"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
He cannot help but to smile, looking at her with a soft look upon his features, as he shakes his head slightly. ”I already passed the test” he replies, bringing his nose towards his right chest to lightly trail his muzzle across his scar. ”This scar is the prove of it. All the brothers that have been initiated to the brotherhood carry their own scar.” Offspring’s was just below his eye, and both Hurricane and Patchouli carried theirs elsewhere on their body. Brynmor’s scar had thick white lines and was located on the right side of his chest, expanding towards his shoulder.
As he takes a deep breath he let the thought of the werewolf slip away, knowing that it had only been his imagination and Missy’s twisted and sick games. And more importantly, that he had left them far behind in the past. He had a new life now, a better one, and a future too. Brynmor had already climbed the ranks of the peace caste, and he was determined to do so with the other caste as well, so he was able to contribute to his home the best he could. With his new rank the invisibility had come too, but the graying male had yet to master this new gift.
Her words pull him out of his thoughts and Brynmor can only offer her an apologetic smile. ”I’m sorry, what did you say? I didn’t quite catch it.” He cannot help it but to look a little goofy, like always happened if he got lost in thoughts.
At his statement, I wondered if he was remembering his time in the caves, getting back into my train of thoughts.
Would I receive traits if I proved worthy? I know that high ranked kingdom horses often end up with amazing traits that benefited them greatly, but this is a Bachelor kingdom. I'm a mare, which makes that unlikely.
"Oh. Well, at least you seem to be in a better place." I say, but my rambles apparently caught his attention and he asked me to repeat it. "Oh.. was just thinking aloud, that's all. Nothing important." I said quickly, loudly, a bit too brightly, obviously hiding something as I looked away.
Maybe this is not the place for me, after all.. I thought, still looking away, not caring about the cold or the snow as a blizzard started up and snow landed on my flanks, back, and face, giving almost a look that armor would if it was a silver color. It avoided my eyes, thankfully, and did not feel wet, only dry, light.
Brynmor hadn’t been looking for traits at all and even though he would have to admit his gift’s benefits, it didn’t really hold that much value to him. It was more like something that was given to him to help him fulfil his tasks, not as something to toy around with. It wasn’t permanent either, they came with the rank, and would only last for as long as he bound himself to that rank and the kingdom. And simply because of that there wasn’t a way for G’ren to earn a kingdom granted trait, or well, that was if she would decide to live in the Tundra as her home. Only brothers from the brotherhood served the ranks.
He nods, after all, he could only agree with her words. ”Yes, I’m home now. The Tundra is home. And I’m glad Hurricane offered me – back then a blind, untrained, male – a place among the brothers of the brotherhood. Now I feel like I can truly pay the Tundra back all she has given to me.” It wouldn’t be exaggerated to say that Brynmor favoured his home, he would do anything for the Tundra and by facing the caves he had pledged his loyalty. But like the Tundra was his home, he wanted that she could be a home for whoever sought one. If it was up to him, they wouldn’t turn anybody away.
Once again he dips his head in acknowledgement, although he clearly notices something is off. Yet he decides to not press it, knowing that G’ren would speak up about it whenever the time was right, or not at all, is she would decide that. ”What do you think of the Tundra so far?” he asks her gently, trying to keep the conversation going as they venture further into the kingdom, passing by the caves to walk further.
As we moved passed the caves, I was still blushing a good bit. "That's good, that Hurricane was a good ruler is quite evident." I say, absent-minded a bit, and silently thanking fate for him not pressing me.
I had a hard time back where I was, and when I found Raelnyx, I was only reminded of my mother. I had no memories of anybody from here, this place could be my cleaned off slate. "I'm quite enjoying it, to be honest. A clean slate for me, if you will," I murmur, the blizzard's energy creating a euphoric atmosphere in my mind.
"Nothing to remind me of... them.. It's a new place, a fresh start, somewhere I can remove my memories of.. my foalhood." I mutter, all feelings of euphoria gone as I flop my mane to reveal a nasty, pure white scar tracing all the way up and down my neck, as long as an entire horse leg and hoof together.
"This is what my parents gave me." I state numbly, no emotion worth the simple words, and leave it just long enough for him to see it fully, then shake my mane back over to cover it. "And many more." I murmur, but unable to show them. For they criscrossed my soul, my sanity, my mind itself. This is what had brought me to find pain beautiful, even without being born that way.
