The chestnut was offered a kind smile and a polite dip of the head as he presented himself, before Lace returned to the cool waters. Sipping the liquid slowly he scanned the surface of the lake with gilded eyes - a habit really, that perhaps was uncalled for in these parts of the world. There were no sharp-toothed monsters lurking ready to pounce from the depths, not it a peaceful location like this, no crocodiles or giant snakes, no sea-monsters... The greatest threat he could see came from the soft-spoken stallion next to him, and that... well, it wasn't more than Lace could handle.

The splashing of the white dragoness seemed to bother Gabriel however, and the grullo found himself facing the other with a calming hum that vibrated through the chest, a slight grin tugging inky lips.
"She's a dragon" he said, "named Fajira. And yes... We are bonded, tied together by the soul since many years ago. I wouldn't go as far as saying she's with me though... the opposite might be more true." With the muzzle dripping with clear water the silver-maned stallion began to turn away from the lake, unconcerned about the stir of movement that could just barely be discerned below the surface, convinced it was just said dragon frolicking about...

Then all of a sudden the lake erupted in a cascade of water wings and snapping jaws. Lace wheeled around and reared in surprise, dancing backwards away from the shore while wide eyes stared in horror as massive teeth threatened to close around his soulmate. In pure reflex he lashed out with his mind, connecting with the trees that grew in abundance around them and commanded the branches to move; a tall, slender willow began whipping its leafed vine-like branches across the surface, hoping to strike the monster (he thought there were no monsters here!?) back to the depths it had come from.

"Watch out!" he cried to Gabriel, a reflex rather than a logical move, because how could the rover avoid noticing the now boiling water and the huge dark shape that slowly glided towards them through the water, practically oozing menace as it went.

Gravity pulled him back to the earth, but the ground where he touched down was uneven. A flash of agony shot through his right foreleg as the hoof slipped on a rain-wet rock, a sharp edge cutting the sensitive frog before twisting the joint in a painful jerk that had him gasping for air.
"Fuck" he hissed and limped to the side, trying to avoid putting pressure on the hoof as he limped aside, eyes searching frantically for Fajira before he found her, hovering high up in the air on furiously beating wings. She was upset, fire licking the alabaster maw and tail thrashing furiously; she waited for the beast to resurface once more, prepared to strike without mercy once it did.

"Stay away from the water" Lace ordered his new acquaintance unnecessarily, "and make sure you're not too close to me... I can't quite control all my abilities... You have magic?" Because as much as he disliked it Lace couldn't deny that in times like these it was very convenient to have. The expression on his face was strangely calm despite the danger of the situation, blood burning hot through the veins - but it was a fire under control, tempered by years of battling experience and the knowledge that he was anything but defenseless. Besides, this wasn't the first time he had fought a monster...

Dim vales- and shadowy floods-
And cloudy-looking woods,
Whose forms we can't discover
For the tears that drip all over!
Huge moons there wax and wane-
Again- again- again-