By the time Tiamat reaches the place of gathering, there is already a handful of members massed together. Most of them she remembers from previous herd meetings, but there is a face here and there that she doesn’t recognize; with white eyes resting on one such stranger, she settles loosely at his side. “Hello,” she murmurs happily to the golden man, noting his eyes of bright blue, before her attention is redirected and soon swallowed by their leaders.

Deimos is the first to address them, and his words produce a variety of emotions that bloom within the ocean mare’s breast. The idea of a Basin Festival is nothing short of exciting—how wonderful it will be to have all of Helovia in their borders! The north’s frosted mountains are precious within Tiamat’s heart. For her, the Basin is home—in every meaningful, beloved sense of the word—and it excites her to be able to share such a beautiful blessing with the world. “I would love to help, however you need me,” she speaks to Rexanna with eager generosity, casting a warm smile to her herd mate and friend.

However, there is the other half of her Lord’s words, those which are not as pleasant. “Any species may join, as long as they are useful”—Tiamat does not understand what this means (having been sheltered of her home’s selectivity for years), and it causes her brow to knit together in confusion. Unable to even fathom the possibility that her revered Lord would hold any sort of prejudiced opinions, she writes it off as concern for their difficult times (everyone needs to work together in a herd, after all). To hear him say that they are faltering at all is enough to distract her. The Basin is her haven, her home—how could it be anything but strong?

Sapphire lips press together in concerned speculation, the length of her leonine tail flicking around her fetlocks. The blue mare is willing to do almost anything—all that she can—in order to ensure the safety of her home, and those who share it with her. She intends to visit the Threshold, her mind already spinning plans for travel, when something else (something darker) abruptly cuts through her concentration.

“Our Haruspex Ashamin has respectfully stepped down from his position, and is no longer a member of the Aurora Basin.”

“What?” Tiamat gasps, louder than intended and likely catching the attention of more than a few. If anyone stares, she doesn’t notice it—suddenly, her mind is whirling, her heart pounding, hurting as it races against her ribcage. How—why—when did this happen? Why would Ashamin leave them? (Leave her?) While their bond isn’t as intimate as others, their friendship is like an iron around her heart, the terrible feeling of losing him forever burned into her soul.

(Why would he leave without saying goodbye?)

Hollowly, she listens as they replace the painted stallion, appointing a mare named Frost Fyre in his place. Glancing around, Tiamat searches for the unfamiliar face that now belongs to the title, fitting a gracious smile onto her lips. “Congratulations on your promotion,” she musters all of the sincerity she can offer, nodding a gesture of kindness. It is not this strange mare’s fault—and Tiamat doesn’t hold it against her (perhaps she wouldn’t know how even if she wanted to). Shifting her weight uneasily, the ocean mare returns her eyes to those gathered as they press forward with plans for the festival—and tries to lose herself in the excitement that had gripped her so shortly before.


notes; Acknowledges @Kalona @Frost Fyre and @Rexanna c:
“Speech.”

tiamat

What you share with the world

is what it keeps of you.