Valiance was ecstatic, to say the least, when his name was uttered from the painted stag before him. "He remembers! He remembers us!" his voice is bouncing through their bond like a toddler who just had their parent return from a long trip. Still, the clicks of reassurance were needed to get Resplendence to ease her way out of the trees. Too many memories of those who had gone away and not returned making her unsure if she was dreaming.

However, the excited lift of his head, the happiness that was shining in his eyes… If this was a dream then she could only hope it would stay like this - that it wouldn't turn into a nightmare. Her name reaches the air and he steps toward her, his muzzle outstretched and she returns the movement - allowing her maw to brush up against his velveteen skin and take in the strange smells. As he pulls away, though, there is concern etching across his face. At first she thinks it is because Valiance had jerked to the air quickly to meet the white dragon who was dancing before him. Greetings exchanged before he listened intently to the story that was pooling from the older one's mouth. Though, she realized quickly it was from how she smelled - how the cloak of the mists was replaced with the sweet scent of forest and waterfalls. "Most of the Edge moved to the Falls…" she whispers, attempting to offer some sort of explanation. He'd been gone too long and missed so much.

"Lace like Mirage. Lace turned to a silver dragon during fight…" Valiance speaks through the bond in awe, remembering the flashes of Mirage as a dragon from Resplendence's memories. Her head snaps up with that information, eyes widening just as Lace called her name. "As well as one can be…" she says, eyes flickering between downcast and happy. She couldn't decide if this was some dream or not. "And you seem well, also… Valiance says Fajira witnessed you turn into a dragon like Mirage…" she whispers, clinging to the hope that Mirage was still there, that she was going to be back and she would see her again. "Did you see her recently? Have you been with her?" she asks, a painful desire to see the mare again evident in her voice.

Still, Lace turns to face Dragomir, introducing himself and offering an explanation as to how he knew Resplendence. And, when Dragomir attempted to introduce himself as well he was cut off by the sound of his name ringing out by another female. Tattered, awkward wings and boils across her skin… like Kaj. Resplendence swallows, stumbling backwards. It got to more than just Kaj. It was hurting many others too. "That's Dragomir," she offers to Lace, in case he hadn't picked it up by the screaming of the name before Dragomir could offer it. "He was also in the Edge for a time, as a Glazier." Still, she lingers closer to Lace's side as Valiance swoops around above - trying to play with Fajira, not caring about the ranks in his young age.

Dragomir asks about the wraiths and Res can only shake her head. "It's not the wraiths. It's something else…" she chokes out, eyes blank as she sees images of Kaj's broken, twisted body flash before her. Her head shakes violently, trying to toss the images from her skull before she turns to Ranjiri. Aye, she doesn't truly know the mare, but she was still hurt. "Have medics attended you? Would you like me to try and mend what I can? The boils… they don't respond to my healing magic, but your wing might have some healing left in it?" she offers, letting out a short breath as she looks hesitantly between the three equines before her.

Was she overstepping? Did the mare even want help from a stranger? Did Lace care that Resplendence had almost stumbled into him, mind craving some kind of protection from her nightmares that still flashed across her brain?

This world was turning into a living, breathing horror story and she could do nothing about it.

@Lace

i don't want you to leave, will you hold my hand