The soft needles of the towering firs that loomed over her in intimidating masses caressed Asher's shoulder and flank. Miniature beams of moonlight danced on the mare's coat giving it the beautiful yet eerie complexion of a crow in flight. Her dark eyes reflected the Billions of stars like a huge sea blanketing the normally blue sky. Asher had been walking for hours and she was finally getting the idea that she has been walking around in circles. She hatted that all the trees seemed identical leaving it impossible to keep track of where she was going with landmarks alone. Asher needed guidance and she knew it, but being the pigheaded mare that she was she wouldn't go looking for anybody. She caught a scent in the air that was recognizably another horse but she kept walking on. Right then she wasn't in the best mood. She hated being lost, much less at night. And of course in one of her moods she wasn't watching her feet. Her hoof suddenly caught a tree root and she fell clumsily onto the soft pine needle carpet called the forest floor. Surprisingly it's not as soft as it sounds. She snorted and hurriedly jumped onto her feet. Then she glanced around the area to make sure that no one saw her. Then she tossed her head in aggravation at her foolish misstep. She sighed and finally laid down and rested her head on the ground. her body was leaning against a fellow fir tree that looked to be about 20 years old. she wouldn't close her eyes though. Asher knew that if she closed her eyes she would fall asleep.

It was nighttime again in the Threshold, that drew the white stallion to explore it again and see who might be lurking in its shadows. Ever since the period of darkness, the black sky unsettled the male that was so used to seeing sunlight everyday. Tonight was different though. It seemed serene with the moons light illuminating him, making Arrane seem ghost like. The stars twinkled above him and the dense canopy of firs, bringing him a sense of joy, but yearning for sunlight once again. His cyan orbs scanned the trees as he caught the scent of another wandering the place.

Pricking up his ears, and staying on the alert side, Arrane tread deeper into the forest, wondering if the horse that was out here at this time was lost. He would offer it shelter and a home, if they wanted it, but at the same time, he was on full guard if this horse was a potential threat to his home and brethren. All of a sudden, the trees parted to show an aggravated seeming mare, that tripped on the root of a tree. His initial reaction was finding humor in the situation, then shock and the need to reach out and help the lady.

Before he emerged to help her up, the mare picked herself up, leaning against a tree. Everything about her posture let him know she was frustrated. He waited a little bit to let her calm her nerves, and softly nickered to make her know he was here. Emerging from the bushes, the well built stallion greeted her with a friendly smile and a head nod. "Good evening miss. I saw you tripped," pausing slightly, he continued. "Are you okay?" His vocals were not shy, but they were laced with kindness and slight worry.

Waiting a few seconds, he decided not to be rude and introduce himself, waiting a little bit before offering her a home. "I am Arrane of the Foothills. What brings you out here, miss?" Keeping space between them, he didn't want her to feel awkward or uncomfortable. Internally, the stallion was willing that she wouldn't be mad at him for not helping her, but she picked herself back up swiftly.

//Hi! Welcome to Helovia! :D I just have one suggestion to fill out your profile (appearance, personality, and history). It is one of the rules, and I just wanted to be helpful~ ^^

Asher jumped to her feet at the sound of Arrane's voice. She flared her nostrils as she realized that he was the horse that she had caught the scent of earlier. She looked rancorously towards the stallion. Asher slowly took a mistrusting step away from him. Then the mare said with her voice heavily guarded ", I’m... I'm lost. Can you possibly tell me how long it will take me to get out of here?" It was difficult for her to audibly admit that she needed any level of help whatsoever. Being the independent soul that she was Asher hated being incapable of doing things by herself. She has always been that way, but she still needed help and that was never going to change either. Out of habit she positioned her forelegs to where they were slightly splayed to help her if she needs to bolt from the situation. Asher's ears were flickering back and forth rapidly, Absorbing in all the sounds and noises emitting from all around her. She tends to be more alert in the known presence of another being.
She then pressed her ears flat on her head, remembering what happened to her in her last gruesome encounter with a fellow equine. Though the stallion hasn't displayed any signs of a threat she could never be too sure. Her last few encounters with other stallions didn't end particularly in her favor. Asher’s temper raged even more at the thought of Arrane or, anyone really, seeing her act in such an aggravated and unacceptable manner.

//Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I had this thing I really needed to get done. I just edited my page. Thanks!//

The pitch black mare jumped at the sound of his voice, and though he wanted to react by rearing up with her sudden movement, the warrior male stood stone still in his spot, warily watching with cyan orbs. She must have been startled by his voice, that's all. The lady didn't seem aggressive, so the stallion stood in a friendly stance, but made no move towards or away from her.

The mare mistrustfully backed away from him with widened eyes. Stuttering, she brought herself to speak, and respectfully giving the lady space, Arrane backed away and gazed at her, noting her wariness. "I see", he replied, making a soft "tch" sound as he kept his place away from her. It seemed to visibly pain her to bring herself to ask for help. "The forest is deep, and it is dangerous to travel at night...It will take quite some time", truthfully speaking, it did take the stallion quite some time to travel to the Foothills and back, and even to get out of the labyrinth of the forest.

"If you want, I can offer you a home and a family full of loving herd mates", with a kind offering, he blinked at her with friendliness. "You know, I'm not threat right here, and I can tell you're pretty independent", with a laugh, he flipped his annoying mane out of his eyes. The mare was pretty cute, of course. The lad had been so in love with his Brisa he hadn't noticed anyone else, but it had taken a wake up call from the Brisa in the World's Edge to realize he still had a chance to fall in love with someone else (or revert back to his friendly flirtatious ways). "I didn't catch your name, Miss", inquiring, the lad wanted to know her name so he wouldn't have to keep on using 'Miss'.

//Okay ^^ Sorry 'bout that :3

With slight hesitation the mare replied ", My name's Asher." She contemplated weather she should go with this stallion that she barely knew or stay and continue to wander for a few more hours. Asher knew that Arrane was being truthful and sincere. She also knew that she would be really dumb to turn him away and carry on by herself. So with an unsettled look in her eyes she took a nervous step towards Arrane. With that in mind she made her final decision. “I think I will have to take you up on that offer. At least temporarily,” she added, shyly looking at him.
She started to become more relaxed now that she knew that Arrane wasn’t there to hurt or harm her in any way. She then eased her ears to their normal position. Asher was stunned by the stallion’s kindness and charms. She had never been around such a good natured horse before, but she hasn’t exactly been around a lot of horses in her time. The young mare was truly confused. ‘Why would anyone want to help me?’ she thought silently to herself. She’s never had imagined anyone doing anything for her, much less someone who she just met.
“Um... Where exactly is this home?” Asher couldn’t help but ask. She never has been too enthusiastic about other horses but, Asher never had a family to call her very own. So of course without a family she was brought up with little to no social interaction with other horses.

Asher. The name repeated in his head, and he thought it seemed to suit her smoky appearance. Once again his mane fell into his vision, and with a surge of annoyance, he jerked his head again with an irritated expression, flipping it away. The dark mare seemed to be conflicted, as emotions flashed by in her eyes. Her face didn't seem contorted with grief, so he didn't offer a shoulder to lean on yet, for maybe she was contemplating on his offer.

Asher took an unsettled step towards him with a nervous look. With a friendly smile, the stallion flicked his tail and stood in place. He didn't want to bother her, or again, make her more uncomfortable than she already was. Her ears turned back into a normal position, and Arrane's heart clenched a little bit. She was very pretty, (aren't all mares?"), and seemed to be kind. Arrane wanted to reach out to her and tell her it was all okay. He would never harm her, or let anyone bother her.

It was in his good natured heart to reach out and help, despite slight bouts of testosterone driven arrogance, and flirtatiousness. "Follow me, and I will show you one of the wonders of Helovia. The Foothills are a place you need to see for yourself", with a smile, he flicked his tail as a guide. It was true he couldn't describe the beauty of the rolling green hills and the scattered trees. He couldn't describe the feeling of tall grass softly brushing against his body as he tread to his home. Asher had to feel and experience it for herself.

In the depths of his heart, Arrane truly hoped she would love the Foothills, and want to stay as a permanent member. But of course, he would never force anyone to do something they didn't want to.

//do you want to continue the thread, or do you want me to make another in the Foothills?

Asher followed quietly behind Arrane. She couldn’t help but puzzle herself over his last sentence. ‘The Foothills is a place you need to see for yourself… what’s that supposed to mean?’ she thought glancing at the handsome stallion before her. Then she looked up to the beautiful pale moon that stood out against the ink black sky. ‘The beauty of the night’ she thought gazing at the illuminated object in the sky. She could tell that she was growing tired just by that thought alone. She normally wouldn’t look at the sky or the tops of trees. She normally is more concentrated on survival than such little things as those. But for some unknown reason she was paying more attention to finding all the constellations then finding water sources in the area or perhaps shelter for the night. She liked the thought of not having to worry about survival for once.
The mare struggled to put one foot in front of the other. She had been walking all day and she had pushed every muscle in her body to the limit, but she didn’t want to stop until she reached their destination. She hoped that Arrane didn’t sense her struggle. She didn’t want them to stop or rest because of her. The mare mustered all her strength as she scaled up a hill, hanging noticeably further behind Arrane than before. A sigh escaped her lips once they were at the top. “How much longer do we have?” she asked physically and mentally exhausted.

//Can you make another in the Foothills?