The blood red stallion followed the winged one from his herd through the snow and into the narrow path of the mountains. He had never been here before, but his calculatingly cold blue eyes took in his surroundings carefully. What bothered him the most is that once they were inside, they only way out was back down that same, narrow path. He did not like that, not one bit. While he understood that the Basin was not an enemy, the thought of being surrounded and trapped with nowhere to go violated every one of his tenants.
Large, solid black hooves stepped carefully past the two halves of a mountain that was split and into the belly of the icy beast. Every now and then he would have to squint into the sky for direction, but her coy and dangerous mannerisms did not irritated him as he had expected. Instead, he found the way she acted rather useful. She was unpredictable, surprising and perfectly astute for a spy. If she did her job well, Rafe did not much care how it got done.
He tossed thick, black hair from in front of his face, feeling hit get caught in the horns that ran down his head in decreasing size. The angle, tilt and point of his four horns made him dangerous, and his well-build shoulders told of violent stories. If he could manage it in battle, Rafe would impale his victims on the top tiers of his horns and then slam the body down onto the longer one in the same motion a crocodile would use to toss a fish into its mouth.
The mare finally landed near him and spoke to the dark gray guard who answered. Her wink confused him, but all he offered in return was slightly furrowed brows before looking back at the unicorn who stood between them and his herd. Rafe bowed his head in respect, wondering if he saw battle more than the Grey. He would.... well, he would have to ask once away from prying, loyal ears.
"We have come to ask for an exchange in payment," he explained. "I have noticed that our craftsman and others have been unable to use their craft since the sun has gone missing, and this plague has spread across the land. Since our contract was solidified only a short time before the gods' disappearance, we assume that no work has been done on payment, which is for the better." Rafe's voice was smooth and charming like a deep, bubbling brook. The tenor was deceptive and provided slight comfort from his cold, brutal stare.
"Instead of your crafts, we would request warriors. A warrior for a warrior, one life for one life to whomever requires the services first. We would answer each other's calls, like an alliance, but this is only an exchange of..... capabilities. Should you accept, I will remain here, with your permission, or nearby to act as an emissary." Rafe stood quietly and yet poised with a certain sense of confidence. "We will await your decision with patience."
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