"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
He was a simple guy, he did not care about rank or who held the rank. He remained quiet over the years but decided it was time to make an appearance once again. It had been rumored that Tephra had a new ruler, this grew Snouts curiosity. It seemed that Tephra generally remained neutral in the kingdom drama, this alone grew his interest.
He traveled from the meadow that he often called his home and stood at the border of tephra. You could see the volcano off in the distance and the kingdom had a scent of soot. It was not pleasent, but he could force himself to get used to it. It is not like he would be living here day and night for Snout is a nomad at heart. His isolation grew lonely and the need for interaction drove him from hiding.
He stands at the border and bellows a whinny from his maw, his points naturally glowing, made him stand out in the darkness of the night. He shrugs his shoulder and moved into the kingdom, maybe it would be easier to run into someone if he approached them. He was not a patient man, he sighed as he strolled through the kingdom, attentive for signs of life.
Tephra was my birthplace and would always be in my heart. I missed my mother and the granulate beaches of Ischia, but there was no better feeling than to be back home.
Having not been here more than a few days, I hadn't ventured far from my siblings side. Change took time and Krom warned them to be careful of those we did not know until he could properly introduce us. Young at heart, I grew restless and managed to convince my elder brother to allow me to explore. After the scary run-in with a stallion in Taiga, he was much more concerned of ill intentions men sought. I was unsure what he meant by such things and so my naive mind carried me off once again.
Finding myself headed towards the borders, crossing an open plain, my lilac tresses bounce gently along my chocolate pelt. A two-beat pace kept my body moving smoothly along the terrain until a shore line came into view. I stopped, lavender eyes looking about the area. A smile kissed delicatley along my lips as I felt the brush of a, autumn breeze coming from the sea. It was the perfect day...
As I was basking in the sunlit meadow, a soft glow of light catches in my perephial view. My head turns rather abruptly, eyes seeking the source. It was another of my kind, looking about as if lost. I consider for a moment what my brother had said and all that had transpired in Taiga, but curiousity temps me to know more about this stranger. He was in Tephra and surely all who lived here were good.
"Hello..." I call out in response to his whinny. For a moment I wonder if he had not heard me, as he continues on his way farther into the lands. So I -in my biggest voice- call out a greeting again, "Helloooo..." Surely this time they would have heard me...
It was not long that the voice of another rang through his ears, though this voice was very young. He did not make eye contact in an attempt to avoid conversation, but it did not work. The young filly yelled a greeting so loudly that she probably woke up all of Tephra. Snout rolled his eyes and with a huff he turned his head to view the bay mare with a lavender mane and tail.
Hello child he greeted her coming to a halt as he stands before her. Are you normally this loud? a hint of humor was in his voice, he tries his best to not be grumpy. There was a point in time he and his sister were young, and they were probably just as loud and obnoxious, if not more. He scanned the horizon in hopes of another equine, perhaps a more mature equine, but none was in sight.
His gaze flicked back to the young filly Is this your home? She could be a nomad exploring the kingdom just like he is. She was young, but nearly a full mare, was her family nearby? It could be rather risky exploring a kingdom alone at night, not all equines are good in nature. What is your name? I will bring you home. He should at least know the name of this filly, he will ensure her safe return to her family. This might be her home, but dangerous creatures come out at night, she was still naive but being alone is not safe.
I am relieved that this time he turns to acknowledge me. A eager smile softens my lips when he begins to near. Though my eyes can now see that he is the source of the glowing she had seen.
Hello child
His voice is monotone almost at his first words and I am slightly apald by the label. With a lift of my brow I contemplate on if it was an intended insult or if he was always this rude. "I am not a child," a soft snort leaves my nares, ears twisting back and then forward again when he speaks of my audible tone. "When others aren't listening, yes," my words are playful now that he seems to have lightened up. My eyes observe him with interest. I had never seen a horse with sharp spears hanging from their face before. It would be rude to stare, so I try my best to ingore the oddity.
Is this your home?
My heads bobs, "It is now. My brother reigns here... Are you new to Tephra?" My smile brightens at the thought of a new friend. "I'm Kove," I release my namesake but shake my head gently, "My brother knows where I am... I was headed to the caves. What's your name?" Having grown up in Tephra caves I knew right where I was headed, but having company would be so much more fun. Loneliness began to consume me again, now that Ketzia had left, so I inquire with enthusiasm, "Would you like to join me?" My hooves begin to dance below my lithe body in anticipation...
The young mare did not take kindly to him calling her a child, in fact she demanded he know she was not one. He could not help but quickly chuckle, she was young but she had a lot of spunk and personality. She snorts to show distaste and it only provokes a smile to remain on his maw. Though when his tone changes so does hers, When others aren't listening, yes she says in a playful voice. He rolls his eyes playfully in return, he did not expect any better from a young filly.
He inquires if Tephra was her home and she notes that it is and her brother rulers the kingdom. This peaked his interest, had she always lived here? Was she close to her brother who know reigns Tephra? He had plenty of questions pile up in his head but before he could ask she finally introduces herself, Kove . That is a pretty name, I am Snout a great name for an equine who had tusks pointing out from his mouth. He notices that she tries her hardest to not stare at his tusks and he playfully shook his head you can look if you want, I don't mind. How could he? Equines always stared at him when they saw him, he has yet to find another who looks like him.
She notes that her brother knew that she was headed to the caves, regardless she should not be exploring the land without another equine in the night. She asks if he would like to join her and he nods his head I said I would see you home, so if we must detour to the caves you speak of then let us head out. He looks around waiting for her to lead the way, he didn't have anything else to do anyway.
I smile softly at all that he says. He seems kind and so I hold no concerns for my safety with him. "Well Snout, I like your... What are those called?" I motion towards the bony spears at his jaw...
It was an inner feeling that urged me on into trusting his intentions and so I leapt forward into a prance when he agreed to accompanying me. I voice my delight, "It'll be super fun... I grew up in these caves. Where did you grow up?" I am full of questions, including how he glows like the sun that had begun dipping towards the horizon. Bounding about, I engage in his answer. Asking of his family and friends before turning my eyes to the nearing coast.
"Oh look! We are almost there!" My lavender eyes search the rocky shores for a path that I am sure to find quickly. It hadn't been that long since I last lived here. My hooves click on the stone flats as I move along, muzzle lowered to the earth as I seek out my intended location. Nares flare to draw in a faint scent of familiarity, I beckon him to follow, "Over here! I found the path... The cave isn't far from here."
I trot a few lengths, small pebbles skittering across the floor as my hooves eject them from their resting place. Squeezing between two boulders and rounding a corner, I find the mouth of a dark cavern before me. My brow furrows in thought, eyes upturn to the sky. My sun was fading and my powers would not last much longer, but as I view him coming to rest beside me, I squeal happily, "Oooo... your glowing will do just dandy here." I say with a nod and then a giggle. "Lets go!" I gather what light I can from the sun and hold it in a sphere before me. Lavender eyes look to the tusked stallion before I make my first step into the darkness...
The filly grows more and more relaxed with Snout, he is no harm but he wishes she would be more wary of him. Alas he would not ruin the environment by mentioning it, instead he just laughs when she motions towards his tusks asking of them. They are tusks he responds, like an elephant though he was not.
She leaps into a prance and he watches as she dances about It'll be super fun! she shrills and he can only wonder if this is what it is like to have children? (Though she was not filly, nearly a mare) The thoughts of his twin sister flash into his mind and he only grows more found of the young Kove, there souls are similar.
She asks were he grew up and he took a moment to respond as he trails beside the young mare. You ask a lot of questions kid He snorts as he flicks his gaze towards her. If she did not remind him so much of his sister he wouldn't be entertaining all her questions I am a nomad, I don't truly call anyplace my home. Though he would like to settle into Tephra, he was still a free equine. He would not settle into kingdom politics, he would not join a caste and he would not be summoned to perform any task the ruler desired.
He was just Snout and nothing more.
There conversation was broken when her she gazes off slightly, she yells out that they are almost there. thank god he thinks to himself, there hooves clink against the stone beneath them and she lowers her nares to the floor like a hound. He gazes questioningly, does she not know where this cave is? Over here! I found the path she yells out and his gaze grows wide I thought you have been here before! He yells out.
His pace quickens until the passes a narrow bolder and they were side by side again. Your glowing will do just dandy she says and again he is left confused What? he says but his eyes grow wide as she gathers sunlight in an orb and carries it before her. Now that is certainly an interesting trait, he cannot recall seeing another have. What are we looking for in this cave? He snorts, getting them back onto the main task ahead.
I smirk in partial disbelief that he has called me a kid once again, but this time I allow it -no point in squandering over expressions. When he calls himself I nomad, and he calls no place truly home, my expression turns solemn. I try to imagine a world without a home. Without family and without a place to return to if I should lead astray. It is a dreary thought, one I can’t imagine why my twin would choose over me. If I hadn’t been ahead of him and moving at a rather quickened pace, he may have noticed my change of expression, but I hide it well as I find soon what I had been searching for.
I excuse his comment of me potentially not knowing where I am headed, but it is all to distract my mind from the recent mullings of my sibling. I stand now ready to walk into the nook of Tephra I had grew up in, when he asks what I am looking for. I smile, “Something small.”
My lighted sphere rolls before me, igniting the obsidian glass walls with a glossy vibrance. Amongst all the earth turned black, my eyes focus on finding a particular spot. Ketzia and mines spot. It was a small cut out where we hid from the world, just me and her. Where we shared our hopes, our dreams. Hers was to always be a warrior, like our father and brother. Mine was more, nomad I guess. I smile at the irony of the thought.
Looking back to my glowing comrad, I smile as I stand before the place I have come to find. Then turning and lowering my sphere to reflect light of a tiny gem plastered into the side of our hideout. A thread of light seperates from the sphere and reaches for the precious pebble of amethyst. Pulling at it slightly to attempt to dislodge it from the lava rock. My sun strength has weakened though, and I struggle to be able to finish the job. I sigh as my stance slumps in defeat, my light slowly fading from a bright white to orange and then red, before extinguishing. The sun has set and a cold chill begins to blow through the tunneled cave.
My disheartened eyes look toward my still glowing friend. He offers enough light to make out the edges of life that stand in the darkness. “This was my sister and I’s favorite place as children,” my voice is shushed, “She left not long ago and I just wanted to carry a piece of her with me…” A huff of air escapes my lips, “Guess I’ll just have to come back some other time.” I forget that she is my other half and a part of her will always be with me. It is not something I can see or touch and so it does not surface in my young mind…
“I want to go home… Will you bring me home Snout?” My voice disheartened and eyes downcast.
He couldn't leave her because if something happened to her he would blame himself....she seriously should not be out here alone at this time of night! Why in the world did he agree to go to this cave? Was she playing with him? Why was it taking so long, they saw the damn cave why are they still here? Part of him wanted to scream at her, and part of him saw his sister who was full of life, and for that reason he remained calm and by her side, no matter what crazy adventure she was taking him on.
Something small was her response when he asked what they were looking for. He rolled his eyes a stone? he said as he lowered his head nudging a stone on the floor found it his lack of patience visibly growing. He was distracted with his own hopeful thoughts that the stone he found was the one she was looking for. When he looked back up Kove was digging at what he imagines to be the stone they...she was looking for. The stone was pretty, he must admit, he watched as she attempted with all her might to get the stone. He did not bother to interfere as it would be more rewarding to receive it herself, but in the end she admitted defeat. Her shoulder slumped and he gazed at her, he could tell her heart was broken over it. She went on to mention her sister, that it was there favorite spot together. She noted that her sister left some time ago, and she wanted the stone to remember her sister by.
She huffed, and he responded with a huff of his own. It would have been so much easier to just leave the stone but he could not help but think of his own sister. He loved her dearly, and it would be nice to have something to remind him of her. He looks at the filly who demands to go home, he nods his head but before moving he lowers his head to the stone, with a couple jabs of his tusks he was able to dislodge the stone. There you go, what direction is the kingdom? Your brother perhaps? We can head there. It seemed that the mission was coming to an end and he would finally be able to check out his new 'home' and find some peace and quiet.
Tears begin to well in my eyes at my failure. I sniffle -ever so silently- as I look upon the simple stone I could not extract from the cavern wall. If Ketzia was here she could retrieve it. She was the stronger of them both and I was not too proud to admit it.
Every bit of me had given in to defeat as I turn to make my wishes known. I wanted my family, my elder sisters shoulder to cry upon and neck to bury my face into. My face turns only slightly so Snout, my new friend, could not see the fresh stream trailing down my cheek. I want to go home... I choke out over a heavy weight rising in my throat.
I begin to step towards the entrance -his glow lighting the dark cave enough to recognize where my intent was. He shuffles beside me with a huff and I find the shadows his light did not reach twisting in the wrong direction. Looking back, I hear scrapings of bone of rock and I squint to see what was happening.
There is a gentle tumbling of stones just before he belts out, There you go. My lavender eyes sparkle in his ambiance as I see the amethyst gems glittering at his feet. I nearly leap forwards in sheer happiness, but I contain myself somewhat. "Oh Snout! Thank you, Thank you, thankyouthankyouthankyou," I squeal before stepping forwards with head lowered. My lilac lips pluck the pebble from the rubble and then turn to prance towards the opening...
With the gemstone between my lips I had simply nodded to his wish to find my brother. A newfound spring in my step moved us across the rocky flats of Tephra with haste. Across a small meadow and over a slight incline, we come to stand. A small thicket of tropical flora is before us. I look to my glowing friend with a smile upturning the corners of my lips. A quick gesture of my head sends me stepping forwards again, with a "lets go" meaning. I bunny hop a few strides and stop beside a flat topped boulder. Gently I place the trinket upon the stone and then chime out cheerfully, "Karat...Krom... I'm home! And I brought a friend to meet you..."
