"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
She’d immediately started preening under the attention of Warrick, and his approval. She’s going to do her first battle!
Prancing in place she waits for Amorette to join her for the visit. The sky is blazing with color, stormy in its vibrancy. She seems okay… for a girl. Well a woman, which makes her different, and being female can’t truly be held against her, considering that Val doesn’t see women as competition… yet. But she’s never met a girl before… Her thoughts ramble in her excitement to get started. Her wings extending and folding itching to take to the air.
It’s just hitting dawn, the sun winking just above the horizon, the air still crisp, and dewy from the night. She is too worked up over everything that is happening for her settle and simply wait. So, she takes to the sky, running to catch the wind that will take her from the ground and allow her to chase after her soul. She begins with loops, expelling the excess energy in aerial tricks that she’s been practicing. When she does spot a black dot on the ground that hadn’t been there before she swoops in closer to see if its Amorette. She’s sorely disappointed when its only some small creature such as a rabbit that brought her so close to grounding.
The filly changes course climbing higher and higher into the sky, chasing after the sun in her favorite game that often causes her to end up completely lost. Sadly, this is one of those times, only she doesn’t get lost, because by the time she looks down she’s above Ischia. Ooops, she bites her lip a little concerned that Amorette would be angry with her. Or that she would report to Warrick that Val wasn’t as ready as she thought she was. The black roan begins her descent to the beach. Slowly, reluctant to leave her skies, and a little worried the mare might chide her for taking off without Amorette. When her hooves touch the sands though no one is present. That never lasts for long however.
No HTML because the board is being weird and now allowing it :/
@[Krone]
@[Amorette]
She could only have agreed with Warrick’s words, even if – at that time – they weren’t exactly on the right terms. It indeed was a bold offer, coming from a young girl like Valensia, and yet, it had made Amore admire her offer and enthusiasm. Enough to make her want to give the girl a chance at diplomacy. She doesn’t go along to babysit, but instead they give a young soul a chance to try and learn.
Bound to the ground Amorette is forced to keep an eye on Valensia in the sky from afar. Watching the girl use her wings, she can only hope that Kryptic would once be able to use his in a similar way. At the same time she dislikes it, it would make it too easy for him to fly away from underneath her figurative wing. And the tricks Valensia displays are a little bit too daring and bolt in the ebony mare’s opinion, what if something went wrong? She sure as hell would be hurt if she would fall that far from the sky. The thought makes her shudder, and instead focus her attention on the sandbank that offers her a way to Ischia during low tide.
”Valensia!” she gently calls the girl upon arriving on Ischia’s beach. Normally she would have liked to respect a land’s border, but with borders formed by the sea made that rather tricky. In fact, Amorette is more than happy to have ground underneath her hooves again. Unlike Valensia she was not meant for the sky, let alone the sea. ”Enthusiastic much?” she asks the girl with a smile once they are near enough to converse without having to raise her voice.
Honestly, Amorette does not hold it against her. She very much remembers how she had once greeted a couple of strangers at the Gates’ borders, she had been one bouncing mass of energy. ”I think we won’t have to wait long, the surely must have noticed you dancing the skies.” Her words are not meant to reprimand, voice soft and sweet, as she gently nudges Valensia’s shoulder.
There is very little play when one is running a kingdom.
She finds time to enjoy her children, and some time to talk with other residents, but most of the time...it is all work.
She doesn't mind it. Her entire childhood consisted of training for this exact duty, and she likes to think she is decent at balancing each of her jobs (raising children and running a kingdom). Kromium and Karat are usually right behind her when business happens, and today is no different.
Along the main shoreline she walks, as the twins frolic in the water, splashing each other and giggling. She periodically looks behind her to check if they are okay (the undertow could sweep them in at any moment), then continues looking for anything out of the ordinary.
And that's when she sees it. A flashy pair of wings soaring through the sky, flipping and twisting through the air. Krone lets out a small laugh, content to watch the stranger until she finally descended from the skies. Another dark mare emerged from the sea shortly thereafter, looking grateful to have found land once again.
Krone doesn't give them much time to converse. She calls her children to her from the ocean, and walks over to the pair. They smell of sulfur and ash, and of salty sea brine. Krone remembers this smell from long ago, when another of their kind had burned down nearly all of Sylva at Gryffen's little "get-together."
"It's not so often we get Tephrans on our island," Krone speaks as she approaches, letting out a soft chuckle. "What brings you to Ischia?" Her voice is gentle, but to the point. It isn't often the island gets visitors from other kingdoms, let alone one as large as Tephra.
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
She remembers Kryptic, a little boy who could barely say hi to her. She had thought him rather cute and almost wanted mama to adopt him, just so that she could show him how fun it is to be a kid. But mama had been at the other side of the kingdom safe on their little island tucked away, where she was supposed to be at the time. It’s only been recently that she’s been wandering further from their borders, and today is the furthest she’s ever gone. Probably one of the reasons she’s so eager to get started. She also remembers the time that Gansey fell from the sky, she herself had been a little to timid to just jump and fly, and started only a few feet in the air enough that her toes were still dragging on the ground. Slowly she had built up her strength so that when it came time these tricks were quite simple for her, and the risk minimum. She’d leave the daring to her brothers.
She arrives and tucks them into her sides, her head a little low, and her ears warbling. At the sound of her name she “secretly” cringes, but she’s never been good at hiding her thoughts. Her face is an open book for any and all to read. The smile she hears and perks at, ears moving forward. Taking a look at the mare that had followed quick on her tail, Val offers a face splitting grin. Preening her neck in her happiness not to be chastised. She trots up to Amorette offering her nose in greeting. But gets a shoulder nudge instead, choosing to return the favor as she listens to the mares words. It’s here that she notices the soreness in her wings, it’s probably the longest flight she’s had yet. Her little body unused to the constant flight. But usually taking breaks, or crashing to the ground in roughhousing with her brothers.
She doesn’t have time to respond as another mare is happening across them. With her children it would seem. Val perks up again, this time her attention fully on the stranger. Wow! How did she know they were from Tephra?! She almost askes the question but thinks better of it, maybe a little later when there are not other things to be dealing with. I’m Valensia, this is Amorette, she smiles, or did she ever stop smiling? Ah well, Warrick sent us. He wanted us to come here on a diplomatic trip. Oh shoot! She said that wrong didn’t she? She looks between the women, looking for any hints of if she’s on the right track or not. Giving pause, in her moment of hesitation.
“And there was you - your fair self, always delicately dressed, with white firm fingers sure of touch in delicate true work. I loved you then.” - Charlotte Gilman
Sorry you two had to wait so long.
@[Amorette] @[Krone]
She returns Valensia’s smile, reaching out to gently flick the girl’s poll. The young ones always held a soft spot in her heart, Valensia, with her enthusiasm and eagerness to contribute, does not differ from the others. Amorette is glad that Warrick has given her a chance at diplomacy, there was no better way to learn than this.
Though her attention had been directed at Valensia, the ebony mare had been aware of the approach. With a smile she looks up at the bay mare, dipping her head lightly in a silent acknowledgement. For a moment her eyes flick to the twins, the sight causes another smile to tug at the corners of her dark lips, then they settle upon the winged queen again.
It is impossible to not chuckle lightly, in an endearing way rather than one that makes fun off. Amorette brushes her muzzle against Val’s shoulder, and she offers the girl a smile to tell her she did well. ”Thank you for your welcome, the pleasure is all ours.” Though the bay and green mare hadn’t welcomed them with those words exactly, neither has she send them off. Her voice was kind, but direct, no beating around the bush. And thus neither does Amore. ”Like Valensia said, we come on behalf of Tephra, and speak for our king, Warrick. Beqanna is a peaceful place, but we don’t know much about the other kingdoms.”
”We would be honoured to get to know our neighbours better, during the good times, so we might build on one another during darker ones.” She pauses then, her dark eyes focussed on the bay and green queen standing before them. Would she be open to, or at least willing to consider, an alliance with Tephra?
Krone glances between the two, lips formed into one hard line. The winged one is young, and Krone assumes just learning the ins and outs of diplomacy. The other mare is friendly, and just as direct as the Keeper had been. The ay and green mare lets her lips turn up into a smile as they give names to their faces.
"Valensia and Amorette," She repeats, for her own memory's sake (so many people to remember, it's easy for one to forget. "Welcome to Ischia." For a moment she pauses, allowing her ears to flick back to the twins, who stay behind her respectfully.
"Tephra is our closest neighbor, it would only seem right that we get acquainted. I'm glad Warrick has sent you." She answers the older of the two, with a sharp nod of her head. While Ischia was thriving more now than ever before, it was still quite small in comparison to the mainland kingdoms - it would be in Krone's best interest to keep Tephra on good terms.
Krone
you could be the King (but watch the Queen conquer)
