"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
have i been lost? inside myself and my own mind
hypnotized; mesmerized by what my eyes have seen
Autumn was beginning to set in, and with it came a chill that unnerved the young coal-painted filly to the bone. She had not experienced such a plunge in temperature before, and it was not eased by the icy wind drifting in from the mass of ocean water. Her feathers bristled as she flexed her wings for a moment, wrapping their length around her torso for warmth as she shivered and closed her eyes.
Her lashes fluttered as she opened them again, momentarily thrilled for the brief ray of sunshine that peeked between the dark, rolling clouds overhead, but soon enough, it disappeared from sight. She crooned softly in disappointment, pressing forward, each footfall sinking deeply into the sifting sand beneath her weight. Her curiosity of the sea water had now dissipated, her boredom growing in volume with each step as she wandered the unstable grounds of the cove.
Overhead, the sky rumbles and growls in displeasure, threatening from above, but this was a part of the weather system she had grown accustomed to living so close to open water. Precipitation and dark skies were a common occurrence, though it was most lovely on the clearest evenings, when the bright moonlight would paint the beach in a brilliant sheen of silver. It was captivating.
Each and every morning, she would wake before the sun would rise and quietly make her way up upon the cliff side, settling next to the iron statue of a stallion she would never know. She knew of him, of his stories, of his greatness. She would lie beside him, curious and cautious (she would never touch him; she feared the stories she had been told), and watch the sun rise with him.
She knew of how her nephew adored him, knew of how he would look up at him from the beach, lost in his own thoughts. She could sense the hurt and the ache within him, and she wanted to know of him too.
She is broken from her reverie by a familiar sight - the pale light of the sun peeks out again, this time to illuminate the shine and ruffle of lavender feathers of handsome young Kirin. She cannot help the giddy leap of her heart as her brown doe-eyes see him; he is warmth and comfort and everything she has come to know (though there is still so many terrible things she does not yet know). Her pace picks up, her spindly limbs parading through the uneven mounds of sand. Soon, she approaches from behind, her muzzle touching his soft, warm hip as she tucks her chin beneath his wing, wriggling her slender but slowly developing body against his, shielding herself between his wing and his rounded side. Her eyes peek out from beneath, much like the sun to the clouds, peering up at him with glee.
And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come All the misery was necessary when we're deep in love
It’s not the chill that hardens his heart, the organ dark and cold long before winter had ever touched it. Kirin’s darkness was inherited you might say, passed down through blood, from greatness. A small token of appreciation, the only thing besides the Cove his Father had left him. The cold could never touch deep enough to penetrate the steady rhythm of his breast, his coat already thickening for the coming months, creeping up coarse and wild. Something to match the fire in his eyes that lingered in their depths, just out of reach.
It’s not until a particularly strong gail buffets him side-long that he decides his flight is over, catching the ground with his hooves and tucking his wings tight. It was dangerous to fly in such a force, the wind catching the lavender arms and yanking them as if to try and take them. One could easily find themselves wounded, unable to fly for several months, or worse the torrents could break that which he so dearly coveted. He would never relinquish them though, they were too special, too precious to him.
Kirin looks up just as a rumble trembles against the darkening clouds, the gusts picking up and the threat of rain increasing. It was to be expecting these sorts of things, storms assaulted the coastline many times a year, luckily they had shelter. Caves tucked into the cliffs, and foothills far from shore in which the Covelings could seek refuge. Kirin preferred the solid rock walls to the canopy of marine trees that his Mother and Branka sought comfort in.
He intends to find one, a Cave that is, when a fuzzy breaches his progress. A little fluff of midnight creeping into his hip, coiling under his wing. It’s a good thing he inspects the subject of his distraction, else he would have mistaken her for a critter in the growing darkness, landing a bite or kick in her direction. Thankfully he looks before he leaps, peering down at the call that just barely reaches his lilac ears.
'You’re so warm…"
He smiles, tugging his aunt to side, “Lucky for you my pretty, I’d keep you warm any day.” He raises her chin with the tip of his feathered arm, blowing into her nose sweet, salty whuffs of air. “Come Misra, let us seek shelter, we’ll find a cave until this passes. You can have me all to yourself for a while, how’s that?” His voice drips with a solid smoke that even he did not expect.
Come with me to this dark cave little girl...do you want some candy?...
have i been lost? inside myself and my own mind
hypnotized; mesmerized by what my eyes have seen
She can hardly contain the giddiness that bubbles up within her - Kirin, to herself? It was nearly unheard of, and almost an impossibility. He was always within the company of others, many of which crooned over him and preened his feathers meticulously (both figuratively and literally), fawning over him in such a manner that she soon felt drawn to behaving similarly. He seemed so pleased by their doting affections, and she wanted nothing more than to please him. Though she had grown accustomed to the many unique personas that made up the tight bindings of family within the Cove, she pined most for his attentions, for he was most kind to her.
It was his charm and sultry allure (masked as kindness, though soon she would see the mischief in his eye and know his touch intimately - time flies, after all) that often drew her in, and the opportunity to spend time at his side never went unwanted nor amiss with her. She brushed her cheek against the crest of his lavender wing, lips gently primping and preening his soft, almost downy lilac feathers. They tickled along the nape of her neck and she cradled closer to him, absorbing his warmth, savoring his comfort. It was not often that she had someone to nestle with .. not since her Mother had gone away.
A pang of loneliness struck a cord deep within as her mind thought back to Oswyn, her birth-giver. She had left her with a genuine goodbye and a sincere press of her lips to her cheek, but she had not known then what it meant to say goodbye. She had not seen her since, though her heart pined for her. She was soon expected to rely on others, none of which she had known. It had been a struggle - there were jealous females who often tugged or plucked painfully at her developing wings, or brutally shoved her away after she'd shared any similar moment with Kirin.
She still did not understand why they behaved so - she was always quiet, always polite, and yet their envious eyes burned with loathing. One day she would understand, but for today, the only thing she knew was of Kirin's gentle, soothing words and the way he looked deeply into her doe-eyes, reassuring her with solace and tenderness.
"I like spending time with you, Kirin," She coos innocently, nestling her cheek against his breastplate before she bounds forward (albeit a little clumsy - she is still young, after all), wandering towards a nearby cave system as the wind slides up between her feathers, ruffling them in the icy ocean breeze. She casts a glance back towards him as she enters the sheltering wing of the cave, her growing tuft of obsidian tresses at the base of her rump swinging to and fro with the wind as she contentedly waits for him. "Everyone does."
And she'll always get the best of me, the worst is yet to come All the misery was necessary when we're deep in love
He heeds the danger of the wind and the waves not because he fears it, but because he knows to respect it. Kirin has never been afraid of the tide, nor the turbulent winds that tossed him once like a doll across the beach when he was young. He does however, have a healthy dose of appreciation for their power. Those that were too stupid or too naive to the world would either learn from that danger, or suffer the wrath of the oceans. The lavender stallion really could not feel sorry for those who received the latter.
She is oh so willing to go with him, most of them are. Somehow Kirin had inherited an almost irresistible charm from his Father, one he used to his advantage much like the iron God once had.
A tender touch, a soothing cuddle, that was all he had to give to draw them in. Sometimes a well placed word or two but never more. He allows her to preen him, fluffing his wings only a bit as not to let them be caught be the winds. He doesn't even laugh when she makes her way to the chain of chambers they sought for shelter, he only keeps a small smirk to himself and makes sure to whisk it away before she can turn to see.
"How fortunate, I also like spending time with you dear Aunt. You grow more lovely each day, we are lucky to have more strong blood here in our home." He strokes her tiny cheek gentle as he ushers her inside a chosen cave. The faint light now dimmed considerably, with only the random burst of lightning to grace them with sight in intervals. So very warm, he thinks, pacing a few steps deeper into the dark.
"Bet you can't find me now." His voice full of amusement, as if he enjoyed this very child like game. Catch me in the dark, this way, this way. And when she caught him he would touch her gently for mere moments for she was a girl, but grooming her now would be imperative. Soon enough she would relish the full blown desires he would fulfill for her, or if he did his job correctly...she would.
have i been lost? inside myself and my own mind
hypnotized; mesmerized by what my eyes have seen
She bathes in his affection and revels in his lavish attention; she aches to be closer to him and to spend as much time as possible with him but there is not often opportunity. She spends much of her time in solitude, observing others, remaining a permanent fixture of the background as she blends into the shadows of the dark cliffs than line their precious, silver-painted dwelling. It is these bittersweet moments that she clings onto in the depths of a lonely, dark evening, when her obsidian pelt and thick, silvery feathers are painted in moonlight that she remembers his touch and sweet words.
She finds herself more often lonely than not, and so she savors every second.
Following him with devotion, she does not see the glimmer of mischief in his eye, nor his knowing smirk - she sees nothing but his brilliantly faded lavender pelt and feathers - the way they flutter and bristle in the soft breeze entrance her and fill her to the brim with enamored affection. She lips gently at his feathers as she strides into the dark enclosure, deeply trusting of his motives and grateful for his presence. She winds her lithe body around him once more as her own feathers are pressed tightly against her body as she weaves between his legs and tucks herself once more between his wing and side.
The darkness held no hesitation for her; she was with Kirin and he would keep her close to him. He would keep her safe from harm, as he always had, and always would. She pressed her cheek against his firm, muscled shoulder, listening to the rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat. Sated, she coiled into him, relishing the moments of his touch as she always had.
"I would follow you anywhere, Kirin,"and she means it.
