Fire in the Rain

[Rhapsody]

Azami

[/font]_________________________________________________[/center]

The light mist of rain that fell from the skies did little to lift her mood as the blue tinted female stalked across the land. Anger apparent in each motion, she mentally cursed the alleged 'gods' for having seen fit to drench her so thoroughly. It wasn't anything new though; Azami was accustomed to the ill fortune that followed her like a fly that just wouldn't let up. Her life was marked by the unfortunate events that seemed to cling to her, more persistent than a skunk's spray. Slicking her ears back, the female flung her skull skyward, a fierce bugle of sorts released. Perhaps it would have been smarter to seek shelter, but she had places to be; Boaz would be expecting her to return (in fact, he probably wouldn't like that she had left, but she was her own mare, damn it). She'd needed time away from the recluse and his silly little islands (what a nuisance those were to get to) and so she'd come to the common lands. Her allegiance to Boaz was temporary after all, only a matter of her own interests. While it served her, she would serve him and the Tritones. When it didn't, she would go elsewhere.

Continuing across the rain-soaked meadows, the mare grew increasingly irritated with the weather, gnashing her teeth and slamming her hooves down into the mud with greater force. Damn these stupid false gods and their stupid weather. Damn Aylette and her supposed 'kindness'. What fools believe in these ridiculous gods? She thought bitterly, her tail whipping harshly against her flanks as she continued onward. The fiery temper that so often got her into trouble was now burning at full force, enraged only further by the rain that did nothing to dampen her anger. Increasing her pace to a somewhat clumsy canter (on account of the mud) the mare charged on, looking every bit the semi-crazed beast that she currently was.

[/size]

________________________________

[Silver]

------------------ ERREN ------
Stupid rain. Her thoughts continued on in this fashion as she picked her way around the mud and grime, trying to keep her pale coat clean. Erren felt damp and miserable. The rains of the spring were doing nothing to help her in her quest to stay clean and look her best, and that was probably what irritated her the most. She was glad to be away from her brother’s tight fist though. Younger by a year, Erren had thought about leaving the desolate lands where the Anemoi resided for a long time. She had only just gathered up the courage to leave and now… it felt pretty good. With her tail and head held high with a newfound courage (and perhaps a newfound ego), the mare charged ahead. Her mane was slowly becoming plastered to her neck, little droplets of water condensing on the ends and dripping down as she moved. The mare shook her neck, but the hairs just flopped to the other side and stuck there. With a sigh she kept moving, although her vanity was taking a hit by just leaving the mess to be.

She had covered quite a bit of distance before she met up with the other mare. The other, younger than she and just as wet, didn’t pay her any attention. That might have been fine with Erren had she known that the mare had no standing within the large Tritones herd. But Erren didn’t know this, and so she straightened herself out and lengthened her stride to run alongside the other equine. Were she a little less self-absorbed and a little less oblivious, she might have known that the mare she was running with was in fact her neice; the blue roan was a product of a stolen mare reproducing with Marek. But she didn’t really care about Marek’s interests or his personal life, only his standing and the fact that they were related meant anything to her. Erren nickered as they ran, keeping her eyes on the ground so as not to splash mud on her body. “May I ask where you’re from?” she said, flicking her eyes up to glance quickly at the other mare before dropping them again. The rain persisted and on they ran. Eventually Erren slowed a little, falling behind the other mare to shake out her mane again. Why on earth is it so hard to look nice around here? she thought, waiting for the mare to realize that she was running solo again.

[Rhapsody]

Azami

[/font]_________________________________________________[/center]

Azami had been too focused on her own anger to notice the approach of another equine until the mare was upon her. Glancing over irritably as the female fell in step with her, Azami sent the mare a withering glare. The younger mare recognized her aunt no more than her aunt recognized her; hardly a connected family. As the unknown mare spoke up, Azami's eyes flashed dangerously as she snorted. Sucking in a breath of air, the mare addressed the question that now hung between the pair. "You may ask, but you are not guaranteed an answer." Azami mocked, her voice venomous as she lashed out verbally at the other individual. Azami might have been young, but she was wise enough in the ways of the world to know knowledge was power.

When the other female dropped off suddenly behind her, Azami slammed to a halt, sending mud splattering as she whirled to face the other mare. Her instincts told her the mare might be looking to attack from behind and she was not about to be caught off guard. Ears pinned and teeth gleaming in the meager light, the mare eyed her possible opponent, less than impressed with the creature before her. "What business do you have with me mare?" She snapped testily, suddenly eager to be on her way back to the place that was something of a home to her. Love them or hate them, the islands were her current dwelling place, and a location where she had less to fear from strangers. "I have places to be and islands to get to, so spit it out." She added sharply, not in a patient mood. Not that she was ever in a patient mood, but still; she was especially impatient today.

[/size]

________________________________

[Silver]

------------------ ERREN ------
Oh no. Oh hell no. Erren’s ears pinned against her head, flat as she could possibly get them. As power hungry as she was, she was proud of herself – call it vain – and would not stand for this kind of demeanor. Gnashing her teeth in the other mare’s direction, she narrowed her eyes and lashed her tail. Droplets splattered off of the individual hairs and soared into the air to land with hardly a sound on the muddy ground. She moved her body into a defensive position and faced the other mare, her body coiled like a spring, full of tension that was barely restrained. The barring on her legs and the primal striping on her withers and spine stuck out sharply, giving her a wild look. Her eyes did the rest. They flashed as she held back her head, but she really desired to reach out and tear that silly expression off of her face. “Your mother was obviously lacking in manners, or she would have taught them to you.” The remark was laced with a disdain she held for this creature that had no standing in Erren’s eyes. She was useless, and now she was free to take out her frustrations on this blue-toned mare.

Taking a step forward, a deliberate, slow step forward, Erren glared at the mare she didn’t know was her neice. “None but the business of educating you on what smart remarks do to strangers,” she retorted, her ears fully pinned back and her teeth showing. She was in no mood for this mare’s criticism. The high that she had earned from escaping Marek’s clutches had worn off thanks to this mare, and she was in no mind to thank her for it. “The horses I know have more of a mind than you do!” She was tempted to say Anemoi, but knowing that this horse was traveling to the homeland of the Tritones, she knew it was not an intelligent remark to make. Even in the heat of an argument there were things that were just stupid to say in the presence of an enemy. She was not looking for a physical fight this time, but she would protect her dignity. “And what right do you have, filly, that you might talk back to someone older than you?”

[Rhapsody]

Azami

[/font]_________________________________________________[/center]

Though Azami had few memories of her mother, those that she did have were precious few, and the mare bristled visibly at the insult flung her way. As the mare spoke of teaching her, Azami snorted, derisive laughter parting from her lips. "You teach me? You would be a poor teacher, hypocrite that you are." Azami sneered, storming closer to the mare and measuring her with her eyes, noting that, if this came to a physical confrontation, they would be well matched. Roughly the same height, though Azami was undoubtedly lighter boned (but she would have the advantage of greater speed, no doubt). Grinding her teeth, the mare let several long moments of bitter, tense silence pass between the two, their mutual glares saying more than a thousand words ever could. "You know more intelligent equine? I find that hard to believe; why would anyone with more than half a brain associate with the likes of you?" It was hardly her best comeback, but she felt it would suffice; this mare appeared no more worldly than a gnat, but every bit as annoying.

Tossing her head to rid her eyes of the dripping mass of hair that was her forelock, she continued to eye her foe. "Well old nag, I have every right. I of the Tritones, daughter of the Anemoi; I have no one and nothing to fear." She had allies (in a sense) on either side of the starkly drawn party lines - more than she thought this mare could say for herself. "And what's more, I happen to be of rather great significance to King Boaz himself. So do not cross me lightly, young though I may be." She hissed, flicking her tail proudly; this was an argument she believed herself to have won beyond a shadow of a doubt, but the problem was, she had thought of him. Her heart thudded more rapidly in her chest, distracted minutely by the idea of Boaz. Even being the stoic, impassive beast that he was, she believed strongly that he would rip from stem to stern any who dared do her harm. So this mare would need to consider what enemies she would be making in trifling with the likes of Azami.

[/size]

________________________________

[Silver]

------------------ ERREN ------
Erren was no stupid mare. She might be unpredictable and selfish, but she was not stupid. She had a brain on her and she was not prone to forgetting that. Controlling the urge to spit on the younger mare in front of her, she kept her mouth shut and listened with fiery eyes to the insults that were flying from the blue roan’s mouth. When she mentioned the Anemoi, however, and her association with the herd, Erren finally made the connection. A cynical smile grew and broadened on her face, and she stifled a laugh, creating a sort of half snort that was hardly becoming of a mare of her age. She couldn’t help it though, and snorted again before she got a grip on herself. Letting out a slow breath she raised an eyebrow and studied the other mare before replying. “So you’re the other one…” she said slowly. The dunalino mare was more amused than offended at this point, and the glint in her eyes said as much. Erren wasn’t much involved in Marek’s life, nor was she interested. She was a selfish mare, and matters of her brother’s personal life did not concern her, and therefore she was not curious in the slightest. She knew she had one niece by that mare Reni, but she had not known about the second. At least, she hadn’t known she was still alive. Marek seldom mentioned his other daughter, and she supposed it was because of her association with Boaz. “Your father won’t be pleased,” she cackled, thinking of the reaction her brother would have when he heard that his daughter had favour in his enemy’s eyes. “Nor will your sister. Not that you’d care much, Azami.” She knew Lumiere’s sister’s name. She knew it only because Marek had told her while the blue roan filly had been with the Anemoi. Now, to see a traitor in the flesh, she had to quell her mounting dislike for the mare. She was second guessing her decision to join Boaz. At the last statement the mare made, Erren grew serious and steely eyed.

She took one step closer to the other mare, practically nose to nose with Azami. “Young you are,” she said softly, gazing deep into her niece’s eyes, “and with that youth you’ve a lot to learn. You think that Marek, king of the Anemoi, will take kindly to any horse that thinks to align themselves with both herds? Then you are very mistaken about your father. He counts those who join with his enemy against him, whether they are of his blood or not. So,” she said even softer, her words iron against a fragile truth that had been formed out of a foolish assumption. “I would rethink my strategy if I were you, Azami. You might think that you have an ally in the Anemoi, when really... you do not. Not in him, not in your sister if she wishes to remain a part of his herd, and not in me. I understand now why Marek wished me not to go to Boaz.” She stepped back and turned as if to leave. Over her shoulder she revealed something that would explain much about her. “My brother will not welcome you back with open arms should you choose to stay with Boaz.”

[Rhapsody]

Azami

[/font]_________________________________________________[/center]

Azami tensed as the other mare referred to her as 'the other one'. Eyes flashing, Azami snorted lightly, trying to dispel the sudden sense of unease that flooded her. It had been some time since she had met anyone who knew her sibling and father, and the idea that this mare knew of her twin was, well, off-putting to say the least. That feeling grew to a cold dread as the mare referred to her father and sister in a way that made it plain that she knew who Azami was. And what's more, she made claims that the stallion and the mare wanted nothing to do with her. Twitching away involuntarily, the mare tried to collect her thoughts, her world suddenly a terribly fragile place as Erren picked away at her iron defenses bit by bit. True, it had been two years since she had seen her family members, but she had imagined that if ever she encountered them again she would be welcome; she was the victim; how could they greet her with anything less than joy at her return after the misfortune of her being stolen?

As the female came nose to nose with her though, her self preservation instincts kicked in, and Azami snapped to attention. Ears that had gone lax with thought now flew back against her skull and her lips parted to reveal her teeth. "I hardly chose to go to Boaz." She'd retorted sharply, glaring daggers at this mare, this mare she hated not only for her personality, but for her knowledge of Azami as well. "I was stolen when I was still a child. I had no choice. My opinion was never considered." Not that she'd complained terribly; it was hard to resist the sort of silent magnetism she felt for Boaz. Somewhere beneath the rough, brooding exterior she had felt the presence of a comforting, doting adoptive father. And as she'd grown older, she'd felt more; a silent yearning almost, an intense physical attraction that she knew he felt as well. And it was that inexplicable pull, that need and yearning for him, that she knew would never allow her to leave him for long. However, her dwelling on Boaz came to a sudden conclusion as the mare began to stalk off, referring to Marek as her brother. Eyes widening suddenly, Azami leapt forward, a demanding cry leaving her lips.

"Wait! Stop! H-he is your brother? You are my Aunt?" She had not known this was her flesh and blood before and now she was hungry for knowledge that she had long been deprived. Knowledge of the family that she had never gotten the chance to truly know. Stomping a hoof, she called to the mare's retreating figure, frustration painting her voice. "None of this is my choice!" She cried, feeling like her carefully thought out logic had been torn asunder along with her world. Azami was suddenly feeling painfully exposed and vulnerable, and her desire for the freedom of being away from Boaz had evaporated; she wanted to go home. But suddenly, she wasn't sure where that was. She belonged wholly to neither group and as such, she could not belong to either.

[/size]

________________________________

[Silver]

------------------ ERREN ------
As it was, Erren heard the catch in her niece's voice. She stopped and listened to the mare's plea, feeling almost drawn to her in some motherly way. The child had not known her mother for very long, and Marek suffered from his own emotional scars from the incident that had involved both Boaz and Reni. Some small part of her begged to leave, to not bother with this silly youngling and her strained familial ties. With a sigh she hung her head before making the choice to turn around. She brought her eyes up to meet Azami's and studied them for a moment. How much pain had she gone through; being separated from her sister hadn't been enough for the gods, and they had taken her to her father's enemy. She was dangling over a deep chasm that would kill her if she was not strong enough. For once Erren felt her heart ache for someone other than herself. She was silent for a moment longer, only moving her weight forward in the space of that silence. Finally her resistance broke. "I know," she said softly. "I know what it is like to lose a mother. I know what it is to be lost and close to the edge. I know these things." The mare took a step closer, the steel in her eyes softened slightly. "It was never in my destiny to follow, nor is it in yours. Everything happens for a reason, whether that be solely for the entertainment of the gods or the fulfillment of fate's design. You, Azami, are not so different than I."

Droplets of rain that had collected on her mane now fell to the ground. They dropped down to the earth where they would serve another purpose. The dunalino mare watched the same droplets fall from Azami's body and thought them quite suitable for the content of the conversation. "We stumble for a reason, niece. We fall so that we might pick ourselves up once more and find ourselves stronger for it." With an intensity that had been lacking since she had decided to stay, Erren snapped her gaze to the blue roan's. Her eyes burned with a fire that mimicked the inferno in her soul. "But we are stronger than what they put in our way," she said. "We are stronger than anything. You have a choice, Azami. You can pity yourself and continue on with games that get you nowhere, or you can take everything handed to you in life and turn it around into something that works for you. You can transform the dislike of your father into a respect for who you are now. You can find out where you stand, and perhaps you can choose both, if you try hard enough." With a whisk of her tail, she settled a little. "I will not lie and say that it is easy, or that everything is possible, but I will tell you that the will to do something is a light not easily quenched if you are determined."

ooc: wow my characters talk a lot... xD

[Rhapsody]

Azami

[/font]_________________________________________________[/center]

Azami listened to her aunt with a mixture of frustration and half interest, unable to fully comprehend all that her aunt was telling her. After all, Azami was still young, still naive in the ways of life and still burning with an intense need to prove everyone else wrong. She felt a flare of anger rise up within her in response to her aunt's pity. Partly because she did not want it, but also because the compassion and the raw emotion of it was so foreign and frightening to her. Still, the young mare stood by silently as she was schooled by her aunt in the ways of the world, a lecture that seemed entirely unnecessary to Azami. Hell, she'd grown up sooner than most, between her mother's death and Boaz's subsequent stealing of her. So who the hell was Erren to lecture her on life? She had lived, presumably, a more comfortable life than had Azami. She had chosen to burn the bridges she had; Azami had not.

"Do not speak to me about choices and coping with life's many faces." Azami lashed out back at the mare. Her anger was, for the most part, unfounded. She simply did not know how else to respond to such a speech, other than with her usual fallback; anger. "I know damn well how to cope; I've been doing it all my life, no thanks to you or any of the rest of you that claim to bear the same blood as I. At least I did not choose to earn my father's hatred, as you now choose to." Azami threw the words at the other mare, her breath coming in great angry gasps. She hadn't wanted any of this. But she'd gotten it. And she'd dealt with it. And now this mare was going to waltz in and tell her how to live when she herself had no concept of how to do so? Hell no. "Here is a little advice for you, dear aunt. Perhaps you should not feign knowledge on things which you clearly know not of." Her words held a sneering note to them now, though still she had no justification or right to respond as she was. "Bridges once burned are not easily rebuilt; whatever provocation you have for leaving your brother, I hope it is worth the hatred that will follow you now. You have made your own blood your enemy, and by choice." It was stupid to choose to make enemies of one's own family. Azami had not chosen it for herself, and nor would she respect someone who did so willingly. With that, the blue roan turned on her haunches and disappeared into the rain. Screw you. Screw you and all my relatives. Damn useless, that's what you all are. She thought heatedly as she picked up a gallop, willing to risk the high speed even in the rain and mud just so she could be rid of Erren.

[/size]

________________________________

[Silver]

ooc: Done done?