[Log] Shades of Black (See Inside)

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

((This is a private RP featuring characters owned by ~Latonia de la Courtel~. Please do not post unless invited. Thank you.))



Teepee Here: ~Latonia de la Courtel~

 

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

[History]
Two years had passed since his departure from his homeland, his abandonment of all he had known. Irazu felt like it had been a blink of an eye and a century. Like he had lived through only the next heartbeat and a lengthy passage of time beyond comprehension, all at once. He was both the same and different, unaffected and utterly changed. But they were at least -he thought- positive changes. Intelligent changes.

True enough, years ago Irazu had left his herd with a lighter heart, with determination and the bright burn of a cause lighting up his very soul. He had a task; one assigned to him by the Elders of his herd and the Elders of the Sea, their close allies. In that moment his status was elevated; he was important, was vital. Beyond Tribute or Soldier, Acolyte or the Handmaidens, perhaps it would even pave the way for him to be an Elder, should he return with the quarry he sought. To the herd, he ascended to a status not unlike that of the Burning One.

It was he who would prove their salvation, for he would fetch their wayward goddess. He would escort her home safely, return her to the loving care of her acolytes and handmaidens, her tribute, see her safely ensconced in the shrine they had built to house her. Through his actions there would she stay, safe and sated by their offerings. And in so doing would she be present to keep the fiery heart of the earth at bay, to keep the volcanos that had birthed their homes quiescent, to ensure their continued existence and defend them from destruction. Because he found her, returned with her. He would bring Peace and Safety, when he returned home with the Lady of Fire.

But life outside of the herd was not quite so simple. Being assigned a task was all well and good, until one stopped to consider the implicit details. The Lady of Fire had left a home she had never strayed from before, and the world beyond was far, far larger than the islands they inhabited. There were four cardinal directions she could have chosen when she fled, and for some time Irazu had no indication he had chosen correctly.

Granted, North and West were equally likely, with the scattered fragments of the mainland reaching toward them. But selecting either direction would require ignoring the other, and considering that the range of options expanded with each league, the choices would eventually broaden beyond the scope of a single stallion. (Perhaps not eventually, perhaps even immediately, but he did want to try and stay positive about such matters.) With that in mind Irazu had still stuck to his course, selected the most likely route with the most available resting places, and questioned any he came across as he attempted to retrace the mare's steps, determine if he were correct.

Wonder of wonders, he had managed it. He had found the land in which she had come to live, walked among the herd she had spent her earliest days amongst. He had met her sons.

Sons. The Lady of Fire had sons, and in that moment Irazu realized that there was nothing simple at all about this new path.

Irazu Wordcount: 545  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

[History]
Kieron's arrival in a new land was treated as his arrival in any other. Namely, it was a non-event. It was precisely as the black-coated stallion preferred it, when all was said and done. Kieron had no interest in being the belle of the ball, or even in attending the event. He'd much rather let all who indulged in fripperies frolic to their heart's content, while he was paid handsomely to remove them of their valuables. More than just a thief, for he'd not tolerate such a common profession, Kieron was an arranger. A mercenary. A thief. Muscle. A con-artist. A knight in tarnished armor. A silver-tongued companion and a distraction, when the occasion calls for it.
Not an assassin, at any price, but a broker. If an assassin was needed, Kieron knew who to get on retainer, but his finder's fee was steep to some. Not impossible, but worthy of his skills, of his silence, of his knowledge. Kier preferred to be in the know, to be on the ball and ahead of the curve whenever the occasion arose. It was the best way for him to make money, to make a name for himself, and to ensure that name was only spoken in the right circles at the right time. Never anything that would get traced back to any sort of Lawmaker, but enough whispers to ensure his clients could find him. Whether he would take them on was a matter for later discussion, but they needed to make it to the negotiating table to begin with in order for the fun to start.
Kier liked the fun parts, make no mistake. What was the old adage? Ah, 'do what you love, and you'll never work a day in your life'. As far as Kieron was concerned, that just about covered it.
*
Still, sooner or later things got hot. Things always got hot, when your business was the apprehension of other people's belongings. Even the very best thief, dealer, reclamation specialist, or soldier -whatever he might be- ran out of bolt holes after awhile. It was a hazard when working a concentrated area. On the move was best, the mercenary role was a saving grace, providing means and motive for him without arising many questions. It often meant he had leads for work elsewhere should an escape be necessary, and a decent idea on how to get there. On the whole, what resulted was a well-traveled and skilled individual that may not be around for long, but certainly had enough work to keep himself and perhaps even an equal busy for the time they might spend in the area.
It also meant that when he arrived in a new area he was on the lookout for local talent, should a larger taskforce be required for whatever odd jobs he might pick up. Of course, picking talent out of a pool of strangers was another sort of skill, one that needed to be honed regardless of the natural talent that was at the heart of it all.
Luckily Kier too had that in spades.

Kieron Wordcount: 515  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

[History]
Discretion, in many cases, is the better part of valor. When faced with a mare that he had sought, Irazu had implored her to return home. When faced with the fact that she had built herself a new home, a new herd, that she had sons... Well, the best-laid plans, yes? Or even the simplest of orders, since it was a duty and not a choice that brought him here. Irazu was here because he was commanded, but when the Lady of Fire would not be returned, well things got both easier and much more difficult.

Now Irazu had choice.

It seemed, at least to Irazu, that the price of wisdom was time. There were some things that could only be learned after years of work, dozens or hundreds of repetitions. Granted, there were also some things that could be nothing but instinct. Things that could not be accomplished unless one had those skills, buried deep within them, a legacy of their family. He felt like flying was probably one of those things since one needed wings first and foremost to accomplish such a task. But they must also be strong and large enough to lift someone in flight, and then they could be practiced with. But first the instinct had to be there.

Irazu had a few instincts, beyond flight and the instinctual ability to find his way home. He could find what he was looking for, or whomever he was looking for, regardless of the distance. The fiery maiden Kawah Ijen was proof of that. Once held as a living idol on his home island, she had fled far from their homeland, through storm and over sea, to escape. To find a place where she could live, could be free, could be among those that might consider her normal. Consider her friend, if she were lucky, or family. So she had fled, but with no goal in mind, no map in her head. Whether it was an instinct that brought here or not, to here she had come.

Irazu had followed. He wasn't even sure how he had followed, truth be told. Maybe it was a feeling, or a suspicion, or an instinct or a calling. Maybe it was something like magic, like fate or destiny or whatever they might call it in whatever land they had crossed on their way here. Whatever anyone might call it, Irazu felt it was something of a skill. A gift, this ability to hunt, to follow.

But the task had turned out to be even more difficult after one would have thought the hard part was behind. Now? Now he was adrift in a new land, with no calling. Without a task. Without leadership. He had no superiors, no place to belong, no desire to return to where he had those things. Here was, good, different, exciting. Maybe he'd learn more things. Maybe he would meet new people.

Irazu Wordcount: 487  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

The story, as he had heard it, was that there were a few of the strangers beginning to move in from the sea. First a dark-coated mare with hints of blue flame, mostly at her mane and tail. Strange, beautiful, and exhausted beyond anything anyone had ever seen before. The story was she had crash-landed nearby, but fled, running at the hint of strangers. Many suspected she had continued on into herdlands until she could flee no more, likely collapsing in exhaustion. What the herd had decided to do with her after the fact was a matter of grand speculation, whether she was kept or turned away or fed to skinwalkers, each one he spoke to had a different theory.

It was no matter, the mare was not truly of interest to him. It was the story of what followed her that was interesting. A lone mare appearing on the edge of exhaustion meant escape. Likely from an unhappy home, a herd, or a mate. While no one knew much of her or why she was here, they did know that a stallion had eventually come calling after her. A stranger once again, they confirmed, hippogryph at least in part. Massive wings, sharp talons and hooves, the scent of the sea and the appearance of a long flight behind him. He had arrived from the ocean, as far as anyone knew, just like she had. Whomever he was he came to this place searching for her, making noises about needing to return her home.

Maybe he found her, maybe he didn't. If he had, did he really have a plan on how to make her return if she was reluctant? Perhaps they would both need to rest before departure. If he had found her, then Kieron was running short on time. If he hadn't, maybe he could be persuaded toward a new line of work. He was in need of muscle and talent in equal parts, and it sounded like this one was strong and stubborn and decently clever, a tracker and a hunter all in one. If he didn't have a better offer, maybe he'd stay on, join Kier's crew.

With a friend or two, he might even be able to claim that he had one to begin with.

Now all that was needed was to find this stranger. Fortunately, Kier paid well for information, and a little birdy had flown by to tell him that his quarry had been spotted in the market. Alone, for the moment, possibly looking for some provisions before making his return trip. Definitely meandering about without the lovely mare in his wake, which meant he might be interested in a job. Kier just had to find him. No problem at all.

Like looking for a shadow at dusk... Peachy.

Kieron Wordcount: 466  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Sons. Even now the idea was a shock to him, though he'd seen them at a distance. If it wasn't weird enough to see the Lady of Fire among a herd, working with others like a commoner. If it wasn't strange enough to see her fighting, treated like a warrior, a Valkyrie, a being of fury and justice and spirit... If it wasn't alarming enough to hear her refuse to return home, then surely the strangest part of this new world was that she had sons.

Three boys, sired by a Prince of the herd that had rescued her. A herd she was considered family amongst, even as she had moved on to another group and become integral to them. Not only did he have to contend with her current herd and herdmates if he wanted to return her home, but he had to deal with the previous herd she had allied herself with, forged bonds to, become kin of.

Warrior mares were fierce enough to convince him such a goal was futile and of no interest. He would be better suited to finding new tasks, either in this new land of opportunity or upon flying home and advising them however he saw fit. Still, to go home only to say that their Goddess was now among other herds, having children, fighting battles. The whole thing would surely sound preposterous to them, and they would not take it kindly that he had failed.

(Irazu had not failed. The mission itself may have been a failure, but he was beginning to think that the mission was a failure from the moment Kawah had fled the herd's lands, to say nothing of when they actually understood that she had gone and had begun forming a plan for her retrieval. In that way, it was not his personal failing, just their misunderstanding as a herd. She had left, of her own will and under her own power, and she had no desire to return. Nor did he have any interest in making her, upon understanding that.

The children hardly mattered if one was being civilized enough to consider matters thoroughly while ignoring them. (That she had them or that they belonged to someone else didn't matter, they wanted her here and that was surely something, but the important thing was that she wanted to be here.) The foals... well... Their added presence just made everything more clear, his thoughts more concise. Irazu easily came to the decision to disregard his orders, to consider himself yet another escapee, seeking asylum in a strange land. Maybe he would join a herd, maybe he would wander, but he was finally following his own orders and no one else's. It was rather nice. Maybe he'd just enjoy that for a while, hire out his skills as an independent party, see where life took him.

Irazu Wordcount: 477  

[~Latonia de la Courtel~]

Though it wasn't yet deep night, the encroaching press of dusk rendered the world around him full of creeping shadows. Soon enough it would be moonrise, and the true strength of the market and the entertainment would be unleashed. The Full-Moon market was a larger affair than the standard trade posts, though not quite as grand as the traveling faires that routinely made their way through the lands. The rotating schedule of venues meant that multiple herds could host the event in their outer lands, ensuring that no singular location was overly hunted or grazed upon when hosting the vendors, herd dignitaries and the various travelers prone to visiting.

Relieved to find it hosted on the outskirts of two different neutral herd territories, Kieron eagerly set out to the hosting grounds in search of new talent for his freelancing needs. The market was in fine form, an arrangement of boulders serving as tables and display space for those that had not brought their own tents and workspace along with the wares. With a vaguely interested eye affixed on the objects and gear for sale and trade, the shades of grey and black stallion meandered through the crowd on the hunt for the specific wandering figure that had been recommended to him.

Never one to turn down the opportunity to network, Kieron stopped here and there through the market to speak with vendors and the occasional patron. gaining news and knowledge in trade for his own easily shared wit and wisdom. He made a few light purchases, consulted on a potential job or two, and was very nearly convinced he'd missed the window opportunity when some of the milling shoppers shifted. With a new avenue of travel opened, Kieron rounded a cluster of musicians performing for coin and caught sight of a massive black stallion lingering on the outskirts of the group.

If he was correct, this was the stranger from the Island Herd. The one that might be swayed to work on a task or two before he returned to his homeland, if that indeed was part of his plan. Either way, he'd be useful if Kieron could pull it off, so the young stallion gave a shrug and stepped forward. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? Or something about an early bird? Whatever the saying was, better now than never. Kieron wasn't much good at waiting, or recalling cliche turns of phrases.

"Excuse me," Kieron murmured with a pleasant grin and incline of his head as he stepped toward the Half-Griff stallion. "I hope you don't mind my interrupting. My name is Kieron and I heard tell of a stallion from the Southern Isles that managed the flight here to the mainland? Word is that he wouldn't be staying around long, but I think he might be helpful to me if I could convince him to pick up a task or two before he left? Is that you, by chance, and does any of that sound correct? I'm Kieron, by the way."

Kieron Wordcount: 502