They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
It was even before the crack of dawn, still night, after the herd meeting- she had barely absorbed the reality of her new responsibility; her new role supporting her family. For months (long before the trespass north), she had coveted such a title and with it the weight and duty. Now though, as she slipped with fluid grace which had been rehearsed over and over again, Africa left the desert behind, to clear her mind and focus her perspective. She was a social butterfly by nature, seeking always the company of her kin or those who aspired to be, so she travelled north into the woods marking Helovia’s Threshold.

The air held a comforting cool, a luxury that was missed during the summer season in the desert, and she waded through the eerie stillness carefully and confidently; passing through the ribbed landscape like so many times she had done before. Silas was circling far above the jagged peaks of the redwood canopy, predator gaze shifting between the position of his beloved and the swarm of elusive nightlife which was not so obvious to the naked, earthbound eye. He too found great relief in the darkness, the refreshing shade; though also because he was a creature of the night- a nocturnal soul who really was in his element. Gliding effortlessly, he trailed the dapple grey mare during her tedious journey- he knew the building strain within her, and it caused him great concern.

As Africa neared the dribble of creek towards the Threshold’s middle, she felt the press of guilt which had compelled her from the fierce border of her home- that niggling regret which haunted the shimmering gentleness, deep below the honey-amber in her eyes; the hidden lines of tension which marred the cool calmness in her still slim, underweight frame. Always she tried to brush the heaviness of her still secret treason from her shoulders, shrugging and laughing to convince those watching of her inner tranquillity- she knew though, that they all stared at the raw scar, the bitter pink scar which marked the place where a wing should have grown.

The snap of a twig and the scuff of careless steps caught her attention, just as the one-winged Pegasus dipped her nose to the trickling water’s surface. Quickly her face was lifted high, fluttering nostrils sampling the unmoving air around her for sign of the other who was nearby. Some scent tainted the air, but others had visited the stream recently and Africa could not easily decipher their tangle. "Hello?" She called softly into the night, and the steady drone of crickets ceased at her interruption.

They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
There was only a slight break between the fade of Africa's modest, empathetic call and the one which was sent in return- evocative of the uncertainty looming through the mind of its wary owner. Africa's ears, so long and heavy, stiffened with interest upon the mane-shrouded poll; peeking through the great tangle of thick oily strands, their charcoal turned-in tips nearly touching. Flaring nostrils began to search right away, guiding her long face right and left, testing the air in sharp bursts; dissecting one creature, fragrance from the next. She found to match the voice, a scent that was lathered with nervousness (she too leaked apprehension when her heart throbbed with insecurity) and it was quite female.

As her mind began to piece together the image of the stranger- a shadowy blur at most, wingless; hornless, though limber and with feminine structure, Africa stepped from the babbling water course, turning with fluid grace towards the direction from whence the reply had come. In the darkness, her ability to separate and distinguish looming shapes was lessened; a creature of the blazing light she was, and pale yellow eyes were peeled carefully to snap up even the slightest of movements ahead. Quietly, with masterful steps, the young Oracle slipped between the rough wood of the redwoods, the bark grazing her coat softly as warm hide brushed by.

The search was brief, perhaps only minutes since the stranger had answered her call. Thoughtful scuffs and well placed knocks were offered throughout; though subtle they were, so that she who waited in the dim forest would not be surprised terribly if Africa should come upon them more rapidly than expected. It wasn't to be though. The one-winged Pegasus picked the dim silhouette of the other easily as she broke into the narrow slip of dell, and paused to allow comfortable distance between them. Although it was still dark, a natural smile tugged at her wrinkled mouth, and her glossy, curious eyes wandered forward to meet the gaze of the other- dark grey it seemed, while the aide of light was lacking.

There was a strange stillness gripping the Pegasus before her; it was as though she had been cast in stone; in concrete fear, and with twitching, switching ears, Africa wondered what stress had caused the unusually reaction. Taking a moment to cast her eyes around them, she made absolute certain that no other danger lurked through the tree line- no blink of nocturnal predator eyes, fixed tightly upon prey to be. "I'm Africa…" She cooed sensitively through the dull, still air not moving from the position she had chosen. "Don't worry, strength in numbers don't they say?" her voice continued smoothly, a regular light-heartedness lathering its sweet sound. Settling into a slightly more situation-appropriate manner, Africa sighed gently with a softening gaze. "Are you alright? It will be morning soon and this forest looks far friendlier soaked in sunlight."

They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
Africa was no hallucination; she was living, breathing; flesh and blood.
Even while she could not penetrate the thoughts of the replica grey before her (aside of course from the wing which alas, was not present across her own left shoulder), the young Oracle could feel the writhing cloud of apprehension which simmered through the ridged, grey puddled shell, which was still paused and positioned cautiously; watching, as though with baited breath. Africa felt empathy flood through her pumping veins. She knew all too well from repeat experience that souls wounded by both physical and emotional traumas were so aloof like this- so guarded and untrusting. Hearts were not easy to mend, the brim of her own throbbing vessel still bore the frills of the agony she had endured, but memories did fade through the breath of times; new experiences always clouded the old. So too were there ways to heal the body- should this mare, Africa’s distant kin, be hiding any such injury, magic would repair and restore strength, and the Throat’s tender shaman were brilliant wielders of that.

As the quiet-hearted grey lingered patiently in front of the stranger, the soft smile remained; lifting her expression into something which exuded understanding and compassion- she meant well, and wanted only to portray as much, to ease the tension and extend to her friendship, security and comfort.
Africa’s long ears were already fixed forward carefully, and when the other mare began to speak; a receptive breath fluttered outwards through flaccid, velvet grey nostrils. “Nope." She chuckled freely, without strain or force, though not mockingly in any respect. The unsettled stranger had stepped towards Africa, the turtle-paced gesture noted and respected aptly by the perceptive mare’s ever-watching gaze. With the same slowness, she too stepped, and through that motion extended her neck to its full capacity, reaching with trembling lips to touch she who still was so disbelieving of her authenticity. Hot, calm breath spread forth from stilled, silent nostrils; a friendly greeting, so natural and respectful. “See, as real as the wilderness around us!" By nature she was an approachable, cheerful soul and for not one second did she quash that truth, aiming perhaps to lighten the mood of the Pegasus, now so close before her. She drew a long breath and retracted her face, her chin bobbing comfortably at around the same level as her naked, wingless shoulder. “You speak like you are the last of our kind.

There are many of us here in Helovia- this forest, the world you are standing in right now. I come from a close knit family, primarily winged beings who take in those of us who are lost and wearied. We are a home for all Pegasus- though we do offer more than safety and a bed.” Africa nodded as though to emphasise the last of her words. Indeed there were many more complexities to the life of a herd-member than simply waking up to wander the dunes each day; unless that was their preference (Africa had done simply that for a good few months before aspiring to commit more of herself to the Throat, and further herself before the devoted eyes of her peers. That could be explained much later however. “What is your name?”


Ooc: -shucks :3- your writing is beautiful and meaningful, very easy respond to because you have put so much effort in :D Glad you joined us.

They tell me I'm too young to understand
They say I'm caught up in a dream
The collector of stories and the forger of legends; Africa’s long, pale grey face tilted when the other mentioned that she was in fact the sole survivor of an empire lost. Intrigue flooded the soft lines of her expressive face.
Many had brought to Helovia tales of ancestry and rulership, more still burdened with impenetrable heartache and despair, but Africa was swift to recognize the regal stiffening of one whose crown had been of great significance in a lifetime past. The sudden flare of elegance in the other; of pride and majesty, stirred the grey mare’s imagination into life and her nostrils ratted attentively. There was really no reason that this broken Pegasus could rise again to power in one form or another.

Still she wore that refreshingly tender smile; the air of grace and humility which throbbed equally through the steady drum of Africa’s young heart. She felt warmth towards Nevaeh which did not often bless the meetings held between travellers and herself, here in the Threshold. Ordinarily those she met were aloof, deranged or pretentious- none of which the one-winged Oracle found she could relate easily to. The heartbroken soul who lingered by her now however was different. Africa felt as though she were not so much a lost cause like the rest, unable or unwilling to heal; she thought as her shining creamy eyes danced between the deep auburn gaze of Nevaeh’s that maturity and dependability lurked beneath the terrible frills of grief.

Time was the heart’s greatest ally.

Thick coal tresses licked across the hocks of the other dappled mare in a sudden show of contentedness, and likewise, Africa’s crimson and grey tail began to wave smoothly backwards and forwards. "Perhaps one day you could share your story with me." Sympathetic tones laced the curiosity driven request; she did not want to push (possibly) the newest of her friends to the brink of despair. Africa knew the sadness of loss, and the bitterness therein which corroded even the loveliest of natures. She cared for Nevaeh, as would their family; their home.

The air was warm around them and the first hint of dawn’s first light, by then, was quickly seeping through the forest all around them. Not far from their position, the shrill ‘tweedledee of a newly woken blue-jay shattered the eerily dull silence of night. Behind it raised the chorus of countless other birds- forest wrens, rambunctious parrots and even the morbid, throaty caw of a black raven. The Threshold was waking; and so too another day cursed by the unescapable heat of Tallsun.

"Nevaeh?" Africa began the question delicate, ruffling the lonely wing across the right side of her barrel and lifting it to rest easily across the curve of her short back where normally her Bonded was perched. "When the sun rises, travel will be harder. My hooves are bound by gravity and my pace is primitive and slow- worse for the heat of summer’s months. Would you come with me into the south?" The words were fluid and calm despite the reason they were spoken and the hint of apology. Nevaeh needed no more stress- Africa wanted her tension to begin to ease away from this point forward.