» She could feel their scouring eyes on her, three sets of gazes burning hot as coals on her skin, and with great effort she fought back the urge to flinch, cower, and hide herself. Some tattered remnant of her old pride writhed in agony at the humiliation of being exposed in such a state, yet it would not allow her the relief of breaking under the pressure into a weaker creature than she was. Though she had not yet the strength to meet their gazes with her own tired, defeated eyes, and instead stared at the earth near their hooves, she steeled herself against their curiosity and stood her ground in grave, motionless silence. Their curiosity and sympathy was well-founded, especially when she made such an unusual and pitiful sight, with her ribs and hips jutting from under the taut skin and mud and grime staining her from head to toe. And of course, Odette could feel their curious eyes inevitably settle onto the raw, scabbed flesh of her wing stump. She could not fault them; in their position, she would likely have done the same. There was something about an amputee’s mutilated limb that drew in the gaze of onlookers with varying mixtures of morbid fascination and pity, and she knew that the stares were simply something she would have to grow accustomed to for the rest of her life. This, after all, was the reason her punishment had been devised in such a way. There were infinitely more painful and surefire ways to die, but to live with shame and humiliation as lifelong companions was another thing entirely. At least these three were kind about it, offering soft words of helpful advice and even stepping closer in wordless offers of aid. And though her trusting nature allowed her to easily believe that they meant the best for her, Odette, clinging to the lingering shreds of her pride and self-worth that made up the last of her defenses, silently refused all such offers.

» Throughout the conversation, Odette tried diligently to form opinions and impressions of her new companions. Orlando, the reddish-hued stallion, seemed young and inexperienced, and inwardly Odette envied him the simplicity with which he seemed to find and pursue his direction in life. It all seemed so easy when he said it. He knew what he was here for: a "forever home" and a place and purpose as a warrior. If only she could say the same. As a child, she had thought her ancestral motherland would always be there to welcome her home however far she flew, stalwart and eternal as the mountains themselves. When that homeland had rejected her in the cruelest way possible, she had counted on finding a new place in life by her lover’s side and beginning anew, finding home wherever he was. Now, it all sounded so silly and childish, dreams long lost in a past lifetime. The Odette that had dreamed those dreams was dead and frozen beneath the snow, and the crippled shell that remained was something repulsive and barely recognizable even to herself. She would have to come to grips with her new identity and self before she could even begin to look to the future with the kind of hope which seemed to come so easily for Orlando.

» The two earthbound femmes, on the other hand, were clearly natives of this land they called Helovia, or at least had been residents here for some time. Odette listened solemnly to each of their introductions, and halfway through Brisa’s explanation, everything suddenly clicked into place in Odette’s half-fogged mind. The "World’s Edge" and "Hidden Falls" that had so confused her were the names of herds like her old clan above the clouds, and each had its own representative here, come to find recruits to join them from this borderland. Although both ladies had lovely, soothing voices and had been so very kind to her, the maimed pegasus mare could not suppress a rising sense of wariness that crept up her spine like frost. "They both sound lovely," she replied slowly and noncommittally, her cautious gaze flickering between the pale silver mare of the Hidden Falls to the radiant golden one from the World’s Edge. She meant it too; not just the visions of beautiful landscapes and scenery, but the promises of a welcoming home and companions were like pure, clean water to a man dying of thirst. "But I must ask; what would induce your clansmen to accept one such as I into their midst, an outcast cripple with neither connections nor talent to her name?" The words burned like acid in her throat even now, but she mentally swallowed the bitter pill and soldiered on. That was what she was now, after all, with the loss of limb robbing her of her prided talents of flight, and the sooner she accepted that cold, hard truth the better. "I am no soldier like Orlando. I confess I know no trade, and in this state I am more liability than asset. You are kind to offer the services of your healers, but to call upon their talents by your generosity would be a burden upon your clan that I know not how to repay."

» Gingerly, she shifted her weight and bowed her head slightly, as though in guilty penance for her inability. "Your concern touches me deeply, mesdames and monsieur. Please be at ease. The worst is past; what ails me now is less injury than heartache, which no healing touch can assuage.

» "I pray you will not think me rude, but I beg you also to enlighten me on the laws that govern the conduct of your clansmen. Are you truly allowed to join and depart as you please? Best I be taught now, lest I repeat prior mistakes." Considering how dearly she had paid for her last follies, Odette would be a true fool of the highest order if she were to walk blindly now into some binding contract for the sake of creature comforts like a herd’s protection and care. Not even the threat of a slow, agonizing, and very lonely death could induce her to sell herself as a broodmare to some haughty lord if that was what was expected of her upon joining, or if the herd enforced rules as strict and severe as her birth clan did. Punishment had made her painfully cautious, and though Brisa and Jahzara were charming and helpful as could be, Odette could not help but be wary of their offers of home and comfort in exchange for seemingly nothing.

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@Orlando @Brisa @Jahzara apparently awesome complete 1100 Birdy! <333 Lily is so cute~! Also, sorry for this small monster of a post. @_@ Odette is wordy and apparently, so am I.