rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot
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Wherever graceful hope descends bumbling irritation rises to meet her. What a potent pair they are. Somewhere along the way to the Basin my mood went sour; overwhelmed by the weight of my hope for the future tainted by my bitter feelings towards the same. I have not the energy to be bothered with trying to overcome my irritability.   

"Great." My expression remains unchanged. Low lidded and straight faced I meet Ashamin's eyes whenever he looks back. Such warmth spills forth from his dark orbs. The boy truly loves this land. Had it been anyone else he dragged in his excitement would have probably been infectious. 

A hesitant whisper tickles my inner ear. 

Show your thanks. Show that you are grateful. 

Ah. My conscience. How nice of him to show. With a flick of my tail I send him bouncing away; I am not in the mood for that sort of nonsense. Even my rubbed out mane is tussled about by the Frostfall's gale; it rakes it fingers through Ashamin's mane and works towards toppling Lochan right over. 

I lower my head and walk closely behind young Lochan ready to catch his weight should his footing be stolen from him by the wailing wind that grasps at the blanket of snow below hoof. I am sour, perhaps bitter; not cold hearted.

"These caves," I have to speak forcefully in order to shove my words past the covetous winds, "do you live in them?" I narrow my eyes and look about for some other life within the herd. Ashamin looks to be normal enough but I am not signing up to live with reclusive cave dwellers straight out of a foal's nightmare. Suddenly I cannot help but grin, no matter what these cave dwelling souls may be I will be one of them. This land is the beginning of my legacy. A joyful, almost goofy, looking smile spreads my lips. 

Ah, these mood swings; they will be the death of me. A chuckle edged in dark humor slips unnoticed into the night and snowflakes huddle together on the warmth of my tongue.

As strong as the seas are stormy.</style> With winter came the ravages of her kingdom, furious in its exuberance. Concealed even within the copse of their mountain ranges, the winds did them no favors. Kicking up snow and pebbles, flattening tundra grasses and whipping at their textiles and blankets. Their people stood as strong and steady as their sentinels, their shared herd bitterness (did those with sour personality traits flock together?) seeming to lend them more tolerance for once. It would pass, as it always did. They'd suffered much, and the path was not always clear, and they would be locked into the basin for a few days until it could be shoveled or melted away. If the Basiners were one thing, could be summarized into a singular character trait, they were stubborn. It did not keep their scouts from recruiting, nor from their diplomats traveling to the herds. They were hibernating, somehow. Lying in wait, as if they could all feel the tension that seemed to prickle constantly beneath Hotaru's skin. Something big was happening, changing, and it drove the Lady to her wits end to not know how to prepare against it.  Instead, she distracted herself with duties. Implementing herself as the rightful sole Lady of the Basin, her claim undisputed after the volatile herd meeting, she was determined to further spread her sway and influence despite the rights the title granted her. "This is a war of politics, Alice," she murmured primly, the howling of the wind a tribute to the vicious, underhanded beast lurking beneath her beautiful exterior. "The ones who win are the ones who are favored. And we shall triumph. Nobody strikes at the beloved and the worshiped. It is better to be a saint than a tyrant." Alice whined at her hooves, not fully understanding but ever in support of her partner's machinations.  Even beneath the whirlwind, Alice's nose was keen, and she shuddered as a familiar scent washed down her nostrils from the outside world. It pinged against Hotaru's senses, a face flashing before her eyes in tandem recognition. Turning over her shoulder to ensure her daughter was safely ensconced in the cavern, Hotaru made her way to Alice's side and the pair ventured out into the buffeting winds to track down the Haruspex and whomever was alongside him.  They were not hard to find, not with Alice's nose and Hotaru's knowledge of the lay of the land. The Lady tipped her head towards Ashamin as their parties moved towards one another, her hair like wild tendrils of silver and gold, a halo even at its worst with her beauty to be framed by it. Alice was proud and tall at her side, as Hotaru had taught her to be in company aside from blood family. Deep, royal purple smoke rolled off her sides where similarly colored hair lay beneath, green glowing over one of her eyes. Sugar and poison, side by side.  "Ashamin, you've returned safely," she noted with an elegant smile. "Welcome home." Her bicolored eyes flickered to his companion, looking new and uncomfortable, perhaps a little sour. Oh, but handsome too! "Who is your friend? A new recruit perhaps?" Sauntering down towards the newcomer she tilted her pretty face at him, eyes like sea glass, beautiful but sharp. "Hotaru, Lady of the Basin. Welcome. What is it you seek here?"

Image Credits

@Ashamin @Demothi

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I turn briefly to make some sort of passing acknowledgment but I am stilled by the faint figure in the veil of snowfall. My breath fogs before me obscuring my upturned lips. Gone are my thoughts of slimy cave dwellers. Those musings seem frivolous now. She is a faint blush upon the ivory face of Frostfall. Her eyes cut into me like blades of ice yet warm me like the breath of midday Tallsun. Before I can utter some word to her Ashamin is dropping neck.

Blue eyes glint questionably at Ashamin's gracious reception towards the mare. She is elegant, but I have seen trees sway with elegance; yet none of sane mind grovel to a tree. Mere elegance does not warrant such a response. Who is she?

The Lady of the Basin. 

She is their lead. A smile filled with charm tilts itself onto my lips, "An honor." I am of few words but I drench those I do speak with meaning; if there is a worthwhile mind in that pretty little head of hers she will grasp the respect I put into my speech. If I am to make a mark on this land it is of utmost importance that I inspire trust between those with rankings and myself. 

Once in the cave I shake the clinging snow from my coat. Exhaustion pulls at my eyelids but ambition drives me ever onward. A snort from my loose lips leaves an echo to dance around the cave. 

"A place of my own.." A remember my time in a land I was told that I belonged to. I remember faces that told me who they were and that assured me of how I loved them. The pity in their eyes is a sight I am cursed to see with every closing of my lids; with each blinking of my eyes.

My gaze travels to Ashamin. He seems to be an upstanding lad. I do not have worry that he will tell my secret, but I do wonder if any will be able to read it from his  actions. Will he treat me different and blunder my chances here? Thus far he has treated me as an equal. Nonetheless I have no time for worries. Worry is for those with all too much time on their hands. It belongs to those ignorant to the brevity of life's breath. 

I address them both but look at neither in particular, "What are the problems this land faces?" I give no preamble to my question and no elaboration. They can make of it what they will and in turn I will put all of my efforts into fixing whatever they might bring forward. 

I will better matters or I will make them all the worse. I will leave this world as the bringer of salvation or the scoundrel of damnation. All hope to be heroes, as do I; but it isn't always a hero that is remembered. I will not be forgotten. I will make sure of that at whatever the cost. 

I wince at Ashamin's amiable nature. Wholeheartedly he welcomes me to his home completely naive to my thoughts. He would dance with the devil while grinning. Guilt softens my features and my resolve. 

"You have my thanks Ashamin. I hope to do your name well as he who brought me." I look pointedly at Hotaru, The Lady of the Basin, "Consider yourself blessed with your Haruspex."

@Ashamin @Hotaru

As strong as the seas are stormy.</style> Wind seemed to cut into her pristine hide like slivers of ice, embedding shards beneath her skin to linger long past when she would eventually retreat back into the caverns. It was almost unfortunate, all things considered, but Hotaru was nothing if not a gracious...host. She and Alice had appearances to keep up, after all. And even further, a part of her that she did not often admit to was invested in her people. A queen befitting the ice and snow, but with a warmth she'd rather not attest to. Ashamin was not part of her proper fold, they'd yet to have a moment alone together although she'd had a hand in his promotion. Ah, but what did Hotaru not have a hand in? There would be time, in the future, for her to experience his ins and outs and delve into the labyrinth of his mind. He was her Haruspex after all, and though Hotaru had few pleasant dealings with the Gods, his insight would be valuable nonetheless. With his dedication in the Threshold, perhaps that meeting should occur sooner rather than later... Contemplating him as he swayed closer to her from the veil of the snow, the Lady tipped her head in acknowledgement as his voice pierced the haze of white noise and howling wind to grace her ears respectfully. Demothi, was it? At least he had manners about him. "The honor is mine, if you found our herd to be a potential home for you." Though she was loathe to let him too far into her borders without further assessing him, it was quickly becoming a bluster too harsh for her form. The maiden twirled on her heels to follow after Ashamin back towards the caverns and the warmth of the firelight, Alice promptly at her side. Though the fire was sputtering and dying, Ashamin was quick to feed its ever-starving fingers, and Hotaru flicked her already damp tail to try and rid the worst of the wetness from its strands. Her eyes flitted over to Demothi as he trailed behind the pair of them, eyes like sea glass and ivory, smooth and unassuming on the surface but critical beneath. She'd not let anyone into her pack, after all. She'd sooner tear his throat out with her blunted teeth, because she was Alpha here, and she had a family to keep safe. Delicate ears flicked as the brute began to speak, clearly weary but attentive. She withholds words until he continues, eyes never daring to stray from his form even as her face was relaxed. It was close quarters for a fight, and though she trusted Ashamin's judgment, Hotaru was not one for expedient trust. "The Basin is home to any soul who is willing to pull their own weight and better the herd, be it through love or labor." Though, tasks were required of all citizens regardless, there were those among them - Lena, for example - who brightened their ranks purely through adoration and dedication for their family values. He certainly appeared more of a fighter, but well, appearances could be deceiving. Hotaru's were, after all.  Oh, smart cookie though. Problems? "Well I do believe you've just experienced one of them," she laughed, amused by the mild irony of it all. "It is the environment that is hardest to deal with, at first. But our tundras have yet to fail us for food, and we have natural hot springs to keep the chill away." A light smile tugged at her pale lips, and she spared a glance for Alice, who had sprawled against the floor near the fire and was staring curiously at Lochan. "You'll have to forgive me for not coming up with more, as this land's Lady perhaps I take too much pride in its benefits. The Basin was once the evil of the lands, but to be honest with you before you agree to stay here, that is no longer held true. This herd has been changing for the better, and we are all ears up the ranks for improvements and feedback." Her thin shoulders shrugged, completely guileless for a brief moment, until her eyes shifted and she let them slide up to Demothi's. He had nothing but gratitude and compliments for her Haruspex, which at least earned him a smidgen of a point on her book. She took pride in her flock, after all. "I am blessed with all my family, it is my hope they are aware of that." Her eyes flickered to Ashamin, sparing a flickering, glowing smile before turning to give Demothi her final decision.  "You are free to stay, whether for haven through the winter or on a permanent basis. I trust Ashamin's judgment of you, and on those grounds you have my temporary approval. Any further questions you would like to ask of me, of either of us, you must merely speak them. You'll not rid me very soon, that storm is far too much for me right now," ended lightly, eyes alight with a new spark of companionship. But it was clear with the way she had said temporary that he'd not fully convinced her, not yet. Not until she knew his motives more clearly. But nonetheless she'd indulge in his company freely and kindly for the moment, at least until the storm passed.

Image Credits

rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot
on deviantart

There is more to the Lady of the Basin than what she veils with prettily woven words. I wonder what it is that sparks in her eye so? In a land of ice and snow her eyes tell of passion and fire. It is Ashamin that seems to be cool and collected like the drifting fall of the snow; but there is no ice in him. Two souls profound in their difference stand before me. My thoughts on the pair leaves me to mull over what they have made of me.

"I see a future as a healer for Demothi." 

Ashamin's absentminded suggestion only furthers my wondering at what he think of me. What thoughts go through his head? What is it in me that he sees as a healer? I had considered the possibility of being pushed towards guarding and living the life of a warrior due to my bulk. But I had not seen this decision coming.  

"Who do I need to speak with to begin my learning?" I know nothing of healing. That of my life I have memory of has the persistent shadow of the reaper in view. I had never taken to learning that which would only be a painful reminder of the healing I will never receive. "Having rank would be important to me. I thank you both for opportunity."

"Evil?" My thoughts slow at the word. A protectiveness has grown in me quickly and unnoticed for this pair. "Evil is not easily disbanded. Does it not lie dormant?" My emotions are not entirely made of the noble desire to protect. There is also the selfish desire to be the one to salvage this region from heinous forces through my own efforts.

The mighty wind shrieks at the burden of the cumbersome snow. It slows the passionate wind's wandering with its weight. Even the wind is tied to duty; and what a double edged sword it is. A strange trio we are; taking shelter together is a queen, a rags to riches story, and a beggar wishing to become the hero. Where is the punchline to this joke or the moral to the story that has brought us together?

As strong as the seas are stormy.</style> [[OH GOD I'M SO SORRY I DON'T KNOW HOW I FORGOT THIS]] They are an odd trio, standing together in a fire-warmed cavern with a storm howling behind them. She does not mind it, or at least convinces herself of such lest she begin to feel trapped and claustrophobic. They seem kindly souls enough, Demothi passing her little mental tests with every terse word that climbs out from his mouth to present itself to her. He does not grovel nor does he attempt to persuade or flash his abilities to her in hopes of impressing her or granting him access faster. She respects that, if nothing else. Hotaru was the master manipulator, and she did not like to have others attempt to pull one over on her. Though, Ashamin seemed a fine judge of character, and so she'd trust him if only on that principle.  Luckily he was also very invested in their herd, leaving little for Hotaru to say when it came to labeling tasks and potential routes for Demothi to take. Whatever he decided did not matter much to Hotaru, though she'd always have an over fondness for the sneaks beneath her, having once been their head. Ah, nostalgia. She glanced at Alice, who snuffed at her fondly before turning to edging closer to the flame. Idly, Hotaru stuck out a hoof and scooted her right back away from it. Hellhound or no, she wasn't going to deal with that complaining. Alice merely grumbled and went along with it, Hotaru never even glancing back down as she returned her hoof to its proper place.  "Lena and Enna are our lead healers, you would be joining their ranks and seeking their knowledge. Lena has been healer for the Basin nearly since its creation," she stated, pride in her eyes. She certainly had a good group here, at least. Ah, but that was a matter of opinion, which was clear when Demothi questioned its potential continued existence. "I never said it was evil," she stated primly, brow arched. "Many simply believed us to be so because we are historically indomitable as nobody has dared to try and invade us, and in the past we were far stricter about the unicorn-only rule. We've participated in invasions before, but the other herds were never vilified in turn for their participation. Odd, is it not?" There is a bitter twist to her smile as she says it.  "Nonetheless, we've nearly entirely overcome their perceptions. Time moves on, as He rules our lands, and minds change. Hopefully you will help us in that endeavor." Throw him a little encouragement, reel him in, attempt to suit and outfit him to her cause of bettering the Basin name. She was not above a little...persuasion.

Image Credits

@Demothi

rainydoll-stock | webtreatsetc | larfsalot
on deviantart

@Demothi @Hotaru