"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
A young stallion sighed to himself as he tossed his mane and swished his tail. There was so much going on in his mind that not many would like to read it. He was trying to deal with the loss of his two adopted daughters; twin foals that had been with their dead mother. He sighed once more and pawed the earth beneath his hooves. Oh how he wished he could have done something to protected them but in the end he was not enough to have protected them from the dangers or even from life itself. Shaking his head even more, he tried to clear the thoughts in his mind away and soon a few tears slipped from his eyes.
Nicca was a soft hearted and gentle stallion and he would gladly take in any orphans or even any foal, motherless or not and raise them as his own but would that ever happen again? The young stallion lowered his head and sighed hard. "I must think of something else." he muttered to himself and then decided to go for a gallop along the trails. Now most knew him as "the ghost horse"; reason being was that when at a gallop or even a canter between the trees, you would only catch a glimpse of goldish coloring or nothing at all if you weren't paying attention.
Nicca was soon cantering down a trail but moved on into a gallop and soon everything was a blur around him. He smiled to himself and added a little buck into the mix before returning to a gallop. As he had bucked, he had tossed his head and arched it, gaining more lift to the buck and you could tell he was having fun. Then he decided to do a dead stop, rear and let out a squeal to see if anyone was around.
we carry these things inside that no one else can see they hold us down like anchors; they drown us out at sea
Magnus knew loss, perhaps better than anyone. He knew what it was like to have life stolen from your lungs, to scream out at the world ripping the things that mattered most from your fingertips, to whimper when those things instead dissolved like sand in the wind. He had experienced the highest of highest and the lowest of lows, anguish becoming something of a second coat—the weight familiar on his shoulders.
It was that loss that drove him to the field every day—that knowledge that he had to cling to what he had with all of his might, working to build up the Gates, putting aside his own anger that raged unchecked in his belly. It was that loss that brought him here now, flesh slick with sweat and nostrils flaring, the buckskin stallion taking in large gulps of the autumn-tinged air as he came to a walk.
As he caught his breath, he watched the stallion make his own entrance: the playful antics, sliding stop, high-spirited rear, and even the attention-seeking squeal. It was enough to pique Magnus’ interest and he found himself watching for a beat, heavy-jawed face tilting, gold-flecked eyes narrowing with curiosity.
Huffing lightly, Magnus picked himself up and walked over, stopping a respectful distance away. “I see you are enjoying the pleasant weather,” he offered in his husky tones, his expression friendly and relaxed. “It is indeed a good day for a run.” The sun was beginning to strengthen above them, the watery light growing incrementally in intensity as it washed over them both. “My name is Magnus, by the way.”
Nicca had always been horrible at knowing when he was being watched. Looking over at the stallion, he smiled softly. "I am Nicca and yes I am enjoying the weather." he said and then sighed to himself. Now if only his daughters were here with him."Shaking his head, he again put on a smile but it was forced. "What about you? Are you enjoying the weather?" he asked in return.
Nicca really looked at the stallion as he waited for a reply. With the loss of Andella and Avella so fresh it was like a wound that would not heal. Lowering his head, Nicca sighed once more to himself and closed his eyes, trying to keep the tears from falling. Lifting his head once more, he asked, "So Magnus, what is a stallion like you doing here? I am sure you could own a herd if you wished it."
we carry these things inside that no one else can see they hold us down like anchors; they drown us out at sea
Magnus watched him with careful eyes, noting the forced nature of the smile and then glossing over it. If the other stallion wanted to delve more into the personal issues then they could, but Magnus wasn’t going to force the issue. The golden stallion knew how difficult it was to confront your own personal demons and he wasn’t about to force that onto a stranger that he had just met. So, instead, he kept it light.
“Indeed, I am.” His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked upward, the sun weakening but still bright, filtering through the nearby trees and dappling the ground around them. “I enjoy the autumn months. There is something about it that makes me think about renewal and second chances.” He tilted his head to the side, his scarred mouth lifting. He had to wonder if Nicca was in search of something like that.
He laughed gently at the other’s proclamation, shaking his head. “Ah, herds have never really been my forte, I am afraid.” He had been kingdom-bred to his core. Raised in the Jungle. Served as Lord in the Chamber. Became General and then King in the Gates. Left for the Dale to fight in their army. Returned to serve as Lord of the Gates and now Advisor, although the word still felt bitter on his tongue. If he wasn’t who he was, maybe he should try the herd life. Maybe he needed to change his life’s course.
He shook his head again, clearing the thoughts to focus better on the other. “I am actually from a kingdom known as Heaven’s Gates.” He gestured toward the border. “It is not far from here.” He waited a pause, wondering if the other stallion was familiar with the unique intricacies of Beqanna. “Are you from around here? I could tell you more about it, or kingdoms in general, if you would like.”
Listening to Magnus, Nicca thought about what he could do to change what he was going through. Maybe he could have a second chance and change how he was thinking. "Hmmm....second chances and renewal sound pretty good to me. I could use it." he laughed to himself. He was being silly, the twins wouldn't want him to be upset about everything, but would want him to move on and adopt others as his own.
"Yes please do tell me more about these...Kingdoms." he said. "I am not from around here and only arrived today." He laughed, "Actually I had no clue where I was." The young goldish stallion waited for a reply but looked around him once more. He liked it here, it was a wonderful place but he knew danger could always be around. Shaking his mane, he smiled and tried not to close his eyes in the autumn sun.
Though Nicca's heart was sad and heavy, he thought just maybe he could find a pace where he belong. He wondered what these Kingdoms were about and maybe just maybe he could join one or something. Yes he was the son of two great lead horses but if he couldn't keep two foals alive maybe he shouldn't have a herd.
we carry these things inside that no one else can see they hold us down like anchors; they drown us out at sea
“Couldn’t we all?” he laughed, ignoring the twinge of pain in his belly. If only he was able to find a way to truly have a second chance in life; what he wouldn’t give to redo and fix some of his mistakes. He would find a way to ease the hurt that he had caused others. He would have been a better King, a better kingdom member, a better mate for Joelle. He wouldn’t have caused so much agony to those who managed to get close to him. There are so many ways that he would have found a better way.
“Well, a welcome is in order then!” he said with enthusiasm—thrilled to have new blood in the field. The land grew stale without the rush of new faces and the infusion of outside bloodlines. It kept Beqanna balance to have both new and old faces. “Kingdoms are similar to herds in that they are groups that operate much like family—but they are different in that they are a monarchy. Usually, a kingdom will be led by a king and/or a queen with a royal court beneath them of lords and ladies and generals.”
He paused for a moment, giving the other stallion a chance to digest the information.
“For some, a kingdom can be simply a home—a place to rest their head and raise their family. For others, it is a chance to join one of our cases (warrior or diplomat) and then climb up the ranks.” His roguish smile curled into one corner, creating a lopsided affect. “There is a chance to learn the ropes, protect the kingdom, dabble in politics, etc.—if that strikes your fancy.” He had always drifted toward the solider side of things and believed himself to be a terrible hand at diplomacy, but he was getting better.
Pot Of Cream stepped closer to the stallions.She was in sure about them.She was in a herd but was curious about them,she was bred by a stallion yesterday but she might not be pregnant.
Nicca nodded. Anything was better than roaming the land without a place to stay or call home. "I would be up for anything to be honest." he said. "Things have to be better than roaming all the time." Nicca felt her hoofbeats rather and heard them and he turned to the mare that was coming to them. "Hello there." he said to her. He was still the gentle horse he was and lowered his head to let her know he was not a threat to her. Turning back to Magnus, he added, "Everything seems so much better here than any other place. I wish I ha found this all the sooner."
Nicca wouldn't let his thoughts drift to a dangerous place, a place where he still mourned for his daughters but talking to Magnus, it seemed to have helped him some and the young stallion lifted his head with pride and strength that was in him. Flicking his tail to shoo the bugs, flies and what ever else that was flying around him away. "If you know of a place, please let me know if they will accept new horses."
"Hello?Can introduce my sister she is looking for a mate but quickly,she wants to breed and have a foal.Can you help?"she was curious to get her sister a mate before the end of breeding season.
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