.svg/2000px-Google_Chrome_icon_(2011).svg.png){kind=icon}
09-27-2013, 12:47 AM
 |
|
Though our night has not ended, life has gone on. As I nibble tentatively on a few blades of grass, I realize that they taste precisely the same as they always have. A step forward, and I swish my tail gently, displacing a few flies that had decided that my hind legs would make a good perch. Crickets chirp and buzz in the night, a quiet cacophony of life that had abounded despite the lacking sun. It is dazzling, when one stops to think about it, but it loses its luster when one remembers the lives that have been lost, the wars that have been fought, the wrongs that have been committed in the absence of our gods. Though I cannot blame them for their disappearance - for who am I to question to gods? - I cannot quite bring myself to forgive their abandonment. The night, though it has been long, soothes me, and I find myself relaxing in ways that I have forgotten I can. The stress of bearing another child, a fatherless child at that - well, for all intents and purposes - has crushed upon my heart; it is only here that the weight begins to lift. The feeling does not last, however, for my peace reminds me of my first visit to these fields. My first encounter with Rowan. My heart aches so desperately at this train of thought that I must close my eyes against the tears that threaten to spill. My friend, my sister, my soul... gone. Forever. Never again will her gentle smile pull an answering one in return from me; never again will her incredible intelligence amaze me; never again will she dote upon my children. A single tear overflows; I take a shaky breath, momentarily overcome with emotion. A familiar trill calls my attention, and with a slight shudder, my head jerks upward, my auds pricking in the general direction from which the noise had come. I shake my head, trying desperately to banish the morose thoughts, and as Stella comes into view, I offer a small smile. "Hello, Stella. It's lovely to see you," I say, my voice barely louder than a whisper, though my pleasure is heartfelt. If Stella has arrived, then Phaedra cannot be far behind; perhaps a visit from my unlikely friend will cheer me, despite her potential involvement in the battle. A twang of guilt pinches in my mind - should I fraternize with a potential enemy? I have never cared for politics, and as Phae enters the scene I find myself caring even less. I nicker warmly to Phae as she lands, a genuine smile, larger now, on my maw. I close the distance between us to greet her with a touch of my muzzle to hers; it is difficult to tell in this light if she is injured, or if her feathers are ruffled, or, in short, if she has been up to anything remotely like fighting. "Phae, it's so good to see you," I say, meaning every word despite the rift that has bubbled up in my breast. "Yes, she's a beautiful filly," I add in response to her apologies. "Her name is Zenobia. You'll have to come say hello!" My smile falters slightly; I would love for her to meet my younger daughter, but I am not sure that she can. The relationship between our herds is still an unknown to me. It has never occurred to me that Phaedra's friendship may not be true, but I can say that standing in that meadow, I wondered if she thought she could use me as a means to gain information. The thought was quickly banished, of course - of the many times we have spoken, she has only ever listened to my personal troubles and attempted to help me - but it had surfaced nonetheless. And these things, once thought, cannot be forgotten. I want to apologize, but I don't know what for; I have done nothing wrong, have I? "I would have come to see you, but..." I trail off, awkwardly shifting my weight. "I... there are rumors... I don't know that I would be welcome in the Foothills." "Talk talk talk." @[Phaedra] |
| Sohalia Don't wanna leave this life knowing I barely tried... |
