| TIGERLILY
FAR FROM THE FJORDS AND THE ICE-COLD CURRENTS SHE IS BOTH THE SHIELD AND THE SPEAR |
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The buckskin and white mare had just finished descending from the slopes of the high places in the heart of the Inlet when a call rang out for Björn. The voice was unfamiliar to Tigerlily, and though she was intrigued, eager to meet the leaders of the neighbouring territories, and more than ready to share any burdens Björn had to bear, she parted ways with him, pressing a tender kiss to one of his scarred shoulders, assuring him that she was content to explore more of their home alone. And she was, but in truth, her curiosity was sated, still, from all the wonders she’d witnessed in the wild north country that was Björn’s heritage. The time spent away from the Islands had strengthened her spirit, but coming back… Her soul felt more settled than it ever had before. Tigerlily was not so foolish to believe that all troubles were behind her, but she was confident that the very worst was. So long as she had Björn, Sigurðr, Skogsrå, Tigerlily knew she’d be okay. They were her family, the only ones she’d loved and not lost. And though the mare doubted that anyone else remained for her (Dro, Jude, Dances), she would never feel desolate or despondent again. She would settle soon enough. The silence, for Tigerlily it was comfortable, but it would be an untruth to claim she didn’t wish for the air to carry the sounds of life to her. In time, she knew, others would be drawn here. It was the way of things, really, just as the tides ebbed and flowed, so to did herds move on, for one reason or another. That the previous King of the Inlet had backed out of fighting, had chosen to leave the Islands entirely, was a mystery to Tigerlily. But it was one she didn’t want to linger on too often, nor too long, if she was honest. Though she couldn’t claim to know the grey stallion, much less be in a position to judge him, in Tigerlily’s eyes, the sins of his father would forever shadow him. In any case, the both of them were gone. And Tigerlily was blessed with others in whose company she’d never known fear or pain. Whether by coincidence or Fate, a flicker of red against the bleak (beautiful) landscape drew the wandering buckskin’s attention. “Siobhan,” Tigerlily called across the small distance, only taking a few steps towards the mare once she’d turned. Drawing closer still, the pale-faced buckskin bobbed her head, a soft smile spreading across her muzzle and settling there. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they’d walked between the lush jungles of the Ridge, and yet Tigerlily’s respect for Siobhan had not waned or withered with the passage of time. Troubles had heaped themselves upon the buckskin mare’s shoulders back then, and she could not recall ever having a true heart-to-heart discussion with the red mare (her heart twinged with regret), at least, not one where she had been whole in spirit, and completely present in mind. More than anything, that was what she wanted now, but she would not force her presence upon Siobhan if it was not wanted. Tigerlily had always felt comfortable and secure around the spotted red mare, and likewise, she would endeavour to ensure that those of the Inlet herd felt the same in her company. “I just wanted to see if you were okay.” The Arch was one of the two territories that the Inlet shared a border with, and though Tigerlily had not been witness to the torture Siobhan had endured there, she had come to hear of how the mare had suffered. It stoked a fire in Tigerlily’s belly, but as incensed as she was by the injustice of it all, she could not escape the fist of emotion and memory that grasped at her throat, so that it was difficult for her to swallow, a struggle to breathe. She shifted quietly, turning her back to the south, leaving the past buried on the beach where she and Siobhan had very recently made landfall together. “And I wanted to let you know… I understand how hard it must be for you, to be back here.” Her voice, when she fought to get it back, was husky with emotion still. A great deal of it was solely for her own sorrows, for she did not truly understand the extent of everything that Sio had endured, nor comprehend all that she had loved and lost (and perhaps it would never be her place to know). But the empathy in her blue eyes was real. “I hope you already know, but I want to say it to you myself,” the buckskin mare’s tone gentled further, “I want this to be a Home to you. A place where you can feel safe, and find happiness. But if it can’t be, you do not have to stay.” Her throat tightened again, but Tigerlily did not lapse into silence, and pressed on. “Just know that so long as Björn and I are here you’ll always be welcome. And whatever you need...” There was a weight on her chest, of things that she wanted to say, things that were important for her to share with Siobhan, but they could wait. Tigerlily didn’t want to be an avalanche - only a mountain serving to offer shelter from howling winds. Lowering her head, bright eyes followed the trail that Siobhan had been walking. It took a moment, but then there was a glint of recognition. (Until recently, Tigerlily had never set foot in the Inlet itself, had merely fled along its southern edge. But it was Björn’s home, her home now too.) As soon as they’d arrived and seen SIobhan settled in safety and peace, it had been Tigerlily’s desire to get to know the lay of the land better. After all, the Islands had changed much while she and the Bear King had been roaming far to the North, and they couldn’t afford to be complacent. This particular path she recognised as leading to one of the sources of freshwater. Turning an ear back in an unspoken apology, Tigerlily dipped her chalky white muzzle. “Forgive me for keeping you,” she murmured. “If you wouldn’t mind the company, I’d be grateful to join you.” And she tipped one back hoof, unconsciously indicating that she would not mind at all if Siobhan would prefer to continue alone, if the earnestness in her voice and the openness of her expression weren’t enough reassurance. But in her heart, she hoped. |