[PQ] [RQ] [split] light it up

SUNJATA

the heartless

so look out, i fear that they follow near
for from the gallows, you'll swing for all the kids to see

The ground evens out and they crest the threshold of Mourn. The Barrow hills sit in the backdrop as everyone keeps the unicorns together, the herd moving at an easy and thankfully fast pace, not spooking or antsy for the moment. The field has evened out, small clumps of tall grass poking up among the grasses that still struggle to grow and bloom with the clutches of cold still hanging on.

Coming across a small stream, Sunjata nickers a sound, figuring everyone could use a water break – the unicorns included. Let’s take a quick break and get some water and a snack. He calls out to those with the attuned bond in the direct vicinity – meaning Vesper and one of the hands currently on their horse will be able to hear it. The hand, thankfully not shifted, conveys the message.

Sweat glints along Sunjata’s shoulders, turning the medium blue there into a darker hue as he slows near the stream – tilting his head back to glance at Nikandr as if to ask if they’re heading in the right direction. For Hawthorn and Colt, the unicorns on their side seem a little less wily and are more amenable to getting pushed wherever. Vesper’s side is a little more antsy about stopping.

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Last half of the split!! Round 1:

We’re taking a quick break for water and snacks! We’ve reached a stream, try to keep the herd near it so they can drink and get a snack yourselves.

Niki, let us know if we need to make any adjustments to the direction we’re heading! (We’ve gone in a straight shot but in order to reach the river, we’ll have to head more to the left!)

No post order!

they don't hear the serpent that burns your ear
or the coward that sits alone in your head with it

COLT

I had a vision last night
Horses on the granite plains

The saddle has a way of working stiffness out of her, even if she doesn't intend to lose it. Gradually, she melts into the rhythm of the herd and the stride that rolls under her, some of her angles falling away. Although she's quick to correct the entire ride, and finds herself trying to resettle her seat frequently, as if comfort is just beyond her. It wears more on Cherry, the mare's temples dark with the sweat that comes from nerves more than motion by the time they haul up to the water.

Twisting in her seat to survey the settling of the herd, mindful that the water's edge adds its own sort of pressure, Colt eventually trades out her spot with a hand that's already grabbed what he needed. She guides her mare away from the bulk of shifting bodies and glinting horns, encouraging her to the water's edge to drink as she slips off. With a quick jerk of motion, she loosens the saddle's girth and slings the reins over her shoulder. The mare drinks in great draughts and then shifts slowly to nibbling on the tufts of plants nearby. Colt stays with her, no appetite of her own to speak of, and more of the mind to ensure the horse has what she needs to keep carrying them both. She does take a swig of water from her saddlebags, and palms an apple to the still-wet lips. She keeps an ear out for word that they're continuing.

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Colt helps settle the herd then breaks her mare

That sound of freedom stampeding
Why can't I feel the same?

VESPER

Sunjata’s voice rolls through the attuned bond, and Vesper answers it with a low snort, one black ear flicking back toward the pegasus while his attention stays on the left edge of the herd. The unicorns on his side are less willing to settle, their bodies shifting in restless angles as the others begin to slow near the stream, and he keeps himself wide enough to block any sudden attempt to scatter.

He presses in on the worst of them with steady, deliberate pressure, shouldering their attention away from open ground and toward the water instead. When one resists, he crowds its line just enough to make the easier choice obvious, then eases off the moment it steps nearer the bank. Only once the stragglers have been bullied into the loose shape of a break does Vesper lower his own head, breathing in the cold mineral scent of the stream before drinking.

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Vesp tries to keep the herd together and also takes a drink

Will I ever quit playing with matches?
Why am I making angels in the ashes?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!