An ear twitched as the shouted words reached the elegantly carved lobes, and with a slight snort to himself the stallion continued to move forward while forcing himself to look calm. The stranger hadn't reacted in a violent way upon seeing him, thus there was no reason for Lace to be weary - and yet he was. The amber-colored eyes measured the distance between himself and the unicorn as he approached, regarded the figure lying on the ground with an intensity that wasn't quite as casual as the posture suggested.

"Indeed" he answered once he came close enough that he wouldn't have to shout to make himself heard. "Winter has never been a favorite season on my part." Ah, so casual. So smooth the words were, so suave the tone. The silvercoated grulla paused, tilting the head slightly to the side and pondered whether there would be anything to gain from a continued conversation. Was this person someone outcast from the Edge? Did he associate with those who were? The coloration wasn't familiar and he couldn't remember seeing him on the battlefield during the invasion, but that in itself didn't have to mean anything...

His thoughts was interrupted by a cry of alarm from the white dragon that hovered over the crater. The stallion swung around and grimaced as the sore leg protested, but instantly forgot all about the pain as he saw Fajira dart towards him, just as pillars of flame and molted rock rose high up into the air like a giant wave. Lace called out to her, a wordless scream urging the little creature to hurry up with all the urgency he could muster. For a moment it seemed she wouldn't make it. The magma began to fall, streaming down through the air like giant tongues of liquid fire, almost capturing the dragon. Fear coursed through them, paralyzed his legs and eyes and propelled her forward, ever forward in a desperate attempt to flee the fire that would mean certain death even to someone like her, bound in flesh and bone as she was.

Then Lace felt the impact against his back as his bonded slammed down upon him, wincing as her claws clambered onto the skin and drew blood. She was shaking, and so was he. Their minds tangled together, souls pressing into one another for reassurance that the other indeed was there still. Together their eyes turned to the edge of the crater where the lava boiled and crackles, sending waves of scorching heat through the air. Lace stepped back, frightened and puzzled about this sudden disturbance - he hadn't seen anything like this happen before, not even when the God of the Sun had stood by the rim and faced his siblings.

A quick glance to the side was all the care he spared the other stallion, to see whether he had escaped unscathed or become so startled that he tumbled into the crater. It was all he could afford, because the Heart was demanding his attention, and the Glazier found it difficult to disobey. His calm was shattered, nostrils flaring and feet ready to flee as he lingered, ears straining to detect the words he thought himself to hear within the sizzling of the flaming earth. Or was it just his imagination running amok?