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    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    If the sun rose up from the west; any
    #1
    We got older and I should have known
    that I’d feel colder when I walk alone
    The Taiga will be free, she'd said.

    That had been perfectly fine with him. This forest had been a no-man's-land as far as he'd known, and before that, she had lived in it, or something of the like. Time was fake anyway; he'd known that for a while now. His going away and returning some twenty years later where for him maybe three or so had passed, had been a clear indicator. Finding Sarkis had been another.

    But one thing did kinda bother him? He'd never seen her since. Sure, nobody else seemed to have claimed it and turned it into anything else either, so it's not like he actually really cared too much. But it'd occurred to him how quiet it was, or had been. A little too quiet, perhaps.

    Free and empty weren't the same thing after all. So he visits. But when the scaled silver roan enters the redwood forests and finds himself fitting in perfectly, the silvery sheen of his roan once-coat and silver mane both the colour of the mist and his bay head the colour of the trees, he's amused enough to chuckle out loud. The sound carries farther than he's used to, even on the Isle, so after that he shakes his mane and trots a little further. His draft-shaped legs don't bother today with silence, and so he hopes that if anyone lives here still, they'll come greet him.

    At least, that's the idea.
    Leilan
    no. 7 | ice forged in fire


    @[Lilitha] and/or @[Ruan] and/or anyone
    One curious beastie here
    Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
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    #2
    Following Aten's return from the fairies' quest on the Island, he had withdrawn himself from kingdom affairs for a day or two, in order to try and maintain control of his own frustration. He wasn't angry that he had failed the quest, just disappointed in himself. He had been hoping he could contribute to trying to find a cure for the Plague, not for recognition, but for the dozens if not hundreds of lives out there that had been put in danger by the Plagues' effects.

    Aten was only sated by the knowledge that he was alive, and that there were other horses who had succeeded in their portion of the quest to find the ingredient for the cure the fairies asked for. Unfortunately, there was a side effect that Aten was... less than pleased with.

    Shattered sea shell pieces, along with a few small ones that were still intact, decorated the stallion's mane and tail in a fashion with no specific pattern or taste, instead checkered here and there, woven in so that Aten couldn't try to get them out himself. He learned that after trying to do so himself, only winding up with a few pieces of hair missing from his mane after purposely getting it tangled in a thorn bush.

    The stallion learned he would have to live with this feature for some time, so instead just sucked it up and tried to ignore the stares he got from others. At the very least, those who were his close friends, like Ruan, Lilitha, and Jinju hadn't said anything; others that were his friends had only moderately teased him, not going full out like Aten's older siblings might have if they were here since they so loved to tease their youngest brother.

    Once he had come to terms with his... problem, Aten once again assimilated himself into Taiga's society, spending time with his friends, attending to kingdom duties, and even venturing outside the border a few times to go in search of those who might need a home.

    One of his duties, of course, also included greeting those who came to the kingdom, and this day was one of such. The golden stallion was out in one of Taiga's smaller meadows when he heard the nearby stranger stallion's call, moving to investigate before this new arrival could get too far inland. Aten's eyes sought out who was on his way inland, easily spotting the roan colored coat of the stallion against the winter backdrop.

    Aten himself had not yet met Leilan, but had heard tales of the king of Isicle Isle, a land that was a subdivision of Nerine's kingdom, just as Taiga was. Sure, a number of horses in the land shared coat colors, but there wasn't one Aten could think of, that he'd met at least, who resembled the king as much as this stallion did.

    So, out of respect for his status and not yet his character, for Aten didn't know it just yet, the golden stallion approached the Isle king and dipped his head in greeting, going slightly lower than he usually did as a sign of acknowledgement that he was speaking to royalty.

    "King Leilan of the Isle," Aten spoke up, raising his head after a moment but keeping his eyes on the king's face just below his eyes so he was not making direct contact. "You have made quite the journey to come visit us here in Taiga. To what do we owe this pleasure?"

    @[Leilan]
    Reply
    #3
    We got older and I should have known
    that I’d feel colder when I walk alone
    It doesn’t take long for someone to appear, though as his luck would have it, not Lilitha. Perhaps she’s tending to somone, her child or, busy some other way. She might even have sent this male to greet him in her stead, question what he’s doing here. Who knows, really.

    It doesn’t matter much to Leilan, as long as he can make sure that Taiga is still the same, still protected, not being swallowed up by any other kingdom. A free land.

    It seemed word did travel faster than Leilan honestly wanted to - and the story of why he did not want to be called king, unfortunately lost. A sour grin follows, and the roan shakes his head. ”Kings don’t belong in territories of Nerine,” he says. ”But I’ve been a Prince among Amazons forever, so that’s as far as I’ll go.” A shake of his crest to rest at ease; it’s just that he wanted any misunderstandings of his position (especially in regards to his home kingdom) out of the world.

    ”You have me at a disadvantage though, sir. I came to see how Lilitha is faring, and see word of me has proceeded me, but I cannot say I know you, nor what your title or place in the Taiga is. Last time I came by she explicitly stated this was to be a free land, without much of ruling, of ranking going on. Is that still the case?” The scaled stallion cocks his head slightly, though he doesn’t pry out of animosity, only curiosity drives him really. The other might not know it though, so he is certain to keep a calm and relaxed exterior towards the other male.
    Leilan
    no. 7 | ice forged in fire


    @[Aten] I figured I might as well continue this one, if Lilitha or Ruan still wants to join don’t hesitate to do so or start a new thread for me ‘while he’s here visiting’ :)
    Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
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    #4
    By the tone of his voice, Aten deduced that Leilan was not too keen on the bestowed title the golden stallion had used. So far as he knew, that was how lower ranking kingdom members were to greet those higher up on the totem pole, especially one as Aten who resided here in Taiga as, on his own terms, a diplomat and a protector. Though he may be training and considered important by some others in the kingdom, he was far out of this stallion's league if by rank alone.

    Dipping his head and averting his eyes, Aten offered an apology, "Forgive my impudence then your highness. I had not heard such tales of you allowing yourself the calling of a different royal name."

    Leilan stated his purpose for coming to Taiga, firstly, to check on Lilitha, and second, but in a much vaguer manner, to seek information on the structure of the kingdom and how it was faring.

    Aten would offer what he could; it did not seem that Leilan was here to be hostile. He'd also heard most of what he knew about this stallion from Lilitha herself, and she spoke no ill will of his intentions. For the time being, Aten did not see a reason to show ill will toward the Prince. He would only do so if it was proven that the roan stallion had ulterior motives for coming here.

    "You are correct in what Lilitha told you," Aten began. "There is not a defined set of ranks that have been established. The most recent... significant, event, is Ruan stepped down from his position as a protector and bestowed the duty to Lilitha. She does not call herself by a ruling title, the same as Ruan did, but the majority of those who live here look up to her for being the one Ruan chose to take his place.

    "To answer your other inquiry, Lilitha is doing well. She had adjusted to the status of Taiga as a free land rather well. She treats all those who live here with respect and love, much like a mother or a queen would. She has become a valued friend to many, and I am positive that were she to enact some sort of ranking system here, there would be very few if any at all that would disagree with her decisions."

    @[Leilan]
    Reply
    #5
    We got older and I should have known
    that I’d feel colder when I walk alone
    The other male apologizes, formally so, and Leilan makes a shrugging motion. He seemed to be the kind to insist on overdoing it, this expression of their different ranks evident in every word and every move of his eyes, ears, the position of his head and tail. If he weren't here for the diplomatic kind of information, he might even have tried going by a different name, though this male had already recognized him. Instead of going on about the conversation, in the end the roan decides not to answer his statement on different names, instead tilting his head slightly and dipping his head once. Apology accepted, now please stop talking about this.

    The man is in fact quite a talker, it seems. At this, the scaled stallion grins a bit, though he blinks once at the mention of a Ruan 'stepping down' to let Lilitha be the Taiga's protector. This, to Leilan, is new in that he's never heard of Ruan - clearly he should come here more often, or perhaps he should confer with the Nerinian queen more often. Breckin might not have had much time to come down here, but he suspects Heartfire would know. But she had chosen not to share all information she had, and to be honest, by now it wasn't such an interesting thing any longer - after all, the argument had passed.

    Knowing Lilitha was seen as some kind of mother figure, and beyond that it seemed that this stallion was just eager enough to be strolling around the borders, without being asked to do so. It's a kind of construction everyone here seemed happy with, and as such not something he seeks to change.

    A chuckle follows, and Leilan looks around. "You don't seem to be with many here, are you?" More of a rhetorical question than anything else, so he shakes his head following the remark before the other interferes (though if he still continues talking, he might not have seen it). "I just came by to check on you, but it seems for now you're all doing well. But if you need any assistance or information from us, don't hesitate to ask." Recognizing this for what it was - a free land, not involving itself in diplomacy of any kind - he realizes there are no relations to be discussed; just the fact that Icicle Isle, like Nerine and all other lands, should respect their free and neutral status. That, of course he can do. "Give Lilitha my regards when you next see her." he decides to add, and that being the last he has to say, he prepares to leave unless the other male would have something to add to the conversation.
    Leilan
    no. 7 | ice forged in fire


    @[Aten] sorry for my lateness! I figured this one could end since not much diplomacy is to be done Tongue
    Two things I know I can make: pretty kids, and people mad.
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