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 Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:34 am
 The lake she often went to when in need of a quiet place to think was calm aside from the water lapping happily at the shoreline. She could hardly see her reflection in the dim light but the green flames dancing at her feet shone brightly in the smooth waters, and her rounded belly was illuminated by them. The first time she had ever come to this lake she never thought it possible that she would be loved by someone, let alone destined to become a mother. She had thought because of the monstrous green flames burning at her bony hooves others would avoid her and call her a beast, but the Erchanhardt came along. He was different than most and he had fallen in love with her against all better judgment. A small smile crept up on her and she shook her head at the thoughts of her handsome lifemate. But there was still something missing…
The smile faded as a dark cloud built up over her head at the thought of her absent family. Her mother was off with her new stallion doing..whatever she was doing, and Anaon had left on a quest for some mystical flower she had heard about. She felt a kick in her belly and turned her glowing green eyes upon it. No one was here to share in her joy and fears over her pregnancy, Ana would not even know and neither would her mother. The rest of the family she believed to be indifferent toward her existence and her father…well…he didn’t exist. A long, drawn out sigh escaped her and she once more stared into the water. She felt alone, even though she had her beloved she would have liked to share in this experience with someone in her family. Her whole body drooped as she began thinking on that word. Family. Hers was a broken family, it always had been.
As though she had wished upon a star and the heavens smiled down on her a rustle in the bushes caused her to assume a defensive pose. Someone was coming; lifting her head she sniffed at the air to try and catch a scent. The smell that met with her was altogether surprising and unnerving causing her muscles to tighten and her first thought to concern fleeing.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 11:50 am
 He had traveled a long way in a direction he was uncertain of, but if there was one thing the old knight knew it was that he would eventually find what he was looking for. Guided by the stars and moon above he took off in search of his great granddaughter Amelia whom he had not seen since her mother had brought them to visit the family. He remembered the first time he looked upon those flaming hooves in shock, never thinking such a thing possible. Life had taught him many things though, and one lesson was that there are few things in this world that are truly impossible.
When he had first come to these strange lands he had been a cynical young stallion who wanted nothing to do with others. He had learned to hate and fear the goodness this world has to offer because of the death of one he loved most ardently, but then he met Bella. A stubborn mare who just wouldn’t seem to take no for an answer and who had suffered her own heartache before meeting him. He never thought it possible for him to feel love again, but seeing as he was now on his way to visit his pregnant great granddaughter he had been proved wrong.
His armor made gentle clinking noises as he made his way through the forest, always searching the sky for his guiding star when he could. It had been many years since he had been in battle but he could still feel the call to arms blazing brightly in his blood. Though he had aged considerably since the birth of his first daughters he was still just as good as he ever had been. His muscles were still strong due to his daily training, and his armor was still in excellent condition. Time had not taken much from this stallion but a few years of his life, and he would not exchange those for anything in the world.
The distinct smell of a nearby lake had him angling off of his chosen path in order to take a quick drink before pressing on. He hadn’t realized that he had been going for at least a day and a half now without stopping. The journey felt good and had returned some of the youthful spark to his otherwise quiet emerald eyes. It reminded him of the time he had set out with his human to the city where knights were born and bred. His recollections shifted when he noticed a green glow through the trees and he quickened his pace, emerging from the forest to see her standing there in a defensive pose with shock written all over her face. “Hello lass, it has been far too long.” He called out gently.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:12 pm
Her heart nearly ripped from her chest as the patriarch of her family stepped out of the forest and called to her. Shifting uncomfortably she bowed her head to him and averted her eyes. “Grandda, if I had known you were coming I would have made more preparations.” The last time she had seen him he had looked at her in a way that made her feel as though she would never belong in her own bloodline. Her mother had told stories about how traditional he was, and about how her father hadn’t truly fit with those traditions and by association her. The flames on her feet suddenly made her uncomfortable and she wished more than anything that they would blow out and leave her in this already awkward moment.
Each step brought him closer and with each soft ‘thump’ of his hooves on the ground her mind grew more and more troubled. Why had he come? Had he come to scold her for bringing forth more monstrous offspring into the world? She could feel herself shaking slightly and for the first time in a long time admitted to herself that she was afraid of him. Not that he would try and harm her, but that he would finally reject her as she always expected he might. Now more than ever she wished her beloved Ana was beside her, she would know what to do.
“Mother is not here, and Ana has gone on a quest of sorts. The only one you will find here is me…and my mate of course.” Her mouth moved but her brain remained still and she began to regret speaking to him in such a fumbling manner. She had never known until this minute just how important his opinion of her was. Her belly stirred once again and she shifted a bit, her muscles only unclenching long enough to allow her to become more comfortable.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 12:20 pm
He stopped before her, watching with a quizzical brow as she bowed her head to him and began to spout all sorts of nonsense. It wasn’t uncommon for those in his lineage to bow their heads to him out of respect for his age and standing, but never had he received a welcome of this caliber before. He remained silent the entire time she spoke and began to realize that there had perhaps been more to the story between the two of them than he had originally imagined. “Amelia,” he said after she had quieted down, “I am not here to make you stand on ceremony nor am I here to see your ma or sister. I came because I heard you were looking a bit more round about the middle and wanted to see if you were with child.” Hooking his nose beneath her chin he forced her head up and took a step back. “Ah, there ya are. I can finally see those lovely green eyes.” A gentle smile tugged at the corners of his mouth but he could still sense tension.
Taking a moment to allow her some breathing room he stepped to the shore of the lake and began to drink in the delightful cool water. Had he known there had been so much tension between them he would have spoken to her much sooner. He knew things had always been a bit strained between her and the family but he was beginning to think it was directly related to him. Lifting his head he shook out his mess of red hair and turned his attention back to the still quivering mare. “I can go if ya want me to child, I do not want to cause you any stress during this delicate time.” Standing tall he looked to his great granddaughter, awaiting the response that would determine his next move.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:47 pm
He had come to see her? To check on her while she was pregnant? Her ears began to ring and she wondered if she was hearing things. She felt her taught neck muscles groan as he lifted her head and looked her in the eye. She couldn’t help but see a little bit of herself in those green eyes, though she looked much different she could still tell that she was of his blood. “Oh.” She stupidly managed before he turned away to get a drink. Her brain was racing and yet it could come up with no better response than a single syllable. The flames on her legs began to burn unevenly as her emotions raged and when he once more looked at her she was sure she was going to bolt into the forest and never look back.
‘This is silly Amelia!’ She inwardly chided herself. It was at least more apparent that he wasn’t here to reject the unborn foals in her belly but she still would not allow for her guard to be lowered. Taking in a deep breath the way her sister had taught her she calmed the storm within her and looked to him once more. “I thought you of all of my family members would be the last to want to see me.” She bravely ventured. Perhaps the two newly beating hearts in her womb gave her strength, or perhaps the gentle look in her great grandfather’s eyes had allowed her to speak her mind. Either way the words hung between them and there was nothing more she could do but await his response with fear growing in her gut.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 5:52 pm
There it was, the boulder amidst the pebbles had been revealed and he had to admit that it shocked him a little. All of this time the reason she had not sought him out since her mother had brought her there was because she thought him indifferent toward her. The line of his maw grew tight as he lowered his head and released a heaving breath out of his nostrils. The armor on his legs gleamed in the light of her flame but he suddenly felt a little heartsick. All of this time she had thought he hadn’t wanted to see her, though he did not know why it made him feel as though he had failed at his task of being her great grandfather. Straightening his posture he allowed his face to become stern and he gave a little nod of acknowledgement while formulating his thoughts. It was clear that this issue had to be dealt with, but he just didn’t know how.
“Why do ya say such a thing Amelia?” Even though the lilt of his Irish accent was uplifting one could tell it was a very serious and weighted question. As he looked over her swollen girth he knew he could not let this one go. He would not lose more family the way he had lost Calibor. He tried to delve through the pages of his memory to decipher the beginning of this trouble but nothing came to him. “Explain.” He demanded at last, desiring more than anything to get to the bottom of this matter.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:02 pm
Those gentle green eyes from a moment before now bored into her, full of questions and frustration. Her pulse quickened even more as she stared back at him until he lowered his head. She could tell she was holding her breath but nothing could be done about it, the confrontation had begun and there was no turning back now. She watched him carefully as he became lost in thought and began to wonder for a moment if she had scared off the only family member she had near to her at the moment. Only moments ago she was feeling lonesome and she had been presented with the opportunity to have company, but there were things yet between them that she needed to make evident. She began to turn her head away from him to hide from his gaze before speaking but thought better of it. She was stronger than this; she had proved it just by being here in this moment.
“The first time mother ever brought Ana and I to see you I could tell you didn’t want me around! The look in your eyes told me so! Fear! That is what I saw, fear of your own flesh and blood!” Tears began to spill over the metal plate on her face and her voice began to quiver. “I was just waiting for the day that you would tell me I was disowned. I know how fond you are of your traditions and that my father and I did not fit into them!” She began to cry harder, making it more difficult to get words out past the gasps of air. “I was the black spot in our bloodline! I know I was! And because of that you have always regretted my mother giving birth to me and dirtying your lineage!” Her voice had progressively grown louder but with every word her heart sunk lower. It had come to the point where she couldn’t even believe what she was screaming at him. Though she wanted to turn her back on him she remained still, staring at him and trying to control the flow of tears.
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Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2013 6:15 pm
Each word from her was a stone on his heart and the tears now wetting her face didn’t make it any easier to bear. All of this time she had felt he believed the family would have been better off had she never been born. All of this time she had kept this pain bottled up within her without a word to anyone. Regret washed over him like the waves of the lake beside him washed over the shore. Had he been paying attention he likely would have caught this earlier and been able to rectify the situation. Bella always was nagging him about attempting to scratch beneath the surface of others.
“So this is the opinion you have formed of me?” He asked after allowing her to have a moment to collect herself. It was strange but part of him felt like weeping as well, how hard it must have been for her to live thinking her own blood despised her. “You are foolish!” He boomed. He was no longer sad but angry with her; just like that his Irish temper had flared. “You think just because I looked at ya with an odd expression once you were hated by us all?!” Shaking his head he began to pace in order to calm himself. “Was I supposed to not be shocked by a foal with flaming legs?!” Sealing his mouth before he blatantly yelled anymore he allowed himself to cool off.
“I didn’t fear you, not once Amelia. I feared for you.” Inhaling deeply once more he leveled his gaze with hers. “There was a lot going on at the time, what with your ma being abandoned and broken because of yer father. Your flames were a surprise to me but they were not something I feared! None in the family could help you with yer flames! No one knew anything about ‘em! That is what I feared, not you.” Stepping closer to her he shook his head. “I didn’t know how we could protect you and yer sister from the knowledge of the abandonment of your father, of your missing sibling, and of your flames! All of these things weighed on my mind, but I never once thought of disowning ya!”
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 2:06 am
The sounds of nature were the only sounds to be heard as the two stared at each other in a tense yet understanding silence. All of the words they had been storing deep in a vault within them had spilled forth and the truth lay out on the sand for them to examine and do with what they pleased. The tears had stopped and her breathing had begun to even out when she stumbled forward and rested her head on his shoulder, the sound of her face armor clanking with his chest armor echoing through the night. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear that he wasn’t afraid of her, how much she needed to hear him tell her that she truly belonged within his family. Closing her glowing green eyes she leaned into the patriarch of her family.
“I’m sorry granda.” She stated quietly. “I just, always felt like you were disappointed with my birth. That some fiery demon had come to destroy all you had worked so hard to build, but I know that was wrong of me. I should have come to you sooner. I was just afraid of what you would say…” All these years he had seemed like such an imposing figure in her life, but now she began to realize she had built him up in that life. Misconstruing every look he had ever given her, building up an enemy in her head. “I am sorry.” She repeated.
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Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 12:49 pm
He was surprised by the sudden show of affection his granddaughter had exhibited, but he stood still, allowing her to lean on him as needed. He looked down at her and felt a squeeze in his chest at the sight of those magnificent glowing flames, and of his granddaughter standing so close to him. The thought that they could have been like this from the beginning crept into his mind but he soon quashed it, knowing that dwelling on what could have been was never a good idea. Moving gently so as not to make this awkward, he slid forward and draped his head over her neck.
“Shhh, I’m sorry too Amelia.” Closing his eyes he gently rubbed her neck with his chin in a comforting manner. “I should’ve handled the situation better when yer mother came to me with the two of you in toe. I was just confused and uncertain of what the future was to bring.” Stepping back he made sure to square himself so he was looking her in the eye. “I love you lass, always have and always will. I will always be glad to have ya in my bloodline, never doubt that.” With a gentle smile he turned his attention to her swollen belly. “Let us go somewhere more comfortable and talk more, aye? I was hopin’ you wouldn’t mind if I stuck around to see the birth of your babes, that was my original intention.” He beamed proudly down at her.
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