I stretch my golden gaze across to the onyx mare, who appears to have fit nicely into the role of guide so shortly after adorning the position of saviour. The silence that we have fallen into is wonderful, and it allows me to admire my surroundings with more attention than I could give otherwise. Not that there is much to see here; just snow, snow, and more fucking snow. A sigh escapes my black chasms when the image of an exotic land erupts in my mind.
What am I doing here? I don't know if there is treasure here! At least in the desert I had had diamonds! And it wasn't so bloody cold, either! Coal-stained ears slam back against my skull when the wind slaps my face for the millionth time. The delicate pink on my nose feels raw from its beating, and my legs no longer ache from my last adventure; it is too chilly now to feel them.
"Happy once coat grows in... Can't ruin this trade..." I am miserable, and as such my words are too. I don't care if the vixen hears them, either; for all I know she can be completely insane for taking me all the way out here, ploughing through the frozen Earth, and talking to me of my potential 'usefulness' as if my skill and prowess isn't clear enough to see in the first place! Perhaps it is just not possible for her to admire my (exclusive) traits through all of that crazy crowding her mind. Although it's not as if she sounds mentally unstable. She sounds pretty normal right now.
I haul my tired stare away from her snow trail -- which I've been using to navigate this barren realm -- to peer at her with unveiled eyes. I miss the sadness in her gaze for I am rushing to cover my own. My face is fringed in ice and my whiskers are frozen solid so it is not an easy task.
I rely heavily on the powdery white veil that coats my face to hide the suspicion that sits firmly upon it. This is it? This is her home? I am about to apologize profusely to the devil woman who brought me here (No, no, you've got it wrong.... I asked for a home, not a fucking TUNDRA!) when another one of those icy gusts of wind blasts at us from the side. I wince at its harsh bite, pressing my eyes closed and flinching away from the wind. How the hell will I survive a winter here?
When the wind has finished ravaging my body I open my eyes at last, though it is no longer the Lady that I see. Two figures tower high above me, emitting a fiery sheen of light when the setting sun casts its final rays upon them. They stand tall in all of their glory as usurpers of the North, and I revel in their beauty. If it were viable for one to exchange hushed whispers of love with a machine, I would do so right here and now. "These are... Exquisite."
Shivering black pedestals thaw as I go to approach the metal structures, but there is a nattering in the back of my mind that holds me in place. Something inside my ebony crown is screaming at me, trying to remind me of something, but I am entranced by the majesty of the Sentinels. As in awe of them as I am, I do not forget about the tentative arrangements that we have in place (is that why you are yelling, brain?) and I feel the need to include them in our deal. I struggle to remain indirect to my desires when I begrudgingly return my attention to the unicorn.
"Do they serve a purpose, or are they just decoration? They look to be skilfully crafted. I should like to meet their constructor, if he is still in your company." I lick my lips as I struggle to keep my gaze upon her, which is ultimately the worst thing I could do. In an effort to keep my velvets from freezing together, I keep myself engaged in conversation. "You spoke of commerce earlier, when we were travelling through much warmer territory. I am a skilled trader as well as scholar, for my travels have brought me to lands filled with knowledge and creativity. I dabble in all trades: metalworking, card reading, and enchanting amongst others.
There are some that I prefer over the rest, and others that I will never turn to again, but it is a choice of lifestyle that I have committed to. What I am trying to say is I would be pleased to serve as a negotiator for you, should your crafters accept me as such."
"blah blah blah." @[Illynx]
.svg/2000px-Google_Chrome_icon_(2011).svg.png){kind=icon}
