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K R I the R E S O L U T E
it's not the petty imperfections that define us, but the way we hold our hearts.
I had cleared my head with the small trip out into the the Meadow, and now, I returned with heavy yet measured steps into my home. The sand was familiar to me, blowing idly in the wind and cascading in swirls. I watch it absent, for my mind is already gearing up for the next task at hand. There had been those who turned from my side, which was not a fault of Leander's but my own. I had failed to make them feel secure under my lead, and that was what truly clutched my heart and squeezed. It was not the gall or foolish pride of the stallion, but my own failure that stung. After all of my years trying to earn forgiveness for what I had allowed to happen to my former home, I would find none here in the Throat, where others cannot stand my power. I return to my former podium, standing in the waves of crimson rock in which I had called a previous herd meeting. My muscles are sore, my gait weak, but I am strong yet. Let my herd see their Leader in the weakest position yet; let them judge me when I have been beaten into exhaustion and weariness. Let them choose when I have no mask to hide behind. "Children of the desert," I call, a hardened voice holding still, though it did not hold the fervor normally present. "Lend me your time, your patience, and your hearts." I wait for them to fill in, familiar faces all, even if I could not name all that stood here. I was still, would always be, able to recognize them as a member of my home, regardless of what I knew to call them. Was brother or sister not enough? I would lay my life down in their place no matter the title in which I gave them in my mind, even those members I for which I cared little. My mouth smiles as I think of Mesir, the girl I had called a bitch, yet I would still leap to her side in aid. Maybe that was something my fellow desert dwellers did not know. I should tell them, and I would. "I would not hide the reality of our home from you, but I will also not allowed rumors to be spread in your ears by forked tongues seeking their own gain. Let me speak of the recent events, so that you may make your own judgments upon them and, more importantly, of me. "I have demoted Leander rather harshly from his position, but only by the authority he had granted me with his own words. We could not agree upon the foundations of what is expected of a Leader, such as how to treat those who would show no regard for the laws we have set down here. There are few, but I would have them respected. We also spoke of foreign policy, but I do not wish to expand our list of allies to include names that would not strengthen our home, such as the Foothills. You may draw your own conclusions about whether I was right in my decisions. "An ally of Leander's joined only long enough to challenge me for control of this herd after I asked him leave of his position. Svetlana is a strong opponent, but I have defeated her soundly. Allow that victory to speak of my ability to defend not only myself, but you all here in this land. I care little for my position, but I love to be able to serve you, my kin. I would not give over such an influential position to a stranger, who not even you know. "Not long after this challenge, before my feathers had even dried, Leander had called to his friends, seeking to draw them from this herd. Some of your fellows have chosen to leave with him, and I would not stand in their paths. Should any others who still feel loyal to the golden stallion stand among us, I would not stand in your way either. You are my family, not my prisoners. If your home is no longer here because I have acted in my own wisdom, I have nothing to offer you that would make you stay. "I do not claim perfection. Those who know me, my own daughter, would speak of my temper. I am quick to judge and stubborn as an ox. However, I will not abandon logic, even when speaking with such force and fury. I have made mistakes, but I do not believe I have led this land in error at any time. I can lead with a hothead, but if I am asked to abandon my passion to gain acceptance of my style of leadership, I do not think I can continue." I pause, giving out a heavy, long look toward the citizens of the Throat. "You have a choice, my friends," I say, more powerfully than before, some of the heat in my heart beginning to touch my face once more. "It is a choice you have always had, though it seems that some choose to ignore it. I rule by the grace of those that follow me. It has been the way of the Tuuli, since we were but a small outcast band with no home, that the leader may be ousted with nothing but a popular vote in favor to do so. I have called you here in earnest, as recent events have taught me that surely, I must be in error somehow. If you have lost faith in me, I do not deserve this position. I wish for those of the Throat who do not want me as their lead to speak up. "Am I still your Leader or a fool for thinking such?" Venomxbaby, EveLivesey, humblebeez and ali00p
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[ ooc; this is open for the entire herd. Feel free to make your own long winded speeches if you want! If Kri is voted to be demoted, you guys will decide upon her replacement as well. ^^ ]
