Much to Sohalia's surprise, she was not the last Helovian to appear to greet the incoming trio. A lovely blue-green unicorn joined them, introducing herself as Tiamat; not far behind her was a solitary familiar face, Nephele. The Transcended smiled at her herd's Guardian as the pretty brown-and-black mare settled in beside her. It was always nice to be accompanied by a friend, particularly when so many of them had appeared to offer these three newcomers a home. Perhaps two residents from the same herd would give the illusion of strength in numbers. Gods know we don't have strength anywhere else.

The new female had scampered to hide behind the two stallions, both of whom carried themselves with a dominating presence. Now that she could see the full picture, Sohalia guessed that the pair of them accompanied the mare as protectors of some sort. She wondered vaguely who was in control, if any of them - should she appeal to the female, or would the men be the more likely to decide the group's path? As she attempted to sort her thoughts, the dove offered a friendly smile to the new mare. "My apologies - I hope I did not give offense."

One of the males spoke to the other, calling him brother, and Sohalia wondered if they were related by blood or merely by years spent together. It hardly mattered - one bond was often just as strong as the other - but it was a curiosity that blossomed within her all the same. They were both admittedly quite handsome (though she felt guilty immediately upon noticing) and were built like warriors. Gaucho's barely even gone and you're already admiring strange stallions? whispered a petty little voice in the back of her head. She looked away, no doubt casting herself in their eyes as a demure maiden. She missed the way the stallions' gazes lingered on her and her fellow mares' bodies.

Valhalla was a term unfamiliar to her, but virgin was not. The friendly smile on her face felt suddenly stiff and unwanted, though no one assembled would be likely to tell the difference. But it was not the first stallion - the one who then spoke directly to her - who had earned her ire, and so she lifted her bicolored gaze to his. "Oh, forgive me - I haven't introduced myself. I am Sohalia -" And then, as men are wont to do, he ruined it. - WENCH? - Astraeus cried angrily, glaring daggers at the stallion from his perch upon her rump.

Sohalia, to her credit, never faltered. She looked the steed over almost appraisingly. Oddly, somehow he seemed to think he was being charming. (Let's forget for a moment that the ivory dove seemed to have a preference for rather brutal men lacking in verbal eloquence.) Irritation nestled its way into her breast, and she fought the urge to tell him just what she thought of him.

Because the truth was, he seemed to be exactly her type (albeit with a slightly different vocabulary), and she was really only angry at herself.

"Yer affesi anni, ifak," she muttered, only barely preventing her eyes from rolling. Then, with a sigh and a slightly darkened look in her eye, she told him, "Not anymore." And no matter how dismissive she might have wanted to be, her quiet words only managed to sound sad. Oh, Gaucho... The WildFire would have challenged this stallion in a heartbeat for even looking at her, and she missed the passion that had always burned between them.

But none of that was convincing these three to join their herd, and even if she had her doubts, the Dragon's Throat was quite desperate. "As my herdmate said, we hail from the Dragon's Throat. It could be most easily described as a desert island, but do not let that deter you - we have the most beautiful oasis that keeps us refreshed, and we are surrounded on all sides by the sea. If sun and sand are appealing to you, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join us." She directed this to Huldra, hoping that the mare would prove a better conversationalist than the stallions thus far. "Otherwise, as Glacia said, with more information we would be able to better direct you to a fitting location."

"talk talk talk"

@ Tiamat

Yer affesi anni, ifak. | Roughly translates to "You make me itch, foreigner," and is a derogatory statement towards someone annoying.

Memories circle like birds of prey
Waiting for the right mind to drive insane
Don't look back, there's nothing to see
Regret is nothing more than a lover's disease