Look down, the ground below is crumbling
Look up, the stars are all exploding
Two quite unexpected things happened just as Dalibor finished introducing himself to Africa- she thought, as she watched him in silent consideration, that he might even have been a little disappointed at her bland; slightly cliché reasoning. Although blessed with the same, brilliant birth-right binding their blood through some far distant heritage, the slender roan stallion was still a stranger which did not truly warrant the frilly disclosure of her recent torture. If he were to bond with her beneath the flaming sun of her desert home, maybe there would be purpose enough to tell him of the northern Unicorn’s severe racism.

Another horse stumbled upon them quite unexpectedly, there, in the thick of the Threshold forest and Africa cursed at once the manner of her undeniable distraction- the eccentric Unicorn, who bumbled through the undergrowth towards them, seemed to do such apparently rashly. His dark mouth hung agape, strewn (she presumed with increasing distaste as her narrowing amber eyes settled instantly upon him), in a lime green substance the modest grey could not pick the identity of. She did not automatically recall the quite outlandish markings which some of these, the horned-race, did sport. His hooves dragged too, slicing lazy trenches through the thick rug of forest litter beneath them.
A centipede that had been so well concealed before the obnoxious disturbance scuttled from beneath the unsteady horse’s insensitive tread. Africa did notice the tiny dark creature’s flicker of movement (she appreciated nature’s minute detail), a contrast to the otherwise reddish-cream leaf mass.
The Unicorn’s head lifted dramatically, eyes sprawling backwards; shining white in the dappled light; rolling around loose she thought, in an unattractively disfigured face. He called too, as if the rest of his ridiculous arrival had not been enough, and Africa found herself stepping from his space, increasing her own personal bubble in defence. Her long, heavy ears were resting flat along the oily grey tangle of mane sprouting from her nape; mane swinging with the unsettled jerk of her now vertical neck. Africa was a tall creature anyway; not particularly submissive, not at all aggressive, but not meek.

A third Pegasus came then, descending with less surprise from the bending canopy above- being winged herself, Africa was not taken aback overly. It did not cross her mind that the blue-hued mare had been doing anything greater than miscalculating an already difficult forest landing- why would she presume the other a spy, flung from her perch by this other, blundering idiot.
Naturally Africa balked from the mass of steamy body and flapping feathers as they collided with the ground, in a heap, not far from the ever expanding crowd. She was not quite impressed by the unfamiliar mare’s attempted humour and puffed tastefully her bother, forcing a courteous smile into her expression and a mild chuckle for the sake of etiquette.
At that point the green-jawed stallion blurted a rather meaningless ‘…what…’ and the dappled Pegaus tucked her chin with disfavour, well clear of the seemingly intoxicated fool and cast a wary eye across him. The blue mare, meanwhile had dragged herself closer and spoke again- to Africa.

"Of course." She replied confidently, turning at once to share her attention between both Pegasi. The grey took little offence naturally, and shrugged the other’s impertinent ignorance away. Dalibor’s voice rose again immediately afterwards, and Africa shifted her weight casually between each of her long, slim legs. "Dalibor," she eased comfortably, though in no way trying to disarm him or undermine his opinion. "Once upon a time we were all babes like this, living beneath the shelter of our witlessness; speaking with such arrogance like only the young can." Indeed Africa too was barely older than the lightning streaked mare near to her side, but maturity and awareness pooled beneath the shimmery gold of her patient eyes. She had seen more perhaps than any should need to. Experience was not something she lacked now. Anyway, she smiled freely between the group- not Oxy though, uncaring really, as to whether they favoured her input or not. It was not in Africa’s nature to bicker.

The day wore on, and thin streams of sweat began to tickle her elbow.