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07-22-2016, 06:00 AM
like breaking diamonds with your hands
Chaos.
But what had he expected, in this land constantly rocked by turmoil and strife? When sometimes the earth itself seemed to turn against them, corrupt their flesh, their minds, and blanket them in darkness absolute and unending? What had he expected, in a herd where strong wills came together? Ambition blended with care and love, greed and envy with a sense of entitlement, and as he listened with a lazy ear to Nyx's tirade he wondered what fueled her rant; true concern for the herd's well-being, or something else? Some ulterior motive?
His gaze did a cursory sweep over the rest of the herd. What drove them? Were they content in their lives here, at the bottom of the pyramid upon which all kingdoms were built? Or did they strive to escape the shackles that bound them to the floor? Did they want to rise above, to one day be at the top?
But why?
The top was lonely, the air so thin and the fall so high.
Words capered on his tongue, but he didn't have the time to spit them out before anyone else spoke—Elsa snapped a reprimand at the ironheart General, followed quickly by Glasgow blocking the path of Nyx's lion. One of Mauja's 'brows rose at that. Glasgow? Had he been all wrong when he'd pegged her as timid? Because there sure was fire in her now.
Things were moving too fast. Elsa was leaving (no, wait, don't go—) but he couldn't follow her now, and—Nyx was trying to leave, too, a path clearing through the throng and there was a Pegasus mare he knew belonged to the herd but she was all banged up, and shooting more criticism at the pregnant General. His plea of information had seemed to fall on deaf ears until Raeden spoke up, offering him some of what he wanted to know; his ears flicked, blue eyes swept back to her. An unknown stallion lurked next to her.
And surely, he wouldn't need to yell 'healer'? Surely the three healers present weren't blind, and would see that the Pegasus mare was bleeding? "Thank you, Raeden," he said instead, voice half-loud, before he raised it further to speak to no one and everyone. "And once, a warrior of this herd stepped down to pursue her call as a mother. She meant to bear children for the herd, and knew she could never meet the expectations as a warrior if she was always pregnant. It is something for all warriors to consider—my parents refrained from starting a family until they were past their fighting prime. For what will your children's lives be if you, or anyone else, cannot defend them when your enemies come to tear your world apart?"
Sometimes he wondered if anyone ever thought about that. And the question was only half rhetorical.
"Brief," he said after a second, giving the answer, perhaps a tad more irritated than he had suspected as the word fell over the gathered herd. He was in no position to make threats, but Nyx had been a General in the herd for how many years now? One? And before that, hadn't she been second in command to Elsa? She should know better, and while he had voiced it as more of a general anecdote, and perhaps as an addendum to Raeden's appeal for being battle ready, he doubted anyone would miss his point.
He tried to quell his anger, but Nyx's display had bothered him more than he had wanted to admit—and apparently gone so far as to dredge up his irritation with warrior mares getting pregnant willy-nilly.
[ as a FYI Mauja has no idea Oizys "isn't" Nyx's. Filly sticking close to a mare and being familiar with her, logical conclusion is that it's their offspring, right? xD ]
But what had he expected, in this land constantly rocked by turmoil and strife? When sometimes the earth itself seemed to turn against them, corrupt their flesh, their minds, and blanket them in darkness absolute and unending? What had he expected, in a herd where strong wills came together? Ambition blended with care and love, greed and envy with a sense of entitlement, and as he listened with a lazy ear to Nyx's tirade he wondered what fueled her rant; true concern for the herd's well-being, or something else? Some ulterior motive?
His gaze did a cursory sweep over the rest of the herd. What drove them? Were they content in their lives here, at the bottom of the pyramid upon which all kingdoms were built? Or did they strive to escape the shackles that bound them to the floor? Did they want to rise above, to one day be at the top?
But why?
The top was lonely, the air so thin and the fall so high.
Words capered on his tongue, but he didn't have the time to spit them out before anyone else spoke—Elsa snapped a reprimand at the ironheart General, followed quickly by Glasgow blocking the path of Nyx's lion. One of Mauja's 'brows rose at that. Glasgow? Had he been all wrong when he'd pegged her as timid? Because there sure was fire in her now.
Things were moving too fast. Elsa was leaving (no, wait, don't go—) but he couldn't follow her now, and—Nyx was trying to leave, too, a path clearing through the throng and there was a Pegasus mare he knew belonged to the herd but she was all banged up, and shooting more criticism at the pregnant General. His plea of information had seemed to fall on deaf ears until Raeden spoke up, offering him some of what he wanted to know; his ears flicked, blue eyes swept back to her. An unknown stallion lurked next to her.
And surely, he wouldn't need to yell 'healer'? Surely the three healers present weren't blind, and would see that the Pegasus mare was bleeding? "Thank you, Raeden," he said instead, voice half-loud, before he raised it further to speak to no one and everyone. "And once, a warrior of this herd stepped down to pursue her call as a mother. She meant to bear children for the herd, and knew she could never meet the expectations as a warrior if she was always pregnant. It is something for all warriors to consider—my parents refrained from starting a family until they were past their fighting prime. For what will your children's lives be if you, or anyone else, cannot defend them when your enemies come to tear your world apart?"
Sometimes he wondered if anyone ever thought about that. And the question was only half rhetorical.
"Brief," he said after a second, giving the answer, perhaps a tad more irritated than he had suspected as the word fell over the gathered herd. He was in no position to make threats, but Nyx had been a General in the herd for how many years now? One? And before that, hadn't she been second in command to Elsa? She should know better, and while he had voiced it as more of a general anecdote, and perhaps as an addendum to Raeden's appeal for being battle ready, he doubted anyone would miss his point.
He tried to quell his anger, but Nyx's display had bothered him more than he had wanted to admit—and apparently gone so far as to dredge up his irritation with warrior mares getting pregnant willy-nilly.
[ as a FYI Mauja has no idea Oizys "isn't" Nyx's. Filly sticking close to a mare and being familiar with her, logical conclusion is that it's their offspring, right? xD ]
INTERACTIONS: Raeden, Nyx
