from the embers, smoke does rise

[OPEN] from the embers, smoke does rise

Psyche the DarkEmpress Posts: 380

Deceased

Mare :: Unicorn :: 15.3 hh :: 8 (ages in Orangemoon) Buff: ENDURE

RayoDeSoleil

05-23-2013, 08:19 PM

Home had been an elusive concept to the shadow-mare for many years, but she had begun to understand what it meant. When she looked out over the Basin, the snow-capped peaks surrounding their little valley gave her a sense of security. When she walked through the trees on chilly nights, the sound of her herd sleeping calmed her. When she waded through the shallows of the hot spring, she was filled with a warmth that had nothing to do with the water. Beyond physical appearances and sensations, she also felt at home there - it was unquestionably her domain, irrevocably her responsibility. It was a fine line that she walked between dictatorship and friendship, and odd mixture of leadership and tenderness.

So much had happened in only two seasons - well, not quite two, yet, but almost - and she felt immensely different from the mare she had been once. She did not feel old, but she did feel wise, much wiser in the ways of the world than her previous self had been. She had learned to curb her tongue, she had learned the advantages of friendship, and she had learned that caring was not weakness, at least not in the way she had previously thought. Friendship could always be used against you, that was true, but if anything, it made you stronger. After all, if she were in trouble, she had at least one spotted stallion that she could depend on for help. Not that she intended to need his help, but it was reassuring nonetheless.

The affection of her herd, too, was priceless, and this was another lesson. Once she had aimed to rule with fear, but she had begun to understand the dangers of such leadership. It was better to be liked, it would seem, and although she did not seem to have quite won the hearts of the older members of the herd, she thought she had done fairly well with the new. Besides, did it matter if they were loyal to she or Mauja, so long as they were loyal to one or the other? She would not act to alienate them, but neither would she go out of her way to befriend those who clearly preferred the FrostHeart as their leader. She herself certainly enjoyed his company, though she wished she knew where they stood in more... absolute terms.

A familiar scent caught in her nares and she lifted her cranium into the wind. A light breeze drifted from the north, stirring the feathers wound through her banner. They brushed gently along her nape, raising goosebumps where they touched. She had not thought to welcome Illynx home again, and yet she was most certainly here. Perhaps they had not seen each other in a long while, but the shade had not forgotten. After all, what with her recent discoveries, Illynx would be among the few individuals she could truly call 'friend.' Pistons blurred into an easy canter up a small hill, heading for the many caves that lined the base of the mountains. She was not hurried; after all, if she had returned, Illynx was surely there to stay. Still, she wished to offer a greeting before anyone else could.

The mouth of the cave was dark, more so than normal in the low light of evening. She paused for a moment inside, allowing her amber orbs to adjust to the darker setting, and then offered a coy smile. It was her trademark, that smile, but there was something different in it, something almost welcoming. "Illynx, darling," she said sweetly. "I never thought I'd see you again, but welcome home."

[W/C | ---]

Walk walk walk.
"Talk talk talk."
Think think think.