"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
02-04-2019, 04:22 PM (This post was last modified: 02-04-2019, 04:46 PM by Heartfire.)
She's got the devil's eyes
As is the way of things, change had come rapidly. It’s rare these things wait for anyone, least of all those who are not prepared for them. She has seen it enough, and now, the time for action had come. She would not be caught adrift, would not wait for the tides to shift. No, the time for waiting had ended.
They had sent their diplomats to Nerine not so long ago, but ultimately, they are not who she wishes to meet. Some things require a far more candid meeting. One done face to face and not through mouthpieces. And so, as she has always done, she seeks out exactly who it is wishes to speak with. The entrapments of diplomacy may have their place (an affair requiring both time and manpower and patience), but this is not one of them, she thinks.
The journey is not a difficult one, nor is the woman she wishes to find difficult to locate. As a queen, she would have been surprised if it were otherwise. And for a woman with her particular abilities, it is easy enough to time her arrival that they might meet directly. Unnerving to others perhaps, but it suits her well.
With summer heavily upon them, the salty breeze keeps the air from stagnating, making for a more temperate clime. She holds close to the water, even when she reaches Silver Cove, preferring it’s comfortable familiarity. No doubt many sought the water’s edge on these warmer days, but it is a simple enough thing for her to avoid them. Until she no longer wishes to be avoided. Until she is at the borders of the eastern kingdom, visible only to the one that she seeks.
and in my dreams, i kissed your lips a thousand times
The changes coming over my nation are slow-burning, building up exponentially but not yet close to the curve upward which looms ahead in the future, unpredictable but certainly unavoidable. I think upon what may come to be more often than not, spending more of my time with Solace than I normally would; who can blame me? In the light of what may soon come to be, I cling to what has been for so many consecutive years now.
I love my wife, and I always will; she may not know this, but even from that first day that I met her in the hock-deep waters of the lake, my efforts for Hyaline and then the East have always been for her, more than they ever were for the lands themselves. Perhaps that makes me a bad leader, a bad queen, a bad wife; but I cannot dwell on those thoughts infinitely, for fear of falling prey to ceaseless insanity.
Luckily, there always seems to be distractions popping up when I am most vulnerable to the black thoughts which plague my mind worse than any sickness ever could. Today that distraction comes in the form of a mare. She looks like a stranger at first glance, and that suspicion is reinforced by the way she stands patiently on the border of my kingdom; but as I tread closer, Arabian figure moving liquidly across the rugged terrain, something about her seems familiar. I can't say that she and I have ever met, but she smells poignantly of the Leviathans; clearly though, she is not the Khaleesi (or at least the mare I knew to be the Khaleesi previously), and therefore must be coming on some other kind of business.
Alas, all of this is speculation, and as I alight next to her with the prongs of my proud antlers glimmering overhead, I recognize that I shall most likely be getting answers from her, anyway.
"Hello," I begin, my expression completely neutral and my body language the same. I would greet her more enthusiastically were her aura more of one seeking refuge; but it is clear by the way she holds herself that this meeting shall require a different approach to my typical greeting of newcomers. "My name is Kagerus, and I am a Queen Caretaker of this land, the Sanctuary - I am sorry to say that we have not met. What is your name, and what business do you have here?"
She watches her approach, expression carefully neutral, brilliant blue eyes assessing. It’s clear the woman that greets her is not entirely sure what to make of her, though her thoughts do not show in her features or the cautious turn of her form. But then, Heartfire is not their typical visitor either. Though she waits patiently on the border, only a fool would fail to notice the confidence in her posture, the lack of accompaniment. Notable enough that the antlered mare would no doubt realize she is not your typical run-of-the-mill diplomat.
She wonders how candidly Kagerus might be willing to speak. What she has seen of her tells Heartfire she might do so, but in the Queen Caretaker’s mind, she is as yet little more than a stranger. One who had appeared on her doorstep with little fanfare and even less notice. But then, Heartfire has never particularly cared to have her business bandied about. A primary reason she so often attends to such matters herself, with no eyes or ears beyond those necessary.
She knows how well information can be so easily stolen. And the more who were privvy to such information, the more likely someone might stumble upon it.
“Hello Kagerus.” She returns her contemporary’s greeting with ease, her voice level, confident. “I suppose we haven’t met, per se, but neither are we stranger’s.” One corner of her lips twitches faintly at that, as close to humor as she ever truly gets. “I am Heartfire,” she introduces, answering the woman’s first question with casual simplicity. “I am sure word has not made its way to you yet, but Breckin has stepped down as Nerine’s Queen and given that title to me.”
and in my dreams, i kissed your lips a thousand times
It is amazing, the amount of neutrality expressed in our meeting; it's as though when I look upon the mare before me, I see a reflection of myself, at least in regard to countenance. The seriousness of it all makes me want to burst into giggles, but of course, being a leader means not giving in to the whims which we are all subject to, whether we like it or not; I refuse to believe that the facade of neutrality is anybody's true self expression, even the clearly powerful woman before me.
But, I doubt we shall ever come to know each other well enough to express the whims of our secret inner children; or at least, I have yet to see anything that indicates as much. Of course, everything can change, with time.
Hello, Kagerus.
The sound of my name on her tongue does crack my neutrality, though the smile which drifts like fog across my lips is ambiguous, and at best, mysterious. I myself do not really know why my expression changes thus; perhaps it is something which cannot be identified by words, but which instead exists in the potential between this mare and I, a potential which I find myself eager to realize.
Her next statement, which is eerily meta, only stokes the flames of my curiosity.
"Heartfire," I parrot back to her in my low, lyrical tones. The light hits the scar which mars my face differently as I angle my head to see the mare more clearly. "May I congratulate you on your ascension, and express my utmost hopes that Breckin is well, and not descended for any reasons which may cause strife for your people."
I think briefly on the diplomats I had sent not two years ago to Nerine, remembering the reports they had upon their return.
"And, on behalf of the Eastern Quadrant, I extend our continued offer of alliance between our nations. Since you now house the former Krakens of Ischia, our desire to keep this relation is redoubled."
I pause, the smile long gone from my face as my nutmeg eyes piercingly assess the bay figure before me. I wait a moment longer, finding her brilliant blue eyes and holding their gaze; then, without any pretense, I swing my hips to the side, effectively opening the Cove for her Majesty the Queen of Nerine.
"Please, do come in. I am sure you have issues to discuss beyond what I have mentioned thus far."
Heartfire is not a woman given to surprise, but she would have been surprised to learn of Kagerus’ urge to burst into to giggles. But then, Heartfire had never been what one might consider carefree, or given to child-like penchants. Even when she was a child, she seems to have lacked that aspect of a child’s character.
Perhaps it would have been amusing to her, to learn such a thing, but even so, one might never have guessed it. Her amusement has always been hard-won, and even more rarely expressed. A pity perhaps, but she has never felt it’s lack.
Instead the blue and white mare merely peruses her companion’s features, her own expression remaining even in spite of the curiosity that fuels her study. Kagerus seems unperturbed by her introduction, or by the announcement of her ascension to Nerine’s throne. But then, she had never been a close acquaintance of the spotted mare who had previously ruled the northern kingdom. Indeed, even her earnest expression was coated in diplomacy, one likely fueled by little more than her desire to know if their respective Kingdom’s still stood on good terms. Though Heartfire has rarely had need for any great diplomacy, she can respect that the woman before her might. “She has not,” she replies easily, answering her unspoken question simply. “Breckin stepped down freely and I ascended with the full support of Nerine’s people.”
Stepping forward, Heartfire tilts her head faintly, acknowledging Kagerus’ hope that the relationship between their kingdom’s remain. She too has similar hopes, though her antlered companion is correct in that their past relationship is not truly why she had come. No, she had been watching events unfold for some time now. And it is those events that had spurred her visit, rather than anything else that might have come before. She cannot read the future, of course, but she has seen enough that she might guess at its course.
“You are correct,” she affirms after a moment of silence, accepting the Queen’s invitation to join her in the Cove. “Though I do think that what I have to say… demands privacy, perhaps.”
and in my dreams, i kissed your lips a thousand times
With a calculated ease, the roaned mare before me ascertains that Breckin's descent was, as I had hoped, peaceful. News even better than this is that Heartfire was openly welcomed by her people. The smooth transitioning of crowns happened less and less it seemed, and indeed, I have had my fair share of the brutality of inner sanction turmoil. God.
Pushing the self-inducedly irritating memories aside, I instead watch with bright nutmeg eyes as the Nerinian monarch tilts her head and steps in to my homeland. The entrance is welcome, but I find myself yet drawn in by her elusive air of forbidden knowledge, as though this might be a woman I'd like to find myself next to should all hell break loose at one time or another. Or perhaps the tingling sensation along the lining of my stomach isn't political at all, and is instead one of friendship; the thought scares me a little, makes me want to stop it. Though I trust myself completely when it comes to fealty with Solace, it is also true that I haven't gotten terribly close with anyone outside of my family since meeting her, just in case.
But this feels different; and by Heartfire's stoic affirmation of my suspicions, any lingering doubts as to her intentions with this visit evaporate. The demand for privacy comes from a place evidently free of any sexuality or flirtation.
"I know exactly the place - come, we will go to the birch glade."
Of course, this gorgeous spot in my Silver kingdom is not our final destination; but my companion need not know that quite yet.
The journey from border to midland copse is a short one, spent in silence for the most part. It would seem that I have found someone whos silence compliments my own (though truth be told, she found me). Eventually the greenery underhoof becomes dappled by the orange-red-yellow leaves of fall above head, and we stand mostly obscured in the depths of one of the Cove's lovely glades.
"Now," I rebegin, eyes glimmering mischievously though my tone retains a decided intensity. "I am going to take you someplace else - but you must trust me." Figuring that that may be one hell of a request for me to make of a relative stranger, I add an amendment. "Or at least, you must close your eyes."
Seeing that she has done so, I close my own and swiftly grab at her willing consciousness. Within minutes we are sleeping soundly enough to fall into a dream - and fall we do, the unearthly sensation of endlessly increasing gs as familiar to me as breathing, but likely as foreign to Heartfire as drowning. It lasts what could be interpreted as a heartbeat, or else as an eternity; but when we awaken on the other side, I unravel the thread of my power just enough to give her some leeway in the way of manipulation.
Heartfire has always been reserved in emotion and expression, something that makes it nearly impossible to define her intention. Fortunately perhaps, she has always been quite forward in both word and deed. Safe then, to assume, that one can take her at face value. Dangerous in one respect, maybe, but in all else, generally accurate. Indeed, it never even would have occurred to her to flirt with her fellow monarch, just as it has not occurred to her that they might have enough similar qualities to allow a friendship to bloom.
Perhaps one day, it might. But then, she has never been particularly skilled at friendship. Just as she is equally unskilled at nearly any other relationship. Regrettably so, perhaps, but that is neither here nor there at this moment in time.
She follows Kagerus without hesitation, falling easily alongside her as they make their way towards the grove in question. She feels no particular need to fill the silence, as comfortable in the absence of conversation as she is with its presence. It isn’t until they are settled amongst the trees that her antlered companion turns to her, rekindling their discussion as she does so. Heartfire peers at her with surprising placidity, blue eyes serenely watchful as she encourages her to place a trust in the spotted mare. The demand causes her lips to twitch faintly, though she shows no other sign of amusement.
Little does Kagerus know how rare a commodity trust is in Heartfire’s world. Had the blue and white mare not already been aware of what might transpire here today, she could rest assured she would not be here. She is nothing if not prepared, and though she may not be privy to everything, she had certainly taken the time to understand what she might be walking in to.
No sooner than she closes her eyes, she finds herself drifting before her mind catches, expanding into another reality. It’s odd, strangely surreal, but somehow reminiscent of when she filters through the eyes of those around her. She’s not entirely certain how long she lost in that curious limbo, but soon she finds herself in another world. One resurrected from ancient memories. Memories of a human life.
It’s a dream, of course. Only she might dream of something quite like this.
![[Image: kag]](https://78.media.tumblr.com/2e8039018ce4dff6112c167ec23e886a/tumblr_p72zjit7wC1s5a0qvo1_100.png)