12-02-2020, 02:39 PM
And when all the lights are broken, You keep the fire going
Was there a softness to the redwoods? Yanhua marveled to himself as he walked among them, occasionally brushing his shoulder up against the roots of a giant as he passed them by. No. Their bark was bloodred and callous, unforgiving through the years and the seasons. Some - the weak, the young, the old - had been felled by a raging storm or disease, but these were few and their rotting wood only made the surrounding forest stronger for it. Yanhua felt a kinship to them. Like the trees of his homeland he was often mistaken for a weakling by his quiet, gentle ways. He was overlooked by most outsiders; just another northerner who kept to themselves.
But this northerner’s roots grew deep into the soil, and his mind was an ever-expanding canopy of thoughts and desires. His interaction with Hyaline’s shifters had enlightened him to the outside world’s perspective, and ever since returning home Yanhua had been spurred into action by their ill-formed opinions on himself, his brother, and Leilan. He saw now what he’d refused to see before - that change was necessary, growth inevitable, and unity more important than personal feelings. If he had been drawn in by Straia’s ability and yet disgusted by her conquest, by the unjust maiming of an innocent land, then what was he to do about it? What could he do about it?
So much, he thought. He must marry his desire with action, and see to it personally that Taiga would not be left unaware and stunted by her quiet simplicity. If not him, then who else?
Amarine, perhaps. Though busy raising their children while he went out to patrol (and simultaneously look for @[Borderline]) she’d been invested in his dream, nurtured it even. The once-Nerinian mare had given him the encouragement to make it a reality by involving herself when and where she could, and that one fragile thread of support had been all Yan needed. He smiled to himself, thinking of her and how they were both beginning to adjust to their unique style of parenting, while strolling the far southern edge of Taiga’s borders. Many ideas danced behind his eyes; he was mostly doing the rounds as a way of escaping into his mind. The potential of everything soon to come was overwhelming, but underneath it all he did have a recurring concern: where was Borderline, his mate? And their child - had she delivered the foal? Were they safe?
But this northerner’s roots grew deep into the soil, and his mind was an ever-expanding canopy of thoughts and desires. His interaction with Hyaline’s shifters had enlightened him to the outside world’s perspective, and ever since returning home Yanhua had been spurred into action by their ill-formed opinions on himself, his brother, and Leilan. He saw now what he’d refused to see before - that change was necessary, growth inevitable, and unity more important than personal feelings. If he had been drawn in by Straia’s ability and yet disgusted by her conquest, by the unjust maiming of an innocent land, then what was he to do about it? What could he do about it?
So much, he thought. He must marry his desire with action, and see to it personally that Taiga would not be left unaware and stunted by her quiet simplicity. If not him, then who else?
Amarine, perhaps. Though busy raising their children while he went out to patrol (and simultaneously look for @[Borderline]) she’d been invested in his dream, nurtured it even. The once-Nerinian mare had given him the encouragement to make it a reality by involving herself when and where she could, and that one fragile thread of support had been all Yan needed. He smiled to himself, thinking of her and how they were both beginning to adjust to their unique style of parenting, while strolling the far southern edge of Taiga’s borders. Many ideas danced behind his eyes; he was mostly doing the rounds as a way of escaping into his mind. The potential of everything soon to come was overwhelming, but underneath it all he did have a recurring concern: where was Borderline, his mate? And their child - had she delivered the foal? Were they safe?
And when all the nights feel like they're closing, You're leaving an opening