dark side of the morning - Nyka & Stillwater

[Ivar]

i know i'm not the center of the universe -but you keep spinning 'round me just the same His pale ears flick forward, catching her murmured repeat of the name Nerine. Ivar likes the coastal land with its grey sand and soaring cliffs, but he prefers the quiet woods and deep water of Sylva. There are even some caves in the mountains, too dark to explore, but endlessly appealing to a boy with a taste for adventure.   It seems that @[Nyka] is interested in being a fighter. Ivar barely has time to think: ‘Mother will be pleased’ before the bay mare is demanding to be taken to Sylva, and to have someone train her. The piebald colt is hesitant in his reply, clearly taken aback by the stern demands of the stranger. She’s still not given him her name, after all. But she seems more excited than anything, and Ivar is more than happy to show others his home.   “I can take you to meet my dad,” he tells her as he takes a step forward. “Mom says he’d teach me to fight someday, so I’m sure he can teach you too.”   The smoky black colt looks back at Nyka from over her shoulder, and gestures down the path that will lead them most quickly to Sylva. It’s a circuitous route, with the mountain between them, but it is not an overly long journey. Eventually, the bright green of summer foliage is broken by the appearance of a golden-maple or a fire-leafed elm. The autumn trees become more frequent as they venture closer to Sylva, and by the time Ivar stops, the canopy above them is entirely golden. They’ve passed a few meadows in the realm, but most of the land is a hilly forest, dotted here and there with plentiful ponds and outcroppings of stone.   “Welcome to Sylva,” he says, looking over at the mare in the hopes of seeing a positive reaction. He doesn’t call out, but he’s made sure to cross into Sylva rather close to his father’s lake, and he knows that @[Stillwater] is rarely far from the water’s edge.   -------------------i v a r ------------------------------------djinni and stillwater---------------------------------