"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
05-21-2015, 01:41 PM (This post was last modified: 07-28-2015, 03:02 AM by Rosalinde.)
She’s at a loss for what to do with herself.
The Tundra has always been her home. Since birth, she has lived within its snowy confines, playing by herself and bothering the many little animals that also call the kingdom home.
But despite all of this, it’s not truly home.
Though she was born there and has lived there for her entire life, she cannot truly be a part of the kingdom. Partly because she is a mare, but partly because the place doesn’t feel right for her. She knows she is meant for somewhere else. Where though … that is the problem.
So for now she has taken to wandering. Mostly it’s been aimless, but on this particular day, her feet have taken her to the border of a place that she doesn’t know very well - the Desert.
It’s unbearably hot to her of course. She’s used to the Tundra climate, and the combination of the boiling sun overhead, and the hot sand beneath her feet makes her feel like she could burn up at any second. The pathetic flapping of the tiny wings at her sides does nothing to cool her off (why had the faeries cursed her with such a useless gift?). But, she still continues on.
If she remembers correctly, her half sister Zilpah lives here. She’s met the mare only once, and briefly at that. And it’s something that Rosalinde thinks needs to change. She knows so little of her family, beyond her brother and sister. She’d like to know more.
As the stallion ingressed deeper into the sand he kept whinnieng loudly, having no luck in finding a family or herd in the field the stallion was forced to go into this hell hole, the stallion was carrying a twig full of leaves so he had food for himself, the stallion marked the sand and kept walking, he started to trot, the black and white figure kept making his way to an endless array of sand dunes, from above he probably looked like a splodge of paint, the stallion was young and his stamina was shockingly long, the stallion wasn't too fast though, Aziz then lay down on the boiling sand and panted, he was exhausted, but atleast he was still strong, his legs still held him up, he rested on the top of a dune, he whinnied telling others he had food, this was his last attempt to find company, the stallion then ate a few leaves and plonked down.
Zilpah loves her big family; she loves Mikhael and Etro and the triplets. The former princess just recently learned about the other side of the family, and though she tried to play it cool, she is eager to learn if Rigdon has any other children besides Rosalinde. Everything about her father is slightly mysterious - from the Tundra to what he does, to his family. She knows nothing.
The bay mare is coasting on hot air currents above the Desert, when she sees a familiar (albeit slighty older) form approaching the border. Could it be? With an angling of her cream and rust pinion feathers, she turns off course and towards her spotted sister. Zilpah doesn’t bother with qualifiers - blood is blood, be it only a drop or a tidal wave.
She lands lightly a few feet in front of the Tundra mare, immediately noting the sweat and uncomfortable-ness of her sister. Of course, of course! She must be so hot here! “Rosalinde! Wow! I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Hey, do you want to go someplace where there’s shade? I know it can be hot out here. Really hot…” She flashes Ros a genuine smile, eager to show her the rest of her beautiful home. They are so similar and yet so different - hot and cold, young and old(er), beautiful (Ros) and ordinary (Zilpah).
But before they can go anywhere, she spots a lone figure in the distance. She can’t quite make it out, as they are at the border, and he seems to be farther into the kingdom - was he a trespasser, a danger, or some mistaken visitor? Before she calls out to the Queens or her Ima, she will lead Rosalinde by him… and hopefully be able to determine what he is doing there and if he is ok.
06-05-2015, 02:34 AM (This post was last modified: 06-05-2015, 02:36 AM by Rosalinde.)
Oh this blasted heat!
The spotted mare shifts uncomfortable in the heat of the sun, grimacing as her coat slowly grows damp with sweat. How on earth do horses live in this? How do they stand it? She knows she’s at a disadvantage with her thick winter coat, but even without it, she knows she would be too hot. Ugh.
She’s considering following the line of the border until she finds a shadier spot, when a loud whinny echoes out across the dunes. Her head flicks upward, immediately cautious. She doesn’t see anyone at first, but after a few moments a tiny flicker of movement catches her eye. On a faraway dune stands a lump of white and black - a stallion she thinks, by the tone in its voice. She raises her voice, hoping that the sound will carry against the wind now sweeping over the dunes. “Are you alright?” Who knows if he will be able to hear her. She considers crossing the border to go check on him (he’s much deeper in the kingdom than she), but is interrupted by the rustle of feathers overhead. “Zilpah!”
Her older sister alights delicately on the sand in front of her, and she can’t help but feel a little jealous. Zilpah looks comfortable and cool, as if the blazing heat raining down on them doesn’t bother her at all. And to top it off, her half sister is sporting a gorgeous pair of feathered wings. Rosalinde bears a sideways glance at the little brown pathetic things sprouting out of her own shoulders. Argh. She wouldn’t have even had them the last time she saw Zilpah. Damn faeries. “I know, it’s a bit of a surprise.”
The bay mare mentions shade, and she immediately perks up. “Oh yes please!” Anything to get out of this godawful heat. She sees her half-sister’s eyes drift to the stallion standing on the dune, and her own eyes follow suite. He doesn’t appear to have moved since she last looked his way. “I wonder if he’s quite alright.”
Well, yes, often times the heat does bother her. That’s when she seeks the shade of the oasis and the coolness of the borderland’s red rock caves. But usually as long as there’s a breeze going, and she can get up where the wind cools her down both above and below her wings, she’s ok. Her coat is so thin, and the Akhal-Teke in makes her long and slender. She would fare terribly in the Tundra – probably dead by mid-fall from the cold if we’re being honest.
If she were Yael, she could call the clouds to cover them, but alas, she is not. So Zilpah nods her head towards the interior and says simply, “This way. It’s not too far – see that green thing? It’s where the oasis is.” It was useful to have the oasis fairly within walking distance of the border. Sometimes patrols didn’t arrive for awhile, and that left their guests baking in the heat and quite in need of shade and refreshment. Like the flopping stallion. She throws a curious glance towards the fellow. “Well… he isn’t crying out in pain or anything. I’ll let my mother know and she can come check on him. If he’s really in trouble, she’ll be able to help. Much more than I could.”
Zilpah sends a thought to Yael, asking her to come check on a stranger at the border, and then starts to move on, making sure Rosalinde is following.
“So what brings you here? Is everything ok at home?”
06-15-2015, 01:24 AM (This post was last modified: 06-15-2015, 01:26 AM by Rosalinde.)
An oasis. It sounds absolutely lovely already, and she’s not even there.
She immediately moves to follow her half sister, but pauses as Zilpah mentions the stallion again. She’s glad to hear that she will alert her mother (Rosalinde has of course heard of the Desert magician) - it will mean less time wasted, and that they can get to the oasis all the faster. She feels like she’s going to burn up in this sun with her thick winter coat.
The moment Zilpah steps into motion, she follows suite, making sure to keep up close behind. As they walk, the bay mare turns to speak, asking about her reasons for coming. And really, it’s a good question. “Honestly, I’m not completely sure. I love the Tundra, but it doesn’t feel right for me any more.” How can she even describe it when she doesn’t understand it herself? “I dunno. I feel like I need something different. But I have no idea what.” She sighs. She barely even knows Zilpah, and here she is spilling out her mess of a life to her. What a joke. “At the very least I thought it might be nice to get to know my family a little better.” That part is at least a little less confusing.
“Sorry, enough about me.” Enough of her mess. “How are you doing these days? How is the Desert?” Her eyes travel towards the green blob in the distance, and she wonders how much farther they have to go. She’s boiling!
They’re on the move again, and the oasis is growing closer. Zilpah arches a wing up and over Ros, trying to give her a little bit of shade. Just like Zilpah felt she was constantly shivering in the Tundra, she imagines that the ice-land dwellers were constantly sweating while in the Desert. Ros makes a confessions, and she nods along. “I can understand that. I think it would be difficult to be considered a sort of… second class member. Even if it is home. But hey, homes can change, right? If home is where the heart is… what if you fall in love? You know?” She shrugs, thinking that she is lucky because Zale is here with her. And they are going to go on their Great Adventure together. “Well you’re always welcome here. Everyone is. Cam and Pevensie are nice and good Queens. We were growing for awhile, but now I think it’s slowed down.” It always does once the novelty of new monarchs wears off
They come to the oasis and Zilpah heads over to the water to take a long drink, indicating that Ros should do the same. Hell, she could go swimming if she wanted to! Zilpah flops into the shade, grateful for the big ol’ Vanquish tree.
“Oh I’m fine. I think I’m going to go on a Great Adventure soon with my adopted daughter, Sawflesh, and my… friend? No, he’s more than a friend. He’s my Zale. Anyway, I don’t know where we’re going to go, but it’s outside of Beqanna.” She tilts her head, thinking for a bit. “Would you like to come with us?”
07-28-2015, 02:49 AM (This post was last modified: 07-28-2015, 02:49 AM by Rosalinde.)
Zilpah brings a wing over her back, and she smiles gratefully at the bay mare. It’s not much, but at least a portion of her back doesn’t feel like it’s about to go up in flames. “Yeah. It didn’t matter so much when I was a kid, but now …” She sighs. She could fight it, she supposes. Other mares have forced their way into the Tundra ranks. But … they never got very far. It doesn’t seem worth it.
Her eyes widen when Zilpah suddenly speaks of love and she looks away, feeling awkward. “Love? Uhh I don’t know about that.” The stallions in the Tundra had all been serious older men, dedicated to their kingdom. They’d paid her little attention, and frankly, she’d done the same to them. She’d been far more concerned with her mother and her siblings.
Zilpah mentions that she’s always welcome in the Desert, and her gaze returns to the winged mare. It’s a kind gesture, but she doubts she could never be comfortable here. “Thank you. It’s beautiful here, but I don’t know how well I’d do with the heat. I’m too used to the cold.” She’s distinctly aware of the sweat drenching her coat. “Unfortunately that seems to be the case everywhere these days. It’s growing quiet.” The Tundra too, is all but silent.
Then Zilpah begins speaking about a Great Adventure she’s planning on going on with her friends, and something inside her latches on. Leaving Beqanna … it’s not something she’s really considered before. After all, her family is here - Rigdon, Rhaegar and Brisk are here. And yet …
It intrigues her. There’s so much out there in the world that she does not know about. So many lands to discover, horses to meet … she wants to do it. “I … I think I would.” It’s terrifying, but it feels right to accept. After all, what else is she even doing with her life?
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