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Good Evening!”
Cassius jumped in his spot, ears flexed against his skull as he circled his tree companion once – eyes searching into the far mists.
“He… hello?” His breathes inevitably picked up, heart racing as that peculiar, tingling sensation prickled throughout his body. Like the voice ahead, his vocals sung back to him in an uncanny, faded tone. And wherever he searched, he could not make out form or noise from beyond the trees that encroached upon the clearing.
“They… they sound rather nice and friendly though. Don’t they?”
Cassius imagined the tree to shrug, to give an impartial inclination – forced to endure the stallion’s presence without want or desire.
Those honey brown eyes finally caught the light hovering above the ground. And with a cringe, he resisted the urge to run from what was clearly a spirit approaching from the ether world. Fortunately a figure emerged, aglow from the soft light perched within its impressive set of horns.
“Oh… oh my.”
”Found you!”
Cassius blinked, uncertain of whether he should be relieved or warned by the hearty mirth in that reply. Nonetheless, he was preparing to bolt should the stranger be one of the Lord’s men. The young man prayed to the gods for strength, for good fortune, for safety– the gods of this land or the one before it, any god -
who might catch wind of his pleas. It wasn’t as if Cassius had murdered for a living, or inflicted much evil upon the lands – they could at least look down upon him, and impart some kind of pity couldn’t they?
He pressed his side into the tree, tail twitching. Like a child he cowered briefly as the muscled, golden hued stranger reached the bolder. It reminded Cassius of the lords, and how they often made their appearance as one above platforms and fancy spires. But it was too early to tell whether this stranger was quite in fact a lord, or a master – or what have you. And besides, as he took that time to regard the other – he found him to be quite alluring to stare and gawk at. Besides those silken, ivory locks – the stallion appeared quite confident above all else. Or perhaps that was the light streaming through the canopy? Highlighting the ample tone of muscle, and health spread across his body.
Once more the stranger spoke in exclamation, startling Cassius from where he stood with a twitch of his hears. He raised a brow as the grand stallion made his way through the air, and – Cassius, half expecting the forests to break out in Gregorian chant – followed the stallion’s eyes quite uncertain what to expect from him.
“Heh…,” he’d lost his words. And such uncertainty seemed to diminish Cassius’ sense of being. For he felt not just the eyes of Tilney – as they mentioned – but the eyes of the forests, the trees and the things that inhabited the mists and the shadow. With a swallow he nodded, a thin smile curling across his face.
“Well hello there… - ah! Greetings!” A nervous laugh escaped him. For a voice that was already quite light, broad and lyrical in its pointed warmth, it squeaked slightly in response.
“The name’s Cassius. A pleasure to make your acquaintances Tilney.” Quietly, he took another deep breath – hoping the other stallion wouldn’t notice. As it was, Cassius couldn’t help notice how fearful he must have seemed. How out of place, and timid by the world he may have appeared. Perhaps he could change that? Could he? Cassius was hopeful, however – with the journey behind him and the thoughts that crowded his head, the very thought was far from realistic.
“Helovia? That’s a pretty name… Helovia.” It rolled off his lips, a whisper he breathed out into the open and finally broke his gaze from the stranger. Finally recognizing the unique, pale marking against their leg and shoulder. Like a tree, it was a tree! Imprinted against the golden-hued canvass. The grey stallion shook his head, and raised his eyes to Tilney apologetically.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare… I’ve, I mean – the marking is very unique. I haven’t seen that before.” A brief pause,
“Unique as in pretty, nice… hah…”
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