Though she had spent nearly half a year in Novus now, and nearly all that time in the land of Terrastella, she had yet to explore the lands capitol. As spring had crept in, she had largely taken to spending more and more time in the hospital, replenishing stores and sorting old ones. discarding herbs that had gone bad. Slowly she had recovered from the toll winter had taken on her. Though it could still be seen by any around her that she was a sickly creature, there was some semblance of life creeping back into her eyes, and she had enough strength to go out and wander, a little further each day.
This day, as the sun rose, tossing fiery colours across the waters of the swamp, she made her way to the dusk court. By the time she arrived, the sun had made its way to the top of the sky, casting hard shadows over the cobblestone walkways. The most impressive of which was that of the citadel, the tall tower which she could only assume was where the queen and her regent resided.
She moved past them, hooves clopping against the pathway, toward the walls. Over which she could just barely make out the sea beyond the prastigia cliffs.
She lifted her neck to see over the wall and found in wonder at the view. The waves were rolling in high, due to the melting snow, and the spring rainfall., sending white spray up as they slammed into the cliffs. Every once in a while she could see a rock tumbling down, where a wave had knocked it loose.
She could hear footsteps behind her, though she thought nothing of it, seeing as this was the hub of Terrastella afterall
I’m stronger than I ever knew I’m strong because of you
Nothing really felt right anymore. It wasn’t bad, it just didn’t feel right. There was an emptiness in her breast that had previously been filled, a vast chasm where once there had been a grand lake. Ever since Ulric disappeared, Israfel struggled to find normality in the world, and oftentimes she wondered if she could ever return to that place where she had stood before meeting the roan.
Lingering among the friends she had made in Terrastella did wonders, but during the quiet of the night, locked away in her chambers covered in flaming silks, she couldn’t help but wonder. Where had he gone? Was he alright? Would Charlie ever get to know her father? The last thought cast a bitterness across her tongue and she scoffed. Charlie was fine. Their relationship was loose at best and while she had wanted to be a good mother, clearly she hadn’t been the best. Yet her daughter was growing every single day into a strong, capable individual who proved that she didn’t need to be coddled or held close to her mother’s breast for protection.
Good.
The world was a terrible, cruel place, and Israfel had no intentions on shielding her daughter from that truth. Better Charlie learn to handle herself now before it was too late, a lesson that the Sun Daughter herself had learned the hard way.
As dawn crested the horizon and sent the world in a blazing tapestry of colors, Israfel found herself out and patrolling. Occasionally she would pass one of the guards or a member of the Halcyon that was rushing to training and the Regent would nod in acknowledgement, but mostly she remained quiet, burning vermilion eyes scanning the horizon. The city-scape of Terrastella seemed as usual; the early risers were out and about, tending to their morning business before the streets grew too bustling and busy, but there was a peaceful calm to the air that helped soothe the Sun Daughter’s worries.
Things were calm. Things were peaceful. She wondered how long it would take for someone to come and fuck it all up.
The thought caused ire to burn in her bloody as she traipsed through the streets, her steps confident, a sashay of assurance and attitude. Gilded wings were folded back against her sides as she perused, ducking in and out of alleyways like an experienced street rat, searching for anything out of the norm. It was only when she crested around a wide corner of a homestead that she saw something amiss. Not wrong, of course, just different.
Standing across the way and watching the churning waves of the cliff beyond the walls of the city was an individual that Israfel had never seen before. The Regent cocked a brow and lifted her jaw, lips pursing as she tried to place just who the citizen was. Their scent carried away and so she couldn’t place them by that, and so heaving a sigh and trying to force up some semblance of a cheery facade, the shield-maiden stepped forward and cleared her throat.
“You don’t have to watch from way over here, you know.” The greeting wasn’t really what she wanted to say, but Israfel knew she was a complete shit at conversing normally with people. Ulric had understood that. Immediately she cast the thought of the blue roan from her mind and tossed it into a dark abyss, that same dark, dangerous pit where she locked most of her troubled emotions.
Growing closer to the stranger with a casual sashay, Israfel looked her over, the burning depths of her eyes roaming the gaunt looking creature in her company. Thin. Too thin. The Sun Daughter clucked her tongue. Whoever this creature was, she needed to eat more.
“I just mean that you could go there. And watch the water. Or… Whatever.” Brows furrowing, Israfel heaved a breath and tried again. Fuck, that wasn’t what she wanted to say. “... Sorry. Um, let’s start over. I haven’t seen you before and all that normal jazz. I’m Israfel.”
Somewhere in the back of her mind and surely miles away, Solaris laughed at her struggle. Israfel rolled her eyes.
She flinched slightly as the words hit her, not expecting the hooves behind her to have been paying her any mind. pulling her head away from the top of the wall Luvena turned around. The woman in front of her was much taller and far more graceful then she would ever be. In appearance at least. her words seemed to show otherwise. White and gilded in gold, there was a presence about her that made her wonder just who this woman was in relation to the court. Luvenas' charcoal ears flicked forward as she listened to the mare stammer over her words. "Oh" she replied, the words falling softly out of her mouth. "I've been down there" she continued "it's just... A harder journey to go down there than to watch from here, and not one I can be making often."
Israfel... It seemed like a regal name. Like something out of a fairytale. "I'm Luvena" she introduced herself, leaving out the surnames she had taken from her parents. They weren't important. Not anymore, far too much time had passed, and she needed to stop holding on to lost memories. They held no power in the present, not if she didn't let them. "I haven't been here very long, and I mostly stick to the hospital, where I can be of some use. I hadn't been to the court yet though. It's beautiful." she paused looking up at the large stone towers around them "I can only imagine how long it took to build, and how long it will remain."
She thought back to the structures in Herstial. How they had been built, or rather how they had grown. Long before she was born the main building of Herstial, the heart of the kingdom had been made by letting the trees grow, but manipulating the ways in which they did. Later, once the forms were in place, they had grown willow trees, and wove the hanging branches through, so tightly that most of the rain was kept out. When winter rolled out and spring arrived, they would cover the outside in thick clay and mud, and cover it with moss and flowers. Unfortunately, while the stone of the dawn court would survive a fire, the trees of Herstial did not.
I’m stronger than I ever knew I’m strong because of you
A pale ear tipped back as she listened. Luvena was the name of the gaunt creature standing at their doorstep and Israfel hummed beneath her breath, letting her eyes roam beyond the mare to continue to survey their surroundings. Other than the few individuals milling about and going about their business, running errands or soldiers on patrol, there was little excitement currently happening in the heart of the Dusk Court. Good. That was just the way that Israfel liked things to run.
“So you’re a doctor then? Or an assistant of some kind?” The inquiry was asked curiously, yet the Sun Daughter’s piercing vermilion depths did not remain on Luvena any longer than they needed to be. The Regent stood tall and straight, regal in her posturing, rolling a shoulder back to try and stretch out the stiffness that lingered from sleep. “How is the hospital on supplies? I’ve been thinking of ordering the Halcyon or some teams to go to the different lands and collect some herbs and, er, doctor-y things. Are we running low on anything in particular?”
With her aversion and general hatred of Terrastella’s lackluster swamp, Israfel admittedly hadn’t stopped by the hospital to take stock of inventory in quite some time. Well… Ever, actually, as it had usually been the duty of other individuals more connected to the hospital than she was. Still, all those individuals had gone the way of the birds, disappearing to never be seen or heard from again, yet she didn’t dwell on such things.
That was the nature of this life; people came and went like the passing seasons, and that’s just how things had to be.
Israfel’s piercing, prying vermilion depths focused back on Luvena at her comment of the buildings and stone structures of the capitol. A brow raised elegantly and she shrugged a shoulder once more, tail swaying slightly in the breeze as she lifted her wings to stretch and spread out the feathers. Gods above, but her body ached. Really, she shouldn’t have stayed up so late drinking last night…
“Eh.These walls have seen some pretty nasty shit since I’ve lived here and everything’s still standing. Nothing’s invincible, though; one day it’ll all come crumbling down, but it’s our job to make sure that day isn’t anytime soon.”
"A healer I suppose" she replied awkwardly. I'm not sure what the official ranking is, I've only met one other at the hospital, and she didn't seem to know much more about it than I did to be perfectly honest with you" She couldn't tell if Israfels formality was forced or not. "Well..." She started "We have plenty of fever few, but we could use some borage and burdock, theres not quite enough sunlight in the swamp for it to grow well. We could do with some Tansy as well, especially now that the pollen is about" Thinking about it now the hospital seemed rather empty. The only other individual she had seen was Elena, who seemed to be in the same situation as herself. New and unfamiliar.
"Are there many healers in the dusk court? It's just I haven't really seen many" She watched as the mare seemed to stretch out stiffly She hesitated to suggest something for the mare, some willow bark perhaps to ease her stiffness. But she still wasn't sure who this woman was, and she didn't dare come across as rude. She tensed momentarily at Israfels words. It wasn't a job she had been very good at in the past, not that anyone here had seen her track record. Except for Abrin, and she hadn't seen him since that one night in Denocte. "That's true" she finally answered, forcing herself to relax "But unless we anger somehow anger Vespera I can't see that being anytime soon"
