Keeper-
Keeper hangs out beneath a red maple tree.
She discovered it in the midst of Fall when all the leaves had changed and littered the ground beneath the tree. Now it begins to flourish, renewed since the snows have gone and here, she finds some miniscule measure of peace in between her sojourns to the common lands. Keeper is gone so much that she misses just lazing beneath the red maple or beside the blue lake that is the crown jewel of the land.
She is taking one such moment to herself, trying not to look at the claw marks scratched into the trunk of the red maple from a bear’s claws when she hears the call of the scaled King. It is not often that he beckons for them to gather so she assumes this must be a rather momentous occasion. He sounds as if he is near the lake, and Keeper is not quick to go there but not slow either - she just takes a little bit of time to get from her tree to the lake. Time enough to leave her wondering what Amet could be gathering them for and the expression on her face is one of open curiosity.
The curiosity becomes concern the moment Amet speaks to them. More so, from the way his eyes seek each and every one of them out, showing the care and affection therein. Her heart seizes in her breast when his eyes finds hers because he is continuing to talk of how he’s grateful for their trust and proud of the the things that he’s - they’ve all - done. It sounds like he is leaving them and she’s just started to know him, despite her blind trust in him from the moment they met beside this same lake almost a year ago.
She has lost track of time and the concept of it from all her travels and what the bear takes from her each time she changes into it. Keeper never even told him of the quest or how she became something else thereafter and thinks of all the missed opportunities for them to walk beneath the wisteria or around the lakeshore. Is thinking too much that she misses what he says about her and can only respond with a stunned look and an a mouth that drops open in surprise.
The wild little pony that she is could hardly have ever imagined this! It’s not a grand leap in rank but it is something and she thinks she hardly is deserving of considering she’s not always successful in her field attempts but she tries to be friendly enough to all. Trying her best seems to be the most successful thing she’s managed to do since coming here and she is slow to recover from her shock, starting by closing her mouth into a grateful smile and a respectful dip of her head to him because he is making one more announcement --
One that is as momentous as she had initially believed this gathering of them to be. Solace is the caretaker. Amet is stepping down. For a moment, she looks wildly amongst those gathered - a buckskin stallion, Solace herself, and someone that bears a strong resemblance to Solace to make Keeper think he is a sibling of some kind, and then back to the once-King. She mouths a “thank you” to him before squaring her little self up and casting her gaze back to Solace with whom she has shared a walk beside the lakeshore with and her secret of the bear within. Keeper did not question his choice; not with what she had come to know of the equally little mare who was quick to offer well, solace, as her namesake was.
There is an encouraging nod from Solace and a quick smile back from Keeper as she faces the new Queen. “I shall do my best to serve you and whatever you need of me, you have but to ask it.” Keeper is a bit solemn in her pledge to Solace but there is a warm glint in her eyes that promises of time later for girl talk and giggles about their newfound positions within the kingdom.
Those that have gathered thus far, make their pledges to her - the buckskin, the palomino overo that resembles the Queen and looks as intriguing to her as she does to him (though Keeper doesn’t know that, but that feather twirling behind his ear and the indigo hair streaking through his mane… are rather distracting, making her wonder what stories he has to tell), and herself. It is enough for now, a small start, though more lurk in the woods and beneath the mountains that hem Hyaline in. She wonders if they will come, if they will accept Solace as their Queen and even though Keeper is not a fighter, she thinks the bear in her would love to claw their faces off if they contested Amet’s final decision and act as their King.
not knowing how deep the woods are and lightless
ooc: keeper is a goofball! this post was poo. love you all! <3