Addict
|
Post by Indi on Dec 29, 2023 7:57:49 GMT -7
Strange to say, though she had always known about the existence of Dark Woods and met the leader, Reth, in the past... Nikko's Melody was certain she had never actually set hoof in the land itself. Like Shadow Canyon, she knew that Dark Woods had been hit by the Helkaer in the raids the Brotherhood had carried out. Considering the increased amount of flammable material a place like Dark Woods likely had, she was quite intrigued to see how much it appeared to be thriving; no doubt when spring came, it would be a verdant green. True, it had been a few years now since the war between the Helkaer and the Neutral Kingdom. However, she would have imagined it would take much longer for the land to recover.
Perhaps this was not entirely a natural occurrence?
It was good to know that they were doing well, at least by appearances from where she came to a halt at the border. Given that the Afterlife factions were officially at war, every herd would need to be at its best. She was doing everything in her power, alongside her elder brother and many others in the herd, to make sure that Shadow Canyon was as prepared for whatever came next as was possible. That included reaching out to the other herds. She might need to be updated about what had gone on at the most recent of meetings involving the Neutral Defense Council, seeing as Chime had still been at the helm when the meeting occurred. However, she saw no reason not to see about strengthening bonds with the other Neutral herds on her own.
Already she'd enjoyed a chat with Cirilla, who led the neighbouring herd of Black Rose Ravine. The younger femme had been expecting Chime, of course, as word was not yet out that Melody's daughter had become unwell. Still, she felt it had been a fruitful meeting. Now she was interested in seeing how a visit to Dark Woods might go. Character;; Nikko's Melody Tagged;; Open Notes;; <3 Timeline;; She is 7 yrs old; winter, late morning.
|
|
The Outsider walks among us
riposte and tear until it is done
|
They/them
|
10,848 posts
|
points
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addict
|
Post by + ebonite + on Dec 29, 2023 18:15:27 GMT -7
vojorn She had to admit that even if the race had felt a little frivolous, it had also been a lot of fun. It had done a lot to take her mind off of things and give her brain time to just relax and run physically rather than mentally. Now that she was back home, she felt renewed, even days after the race. She felt better than she had in a long time. Perhaps she needed to do more things like that. She found herself chuckling as she paced the clearing for her meal. Her mother seemed to be doing better as well, her eyes brighter than they had been in a while. Avitas had been more also social she had noticed. His venture out to the Free lands for a race of his own had helped him as well. He had been out there more and more frequently and his confidence had started to return. The only one who still seemed isolated was Vrakali. Vojorn planned on speaking to her later today to find out what was going on and how she could help. Hopefully she would be able to. Otherwise she could seek out the help of the Vigilum.
As she finished eating, she noted a guard approaching her. 'Someone is here to see you,' he said, nodding to her, 'she is waiting at the border.' Vojorn nodded in turn. No name provided it seemed. At least this one had the respect to wait at the border. She chuckled again and headed off in the direction the guard had gestured. A mare came into view. She looked vaguely familiar, but Vojorn couldn't quite place her. Sometimes it was difficult to remember things that had happened before her capture. Hopefully the visitor would not take too much offense to it. She dipped her head in greeting. "Hello, my name is Vojorn, lead of Dark Woods. What can I do for you?" she said, her voice conversational.
tag indi timeline after the december race
|
|
Addict
|
Post by Indi on Jan 12, 2024 17:19:07 GMT -7
A flicker of movement told Nikko's Melody that her presence at the border had been noted. At home, generally whoever on patrol had accosted a stranger dealt with the matter immediately, unless a specific request for leadership had been made. With no one immediately approaching her, however, Melody supposed it might be different here. She was quite content to remain where she was at the border, awaiting the appearance of someone who might speak with her. Presumably a leader, since the equine she assumed must be a guard had not approached her themselves. Did another lurk in the shadows of the trees, to ensure that she did not attempt to invade the land? No way to know that for sure, given the nature of visibility in the area. It really was quite impressive how well the land must have bounced back from the fires of Helkaer invaders not that many years ago. Melody contemplated whether it would be rude to inquire as to whether there had been supernatural help in the recovery or if it had been entirely natural. Or, of course, there was always the possibility that Dark Woods had been protected or else not as hard hit as other Neutral herds? She could not recall now, but she supposed there were any number of explanations.
Melody did not have to wait long at her position on the border. Movement again captured her attention and there, through the trees, came a mare that Melody suspected she had probably seen in passing at various events. Yet also mostly certain she had never directly interacted with the other mare. Inclining her head in greeting, a friendly smile was upon her maw as she took in the younger mare's greeting, "Hello, my name is Vojorn, lead of Dark Woods. What can I do for you?"
'It's a pleasure to meet you, Vojorn. I am Nikko's Melody of Shadow Canyon, but you can call me Melody if you like.' A shadow crossed her expression as she explained, 'I have taken over for Chime, as she has been... very unwell. Everything that can be done for her has been done, but until such time as she is well enough to resume leadership, I will be filling that role for her.' A daughter deathly ill, another daughter missing, and a son so focused on finding his missing twin as to not be taking care of himself... It was so hard not to find her thoughts circling worst-case scenarios, but for her family and for her herd, she had to be strong. She had to be the leader her mother had always trained and prepared her to be.
Giving herself a slight shake, as if such a motion could push aside the dark thoughts striving to overwhelm her mind, Melody continued, 'Given the war and everything going on, it seems to me that it is more important than ever to build strong ties between our various herds here in the Neutral kingdom.' Character;; Nikko's Melody Tagged;; + ebonite + w/Vojorn Notes;; <3 Timeline;; She is 7 yrs old; winter, late morning.
|
|
The Outsider walks among us
riposte and tear until it is done
|
They/them
|
10,848 posts
|
points
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addict
|
Post by + ebonite + on Feb 14, 2024 19:50:39 GMT -7
vojorn Vojorn tried to place this mare, but found she could not. She just had the sense that she was familiar. It was so frustrating, dealing with her memory. The things she wanted to forget lingered and the things she should remember were forgotten. She would just have to reacquaint herself with the mare instead. That was how she moved forward instead of ruminating in the frustration. 'It's a pleasure to meet you, Vojorn. I am Nikko's Melody of Shadow Canyon, but you can call me Melody if you like.' Ah, so another member of the Neutral Kingdom. Her name did sound familiar, though again, Vojorn could not exactly place where she'd heard it before. Likely at another meeting with other members of the Neutral Kingdom. But what was she doing here? Her expression had turned somber as she continued on. 'I have taken over for Chime, as she has been... very unwell. Everything that can be done for her has been done, but until such time as she is well enough to resume leadership, I will be filling that role for her,' she explained. Vojorn nodded in understanding, sympathy in her gaze. She hoped that Chime would recover soon, though it sounded like she had been unwell for a while. Had Melody tried to contact the Vigilum to see what they could do? Or perhaps the Afterlife? Those were the only options that Vojorn could think of to help. Though she assumed that when Melody said "everything that can be done for her has been done" it meant that those options had already been explored. 'Given the war and everything going on, it seems to me that it is more important than ever to build strong ties between our various herds here in the Neutral kingdom,' the mare added and Vojorn nodded again. It made sense. Before she had been taken, she'd been working on trying to strengthen ties between Dark Woods and the other herds. She had only accomplished such ties with Gavin so far. "I'm sorry to hear about Chime. I hope that she recovers soon. I would suggest the Vigilum or Afterlife for assistance, but I would assume you've already explored those avenues," she said. She didn't want to discuss something that had already been tried, but she also didn't want to assume. "Dark Woods has been allied with Utopia for many years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. However, I will also not allow my mortal herd members to get involved in the fighting of immortals," she said, making her stance very clear. If other mortals attacked her, she would fight, but anyone from the Underworld was a different story. Let immortals fight other immortals. "What do you know of the war?" she asked Melody, wondering if she knew any more than Vojorn did or if she had also chosen a side. Though she had to say that if Melody had chosen The Underworld, any alliance between their herds was not possible. tag indi timeline after the december race profile
|
|
Addict
|
Post by Indi on Feb 20, 2024 13:39:29 GMT -7
Speaking of Chime and the state she was in, even keeping details vague at most... was hard. Nikko's Melody found her mind eager to conjure images and to lay the blame on her shoulders. Of course, who could have known what the future would bring. Or just how serious the situation was when Chime had been trying her utmost to hide her condition. If they had known... if they could have intervened sooner...
There was no point in brooding over the what-ifs and could-have-beens. There was only the present and how things were now that had to be dealt with as best as could be managed. No one, not even the most powerful of Afterlife entities as far as she could tell, could alter time. So all one could do was make the best of what one was given. No matter how hard it might feel sometimes. One thing was certain, though. There was no doubt in Melody's mind that no worse torment existed than to see your child suffer and be utterly helpless to do anything about it.
Seeing the sympathy in the other mare's eyes, it did not surprise Melody in the least when Vojorn said, "I'm sorry to hear about Chime. I hope that she recovers soon. I would suggest the Vigilum or Afterlife for assistance, but I would assume you've already explored those avenues."
Nodding slightly, she answered, 'My mother is quite skilled as a healer and has been working extensively with the Vigilum in treating Chime's illness.' Of course, there was the Afterlife option that she had not explored, but quite frankly, the idea made her excessively uneasy. She suspected that Vojorn was referring to Utopia when she spoke of seeking Afterlife assistance, but even that... well, after everything that had happened, she would honestly prefer to avoid any interaction whatsoever with the Afterlife -- aside from what was necessary in this war. Could any of them really be trusted, especially with the well being of her daughter? But she had yet to manage voicing such a sentiment to those closest to her. Chances of her sharing how she felt with a complete stranger was small indeed.
"Dark Woods has been allied with Utopia for many years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. However, I will also not allow my mortal herd members to get involved in the fighting of immortals," Vojorn continued. There was no questioning her stance on the matter of fighting against immortals. And Melody had to agree that it was a wise stance, all things considered.
'Shadow Canyon has been allied with Utopia for many years as well,' she noted, ignoring the bitter inner voice that wondered what good that had ever done them. 'I agree that our herd members must not get involved in the fighting of immortals.' Getting involved with immortals in general was not exactly something Melody would be in a hurry to advocate, but she was not about to bring that up. Her experiences had coloured her outlook, but she knew it left her incredibly biased against the Afterlife to a degree that was just too uncomfortably complicated to explain to... well, anyone. Mother probably had some suspicions. Dorak and probably Adonis too. But whether they knew the depth and breadth of it all...
"What do you know of the war?" Vojorn's inquiry broke through less than pleasant thought and Melody was grateful for the distraction. Even if it was somewhat in the same vein as topics went.
Ruefully, she answered, 'Probably not nearly as much as I should. Everything that has happening with my family... I'm afraid I was not likely paying as much attention as I should have.' Glancing at Vojorn, she queried, 'What about you? What do you know of the war?' Character;; Nikko's Melody Tagged;; + ebonite + w/Vojorn Notes;; <3 Timeline;; She is 7 yrs old; winter, late morning.
|
|
The Outsider walks among us
riposte and tear until it is done
|
They/them
|
10,848 posts
|
points
|
|
|
|
|
|
Addict
|
Post by + ebonite + on Apr 13, 2024 16:12:54 GMT -7
vojorn When Vojorn had first returned back to Dark Woods after her ordeal, she had been afraid that she would not be able to handle leading the herd again. The thought had plagued her as she made her way back. What would she do if she couldn't lead them? Now that she was clear-headed, the path was obvious - someone had been leading the herd in her absense, so whoever that had been would continue to do so. She suspected Jazmin, given she was Regent, but it seemed like it had been a combination of many different horses - Jazmin and Decay at the forefront. They would have figured it out if it had come to that. Fortunately, she had not had much trouble slipping back into the role of herd leader. Perhaps the familiarity of it helped her recover faster as well as having a routine and duties to focus on. It helped take her mind off of all of the bad memories. 'My mother is quite skilled as a healer and has been working extensively with the Vigilum in treating Chime's illness,' Melody said, confirming Vojorn's suspicions. Hopefully they would be able to find a cure soon. Vojorn nodded in acknowledgement, though she did notice that Melody declined to mention anything about Afterlife assistance. Maybe that was not an avenue the mare was willing to explore. Vojorn couldn't blame her. The Afterlife was tricky to deal with even without being in the middle of a war. 'Shadow Canyon has been allied with Utopia for many years as well,' Melody said and Vojorn felt relieved. She did not want to hear that one of her fellow leaders had allied with the Underworld. 'I agree that our herd members must not get involved in the fighting of immortals,' Vojorn was equally glad to hear Melody agreed, though she did wonder if any mortal horse was willing to fight an immortal. "I'm glad that we agree, though I do wonder if there are any mortals who would agree to fight an immortal," she said mildly, airing her thoughts outloud for Melody's consideration. 'Probably not nearly as much as I should. Everything that has happening with my family... I'm afraid I was not likely paying as much attention as I should have,' Melody confessed. Well, that was understandable. A war between immortals seemed like an intangible, far away thing compared to the urgency and proximity of your own sick child. 'What about you? What do you know of the war?' Melody asked. Well, Vojorn had a bit of a similar situation in that she had not been paying attention to the war. In fact, she had arrived back to Dark Woods in the middle of it all. "After the raid on Eacarrah by the Helkaer, I was taken captive, along with three of my family members," Vojorn said, not bothering to sugarcoat it, since there wasn't a way to sugarcoat being kidnapped and tortured. "We all returned in the middle of it all, so I'm afraid I'm also in the dark as to what happened," she explained. She had tried to contact her grandfather, Lateralus, for information, but he not he responded to her calls. She was hoping that the worst hadn't happened and he was simply busy with other things. It was a war after all. profiletag indi timeline after the december race
|
|
Addict
|
Post by Indi on Apr 29, 2024 18:20:04 GMT -7
When Abysm had opted for them to retire in favour of Chime taking over the leadership of Shadow Canyon, Nikko’s Melody honestly had not known how she felt about the matter. Of course, she had deferred. They had been training Chime for the role and she hardly wanted her daughter to think she did not trust her to take over. But given her own youth, not to mention the years her mother had spent preparing her for the role… Melody had not really expected to be retired at only five years of age. Up until that point, it had been easy to forget the difference in age between herself and Abysm… but his decision certainly had been a reminder of that fact.
As much as she had not been ready to retire, however, Melody would never have wished for things to turn out as they had. To end up leading once more, only because Chime was so ill. She would have given it all up and more if only her daughter was well again. If only all her children were well. Chime healed of her illness, Orel found, safe and sound, and Aras feeling at peace once more and taking care of himself.
Alas, for the moment, there seemed no way to fix those problems. At least, beyond the measures they were taking at present. She tried not to allow herself to feel discouraged at the lack of improvement in any of the aforementioned areas.
Harks pricked toward Vojorn as the other mare remarked mildly, ”I’m glad we agree, though I do wonder if there are any mortals who would agree to fight an immortal.”
An interesting thought. On the one hand, the mere notion seemed a sort of madness and surely no equine would willingly seek such a battle. Yet… ’I suppose there are those that, if there was a way to guarantee a level playing field, might revel in the chance to potentially defeat an immortal. I can’t imagine the degree of madness necessary… but I suspect equine society does harbour those who would actually voluntarily pit themselves in such a battle.’
Melody was admittedly a little embarrassed at how little she knew about the war. When Chime had first fallen ill, she had gone to Eden with the hopes of investigating what precisely was going on. Much as she hated setting hoof in that place, assaulted by memories she wished could be permanently purged from her mind, it had seemed the best way to figure out what was going on and how it might impact Shadow Canyon, the Neutral Kingdom, and the lands of Wild Equines in general.
Except all that had happened was an encounter with an Afterlife entity she was almost certain had to have been the Underworld Lady. As if the memories she had been struggling with had not been difficult enough to deal with. Suppressing a shiver at the recollection, Melody forced herself to focus once more on Vojorn.
”After the raid on Eacarrah by the Helkaer, I was taken captive, along with three of my family members,” the other mare was saying, clearly not attempting to sugarcoat the events as she continued, ”We all returned in the middle of it all, so I’m afraid I’m also in the dark as to what happened.”
Melody could not quite prevent the surprise and sympathy that played across her features, though she was cautious in further expressing anything. Some individuals desired sympathy, but for others, it was unwelcome. Not knowing Vojorn well enough to know what sort of equine she might be, Melody held back for the moment, beyond a simple, ’I’m sorry you and your family had to endure such a thing.’ While she could not imagine how horrific it would be to witness the suffering of your family in such a situation with you, she did understand what it was like to be a captive. Particularly of the Helkaer. Softer, she added, ’I have experienced Helkaer… hospitality… in the past.’
Horrible experience… worsened by the utter feeling of abandonment when Lethrblaka had never answered her pleas for help, either for Shadow Canyon or for herself… Character;; Nikko's Melody Tagged;; + ebonite + w/Vojorn Notes;; <3 Timeline;; She is 7 yrs old; winter, late morning.
|
|