KAHLUA & KHAN

The queen slept quietly as the dawn trudged closer, her body lying in the grass close to the shattered remnants of the wall. Beside her, in her basket as it had been for the past several weeks, was the egg that had been gifted to her. In the fading moonlight and rising sunlight, it took on an eerie shimmer that only the few awake woodland creatures might appreciate. No, the Sunshower did not awaken from her sleep until the egg was nothing left but collection of shattered shell scattered in her basket and on the ground around it. Her dreams had been quiet for once, no nightmares to plague her, but the sweet serenity had been invaded by the mind of another and it jolted the queen awake.

Lifting her head suddenly, the queen looked about for some sort of intruder or equine that had joined her. She had almost, joyously, come to believe that the egg was not going to hatch, having taken so long to do so; however, when her eyes finally settled back on her basket, she found that her hopes to be shattered. In the place of the egg was an ungainly little creature, blue and feathered, small nubs of horns on his head and the beginnings of sharp claws on his feet. As her blue eyes fell upon his green, he crooned her a reptilian song, demanding her attention. As she rose to her feet, the Sunshower could only stare as she tried to process the sensation of the draconian presence that had invaded her mind.

How long she and the winged beast stared at one another was beyond measure, the queen finally interrupted from her musings as a sound nearby along the wall distracted. Quickly turning her head away, doing her best to ignore the new responsibilities that were now looming over her head (how was she even supposed to take care of a dragon!?!), the queen saw one of her warriors whom she had unfortunately been unable to meet as of yet. “Hello,” she called softly, her voice lackluster and hollow. She was supposed to love this creature, to care for it, to know it intimately and to be as connected to it as she was to her own soul. And she wanted to be happy, she really did, but all she saw as she returned her gaze to the little dragon was chains, cages, responsibilities. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the heavens. Gods give her strength for this task, she was going to need it.

Lowering her nose, she returned her gaze to Parelia, adding, “What are you doing up so early?” All the while, she was trying so very hard to ignore the insistent press in her mind from the young dragon who was attempting to vie for her attention.

@[Parelia]

KAHLUA & KHAN

“Parelia, it’s so nice to finally learn your name,” the queen responded, finding a smile crossing her face as she said it. It felt good to smile, to really smile, to feel the muscles on her cheeks crease, the skin around her eyes wrinkle, to feel happy instead of… confusion? Fear? Apathy? It didn’t matter what she had been feeling. She actually felt… ok. So, as the falcon flew off to retrieve food for the babe, something Kahlua had entirely neglected to think about, she nickered softly and bobbed her head. “Thank you. He’s a… dragon.” Her voice was soft, slow, awe filled. She had been denying the connection, trying to avoid it, afraid of the chains and the weight, but there was something about saying it… How many others had she seen sad about their companions? How many had been ruined? How many were chained and confined? None that she could count. Maybe… maybe it wasn’t so bad.

Turning her head back to the little beast, as he began to claw his way across the basket in which he had hatched, she listened to Parelia’s story and tried to figure out what emotions she was feeling. It was strange, so much to consider, so much to ponder, so much to understand. And she just didn’t even know where to begin. Sitting still was difficult, at best, so instead she lowered her head to let the little beast crawl up her mane and onto her withers, where he could sit in peace. Then, she began to walk, nodding to Parelia to come along. “Well don’t let me stop your patrol then,” she added, her voice drifting back to that strange tone she had carried at first.

“It sounds like you love your son very much,” she started, the thought of the child dragging up a problem she had been sitting on for many weeks, unsure of what to do and how to handle herself. “Do you love the father as well?” Subtlety had never been one of the queen’s finer qualities anyways. She had a question and she needed an answer, because she needed to know what love was to others. She had to know, so that she could find out if love was ever anything other than chains and walls and responsibilities and confinement and cages. She had to know, because every day she didn’t know she broke her heart and Kaj’s heart more. And now the little dragon beast as well, for could she truly love him while she still thought of love as an anchor rather than an asset? Perhaps Parelia would have an answer for her- nobody else seemed to.

@[Parelia]- bah, sorry so slow!

KAHLUA & KHAN

Though he had eagerly climbed upon the queen’s back, the dragon babe was just as ready to jump back down to earth as the falcon dropped a mouse in the basket that would quickly become his home away from home. A happy chortle flew from his mouth as the draconian babe tottered slowly back towards the glass creation. Kahlua watched him with half a watchful eye, but she did not try to stop him or reign him in. She knew nothing of parenting or boundaries and knew even less of what was important and what was not in raising a child. She had been so alone when she had been growing… whatever guidance she had been offered, it was probably all bad advice anyways.

Collecting his prize as the two mares began to walk off, Khan scampered back up to the queen and pawed at her leg as if to ask her to let him climb aboard again. However, she was not so keen on letting the little beast eat his fill of mouse upon her back, so she shook her head and let him alternately walk and stop to eat while she chatted on with Parelia. Honestly, the queen rather liked the mare’s easy voice and found herself disappointed she hadn’t made more time for the warrior before this. Ah, but then there were so many in the herd it was difficult to find them for each and every one. But find time she would, given the chance.

As for asking about the father, the painted woman almost felt sorry for what she had asked. Was it fair of her to ask Parelia to describe her pain, to dredge up memories she would rather not think about? Perhaps not, and yet… how would the queen ever learn about love and what it could mean if she didn’t ask? “Oh, Parelia,” she cooed softly as Parelia claimed Ciceron loved his position more than his family. However, she quieted herself to listen to the story that her warrior had to tell.

At least in her sadness, Parelia could find ways to laugh. Still, by the time Parelia had finished listing the names of her friends, Kahlua was reaching out to the side to press her nose against the mare’s shoulder if she was allowed. The queen couldn’t stand the thought of Parelia’s pain. “I’m so, so sorry,” she added, wondering what would make him stay so far away. She decided to add her own story. “It doesn’t excuse him, but maybe he’s afraid…” She didn’t and couldn’t know, of course, but she knew her own story as well as any other.

“My parents were… distant.” Distant was an understatement, of course, but better than explaining that they were the king and queen of darkness. There was no need for the Sunshower queen to mar her good name with everyone that she came across. “Their love was strained and scary sometimes. I never learned anything except that love was something to be avoided.” A gentle frown fell across her lips as she turned back to look at the little dragon who was still alternately chewing and walking. “I’m sure with time he can come around… and of course we’d be happy to have him.” But the poor queen, as much as she wanted to help, was pretty useless. She didn’t even know how to fix herself, how could she fix Parelia’s problems?

@[Parelia]

KAHLUA & KHAN

Watching the obvious bond between Parelia and Penna was touching to Kahlua, as the falcon rubbed his beak against the mare’s neck to ease her through what must have been a difficult conversation. If only she had known what the bird’s look to her had truly meant. Would she have been able to explain the way that she feared chains the same way that she feared death? What had she said to Thranduil? To take her freedom was to kill her. So standing here now, looking back at the blue and seeing him tumble after her when he was not preoccupied with chewing, the queen could feel the tendrils of hell coming up to wrap around her fetlocks, to hold her close to the ground, and then pull her under. She was a pegasus without its wings, a sighthound without his eyes, a singer without her voice. Having that kind of heartbreak shoved upon her in one day… well, it was a lot to deal with.

At least Kahlua was glad that her reaching out had not offended Parelia, and that the mare had welcomed her touch with a touch of her own. And as the pair walked down the line of the shattered wall, she loved that they were sharing stories and growing closer than they had been. She had found little time to get to know some of the newer members of the Edge and she remembered her own disappointment at having been ignored by Mirage for so long. Silently, she made a note to seek out more of the residents who called this forest home.

“I’m so sorry,” she cooed softly as Parelia replied, speaking of her own parents and past. The queen knew how painful it could be to dredge up such memories, to pull them from the shadows where they were kept hidden away from the world. She thought Parelia brave for being willing to speak of it at all. And honestly, the advice was more than welcome. So she listened, because everyone’s opinion was important and though she had not asked the question allowed it seemed that the new warrior had been intuitive enough to see it on her face and give her the words she had not known she had needed.

“You’re wise,” she commented when Parelia had finished speaking, mulling over the words she had offered. “I think you must be brave, too,” she added, accepting the other’s touch and returning it slowly, thoughtfully. “You’ve opened your heart in the face of love, even though you seem to know how frightening it can be. I’ve…” she frowned, only because it was hard to admit weakness even for the painted queen. “I’ve been weak. I’ve been running from love.” From Kaj, from the little blue that followed her now. Stopping for a moment, she turned back, seeing the dragon finish the final portion of the meal he had been provided, and in that moment she tried to be brave.

Lowering her nose to the ground, she waited until he caught up to her and then allowed him to crawl up her mane and neck to her withers. When she lifted her head again, he was settled there upon her back, claws digging uncomfortably into her flesh but his weight a gentle presence. “I think I’ll call him Khan,” she admitted with a gentle upturn of her mouth, eyes looking towards Parelia’s for some sort of acceptance. It seemed so important in the moment. This was difficult for her, to open her heart to the feathered blue, but maybe it would be worth it. Then she continued to walk on, mindful of Parelia’s duties that she was interrupting in the early morning.

@[Parelia]

KAHLUA & KHAN

If there was embarrassment on Parelia’s face, the queen did not see it or notice it. Her own eyes were busy, as the pair’s had been just a few moments ago, studying the armor that protected the mare’s wings. It was beautiful, though the queen thought it rather a shame that armor was needed at all. Someday, when Helovia had finally found itself at peace, there would be no need for such things. Until that time, though, she understood why there must be warriors. There were always threats and darkness, whispers around corners and trees, daring to reach their inky fingers out when it was least expected.

Parelia’s words suddenly drew her back from her musings on peace and evil and slowly Kahlua’s eyes drifted back towards the warrior’s face. The words were timely, important even, and the Sunshower found herself thinking over them. Embracing fear? Is that what she was doing? Somehow she wasn’t sure. It still felt an awful lot like she was running away from it, pushing it into the shadows and pretending it didn’t exist when she could. And yet, at the same time, perhaps Parelia had a point. She had been asking others about it, trying to learn, trying to educate herself and understand what she was going through. Was she really as strong as this warrior woman implicated? Maybe there was more to her than she had dared think…

Slowly, though, the conversation shifted, to the needs of the herd. She had been listening to the advice of her council, to the advice of her king, and Parelia’s statement was actually rather timely. “Actually, there is something,” she murmured softly before being distracted. It was so easy for her addled mind to shift and sway through the breeze like the willow’s branches. “His claws do hurt a bit,” she admitted, hoping that Parelia was right in that it would get better. As for Khan himself, the newborn opened his mouth at her advance, making some sort of strange squeaking noise that might be more terrifying as he grew older but for now only sounded absurd. Somehow, though, Kahlua could tell that it was a happy noise. “He likes you.” She said curiously, wondering how she seemed to know it. The idea of an emotional bond with a companion was almost foreign to her- she had never bothered to ask.

“Anyways,” she said, suddenly remembering that she had been about to speak about something else. “I was wondering… I know you’re very happy here as a warrior, and it seems you do your job very well, but the herd actually does need some help.” Frowning for just a moment about Aaron’s step down from crafting, needing time to learn about himself as an individual, she carried on. “Our Glazier Dragomir is sorely overworked… Only if you’re interested of course, but would you… would you be interested in being Glazier with him. The moon goddess is lovely, she lets you create such wonderful things…” Her eyes danced slowly back towards where they had come from, searching for her glass basket, but it was lost in the woods and the shrubs. “I was glazier once,” she added, motioning to the shattered wall. That had been her creation, her grand achievement, so long ago. Perhaps one day, as queen, she could find a different way to make such a difference for her herd.

@[Parelia]