falling like the f a h r e n h e i t;; [open]

[RANJIT;;]

Winter's frigid fury blew harsh across the landscape, burning brumal winds into the compact bodies of the four horses. Though high noon, it appeared to be more within the twilight hours, so thickly did the clouds conceal the heavens from the view of those within the earthly plane. Thick flakes dropped heavily upon the ground, blanketing snow upon it until no sign of vegetation could be seen beneath what had to be nearly two feet of snow. The Harbingers did not walk in their abreast line as usual; instead, War had taken the lead to break through the snow, with Famine behind him, Conquest behind her, and Death at the rear. War's broad bodice cut a path through that allowed his siblings to follow, though outright disgust could be seen vividly upon the ebony countenance of their sweet sister; she held an abhorrence for this cursed time of season and she'd always made that clear. Her thin body shivered slightly even with the warmth of her brothers surrounding her and her ebony coat was more or less concealed by the wet snow sticking to her. "You know, I really hate winter," she stated firmly, annoyance conveyed clearly in her tone and War ended up with a sharp nip on his hindquarters when he dared to snicker. Her disgust towards winter aside, the Kaisers and Kaiserin of the empire of Altus had grown bored simply sitting about in their lands and had made the decision (which Famine now deeply regretted) to go and walk the lands for a time. Since the ending of the war between the former Dark and Light kingdoms, things within the realm had quieted down to a point that left the siblings a bit bored. Famine had been spending much of her time with Ozymandias, who had remained behind in order to keep an eye on things within Antioch while they went to explore. Onward, the sound of cracking ice could be heard splintering the silence that usually perpetuated during winter and the buckskin monarch flicked an ear forward towards the small hole. As they come up to it, they fell into their usual stance and frowned a bit down towards the water, which was indeed mostly frozen over. A few places out towards the middle where it was deep had water still licking at the edges of the ice but mostly it had frozen solid. Early though it was in winter, it troubled them some; the winters of this realm had always been harsh, murderously so for some, and they expected this one to be no different. "It will be a hard winter," Conquest said softly, leaning his great head down to shove some snow out of the way, revealing frozen grasses beneath. Though still edible, they would be hard as rocks and it was clear much of their nutrients had already been lost. "We will be fortunate indeed not to lose any foals or elders this winter. Imperium, I think, will have the same problems. We're lucky to be at peace right now." He glanced at his siblings who agreed in their own ways; War nodded his great horned head and Death twitched an ear. Famine, however, spoke, "They are all hard winters, my brother. Though who cannot survive it will not and those who can will. We must keep an eye on the bands that are beginning to pop up. Horses that owe allegiance only to themselves may prove a danger. I am far more worried about these bands than I am this winter, brothers. Far more worried indeed." The Kaiserin lifted her gaze to sweep a cool blue-eyed stare over the lands, shaking her skull a bit. They said nothing more, just leaned against one another in quiet companionship, and watched the ice flow in the wind. words: 634 tagged: open muse: --

[Deleted]

tainted love

    She stood belly deep in a drift of snow, her winter coat abysmally short for the harsh weather that this new world provided. She turned her ears back, nosing a small amount of snow aside and sighed softly before plunging forward again with long, tall steps. Her neck arched out as she splayed snow about herself in a splattering of frozen liquid glittering with the color of the sun and sky over-head.

    What was she doing walking about instead of seeking shelter? She should have been hidden away, safely tucked up inside some cave, curled with her sons and possibly Kida but instead she was out and about, wandering and staggering through snow that alternated between knee deep, belly deep and as tall as her sharp withers. Her thoughts twisted to dark and brooding ideals when voices broke through, penetrating her solitude.

    Who was that? Her head shot up and she gazed about the land, ears twitching and nostrils flaring as she looked for whoever it was that was speaking. She spotted them, finally, a quartet of strangers though it sounded as though only two of them had spoken. At least she'd only heard two distinct voices- they could easily have similar tones but it was highly doubtful. She scoffed at that thought before whickering a greeting, more to alert them that she was there than anything, and angled her path towards them, curious to see who else would be crazy enough to breach the expanded lands on such a harsh and clearly winter-ish day.

post - thoughts - "speech"