Ophelia's keen gaze watched the way his muscles tensed ever so slightly from under his dual colored fur, head turning away as if to hide while putting on the mask of happiness. A smile that was too sweet to be real. A smile too fake to last. And it did not. Moments later, she watched the hastily applied expression falter when she asked him what happened to cause his suddenly depressed mood.
She listened objectively, brows furrowing at his answer. Something about Ktulu asking Midas to leave his home to live among mercenaries seemed wrong. Perhaps the Grey was Ophelia's purgatory. Her self made prison where she belonged while the gods cast her out from their favor. In the back of her mind she knew that the Grey did not stand for those who could not stand for themselves. She had fabricated their purpose in order to align her sister's dream with her own morals. And even now, that fabrication had yet to be shaken.
But her heart knew, and it reacted to Midas' words honestly. A noble warrior who fought for family and loyalty did not belong among the bottom-feeders of mercenaries. But to Ophelia's conscious, she only saw a severe disconnect and a selfishness. With a slight frown, she furrowed her brows and gazed out at the long, sloping meadow, the sound of the river a gentle whisper in her ears.
"My father experienced the same, I believe," she said quietly. "The love of one's land can be just as strong. He still has not recovered from the Tides. I saw him on the hill when we invaded, and he looks tired. He gave his life to our old home, and it was torn from him." Ophelia turned her gaze to Midas, her dual colored eyes showing sympathy.
"I have never experienced this tie to a land that has driven so many. Perhaps that is because I was displaced as a young child, but I know from my love for my sister that any tie of emotion is strong. The Throat, Kri, and the sands were your first love. I lived there once, and I know of its beauty." Ophelia smiled kindly, and then recalled her early memories of the desert sands. She much preferred the north, but the golden waves of dunes were like a vast ocean on which your hooves could dance. She could understand the appeal.
"If I am speaking honestly, from my opinion which is from only my mind and therefore severely one sided, I would say that asking you to abandon your first love is unfair. Traditionally, mares follow their stallions home. Ktulu and I were not raised traditionally, however - as evidenced by our status. You are both trapped, I think." Ophelia realize then that her lack of ties were a blessing and a curse. She would never have to be torn between two fractions of her heart. Or so she thought.
"If I were to make a guess about your personality, I would say you are fiercely loyal, and that is noble. I will not try and sway you either way, but you can always have comfort in knowing that Ktulu is safe and you are always welcome. Ask yourself though, what would it mean being in the Grey?" Ophelia said, her gaze darkening ever so slightly. "Are you comfortable with fighting for a contract? What if your enemies hire you to hurt your friends? The Grey is intended to be impartial, holding no loyalties except to our own. For some of us, that is easy. The world was not kind and our ties were broken, but for others, loyalty is as strong as love. Many times, I have seen the struggle when presented with this conundrum, and ultimately, they have to act on what they believe is right. And 'right' is a state of mind, varying with individuals and backgrounds. Truth is not a fact; it is an interpretation. Morality is what you choose it to be, not an absolute."
Ophelia's gaze faded into her mind, staring into the vast beyond of nothing. She was speaking to herself as much as she was Midas, wondering if she still had any ties strong enough to challenge her complete loyalty to the Grey. A few, she thought. She had a few, but they were not in her sights and easily put out of mind. Or well, in her case, not exactly out of mind - just not actively recalled.
She stood silent for a moment before blinking out of her trance and frowning a little. "My apologies. You did not need a lecture. Only know that I understand. I stood where you stood once, but the world was unkind." She said with a tight smile. "My loyalties have been disregarded." Ophelia let out a heavy sigh. "I am here for you, Midas, should you need a friend. Though I may not be of any help, I can at least listen should you need an ear to vent at."
|
.svg/2000px-Google_Chrome_icon_(2011).svg.png){kind=icon}
