In the midst of all his enthusiasm at finding Paladin again (even though it was Paladin who had done the finding), Lace payed little heed to a peculiar sense of content that settled in the chest when close to the other stallion. It held the same hues and tastes as when he grazed next to Mirage, when he crossed the borders of the Edge, or when he dozed by the glowing embers of dying campfires, dreaming of faraway lands that he once called home. It was the sensation of security, comfort, as if all the things good and happy in the world could be found simply by speaking to the other. Whether it was just him or an air exuded by the experienced steed was hard to say, but the result was an immediate trust in the other. As if Lace had truly found a brother, bound not by blood but something deeper, stronger...
He nodded thoughtfully as Paladin spoke, agreeing in the sentiment that nothing good would ever come from the Basin. The mention of the Tome Guardian and Soleil almost resulted in a new torrent of questions, but fortunately the mind of the Glazier was fickle today, fluttering and flighty like a newly hatched butterfly. The offer to spar lured him off topic like a bear drawn to honey, instantly retrieving his mind to his original though, sending the nerves to the very edge of the skin in an attempt to feel everything, all at once. The wind in the mane, the sand under his feet, the grains that sometimes whipped up in the face and left him blind and choking. It reminded him that he had been in the midst of a dance, one he was only too delighted at returning to.
Grinning widely from anticipation, Lace followed the former lead down to the shoreline, legs carrying him with all the poise and elegance a veteran soldier should possess. But as he studied the shape of the warrior before him, the confidence of the Edger wobbled ever so slightly. He knew his way in wars, yes, but there was something about Paladin that made him feel like a green colt fresh on the training grounds. It was strange, because physically there wasn't much difference between them. Both were well trained and muscles, the unicorn perhaps a hand or so taller and possessing the red-tipped horn to offer him an advantage. But between their similar breeds, Lace's magic, the gift of fire breathing and Fajira, what reason was there really to feel uneasy?
None, but it didn't keep him from testing the ground with the feet a few more times than what was strictly necessary. Gold-dusted shoulders rolled to ease away the tension, ears twisted and turned to find a position where the wind wasn't howling quite as loudly into them; then he eased forward, closing the distance between their battle-ready bodies at a steady trot.
"Well then, ready or not.." he grinned and threw an eye to the side to locate Fajira, allowing the words to serve as Paladin's only warning before the grulla sprung into action.
Knowing that the horn likely would be his biggest problem, Lace chose to avoid charging in from the front as he sometimes did. Instead he shifted his path ever so slightly to the right just before reaching the velvet-skinned steed, so that the approach became slightly diagonal. Almost casually the sooted lips parted and snapped forward, aiming to strike at the area just above the shoulder, where the skin was looser and a bite would be less likely to slide off.
Knowing that the attack was quite easy to avoid, Lace followed up by pivoting the rear around to the left, all the way in a 350 degree angle until he stood side by side with Paladin. Then he began to press to the side while trying to trample the outer areas of the white-socked legs, intent on pushing and forcing the taller horse into the foaming water - knowing that the cold spring waters might slow him down, chill the legs to numbness and make every movement twice as taxing.
The time for laughter and smiles was over. A change occurred within the tree-marked grulla once the battle ensued, as if he suddenly become an entirely different being. Cool, calm, intensely focused... If Paladin even for a second thought that Lace would be an easy opponent, he was about to be proved wrong.
And all the while, the dragon circled above the two, watching and waiting. Searching for exactly the right moment to strike, and aid her beloved in this delightful game.
[OOC: Word Count: 773 Magic use 0, Companion use 0
Lace came toward Paladin diagonally from the Front and Right (picturing the ocean on Lace's left side) and aimed a bite at the base of the neck. Pivoted around his forelegs to end up side by side with Paladin and pressed into him toward the right while trying to trample his legs, intending to move him into the water. ]
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Equality for the win [Paladin]
