Suddenly the girl felt exposed. Why had she said so much, given so much, when she had barely learned anything of them first? All her mother's teachings echoed in her mind, her guard had wavered for a mere moment, and she had exposed who she was. Calm, child, the voice of the red upon her withers resounded solidly within her crown. You gave the blue-bonded comfort with your words. You did not reveal too much, only what was necessary. They know you are strong now. They not harm you. The confidence with which the wise one spoke filled the golden belle with resolve; yes, she had exposed much about herself, but perhaps she had just proved that she was not her mother, not intent on learning everything there was to learn whilst giving nothing about herself away. Why should she fear others knowing about her? Because knowledge is power, it was not the voice of the red spirit that spoke this time, but the echo of her mother's lessons that spoke now. Yes mother, Amaris replied silently to the lesson, but still thought that she had not given away too much information, at least, not to harmful ears. A resident of the Edge - surely she could be trusted, especially since she claimed to know her mother, and a newcomer, who seemed so far in awe and not intent upon causing her harm.

When would the girl stop second-guessing herself? When would she grow confident enough to simply live life the way she was meant to live it?

Soon, the voice came again, this time a combination of her mother's voice and Nymerith's.

Had Amaris been older and more experienced with the ways of males, she might have scolded this one for thinking that his suave words would effect her. But young as she was, naiive as she was, she heard the words and thought them merely polite, if a little odd - how was meeting her a pleasure, when she so clearly unnerved him by her very existence? She accepted his words with a nod and a small smile, murmuring in her low honeyed tones, "thank you, Atlas."

Things got very complicated very quickly after that.

Dragons were fickle creatures, as Amaris knew better than most. She could read them easily; they were her kin, after all, and though she did not have a true bond with any single companion, she had her spiritual guides who flickered into existence and melded their ancient minds and soul with hers often - she knew the effects a bond like that could have upon a soul. It was more than just the minds entwining, it was the very fibres of one's being stretching out to encase another's not only swallowing them up but being swallowed in return, to such an extent that individuals were no longer that; two became one. Resplendence spoke of Amaris' mother in such a way that surprised Amaris a little, but then memories came flooding back, of herd meetings, of discussions between her mother and other ranked members, conversations that Amaris was not a part of but that she absorbed nonetheless.

"You studied healing beneath the Wild Rose?" She asked softly, wondering if she had her history right, wondering if this fragile woman before her had progressed any within her chosen art of healing. But before her wonderings could be voiced or receive any answers, Amaris saw the sure signs of a draconic incident unfolding. What happened next, was pure instincts for the girl; she was no longer equine, but wholly and completely dragon herself, a golden queen among her kind nonetheless, and she called upon that natural rank now.

A new creature seemed to step forth, one that radiated power and confidence, and at this time, a little bit of anger. "Hush, Res," her voice was still warm and soothing as she addressed the mare quietly, stepping towards her retreating form as she deigned to hold Valiance's gaze within her own sharp, golden iris'. "Valiance," she spoke, unknowingly adopting the tone her mother used when addressing the entire herd, or bestowing a task upon one of its members. "It is important to protect your bonded, more important than anything else," she spoke as if from experience, which she had through her connection with any of the great spirits she calls upon with her magic. "But you must not burn her bridges before she even has a chance to cross them and learn that not all in the world is out to hurt her. In doing that, Valiance, you hurt her." The queen allowed her words to be harsh as she spoke, allowed the truth of them to be heard by the little dragon. The blue and red spirits that danced in the sky above her trilled low, harmonic songs, as if to back up her speech.

A small huff of breath escapes her maw as a sigh then, and the queen softens her gaze and extends her golden-tipped maw out to the red companion. "I know you do not wish to hurt her," her voice returns to its singsong grandeur of before, though still laced with the memory of the queen dragon she had called upon mere moments ago. "And I know your bonded loves you regardless," here she offers a smile to the dragon, showing just how the girl has returned to her hybrid self, no longer leaning towards her more draconic half nor her equine half, but embracing both.

"Res," Amaris adopts a shortened version of the mare's name now, in the same gentle tones she used before. "You've nothing to fear here," she spoke softly, lowering her tiara once more, before glancing over to the unicorn stallion, who she did hope was alright. "Come, we'll take our new friend to the stream so he can cool off." The girl winked at Resplendence, before making her way towards Atlas, finally allowing the concerned look to cross over her brow as she considered him. "Come along," she said simply, gesturing with her tiara and motioning with her bodice a path through the Thistles that would take them all to a stream.


[ random character development ftw! ]

Amaris