❝ vagabond is you, ran the mile no shoes. if the sun goes down too soon, embrace the starry eyed moon. vagabond is you, swam the sea at the darkest blue. you made it, made it through. ❞
I am the one thing in life I can control!
I am inimitable, I am an original!
I’m not falling behind or running late.
I’m not standing still,
I am lying in wait!
If there was one person that she would trust her beloved companion with, it would have been no one other than Bryn. She trusted that he always had Asfaloth’s best interest in mind ( for the stallion was the closest thing to a son that she had, an extension of her self ). A soft chuckle left her lips at Bryn’s manners, signalling for him to get up. “You know there’s no need to do any of that when I am by myself!” She reminded him, her smile ever so warm. “I was concerned that the trip would harm him in any way, or that he would not settle down well here. But I am more then relieved to hear that! Please, let’s go! I have missed my handsome boy so much.”
“It will always be a habit though, aye? i don’t fancy getting in any trouble for not giving a Princess the respect she deserves,” Bryn replied, though it was quite obvious there was a jest in his words --- for it was true, he had known the Princess and her horse from Bearoria, and for long enough that the tiring bows and extravagant words had been lost on both of them. The stablehand smiled widely, leading the way towards the section of the stables reserved for royal animals. “Oh, no, no. He’s been adjusting quite well,” he assured her, just as they reached Asfaloth. “Did you bring him the last time you were here? Perhaps he remembers it, and that’s why he isn’t so afraid.”
“i think i’m just as bad as the rest of them,” camilla confessed, slowly but surely recovering from her transgression, “but i thank you.” there’d been a bit of a change in her since leaving ironhaven. she no longer bought as many dresses (or any at all) and she’d found herself returning, bit by bit, to her old ways, in manners that didn’t so much disturb her as bemuse her. she believed she could trace her materialism to an early age – wanting for everything when she couldn’t have it accounted for wanting for everything when she could – but in ironhaven she’d become languid, no longer the sort of person to exchange bruises for bread. the only thing that separated her from any other noble was past. “you mustn’t apologize. you’re ever so right. i wonder, too, how many hunters came with us. and smiths, and builders. i’m of half a mind to believe most of us settlers are here for a reason, but then i remember that i am here. and what have i done? nothing. and i feel – rightfully, i think – very naive. and i wonder if we were right in coming here.” it was her turn to look sheepish again; she’d let herself get carried away. “i suppose if we endure, and don’t resort to thoughtlessness, we might be alright. even if the latter part doesn’t seem likely. i don’t know; what do you think?”
“i’ve got... well, a fairly good eye about it. you’re a rare kind of noble, my lady, and no doubt about it,” he explained, not eager to tell her of his noble past, for it usually ended with the other seeing the lowly stablehand quite differently --- and he didn’t want that. seeing such a fall from grace ( or even simply hearing of such a tale ) usually brought people to their defenses, as if they suddenly didn’t know whether to have pity or distaste for him. still, the woman before him didn’t seem like the type to have either; but bryn kept his past close to his chest. “so many!” bryn agreed. “teshayra is all but flooded with people at this point, of all trades and the like --- or so i’ve noticed from the stables.” as she continued, bryn’s expression turned into one of deep thoughtfulness and curiosity, though he never looked away from her. he took a moment to think over his response after she asked for it --- the last thing he wanted was for a lady so eloquent and highly intelligent to think him a simple-minded servant. “i think that perhaps we have already resorted to thoughtlessness, simply by marching into a land that is not ours and fighting for it as if it was ever ours to fight for,” he said slowly, his work completed forgotten behind him --- though the tack was still in his hands. he continued with a rising heat in his cheeks, poking through ginger stubble. “i think the royals are making a mistake by staking their claim on something they don’t need.”
with her basket full of goodies, herbs and treats alike, lucrezia was in a splendid mood ! she watched people come and go from the gardens, watching all of them intently, doing her best not to let her mind wander too far. refusing to focus on the obstacles that they had already met throughout their time in teshayra, the nurse chose to acknowledge the beautiful day ahead of them all. “ excuse me ! ” she chirped, skipping toward the nearest bystander. “ would you perhaps like a honey cake or a piece of warm bread ? ”
as far as days go, this had been an exceptionally bad one for bryn. while he had taken a much-needed break from the stables, another stablehand had accidentally let out a prized breeding mare that belonged to an important noble, and bryn had been tasked by the lead groom to retrieve her. he’d spent the majority of the day coaxing her back to the stables instead of actually doing his work, and then had been blamed for not doing his work ! needless to say he wasn’t in the brightest of moods as he walked back to the tents, even when a girl ( who seemed so happy ! gods ! ) found her way towards him with a basket. ❛ oh, ❜ he said, surprised at the sudden infusion of his thoughts. ❛ uh, aye --- i’ll have the honey cake. how much for... three or four ? ❜
THERE ARE FEW VOICES that emeline can make out in a crowd. bryn mallory’s is one of them. although, an unlikely friendship, it’s one that she’s come to treasure all too well. her hand gives several strokes more so before finally giving the stablehand her undivided attention. at her dismissal, the dragon pulls off the ground with great grace, leaving the grass as well as anything else, pushed by the strong winds. ❝ bryn, it’s been quite some time. shall we take a stroll ? ❞
BRYN DOESN’T USUALLY consider himself a friend of the royals. he doesn’t dislike them, per se --- they bring him work, to be sure, and beautiful horses to look after. but then again ( especially after meeting queen emeline ) he was surely not their enemy, either. bryn watched, still in awe, as the dragon left them, and he ran a hand through wind-tustled red before nodding. ❝ aye, that would be lovely, ❞ he replied, offering his elbow to the queen as they started their walk. ❝ how have you fared ? ❞
“oh, none taken. i can’t wrap my head around it either. and to do such a thing here, of all places… it shows a complete lack of understanding of how things come to be. as if they’ve never done a days work in their lives.” she realized, with some dismay, that she’d gone and spoken disparagingly about her class again. “we’ve never done a days work, i should say,” she added, fiddling with a strand of hair that had come free. she stopped the moment she noticed she was doing it. “it’s the materials, too. leather may seem cheap to some people, but… well. you know.” camilla was clearly having an off day; normally, after making such mistakes, she didn’t find herself fidgeting. she was glad the man hadn’t challenged her to a game of cards, as she would surely have lost.
the other’s words left bryn in a slight state of delighted shock. while he hadn’t expected to hear such a response in general, the noblewoman’s words made him smile --- to hear one of such a class speak ill of their own people was always something to behold, not to mention bryn had one or two reasons to agree with her. “you sound more sympathetic than most, though,” bryn said in response to her correction, his eyes holding her gaze with a sparkling curiosity. he nodded along with her next words with enthusiasm, as if he’d finally found someone who agreed with his unsaid opinions and thoughts. “exactly! in zenan the prices were fair enough, but here --- gods! the hunting is so scarce, since no one’s learned the animals’ locations or trails, so the prices for hides and leathers and strips just go up and up,” he said, realizing too late that he’d rambled. his head lowered, though a sheepish smile poked through hanging red hair. “apologies, my lady. you can take the boy out of the blacksmith... but not vice versa.”
AFTER THE PAST FEW DAYS she had learned three things. one, she absolutely hated royals and everything they stood for. they were either too weak or too daft for her liking. it was to the point where she couldn’t see herself saving them for even the highest of rewards ! two, teshayra was a strange land where none of her morals or rules had changed. no one was to be trusted. three, she needed something to occupy her time, as thievery seemed a hobby not fit for those who had lost their belongings in a fire. the girl could be unpredictable and cruel but… was she completely heartless ? an answer she was unsure of. however, the search for entertainment brought her to the stables, remembering her meeting of a redheaded giant who had showed her the smallest of mercies. “ save it, stableboy, i don’t want a horse. if i did, i’d take one, ” she called, giving him a grin. the woman he’d been so lucky to meet was a fraud and she had a feeling they both knew that. servants were always better at picking up her facade than the nobles. “ i don’t do this often, or… usually at all, but i wanted to thank you for what you did during the exploration. ”
WHILE BRYN WAS DEFINITELY drowning in work, he was no so busy as to not greet someone he knew --- for he wasn’t all that sure the other wanted to classify him as a friend quite yet. she was, as he’d guessed, more shut off than open to the world --- for reasons he’d yet to decipher. seeing rosalind, however, caused bryn to halt his work and face her, eyebrows raising in surprise. “ careful, now --- some of these horses are royal, ” he jested, winking as he took a step closer to her. his eyes searched hers for a moment, and he caught sight of something almost familiar --- a need for... something. it was the same look he’d had all of those years ago when his fathers ( and subsequently his ) title had been stripped. but not only that, it was the glint of keeping a secret. the glint of someone who was hiding in plain sight. “ oh ? oh ! you mean with the prince, ” he said, nodding a few times as he recalled the events of the exploration. “ aye, well. i can see when someone’s uncomfortable easily enough, and you definitely were not welcoming the good prince’s efforts to... befriend you. ” he paused, wiping dirty hands on his riding trousers and then crossing his arms over his partially-exposed chest. “ we were lucky to have left when we did though, aye ? things went downhill fairly quickly, or so i hear. ”
Asfaloth had been her companion for many years. He was gifted to her on her sixteenth name day by her beloved father. He had been a small pony back then, barely even resembling the snow white horse that he had grown into. No matter where she went, she refused to leave him behind. Although she knew that the stablehands would be taking good care of him, it would pain her if a day went by without checking up on him. The sight of Bryn brought a smile onto her face - he had gotten used to her daily routine by now. “Oh Bryn, don’t you worry. I’m just here to check up on my big boy.”
While Bryn loved working with any horse --- be it a royal stead or an unruly breeding mare --- the stablehand wasn’t afraid to admit he had favorites. In the new world, the great white stallion Asfaloth was definitely among that list, and so Bryn was happy to see Princess Eleanor when he looked up from his work. “Your Highness,” was his first reaction as he dipped into a small, messy bow before leaning on his pitch fork. “Ah! Yes! He is doing marvelously, if I may say so. Come --- let us go see him.”
“i’m afraid i’m not here for that. i didn’t have dinah brought over from ironhaven – she was getting on in years and i thought…” she didn’t know what she’d thought, and couldn’t be sure if she regretted the decision. “i thought she might not have enjoyed the journey,” she finished hesitantly. “anyway, i found some tack, in the woods.” she held up the bridle in question. “i can’t think why they didn’t go back for it, because it seems… intact. and none too shabby.” also confusing to her was how its former guardian had managed to drop it. it was likely they’d been rich, she thought; the rich were a strange people. “shall i put it somewhere?”
the promise that more work wasn’t being added to his already overflowing list of things to do before dusk, bryn turned around and greeted the woman with a slight bow of his head. “thank you, miss, that was awfully kind of you. here, i’ll take it,” he said, taking a few steps over to her and examining the tack in question. he sighed, deeming it perfectly satisfactory. “i can never and will never understand how wasteful these people ---” he cut his words short, bowing his head again. she was dressed nicely, and was undoubtedly a part of the these people. “i beg your pardon, miss. i meant no offense. it just seems awfully wasteful, as you said.”
marquis considered the other’s words briefly, biting down the skin of his cheek in contemplation. “ as awfully curious as i am, ” he started, words coming out slowly, as if he were in the midst of convincing himself otherwise, “ i was told not to mess with it until help came. ” he leaned forwards, thumbing over his bottom lip. “ but, ” he looked up, the corner of his lip twitching in anticipation. “ that was a good three hours ago. and those instructions were only given to me, particularly. ”
bryn’s brow raised as the other began to speak. he recognized the tone of the other well enough --- it was one he’d used far too many time in the past, and always meant something brought on by a strong curiosity was about to occur. “ aye, i see the predicament, ” bryn contemplated, narrowing his eyes at the door. he did wonder what could be blocking it, as the castle had burned... he faced the other once again. “ it’s settled, then. i’ll find out what it is and report back --- but first, i need to know my accomplice’s name, aye? i’m bryn. ”
SHE SUPPOSED she could thank the gods of several things. her happy marriage and healthy family to name a couple, because while yes the fire was terrible and they were all living in tents at least they were alive. another would be that her best friend had also managed to come in this trip and she had one more person she could annoy till the day decided it was the moons turn to rule the sky. and even after that. sybil makes as much noise a she possibly can on her way to the stables, obnoxious in only the way she can be. hearing his words makes her smile wide, leaning against the hay despite the fact that her dress will be filled with them later if she keeps it up. ❝ well you’re not a good stablehand at all, are you?❞ she calls back, her voice taking up an annoying pitch purposefully to lure him out of his head. ❝ and to think i was beginning to feel bad for not letting you get my horse all this time.❞
HE’D LEARNED long ago that distractions were all too easily found when working. even as he’d slaved over the blacksmithing bench as a teenager, the lure of other --- more fun ! --- things to do would enter enter his mind and cause the metal he was working on to be misshapen. and that’s why at the first sound a voice, bryn cringed, knowing it meant the end of work for a while. but it only took a second for the redhead to recognize the voice, causing him to spin around with a huge, boyish smile on his face, red stubble shining copper in the sunlight. ❝ no, and i never claimed to be, mind you ! ❞ he corrected, his smile never faltering. ❝ aye, well, that is a shame. i do so love the company of your horse.❞
nickname(s): bryn, most commonly. In the past: jolf / wil.
age: thirty.
date of birth: december 4th.
gender identity: cismale.
sexuality: heterosexual.
original kingdom: bearoria.
kingdom allegiance: bearoria.
spoken language(s): common tongue.
views on the balance: disagrees.
→ ❝ i’ve never seen you before. ❞
face claim: sam heughan.
height: six feet and four inches.
weight: one hundred and ninety-nine pounds.
body type: thin, lean and muscular.
hair color: red / orange.
eye color: blue.
accent: noble-raised in bearoria ( scottish )
scars: he has several jagged scars on his arms from smithing over the years, but nothing too prominent.
tattoos: none.
clothing: it’s hard to find bryn in anything but ragged linen shirts and riding trousers.
→ ❝ where do you come from? ❞
home kingdom: bearoria.
current location: teshayra.
financial status: borderline poor, but he only has himself to take care of, so he gets by.
criminal conviction(s): a few minor arrests involving being very drunk, one accidental indecent exposure, and he’s stolen food more times than he can count.
→ ❝ what name do you take? ❞
father: alvor mallory.
mother: laila mallory ( nee medesi ).
sibling(s): none.
children: none.
→ ❝ how can we trust you? ❞
horoscope: sagittarius.
hogwarts house: gryffindor.
7 deadly sins: envy – he envies those who have titles, but not because he wants one back --- mostly because he feels as though his father’s wasn’t rrightfully taken. he envies those in happy marriages. he envies those with children and large families in general. he envies a lot, but tries not to be bitter about it. it’s more of a sad envy.
theme song: vagabond - misterwives
→ ❝ i’ve heard about you. ❞
bryn is known for hating heights. he likes being grounded, with a clear path laid out so he doesn’t get lost. while he loves wandering, the fear of not being able to find his way frightens him.
he hates blacksmithing, but he’s very talented at it like his father before him. it would pay a lot more than a stablehand but he values happiness over money.
he wants kids one day. like, he really does.
he still dreams of his mother most nights. he misses her more than he can say.
SHE DOESN’T KNOW IF it was the faint sense of danger that emeline encountered at the stream or perhaps he knew how much she longed for him. but during her daily stroll through the land, emeline is surprised by the sudden appearance of ysellian. she’d dismissed her guards long ago, hoping to gain some time with the dragon after having to adjust to his absence. a hand on the large snout, a menacing growl erupts from the beast. his eyes trained on a figure behind her who seemingly joined them atop the cliff. the queen doesn’t turn to the individual as she addresses them. ❝ he’s quite magnificent, isn’t he ? ❞
EVEN WITHOUT A CASTLE to roam, bryn found ways to occupy his downtime easily enough ( with what little downtime he had ! ). he’d found that the best way to escape the stuffiness of the crow around the tents was to find someplace where they dare not venture to --- and today it brought him towards the sounds of a great beast, and it’s royal owner. the sight of the beast astounded him, and placed him in shock for a good few seconds; a beast such as that was to be admired, and so he took his time before bowing to the queen. ❝ your majesty, ❞ he said to his friend, eyes still on the dragon as he stood up. ❝ oh, yes. i almost feel as if i should be bowing to him, and not you. ❞
THE DAYS OF HIDING AWAY in the stables and doing nothing but work ( which was what brynjolf wanted ! ) were over, it seemed. with everyone in their tents, they wanted their horses more --- there was no castle to occupy their time, and riding was the most popular alternative to sitting in their tents twiddling their thumbs. and while bryn understood --- he loved riding, after all --- it was becoming a little stressful. still, today he’d found a few hours to be free, and used them to muck out the stables and feed and water the horses. an horu into his work, bryn heard the crunch of footsteps and inwardly groaned --- couldn’t he just have an hour without someone needing a horse ?? there were other stablehands, sure --- but somehow he was always targeted. “ i’m afraid it’ll be a while before i can fetch a horse, aye ?? ” bryn said, not looking up to greet whoever it was.
the words left him without second thought, and it was just when his eyes met with the passer-by that he realized they sounded awfully out of place coming from his lips. he was lucky to have even been brought to teshayra in the first place — why was he so prone to fucking this up for himself ? “ sorry - i meant you quite literally cannot. ” he said, rising off the ledge he’d been sitting on to approach the door, trying the handle with no luck. “ it’s been jammed all morning. ”
❝ aye, it seems --- jammed. ❞
it was a shame, really; bynjolf had come all the way from the stables to the tents ( and burnt castle ) to explore what the people of zenan now called home. it was ironic, in a way --- even the royals now lived like the commoners, and vice versa. bryn couldn’t help but thing it was the gods; way of saying no one’s really any different than a king. “ i wonder what’s blocking it, ” the stablehand said, raising a brow at the other. “ should we attempt to find out ?? ”
ever since the fire in the castle , mikhail had been spending most of his time patrolling the area. he’d only sat down with a book few moments ago , && he was already nodding off. he didn’t wake until his book slid off his lap , the sound of the novel’s spine hitting the floor almost startling him. he was instantly on his feet , a deep scowl marring the chiseled lines of his face. his glare moved to the person nearby , clearly not pleased with having been caught in such a vulnerable state.
it wasn’t often that bryn found himself away from the stables; but with the tents now everyone’s home, the people of zenan seemed to want their horses a great deal more. with no castle to hide in, people went riding more often; it left little downtime for bryn, but he was happy with it. he was walking from the stables to collect a nobleman’s horse when he witnessed the man jolt awake && drop his book. “ it’s all right, ser, ” bryn said with an easy smile, making sure the man knew he was no threat. his smile widened then, && he winked. “ i won’t tell anyone. ”
2087
blakekathryn
andulkaphoto
origamiaround
amandla
izzy806
prguitarman