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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    we are the memory of the smell of smoke; any
    #1
    Her steps dwindled down like charred ash kindling. The winter sky is wide and the moon's full gaze blanketed her bay form in a silver sheen. Her face is lifted upward to swallow the stars so they may return to her eyes. She is hungry to feel again even if they are pangs of loss and whispers of sweet nothings against a cold heart that was locked in a rusted cage.

    Elk is nothing short of extraordinarily plain from her lack of pretty traits to a simple bay coat, stained with cherry and blood varnish. But she is whole, and she is new, and the prospect made her dizzy and even a touch of giddiness somewhere deep in the pit of her belly. The woman begins to walk once more with only the crisp silence of a deep winter's embrace to keep her company.

    Small frosted plumes eagerly form as she exhales with high knees in the deeper parts of snow from the drifts brought on by the early afternoon winds. She is thankful they have relocated back to their homes in the hills and left a smooth pale surface all around her. The dull ache in her lungs remind her that she should seek shelter soon and the muscles of her hips and withers begin to join together to protest her movement so she begins to look for a place to rest, a warmth of solitude and heavy pine scent to lull her to sleep.
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    #2
    Bragi stretched out his legs, having left his brother and their new companion to doze together in the softly falling snow. He was in want of some peace and quiet, and a little escape from the constant chatter of young creatures. He loved his brother dearly, but he'd had no idea what bringing a female into his world would do. He shook his head in mild amusement. It was good for Hod, he knew. But he felt a bit... left out. 

    He made his way through the frosted trees, bows heavy with moonlit ice and snow. It was magical, in a very cold way. Walking on in an almost trance state. Wistful. He paused at a particularly deep drift, picking his way through with care. On the other side he stopped, admiring the abstract whorls his breath drew in the air. Just for a moment though, as through the misty spires he spied the form of another horse through the trees. She stood on her own, in an open meadow. 

    Bragi's attention was captivated. He was memorized by the gentle play of silver light that burnished her auburn form, how the quiet flakes of snow were starting to dapple her curving flanks. She was, in a word, lovely. He waited just a moment longer, committing the moment to memory. 
    "Blood on snow, my lady love. Her gifts were given from above..." He murmured to himself as he stepped into view. Louder, he called out "Greetings, lady. It's a cold night to be alone. Would company be welcome?" He asked with a dip of his golden head, angling himself so that the moonlight would glaze his buckskin coat becomingly.
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    #3
    The thick flakes seemed to have collected in the soft grooves and valleys of her body. The dark length of her tail lifts against her legs and ever so softly fans across the pale skin of the moon glow snow. She is unaware that she has been spotted by the milk and honey stallion though his scent would soon mingle with the freshness of quiet snow fall.

    The sounds of his voice reach her between the patter of snowflakes and she turns to look at him with large dark eyes, her shoulder shaking off the sheen of frost unconsciously. Elk listens as he inquires to accompanying her side in the darkness of a winter's night. She is not sure how to answer and she is not sure if company is all he meant to provide. Dark eyes are large, moist, and watching. She manages to give a small shrug after a few moments when he does not leave "Sure." The word is low and quiet as it is nearly lost among the snowflakes.

    She begins to move on with long black stained limbs. The man can take her side now so long as he steps over the growing snow fall. Elk is nervous but she remains steady on her course towards the tree line. "What's your name?" The mahogany mare asks after a bit. The silence of the winter's night was intoxicating and it fed her soul with a nourishing beauty rarely witnessed much in Beqanna.
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    #4
    Lifting his knees high, Bragi made his way through high drifts to stand nearer to the lady when she did not turn him away. He could see vague uneasiness written across her features as she had come closer. A kind of distrust. He whickered low in his throat, and dipped his head in an attempt to undermine his sixteen hands of height. Soon they were next to each other, close enough that he could watch individual snowflakes catch in the dark canvas of her plush pelt. Her voice was low and soft, like the snow that fell around them. He looked out into the moon-glowing night a moment before responding.

    "I am Bragi." He replied simply, turning back to gaze upon her neat form. "Who honors me with her presence?" He asked, a gentle, playful lilt to his baritone. He is sure to keep his voice gentle, not wanting to startle her. She is like some timid woodland-dwelling creature, likely to vanish and never be seen again if he made the wrong move. And that wasn't what he wanted at all. The night was too beautiful, too pure, to be marred with fear. He inhaled icy air in a deep breath. The following exhale made a huge frosty cloud in front of them, hanging in the air the like a ghostly curtain.

    Oh, she was lovely, in her simple way. And he could see in her eyes that she saw herself in another light entirely. That simply would not do. A lady with her grace and soulful beauty should know her charms. He leaned towards her, ever so slightly. He would be gone in the morning, and did not presume to push an unwilling lady. He found himself, however, content with just being near another life that did not need him. And she was clearly a woman independent of nature. Simply sharing warmth, physical and perhaps personal, was enough to content him. But, yes, it was just for one night. He felt a little twinge of sorrow at that. One day, he would stop traveling. One day, he would be his own man. A man who could live and love as he pleased. For now, though... well. He would be gone in by the morning, come what may. He would enjoy what the night gave him, just the same.

    @[Elk]
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    #5
    "Bragi." The mare repeats the name as she stares ahead across the pristine white in front of them. Her legs are cold and the snowflakes begin to gather to shape her edges in frost. He was a different kind of horse than the most she has expereinced in beqanna. There is a warmth to his soul and a smile on his lips even now in such miserable conditions.

    The dark haired mare slides an eye over the paler man. She realizes that he is not threatening her body and so she obliges his question with an answer. "Elk." Simple, small, easy enough to remember. She tips a dark lipped muzzle towards him, not upset to feel the warmth of his skin bump her occaasionally as she heads towards the tree line. "No place to be tonight either?" It was a feeble attempt to continue the conversation but one nonetheless.
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    #6
    They were quiet as they moved through the snow, motion keeping stiffness from cold joints. Bragi delighted in the crunch of fresh snow beneath his hooves. Moonlight made the pristine world glitter, turned the scene into a monochrome palette. Elk was her name. He liked it for her. She had the stately height and regal bearing in common with the large animals, and a simple straightforwardness that made words feel unnecessary. Light brushes of skin against skin made him shiver. Physical contact was a part of his day to day life, but it always had a purpose. This was much less complicated. 

    When asked if he had a place to be, he smiled. "I have had the good fortune to come across your company, Lady Elk. I can think of nothing better than to be spending such an enchanting night with a woman who matches it." He replied, his tone sincere. He paused a moment. When was the last time he'd had the chance to play in snow? To frolic with juvenile abandon? He could honestly not remember. He glanced at Elk, she was a little ahead of him now. With a muffled wicker, he kicked a small mound of the white stuff together, and took careful aim. POOF. He had struck his little snow pile with a hoof, sending a cascade of clumped snow towards Elk's rump. He froze in suspense, waiting to see how shed react.
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