The closer he got to her tattered bodice the more horrified he felt. He did his best to hide it, but as he took in the scarred shoulder where a wing should be attached and the other scars and scratches a scorching pity rose in the throat, threatening to choke him. Lace had never been able to fly. He was born without wings, without the blessing of a life above the clouds, and he would never be able to fully appreciate just how amazing it was to soar freely. But he was bonded to an airborne creature, one who spent more time roaming the sky than she did on the ground, and through the eyes of his dragon he had been able to experience some small part of the euphoric sensation of flying.
To see this beautiful filly grounded and broken was about the most horrific thing he could imagine. For all that he had waded through the blood of battlefields and spread death around him, few things appeared more awful than the fate of living without the joy of doing what one was meant to do. He could compare it to a life without a leg, without Fajira by his side, without eyes or ears or a tongue to speak with, and still he couldn't fully appreciate the pain she must be in, this dirtied swan of no name.
Not willing to push her patience even though she appeared to allow him close, the stallion inched to a halt some few feet away from the girl and breathed a sigh that spoke volumes about his concern for her. As the white plume rose into the inked sky a soft rumble erupted from his chest, a low vibration attempting to soothe and lull her into some semblance of peace. Was there anything he could do here? Inadequacy wasn't a feeling he was overly accustomed to, though recently the taste of it was growing more and more familiar. When he wouldn't and couldn't fight, what good was he really? Not a healer, a mediocre craftsman, a lousy spy... But maybe, just maybe he would still be able to function as a shoulder to lean on.
"My name is Lace, from World's Edge" he hummed quietly, gilded eyes seeking to meet the faded almond of her gaze. "I won't hurt you, and if you want to I can be a friend. Do you have a name, child? What can I call you?"
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