04-27-2018, 12:56 PM
hold me in this wild, wild world
'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
'cause in your warmth I forget how cold it can be
The sand is warm under his hooves despite the late autumn season as he walks back and forth down his own shoreline. In someone else it would be called pacing, but he refuses to call it that; and anyway he has none of the short, jerky movements one would typically see in someone doing something as anxious as pacing. Every one of Brennen’s motions as he doesn’t pace across his beach is calculated, fluid, and careful. He’s been anxious since returning from Nerine, and he’s no longer sure it was entirely the work of the weird creature at Hestia’s side; he is worried that Mosrael and Jesper aren’t back, and he can only convince himself they’re moving slower because they can’t fly for so long after all.
Finally, though, he hears his grandson’s voice lifted and he turns, taking flight to cover the distance quickly. Brennen needs to assure himself that they are both ok, and he doesn’t need any sort of mask with his family anyway. His amber gaze sweeps over both of them, assessing, prying, but he sees nothing, and begins to relax muscle by muscle even as he returns Jesper’s touch and then settles to listen to what they have to say. Judging by the solemn looks and the way Mosrael lingers protectively behind her nephew (and isn’t that weird, given their respective ages? Whatever, he’s used it it by now), it’s not going to be good.
He nods to the dark stallion’s opening and then listens, though he does murmur, “Lepis…” in surprise, because while he is among the very large number of people who never met Loess’ child queen, he certainly knows her name. There’s a pause, and that’s when his daughter steps closer to offer her own greeting, and he turns to nibble her mane affectionately. “They are quite well, though your mother of course would like to see you. And Khaeli wants to play with her ‘twin’.” He’s caught up in a memory of Khaeli and their other youngest charges playing by the waterfall, and so he is honestly caught by surprise when Jesper presents his suggestion, and he doesn’t have time for an impassive mask, even if he felt the need for one with his grandson and his daughter.
There’s surprise, and pride, and a return of that terribly vulnerability, fear. Mosrael speaks before he can, and he throws her another quick affectionate glance for her concern for the family, even this new member she barely knows. Slowly, he puts his own whirling thoughts into words, coming at them a roundabout way. “Good job, both of you. You watched each other’s backs.” his warm look turns to encompass both of them. “I know neither of you are particularly interested in being diplomats, but I was more concerned about both of you coming home safe, so mission more than accomplished.” Finally, he turns his attention to Jesper’s suggestion.
“My first instinct is to say no,” the bay King says with a sigh, because it is his first instinct to protect him, but decades of experience have tempered that fierce instinct, and that is part of why he knows he is finally ready to lead the whole Brotherhood, not just train them to fight. “But I, too, have a bad feeling about Sylva. I agree if you just go it would be suspicious, but Mortem attempted to steal you while you were gone. If he tries again, we will fail to prevent him from doing so.” Brennen signs, and then hardens his face and his tone - he is Brennen the King, the commander, not Brennen the patriarch. ”But there are conditions. You will come up with a way to report back safely, without going back and forth yourself, because that would endanger you. You will stay the minimum amount of time required, and you will take no unnecessary risks. If it comes down to it, you will escape by whatever means required and we will deal with the fallout afterwards.”
He softens just the slightest bit, because his next words are coming from Brennen the patriarch and grandfather though they are no less deadly serious. ”And you better come back unharmed, or I swear the consequences I can dream up will be a hundred times worse than anything that clown can dish out.” His gaze stays on Jesper for a long moment to make sure every nuance of his message is received before he sighs and turns to Mosrael. ”I’d like to wait until Leilan and Trekori return from Loess, to make sure we have all the facts we can have, but I’m inclined to agree with you. I can’t see Loess handing over their Queen so easily, but it would be easier to discuss it with them if we had her here. There is a chance it was intentional to align themselves with the new King of Sylva.” he supposed they’ll have to wait and see, but nothing about this feels right.
Finally, though, he hears his grandson’s voice lifted and he turns, taking flight to cover the distance quickly. Brennen needs to assure himself that they are both ok, and he doesn’t need any sort of mask with his family anyway. His amber gaze sweeps over both of them, assessing, prying, but he sees nothing, and begins to relax muscle by muscle even as he returns Jesper’s touch and then settles to listen to what they have to say. Judging by the solemn looks and the way Mosrael lingers protectively behind her nephew (and isn’t that weird, given their respective ages? Whatever, he’s used it it by now), it’s not going to be good.
He nods to the dark stallion’s opening and then listens, though he does murmur, “Lepis…” in surprise, because while he is among the very large number of people who never met Loess’ child queen, he certainly knows her name. There’s a pause, and that’s when his daughter steps closer to offer her own greeting, and he turns to nibble her mane affectionately. “They are quite well, though your mother of course would like to see you. And Khaeli wants to play with her ‘twin’.” He’s caught up in a memory of Khaeli and their other youngest charges playing by the waterfall, and so he is honestly caught by surprise when Jesper presents his suggestion, and he doesn’t have time for an impassive mask, even if he felt the need for one with his grandson and his daughter.
There’s surprise, and pride, and a return of that terribly vulnerability, fear. Mosrael speaks before he can, and he throws her another quick affectionate glance for her concern for the family, even this new member she barely knows. Slowly, he puts his own whirling thoughts into words, coming at them a roundabout way. “Good job, both of you. You watched each other’s backs.” his warm look turns to encompass both of them. “I know neither of you are particularly interested in being diplomats, but I was more concerned about both of you coming home safe, so mission more than accomplished.” Finally, he turns his attention to Jesper’s suggestion.
“My first instinct is to say no,” the bay King says with a sigh, because it is his first instinct to protect him, but decades of experience have tempered that fierce instinct, and that is part of why he knows he is finally ready to lead the whole Brotherhood, not just train them to fight. “But I, too, have a bad feeling about Sylva. I agree if you just go it would be suspicious, but Mortem attempted to steal you while you were gone. If he tries again, we will fail to prevent him from doing so.” Brennen signs, and then hardens his face and his tone - he is Brennen the King, the commander, not Brennen the patriarch. ”But there are conditions. You will come up with a way to report back safely, without going back and forth yourself, because that would endanger you. You will stay the minimum amount of time required, and you will take no unnecessary risks. If it comes down to it, you will escape by whatever means required and we will deal with the fallout afterwards.”
He softens just the slightest bit, because his next words are coming from Brennen the patriarch and grandfather though they are no less deadly serious. ”And you better come back unharmed, or I swear the consequences I can dream up will be a hundred times worse than anything that clown can dish out.” His gaze stays on Jesper for a long moment to make sure every nuance of his message is received before he sighs and turns to Mosrael. ”I’d like to wait until Leilan and Trekori return from Loess, to make sure we have all the facts we can have, but I’m inclined to agree with you. I can’t see Loess handing over their Queen so easily, but it would be easier to discuss it with them if we had her here. There is a chance it was intentional to align themselves with the new King of Sylva.” he supposed they’ll have to wait and see, but nothing about this feels right.
hold me in this wild, wild world
and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
and in your heat I feel how cold it can get
BRENNEN