The sand swallowed the slipping movement of clumsy, earth-bound hooves easily, burning through fine pastern hairs to scald the tender skin beneath. Africa danced, pranced and stumbled as she ventured awkwardly from the oasis, south-east, towards where the little den sheltered her nest from the harsh Tallsun days. Perhaps it wasn’t the most practical time to tidy; to rid the small space of all the litter which had collected during the time she had been absent, but in Africa’s young, determined mind, there was simply no time like the present.

She had woken later than preferred that morning, having struggled through varying degrees of slumber to ward off callous nightmares- reminders of the cruel experiences which scarred her mottled grey pelt that she had fought to bury through every waking hour since. It had been a terribly restless night, and both she and Silas were a little worse for wear.
The task she had chosen, Africa thought, would be hardly strenuous and relatively mind numbing so that she could perhaps relax into it and not further her weariness to excess- she could not exactly lounge by the lake- the Throat, though, time needed to be utilized appropriately and relaxation was not an option.

Silas, uninterested in her newest endeavour, had chosen early to leave his beloved- even before dawn’s first light had cracked the dismal blue-purple horizon properly. The young Zephyr had found for himself an interest which clashed, rather, with the tame, subdued lifestyle which Africa had delved headlong into since their return, and often found himself soaring alone through the quivering, blue skies above Dragon’s Throat, and the desert surrounding. Fascinated with wall, the territory’s defence, and practically anything which related back to their home’s fierce military, Silas’s second priority after the welfare of his beloved, was scouting- searching with sharp, eagle eyes for anything he thought to be unusual or out of place.

Already he had found a stray Unicorn, dithering by the wall, quite suspiciously entering their home- and Africa had come at his signal to her (a fluttering heart and surge of adrenaline, was all her could do to rouse the girl’s attention). The stranger had left soon after her discovery, and the raven-black avian had swelled with a sense of satisfaction and achievement. To Africa, it had meant little more than a common meet and greet of one traveller, stumbling across their home.
So this day, as the sun scorched the glossy black feather’s rippling along his airborne back, the vigilant Zephyr’s eyes narrowed critically to inspect the arrival of two enormously built Pegasi, descending with haste into the near centre of the desert.

Cautiously he circled above the pair as they slid into the sand, a red wave spilling forwards- only to disperse around one of the Throat’s own, who walked forwards to meet them. Weariness swept through his small, frame as he baked beneath the brutal sun’s glare above them, and his heart raced with the stress of altitude, heat and unwavering focus- but he did not sway from his perch; determined in his station to guard the desert.

In no time, the two giant’s turned and launched their considerable bulks forward- rising with ease that even Silas was astonished to witness. The mare, meagre brown from a distance, took off with them and the trio no sooner disappeared entirely into the haze of heat, shimmering in the far distance.
Immediately, though there was no way he could express the turn of events to Africa, the Zephyr swooped down across the oasis and swept as fast as he could through the dust, wall of hot air towards their cave.