[❅ Icy Dragon ✩]

With the council meeting a go and a variety of subjects to be touched upon, Orel thought it might be wise to consult with those who could aid in at least one area. There was possibly more they could tell the young queen, though she was sure the group would want to keep some secrets as well. She'd already met a few of the Vigilum throughout her life - starting with her aunt. They seemed amicable enough and had the knowledge she needed. Orel had a feeling this would be a smooth meeting, perhaps even uninteresting beyond the information she sought. It would be interesting to see how the group was fairing currently, at least.

A brisk morning was what met Orel as she ventured away from Tremala Woods. It still felt odd to call the royal herd home, but she was enjoying the vast forest and its beautiful fall colors. The early sunlight painted the sky an array of raw pinks and reds as the sun waited to make a full appearance. Morning dew had instead turned to a delicate layer of frost that coated every blade of grass and stray leaf to be seen. Soon, Orel knew there would be snow, and all the harshness of winter. It'd be best to accomplish as much as possible before the morning frost turned into something more severe.

That was the reasoning behind the Neutral Queen braving the chilly morning and traveling from the warmth of home to the slopes of Mount Vigilum. She'd seen the mountain before, but it was still strikingly massive and swallowed up the morning sky. This place was embedded in her family, she knew that much, but the call to heal others had not reached Orel's ears. Instead, she would utilize the group to the benefit of her kingdom. The end goal was to assist others, so the young queen imagined that the peaceful group would have little issue with such.

As the painted lady approached the bottom of the slopes, she hesitated briefly to peer up the sheer mountainside. Just this bottom area of the mountain was so massive that she wasn't sure how long it'd take to actually find someone. Did the Vigilum have some sort of rule, where at least one had to be around at all times? Orel hadn't paid close enough attention to know that much, nor had she really sought out any of the members by means other than making a racket or bothering her aunt. She sighed deeply and began to walk again, beginning up the worn path along the slope. Perhaps she'd get lucky and run into someone right away? Or maybe a patient who could point her in the right direction. "Good morning," she called out, her voice somewhat strained to raise to a higher volume and she had to pause to clear her throat, "are the Vigilum nearby?"


Orel - + ebonite + Pippin Sunfrost w/ any of the Vigilum
Timeline: Fall
Notes: Sorry for all over the place, my brain is a mashed egg
Artist: Nachtbringer

[Sunfrost]

Duramus breathed in the fall air and wondered if he welcomed or worried over the cold feeling it gave him as it settled into his lungs. Cold air meant winter was coming. Winter meant illness, sickness, starvation depending on where horses were living. It meant more work for the Vigilum, even as they themselves became exposed to more risks – more sick horses, more patients to treat. The Vigilum were good at what they did, but even they were not immune to sickness and disease. Duramus worried about it even as he knew the Vigilum were equipped to handle whatever came their way. He, Casi, and Cassian had been Vigilum together for long enough that they had a groove in place. Dur often felt like the odd one out, though. Casi had his herdland, Omashu, in the Light Kingdom, and Dur had learned that Cassian had joined Omashu as well. With two Vigilum in the Light Kingdom, Dur felt uneasy about how that might look to contentious others, and had been even more carefully trying to maintain his image of neutrality as a result. Not that he blamed Cassian for wanting a home in Omashu - Duramus sometimes felt as though he could benefit from actually living somewhere, instead of wandering around all the time.

Spending a month in Oinaze under the loving care of Helkaer Commander Sly had disabused him of the notion of home, though. Despite the challenges of being there for a month, Dur had also felt restless, staying in one place without being able to wander. He had wondered what was going on outside the Outlands, whether war had broken out somewhere, and whether Cassian and Casi were managing without him. He didn’t regret stepping in for that steal, but he did regret that the burden of being Vigilum had been carried by Cassian and Casi alone while he was gone. The bay draft mix had only recently returned to Mount Vigilum, with new scars adorning his pelt and fresh wounds to address. He’d been lucky that no wounds had been infected. He had also lost weight, his ribs almost showing beneath his pelt. One month in Oinaze did that to a horse. He’d taken to hanging around Mount Vigilum more than usual as a result, recovering as best he could as he caught up.

Therefore, it didn’t take long for him to be aware that the Vigilum had a visitor. A soft call caught his attention, hailing the Vigilum and wishing them a good morning. The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Stretching out his legs, Dur rose from where he had been lying on the cool ground and trotted towards the voice, letting out a nicker of greeting as he caught sight of Queen Orel of the Neutral Kingdom. Queen Orel he neighed, pulling to a halt and dipping his head courteously. I hope you have been well? His gray eyes ran over her form clinically, searching for injuries as a matter of habit even as he greeted her. He’d first met Orel as a younger horse, wandering the Freelands in search of Mount Vigilum and arguing that she of course wasn’t lost, thank you very much. Now she stood before him as queen of her kingdom, and she seemed to be wearing her crown well so far. He would have greeted her more informally, but formality seemed to fit this occasion best so far.



tagged// ❅ Icy Dragon ✩ + ebonite + Pippin
notes// A bit clunky, many apologies!
timeline// After returning from Oinaze