It was hard not so see the trouble that lurked behind the hybrid’s golden stare but whether or not I was the type of man to uncover the source of her problems was another question altogether. I’d never been one to delve into the issue that was females and on most occasions I’d never even noticed moments like this… Maybe I was growing older or maybe I admired Amaris’ ingenuity… Yet, in any case, I was determined to see her mood lifted. After all, it appeared as though I’d already caused quite a stir…

Jokes and entertainment aside, I could be serious when it mattered. However, where was I supposed to start and how was I supposed to help her when I truly had no idea what was bothering her? I was about to ask what it was, though it took some time for me to come up with something to say, when she again mentioned her sister. I was no dragon-expert or anything like that, but I was pretty certain I knew a little something about familial ties and to be quite frank, it didn’t matter what you looked like when it came to family. You stuck together because they were put on this damn earth to love you no matter what, but Amaris wasn’t accompanied by a single one of her family members. Yet she regarded them with such sorrow… or what appeared to be sorrow. It was hard to tell.

“Rareness is often a source of beauty,” I replied distractedly. There was something vacant in the way she spoke of her past… I could have been imagining it or I could have been spot-on, only time would tell.

It didn’t take long for the hybrid to skip over any more mention of her family to move on to the less challenging subject of companions. I was glad for her knowledge and it helped me in understanding the use of their bond, but still held little bearing toward how two separate entities could become linked. Again, it was something that I knew would come in time and secretly I hoped that Amaris would one day show me how bonds worked…


Upon reaching the stream in its entire steam-like splendor, Rose reappeared with Valiance in tow. They brought with them what appeared to be a plant-based salve. She was still quite nervous in the way that she moved and spoke, but I assumed that she had some kind of troublesome past that now affected her behavior. Whatever it was, I was certain that accompanying two mares over the past hour had made me a bit more soft-hearted. It was… strange and yet somehow enjoyable. I stopped looking at them as outsiders and started seeing them for who they might actually be.


It was about damn time I felt something, even if it made me feel like a giant fuckin’ star-spangled idiot.


“Thank you both for all that you’ve done to help me… it won’t be forgotten,” I commented while Rose started smearing that gunk along my backside. Amaris watched on as if she were experiencing magic at its finest and I couldn’t help but wonder what made them so nice. They didn’t know me and yet here they were helping me after Valiance had decided I was beyond saving. Each mare had a completely different personality and both were just as infectious… Damn, I was in trouble myself.

“You’re right Amaris… you’re completely right.” So what if I turned into a heaping pool of spittle and admiration? I was surrounded by beautiful women who wanted to take care of me. I couldn’t complain.