"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
As she dips her crown towards him, he visibly relaxes, the tension from his thick, sinewy muscles melting away as he shifts his massive weight from one leg to another. Conflict is not something that he seeks; and he is content to find she has heeded his words. He glances between them for a moment, observing their interactions, before his searing red eyes peering once again to the small young female by his side. He studies her and listens carefully to her words, allowing her to complete her uncertain thoughts, though quietly he begins formulating an opinion on the matter.
Above them, the foliage begins to rustle gently with an icy breeze, sliding over his marred skin and tangling itself between his dark tresses, which now drifts lazily across his eyes. His ears prick and swivel as he turns his attention once more to the golden-painted male standing before him, catching his eye and realizing that he himself is being observed.
Though is unable to read into the mind of the buckskin male, he senses a shift in his demeanor. A certain warmth lingers now where there was none to speak of. Perhaps companionship can be forged yet - time will tell. His skull cocks slightly to the left, bemused, before he chooses to raise his grinding voice and collaborate with him.
"Thank you. All is well, Rael Fire." He murmurs to her, satisfied in her change in demeanor, as well. It is one thing to be powerful; it is another to be callous. She will learn this in time, he is certain. But now, he chooses to nurture more pressing matters - her uncertainly is palpable and he decides to pursue the urging within him to speak further on the subject.
"Cai has a point. Travel will give you opportunity and experience you crave; you will always have a place with us in the tundra if you feel drawn to returning to us. There is much to see and do. You will find your way."
Sorry about disappearing for a couple days - yesterday was birthday and day before was doing yard work. Posting now!
I took in both stallion's words, but did not reply immediately. I pondered over their words, and decided I would explore but not resettle. I did, indeed, require knowledge, experience, and the skills I would learn throughout travels - and was then trapped.
Do I stay through this encounter, or leave now and hope to find him in the Tundra? It is difficult, much more so than I had convinced myself it would be, to decide about this matter. I edged more towards leaving now - it was likely that he would join his new friend - Offspring - in the Tundra.
"I bid you both well. I am heading off soon, before nightfall. I hope you both do well." I say, rather solemnly, eyeing each stallion's eyes first. If there was anything to remember aside from names, it was faces and eyes. If you could remember who has a specific eye color matched with a deformed nostril and crooked ear, then you could find that single horse again.
Names didn't mean much to me, nor titles. But I respect leadership, elders, and those younger than myself. Only if desperately needed shall I trust those equal to myself. I slowly turned away from the two, and headed off at a determined walk - but with a slight limp on my left hind leg. There was no known injury and no defect, but I carried a limp in that leg at the walk. Once I moved past the walk into faster gates, it was fine.
But about four horse-lengths away, I stopped, head down. I never realized how sharp the pain of separation, being alone, and leaving home the first time would be. But this is what would mold me into my adult self - into a respectable mare instead of a young filly. I started forward, this time at a slow trot. I didn't stop until just short of the edge of the forest, and only just in sight of the stallions. I turned to face them before giving a final goodbye - a sad sounding whicker just loud enough to reach their ears before trotting off.
My feet dragged, and I often found myself simply traveling along the edge of the forest - and just off the nearby Kingdom's borders. I realized, as I saw my small, circular hoofprints in the soft ground, that I was heading the way I came again. I couldn't stay but I couldn't leave. Heck, I should've just chose a border and followed it until it ended! But, maybe I wasn't meant to leave yet. Night was darkening, now, and I meandered slightly into the forest - and towards the two stallions - before settling beside a large birch tree for the night.
Your kingdom has turned to a bone yard,
The look on your face as you leave.
You cut me so deep that it left scars,
You had the world right at your feet.
Cai watched the filly as she considered the words both he and the large black brute had offered her, both seemed to agree that she should explore, and from the look running through her eyes as she took in their words, it looked like she may have liked that idea as well. Cai wasn't overly bothered, his worries were elsewhere and even if the filly had almost switched personality in a matter of minutes after Offspring's words, he still was wary of her. Her sudden swings were indeed something he was not used to, then again he wasn't particularly used to any kind of interaction with others. Sure he had interacted with a few faces throughout his short life, but those meeting had been brief and far apart.
Soon Rael Fire bid her farewells, though something to her voice and eyes seemed like she was already regretting that decision, the golden stallion watched as she moved off, swift movements yet a slight limp to her left side. Cai couldn't help but wonder what had caused such a long standing injury as he could not recall seeing any visual damage to her legs, or sides.
The sudden mood swings were nothing of concern to him - females and males alike had a tendency to be unpredictable, and he had seen much shifting change in the immense expanse of life he had been given. His searing red eyes follow her as she bids a gentle farewell; the sharpness has since melted away and she is solemn at best. With heavy tilt of his head, he bobs his thick, massive neck only slightly - a nod, though no words leave his throat. He has little to say. She has turned away, descending into the heavy shadows of nightfall, which was beginning to descend. Sunlight faded swiftly from the thick foliage, shielded by the mere density of the brush as the sun falls further beneath the horizon.
His gaze turns then to the buckskin and his perplexed expression. A low, rumbling chuckle rises from the pit of his chest as a gentle uptick of a smile tugs at the corner of his whiskered lips. "It is better to simply accept it; some are more unusual than others." He sighs softly, nostrils flaring slightly with the sharp intake of another breath. The air becomes heavier with the warmth of evening, humidity settling in, and he shifts uncomfortably - he longs for the icy caress of his homelands, and with night having fallen, it is time to part.
He studies him for a long moment.
"Cai, it has been a pleasure - but I must go," He muses, tearing his eyes away to peer through the dense foliage, though the moonlight still manages to peek through. "I have a kingdom to the north that I must return to. The Tundra. You may seek me there, anytime. If you so desire, I can offer you both brother and sisterhood, companionship, shelter. In the least, a place to reside, even temporarily. Do not be a stranger. Until we meet again."
He meets his eyes one final time, before he pushes through the thick pines, weaving through the shadows of the forest and disappearing from sight.
