06-27-2018, 12:42 PM
Her success in the debate round is dampened by losing to one of her former Brothers in the mock battles - she is sure her father was watching, and she doesn’t want to look around and find out. Thankfully, they don’t have a lot of time to socialize after the mocks have finished; everything must have gone dark (she thinks...she doesn’t remember) and instead of waking on the challenge grounds, she wakes in the sand of Nerine, completely alone.
The bay mare surges to her feet and looks around, confused and annoyed to find that she still has her aches and pains from the battle as well as just an overall soreness like she’d run home. Sand clings to her feathers and she shifts her wings to leathery dragon wings and gives them a good shake to free herself of the sand and then lets her wings fade back into inky black feathers and folds her wings to her sides. For a moment she stalls still and solitary in the salty breeze, as a gentle urge to go find Scorch becomes more and more insistent. When it feels almost physical, like someone shouting in her head, and steps off at a quick trot to go look.
As she’s weaving around the ins and outs of cliffs and sand knolls, movement catches her eye and she slows, turning towards a familiar face. It’s not her father, as she thought at first by some feeling, but a collection of her siblings. She’s got more than plenty of them, but these few are quite familiar since she’s been living with them for some time before coming to Nerine. She turns to one of her oldest siblings first, looking into Cagney’s brown face with his dark eyes that aren’t anything like hers and their father’s. “Cagney,” she starts, but he uncharacteristically interrupts her. “You should have won that,” the roan boy says, voice matter-of-fact. “What would dad think?” Logically, she should laugh in his face; if any of Brennen’s children were truly hopeless fighters, it would be strange and fake-like Cagney. Bristol, in contrast, was really a good fighter. But fear of disappoint sears her chest and she ducks her head before she responds. “I...I just got flustered. I’ll do better.” Cagney simply stares at her, and then turns and walks away.
For a moment, she wants to run and hide; to go back to being daddy’s little girl who isn't accountable for her own failures. But she can’t: and the reason is also standing here, blinking at her. Little Khaeli - the actual youngest daughter. Bristol generally does well with her big family, but for a moment jealousy surges and she pins her ears, glaring at Khaeli standing beside an older sister - pinto Alonwy looking as serene and uncaring as ever. “What do you want?” she snaps, wondering if they too are here to tell her how much she will have disappointed Brennen by losing to Takei (and what good is a daughter of Brennen to Nerine, if she can’t even fight?). But that's not it. “Why weren’t you there?” They ask in unison, and the jealously fades as Bristol’s heart clenches. This is so much worse. “If you hadn’t abandoned Ischia, you could have saved us. Saved me. Maybe you would have been my babysitter.” Khaeli’s solemn words ring her ears, and her vision is blurry. With tears? “If you go to Nerine, everyone else will die too. Drax and Taeryn and everyone. It will be all your fault.”
She almost goes back. Family loyalty is as strong as her fledgling loyalty to Nerine, and she’s turned around and even started walking, unfurling her wings with every intention of taking to the sky. But the sight of her wings, just like Brennen’s, remind her that Brennen and the Brothers are only half of her family. There are so many people there to protect her younger siblings - she was not and will not be the turning point. She can protect the people of Nerine, and stand beside her father and her family there. And maybe someday she will find out about her mom.
Before she can change her mind again, the mare turns and gallops away from the frightful apparitions of her siblings, into the trees and to Scorch. Taking deep breaths to calm her heart and her soul, she listens to the Advisor while she glances around, looking at the other sisters. She is ready to take this pledge of Sisterhood with the other Leviathans, and to relegate her father to family and ally, not King. Bristol waits for Wishbone to speak, and then takes a final deep breath and raises her own head, proud to stand with these people and call them her own. “I don’t know that it’s dangerous, or a secret,” she says quietly, “But I am a daughter of Brennen, who was once ready to take her place amongst the Krakens. Instead I am ready to take my place amongst the Leviathans, the former Amazons, my mother’s people.” She knows as far as secrets go, that's not great, so she continues on. “I am afraid I will always be in my father’s shadow, and the shadow cast by some of my siblings.”
She thinks of Belgaer, of Jesper who is growing into himself. She thinks of Astarael, even, who is queen of the ominous Sylva. Of Cagney (the real one), with control of time itself. Of the children who will certainly come in the future. Yes, she is afraid of being nothing compared to them, even as much as she loves them. The pledge is easier, and she lifts her voice to join theirs. “By land, sea, and whispers in the wind we remember — the first and last, the sword and shield. By our land and our history, we stand strong in our duty. May the spirits of our predecessors guide and watch over us as we, a proud kingdom, dare to dream of a future with equality. We live by the law: we did, we can, we will.”
The bay mare surges to her feet and looks around, confused and annoyed to find that she still has her aches and pains from the battle as well as just an overall soreness like she’d run home. Sand clings to her feathers and she shifts her wings to leathery dragon wings and gives them a good shake to free herself of the sand and then lets her wings fade back into inky black feathers and folds her wings to her sides. For a moment she stalls still and solitary in the salty breeze, as a gentle urge to go find Scorch becomes more and more insistent. When it feels almost physical, like someone shouting in her head, and steps off at a quick trot to go look.
As she’s weaving around the ins and outs of cliffs and sand knolls, movement catches her eye and she slows, turning towards a familiar face. It’s not her father, as she thought at first by some feeling, but a collection of her siblings. She’s got more than plenty of them, but these few are quite familiar since she’s been living with them for some time before coming to Nerine. She turns to one of her oldest siblings first, looking into Cagney’s brown face with his dark eyes that aren’t anything like hers and their father’s. “Cagney,” she starts, but he uncharacteristically interrupts her. “You should have won that,” the roan boy says, voice matter-of-fact. “What would dad think?” Logically, she should laugh in his face; if any of Brennen’s children were truly hopeless fighters, it would be strange and fake-like Cagney. Bristol, in contrast, was really a good fighter. But fear of disappoint sears her chest and she ducks her head before she responds. “I...I just got flustered. I’ll do better.” Cagney simply stares at her, and then turns and walks away.
For a moment, she wants to run and hide; to go back to being daddy’s little girl who isn't accountable for her own failures. But she can’t: and the reason is also standing here, blinking at her. Little Khaeli - the actual youngest daughter. Bristol generally does well with her big family, but for a moment jealousy surges and she pins her ears, glaring at Khaeli standing beside an older sister - pinto Alonwy looking as serene and uncaring as ever. “What do you want?” she snaps, wondering if they too are here to tell her how much she will have disappointed Brennen by losing to Takei (and what good is a daughter of Brennen to Nerine, if she can’t even fight?). But that's not it. “Why weren’t you there?” They ask in unison, and the jealously fades as Bristol’s heart clenches. This is so much worse. “If you hadn’t abandoned Ischia, you could have saved us. Saved me. Maybe you would have been my babysitter.” Khaeli’s solemn words ring her ears, and her vision is blurry. With tears? “If you go to Nerine, everyone else will die too. Drax and Taeryn and everyone. It will be all your fault.”
She almost goes back. Family loyalty is as strong as her fledgling loyalty to Nerine, and she’s turned around and even started walking, unfurling her wings with every intention of taking to the sky. But the sight of her wings, just like Brennen’s, remind her that Brennen and the Brothers are only half of her family. There are so many people there to protect her younger siblings - she was not and will not be the turning point. She can protect the people of Nerine, and stand beside her father and her family there. And maybe someday she will find out about her mom.
Before she can change her mind again, the mare turns and gallops away from the frightful apparitions of her siblings, into the trees and to Scorch. Taking deep breaths to calm her heart and her soul, she listens to the Advisor while she glances around, looking at the other sisters. She is ready to take this pledge of Sisterhood with the other Leviathans, and to relegate her father to family and ally, not King. Bristol waits for Wishbone to speak, and then takes a final deep breath and raises her own head, proud to stand with these people and call them her own. “I don’t know that it’s dangerous, or a secret,” she says quietly, “But I am a daughter of Brennen, who was once ready to take her place amongst the Krakens. Instead I am ready to take my place amongst the Leviathans, the former Amazons, my mother’s people.” She knows as far as secrets go, that's not great, so she continues on. “I am afraid I will always be in my father’s shadow, and the shadow cast by some of my siblings.”
She thinks of Belgaer, of Jesper who is growing into himself. She thinks of Astarael, even, who is queen of the ominous Sylva. Of Cagney (the real one), with control of time itself. Of the children who will certainly come in the future. Yes, she is afraid of being nothing compared to them, even as much as she loves them. The pledge is easier, and she lifts her voice to join theirs. “By land, sea, and whispers in the wind we remember — the first and last, the sword and shield. By our land and our history, we stand strong in our duty. May the spirits of our predecessors guide and watch over us as we, a proud kingdom, dare to dream of a future with equality. We live by the law: we did, we can, we will.”