OOC :: Forgive my lack of table - I'm on my iPad and will have to add it later!

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Astraeus soared high above the ivory dove on the morning's cool breeze. The rising sun had brought with it a certain warmth that the frigid nights of the desert very much lacked, rousing the Sultana from an uneasy slumber. She snorted heavily, clouding the air and watching as the droplets dispersed, shifting her weight to work out the stiffness that had set into her limbs. Her bonded cried a greeting from above, calling her bicolored gaze to the blue sky. She smiled. Even in the depths of Frostfall, her home was glorious. Let the north have its empty trees and frosted evergreens - there was something timeless about the consistency of her homeland that she would always prefer.

Her wings fluttered out from her bodice, welcoming the rush of cold air that served as a wake up call. She took a few easy steps forward, pulling herself into the air with the ease of practice. It was time to find her beloved, for it had been far too long since they had been able to speak. They were both busy, she knew that - and she strove to make herself even more so whenever she found herself wondering exactly what he was up to. Rhoa followed him closely, she knew that (so the likelihood of him doing anything particularly... unfaithful was quite slim), but still... She could not help but wonder if she held his fascination as he did hers.

Ivezho had turned out to be the more studious of the twins, following her as she prepared to open their grand Academy. She had been pleased to find that he quickly learned both her and Gaucho's native tongues, not to mention the various subjects she had begun to explain to him. He was quiet - stoic, almost - and in that trait she saw his father. But his eagerness lay not on the battlefield, as the WildFire's but in his mind. It was an interesting mixture, to say the least.

With the help of her zephyr, she found her lover near the oasis. She soared easily downward, spiraling in tight circles until she landed quietly near him. Folding her wings, she closed the distance between them, reaching to bump her muzzle against his shoulder. "M'athchomaroon," she murmured by way of greeting. "It has been too long," she added, speaking carefully in his tongue. It was foreign to her, but something about sharing his language made her feel so intimately attached to him that she could not help but speak it. She stumbled every now and then, as every new speaker would, but she had improved in leaps and bounds in the time they had devoted to her studies. Astraeus landed carefully on her withers, chirping his own greeting (more to Mara than to Gaucho).

Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side.</style> She descended and Gaucho recalled the first time he saw her. He couldn't remember it was Frostfall or not - such details were completely irrelevant - but the scene was as clear in his mind as the day it had happened. He thought of her like an angel then, but now thought of her as so much more. She was stronger than he had ever imagined her to be, wiser and more resourceful as the days passed, and ever more lovely. The Wildfire stood still, merely allowing his gaze to fall along her body as it easily and gracefully descended and landed. The flames that burned on his wings flared slightly as her muzzle touched his blue-striped shoulder. The wing closest extended from his body casting beautiful golden lights to flicker across her pristine pelt, as he drew it over her body to pull her against him. His large and blackened muzzle turned inwards towards her. "My zheana zirgoyi. My oakah ziroqoselat oma yer, khaleesi." The words fell easily from his lips, elegantly, in a way that only Sohalia had ever experienced. He sighed as his muzzle tossed her forelock before finding the soft flesh and whiskers of her own muzzle. Should he have read into her greeting? That she had embraced his shoulder only? If so, he didn't. Gaucho was far too simple, too trusting that others wore their thoughts as apparently as he did to mull over her actions. He was simply glad she had come to him. There was much to discuss but for now, he greedily enjoyed simply feeling her body against his, and the quiet calm that her presence always forced upon him. "Helovia is yofi" He breathed heavily, his words tangling into her mane. "There has been another athdrivar, but the jaqqa is still unknown." Gaucho's dark ears flickered as a thought occurred to him - the most recent death, the spotted glow mare ... It was the one he had seen Sohalia with long ago. Had they been friends? Mara confirmed that indeed they had, and suggested softly that he might mention it to Soh. Pulling his large muzzle back from her slightly to catch her gaze, Gaucho tried to appear soft, comforting, though did so poorly. Comfort was not a thing he conveyed or gave intuitively. "Was your okeo and her zirqoyi. Fie-drah." The latter word, her name, was pronounced awkwardly as Mara repeated it in his mind. "And Stell-la" ALLL THE WORDZZZ :D zheana: beautiful zirqoyi: a bird of prey oakah: soul oma: without yer: you ziroqoselat: to ache yofi: mad, crazy. athdrivar; death jaqqa: executioner okeo: friend

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The crystalline dove was forever unsure of her place in Gaucho's heart. Even now, even after all they had been through and conquered together, even though she longed to fold herself into his wings and press herself adoringly against his hard, muscled bodice, she hesitated, unsure how such a greeting would be received. But then his muzzle traced a line along her face, and she leaned into his touch, slipping sideways until she had nudged her way under his wing. Astraeus, unceremoniously displaced, squawked in protest and fluttered to a nearby tree limb. His bonded hummed softly, happy for the moment spent basking in her lover's presence. "Anha zhilak yera norethaan, shekh ma shieraki anni."

And so she melded herself to him, enjoying what had always come easiest to the pair. She recognized the warmth stirring within, the quickening of her pulse that always accompanied Gaucho's touch - but she took a deep breath, pushing whatever lust that filled her mind to the background, for there were more important things to discuss now. There would, after all, be time for that later, wouldn't there?

Gaucho's news brought a frown to the angel's lovely features, her brow creasing with concern. Another death, the murderer running rampant - what was she to make of it? How was she to protect her herd against such a vast unknown? "We must increase khasars, vijazerat our rhojosor." So caught up was she in her rapid thoughts, her uneasy planning, that it took a moment for his hesitation to be noticed, for his words to process. Her gaze whipped to meet his, grief quickly shadowing her eyes. But where she might have fallen to pieces mere months before, succumbed to the tears that threatened to overtake her, now she stood strong.

Tears did glisten in her eyes to linger unshed, but her emotions no longer overpowered and controlled her. The Sultana pressed her face into Gaucho's neck, not to hide her sadness but to gather comfort from his embrace. "Vod chafaan, my friend," she whispered, the only goodbye that she would be allowed for Phaedra. First Diniel, all those moons ago, then Rowan. And Phaedra, too, now. Would she be the last to stand, the strongest of them all when they had for so long overshadowed her? Was her destiny to be alone? Would she lose them all, even now, when she thought herself safe?

"What can we do?" she asked finally, resignation in her voice and in the lines of her face. "How can I help?"

Translations ::
Anha zhilak yera norethaan, shekh ma shieraki anni. | I love you completely, my sun and stars.
khasar | a small group of protectors; used here as patrols
vijazerat | to protect
rhojosor | family
Vod chafaan. | Dust to the wind; roughly translates to rest in peace.

Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side.</style> "Jalan atthirari anni" He responded softly, encouraging her embrace and pulling her ever closer. Although Mara was pleased to see the oaf and the desert dove together again (as opposed to him pairing off with any other mare), she did not feel the need to be present for ... well, whatever was about to occur between the two, even if it was only chit chat. Gaucho didn't need her to translate, not with Sohalia. Slithering down from his antlers, to his shoulder, knee, and finally the sandy floor, in a flash of white across the reddish sands Mara moved to the tree that Astraeus was in. She slithered up the bark easily, looping her body around the branch that the lightning bird perched upon. Hissing, she greeted the bird fondly, wishing they could communicate. Did the bird know that there were some who had bonded to two companions? What would he think of such a thing? Gaucho was entertaining the idea .. would Soh? What the bird mind sharing the mind of his bonded with another? Sohalia's words were wise and apt, and Gaucho found himself nodding in agreement. It wasn't so long ago that Soh would have panicked, her tone would have raised annoyingly high and lines would have creased her soft expression. Now she merely spoke the truth, she knew what needed to be done and that was that. There was no fear, no worry, only certainty that their herd would do what was needed to protect themselves. At least, that's how Gaucho interpreted it. It made the love he felt for her bloom and blossom - she had truly become his khaleesi and not simply through their physical bond. She had earned the title. "Hethkat" He said simple, the bone in his muzzle gently twisting and tugging at her forelock as he spoke once again into her forehead. "Kisha ish eth ayolat movelat qile." The warmth of his voice faltered somewhat as disappointment bled in. "kisha ish zigerelat oseleth ..." His blocky shoulders shrugged as his voice trailed off. Perhaps his herd would not be satisfied with simply having boats to take them from the soon-to-be island. Perhaps a bridge would be better. A magical bridge of sorts. The idea seemed grand in his mind, but it would mean asking the Sun God for more aid and the WildFire wasn't sure that he had done enough to request another audience with their deity. Even his war-headed mind couldn't decide what was better to do: build the wall they had left unfinished? Create an island? Train soldiers? He didn't know. Although when he and Ampere had gone to the Island they had found nothing of the evil that Cera, the Earth God, or Ghost foretold. He believed that there was a threat of course, creatures kept showing up dead but ... perhaps the cause wasn't what they thought it to be. Still, that was for him to think on, and think on it he would. Pulling back from her slightly, if only so that he could gaze into her bi-coloured eyes as he spoke, the WildFire sighed. " Shafka som jalan atthirari anni." Although his words were simply stated, the underlying question was clear enough. There was no anger, distrust, or concern, simply the need to know: are you staying? Jalan atthirari anni; moon of my life. hethkat; prepare qile; island ish; might eth; have to kisha; we ayolat; to wait movelat; to create osoleth; bridge zigerelat; to need, to require som; absent, missing you; shafka (respectful)

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She remembered plans of creating an island, though she could not have told you exactly when Gaucho had spoken of it to her. She understood the desire - no, the need - behind such an idea, though the thought made her ache with worry. What if the gods thought them impious for assuming they could take it upon themselves to change the very landscape the deities had shaped? What if something went horribly wrong, killing some or all of their family? How would she live with the knowledge that she had sanctioned the destruction of the world's natural beauty? But when she weighed her questions of the costs against the benefit of protecting her family, she found that she could not justify an argument. They must do what they could to ensure safety, whatever it took to do so.

She nodded slowly, accepting his words, though the sadness as delaying his plans made her lean against him more firmly, offering her support. "I'm sorry, shekh ma shieraki anni," she murmured in his native tongue. "Osoleth vezhven" Gods bless me, I'm starting to talk more like him every day. "Kisha eth vijazerat rhojosor." She paused, thinking, allowing her mind to turn over the various scenarios that she could see stemming from their current predicament. They would have to dedicate their resources to protection of their borders and the capture of the murderer - but she knew that he would see that. He did not need her for her military prowess.

So how was she to help? Why had he brought this up to her, aside from keeping her up to date on the latest news? She had been busy, planning and setting up their Academy, focusing on the areas in which she knew she could do the most good - but he would have known where to find her if he had needed her before now, wouldn't he? Or had they both been so busy that each had failed to see the other's needs? She frowned at that, deciding to correct the lack of communication. She would not go so long without meeting with him again, and not only for talk of their herd. She missed him for his company, longed to renew their growing bond, to ensure that it did not slip from her grasp as it had threatened to do so many times before.

His question caught her by surprise, so much so that she found herself pulling her head away, staring as him with bewilderment. How could he even ask her that, after all that they had been through, all the battles they had fought to stand where they now stood? "Khal, anha yeri khaleesi," she told him firmly, passion igniting her gaze where moments before had been only astonishment. "Anha avvos esemrasalat shafka. Anha avvos esemrasalat rhojosor." She stepped closer again, holding his eyes with her own. "Me nem nesa," she finished in a whisper, her voice low and intimate. She would not leave him. She would not leave her herd. She would fight and die for them if that was what it came to.

"Kisha arrissat jin. Kisha ezat jaqqa. Kisha vijazerat rhojosor. Shafka. Anna. Kisha." She stressed her last words, trying to impress their importance upon him. "Anha zhilak yera norethaan, shekh me shieraki anni."


Translations ::
shekh ma shieraki anni | my sun and stars
osoleth | bridge
vezhven | great (used here as synonym for important)
kisha | we
eth | have to
vijazerat | to protect
rhojosor | family
khal | king
anha | I
anna | me
yeri | your
khaleesi | queen
avvos | never
esemrasalat | to exit, to leave
shafka | you (respectful)
me nem nesa | it is known
arrissat | to fix
jin | this
ezat | to find
jaqqa | executioner
anha zhilak yera norethaan | I love you completely

(ALL THE WORDS.)

Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side.</style> It didn't even occur to Gaucho to comment on how naturally Sohalia had picked up his native tongue and the frequency with which she used it. Perhaps a more attentive mate would have praised her, or at least noted the effort she had put into to speak in a language that he could both understand and fluently communicate in. It likely helped their relationship significantly, now that they could communicate more easily - or at least, if one of them should be disadvantaged and need to read between the lines surely it should be Sohalia. Gaucho would never be well-suited for such a position. However the thought did not occur to Gaucho and so the words thank you for learning for me never once left his lips. Instead, the feeling of satisfaction and pleasure that constantly ebbed from him towards Sohalia grew stronger and more forceful with each day. Perhaps the feelings he had for Ampere would continue to fester his heart and plague his mind, and perhaps his gaze would always wander, appraising and approving of supple and beautiful young bodies, but Sohalia's place would forever be secure. She had carved out for herself a rather large home in his heart and mind, and would forever be there, come what may. But none of this the dun could communicate with anything but words spoken in a tone - soft and gentle - spoken only for her ears, for there were certain gazes, phrases, and tones that only she would receive. As she spoke, he felt rather foolish for questioning her dedication to him and their family. Of course she would stay. The thought of her leaving to pursue the academy was foolish, he could see that now. Any quest that would take her away from their herd was a task better suited for someone else. The dove belongs with him, in the sands. The strength of her body and her words reassured the WildFire, and he gladly accepted the gentle push of her body against his, and the archaic and beautiful phrases she strung together. "Shafka are my athzhilar. My fasqoyi. Kisha assolat yorosor firesof, khaleesi. Ivezh-vorsa ma oleth-oakah." Switching gears, the dun's ears flickered as his attention turned to their children. Rhoa had been with him, training and patrolling when and where he could. What of Ivezho? "Kirekosi Ivezho?" And then, knowing she would ask of Rhoa, "Rhoa rhaek. Me lajilat - me lanat, me charolat, vitihirat. But me vigererat gaezo.I tihat Zenobia, ase mae essalat..." His voice trailed off, assuming that she hadn't. He didn't know what had gotten into the girl, why she felt the need to remain so distant from the herd at all times. He found it annoying and disappointing. She was their first but acted as though it was nothing, acted as thought she had no responsibility or ties to her parents or the land they defended. (Maybe this is easier?) 1. You are my love. My Destiny. We will lead forever, khaleesi. The Wildfire and the Transcended. 2. How is Ivezho? 3. Rhoa is an athlete. He trains - he runs, he listens, he watches. But he misses his brother. I saw Zenobia - told her to return. athzhilar; romantic or sexual love; a private word fasqoyi; destiny shafka; you (respectful) assolat; to command, lead kisha; we yorosor; a large number firesof; years sharat; to be healthy Ivezh-vorsa ma oleth-oakah ; the Wildfire and the transcended (literally 'above soul') kirekosi; how is haj; strong vezh; stallion rhaek; stud, athlete me; he she it lajilat; to compete, to spar, to train, to play lanat; to run charolat; to listen vitihirat; he watches essalat; to return ase; command anha; I vigererat; to miss someone gaezo; brother

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The words rolled easily from her tongue, though not so easily as it did from his. She was not without her stumbles and pauses, carefully phrasing and articulating the words. Learning the language was not difficult for her; she had always been rather studiously inclined, holding a scholar rank once upon a time, long, long ago. (Had he been a part of the Dragon's Throat back then? If she had met him first, would things have turned out differently? Would she be where she was, steadfastly beside Gaucho: her khal, her mate, her love? Or would things have petered out between them, the initial spark flickering and dying, lacking the oxygen it needed to survive?) No, it was not the words, not the concepts, but the pronunciations that tripped her tongue. The words were foreign, guttural, harsh to the untrained ear, so unlike her own language, which ebbed and flowed like the tide.

But she pressed ever on, trying to master the finer concepts of his people, enjoying the newfound depths of their bond, the heady rush of his adoration. The dove knew that he loved her just as surely as she knew the sun would rise on the morrow; or, if not then, one day. Despite His disappearance from the skies so recently, she had never lost faith that he would return; so, too, was her confidence in her lover. Her words seemed to calm him, to reassure him - and she realized in that moment that he was vulnerable to her in a way that even he could not possibly understand, that despite their differences he needed her as deeply as she needed him. She smiled.

"Rhoa ittelat athjahakar, shekh ma shieraki anni," she murmurs in response to his news of their son. "Ivezho elat anna evvat Academy. Me hajolat khado ma zhor. Me zigerelat lajak lajilat. Anha azhat mae shafka. Shafka ittelat mae ivezhofolat." Ivezho had gravitated to her and her work, learning quickly and grasping concepts far beyond his years. He possessed a keen intelligence and a quick wit, though he voiced his thoughts rarely. She had wondered, at first, if he understood the ideas she produced for him; but he had proven that his mind was as strong as hers ever was with a few well-timed, surprising questions. She was sure that he would excel at anything he chose to do, and she knew that any son of Gaucho's must be proficient in combat. Besides, he would have to protect himself and his family, one day.

She touched her muzzle to Gaucho's cheek. "Zenobia ivezh. Me essalat, eventually... Me shim ahhaz." She tried to mask her concern for her daughter, knowing that nothing they could do would make any difference in the filly'is wandering ways. "Shafka imesh ma ivezh once, I'm sure," she added, lipping at his mane playfully. "Zenobia is just san venat mae ave." It stung, knowing how needed their princess was here, knowing that she chose everything else over them - but didn't they have enough to worry about already? Zenobia was well-equipped to take care of herself. She would come home when she was ready, and not a moment sooner.


Translations ::
1 | Rhoa makes us proud, my sun and stars.
2 | Ivezho follows me to start the Academy. He grows strong in body and in heart. He needs warrior training. I will send him to you. You will make him fierce.
3 | Zenobia is wild. She will return eventually... and then she will be calm.
4 | You were young and wild once, I'm sure.
5 | Zenobia is just too much like her father.

shekh ma shieraki anni | my sun and stars
ittelat | to make something well proven
athjahakar | pride
elat | to follow
anna | me
evvat | to start something
me | he, she, it
hajolat | to grow strong
khado | body
ma | and
zhor | heart
zigerelat | to require, to need
lajak | fighter! warrior
lajilat | to spar, to train
azhat | to give
mae | him, her, it; his, hers, it's
shafka | you (respectful)
ivezholat | to grow fierce
ivezh | wild
essalat | to return
shim | tame
ahhaz | then (of close or immediate future)
imesh | young
san | much, many
venat | to be like! to be similar to
ave | father

Watch the flames burn auburn on the mountain side.</style> Gaucho was glad to hear that Ivezho was doing well. He didn't doubt that he wouldn't thrive under Sohalia's guidance, but to hear her affirm that he was excelling in his studies was a comfort. It didn't surprise him to hear that the fully-embered twin was quieter though perhaps brighter than Rhoa, who, seemed to be developing quite the silver tongue. They were an odd pairing, Ivezho and Rhoa, and seemed to complete each other. Then there was Zenobia ... Gaucho tossed his head slightly at Soh's mention of his younger days. Everything was so regimented in those days ... if the herd thought he was stern and strict now, they had no idea what it could be like. He remembered being taken from his mother so young that it took effort to remember which mare among the thousands he was directly related to. The thought was that, given the family-mentality, every foal was to be raised by the entire herd. No one mare was directly responsible for any particular child, but for the group as a whole. That way sentimental attachments wouldn't be made and each warrior (as almost every child grew up to be) would defend the herd equally well. In a way, it didn't bother him that Zeno was so absent. She didn't need to be raised so much as she needed life advice. But even so ... there was much he and Sohalia could teach her, things that she didn't need to experience first hand, training that they could both provide. No, it wasn't that she was without her Mother and Father that annoyed him, it was that she was without her herd, and they were without her. " Before with Kri ... there was a Chancellor." He began, breaking his line of thinking and speaking in the common tongue, for his language didn't possess the right kind of words to describe what he wanted to propose. The ranks within his previous herd were not so complicated as were the ones the Dragon's Throat currently upheld. Similar to Sohalia he coudn't actually remember the time before they had met. How long had they been in the Throat together, unaware of each other's presence? When had Sohalia joined? Did she recall the death of Azzuen? Did she remember Levi the traitor ? Funny how such things slip your mind, like how long the lovers coexisted in complete ignorance. " Vineserat? Sumati? Maybe time to...add that." He grumbled with the idea, for he wasn't sure who would take such a place. However the concept was clear enough in his mind: a position that could only be appointed by the Khal and Khaleesi, that is, the Sultan and Sultana of the Throat. In that regard the position could not be challenged for, the Chancellor would serve as their appointed right-hand aid, and serve as a Tier 1 member of the herd if only slightly lower in power than the leading pair. " I warrior. You diplomat-" 'Diplomat', a word suggested by Mara. "-Chancellor handle day-to-day." Vineserat; Remember?

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The dove was not privy to Gaucho's memories of his childhood, so the moment slipped away without further thought. If she had known that her feeble joke was so far from the truth, she would not have said it; but then it did not appear that the WildFire took offense. In any case, the Transcended found herself wondering just where their eldest daughter had run away to this time. How the daughter of the leaders of the Dragon's Throat lacked ambition - no, that wasn't right. Zenobia had plenty of ambition. It was duty that she lacked. Sohalia didn't understand it, but there it was. She hadn't understood Gaucho at first, either. Zenobia would return when she returned, and there was nothing more that either of them could do about it.

Besides, she was determined not to live in the past anymore. She would not be dictated by should-haves or could-haves.

But the past gave them plenty of knowledge, and it was this track that her mate's mind took next. It never ceased to amaze her, how keenly intelligent he really was. In so many ways, he was simple, easy - it wasn't difficult to mistake him for a cave dweller. But she had seen another side of him, glimpsed into the truth of who and what he was, and that was a leader. He threw himself, heart and soul, into his role as Sultan of the Dragon's Throat. He would go to any lengths necessary to ensure their safety and well-being. And so would she - in that, as in so many other things now, they were one and the same.

"I had forgotten," she murmured thoughtfully, switching easily back to the common tongue in response to his language change. It was true - once there had been a third position, another leader to assist with the ruling of the Dragon's Throat. It had been some time since such a thing had existed - so long that she had almost forgotten it had existed. She smiled brilliantly. "It's a wonderful idea. You're right. I'm just not sure who.." She trailed off, gazing across the still waters of the oasis. "We complement each other, you and I, but it would make things easier. We wouldn't have to worry about leaving things undone while we pursue other things." She nodded. "It's the best thing for our rhojosor."


Translations ::
rhojosor | family