It is not long before another comes across us, I smell him first, before I hear the swift, purposeful steps that bring him closer to us being pounded into the earth. With a gentle whine I inform my beloved of the hazard approaching, my ears lifting from their resting place flopped to the sides to more clearly discern exactly what was coming near. I stand, lanky legs not even rising to the height of my beloved's knees, my tail curling higher still - one day it will stand tall enough to stroke the flanks of her cloudy hide, but today, it was only a handful of inches above my back, below her knees still - and I feel the hair along my spine stand on its end, as instinctively my hackles make me appear larger, ferocious, gruesome. Perhaps one day the bulk of my body will give more certainty to this defensive claim, but today, I probably looked no more threatening than a pin cushion.

A gentle brush of a soft muzzle against my brow from her quietens me only a little bit, as I evaluate the creature before me - he is a boy, I can tell as he smells different to my beloved, but otherwise holds those similar tokens that mark him as a pegasus of these lands - wings, and a certain 'sandiness' that seeps into one's very coat upon living here for some time. I am unsure what to make of him; and then I spy the curious fluffy thing sitting atop his crown. Automatically my voice drips from my mouth, a yip, a small bark, curious and wondrous, my own crown tilting as I hope to get a better view. Without realising it I have taken a few steps forward, and no sooner do I realise it, do I retract those steps until I feel the comforting steadiness of my bonded against my flank once more.

And then it sounds, the cherubic, angelic laughter, the playful, harmonic, melodic tones of flowers blossoming in Spring, a most glorious song one has ever heard. I love her laughter, for it is as rare as it is beautiful, especially since the recent heated discussions she had been experiencing. My pale eyes look up to her again, my smile broad and my tail thumping against her, finding joy in her happiness and hoping to express that to her. The boy, he speaks then, his voice young and unbroken, not yet matured into deep, rich tones, but still humming with the delicacies of innocence. My attention returns to him, my crown tilting again as I wonder at the furry thing atop his head (what was it anyway?!), as my beloved smiles her glorious, radiant smile and steps around me - closer to him. I am swift to stay close to her, as I was instructed to be her protector, I would not allow her to stride forth towards a stranger unattended, no matter how harmless this stranger seemed.

"I'm Cirrus, this is Sitka." I let a small bark escape me again as she says my name, for it pleases my ears to hear it, to hear her speak with such affection and kindness, even if all she is saying is just my title. It is then I begin to feel something, a happiness swelling up, a newfound curiosity, a second sense of the world. Though we are bonded, and always will be, I feel our bond strengthen, I feel our souls grow closer, mix, and swallow each other up. I know she feels it too, for she glances my way, and holds my eager stare for a moment longer than is polite when with company. Sitka? I hear the query, and though I am not yet able to reply to her, I send a torrent of colours and emotions to her to express the joy that writhes about inside of me. I am a wriggling mass of dark black and blue fur, as my tail becomes invisible with its intense wagging motion, my bodice quaking with excitement.

Suddenly, my back is on fire.

It is something that has happened before, when emotions have run high, but it took us all by surprise. Because I had not intended harm, the flames were more illusionary than real, unable to burn even the strange colt who stood so close, but they held a slight tingling heat that made promises to cause very real damage should I have wanted it. With a playful skip, I bow to my beloved, darting in and out of her legs, my fiery back weaving a trail of strange blue light this way and that, even including the painted colt in my actions. Today was a day to celebrate, and forget all that worries you, at least for a moment. I can tell my beloved agrees with my antics, for with a playful hop, she is soon chasing me, nudging at the buckskin lad to give chase, to dance and frolic across the sands, and live, laugh and enjoy the time given to us to treasure our friends.

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