It's funny how time changes, how it can be given new measure.
Before Altissima, time held very little meaning to Tarian. The sun rose and it set, and those days were spent measured by his actions. By spars and patrolling, by whatever his duties demanded of him. When he had come to Loess, his time was measured by the routes he took through the Southlands. The sun rose and set like anywhere else, and Tarian paid no more attention to it here than he had in Paraiso or Liridon.
(Until Eclipse. Since the Eternal Night, the Champion holds some gratitude that the light has returned to their world and that it restored Altissima to her full health.)
Now that Altissima is here, the days pass differently. They are much longer than he has ever remembered them, and towards the end of his patrols, the gray pegasus has a quicker step to spur them to a close. And now, time changes again as moves towards her, washing away the last tendrils of his responsibility clean as he comes into their little nook. This winter moves differently than the last, as he glances down along the swollen side of the white mare beside him. Each day since Wildling had told them that there would be not only the two of them, but three (theirs, he always thinks as he walks along, their child).
He comes alongside her, lifting his wing so that she might come and keep warm.
"How does the Icicle Isle sound?" he says teasingly, no longer bothering to fight a grin as Tarian does the same that Altissima does. He glances her over, reassuring himself that she was alright. Smoothing her fine mane, he continues. "Probably has a horses height of snow and temperatures that would freeze our wings off." Seeing the pink in her eyes, he stops his banter there.
Tarian knows very little of her condition, only that Altissima hadn't wanted him to treat her differently. He doesn't want to, but there is a part of him that doesn't want her pregnant feathers ruffled at him.
"Can I... do something?" he asks, never being the type that enjoyed feeling unuseful. "Bring you anything?" His mother had liked roseberries, and what little memories Tarian still holds of his parents, he remembers Malachi fetching them for her, returning home with a gray coat stained pink. He doesn't think that Loess has such a fruit, but maybe there was something that Altissima needed, something that wouldn't turn him into multi-colored glowing worm.
Perhaps, he thinks as his mouth moves down her neck to her shoulders, trying to ease the tension there, she might settle for a massage.
@Altissima
TARIAN