There was something about this broken down place that put the ever faithful hell dog on edge. Gods were creatures of a higher world, a servant from hell not likely to be welcome so near to heavenly creators, his lord who writhed in pits of fire would not be happy with him being so close. Or perhaps he would, if such a worldly creator appeared their face, perhaps his Lord would possess him and attack them. In such an instance, Aramis would surely die, hence the pup remained on the path and did not follow his bonded to see the shattered stones. Most companions were, after all, created by these creatures, but Aramis had not been given to the Nightshade by gift of a God, no. The former Time Mender had fought hoof and bone against a boggart to claim his prize of a servant from hell. His bonded had marred his bloodied fur for him, Aramis would never leave his Captain and Commander. Instead he listened to the wind as it tickled the backs of his curled ears and tasted the scents that danced around him, mostly it smelt of burning lava. Gilded eyes only strayed from the outline of the ledge when the scents sang of clean snow and ice, of worlds outside of the one he was born and it dithered like apprehension. A song he knew quite well.

Like the back of a cold mountain dipped in ink, there he was, the source of their travels; Mauja. The hound barked once, saluting one revered most by his companion before he touched his blood Lord mentally. There's a blizzard coming.

On the other side of that bond d'Artagnan frowned as eyes strayed to the horizon. It had only just turned Orangemoon and he was stood in the middle of a lava filled veins, unless the Gods had decided to try snow him in here, there was no way a blizzard would be on it's way. Perhaps the Basin was beginning to feel the chill now, but certainly not here. The shade grumbled something incoherently and turned to give Aramis a piece of his mind over babbling nonsense, but mismatched eyes found something that wasn't rather small, hairy and full of claws. He was met instead with a grinning idiot and he narrowed his gaze. "Give me one good reason not to chuck you off this ledge." For a moment he let that sit there, his face not really portraying anything until finally he returned the smile with an amused chuckle. Indeed, d'Artagnan had missed him probably more than his friend knew, there were things that had happened and his life was indeed a mess. Perhaps Mauja would listen later.

For now he turned to a more slender figure who had appeared. A couple of seconds earlier he'd felt his bonded express surprise, Aramis had noticed the horned mare but simple sat still and watched in amusement as she backed off and almost ended her life right there by falling off the ledge. Not quite, however, as she had shot forward at a gallop and sped past a surprised Aramis who remained sat. The girl was of the horned race, any other species may have received a different reception from the red marked hound.

d'Artagnan listened to her half strangled voice and grimaced. What did you do? The shade laughed down the lines of his bond to his soldier on the path.

Nothing at all! She nearly fell off the path in her fright. The Nightshade often forgot how his companion would seem to others and his grimace formed a small smile to the mare who looked like she'd just seen a ghost. "Sorry horned sister, I forget he's quite a fright to those unused to him. His name is Aramis and he answers my command, you have nothing to fear. Take comfort in his protection" he offered in the end, knowing it'd be unlikely looking at her current expression. "To whom am I speaking? I'm d'Artagnan." He left Mauja to introduce himself, intrigued as to the conversation direction of conversation and this mare, who had just run head long into his life. Literally.