"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
Her sudden arrival does not go unnoticed. A good sign, she thinks - her sisters are clearly paying attention to their borders. She does not recognize the first mare that appears - a bay - but she smells strongly of the Jungle and so Lyris welcomes her presence with a friendly smile. “Thank you Sunday, I’m Lyris.” The second mare though, jogs something in her memory. Those flames … no one would forget them. “Scorch! It’s been a long time.” A very long time. Lyris had only been just out of childhood (and a new sworn sister) when she last saw the fiery warrior.
“Thank you, that’s most kind.” Not that she’d held a very high rank to begin with, but the offer is appreciated. “I’d like to eventually rejoin the army as well, but I would like to get some practice in first.” The last time she had come close to fighting someone she had set fire to part of the Valley. Granted that had been her father and he was well, an ass. But still, she needs practice before she gets close to a battlefield.
“Clearly a lot has happened since I was last here.” At first glance she had thought the kingdom the same as when she last saw it, but deeper in, she can see the changes. Dead trees pepper the Jungle, and the underbrush is surprisingly thin. Then there is the more obvious change in leadership - the last time Lyris had been here, Brunhild had still been queen. “Care to catch me up?”
Recognition dawns on Lyris’ becoming face, and an exclamation soon follows. The appaloosa’s enthusiasm towards Scorch’s presence brings crinkles to the corners of Scorch’s dragon eyes – now a light caramel colour. The smile is more grim than merry, for the days have been long and the troubles longer still, but she indulges in the comfort of an old face. Even Queens must have their off days.
”It would do you well to speak to Lagertha, then.” The mention of her ex-Erinak and ex-Bloodrider brings a foul taste to her tongue, but thankfully, no one is tasting the inside of her mouth to figure just how she feels about the woman (blegh). ”She’s our General, or Jakka, if you will.”
Lyris’ gaze roams over the sparse treeline, though it is already leagues better than it had been when the blizzards first halted. Scorch’s stomach aches to think of how damaged their Jungle had been – but the Jungle is a warrior, and she is rebuilding. The fire-sister returns from following Lyris’ gaze with an explanation upon her husky tongue. ”An evil magic was sent to each kingdom while the monarchs gathered in a herd land. Disasters struck each of us. Blizzards ravaged the Jungle for a year, but as you can see, we are rebuilding, thanks not only to the Jungle’s perseverance, but the might of the Sisterhood.”
”If in fact you’re wondering just how I have been crowned, the matter is rather connected. Upon Brunhild’s return to the Jungle, she was attacked and wounded. As she needed time to recover, she asked me to take her place on the throne. She lives on, in this self-same Jungle, but she prefers to be alone now.” The words pain her to say, for Brunhild had been one of her closest friends. The shadow-manipulation woman had understood Scorch like none other; she had been so like Kagerou in so many ways, it was uncanny. A darkness passes over the light caramel of her eyes as she remembers – and mourns – her leopard friend, and even Brunhild, for although she is not yet dead, she is not yet living, either.
”But enough about me. Where have you been hiding, Lyris?”
“Lagertha, eh?” She recognizes the name, though no face immediately comes to mind. She vaguely recalls the mare being an army member, though Lyris doubts she had been general then. Good on the mare for moving up the ranks in such a short period of time. “I’ll make sure to look her up.” Though not yet. There are other things she must attend to first.
Her attention returns to Scorch as the mare tells of the recent events that have befallen the kingdom. Blizzards. It’s hard to believe, considering the sweltering heat that is currently pressing in from all sides, but there would be no reason to make up something like that. The Jungle must have been a strange sight to see, buried beneath layers of snow. It’s a pity she hadn’t been around, she might have been able to mitigate some of the blizzard’s effects.
Scorch continues with her tale to describe her ascent to the throne. What a strange turn of events. Lyris had not known Brunhild well, but the shadowy warrior had made a decent queen. She had not deserved such an attack. But Scorch at least seems like an acceptable replacement. During her last time in the Jungle Lyris had known Scorch to be a proud and dedicated sister. If perhaps incautious with her words.
Then, finally it’s Lyris’ turn to speak. “Well, to be completely honest, I’ve been travelling. I was born here in the Jungle, and I wanted to see more of the world. And hone my gift. But I think I have seen enough now. It’s time to come home.”
Though Lagertha has never been on Scorch's good side - and Scorch never on Lagertha's, either - it no longer pains her to reference her in conversation. The weight of the kingdom on her broad shoulders has taught her to accept help wherever it may come from, even if it happened to be from the lips of a near-traitor. In the end, the Jungle couldn't afford to lose the steel-grey Jakka. But it also couldn't afford to lose the fire-queen, which presents a slight wrinkle in both of their plans.
But they will survive. They will thrive.
Women like Lyris are proof of these facts - they arrive almost weekly, storming the borders as though commanded to by some strange magic. Old sisters and new mares resurface and arrive to the Jungle, something which Scorch prides herself greatly on. If there is one thing besides battling that the hairless rat is good at, it's recruiting, and attracting women to the Jungle. She has no idea why, but fuck if that would stop her.
"Knowledge of Beqanna is never useless." Scorch grins amiably, though the sight could be interpreted as rather malicious. "But the Jungle is always happy to embrace her daughters, returned from the outside." As she speaks these words, the Jungle seems to grow louder, if only for a moment. The howlers howl, the parrots scream, the jaguars call. They raise their voices as though shouting their support and encouragement, applauding the return of their daughter; of Lyris.
"I believe it's high time for you to begin mingling with the sisters of today, and to meet Lagertha, if you wish. I have business to attend to, but do not be afraid of seeking me out." The fire-queen steps forward to bump her nose to the spotted-woman's chest in a sign of camaraderie. "I don't bite. Often." And with that, she departs.
ooc - naked school post. Also I need to end some threads dear lord. Hope you dont mind
No worries! It makes sense to close this thread at this point. I'll start a new thread when my practicum is over, and she'll be more active with recruiting and whatnot then too.
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