Time Heals All Wounds - Nightmare, Chislev & Kitiara [PRP]

[[+Katch+]]

Chislev had traveled far from her home, her hooves were caked with mud and her tail was knotted up with twigs and burrs - but in her eyes shone a resilience and fire that could not be quenched. She had a lead on her son, her only child she thought she had lost in that long ago war, the only connection she had left of her long dead mate. She had tracked him to a strange hidden clearing in an especially eerie forest where a small herd of gentle though frightening looking soquili dwelled, she learned that her own son had been the leader of their herd, but had left quite unexpectedly, being prone to deep depression. She had never known her son, she had left him hidden in the shell of a large pumpkin to hide as the war engulfed the land they had lived in, she had told him to wait for her to come back, but when the fighting had ended - only an empty pumpkin remained.

She had traveled the length of a sweltering bog and across dry rocky plains that had stones constantly stuck in her hooves, but she persisted - She would find her son and she would make sure he knew that he was loved, that he had a mother as well as a father who had loved him. It couldn't repair the damage of growing up the way he must have, but it was a start, they had the rest of their lives to work on it. She rested upon a grassy hill, munching on new dandelions and carefully drinking the morning dew from a few choice leaves - This was a nice area, secluded, a kind of sanctuary, she had followed the charred and wilted foliage where her son walked to this area, she had noticed some time ago that there were signs of little hoofprints following his in the mud, her heart swelled, she continued following their tracks through thick and thin and those tiny hoofprints grew and she became even more determined to find them. But this was apparently the place, a small freshwater pond lay a little ways from where she stood, a sandy churned up patch of ground had seen a lot of action, she had seen many such places - used mostly for training... Well, the warrior blood ran strong in this family. She looked up, searching - where were they...  

[[+Katch+]]

Kitiara had sensed another presence coming up the mountain, it wasn't often that others made it here, in fact, only a few of them had ever passed by and it was completely on accident. This one obviously had been looking for something...or someone, her only conclusion was that they had been tracking them. Her burning blue gaze narrowed, the cold flames flickering out of her legs flared a little, she would go out there and interrogate them - Find out why they were following them. Her father needn't be involved...Afterall, he had much on his mind, he had become more stable and more outspoken, Kitiara was wary about where this new change would lead him, AND her. Soon she would leave on her own to pursue her own career as a mercenary, she knew that her father wouldn't approve, having harped about knights and honor and all that...She didn't want honor, if she wanted something she would just take it.

She marched forward though the shadows to meet this stranger, as it appeared the figure was going nowhere but in fact searching for them, she had never been one for stealth, her flames giving her away in the darkness. She would go right up to them and demand explanation for their presence, and then determine whether they could live or not...She had no scruples about killing to keep their living place a secret, she didn't want any nosy passerbys near her or her father...  

[[+Katch+]]

Chislev may have been retired for many a season now, but she was still every inch a hardened battle mare and quickly noticed that she had been spotted and sized up. She turned her steeled gaze towards the closest line of trees and found herself staring at what appeared to be blue foxfire flickering through the shadows, she narrowed her eyes, trying to get a clear look as the lights got closer. She soon found herself making out the outline of a figure, and staring directly into the burning blue gaze of a young mare. A sight she had seen many times in her youth, her mate and child also had such eyes. Chislev's heart hammered in her chest as the mare got closer, a rather unfriendly look on her face. Chislev turned to greet this stranger, as unkept as she was after all her traveling she stood proudly.

"Greetings young one - I am looking for a stallion known to others as "the Nightmare" I've traveled a great distance to meet him and have thus far tracked him to this location - would you happen to know who i'm talking about?"

The strange mare finally came into the light of day and Chislev had to keep her emotions in check, for it was like looking at a younger, stranger, version of herself. She was nearly the same height, the same colors, everything, though blue fire danced about her instead of the green she'd known. Chislev held her breath, this was not her son...but this could be the source of that second pair of hoofprints in the mud. perhaps ...a grandchild.  

[[+Katch+]]

Her appearance had not shocked or frightened the stranger as she had originally hoped, it was more like she recognized the tactic, not that she was recognized, something...else. This made Kitiara even more wary of this newcomer. As she got closer the stranger spoke, a cracked but unmistakably female voice. She raised an eyebrow, this person didn't even bother to hide that she had tracked her and her father to this place, she even knew him by name - What could she want with such a broken spook? She stood not five feet from this stranger, looking her up and down with curiosity and a smidge of disgust, this was an old mare, late in her seasons and full of muck, her helmet had seen plenty of action it seemed, so covered in dents and scratches it had barely any luster at all. Of course she also took note that the mare was not withered with her age, she had striking muscles and a strong gaze that meant business. She wasn't someone easily trifled with. " Yeah, I know 'im" She replied, smirking widely " Who's asking? Give me a reason not to toss you out of our territory old lady" She had been further inspecting this stranger, and while there was something AWFULLY familiar about her, Kit couldn't put her hoof on it.  

[[+Katch+]]

This young mare was a fiery one, both literally and figuratively. But despite her brashness, she had given Chislev everything she needed to know - Her son was here, this young mare knew him, she claimed that this was their territory. This was his home, even temporarily. She smiled at the mare, imagining that she had been attempting to scare her off, she was not so easily swayed from her mission. " Oh good, i thought i'd lost him at some point, but it seems my tracking skills are not as rusty as the rest of me." The mare before her seemed unnerved by her unfettered response. " As for who's asking, my name is Chislev - an old battlemare from far east" Her iron gaze fell on the mare like a hammer, melting the kindness that had been there moments before " You'll not be tossing me anywhere actually - i've traveled so long to see this Nightmare, you see, i'm his mother."  

[[+Katch+]]

Kitiara was very rarely caught off guard, she had trained since she was a child in the art of manipulation, she could play any part that was necessary to get what she wanted. But at this moment a whole range of emotions washed right across her face, her eyes went wide, her jaw went slack. All the puzzle pieces were put together. Of course there was still room to be wary, this could be anyone, but with so many uncanny resemblances, she could even sense herself within this older mare before her. In her young life she had never heard her father speak of other family, not a mother, not a mate, not even her own siblings, he even rarely mentioned her "knight in shining armor" of a half brother. Kitiara looked over this mare with open skepticism now. " You're...his mother huh?" The flames of her eyes flickered as she continued to assess her visitor, " Well, i've never heard about you from the old man, so before I believe anything you just said, sure, i'll take you to him - see what he says." She snorted and began to turn, gesturing that Chislev should follow " if it is true, i suppose introductions are in order" She drawled cynically " my name is Kitiara Nox, your charming granddaughter."  

[[+Katch+]]

Nox - the name rang in her ears like a bell - How had they known that name? That had been her long dead mates name all those long years ago. Now it was a surname to her family. Her heart nearly leaped from her breast. Her son DID remember some things about that far gone time, perhaps it was possible to rekindle a relationship after long last. She had concluded that this fiery spriggan was of some relation, but a granddaughter! She was an old mare indeed, certainly old enough to have a few sets of these by now, but the surprise was no less heartfelt. " Hoo ooooo~ charming is it?" she chuckled " I see you got as much sass as you do fighting spirit little Kit." She grunted and started forward after her granddaughter, doing her best not to skip forward after her, she was so close now, so close to finally seeing her only child alive and well.  

[[+Katch+]]

Nightmare had spent what seemed a lifetime brooding in a dark dark place, he had wallowed in his own selfish miseries, tormented by the thought of hurting his love, and how he was still hurting her by staying away...It couldn't be helped, he had never loved before her, always lost. His only solace came from thinking of his children, his son who must be a glorious knight by now...and of course there was his youngest, Kitiara. Caring for her in the deep darkness of a swamp, mothered by a ghost, she had grown up much differently than Tannin had. She was cunning, ruthless, sharp of tongue and had a taste for blood. He was proud of her in his own way, but she was certainly no knight, no soldier, not one to follow rules. However, the birth of his new children had dragged him from the mire his mind had been in since Tannin had been young, he realized love again, caring for those little lives he realized that some things were salvageable, his love was salvageable - He didn't yet know if Lumriel would ever forgive him for leaving her at so crucial a time, he wondered silently about his oldest children. He was almost lost in past thoughts again until his ears perked up, his old battle training never forgotten - he heard Kitiaras voice, but there was also another. That was very unlike Kit to lead someone to him knowing he preferred his solitude. He lifted himself from his shadowy bower between two intertwined trees and stood in the blue gloom waiting for this guest, his eyes flickered, what would this day bring?.  

[[+Katch+]]

Chislev spotted him, so easily in the gloom, that unearthly fire that had once burned in the heart of her mate Nox now burned within their son. But her little Pumpkin wasn't so little anymore, she remembered the night she had left him, sheltered in the hollowed shell of a pumpkin. A great battle was still being fought and she was needed on the front lines, she hadn't wanted to leave him, as new a mother as she was, she wanted to stay and protect her littling - she told him to stay put...But when the battle was done, and she rushed back to that place. Her mate was slain and her child was gone. That battle still rang in her ears now as she approached - she could see him through the shadows of the trees, sunlight catching the metallic bits of tack on him...gods, he looked almost exactly like his father...It made her breath catch and her eyes hot with tears. "oh...my Pumpkin..."  

[[+Katch+]]

Kitiara frowned, this whole situation was making her uneasy - supposedly long lost family members just poppin by for tea and biscuits? What the heck. The only thing her father was ever good at was trainin them how to fight and try to make them "decent" folk before they all got old enough to run off from this miserable bog. Kit had only stayed behind to make sure the old man didn't get himself killed or walk off a cliff or something. " Pumpkin?" She muttered, raising an eyebrow " he's not a bloody gourd"  

[[+Katch+]]

Nightmare stopped at the very edge of the shadows, staring out into the daylight brightness at the two figures just beyond. Kit was obviously grumpy, but curiously enough, deflated. That alone gave him some pause, Kit was a fiery thing in more ways than one and she'd be having a fit and literally kicking anyone out of their territory...but not this one, this one had managed to find her way all the way here through Kit...He cleared his throat, his voice rumbling out of the shadows " Kitiara, so rare of you to bring strangers.." He turned his attention to the mare in question and something deep in his memories stirred, this disturbed and intrigued him..." who ARE you?" He walked out into the sunlight, the bright light stinging his eyes.  

[[+Katch+]]

Kit huffed " Father, this crazy old mare thinks that she's your honest to goodness mother, back from the middle o who knows where - isn't that a hoot?" Even has a little pet name for you and everything" She still kept some space between her and the old battle mare, she was confident in her abilities, but experience sometimes trumped power and she wanted a plan before that " if you want I can tell her to lea-"

" NO"

She startled a bit, interrupted by the unusually loud bark of her father " er, what, but she's obviously out of her mind"


" She wont be going anywhere Kitiara, i wish to speak with this one, even if there's a slim chance, It might be her - after all these years." He turned to her " I've never told you about your grandparents because there was nothing to tell...I grew up alone, living in a pumpkin patch." He didn't wait for his daughter to finish before he turned his attention back to the mare, his eyes adjusting to the sunlight. She was certainly an old battle mare, the scars crisscrossing her pelt and her worn armor gave that away, her eyes were tired and had seen much, but there was a softness about her that he would imagine a mother would have...her pelt was even the same color as his, though what was really striking was her hair - a bright flame red he had only seen one other place...his son Tannin. " Please, answer me."  

[[+Katch+]]

After all this time she had found him, it had been a long journey, she had almost died of heartbreak, of loss, but she never gave up hope, she never gave up searching for him. " My name is Chislev, my mate was called Nox... yes, like your surname Kitiara, though I imagine your father didn't know why he chose that name... just like his assumed name, the Nightmare - they both are children of the Night. it's a very deep memory indeed." She turned to look at her son, who stood before her with eyes as wide as flaming saucers "I never stopped looking for you Pumpkin, I went back for you after the battle, but you were gone...where did you go? I looked everywhere..." A hot tear spilled down her cheek, a fierce smile on her face."


Nightmare was floored, after all this time, it was her. There was little doubt now, even he had never quite known where he had gotten the name Nox, but he had felt it appropriate at the time...it felt right. " You're telling the truth...I only remember bits and pieces but that's right...I remember hearing the battle, I remember being frightened, hidden in that huge pumpkin...someone got too close and I got out and ran as far as I could. I'm sorry..."He blinked back tears "You keep calling me Pumpkin...is...that my name? My real name?"  

[[+Katch+]]

She chuckled softly, she had never been so happy, she longed to rush forward and nuzzle him as any mother would a young colt, but he wasn't so little as all that anymore, she resisted and simply replied " Yes son, that's your name, your father Nox named you, for you were born in a pumpkin patch, just like the one you say you grew up in"

Kit was gawking quite openly now " Are you serious? You're my actual grandmother, and- and YOU! Your name is Pumpkin!? Geezuz, this is nuts, imagine that...wow, what's next? All the half siblings come over and have a big family reunion? Don't think i'm not expecting it now. I mean..."

She stopped suddenly, suddenly finding herself the center of attention in an obviously emotional moment. "ahhh...well, um. Hi grandma. I guess we'll catch up later...iii'm just gonna " she took one step backward, and then another, before she turned and fled the scene, well, she not so much fled as briskly strutted in retreat from the whole thing, she had plenty to wrap her head around already.  

[[+Katch+]]

He had spent so long alone, so long wallowing about so many things, he hadn't spent any time at all thinking about his parents, thinking them just brought him more heart ache, and he had had plenty of that recently...a wave of shame flared up before his happiness overrode it - His mother was here! She was a live, and after all, she hadn't abandoned him, she'd been looking for him all this time! No amount of training and sadness in this world would have made him stand still as he started forward with a sob and went to his mother, wrapping his head around her shoulder in a warm embrace " ...Mother, i've missed you so much, thank you for finding me, after all this time...thank you."

Chislev wept then, tears of joy from both sides soaked their fur, they were definitely family, right down to their bones, visible or no - they stood there for a good time before with a smile she stood back a moment, her tears dried now " SO! son..." she cleared her throat " gods, where do I start?" She took a deep breath " So I have grandchildren, and more than one bunch I gather - mostly from your youngest there...quite something that one." She raised an eyebrow at him " You have a mate stashed around here somewhere Pumpkin?"