Below Zero
my frost philosophy will put no curse on me
Bel was trying to hold strong, but saying goodbye was hard. Saying goodbye - and I'm sorry - was even harder. Especially when she couldn't be sure in her heart if she'd been, or ever would be forgiven. Her fins had been tied, and those shackles held tighter than any fisherman's net when it came to that fateful morning. But, she could shuck the blame off of herself. She couldn't ignore the despair, the plea in her sister's eyes. The distressed disbelief . . . and then the abandonment, the blame. Her sister saw it as her fault. But the fact her eyes were leaking over this was a little . . . concerning. That was until the male stepped closer to her, and spoke of it being hard to remember she was from a different world. She was silent, but nodded lightly as he explained tears to her - the concept foreign. After all, when you're in the water the whole time, you wouldn't be able to tell if you were crying water as well.
His wings stretched out and suddenly the wind was partially blocked from her, and she glanced up at him in surprise before looking at his wings and offering him a half smile before explaining that she'd done something so much worse than what he'd done His response was to pull her close, an action that had the little aquatic mare startling and glancing up at the stallion becoming a dear friend with surprise once she had her hooves back under her. His words were soft, his gaze warm when he assured her that nothing she could do would result in him damning herself, speaking of a warm heart.
So she told him. Told him of Polar North, her beloved sister. Even as she finished speaking, her gaze was partially lowered, watching the ground beneath her as her vapors settled on her skin with a cooler touch than normal, a coolness that made her a touch more comfortable - more relaxed - more like cold of the polar caps. He spoke again, his words in a vow as he told her that blame doesn't rest on her shoulders, choices had been made for her. And so Bel glanced up at him again, a second shake of her head, "No, I can't just shuck the weight off of me. Whether the choice was made for me or not, I broke my vow to stay by her side, to protect her and care for her. For that, I carry the guilt, the blame. I should have stayed with her, protected her and helped her. But I was far younger then - afraid even. Abandoned by the Pod is a death sentence, leaving it was casting yourself in exile. I couldn't bring myself to walk away so I might stay with her . . ."
She paused, before stating softly, "That was the option they gave me. The pod leaves her behind . . . or the Pod leaves us behind, her and I. Father begged me to choose the Pod. Begged me not to let him lose his whole family in such a short time. Mother had died in the attack that had maimed my sister . . . He was stricken with grief of her death, as well as the grave injuries of Pol." She paused, hesitating on how to explain just how distraught and out of it her father had been, "What you . . . need to understand is my people . . . we don't just take a new mate. Treaders mate for life, it's that one soul for us for all of time. When mother died . . . my father didn't speak for the first fourty-eight hours. Not only was he dealing with the grief of mother, but he had an injured four month old who needed his assistance, his help. He wasn't the stallion, devoted to family, as he'd been before. And when faced with losing one . . . or both of his remaining family . . . he begged me not to leave him alone. Was it fair of him, perhaps not. But while he was still so grief stricken, he had issues seeing beyond that pain. Mother's death left a huge hole in his heart, and in isn't a wound that will ever heal for him."
Still Sol seemed determined to shelter from her crimes, her blame, telling her they were the crimes of another. Bel didn't have a response to that, but the guilt still was worn, the pain it had caused. No words from another would relieve her of it. She saw the blame in Pol's eyes, and it was her sister who had controlled the placement of blame. She knew why Pol had been left behind. It wasn't just traditions to her Pod. It was a necessity for survival. They spent all their time in shark infested waters. The smallest prick of blood could call them forward . . . it was too risky, to dangerous for those injured to stay with the Pod. There was no other options. But she was relieved he was still by her side, trying to offer her comfort. But she also tried hard to not focus to hard on the past and the pain she carried. She pulled gently away from him, ducking under the protective wing so as to move around him, tugging on a strand of his mane as she did so, "Come, no point in sitting around waiting for a Bad Luck Fish to swim by . . . let's join the festivities, some fun might be just what the doctor ordered." She paused, glancing back at the alter and the two candles still burning, "Good bye Momma, Polar." I'm so sorry, again, Pol. So . . . sorry.
Thoughts
Speech
@Sol Bestiam
Notes: Now he can cheer her up <3
His wings stretched out and suddenly the wind was partially blocked from her, and she glanced up at him in surprise before looking at his wings and offering him a half smile before explaining that she'd done something so much worse than what he'd done His response was to pull her close, an action that had the little aquatic mare startling and glancing up at the stallion becoming a dear friend with surprise once she had her hooves back under her. His words were soft, his gaze warm when he assured her that nothing she could do would result in him damning herself, speaking of a warm heart.
So she told him. Told him of Polar North, her beloved sister. Even as she finished speaking, her gaze was partially lowered, watching the ground beneath her as her vapors settled on her skin with a cooler touch than normal, a coolness that made her a touch more comfortable - more relaxed - more like cold of the polar caps. He spoke again, his words in a vow as he told her that blame doesn't rest on her shoulders, choices had been made for her. And so Bel glanced up at him again, a second shake of her head, "No, I can't just shuck the weight off of me. Whether the choice was made for me or not, I broke my vow to stay by her side, to protect her and care for her. For that, I carry the guilt, the blame. I should have stayed with her, protected her and helped her. But I was far younger then - afraid even. Abandoned by the Pod is a death sentence, leaving it was casting yourself in exile. I couldn't bring myself to walk away so I might stay with her . . ."
She paused, before stating softly, "That was the option they gave me. The pod leaves her behind . . . or the Pod leaves us behind, her and I. Father begged me to choose the Pod. Begged me not to let him lose his whole family in such a short time. Mother had died in the attack that had maimed my sister . . . He was stricken with grief of her death, as well as the grave injuries of Pol." She paused, hesitating on how to explain just how distraught and out of it her father had been, "What you . . . need to understand is my people . . . we don't just take a new mate. Treaders mate for life, it's that one soul for us for all of time. When mother died . . . my father didn't speak for the first fourty-eight hours. Not only was he dealing with the grief of mother, but he had an injured four month old who needed his assistance, his help. He wasn't the stallion, devoted to family, as he'd been before. And when faced with losing one . . . or both of his remaining family . . . he begged me not to leave him alone. Was it fair of him, perhaps not. But while he was still so grief stricken, he had issues seeing beyond that pain. Mother's death left a huge hole in his heart, and in isn't a wound that will ever heal for him."
Still Sol seemed determined to shelter from her crimes, her blame, telling her they were the crimes of another. Bel didn't have a response to that, but the guilt still was worn, the pain it had caused. No words from another would relieve her of it. She saw the blame in Pol's eyes, and it was her sister who had controlled the placement of blame. She knew why Pol had been left behind. It wasn't just traditions to her Pod. It was a necessity for survival. They spent all their time in shark infested waters. The smallest prick of blood could call them forward . . . it was too risky, to dangerous for those injured to stay with the Pod. There was no other options. But she was relieved he was still by her side, trying to offer her comfort. But she also tried hard to not focus to hard on the past and the pain she carried. She pulled gently away from him, ducking under the protective wing so as to move around him, tugging on a strand of his mane as she did so, "Come, no point in sitting around waiting for a Bad Luck Fish to swim by . . . let's join the festivities, some fun might be just what the doctor ordered." She paused, glancing back at the alter and the two candles still burning, "Good bye Momma, Polar." I'm so sorry, again, Pol. So . . . sorry.
Thoughts
Speech
@Sol Bestiam
Notes: Now he can cheer her up <3
i feel no cold, i feel no fear inside my mind
Now I'm full of energy
![[Image: i-jTNwWx8.png]](https://photos.smugmug.com/BelowZeroNovus/n-X9d9fZ/i-jTNwWx8/1/e09fb6c3/O/i-jTNwWx8.png)
