you are a vast forest
full of beautiful and vibrant stories
N
ight drips away like ink. It always disappears in the same manner that it appears. It is a liquid that fills the sky. It pulls the stars in, as though they belong to the night. As if they could ever belong to anything at all. Cordelia peers up into the early morning light of dawn on the steppe. Autumn is gnawing on the edges of summer, but she does not yet hold a claim to the season. Elk roam across the step, with puffs of vapor. The kind you can only get in the cool early morning just before dawn. There is a stillness to this world of early morning, it is unlike any other. Cordelia is waiting for a flower to bloom. A flower they say only blooms once every seven years. A rare lily, or at the very least related to it. The botanist has a glass bell jar readied to scoop the flower up and nestle it inside.
Cordelia wonders if she will be able to catch the flower before it goes to sleep again. Then, in the gentle cascading rays of early morning light, the flower begins to open. It has pastel blue petals. Somehow, this seems fitting to her. As though it should be a pale blue when it first stirs. She carefully inserts a trowel beneath the ground. Cordelia takes great care to insert the blade as far down as she can. She wants to avoid damaging the roots. If only the old adventurer were a mage. What she would give to have magical control over the flora. A wistful sigh escapes her lips as she carefully scoops the flower from the ground and into the bell jar. There are tiny holes in the glass to allow for oxygen to permeate the environment. Her goal isn't to kill the flower, but to preserve it in this state.
She fastens the top of the jar securely before holding it up to view in the early morning light with a satisfied smile. "There. Now to get you home." She proclaims to the flower before tucking it into the pouch she wears at her side.
08-12-2021, 06:39 PM - This post was last modified: 08-12-2021, 06:43 PM by Cordelia
Not for the first time, the stallion rises from his bed as the inky blackness slowly gives way to the dawn of day. Autumn was lingering on the edges of the world, but summer had her claws stubbornly dug in, refusing to give way just yet. The grass is wet with cool dew, evidence that there was fog that had kissed the ground while everyone slept warm and safe in their beds. Glancing toward the sky, Liam watched in marvel as the sun's rays began to kiss the edge of the horizon, gently stroking the world below it with its warm fingers. For a long moment, he stood upon a hill, letting the cool -- not yet chilly -- breeze prickle at his frame, tugging his mane and tail with it, tangling the ends together as the wind blew. The birds were few and far between, and it never ceased to amaze the stallion at how still the world was in the first hour or so of the morning.
Deeming it early enough, Liam begins to move off the hill he'd been standing on, intent on getting a run in. There was nothing better than to hear the sound of your own hoofbeats to mix with the sound of every breath you took, he'd decided long ago. There wasn't a plan or a set destination in mind that he noticed, so he just began to run. He was near the Citadel, but still within the city itself. He'd found a home in a quiet section, relieved that it was close enough to the military base that he didn't have to rush to get there when he was needed, but far enough away that he could have all the time in the world when he wanted to be away from everyone. As he runs, he's careful to avoid the many holes he can see in the ground, and before long, he realizes that there's another in the distance.
Sides heaving as he slows to a walk, his ears prick fully atop his head as he nickers, nostrils flaring as he extends his head and neck toward the other equine in the distance. His sides are slick with sweat as he approaches the other equine, curious to know what they were doing, though he doesn't introduce himself until he's much closer to her. "Hello, miss. What are you doing out here this early? Surprised to see anyone else out here," he chuckles softly, his gaze turning to the flower in the cloche. "Pretty flower for a pretty dame," he remarks kindly, yet there's no sense of flirting or romantic notion that the stallion was trying; he was married after all.
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; I love her so much ;w;
Tag;; @Cordelia
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 446
you are a vast forest
full of beautiful and vibrant stories
H
oofalls sound in the distance, they are the only thing to break the silence of the waking world. Cordelia turns to face the approaching equine who towers over her. She is a small creature, but that has never bothered her. She could still leap and thrash and slice just the same. The man is painted in chestnut and ivory hues, as if he too is the edge of Autumn coming to interrupt the summer. Cordelia listens to him as he greets her and expresses his surprise at seeing someone else out here so early. A gentle smile forms on her face as she peers up at him, proudly presenting the cloche. "Hello, dear. I'm out here to preserve this lovely flower. Tinneum Lilium. It blooms once every seven years during the early hours of dawn. If it is dried well, it makes one of the lovelies teas." She explains to him after he comments on the beauty of the pair.
The small woman peers up at him, and notices the thin sheen of sweat on his pelt. She can tell he's been running but she wonders why. "Tell me, deary.. are you a soldier too? Are you training for something?" She asks him with curiosity. A few moments of silence pass between them before she realizes that she hasn't introduced herself. "Oh my, I am so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Cordelia. I run a tea shop in Solterra. I used to be an adventurer, although my size might fool you. I pack a pretty mean punch and make a pretty wicked tea. Would you like to stop by sometime? You look like you could use some more meat on your bones.. and some tea!" She proclaims warmly to the stranger.
Cordelia tucks the cloche carefully in the pouch on her hip, and peers up at the stranger. "Well come on then, I want to hear about you and your story. Let me get you some tea." She pesters him in her usual grandmotherly way. It is so early, and tea will be nice after a long run in the cool morning light.
The mare before him was small, smaller than he'd ever experienced outside of a foal. For a moment, Liam worried that he was going to hurt her if he approached too quickly. Still, the stallion was wary as he should be; the smaller the equine, the harder they hit -- sometimes. The mare was all golden hues, legs that started in ivory before joining her body as the same golden hue that covered her body. Her mane and tail also started out as ivory before turning into a dusky blue color, one that reminds him of a certain someone's eyes. The gentle smile on her face has him joining in, and he chuckles warmly as he peers at the cloche. "Just once every seven years? How long does it stick around?" He inquires curiously, peering at it as it resides in the cloche.
Humming softly for a moment, the stallion flicks his ears, a warm blush crawling over his jowls as he dips his head in the affirmative. "Guilty as charged. I guess I shouldn't have taken that run, huh?" Liam muses aloud, shaking his head at her second question. "No, not training for anything. I just like keeping in shape. It's a-- terrible habit of mine," he admits sheepishly, huffing softly. The mare immediately apologizes before introducing herself, and Liam's ears flick forward, his curiosity piqued. "Solterra? That's the-- Day Court, right?" Liam inquires, though her name doesn't go unnoticed, and he grins sheepishly. "I'm Liam, a soldier in the army of Terrastella," he responded easily, huffing softly at the comment and image of Cordelia fighting someone else. "I would love to stop by one day. As for more meat on my bones, I thought I was fit as a fiddle," he laughs, finding nothing but humor in their interaction.
At the offer of tea, Liam hums happily and he nods. "I'd be delighted to stop by, Miss Cordelia," he murmurs warmly, happily. She peered up at him, and he laughed again at how she seemed to be so warm and caring. It was still early in the morning, and Liam wondered if it was still early enough to take a warm bath once he got home. There was an urge deep in his mind to take a nap once he was finished with his bath, but he pushed it off. "Well, what kind of story would you like to hear?"
"Liam Speaks."
Notes;; I love her so much ;w;
Tag;; @Cordelia
Voice claim;; Chris Evans
Words;; 401
you are a vast forest
full of beautiful and vibrant stories
H
e peers at her and the cloche with interest for a few moments. The larger stag then asks further about the seven-year lily. "Usually about an hour, but some texts say that it is only a few minutes. I'm curious to see if I can replant and cross this with a few other lilies I have in my shop. If not I'll make a tea with it." She smiles up at him as she explains her plans as if he is an old friend of hers. The chestnut-painted stag confirms that he is a soldier, and her smile widens. He introduces himself as Liam. Liam explains that he likes to keep himself in shape as if it is a terrible habit. Cordelia laughs gently at the sentiment because she understands. "It's hard to let go of these... terrible habits isn't it? I'm quite fond of soldiers although I never had the knack for following orders. I got myself kicked out of being a soldier when I was very young... But goodness do I ever love a good fight, so I became a hunter or .. an adventurer of sorts. Even these old bones still train." She laughs in response to his almost sheepish admission.
Liam asks about Solterra, or rather if that is the Day Court. "I think so. I prefer Solterra to Day Court myself. It's lovely there though, and so warm. It's hard to stay warm the older you are you know." She explains to him, as if he asked her for more information. That was just how Cordelia was though. He jokes with her that he believes he is in good shape, that he probably doesn't need more meat on his bones. "No? What kind of grandmother would I be if I didn't insist that hm? I think you and I will be quite good friends... I insist on it." She announces to him, firmly inserting herself into his life as if he gets no say at all. Cordelia knows he does but she's going to treat him with warmth all the same.
Liam expresses that he would be delighted to stop in by her shop sometime. She squints one eye with a smirk in response. "Well, you better! I'm holding you to that, Liam." There is a wide grin on her face as she turns and nods her head as a silent invitation for him to follow her. Her campsite is not too far away from here, and she knows she's left her kettle over the dying fire. He asks what kind of story she would like to hear, and she thinks for a few moments. "Why did you become a soldier, Liam?" She glances towards him in hopes he will follow her the short distance so she can grab him a cup of her tea.
To know that the lily only blooms between a few minutes to an hour surprises the stallion. He'd never heard of a flower doing that, but then again, he wasn't one to bury his face in texts involving flowers or anything resembling botany. "It seems a bit odd, doesn't it? That something so beautiful lasts for such a short time. I guess it's true when they say that beauty can and does fade," he points out carefully, making sure that he wasn't offending the mare before him. As she explained that she was hoping to replant and cross it with a few other lilies or to make a tea with it, he offered her a gentle smile as their gazes met again. "I hope you can get it replanted before it stops blooming," he remarks gently, watching as her smile widens as he announces he's a soldier. The gentle laugh from the mare has him smiling sheepishly as he ducks his head in embarrassment. "I find myself rising before the sun does most days, even when I don't need to. It's a horrible habit to break, and I know I probably should. There's just something about waking up before everyone else and having the world to yourself for a little while," he remarks, a slow grin spreading over his lips as he listens to her story.
Cordelia begins to talk about Solterra and Day Court, and Liam finds himself smiling tenderly as he listens. "It stays pretty warm in Terrastella, which surprises me sometimes, but with the warm coastal breeze, it can stay pretty tepid year-round," he mused, thinking about the court that he resided in. As she asked what kind of grandmother she'd be if she didn't insist on putting more meat on his bones, Liam flicked his ears back slightly to make sure that he looked slightly remorseful, nodding in agreement with a tender smile on his face at the insistence of being friends. "I think I would enjoy that, in all honesty. One can never have too many friends," Liam remarks, voice honest and diplomatic as he watches the mare carefully.
As the stallion admits that he'd be delighted to stop in at the tea shop, Cordelia squinted one eye at him and smirked in response. Her grin was contagious, and he laughed along with her, this conversation possibly one of his favorites that he'd had in some time. "I can't let someone as kind as you down. That'd be blasphemous," he points out delicately, easily following alongside her as they move off, his stride slow and purposeful as he attempts to make sure she doesn't have to rush herself. Cordelia's question startles him, and he allows the vulnerability to show on his face as he thinks back about why he became a soldier. Humming softly, he tilts his head to the side slightly as he answers. "Part of it is because my father served before I was born. He was felled in the throes of battle, but my mother always spoke highly of his bravery. I wanted to follow in his footsteps. I guess the rest of the reason is because I don't like bullies. I don't care where they come from or who they are; I prefer to defend the little guy if they need it," he replies, shrugging his shoulders as he continues walking, hoping that his explanation wouldn't scare the petite mare off.
