the Rift


Quiet Patrol [MadMask]

Smoke the Wild Rose Posts: 128
Hidden Account
Mare :: Equine :: 15.2 hh :: 10 Buff: SWIFT
Zaffre :: Common Blue Dragon :: Fire Breath Kachie
#1
The day had been quiet, as so many days had been. Tallsun was finally seeming to lose its grip, though it stretched longer than any Tallsun she'd experienced before. Patrols during the hottest hours were few, more easily done by the dragons that were bonded to various herd members. But with the advent of evening or before the sun was long up in the morning, it was the task of the warriors to make the rounds.

It was one such early morning, the sky just lightening with the rise of the sun, that found Smoke performing a patrol herself. The air had not yet warmed, and held the night's cool for some few hours yet. She had grown tired of organizing and directing things, doing the things that leaders do. She wanted movement, something to do. So she walked the borders, muzzle low to catch unfamiliar scents.

As always, she was never alone. Above her Zaffre fluttered from branch to branch, a figure that seemed alternately a reminder of the deepest night and a harbringer of the midday skies. At times he dove, ending some small life with a rustle and a muffled squeak, before reclaiming a lofty perch to crunch on a rodent snack. Neither were concerned about encountering a threat, or a stranger. So they were both relaxed, dropping the casually alert stance they generally maintained when roaming beyond the Foothills.

Madyrn Maskan Posts: 87
Deceased
Stallion :: Equine :: 17hh :: 16
Whit
#2
It was a rare moment, for the brothers to be more than a few paces away from each other. Their synchrony was not being practised today - or maybe it was, but with such a distance between them as to make it impossible to know whether one was doing the same as the other - their eyes better used to watch the borders if they split up and watched from two separate locations.

A flash of blue catches the eyes of the one with crimson hindlegs, his orange gaze sharply focussing upon the dragon in the trees, his ears pressed forward, his bodice taut with the potential for swift and powerful movement. A breath leaves his flared nostrils as he recognises the creature, having made mental notes of the tri-coloured one from their initial meetings with the Military Chieftess. Though bonded to no dragons of their own, upon meeting their sister's glorious Akaith, they had an appreciation for the beasts, and with memories such as theirs, rarely forgot one who held a bond with a fellow equine.

"If it isn't the Wild Rose." Smooth, deep tones sprang forth, a small smile offered upon lips that were stained mostly black, but with a touch of white that dripped down from his haphazard blaze. Maskan bent his regal nape to her, visage lowering, but eyes never leaving her. He respected her, but he did not know her, not as well as he would have liked to - he was surprised to find himself admitting. It was never a bad thing to want to get to you the one who leads you, however.

The tall brute walked then, his motions fluid, near silent, well-practised, approaching the grullo with a smooth and long gait, swiftly enclosing the gap that lingered still between them. Warrior and his general stood, breaths apart, predatory eyes drinking her form, hesitating upon the scars that told of her history. How he longed to ask what each one wrote.


"Care to join my watch? Madyrn keeps the northeastern rim, I was just heading west."

Smoke the Wild Rose Posts: 128
Hidden Account
Mare :: Equine :: 15.2 hh :: 10 Buff: SWIFT
Zaffre :: Common Blue Dragon :: Fire Breath Kachie
#3
A deep voice disturbed the early morning quiet, speaking her title and causing the grulla to pause and lift her gaze to regard the stallion who offered a small smile to her as well as his words of acknowledgement. After a moment she returned his smile with one of her own, and she inclined her head in turn. She recognized him, of course. It was hard not to know one of the two brothers of Mirage and Rishima, with their distinctive markings at legs and face. While it was unusual to see the twins not at one another's sides, it was not unheard of. "Maskan," she spoke in quiet greeting.

He approached her then, moving with a quiet grace that was almost predatory, to gave at her with eyes that definitely were. Patiently she withstood his appraisal, with a quiet confidence that other mares might not have possessed. Not with a stallion so much larger than oneself gazing at her the way he did, lingering every dark and light scar that marked her hide. Granted, having Zaffre sitting nearby, intently watchful, was part of the reason she was not worried by his towering presence.

"Yes, I would like to." Her words were carefully chosen as she studied him in return. Being the solitary military leader of the Foothills was perhaps more diplomatic than one expected. Moreso since she was a mare leading so many stallions, with no intention of giving them ideas. Yes, she'd had foals in the past, Kimber was living, vivacious proof of that. But she did not intend to be in that situation anytime soon. So she juggled the respect and alliance of so many stallions, unwilling to let any get too close. Only Paladin of late was treated different, and he because of Soleil.

Madyrn Maskan Posts: 87
Deceased
Stallion :: Equine :: 17hh :: 16
Whit
#4
The mare studied him, and Maskan was not one to shirk away from such observations, his thick, cresty nape holding his refined crown with a poise hinting at the arabic heritage staining his blood, though he was hairy and feathery enough that most would think he was simply a heavier draft breed, only, less heavy. Muscles were clearly defined as the heat made his skin feel thinner, veins and vessels standing out beneath his obsidian pelt clearly under the Sun. He was a stallion alright, alive and kicking, learned and lived through many a lifetime's worth of adventures. And was he tired of that?

Hell no.

Smoke made no move to shy away from his own observations, a trait he immediately liked, and he was swift to believe his sister's assessment of the mare; she was someone all the siblings would have liked to get to know better. A wry thought passed through Maskan's crown, he very much would like to be the first to learn of her more personal history sooner than his siblings - sibling rivalry and all that.

That she could tell the twins apart was indeed a trait worth mentioning also, few bothered to learn the differences between them, the delicate ways their personas balanced the other out. He liked her again, for her attention to detail. Permission was granted to linger in her company, and a leisurely walk was engaged by the duo. A grin was composed and purposely given to the blue dragon, his regal crown nodding to the dragon in recognition and welcome. He liked dragons, and much like his sister, thought that those who associated themselves with them were of particular character, perhaps able to earn his respect a little bit quicker than those yet to be bonded.

"Your hooves have taken you far." He commented, thinking back on the time she revealed mere snippets of her long history to the group who were 'greeting' the most unwelcome snake, Viserys, into the herd. Fortunately that filth was done and dusted, exiled from the herd until otherwise instructed. "I can only speculate on the specifics of such a life that has led you here." A small grin curved his lips again, though it was again short lived, merely there to add a playfully curious tone to his gentle inquiry. He wanted to know more, but not at the expense of forcing it from the mare's own mouth.

Smoke the Wild Rose Posts: 128
Hidden Account
Mare :: Equine :: 15.2 hh :: 10 Buff: SWIFT
Zaffre :: Common Blue Dragon :: Fire Breath Kachie
#5
It amused her to note the tiny adjustments his body made once he realized she was giving him as thorough a look over as he had given her. Even if her gaze was cool and even, lacking in the fire of appreciation that lurked always in a stallion's gaze, he put himself off to best display. He was a proud one, comfortable in his skin and a fine specimin of stallion-hood. There was a brief moment where she felt a flutter of approval, and then she was amused by herself. She supposed it was only natural to appreciate masculine beauty, though her own recent history in the area of romance was enough of a reminder to behave. She'd lost both Gunslinger and Frostbite not long after expressing interest, and it was best not to jinx things.

For now they walked, pacing the limits of the Foothills. Zaffre continued to pace them from the trees, chirruping softly when the big stud paid particular attention to him. He was accustomed to being acknowledged by a variety of individuals, so merely took it in stride to receive a grin and a nod.

"Mmm," she murmured in acknowledgement to his comment. "No farther than my daughter has walked, and not as far as some." Here she glanced at him with an amused little smile. She knew he remembered the tid-bits she'd revealed when trying to impress her role upon that overly proud and pompous young stallion. Annoyance still flickered within her at the thought of Viserys, for he reminded her overly much of Imiq. "My life has been mostly simple, if you can call dodging war and death almost every season while too-proud stallions and their followers fought over whether wings or horns or neither were best." A disdainful snort was given as she flicked her tail against her haunches. "I survived, I loved, I fought, I hated. I tried to change things to the better, one life at a time, until even the land could no longer tolerate the political games that were played and the blood that was shed, and rose to cast us out with the shades of our dead. It was no longer equines against unicorns against pegasi. It was the living against the dead. So we fought, we died, we fled, and survived. To start over, here." It was a simple, if wordy explanation. No specifics, merely hints of smaller events against the background of the larger drama. If he wanted more, he'd have to ask. For some reason she didn't mind telling him all this... perhaps it was because he was Mirage's brother, as well as one of her own warriors?

Madyrn Maskan Posts: 87
Deceased
Stallion :: Equine :: 17hh :: 16
Whit
#6
He listened, silent as was possible aside from the usual noises that accompanied breathing and walking. Dreadlocked tail swept across the earth to slap roughly against his hide. Indeed, this lady had been through much. He nodded his acknowledgement to her tale, knowing that it was condensed for the sake of the moment, wanting to know the details. But he was grateful that she was willing to bestow what broad truths she had - he held no doubts of the truth behind her words.

That dreaded word was mentioned of course, love. Maskan knew of love, his family was driven by it - oftentimes driven mad by it. His love for his siblings meant little else could ever get underneath his skin, little else could catch and hold his attention for longer than a single night of deep, fiery, passionate love. The stallion was not ashamed of this; it was how he was put together, he could not help that. As they, as a band of brothers, travelled across the lands, it made sense to spread their bloodlines about, to give more strength to those who had already proven their own resolve. Just because they seemingly knew not how to love another soul truly, deeply and forever like their littlest sister might, did not mean they humped everything in sight.

"Mirage spoke of Isilme; she saw the destruction wrought upon the lands by brattish sons of so-called gods." He tones were dry, vacant - except for a hint of affection and possibly concern for his sister. "She would never speak of it out loud, but it affected her deeply. She and Akaith came back to us for a time then, before her wandering ways tore her away from us." A small, nostalgic grin edged in along the corner of his mouth then. "It took us some years to find her again." He spoke quietly, not liking to announce intimate information of himself or his siblings any louder than a whisper's breath could grasp.

"Death is a part of life - the only true guarantee of life, in fact." His tones had returned to their dry dictation again, Maskan was more philosophical than his brother, but that didn't mean he too could grow bored, or angry at the findings such deep ponderings led him to. "Do you feel like you've made the most of your fresh start here?" It was an innocent question, his eyes sought her own out as he asked it. He was genuinely interested to know if the mare was happy here - he even found himself wanting to ensure she was content.

Smoke the Wild Rose Posts: 128
Hidden Account
Mare :: Equine :: 15.2 hh :: 10 Buff: SWIFT
Zaffre :: Common Blue Dragon :: Fire Breath Kachie
#7
She appreciated that he listened to her as though every word were vitally important. Not something to be sifted through for something comprehensible and then run off on that small nugget of supposed information. He was unlike what she was accustomed to in a stallion, and the resemblance to his sisters ran deeper than coloration. That thought wrought a small smile on her features as she glanced up at him and then away. Gaze growing attentive as she studied their path and the lands beyond.

"She missed the worst of it," she murmured quietly at his words, voice gently saddened. "The deepest points of the fighting, the aftermath of their terrible magic. Lands destroyed, torn down, buried. Water redirected to alter the land further." Her memories brought the images to her mind, dark imagery that gave way to brighter ones. "But we made the most of it, before it all went wrong a final time. It was... peaceful, for a time. But we couldn't fix what generations had done before us."

She shook her head, then glanced to him once more. "Here, you mean. You all came together here." Her eyes were alert, understanding perhaps a bit more than he expected. But she didn't press, recognizing that quiet tone for what it entailed. Instead she allowed the conversation to push ahead, nodding slightly in acknowledgement of his philosophical statement. Not something she'd expect from his brother, but it seemed suitable for him.

And then he surprised her with the most innocent of questions. Her ears twitched as she paused, considering. Had she? Her days had been full of what she had to do, to protect and draw together all those who needed sheltering. But was that making the most of the seasons.

Wryly, she chuckled. "If I must be honest with myself, no. I haven't made the most of things for myself, merely done what I had to. I couldn't linger on thoughts of those we didn't know about, whether they were alive or dead. Or worse. Some we still don't know, may never know. I had to find a home for my daughter, for those who followed me. Gossamer welcomed us here, asked me to stand as the military leader when her magic caught her a glimpse of the fighting I had done. More than she, or her mate. I accepted, for it was the least I could do when she was so welcoming to all of us." Her tail swished against her haunches, restively. "But I have never been quite... happy with it. Some fight because they want to, but not I. It was always of necessity."

Somewhat startled that she'd said so much, she blinked at him, contemplatively.

Madyrn Maskan Posts: 87
Deceased
Stallion :: Equine :: 17hh :: 16
Whit
#8
He listened, and confirmed within himself what Mirage had suspected; Isilme had risen again under a new banner after the great clash of the demi-gods ground the lands to dust. It sounded horrific; as Smoke spoke the images danced within Maskan's mind's eye, her choice of words easily stirring the imagination that often thought of little else but the stallion's next meal, or his family. Knowingly, he nodded, recognising that Isilme was a land scarred so deeply by war, it was unable to ever recover again. A shame, perhaps, that something with such potential for greatness would fall to ruin, but such was the way of things. Having never treaded upon the lands, nor grown attached to them personally, the stallion easily moved his thoughts away from them.

A small smile and a deep nod confirmed what Smoke voiced about the siblings regrouping here, in these lands of magic, mystery and the utterly unknown. He didn't mind that she had come to that conclusion, heck, he even expected it of her now, given what a crafty little mare she was proving to be. With the amount of scars scattered across her hide, and to still be standing, it was not surprising that an intelligence of great power resided between those twitching ears of hers. The stallion was glad for company that was not related to him, that held an intelligent tongue for a change. Dealing with useless thugs like Viserys, and leaders of few words like Indy, had given him a thirst for something else, something more stimulating - it was a thirst he hadn't realise he possessed until now.

That wasn't to say he was unhappy with his lot. He would never deny his siblings presence, no matter the time of day or night, nor the reason - even if it was to argue and fight, or share in a quiet moment of affection. His siblings meant more than anything to this stallion, and he knew his brother was the same. Wonder where that idiot is… Casually, his eyes flicked over his shoulder, half-expecting his temperamental half to come charging through the trees, demanding to know why Maskan got to enjoy the company of their esteemed Military Leader while he was dutifully scouting the Northern rim. But no crashes of hooves echoed through the grounds, no scolding birds or fallen leaves caused by brash, uncontrolled movements occurred. Their peaceful walk would be uninterrupted, for now.

Attention locked upon the grulla once more, and her words did surprise him then. She was so similar to the mares he was related to, he wondered at the possibilities of their being related - but he was from a land years worth of travel away from here, the chances were slim at best. It gave him hope, that such insight into life existed across entire globes, that perhaps the races of the horses - winged, horned and plain - were not doomed if such grounded, steady creatures did exist in each. Evidently, not enough of these minds did exist, for ignorance and stupidity still seemed to rule the world.

"At least Gossamer has the sense to know her borders would need to be protected by a capable hoof." He said quietly, slightly amused at the mare's own surprise of her slightly lengthy speech. "It sounds to me, however, that while the hoof fits into the hoofprint - you are certainly most qualified for the role, madam - you are not a warlord." A breath of laughter stole from his lips. "In our wanderings, we often found causes that we thought were worthy of our blood and sweat, we were proud to call ourselves lords of war. But after so many years... We finally realised what we had always known." He paused here, unsure of exactly how to express what it was he was feeling, also unsure just how much of himself he was willing to reveal.

"We realised that the only thing worth fighting for, was love."



[ Omg, Maskan muse, where did you come from...? ]

Smoke the Wild Rose Posts: 128
Hidden Account
Mare :: Equine :: 15.2 hh :: 10 Buff: SWIFT
Zaffre :: Common Blue Dragon :: Fire Breath Kachie
#9
Regaining her composure with a small, wry smile, she nodded slightly to him as he spoke. Oh yes, he was most definitely Mirage's brother. It occured to her to wonder how much the siblings passed between themselves of those they met and the things they did. Would fragile tidbits of this conversation venture into the knowledge of his brother, his sisters? Just as easily as the thought came to her, she realized she didn't mind. Not really. There was never any part of her that held anything negative toward this family. She trusted them to not turn against her. And, increasingly, to be at least somewhat understanding.

"Warlord? Never. I knew of stallions who could be called that. But I consider myself to be a healer first. Even if all I can do is work some herbs with Zaffre's help, or offer some words that might make things better..." She shrugged, gaze stealing toward him to listen to his laughter, however brief. Ears twitched to catch his brand of wisdom, garnered over more years than she suspected she'd lived.

Quietly she mulled over his last statement, nodding slowly. "Yes. It is. Everything else comes to appear petty when you stand for the things, the ones, you love." It was somewhat startling for her to realize that she'd already followed that path. What else explained her feelings when the unicorns invaded the Tides? Or when Ricochet's blind prejudice had threatened Vitrum's livelihood? Both had had more dramatic consequences than the reasons that had sparked the battles. One she'd been the worse for, the other not.

"It is a realization that helps you be true to yourself." She murmured quietly, almost to herself. True to herself... perhaps it was time she considered doing that again?


Forum Jump:


RPGfix Equi-venture