the firestarters always get the burns
and the good guys never get the girl
I’m early, and I will always be from now on.
It seems that I know things. My intuition is strong, and the feeling lead me here.
The place of gathering is easy to find, yet I’ve dreaded this day - it is only when I woke up this morning that I felt it to be certain: today is a day of endings and beginnings. Change, I have learned, is like that, bittersweet. Kagerus’ eyes seem filled with wetness, and perhaps that (and the fact that my appearance has become… different, like I’m not always really there, or don’t belong in the world of plagues and mortality) kept her from seeing me smile at her. She’s my best friend - Solace a good second, but honestly, it had been the now-antlered (then temporarily winged) mare that brought me to Hyaline, and I can’t think of life without her. I’d hoped then for our firstborns to be friends like we were, but the circumstances had never let them. It could have ended much sooner for Kag though - before Solace, before queendom. But she’d dreamt it differently, and for that I’m selfishly grateful. She was there when I nearly drowned myself (but I couldn’t let him win). She gave me her home. She gave me her friends, Solace and Svedka both, and though I have the inkling he’ll be back one day, I don’t know if he’ll like what he’ll find. That depends on today.
I know they’re stepping down for a family life, to save the life of the girl that Solace bears. I don’t know why I know it’s a girl, like I don’t know exactly how I know my own to be. Or who’s children Dawn is bearing - but it’s not important.
Change is happening, and the possibilities of the future are endless and chaotic in my mind. I only know of the change, not what it will bring, and so I’m here at this point in time, the point where everything is still swirling.
It is here that the future will be settled.
My throat is dry when Solace looks to me, and I simply nod for lack of anything better. I promised her I’d look out for Hyaline when the time came, and that promise is not something I will end now that it’s the Cove we speak of. Next to me, the green-bay Clayton has neared us, and on the other side is Dawn. They look forward, not backward, speaking of future leaders and taking over. I want to tell them it’s wrong to do so, that they should give the pair time to leave, to settle, to have their little Oriash, but I know that the young also deserve to paint their future the way they like.
I’m silent for a while to listen to them speak. Clayton first, nominating not himself but Warlight, his friend. But the queens had not named her heir, perhaps for the same reason Ilma might not have. The girl’s a good one, and she might grow into the seat of a queen’s. But she’d never come to like it. She was a wanderer and a warrior, and having to bite her tongue didn’t seem fitting to the white mare. Rash in nature, and currently not present to either accept his nomination or decline it - though her absence told me that I’m right in my opinion and subsequent decision not to vote for her. She was probably with the other guy, - Raul - though I did not want to tell the horned youngster straight away. Warlight should have been more clear with Clayton from the start, I think. But that’s a mistake for young ones to make, and learn from.
”Clay, I know why you ask for Warlight, but I’m sorry, I do not agree with your reasoning, nor appointing anyone not present. However,” I add before he can start to object, ”I do admire you for not nominating yourself. But it makes me wonder why you would not?” He seemed to do well here, after all. Perhaps he had no interest in leading, or perhaps he thought himself too inexperienced. All of those good reasons not to step forward. But I want to hear him say it. I want him to consider if he really shouldn’t step forward, before his chance has passed.
Looking around, there are so many in the Cove that could be considered a new leader. Dawn, the young diplomat, though her pregnancy shows (more than her own, but that’s easy when you’re having twins). Shifters like their father, they would be a handful to handle if he didn’t make it back here soon. Can Dawn handle the whole of the Cove on her own, with distractions like those? Part of me thinks so - another part worries if she’s in over her head.
”A council sounds like a good idea, Dawn. I don’t think it’s a good idea to load the weight of the whole of the East on one head, perhaps not even two, if they're inexperienced. I think you would do well in such a position.” Dawn alone as head of the whole east seems a bit much to me, since she has had no prior training. Sol and Kag had split up to rule both kingdoms for a while, but it had eaten them away as they had realized. And Dawn shouldn't be splitting herself into... what, five? Three lands and two daughters? ”Or, if you don’t mind me saying, we could move the seat of the East back to Hyaline.”
It’s an idea that had been in my mind for a while as of late. Amet rules there again, and Kensa has ruled there for a while too - with the Plague having settled so much in Beqanna, and hopefully coming to an end, there is no reason to keep hiding away in the safe lands. And those who still want to, well they can surely stay. But it would make appointing a ruler for the Cove easier: they would be ruling a territory of the Sanctuary, not be the head of it.
Frankly they’re all too young to rule the three lands without having proper training, in my opinion.
”Whatever happens, I will be available for those who need me to, like I promised Solace years ago.” I smile a bit, knowing that times have changed and there is not as much of a place for me in the Cove any more as had been while the queens were ruling; I belonged to them more than I belonged to these young horses gathered. ”I would not propose myself to lead all of the East and do so for an undetermined time. But I can take up the seat of ruler if so needed, until we have settled on a new leader in, say, a year’s time, and meanwhile help train a new leader. Or I could stay on as advisor or regent. Whatever you prefer.” I wouldn't mind training Dawn. She shows promise, but at the moment seems not-quite-ready. A year would do her good.
I know I’ve left them with several more decisions to make now, but I just can’t let these three things - who rules the Cove, which land rules the East, what do we do with this old advisor of the former queens - go unspoken.
I need this to be settled today - they’ve started it.
Ilma got precognition so I tried to only have her think of/mention things that are already set in stone, such as the children that will be here soon ^^ But if I overstepped somewhere please let me know! It's my first post with it.
TLDR;
Ilma votes against Warlight (seeing as Lav goes on hiatus), instead asks Clayton to step up if he wants to;
Is not against Dawn leading the Cove, either as queen or as council, but would like for her (and anyone really) to get training first, for maybe a year, hence she proposes to rule for one year and thus grant all interested leaders some time to learn about ruling first (and/or tend to their new families);
Proposes to hand over the title of ‘Kingdom’ to Hyaline so that whoever runs the Cove next will not be running head down into unknown deep waters like ruling a whole section (this includes dealing with Pangea)