"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
I V A R i'll use you as a makeshift gauge of how much to give and how much to take
The frenzy of the season finally fades, and the silence that follows has Ivar feeling rather empty.
It is like this every year. A few weeks of mindless pleasure, followed by an adjustment period, and then life-as-usual for nine months or so until fall comes ‘round again. Ivar leads a dual life, and never is it more clear than in these days when autumn bleeds slowly into winter.
Ahead of him, a cloud of his steamy breath obscures the landscape. The rocky hills are brilliantly colored: ruby red and glittering gold, a display of autumnal splendor that rivals even Sylva. A summer variety of flowers has given way to a more muted pallet. The first snow has yet to fall, but the leaves underfoot are lined with ice. The etched silver patterns catch the kelpie’s eye for a moment, and he pauses in his daily patrol around the kingdom of Loess.
He does not stand out especially well; Ivar lacks any shade of the colorful rainbow that so many in Beqanna sport. He is only as dark as shadow and light as snow, and though his white scales glitter and shine, they are few and dusty from lack of water. Even with his corded mane hanging low to obscure his face, the stallion is recognizable, and as he turns toward a sound to his left he knows that he will surely be recognized. His afternoon alone is interrupted, but it remains to see if that will be a positive event or not.
There is a half-smile on his mouth, and his brown eyes are inquisitive
king of loess minimal smoky grullo tobiano | equus kelpus
They had settled here among the rolling hills and cragged rocks. Having been brought back from the brink of despair and finding happiness in raising their daughters. Neither one were the others but in a tangled way they were family regardless. Spending most of their time just outside their cavern. Eventually they stirred in the same old routine. The one daughter of his bloodlines being the more rebellious of the pair. Typical. So he calls to her by name. A smile curling his lips, "Deiti, what do you say you and me go for a stroll? Some father-daughter time..." Without a miss of beat she prances about excitedly. With a toss of his head, silver forelock falls to rest over his one icey blue eye, "Well... Let's go."
He has no destination in mind. Just a leisurely stroll through the foothills of their home. She has grown so quickly. From a gangly legged foal to a young girl. The brilliant blue of her eyes matching his and smokey shade of coat very much the same as his coat. If one did not know - and few did - they would pass easily as father and daughter. He was more than satisfied to admit so. He didn't regard her as a niece, but as his own direct flesh and blood.
With each lengthy stride his senses remained on high alert. The dark child bounding here and there happily without care. This silver points were the only thing that made them stand out against the emerald of grass. The blackness of the filly and bulk of his own body was not eye catching in the least. Blue eyes scan the terrain in front of them. Noting a dotting of tree and rock but nothing more.
Climbing a slight incline they stand atop the grassy plain. The cool wind whipping his silver locks thick against his neck. His aproned face lowers to brush along his daughter crest as she stops beside him. "Daddy... Who that?" The smile on his face is lost to the fear of who she was referring too. He had not seen anyone. Rising his crown sharply as eyes widen with fear. The direction in which she looks is also where his gaze follows to. The contrasting colors of the stranger is not at all strange to him. Settling his anxiety almost immediately. A nerving chuckle escaped his vocals, "That's Ivar dear. He rules over the land we live in." It was a face he was glad to see. A greeting whinny extended to the scaled stallion...
I V A R i'll use you as a makeshift gauge of how much to give and how much to take
Ivar has seen them from time to time, the four-horse family, but they have never interacted. Imperial keeps them to the crags and rocks, and Ivar prefers the open hills and their deep springs. Loess is large enough for them to live parallel lives without much interchange, and the piebald kelpie has never minded that. It was for the best during the autumn, after all. He had seen Kuma few times before her unfortunate plight in Sylva; the red haired mare would catch any stallion’s eye.
The wind is in his favor this afternoon, and Ivar catches the familiar scent of the silver haired stallion before he sees him. There is movement on a ridge overhead, but the dark figure is too slight and small to be the stallion that Ivar expects. No, it is his daughter – the one without the spots. The darker girl has always been more interesting to Ivar, even from a distance.
Eventually, Imperial crests the ridge and spots him, and Ivar returns a friendly whicker in greeting as he moves forward.
“Imperial,” Ivar says with a nod, his dark eyes on the stallion. “How’ve you been?” The open field between them ripples beneath a brisk autumn wind, and the same wind toys and tosses the dreadlocks of Ivar’s mane and tail against his scales.
king of loess minimal smoky grullo tobiano | equus kelpus
01-01-2018, 05:32 PM (This post was last modified: 01-01-2018, 05:33 PM by Imperial.)
Son of a Red Eyed Ghost
How quickly the seasons change. A slight chill among the breeze blows almost through him. Shaking his muscles under his thick hide. Standing atop the grassy knoll put them in the direct path of the strengthening breeze.
He nudges his daughter to follow as he makes his way down the other side of the incline. It was slight but at least the breeze wasn't as harsh. His blue eyes never leave those of the lands King. Quick to reply, "We are well. Where did summer go?" He chuckles softly, "How is the kingdom Ivar?"
He is innocently unaware of the similarities the King and his daughter shared. Why wouldn't he be? He knew nothing of what his sister was, and besides the biting incident, he saw no other changes in Deiti. His eyes shift from the stallion to the child at his shoulder. Her eyes looking up to him in curious wonder before turning to the scaled king. "Why do you have those?" Her wide, blue eyes finding the stallions peculiar skin...
His brows furrow at his daughters question. Quickly reprimanding her prying nature in a gruff voice, "Deiti! That is none of your concern... Apologize to Ivar right this minute!" He waits briefly for her amends before turning to Ivar again, "I'm sorry... She has a curious nature. Too much for her own good most days." He explains quickly.
Knowing not if the King had children of his own but sure he could understand. She was growing so quickly. Much too soon he'd not be able to protect her from herself, he fears. She had a natural allure that was sure to be the death of him.
I V A R i'll use you as a makeshift gauge of how much to give and how much to take
She is a child still, but there is something about her that draws the eye. Ivar had allowed himself a moment to look her over, but despite a sense of something familiar and just-out-of-reach he had seen nothing more than a blue-eyed child. When she is older, perhaps he will look longer, but for now he wass easily able to return his gaze back to the silver-haired stallion.
At least until the girl speaks up, asking after his scales, and he glances back down with a faintly amused smile.
“Because I belong in the water,” he tells the curious filly, “and they remain to remind me of that even when I am on dry land.” The hard scales had been the stallion’s first indication that he was not as ordinary as he might have thought; it only makes sense that they remain a constant regardless of his proximity to the sea. The springs of Loess are a passable substitute, but the distance has always grated on the scaled stallion. Ivar had come to Loess for Heda, and it seems now that she is the only reason he remains.
“No need to apologize,” Ivar tells both the father and daughter. “Curiosity is how allchildren learn. Or so I hear; my first children are due this spring.” he admits to being unfamiliar with the ways of children. His own memories of childhood are bright and idyllic, as those of a boy raised in privilege often are. But they are also distant – does he know how to raise a child? What if he can’t, if he fails?
Ivar shakes the thought away with a shake of his own head, and returns to the first question that Imperial had asked of him.
“Loess is well.” In need of diplomatic ties, he thinks, as it has always been. He’d passed on the responsibility and now finds the task incomplete. Ivar is not surprised at the ways of kingdoms, but he is disappointed. There is always so much to pull at him. He says none of this to Imperial, of course, but it flickers in the depths of his dark eyes as he looks down at the filly.
“Deiti, was it? It’s nice to meet you.” His tone is charming, smooth without ever approaching unctuous. Ivar cannot help it; it is simply his nature.
king of loess minimal smoky grullo tobiano | equus kelpus
The magic of Beqanna never ceased to amaze him. He held none of it and yet his life was constantly affect by it. The stallions explaination causes his head to tilt ever so curiously. Belonging to the water... When Deiti was born he hadn't believed what he had seen. A tail, like that of a fish, had replaced her hind limbs but only briefly. With just a glance and it had disappeared. It made him question whether his daughter was also something of the water...
The marbled stallion continues on to say his own kin are due soon. This causes the silver faced stallion to smile happily, "How exciting! I hope all goes well and they are healthy... That's all that truly matters." He may have dabbled in the subject a bit more if Deiti had not been intently watching the stallions. His eyes slide to her with a smile.
Loess is well
A nod of his regal crown, as blue eyes lift to Ivars, is given to the King of Loess, "That is great to hear... It seems with your new arrivals you'll be pretty busy here. If there is anything you need of me all you need do is ask." Looking back to the child stirring at his side he adds, "I'm sure Deiti would enjoy seeing the outside of Loess." He was unaware of her run in with the Sylvian or her adventure with Embark. Isn't that the struggle of every parent though...?
Her agreeing is an excited jig and bright expression. Old enough to travel decent distances and not confined to her mother's side anymore. The bright blue of her eyes reflecting her enthusiasm. "Oh yes Daddy! I would enjoy that very much!" The deep sapphire of her eyes look to the scaled stallion addressing her now. Smiling brightly. All the excitement has caused her teeth to shift suddenly. The parting of her maw showing a glint of her razor edged teeth as she answers him, "Nice to meet you too Sir." The increasing breeze bringing her wispy mane to toss gently against her sooty hide.
I V A R i'll use you as a makeshift gauge of how much to give and how much to take
This should be Heda’s responsibility, Ivar knows, but the navy-haired mare is otherwise occupied. She is carrying their child, and has things other than politics to attend to. He is hesitant, at least until Imperial mentions that the jopurney might be beneficial to his daughter as well. Who is he to limit a child’s pleasure?
“I think she’d like Tephra,” He says to the silver haired stallion, looking to Deiti after a moment. “Their volcano falls into the sea, and the land is perpetually warm even in the heart of winter.”
“Last I knew of them, their leader was Offspring; but that was a while ago.” Ivar pauses for a moment, trying to determine exactly how much time had passed. Too much to recall, he finally decides. “Perhaps you could see how they are faring, who their leader is?”
king of loess minimal smoky grullo tobiano | equus kelpus
i’m wrapping up most of Ivar’s threads for plot and timeline reasons; I am so sorry it takes me forever to reply to threads D:
Listening intently as the scaled king speaks, he notes the name to memory. He has never been to Tephra and with a nod to Ivars final question, he accepts the task. He doesn't need to look at his daughter who begins to prance happily beside him. "It would be a pleasure. I'll make arrangements to leave tomorrow," his tone strikingly diplomatic as he bids farewell to the king. His silver aproned face lowers to usher his daughter towards home as Ivar takes his leave as well.
