I had thought I would never hear my companion inside my mind, as I had so often been told of. But now I did. It was babyish and simple, but it was there. It marveled me, and my bright crimson eyes flicked over to the growing pup, whose fur was now shaggier and small flames ran along his markings. He must sense my eyes on him, because he turns his head, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth in a odd grin. I nod my horned head towards him as I feel his mind reach into mine, relaying our plans. A grin then slips onto my face as the large wall appears on the horizon and our pace picks up.

---

It hadn't been that hard. I was almost disappointed at how easy it had been to take the ebony pegasus away from her home. A small grumble from Archeon tells me that he shares the same thoughts with me. He brushes up against my leg, eery silver eyes staring into my own. Annoyed? I hear his high pitched voice in my head, slurring over the end. My brow furrows slightly, Highly I think back as the whisper of her words, where she stands in front of me, reach my ears. 'What in the dark abyss is it that you want from me?' I ignore her, my eyes bored as I continue on, ears merely flicking toward her. She had followed willingly... not for very long. Archeon snickered a laugh at my thoughts. You have to deal with it, too. I remind him, and then he ignores me. A long way to go, indeed, if I wanted to get her to the Basin.

Then she stopped. Anger flares through me, leonine tail flicking back and forth in agitation. My eyes narrow slightly, bright red popping out against my snow white pelt. I raise my ebony dipped muzzle, rising to my full height as I stop also, muscles rippling once more as I tense my position before forcing myself to relax. Archeon's cold nose presses to my cannon bone, telling me to calm down. I let out a heavy sigh, closing my eyes for a second before the spring open and stare into purple ones. The moon lights my white pelt eerily as the silence stretches out.

'Well? Unless you have something to say I'm going to fly back home. I don't have time for this nonsense.' The impatience rang clear in her voice, and I sneered at her. The Pegasi always thought they were so superior. Oh, I'll just fly away. Not if.. wings gone. Archeon answers to my thoughts and I want to grin at him, but keep it hidden. "What I want you for...." my voice exits as a hiss towards her, though echoing clearly in the silence. "Is for me to know-" I bite my tongue from calling her a bird, or a feather brain, wanting so bad to spit names at her. "-And for you to find out." I grin at her. Does that sound familiar?

My eyes graze the wings that she holds gingerly at her side. How hard could it be to snap those things off her shoulders? I can imagine the flurry of feathers and the rusty taste of blood in my mouth- if only I could rip those appendages off of her. She wouldn't be so high and mighty then, huh? "Try and fly home- I'll just pull you back to the ground by those precious wings. You won't get far without them." I answer, voice turning from a hiss to boredom, blood orbs flicking back to her purple ones.

My ears flick back as I hear someone sneaking through the bushes. Annoyance flashes through my eyes as I open my mouth to demand the intruder to show- but she reads my mind. A filly steps forward, looking at both of them. 'Hello. May I ask what you are doing to this mare? She seems impatient. I don't know, I'm just trying to be nice... ' My teeth snap together and grind, eyes flashing angrily. "That is none of your business, little girl." I spit at her, red eyes boring into her. "Leave." I say, voice ringing in finality. Oh how I wanted to send her running- no limping home to her mommy.


"talk talk talk"