Force-claiming is not allowed here. This is a peaceful, neutral area meant for socialising.
|
Tyr's words confirm what Roisin had said earlier, about the Lagoon and its (almost) exclusive status as a stallion herd. Djuna tries to wrap her mind around the idea, and finds herself both puzzled and intrigued. Established bachelor herds weren't a thing were she came from. There had been a few roving bands of stallions, but that was about it. They were made up mostly of outcasts and criminals; the young and foolhardy who felt they had something to prove; the old and tired who felt they had nothing to lose. Most kings viewed them as more of a nuisance than anything, and were not content to let them linger for long, contributing to their status as vagabonds. It seems, from what Tyr says, that the stallions here hadn't had much luck escaping a bad rap either. Although it also sounds like they had perhaps done some things to deserve it. Had it been because they'd felt forced to by a world that had given them no other choice? Or because they had enjoyed sowing discontent, happy to sit by and watch the world burn around them? What of the mares he mentioned, had they chosen to stay or had the Lagoon become their prison? And had Tyr called the Lagoon home, before it had decided change was needed? He hadn't clarified, and Djuna finds she doesn't really want to know. So instead she just hums and gives a small nod of understanding. His initial description of the territory makes her nose scrunch and the image of a wet, dark, greyish-green bog spring into her mind. "I'll have to take your word for it," she replies with an airy laugh. "I've never been a fan of swamps. They have a peculiar smell. How do you ever get used to it?" It must take a very strong soul to be able to tolerate such a stench, she thinks. The forest thins out before giving way to a small clearing. The roar of water almost drowns out Vadim's voice - almost. His excitement is too great for even nature to conquer, and Djuna chuckles fondly as she steps forward to stand with him at the edge of the pond. "It's beautiful," she remarks, staring up at the towering falls, a cascade of billowing white clouds against a dark backdrop of jagged rocks. Her gaze lifts further up toward the imposing Peak above them and her green eyes widen slightly. "That sure is a long way up. I hope none of those mares have a fear of heights." She jokes, although her jovial mood quickly shifts to something more solemn at Tyr's confession. The sabino mare turns her head, slightly, to look at him from the corner of her eye, trying to analyze his expression. But it reveals little to her, his own eyes turned toward Vadim but his face otherwise stoic. True to her nature, Djuna's first response is to comfort him. "They won't," she assures gently, maneuvering her body to face him fully. "I mean, I don't know that for sure, but... you don't seem like a bad man, and on top of that you seem to care deeply for your son. You want better for him than what you had. I think as long as you're genuinely trying to change for the better, then you'll succeed in giving it to him." Maybe that's her optimism speaking, or her naïveté. Perhaps a potent combination of both. But she doesn't think that change is lost on Tyr, not from what she's seen of him today. Until he proves her otherwise... well, she'll have to hope that day doesn't come. "So, this is the Falls... what other places are there to see around here? What's your favorite?" She longs to see more of this beautiful, wild land, and she hopes Tyr might be the one to offer to show her. |
| child tell me how you feel just a blade in the grass, a spoke unto the wheel |