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  • Beqanna

    COTY

    Assailant -- Year 226

    QOTY

    "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


    caught in the crosshairs of the things we've done; Brennen
    #1

    She's got the devil's eyes

    Though their paths had crossed from time to time, as they were wont to do given their mutual interests, it has been far too long since they had had a moment for a more private discussion. An oversight Heartfire is keen to correct. Magicians are not among the simplest of creature to pin down, of course, but Heartfire is not without means of her own. Neither is she especially easy to dissuade when she sets her mind to something.

    Fortunately for her, Brennen seems to have a penchant for strong women. Perhaps his affection for her grandmother might be afforded, in some part at least, to her. For all that she is a difficult woman who has few (what one might actually consider) friends, she has an abiding respect and unspoken trust in the winged stallion that could almost be mistaken for something akin to affection.

    Still, whether regrettable or not, she has some difficulty admitting to such things, so it remains an unspoken secret.

    The day is overcast, clouds hanging low in the sky as rain threatens but never quite seems to spill. The wind mutters endlessly across the high cliffs of Nerine, seeming uncertain whether to blow fiercely or give way to the impending storm. Heartfire stands along one jagged cliffedge, staring out at the white-capped spatter of the crashing waves, dark mane whipped into a tangle by the indecisive tug of the wind. Toes flirt with the edges of the crumbling stone, dangerously unafraid of rock that could so easily tumble beneath her. Perhaps it would. But she doubts it.

    He’s close. She can feel it, a tickle at the edges of her vision. She’d been calling, knowing he would hear her. Not in the usual way she does such things of course. He is one of the few who could so easily foil her abilities if he so chose, and so she does not try. No, instead she uses that long-ago forged connection. The one of blood, the one she knows he’d woven when he’d been gifted his magic. A connection passed down to her by way of her maternal grandmother. The same one that proclaimed her great-granddaughter.

    She could only hope he would answer.

    and they'll cut you like a weapon

    Heartfire


    @[Brennen]
    #2
    SO GIVE ME HOPE IN THE DARKNESS THAT I WILL SEE THE LIGHT
    'CAUSE OH THAT GAVE ME SUCH A FRIGHT
    Technically, he is still a part of Nerine. Brennen has never cut his ties to the cliff-side seat of power, though he hasn’t resided here anywhere near full-time since his love affair with Scorch went up in flames like the most vicious wildfire. The magician is still their Champion, first and foremost. To those who saw only that Brennen was hopelessly in love with Scorch, and Scorch chose Hestoni, it might seem quite odd that he’s chosen to remain loyal to Nerine, but there are ties that bind deeper, invisible ties; and he is linked to Nerine’s Queen independently of the woman who broke his heart. (Or so he tells himself, to refuse to admit that he still has feelings for Scorch – but the truth is, when she vibrates his family ‘net’, Heartfire is actually pinging him twice; once as his great-granddaughter and once as Scorch’s granddaughter).

    It takes him a moment to settle Nihlus and the twins, who insist on a story before they’ll settle for a nap with their dam, and also to make a quick check on the mischievous yearling in the ocean before he heads in her direction. But, given those few stolen moments with his young children, he chooses simply to reappear in Nerine rather than fly over. The first thing that hits him is the fierce wind, and he bemusedly notes the way the blue roan mare is leaning over the cliff face. He takes a purposeful step on the rocks to announce his presence, because he doesn’t want to have his first words startle her over the edge. He could snatch her back with magic, but what if he missed, or something? “Unless you summoned me here to watch a terribly mistimed suicide attempt,” he says dryly, a distinct glint of humor in his eyes. “I’d prefer if you step back from the edge.”

    They don’t have a close personal relationship, but Brennen will always come for his descendants if they call him.

    “I hope you don’t need my services as Champion, either,” he flashes a quick glint of a smile momentarily quite dangerous. “Because I am sure we could find more interesting things to talk about.” The magician is curious about her, one of these children whose parents he never knew. He loves them anyway, in a visceral and strong way, but it’s a different relationship to come to know them as adults, rather than raising them as children. As he’d raised her great-aunt and great-uncle. Cy had given him the twins, but for some reason she had kept Oksana from him; he might never know why, but he likes to watch his great-granddaughter craftily rule her corner of the world.


    BUT I WILL HOLD AS LONG AS YOU LIKE
    JUST PROMISE ME WE'LL BE ALRIGHT
    Brennen


    @[Heartfire]
    #3

    She's got the devil's eyes

    A faint almost crackle is the only warning she is given before he appears on the cliff. With the harsh gusts of wind, she might have missed it had she not been waiting. His words draw her gaze to him, the blue briefly shrouded by the tangle of her forelock. A faint smile touches her lips at his words, the thought briefly crossing her mind that he would be one of the very few who might actually be sorry to see her tumble over the edge.

    Were she a woman with any less confidence, that thought might have bothered her.

    “Mmmm,” she murmurs thoughtfully in reply, gaze briefly returning to the unmatched view of the sea from her perch. “I don’t think it’s really my style.” No, if she went down in anything less than a wildly spectacular fashion, she’d be quite disappointed.

    While she doesn’t hold any particular fears standing so close to the edge of ruin, she does step back after another moment. Turning, she faces the winged magician, bold gaze settling unapologetically on him. Were she a woman who gave in to such things, she might regret they’d never had the chance to know one another better. They are family, after all. And for all their differences, that is one thing they have in common.

    Heartfire had always held her family in much higher regard than anyone might have guessed. Has long strived to watch and protect whenever possible.

    Truthfully, it had never bothered her that Brennen didn’t seem particularly tied to Nerine. After all, it is merely a tract of land, rock and earth covered in grass and trees. Heartfire had always been the same. Her ties to this kingdom were not to what rests beneath her feet, but the kinship of those who call it home. No matter how far flung they might currently be. She keeps Nerine for it’s people, not for the land, no matter how beautiful.

    His offhand comment brings a faint glint of amusement to her eye. While she is glad to know he would still answer Nerine’s plea, she hoped such needs would remain entirely unnecessary. She is not a war-monger, and would much prefer her wits to battle in gaining what she desires. Still, she’s not foolish enough to believe Nerine might forever remain immune to such things.

    “Not as yet,” she replies easily, her voice light. “And given the option, I’ll keep it that way.” Of course, he must be aware of the threads of tension running through Beqanna. It may have been quiet lately, but it was much more the hush before the storm than any true sense of peace. And while Heartfire may have no interest in stirring trouble where there is none, she knows eventually it would break. And she has no intention of being unprepared when it does.

    Tilting her head faintly, she glances briefly at the rambling cliff-edge before peering back at Brennen. “Shall we walk?” she asks in lieu of a response. “I too find myself wishing to discuss other things.”

    Honestly, at the moment, she’s rather sick of politics anyway.

    and they'll cut you like a weapon

    Heartfire




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