06-23-2020, 06:26 PM
Yanhua
It’d never occurred to Yanhua (since his biological mother had been missing for months now) that he’d been surrounded by loving mother-figures his entire childhood. He’d been so focused on his sadness that Izora’s kind, affectionate twinkle took him by surprise; then he remembered - she’d always looked at him like that, Yan just hadn’t appreciated her unexpected care until this moment. All this time he’d been staring into the faces of other horses, hoping to see his mother. He’d missed what had been there all along.
This time, he makes sure to focus on Lethia when she talks to him. His calm, ocean eyes swept out to where she looked up at him and they drank her up: the crinkle at the corner of her mouth and the hollow shadows on her forehead, her scars - softened over time. Wisdom and age marked her expression, neither unbecoming but rather giving her a distinguished air, and when she spoke Yan felt Taiga grow quieter under the cadence of her voice. Even the forest seemed to give respect to Izora.
Happily, the young colt with the flaxen-gold mane listened to her praise. From what she was telling him it sounded like today he’d get his wish. He could begin his journey on the road to becoming a better version of himself, and after trailing behind his twin for so long Yan could feel the swelling sensation of pride beginning to flower like a red blossom in the center of his chest. Here was something he could finally nurture and attach to himself that was all his own; here was his chance to prove his worth.
Still warm in his limbs from Lethy's approval, Yanhua nodded eagerly when she asked for a moment of his time. Of course he could spare an hour or two if she liked, less if the importance of the matter they discussed was a trivial sort of thing. Truly he was itching to be out on the trail, running his first length of the four-sectioned border that made up the lower south end of Taiga’s woods, but he could practice patience in exchange for all Izora had just given to him. He literally had a title now, after all. He was somebody, thanks to her.
“Yes, she did.” He confirmed when the buckskin mare paused briefly, then, “My powers are still barely known to me… but they are the motivation behind my sudden interest.” The yearling laughed brightly. “So far what I know about myself is that peace guides me, gives me focus. Inner peace, that is.” He explained. “But I haven’t been in a situation yet where I felt pushed to use them for protection, so this is the best way I know to find out if that makes a difference or not.” He shrugged, and his little bobtail came around to slap a fly on his coppery flanks.
“And yes,” Yan kept going, “my powers caused another harm - discomfort is a more accurate word. I can only assume that when I start to discover my own strengths and weaknesses it may happen again. There’s always a risk in using magic, Lilliana taught me that.” The usually bright and beaming colt sombered up a bit, daydreaming about his mother and where she might be at this very instant. Was she taking her own lessons to heart? Was she learning new ones? He hoped she was well, wherever the winds blew her these days.
Yan blinked a few times and mulled over Izora Lethia’s final question, then answered truthfully. “Honestly… I don’t know.” He said, flicking his ears. “I like being alone and the solitude that comes with it, but then again no one should be alone all the time. I’ve never felt the way Nashua does about flying off on grand adventures.” The goat-horse shrugged. “But I love Taiga enough to defend it with my life. So maybe I would’ve still asked, even if I didn’t have my gifts.”
This time, he makes sure to focus on Lethia when she talks to him. His calm, ocean eyes swept out to where she looked up at him and they drank her up: the crinkle at the corner of her mouth and the hollow shadows on her forehead, her scars - softened over time. Wisdom and age marked her expression, neither unbecoming but rather giving her a distinguished air, and when she spoke Yan felt Taiga grow quieter under the cadence of her voice. Even the forest seemed to give respect to Izora.
Happily, the young colt with the flaxen-gold mane listened to her praise. From what she was telling him it sounded like today he’d get his wish. He could begin his journey on the road to becoming a better version of himself, and after trailing behind his twin for so long Yan could feel the swelling sensation of pride beginning to flower like a red blossom in the center of his chest. Here was something he could finally nurture and attach to himself that was all his own; here was his chance to prove his worth.
Still warm in his limbs from Lethy's approval, Yanhua nodded eagerly when she asked for a moment of his time. Of course he could spare an hour or two if she liked, less if the importance of the matter they discussed was a trivial sort of thing. Truly he was itching to be out on the trail, running his first length of the four-sectioned border that made up the lower south end of Taiga’s woods, but he could practice patience in exchange for all Izora had just given to him. He literally had a title now, after all. He was somebody, thanks to her.
“Yes, she did.” He confirmed when the buckskin mare paused briefly, then, “My powers are still barely known to me… but they are the motivation behind my sudden interest.” The yearling laughed brightly. “So far what I know about myself is that peace guides me, gives me focus. Inner peace, that is.” He explained. “But I haven’t been in a situation yet where I felt pushed to use them for protection, so this is the best way I know to find out if that makes a difference or not.” He shrugged, and his little bobtail came around to slap a fly on his coppery flanks.
“And yes,” Yan kept going, “my powers caused another harm - discomfort is a more accurate word. I can only assume that when I start to discover my own strengths and weaknesses it may happen again. There’s always a risk in using magic, Lilliana taught me that.” The usually bright and beaming colt sombered up a bit, daydreaming about his mother and where she might be at this very instant. Was she taking her own lessons to heart? Was she learning new ones? He hoped she was well, wherever the winds blew her these days.
Yan blinked a few times and mulled over Izora Lethia’s final question, then answered truthfully. “Honestly… I don’t know.” He said, flicking his ears. “I like being alone and the solitude that comes with it, but then again no one should be alone all the time. I’ve never felt the way Nashua does about flying off on grand adventures.” The goat-horse shrugged. “But I love Taiga enough to defend it with my life. So maybe I would’ve still asked, even if I didn’t have my gifts.”
I GOT | Extra | FEELINGS
@[Izora Lethia]