyes, "Well pardon me for not knowing where the borders are. Not a lot of horses journey up here in the first place," she quipped, flicking her tail in annoyance.
Really, could she be blamed for trespassing? Raxa truthfully didn't know the extent of the borders. She had figured out where the entrance was easy enough, but she hadn't detected any scent markings that would've created a border line. Not a lot of stallions did that of course, but there should've been a stronger indicator of where the border of the territory was.
"Smarter than I give you credit for Brynmor," Raxa said. "Yeah, I came here to see what this place was like. The ruler of my kingdom, the Falls, has been pushing for us to offer alliances with other kingdoms. I was supposed to have a diplomat with me, but she had to stay behind to drop her foal. So, in other words, it's just me. What are you looking for in an alliance?" she asked, one ear twitching back to listen to a bird taking off from a nearby tree.
Kreios had wanted to live in the Tundra as a child - his grandfather had always been kind to him - but his parents never thought he was too ready. The spotted colt was too slow, too weak, too something.
He is no longer those things, and as he makes his way along the great ice wall in pursuit of Raxa, he realizes that he is grateful that Lyric and Vanquish had always denied his requests. It is cold here (even if he can't feel it) and the wind has a bite even this close to summer. Kreios' red spotted coat is sleek and thin - perfect for summer in the temperate Falls. The large stallion does not feel the bite of the wind, but it raises his long white mane and tosses it about his thick neck, obscuring his vision now and then and necessitating a quick shake away from his clear grey eyes.
The sound of Raxa calling out causes Kreios to pick up his pace, and he's soon approaching the brindle mare. A pegaus, presumably a member of the Tundra, beats him to her, and Kreios arrives in time to hear her familiar feisty tones. He finds her sarcasm amusing, but knows that it might not be what is expected from a foreigner, so as the tall stallions draws even beside her he offers an amused smile to Brynmor. "The ice wall is the border," he says, glancing quickly at the smaller stallion for affirmation (though he is quite certain of this). "The bachelors don't want anyone seeing exactly how much snow they get behind the wall; the rest of Beqanna might get envious". It's clear the spotted stallion is speaking in jest, and as Raxa speaks again he falls silent to listen.
When she is finished, he adds: "Not with all the kingdoms, of course. We'd like to see how the rest of the kingdoms are doing, and how we might best get along." There is a pause for a breif moment, and then he says: "I'm Kreios, by the way. Ygritte and I rule the Falls".
BROTHER, LET ME BE YOUR FORTRESS, WHEN THE NIGHT WINDS ARE DRIVING ON.
I CAN BE THE ONE TO LIGHT YOUR WAY; I WILL BRING YOU HOME.
The brisk icy wind breaks into the monotony of an otherwise ordinary day, cutting across his puckered pink scars and sending a delightful chill along his spine. He thoroughly savors the wind, sleet and frost, though he is a behemoth in size - he is not suited for heat, for sand or for any long term exposure to unadulterated sunlight. He is build with thick, sinewy muscle and bone, and with his unseen crown, he has been blessed with unimaginable power over the element he has so adoringly tangled with. Even now, as the gusts pick up their pace and press him down along the mountain side, his skin begins to encase in a thin sheen of ice, which glimmers beneath the pale sunlight of an otherwise dim and cloudy day.
His dark red eyes cast a glance towards a few figures looming precariously near the border - Brynmor appears tense, and not at all at ease with the unknown female looming far beyond what is acceptable for any diplomat or visitor to enter. With a swift huff of air from his whiskered nostrils, he presses forth and gains a hefty pace, crossing the vast, empty terrain easily with heavy, but wide strides. As he approaches, stark obsidian to the dull gray of the land that lay behind him, he observes the male that approaches as he nears - though he eases, if only slightly, at the gentle jest in his tone.
It does not appear either came here for trouble, though clearly the female had something to learn about diplomacy and having respect for outside kingdoms.
Fierce crimson eyes meet mellow grey, and he recognizes there is something different about the way he holds himself. The stench that lingers on them is of pine and fresh water, confirming the brash female's confession that she has come forth on behalf of the Falls. He cannot conceal his surprise, nor his amusement. It had been many years since he had taken the throne, and he had not heard from them (nor extended himself, admittedly) in that time - this would prove to be an extraordinary day after all.
"Kreios. A pleasure. And your name is?" He studies the female once more (who had failed to give her own name), boring into her for a long moment before deciding to move on. "Your King is correct - our borders are marked by a massive block wall of ice. Surely you didn't miss it." His whiskered lips turn in the slightest uptick of a smile, and he chuckles deeply from the root of his chest. "I am Offspring, King of the lands you are standing on. You are welcome to take as much of our snow pact as you'd like."
He knows all too well the undesirability of the permafrost-encrusted landscape, and yet he would be lost without its unusual splendor. He knew Kreios must feel the very same way of his own lands.
"Banter aside, you are incorrect in one thing." He muses, still looming with a gleam in his eye. "We have opened our ranks and borders openly to both sexes - male and female. We no longer host a patriarchal view. Welcome to the Tundra."
Raxa had thought she smelled someone following her, but she didn't expect it to be Kreios. The appearance of the king surprised her a little, but she regained her composure, shooting an annoyed look at the monarch.
"Hey, I already apologized," Raxa told Kreios. "S'cuse me for thinking the borders weren't entirely made except for where I came in."
Another horse, a stallion, approached. Raxa had to admit, this one was quite handsome, but she did not let any sort of emotion related to that appear on her face. Instead, she listened as he introduced himself to her and Kreios, along with asking for her name. Raxa decided to keep quiet until this black stallion was finished talking, her ears picking up conversation that had to do with the kingdom borders, and how the ranks had been rearranged.
She wanted to make a sarcastic remark about how the kingdom had been run before; however, given this stallion had been the one to change things, she held her tongue. Instead, she thought of some nicer words to give him.
"Well, its... admirable, that you're giving the mares a chance now," she told him. "I'll ask the same question I did of your friend Brynmor here. What are you searching for in an alliance?"
BROTHER, LET ME BE YOUR FORTRESS, WHEN THE NIGHT WINDS ARE DRIVING ON.
I CAN BE THE ONE TO LIGHT YOUR WAY; I WILL BRING YOU HOME.
His eye carefully watches her, disdain clear within the pupil that dilates as he observes her stance. She is rigid, tense and altogether ill-equipped to handle any matter of diplomacy. As to why she has come to offer such little explanation and nothing aside from a bitter remark now and then is beyond him - such a pity she has put such energy into coming such a long way with such little to show for it upon her inevitable return to the vibrant land of falling water and lush, blooming foliage. His muscles tense and roll beneath his dark pelt, the puckered pink scars glimmering in the pale sunlight that emerges from behind thinly veiled clouds above.
Her tone is biting, and he cannot hide the faint glint of amusement that lingers in his eye. Had a diplomat of his own disrespected him in such a manner, he would surely think twice of having her represent him in any capacity to anyone at all. His nostrils flare as he snorts, bemused at her rather abrupt question. Still having neglected to give him her name, he decides he does not care - if she does not, why should he? The King neglects to say anything at all, and neither does his Lord, and so he interjects, his voice empty of the amusement his eyes had held moments earlier.
"There is no line between male and females, something that should have been realized sooner. There is no stronger sex; I have faith in all of those who live within our border to fulfill their duties." He pauses, the frigid air filling his lungs - he will never tire of the icy chill. "An alliance is not something we are seeking at the moment." He casts a glance to the many males and females that loiter through the permafrost-encrusted plain; many socializing or gallivanting across the icy tundra. Their numbers have grown, and with it, change has shifted.
"Our alliance with the Chamber and Valley remain strong and unwavering. There is word that there is a new Queen in the Jungle following Lagertha's disappearance - it would be in our best interest, and the interest of our alliances, to see where they stand and what they seek before an alliance is spoken of with any other kingdom. I suppose you will want to do the same. Perhaps, we can meet at a later time." His heavy gaze follows Kreios now, ignoring the presence of the brindled red roan beside him. "But in light of recent events, this is no time to speak of an alliance. I thank you for your time, and it has been a pleasure to meet you, Kreios. I wish you fair travel."
OFFSPRING
the ice king of the tundra
I moved the timeline up a bit to fit what has happened since the raid.
I also wanted to finish off this thread instead of leaving it open-ended.
Feel free to reply, of course, but also feel free to let it die.
