"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
Thana is more than capable of keeping them in line, of watching over the newly acquired territory. So he sets out as twilight sparkles over the forest, the mystery woman at his side. The pack had left Sylva as soon as the task was done, they had found a new land to occupy. He had been slightly surprised, perhaps foolishly assuming the water mare and her harem would have stayed with him. At least until her vision had been fulfilled. Instead she had taken them to Sanctuary and so he follows their path, a frown curling at his lips. Questions in his mind.
Circinae was more of a mystery then the stranger that accompanied him. He had seen her deepest desire, had tasted the bitterness on his tongue as he watched what she wanted. And yet, they had barely spoken. She had hunted for him, helped him, then disappeared. He was aware of how fickle her loyalty could be, was aware of how quickly the stakes could change. There is something in the forest green mare that’s as hard as he is, something determined. It was a shame that she still cloaked herself under the air of decency. She could be so much more if only she tested her power, if only she had a taste. He could help her discover that path of course, perhaps one day he will.
When they reach Hyaline, he does not brazenly cross the border as he has done before. Instead the white wraith stands on the hill in the darkness, and waits. The wind is strong from his perch, buffeting against his body and whipping strands of tangled tresses around his face. He is silent, red eyes looking down into the peaceful lands. Waiting for the pack and any others that may be willing to strike a deal.
-Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me-
The smell of him permeates the air. Circinae’s smart little nose gets wind of him first, then her ears and eyes follow until she’s peering up the steady hillock which buffets the outside world from their own. Rising, the happily swollen wolf stretches quickly and then trots off into the grim dark with the flick of her brown rattail. In this shape she’s built for speed, it shows in the tight curve of her ribs and length of her spine, in the small plume of her tail and the knobby stilts she calls legs. Were it not for the heavier-set jaw and the distinct coat color, you might even be tempted to mistake her for a coyote.
For a minute, she likes the thought. Her golden kin were notorious for being primarily matriarchal; a situation she could appreciate in her current position with Jah and Canaan. Instead she just shakes her head with the airy notion and laughs the muse away. Being wolf was always better. Up the rocky path and through sparse croppings of deciduous trees the shadowy girl closes the distance between them as quick as can be managed. To her surprise, Gryffen is uncharacteristically patient.
It worries her. Crevan had gladly jumped into the fray of Sylva while she herself had remained to await Gryffen’s walk-through but when the deal had been signed and closed, her son hadn’t returned to her side or Hyaline. “Gryffen.” She calls out to him when only a few feet make the difference between them. Her pace slows, each step working to change her appearance so that, when she stops, she’s equine and familiar again. “King once more, and happy for it I see. Don’t screw it up this time, maybe?” She chortles pleasantly enough while the overdraft of night air clears her emerald face of navy hair.
“Crevan …?” She begins, settling into a comfortable, hip-splayed stance. The new addition to her girth is undeniable now that only a few days remain for it to show, but the vivacity she’s become so well-known for still can’t be dimmed by the hour of the day.
The speckled mare responds minimally to the white wraith's nip at her withers. It comes across as a natural action for the red-eyed beast, and though her skin twitches between the pinch, she does not shy from him and instead gives the stallion a terse nod before falling in step, slightly behind Gryffen's ivory body, as they commence their journey to Hyaline. She has heard very little of the lake or it's sanctuary - the Forest brought little in regards to news (or, more likely, she had just failed to pay attention).
Her heavily pregnant frame sways as they make their trip, though Aditi never asks her new King to slow his pace or pause to rest. Their hooves fall steadily and she keeps her thoughts to herself, opting to remain silent unless he decide to initiate conversation. He doesn't (though she remains un-surprised).
The land begins to change, the trees no longer orange and yellow but instead turning to vibrant greens and purples. Her brown eyes drift over the foliage, but her concentration is on her weight as they begin to ascend a small mountainside path. They halt at the border of Hyaline, where the scent of another stallion lingers heavy in the air. She wonders if she has smelled it before, if she has seen the King of this place at all, but the last time she had ventured to a territory other than the Forest, it had been Pangea, and this place hadn't been born yet.
She remains slightly behind Gryffen, her brown eyes surveying until they are approached by a brown wolf emerald mare who jests casually with the white wraith. Aditi's lips twitch into a small smirk, albeit briefly, before it disappears into a thin line once more - she had yet to see anyone joke with Gryffen in such a way and still remain safe from being reprimanded. She gives the other mare a nod in greeting, but elects to stay silent as her brown eyes turn back to the King of Sylva.
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
Hyaline is thriving, thanks to a handful of newcomers and to Circinae's kept word. Their lakeside home is alive with mingling scents, those old and new, and the Dragon King can barely contain his own happiness. Even Tang has returned for the spring, maybe the summer, and Ciri's wounds have healed to the point that Amet no longer fears for her health (though it doesn't stop him from checking on her regularly). He is used to seeing the smokey mare around his home and it makes him anxious to think that she may decide to leave Hyaline soon. His stomach twists at the thought but then a distraction arrives - a new scent from the south.
The gilded stallion turns his frame beneath the twilight sky and picks up a relaxed trot towards the source of the smell. His bright amber eyes slip over the path before him, lingering momentarily on Keeper and Rubble, who rest by the shoreline. He moves his narrow frame between the trunks of blossoming trees, ears fluttering forward in curiosity as his flaring nostrils find the scent of Circinae mixing strongly with whoever stood at their border. His lips turn upward into a smile, knowing that he can trust her to keep Hyaline safe just as she had promised, as he comes through the clearing and his gaze settles on the trio.
Crevan...? the emerald woman asks as she settles into a more comfortable stance. The name is unfamiliar to the gilded stallion, but Circinae has proven to have quite a number of acquaintances thus far. He pulls up beside the water-wolf, his expression still friendly as his eyes come to rest on the white stallion and his buckskin companion. "Hello," he greets them pleasantly, a nod given to Circinae before he turns his gaze back to the visitors. "Welcome to Hyaline. I see you're already acquainted with Circinae," he shifts his own weight comfortably, feeling relaxed beside the moss-colored mare.
"My name is Amet." His nostrils flare again, his curiosity growing as he realizes that the other stallion's scent is vaguely familiar. He had smelled it before, on his journey to Tephra as he had passed by what had once been Taiga. "Was Taiga your homeland, as well?"
Ahhh... It was a gorgeous beginning to a lovely evening in Hyaline. Ruby muzzle held into the wind to catch the scent of... PEEWWW Who let the fucking dogs in here? Her features wrinkle to the distaste of wet mutt in the air. Onyx ears flatten on top her skull at the thought. They are quick to catch the trampling of hooves that remain familiar. Her golden king was on the move again. Often rushing to the borders to greet newcomers. Such tedious work most days. There were only a select few that sparked her internal interests.
Her mind reached out to scope if this would be one of those select few meetings. She shifted her body to align with the gathering at the border. Much wasn't heard of the traditional auditory type. Amets voice being easily heard by all in attendance. But what she finds is more amusing. The thoughts are scrambled so she decides to move closer. Her bulky flame-kissed frame moves quickly. She does nothing to muffle her nearing...
Sliding to a halt just behind the dragon king she brings herself to his side at a more leisurely pace. A green and navy mare near his other. Onyx eyes look to the others. Finding the enticing ruby eyes of the unknown stallion. Their lips remaining sealed but their thoughts do not. Not to her. Amet in his kingdom duties figures they may be from Taiga, so he questions them. A low chuckle vibrates in her windpipe, I'm not sure I'd say homeland, she feeds her king. Let them all believe she is a mute... For now.
He had expected the emerald mare and the ruler of this place, that was who he had come here for anyways. Of course busybodies always have to show their faces and that was the simple reason why he had brought Aditi. To keep them occupied, busy. That way the adults could talk. The little brown wolf does not leave him waiting long and he gives her his usually thin pressed smile. ”Did I screw it up last time?” He retorts quietly, nostrils flaring with the meaning of his words. Was he happy to be King? Happy was the wrong word, he felt… Content. The crown had always been meant for his pale head it seemed. It had only been a matter of time. ”This is Aditi, a new… Follower.” He finishes as he introduces the heavily pregnant mare behind them. He hopes to have a slew of new recruits soon, to teach and release into the world. God help them all.
”Crevan”. Ah yes, her wolf son. The boy had been thrown when the foolish mare had tried to crush him with her backside. He did not doubt the young male had sulked off to nurse his wounds in private. However he had not seen him since although his scent lingered in the air. ”I think he plans on staying.” He pauses, cocking his head at her almost thoughtfully before continuing. ”As I thought you might.” He wonders if her desire has changed now, if she no longer seeks the revenge that had raged in her heart that day in the forest.
Before he can pursue that line of questioning, they are joined by two others. A scaled stallion that he assumes is the ruler of Hyaline due to rumors. "Quite well.” He responds quietly to the question of familiarity between he and the wolf. Wondering just how much Hyaline’s king knows about the woman he has let into his kingdom. Who had helped him sack another so recently. Amet, he says and then questions about Taiga.
”Briefly.” He can’t help but smirk and laugh lightly but his tone lacks warmth. It seems they did not know much here in the lake. ”I ruled Taiga for a short period. But I rule Sylva now.” Casually his red eyes shifts back to Circy, eyeing her for a moment. He ignored the other mare that has joined them entirely, finding her not interesting enough to include in the conversation. ”I’ll be brief and blunt. I’m only here because of the…. Partnership I have with Circinae.” It’s a struggle to find the right word and friendship isn’t quite correct. ”Since she plans on making this her home, perhaps we can come to an agreement of some sort between our kingdoms even if you do not like our methods.”
An arrangement of sorts, an uneasy truce. Whatever they wanted to call it. Alliances were such fickle things but he will need them if he is to carry out his diabolical plans. They both need some backbone and he is here to arrange that… For a price.
-Oh my love, don't forsake me; Take what the water gave me-
Gryffen’s question only serves to widen Circinae’s smile. The simple flick of her eyes gives her all she’ll need to know about his companion, Aditi, and with the intent of keeping things clear-cut her laurel-colored head bobs in a simple gesture of acknowledgement. This meeting was a product of two opposing (yet somehow eerily similar) persons focusing on a mutual goal; the strengthening of their respective kingdoms. In that sense, Circinae is just as eager as Gryffen seems to be for brevity and disposal of the matter in question: alliances.
“Staying?...” She answers in mild confusion, the question tipping into dark silence with the unexpected news. But the rhetoric is interrupted, and simultaneously put to rest for the moment, by the arrival of Amet who unexpectedly brings her a sense of comfort. The ease of said interruption is sharp and smooth, like a knife through silk, while batting conversation back-and-forth with Gryffen comes almost as naturally as breathing - nothing seems to shake his stoic composure; not even the arrival of an unexpected fifth party member that narrows Circinae’s already suspicious gaze even further.
Without a name and clearly more comfortable in this gathering than she should be, the flame-patterned mare earns the quick downturn of Circinae’s emerald ears and a spot on her heart. “By partnership, he means my recent involvement in his coronation. I felt indebted to help him after the fall of Taiga - for many reasons - and my mate, along with my son, Crevan, felt inclined to follow.” She replies deftly once the conversation has drifted into silence. Her apt attention dismisses the excess horses gathered, voice lowering for the benefit of Amet and Gryffen alone.
“Sylva, much like the Taiga you left behind,” She says, indicating the pale stallion, “has untapped potential. Gryffen himself has untapped potential, I’ve been privy to the use of it myself.” She murmurs, head tilting aside so that her blue eyes might slide knowingly to Amet. “He would make an effective, powerful ally. Just look at the brief lapse in time between his two reigns, if you question the thought. Not even Carnage himself could keep a crown and kingdom from that far-reaching grasp.” She smiles.
As quickly as it comes, though, the smile vanishes. “Bloody useful, if you ask me... When it suits his needs, of course.” The two-toned mare offers, driving home the final point with the semblance of a sharpened edge. No use in denying the truth; shaping Gryffen in Amets eyes as nothing more or less than what he truly was would only prove beneficial in the long run. Circinae’s decision had been made long ago - it would be allies, between herself and the white wraith, at least (especially now that Crevan has drank from the cup of madness) - but Amet deserved to make a well-informed, truthful decision on the matter. He was her King, after all, and she his Protector.
“So tell us, Gryffen, what exactly is it that suits your needs?”
Hyaline's King joins them shortly, greeting the white wraith easily and without hesitation. She regards him briefly, her brown eyes lingering on the way his scales shimmer whenever he moves, and then she turns to look at the newest addition to their rendezvous - the black mare with flame markings, who doesn't speak but appears to know the King quite well. The smugness of her expression immediately irks the pregnant mare, who flicks an ear backwards but does nothing more to indicate the inner workings of her mind.
The wraith King introduces her to the moss-colored mare and she bobs her buckskin head in greeting, slightly surprised that the red-eyed Gryffen had remembered her name. She remains silent like a good girl, allowing Gryffen, Circinae, and Amet to exclude herself and the other mare from the conversation. She has yet to prove her worth, after all - it is only right for the wraith to be wary of her when discussing items of importance.
She shifts slightly on the uneven loam, trying and failing to find a comfortable stance with her heavily swollen belly, before snorting to gain the attention of the black mare who still stands just off to the side of her Dragon King. "Are you Hyaline's advisor?" she inquires bluntly,ears finally turning forward again to signify that she might be in the mood for conversation, though in all honesty, she's not.
if there's a light at the end, it's just the sun in your eyes
Molotov falls in beside Amet just as he settles into the group. His honey eyes slide to her briefly as her voice resounds in his head, creating more questions and resolving none. He gives her a terse smile before turning his gaze back to Circinae and Gryffen, the white wraith answering his first statement with ease. The Dragon King nods pleasantly, his intrigue flourishing as the visitor answers vaguely in regards to Taiga, and though something about Gryffen puts Amet on edge, he is comfortable beside the moss-colored mare.
Their conversation turns more 'need to know', excluding Molotov and the buckskin (Amet is thankful, though, that Molotov will still be able to speak to him privately) as the red-eyed stallion forsakes pleasantries for business. It's a trait he can appreciate, and it seems that the water-wolf can, too, as she moves to explain Gryffen's riddles explicitly. "I believe congratulations are in order, then," he offers politely to the white stallion with a small grin, "for your recent coronation." He is overwhelmingly captivated with wonder - what had happened to Djinni? To Nayl's other subkingdom? He decides, though, that these are questions for later - for Circinae only.
There is a small portion of the other King's statement, though, that draws Amet's golden head to the side. "Your methods?" he inquires blatantly, and awaits Gryffen's answer. Circinae, though, draws his gaze again and Amet flicks his ears to listen to her explanation of the white wraith and his untapped power.
He considers the information that has been placed before him, though remains silent for the time being. He mulls over it, knowing that an alliance with another powerful King will make him and Hyaline nearly untouchable - but if there is a chance that this Gryffen is anything like Him, would it truly be worth sacrificing the mission he had set out to complete upon his arrival in Beqanna? His ears flick, a gentle chuckle falling from his lips as Circinae concludes her debriefing with when it suits his needs, of course. The water-teleporter asks Gryffen the question he had preparing to ask the ivory King himself, deciding that he can place enough trust in Circinae to be truthful with him. Instead of immediately rebuking the idea of an alliance or truce with the new administration of Sylva, he settles in quietly to consider what Gryffen has to say. "I'll admit that I'm curious, Gryffen, and I'd like to know what Sylva could do for Hyaline, though please, answer Circinae first."
It wasn't often the flame-kissed mare left herself to be ignored. Quite often her mind ran wild and rampant but something beckoned her to listen. Not to what was said but what was not. What the fuck! Am I sick! She thinks to herself. Her gift was an interesting one - though she loved flaunting the fact no one's thoughts were protected - she liked to dig through the mess to get all the juicy details. Why ruin such a lovely surprise so early?
They attempt to quite there voices. Yeah that'll fucking help. She merely grins and looks to the other they leave out. The muddy spotted mare is bulging at the seams and interestingly enough she can hear their thoughts too. Though they are less useful and kindof squishy. Yuck! The mare inquires her position here and since the others are engaged she answers, you can say I'm an advisor... Of sorts. Feeding the info to only the speckled mares mind but she may not even notice it wasn't heard with her ears.
Onyx eyes turn to the trio again and her curiousity is sparked on what purpose the emerald mare had really served the wraith. What indebted her to him? The answer to that question remains unthought of by the group so she turns her thoughts to her King, I think she is right to remain on the winning side. But I question what her involvement truly was... Or still is...Tread carefully My Dragon King.
It wasn't rare that she voiced her opinion at Kingdom gatherings. It was rare however for her to keep quiet in any sense of the word. There was something that cautioned her here though. Enough so that she bit her brain and allowed herself to go unnoticed longer. How much longer..? Well that was always the rush of mixing alcohol and fire.
MOLOTOV
It can get confusing to know what she feeds to whom so first bold statement is just to Aditi and second bold statement is to just Amet. Blame my 'not having drank yet today' for her unfiery post XD
