"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
09-02-2016, 10:39 PM (This post was last modified: 09-05-2016, 01:46 PM by Sahm+Newton.)
The branches haunted the forest floor with twisted shapes. The trunks along the trees were knotted and gnarled. They had already lived great lives and seen thousands come and go. Newton wondered what the trees thought of the sudden change. Had they too lost their families in the earthquake and upheaval? Were the meadows drowning in sorrow for the loss of their flowers and stream’s? How torn was the land of Beqanna. How had the faeries ripped away at the soil? How had they peeled away the grass and uprooted the trees? What was left of the Tundra or of the Dale? Sahm mourned for his old home, the Gates. The mother tree most likely laid in ruin and waste. Sahm knew that his father would have grieved deeply for the loss of his land, but thankfully instead Jason was dancing in the afterlife with Fiasko. Heaven had a Gates. Heaven had a Tundra. Heaven was the place to be.
As mere mortals Newton and Sahm were stuck on the weathered ground of Beqanna. They silently wove through trees and thought to themselves. Newton was growing tired, and Sahm knew that the extra weight on Newton was now bearing down on his legs. ”We can stop here.” Sahm said. ”Thank goodness.” Newton responded with a worded exhale.
Soon the duo stood side-to-side and cheek-to-cheek. Each leaned into the other for support and rest. In time Sahm detected a rustling amongst the bushes. He straightened his stance and peered to his right. ”Who goes there?” He spoke.
09-02-2016, 10:49 PM (This post was last modified: 09-02-2016, 10:50 PM by Aranea.)
to say that she was a little lost was, well, an understatement. it had not been terribly long since she had returned and now the world was in upheaval - nothing new for beqanna, really. it wasn't like it had been all peace and quiet when she had been here last, either. but still she was surprised and found herself wandering to the only place that she did not know.
the forest was not a place she remembered, though surely that was some kind of lapse in memory. it's not like it had sprung up out of nowhere in her absence? mind, the magic in the earth here was more than capable of that kind of thing, she reflected.
she sighed, softly, and continued to push through the thick underbrush. while she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for (or what she would find) she was determined to keep one hoof in front of the other. she wasn't alone long, either - a voice broke through the shadows and with another step that ashen mare found herself facing not just one but two complete strangers.
they questioned her but of course she had no words to keep them, only a somewhat surprised snort and a casual shake of her head. ah, silence my old friend.
ARANEA (immortal, mute, infrared vision)
from dust, she returned
the dream, an enigma... silent
Newton feared the possibility of strangers. When the mare emerged from the cloak of the underbrush Newton instinctively backed away while Sahm protectively held his ground. The mare did not speak. She did not answer the question addressed to her. Instead she simply snorted and shook her head. Sahm found this to be utterly curious, but after a momentary thought he found himself not too surprised. It was well known that with trauma certain changes could occur. Some horses react through utter weakness and disorientation, like Newton, and others may choose not to talk.
Sahm looked toward the mare and dipped his head. He slouched his towering frame as to not appear threatening. A slight smile tugged at the corner of his lips. ”Hello…I am Sahm and this is my mate, Newton.” Sahm motioned toward Newton who was standing wide-eyed behind him. ”Have you lost your home as well?” Sahm asked. He searched for a nod of some kind before going on. ”Can you speak?” Once answered, he attempted to discover more information about the mare by asking more questions. ”We are from the Tundra. I once also lived in the Gates. Where are you from? Can you stomp once I get to the correct name? Falls? Amazons? Dale? Chamber? Valley?”
there may have registered a hint of surprise in her eyes when the one cowered - was she so frightening? - but it was gone quickly. aranea had long ago learned the art of being diplomatic and unassuming; she showed no reaction, either, to the stallion's introduction of the other as his mate. while she had first thought brothers she was not entirely surprised that it was more than that - while uncommon it was not unheard of, here.
of course she could not speak to them - pity, that - and so merely nodded in a friendly sort of way when they spoke. no use being rude.
clearly her silence tipped them off (or, at least the one who was speaking) and aranea was not hesitant to shake her head when he queried her ability to speak. however the surprise she felt at his next words did register, and it was a good thing that she was granted some time to register it all before he reached the valley. stomping to communicate - she snorted in shock at the very notion!
aranea had been fortunate thus far to find herself rather unhindered by the faeries' curse - with magic gone and herself returned from isolation she had learned just how bothersome it was. especially when much of the world seemed to be in a hurry.
nonetheless she obliged and stomped one front hoof when he reached the valley - she hoped the expectant look in her eyes would convey her desire to know where their home had been in return.
ARANEA (immortal, mute, infrared vision)
from dust, she returned
the dream, an enigma... silent
Although Newton had all of his senses in place he felt isolated from the world. His single connection to his family was washed away with little thought to him. The ice that he could turn into brought him home to the smell and temperature of the north. His gift also made him a clear representation of his parents. Newton regarded at Aranea’s quiet spirit. He gazed into her eyes, and oh how he recognized them. They looked like his own. She was a kindred spirit of sorts. Once she clued the two stallions in to her former home Newton stepped forward and caught her glance again. ”As we are from the Tundra we are allies with you. Our former king, Offspring, is bringing together the old alliances.” Newton warmly spoke.
”I’ve heard that Offspring has even talked to Eight.” Sahm added in. The name brought a sour taste to his lips. Eight was the magician that had almost killed him during the great Gates-Chamber war. It was Eight’s fault for Jason’s demise. Sahm was normally quick to forgive, but trusting the winged stallion would take much more time. ”Have you met up with any other valley members?” Sahm went onto ask. ”If you’d like we can take you to Offspring, if you’d like to join us.”
So sorry for the wait! i didnt realize that this thread wouldnt show up on my threads xD sorry sorry! <3
allies. well, that was good, then. at least they wouldn't seek to kill her simply because she belonged to a certain kingdom. aranea could not possibly know of any bad history between these two and the ones that she knew - she was naive, almost like a child returned to beqanna.
she sensed, though, that when he spoke the name of her king it was not with happiness. perhaps it was his body language - did he tense, ever so slightly? or an unintentional gesture - an ear that may have flicked back, or a narrowing of eyes? aranea could not say what it was that gave her this sensation, only that she picked up on it nonetheless. years of silence had taught her to be more intune with the language of the body - she recognized it and used it in return.
his question, of course, was met with a nod. her own ears pressed forward in a silent indication of her eagerness to do so. wherever this new home may be she would follow - she trusted those of the valley, even if she knew them fleetingly. eight, at least, she had a history with - one that stretched back many, many years.
ARANEA (immortal, mute, infrared vision)
from dust, she returned
the dream, an enigma... silent
