"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
She’d been a little surprised by Topsail’s ascension to the throne. Demian had seemed, to her, a powerful man, one unlikely to release his grip on the throne so easily this second time. But then after the war, without any warning, he’d made the deal with Mast and given up the throne without so much as a second thought.
She’s still not sure what to think, really. Topsail, to her, is a princess of the Gates, with potential for the softness that her former kingdom is known for. But she’s willing to give her a chance - she doesn’t know the girl after all. She could be a far cry from her weakling father for all Rhynn knows. She might as well try to get to know the girl before passing judgement.
She seeks out the queen in the centre of the kingdom, a tiny shadow in amongst the trees. When she finally does spot her she slips out and approaches, a gracious smile painted on her delicate face. “Hello your majesty. How are you faring?” She inclines her head in respect. A little shadow-mouse forms behind her, hidden away in Rhynn’s own shadow. She’s tried to keep tabs on the new queen using her little shadow-minions, but so far the queen has remained fairly elusive. This might be the perfect opportunity to give her a tail.
She knew what some of them thought of her, but she also didn’t care.
Her father hadn’t always been a weak man, but war had a way of dragging ones heart from their bodies. That is what had happened to Mast in the end. The war had beat him and broke him, leaving him nothing but a shell of his former self. In the end, he had done what he thought was best for everyone. It had been his last act of valor, an act intended to save them all and hopefully finish what the Chamber had started. Topsail felt no feelings towards that matter, not really. It had all been before her time. In any case, she wasn’t one to dwell in the past, much preferring to invest her efforts in the present and plan for the future. But despite all of her fathers good points, he was one to hold a grudge, despite not having the heart to sustain such bitterness. If anything, Topsail had chosen to learn from his mistakes and refused to let history repeat itself.
So despite being a child born of the Gates, she was a woman of the Valley. She also knew more than she would ever let on.
For instance, the little shadow creature that trailed behind her. She could feel the traces of the mind controlling it, whispering orders here and there as needed. It didn’t come as much of a surprise then when the shadow-girl sought her out. Topsail raised her head at the sound of the girls voice, offering her a return dip of the head and a pleasant smile. “Please. Call me Topsail. And you must be Rhynn.” There was no doubt who she was; names were always easy to pull from someone’s mind without delving too deep. All the while she was speaking, the smile never left her face. “But thank you for asking. I am doing well, at least for a fat pregnant mare. And you? How are you? It’s nice to meet you; I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.” she said with a laugh, indicating her growing belly. She could see bits and pieces of the other mares thoughts, and knew that the mare still saw her as a “Gates princess”…nothing could be farther from the truth. Once she had this foal, she would show the shadow minion what she had lurking beneath her mousey exterior. No proper princess of the Gates could have conjured up something so sinister.
As the dusky queen turns to face her, Rhynn eyes her thoughtfully, just as surely as the queen eyes Rhynn. Topsail is a pretty young thing, but Rhynn immediately spies a cunning behind those eyes that she had not entirely expected. She is glad to see it though - the Valley is a demanding and at times fickle kingdom, often disposing of those she considers weak and incapable. A ruler as new as Topsail must be cunning if she is to have any hope of surviving. Only time will show exactly how cunning she is …
Rhynn smiles graciously as Topsail introduces herself, and bobs her head in greeting. She’s heard of the Queen’s disability, and allows her a small amount of access to her mind so that they may speak. “Yes, I am Rhynn. And it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” She’s a little surprised that the queen has even heard of her - Rhynn does not do much for the kingdom in the grand scheme of things - but she covers her surprise and responds graciously. “You are not fat at all Topsail!” She has in fact seen pregnant mares grow to twice Topsail’s current size - the young queen truly is not doing too badly. “You must be eager to give birth though.” She’s reminded, for one brief moment, of her own daughter, little Eliora. She hasn’t seen much of her recently, having only visited the child once since dropping her off at the Desert kingdom. She can't help the affection she feels for the girl, but she has nothing in common with her - little Eli is a naive, happy little ray of sunshine. Nothing like her, thoughtful, conniving mother.
But there is no point in dwelling on the girl now. She is more Yael’s daughter than her own anyway. “I’m doing quite well personally, thank you for asking. She pauses for a moment, considering. There is one other reason she’d wanted to meet with the Queen, other than for sussing her out of course. “I was wondering how I might best serve you and the kingdom.” There is no opportunity yet to make use of her other purpose - setting the shadow mouse on to tail the mare, so the little creature waits in the shadows behind it’s maker.
