[Quest] like stars filling the black trees,

[Random Events]

snow falling thick and deadly

It is fitting, perhaps, that the first snowstorm comes upon Denocte riding upon a furious gale-wind. The morning brings the snow with it and suddenly the world goes from a soft, golden frost to a blanket of white that devours up every color the sun has painted with. Wind howls through the trees and the streets and it sounds like a pack of wolves has turned their hollow, hungry eyes to the city. 

Were it any other court the wind would have found in the streets a hundred warm bodies to chill and a hundred merchants to terrorize. It's a blessing that most of the court has just laid down to rest and the streets are mostly silent below that howling, bitter wind. The few that were left in the streets can already be seen turning towards the alleys and any door that might open for them. Fires are blazing in  hearths but the smoke can barely be seen through the snow falling thick and heavy. 

For hours the snow falls. Soon it's reaching up toward the bottom of all the doors shut tight against the wind. Every remnant of the bonfires from the night before is buried under snow deep enough to prevent anyone less than a hardened warrior from finding them. 

The snow falls....

and falls....

and falls...

And just when it seems the snow might fall forever it stops. One moment there is nothing but white in sight and the next there is all the bright colors of Denocte peaking out from the mountains of snow. The wind stops it's howling and the world is almost alive with the sounds of the city opening their homes to see what damage the storm has brought. 

At first everyone sees only piles of snow that will make travel near impossible for days. Then they see the promise of another storm boiling towards them from the mountains. Everyone starts to turn back to their fires and their beds. Each hopes that by the night the snow will stop falling so that they might take once more to dancing in the streets on stages of white. 

Everyone turns back to their homes but one---

There is in the center of the market a yearling trapped at the base of a statue. When the storm came he was sleeping in the streets with the other orphans. They left him behind when the storm came, for he is as gray as the stone on which he lays.  He's hiding between the legs of the Caligo sculpture, tucked in with what flags and merchant wares he could find left over from a night of revelry. His fire is burning out. He doesn't have a single drop of energy left to fuel the flames after fighting to keep them alive during the snow. He looks cold, so very cold. 

Night is starting to set and the storm over the mountains is starting to creep over distant lake. The yearling barely has the willpower to look at all the horses closing their doors; he does not want his heart to break again. Winter is creeping over his legs, his hips and he imagines he can feel it reaching out to blanket each of his ribs. 

He does not think anyone has seen him. He think he's going to die with snow too deep for him to move around in all around him like a sea of white. Fat flakes of snow are starting to fall again and he thinks they will be the ice flowers that mark his grave.

He does not know that a single set of eyes has spotted him and his small, fading fire. But will those eyes decide to save him?

---

@Morrighan is among the horses looking out from houses to see just how much snow the storm has dropped in the streets. Where others fail to see the boy hiding at the stone hooves of his goddess Morrighan spots him. The yearling was caught unaware by the storm and he barely managed to wake soon enough to keep a small fire blazing throughout the storm. But now his fire is dying and winter is creeping through his body like acid. 

Will Morrighan be able to get through the shoulder deep snow in time to save him? Or will she turn away and let fate do what it will to the trapped yearling?

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snow and fire might be my favorite vibe

Enjoy! -nestle

[Morrighan]

a little mayhem never hurt anyone
a little bedlam 'til i'm coming undone

It did not take long for winter to begin its rage.

Strong winds howled outside, which seemed to shake the house walls within Denocte. Everyone had the same idea as Morrighan and holed themselves up in their houses until the storm came to an end. Snow fell and fell, blanketing the world in white. The wind was kicking the snow up so much that for a time Denocte disappeared within the blizzard.

There were storms like these back in Ourania, but she did not have the luxury of having a roof over her head. Her kingdom had to huddle together and those with fire magic would aid in lighting campfires to keep warm. In Novus, the equines were much less primitive and built their cities and buildings. It had been a lot to get used to, but in times like these, Morrighan certainly appreciated it. Especially with the absence of her fire magic.

The mare stood by the window, watching the endless snow. It came down so fast that it almost seemed that it would swallow Denocte whole. Then suddenly, it stopped.

Some opened their doors (or at least the best that they could) to observe the land and look up at the sky. Night had almost fallen, but the stars were hidden behind all of the storm clouds. Morrighan could tell that this would not be the last of the snow for tonight and this was merely a lull. It was for this reason she didn't bother to go out and figured she'd deal with it all in the morning.

However, just as she was turning her back to the window, something caught her eye in the center of the market. Right below the Caligo sculpture was a small body with a tiny flicker of a flame nearby. It had to be nothing more than a yearling and it was huddled beneath the sculpture trying to stay warm. She scoffed. He was stupid for not taking shelter in the storm, especially with all the options around here. Did he think he could brave it himself?

Morrighan watched the yearling closely and the small fire conjured by their magic. It was a pitiful flame that was only becoming smaller as the minutes passed. The yearling looked terrible and like he was on his last breath, which only made the mare more perplexed.

To many, the time Morrighan spent just standing there watching was too long. She contemplated going out there and saving him, but the other part of her knew there was such thing as natural selection. Some were too stupid to figure out the ways of survival. If he had been in her kingdom, he would've been seen as weak and probably be outcasted.

She shook her head and was about to turn away again, but Caligo's face on the sculpture seemed to change. She didn't know how, but it looked different, almost menacing and judgmental. Was that possible? Could the goddess' statues take on a more realistic likeness? If there was anything she was learning since coming to Novus, it was that anything was possible with the land's magic.

The mare narrowed her eyes. She felt like she was going crazy, but sculpture-Caligo was getting angrier the longer she left the yearling alone.

Fine.

Reluctantly, Morrighan shoved open the door, which was not an easy task with how much snow had piled up on the ground. She had to put her full weight into it before finally she created a big enough opening to slip her body through. Once she was outside, she didn't do anything to hide her displeasure of this entire thing. The snow went up way too high and she had to stretch her neck out while she trudged towards the center of the market. What would've normally taken her seconds, took several more minutes. By the time she finally got to the yearling, she had gotten quite the workout and was even more frustrated.

It seemed the yearling's flame had nearly been snuffed out at this point. Morrighan snorted, trying to catch his attention. For a moment, she wondered if he had already died, but she could just make out his sides moving in and out with each labored breath. The snow had already begun to fall again, so this would need to be quick. Using her already tired legs, she began to dig through the snow around the yearling so it'd be easier for him to get out.

"Get up," she demanded. After all that work, he damn well better get up.

He looked up and blinked, seeming confused for a moment, but then realized what was happening. His expression changed to gratitude as he then made an attempt to stand. His legs were a little wobbly though and Morrighan stretched out to help support him with her snout.

Once he stood, he shook the snow off his body and leaned closer to the mare for warmth. It was very unexpected and made her step back a little. "Thank you," he whispered.

As awkward as the good deed made her feel, she felt her lips tug back in a small smile. It was then that the warmth became an even greater feeling… so much so that it enveloped her. What was this?

It was as if the yearling's flame had moved from the ground to her body. It didn't burn her, but instead felt like it was feeling its way around her. The fire was not a stranger and it seemed to remember her like an old friend.

Then, there it was. The rush was like adrenaline, except it was warm and more powerful. Her eyes grew wide as she realized what was going on.

Her immortality may have not returned, but her magic had. Finally, after all this time wandering around the strange land, something familiar had come back for her.

"Hello fire, my old friend."


@Random Events (hope this is better!)

“Speaking.”

art by vhitany ; table by katherine