XOLANI

It was an odd feeling that filled her chest at the proximity of the stallion. In her homeland, she had been kept a secret, never allowed to interact with her peers - the only regular contact with others that she had was with her parents (and we all know how that turned out). They did not like to look at her, much less approach her, unless it was absolutely necessary, and yet here was a complete stranger who had not only sought her out after seeing her from afar, but had then stopped to chat. What made the entire situation even more challenging to comprehend was the fact that he was well-built and beautifully marked, both aspects that would place him above her station. Even among the commoners in her homeland, Xolani had never been treated in such a way!

To put it simply, the poor mare was entirely overwhelmed by the kindness and consideration that was being shown to her by the winged steed. A small part of her wondered if it might be some trick, some cruel joke - but he was too earnest, too sincere, even in his simple and straightforward greeting. Living a life of silence had left her adept at conveying her emotions through body language and, consequently, recognizing even hidden feelings in others. There was nothing menacing, nothing even particularly mischievous about the stallion. There was only gentility and warmth. (It also did not escape her notice that he was, in fact, quite handsome.)

She took note of the slight frown that graced his crown from beneath lowered lashes, saw the beginnings of understanding emerging on his features; she stood, embarrassed, waiting for him to awkwardly excuse himself from her presence. After all, why would he stay after realizing that she could not speak? She was not alluring - she wasn't even pretty - and she had nothing noteworthy to offer him. No, it would only be a moment, and then he would be on his way.

But he didn't leave, surprising her enough that her head snapped up, her eyes catching his. Having had to rely on body language for her entire life, she was rather more expressive than those with speech: her brows were raised, her eyes bewildered, her ears pricked, her tail raised. Everything about her shot up, and as she took in his gentle smile, his words offering to find a way to communicate, she began to beam wildly, snorting and prancing in place. She might have squealed or laughed for joy, had she been able, but as it were she merely nodded enthusiastically, her clear blue eyes bright and her body alight with emotion.

No, I cannot talk. Yes, please, I want to communicate with you.

She waited eagerly for his next words, standing in such a way that she was nearly leaning toward him, as though she were a bird perched on a ledge, ready to take flight. He spoke of a name, and her beautiful smile. Beautiful? she thought, staring at him. Me? Surely he was only being kind. He was such a lovely stallion, and he probably wanted to make her feel welcomed, but to call her beautiful was an empty compliment... wasn't it?

But the pseudonym 'Lana' caught and held her attention, distracting her from the confusing notion of her potential beauty. She nodded her agreement, but her nose crinkled with mirth. She could not giggle in the same way that she could with working vocal cords, but the movement of air in and out of her lungs supplied enough noise for him to discern a laugh. Oh, how close he was to her name! Given a choice, she might have supplied him with 'Lani' as a nickname instead, but Lana... she could be Lana. She could be anything he wanted her to be, as long as he wanted to talk to her!

He offered to tell her of Helovia, and she nodded, grinning wildly. She watched him carefully as he spoke, absorbing the information that he provided about this new land. The bit about magic was not particularly surprising to her, though she was very interested by the notion of a 'companion.' She bobbed her head encouragingly when he paused, eager to hear more. She made mental notes about the herds he described. To which did he belong? She wanted to hear about his home, knowing already that if he were to offer, she would follow him there, no matter where it might be. A distant part of her mind thought that she might be placing too much faith in the stallion, attaching herself too suddenly to him; but if his herd was anything like him, then maybe - just maybe - she wouldn't have to be alone anymore.

When Ilios stopped speaking, she ran her tongue along her teeth, pondering the wealth of information that he had provided. He reached around to his wing and she cocked her head to the side, curious as to his intentions; when his head returned to the front, he held a silver-lined teal feather in his teeth. She wondered if it hurt, plucking a feather, or if it was painless, like pulling on a chunk of mane. She glanced down, suddenly shy again, as he approached slowly and carefully placed the feather in her mane. Her gut twisted at the touch of his lips on her mane, her heart fluttering nervously in her chest. Impulsively, she reached out to brush her muzzle against the empty spot on his wing.

When he asked, she pawed three times at the snow-covered ground, smiling brightly at him from beneath her forelock. She would follow him; she only hoped that he wanted her to.

OOC ;; @Ilios - .... I am so sorry this got so long. I just couldn't stop and hnnnngh it went on forever omg ;____;