WHAT WAS THAT? One minute, she’d been shuffling along, trying to find the wall, and the next, someone—or something—had approached her out of the blackness. It had felt like a warm nose at first, but no sooner had it pressed against her cheek than its owner had ricocheted backwards. There had been flashes of blue light that had cut through the darkness, sizzling into her retinas, and if she hadn’t felt entirely blind before, Nasreen did now. Had something grabbed the creature that had touched her?

“Who goes there?” boomed a masculine voice, quite close to her trembling ears. If she thought that she would have any hope of escaping, she would not have answered, but as it were, she was already quite hopelessly in this stranger’s clutches. “Don’t hurt me, please!” she pleaded, wings shielding her face. “It’s just me…Nasreen.” She paused, waiting with bated breath to hear what whoever had caught her would have to say. She debated confessing the fact that she was utterly lost, but down here in the darkness, the princess was learning that trust was a precious thing indeed.

However, she hasn’t been attacked…yet. Wings slowly part. In the light, they would have revealed her duo-tone face and clear grey eyes, and her velvety muzzle drawn with worry. In the dark, the stranger is little likely to see her quaking copper and pearl body, the once-luxurious mane and tail now sticking every which way from her flight into the earth, or the magnificent wings, which used to send her joyfully into the clouds, now bound to her sides. He probably will not be able to make out the lithe figure of the princess, and he won’t know that the way she carries herself is reminiscent of her mother. But he can hear her, and she makes every effort to keep the tremor from her voice when she casts a question of her own out into the darkness: “Who are you?”

@[Hawkeye]

It was all happening to fast, he hadn’t expected to run into anything but the blanket of darkness that cascaded around him. Lightning sparks rippled around his legs for a moment longer, flashes of vivid gold and cobalt blue electrifying the air around him. He had no intentions of harming the being that now blocked his path into darkness; but he remained on guard, neck arched, lips prepared to part, to bite delicate flesh. But the plead that echoed around him, came into form of a soft, yet scared voice. The sound of feathers ruffling caused the silver knight to stand at ease, doing his best to squint his golden eyes into darkness. Nasreen. The voice stated, and the stallion collected his wings to his ribs. He sighed a soft breath, to gather his nerves as he was afraid of no woman. "Forgive me as I cannot see in this blackness." Baritone vocals poured from his lips like smooth liquid, nostrils breathing deep the scent of the stranger, her feminine perfume lingered closely. "I mean you no harm m’lady." He finished, golden hooves holding firm in the warm sands that tucked around their crisp mirror edges. Cords of silk threads mingled behind him, swaying gently from time to time in curiosity. What was this mare that stood before him? Was she of Pegasus, Unicorn or Equine? It was no matter to him, the customs were still very alien to him about these lands. The smell of her aroma suggested Pegasus, but with all the beings that wander these hollow halls, he could be mistaken. "Forgive me, my name is Hawekeye." Tones were mild, though the knight felt strange talking to blackness; his golden vision relishing the imagination of what the lady would look like under a soft light, as her voice was very angelic and soothing. "I’m fairly new to this kingdom, and it seems my aimless exploration has ended with me lost in the darkness of these walls. ‘Tis hard to use the skill of flight when you’re locked in a dungeon cloaked in darkness.” He offered a small chuckle as he extended his wings horizontally out to his sides, stretching them to their full span, a hoof shifted in the sands as he stepped closer. "What of you Lady Nasreen, am I mistaken or do you bare the gift of flight?" He questioned her race, wondering if it was in fact her sweet perfume that was fluttering through his nostrils. How beautiful she must be, a princess shadowed in the mystery of night. @[Nasreen]

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The voice comes again, and her trembling ears tilt forward. “Forgive me, as I cannot see in this blackness. I mean you no harm, m’lady.” His words are elegant, but his voice lacks the full depth and timbre of her older brother’s. If she had to guess, Nasreen would say that he was not two or three years older than herself.

The stranger introduces himself as Hawkeye. He begins to explain that he is new here, and she is about to chime in that her own story is remarkably similar when his next sentence stops her heart dead in its chest. “…’Tis hard to use the skill of flight when you’re locked in a dungeon cloaked in darkness.” Her muscles tense. How has this stranger picked up on her worst fear, pretending gallantry in the dark? How can he know she is winged—can he see her? The mare backs a cautious step, shifting away uneasily. His chuckle rings through the suffocating blackness, and to her paranoid ears, it sounds more sinister than friendly. Nasreen closes her eyes and grits her teeth, willing herself not to scream.

Yet scream she does a moment later when she feels a sudden gust of air hit her face, hears the rustle of feathers, and realizes that she is trapped down here with this male Pegasus. It is a small scream, a soft one—one that could easily be taken for surprise at the sudden movement, rather than fear, but she is terrified. There is no escaping this Hawkeye, not down here, not above ground. Should he want to hurt her, she is at his mercy. Never mind the fact that he has assured her of his goodwill. She is used to having a safety net, an escape route into the clouds, and here, she is doubly disadvantaged.

"What of you Lady Nasreen, am I mistaken or do you bear the gift of flight?" He had asked just before her sudden realization, and Nasreen swallows hard before answering. “Yes,” she whispers, only the darkness keeping her from turning tail and fleeing. “Quite high, and quite fast,” she adds defensively. She sends a faint rustle of her own through the stale air as she extends her wings, puffing the copper feathers in an attempt to appear larger. Despite the darkness, she attempts a steely expression, which would likely have appeared quite comical to Hawkeye, had he known her better and had he seen it in the light of day.

Shooting for subtlety, Nasreen continues to back away silently, still hoping to make her escape. Unfortunately for the princess, grace has never been her strong suit. She stumbles, and trips…right into the wall. Haunches scraped and shaky confidence bruised, she picks herself up, grimacing. She may have found the wall, but Hawkeye has found her. How will she contrive to send him away?

@[Hawkeye]

Velvet ears remained erect and pointed upon the sound of the mares breathing. The silver warrior rather irritated that he couldn’t see within the shadows of this sandy dungeon. The claustrophobic phobia of the darkness that seemed to choke around his very being was causing him to stress mildly. Perhaps it wasn’t the darkness alone that contributed to his hyper active imagination, but the simple fact that he couldn’t lay eyes upon the company he had so pleasantly stumbled upon. Glittering cobalt lightning danced over the knights silver skin, doing his best to shine some light on the situation, but again to no avail the sparks of electricity subsided and his wings contracted to his side. The sudden gasp the mare made caused the stallion to tilt his head in curiosity. The sound of her shifting in the sands set him slightly on edge, he was unsure of her intentions. Yes. Her voice whispers through the darkness, his heart pounding steadily in his chest as he breathed her in once more. The stallion eased himself, threaded cords lacing around his haunches. Her following statement seemed rather defensive, mentioning her ability of height and speed. Though if what she said was true, and she did hail of the Pegasus blood line, he did not doubt her abilities in flight. The sound of ruffling feathers before him caused his wings to unfold slightly at his side, still unsure if this mare was a lady friend, or someone that should be dealt with properly. The unique sound of sand grinding against hooves echoed through the blackness. A single step was taken forth as the sound of a clash, skin against stone echoed through the caves. Worried, the knight danced forth, golden gaze searching for the silhouette of a female Pegasus, of Nasreen. A soft grunt huffing from his lips as he reached out to touch her, velvet lips pressing against blackness in search for her warmth. "What was that? Are you alright?" Baritones questioned the vixen that remained masked in the shadows. His golden hooves pressing forth in the sand, as his lips reached out to touch her, if he was even pointed into the right direction, eyes of gold dilated in darkness searching for her. @[Nasreen]

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“What was that? Are you all right?” She can hear him moving towards her in the dark, but there is nowhere to run—already, her hindquarters are pressed against the cold stone of the wall. She feels his warm breath on her muzzle, and she shrinks away, but she cannot avoid his touch. It is as if an electric shock runs through her, and she whimpers softly.

“No,” she replies, and her voice finally breaks. “No, I am not all right!” She is nearly sobbing now, unable to hold back the tears for much longer. “I’m lost. I’m alone down here in the dark, my brother is gone, I don’t know what’s happening, and now you’re here, and, and…I’m scared. I need to get out of this cave!” The tears flow freely; Nasreen is having a full-fledged meltdown on the poor boy. She wants to tell him to leave her alone, but the thought of wandering through the darkness again by herself was almost more terrifying than having him here. She didn’t know what she wanted; she just had to escape the pitch-black room of this horrible cave before she suffocated in the darkness.

“Please, just get me out of here,” she pleads, seeking comfort in the most unlikely source. She is still afraid, but she is exhausted and lonely. Hawkeye may frighten her, but at least he has another beating heart, an island in this sea of darkness. “Please,” she repeats, a note of hysteria tingeing her voice. “I’m scared.”

@[Hawkeye]
OOC: apologies for her tantrum cx

Slick lobes perked and faced the winged woman, his question seemed to linger in the heavy musk of the air as he remained frozen, his plush velvet muzzle within inches of her own, breathing her in doing his best to assess what might have happened. Just before their muzzles would have touched, the floored maiden replied. Wings unfolded, dropping down at his sides as her whimpering plead, her sobbing voice strung over him like guilt. The knight stood respectfully, golden pools swirling with confusion. She too was lost in this damp dark dungeon, and as she spoke of her kin, his heart almost ached for her. There was so much distress in her voice, his interpretation of her situation was not one of pity, but of understanding. She was afraid of him, and yet she couldn’t see his kind eyes, she couldn’t see his respectful stance that he had presented for her. A golden hoof shifted backward in the sand as she shouted, demanding that she wanted out of this place. What was he to say to her now? If he intimidated her, perhaps his being here was not for the best. Of all the questions he had to ask the frightened lady, there was one now that weighed heavy upon his mind. Was she really afraid of him? He stepped forth, muzzle lowering to where it had been before, his warm breath brushing across her cheek, he wanted to ask her so many things. But for now he would abide her request, and help her escape her darkness, to escape her fears. Suddenly, his velvet lips touched her skin. Gently he pressed against her, not in signs of warning or threat, but to try to offer a comfort, to let her know she’s not alone in the dark. He moved his crown away slowly, muzzle retracting away as his voice flowed gently in comfort. "Come, let us get out of this darkness and into the light m’lady." He carefully, pivoted in place, to stand at her side, willing to aid her balance should she need help or guidance. The aroma of her perfume was very enchanting to him, but being a gentleman, and in this moment flirtation was out of the question. "The entrance I came from, is not far. Simply retrace our steps." He encouraged, a shadowed smile upon his lips. A wing extended to touch her own wing, to walk out of here together. "Tell me Lady Nasreen, where is your Kingdom?" He offered a friendly question, perhaps the starter of a conversation to calm the mood, to distract their minds from the empty darkness that casted over them. @[Nasreen] Ooc: Such a cute couple they’d make XD

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She does not quite trust him, but oh, how she wants to. In the darkness, she strains her eyes, seeking a friendly face, an expression to read, but of course, there is nothing. Suddenly, his muzzle is in her face again, but the mare is too young and too naïve to understand his constant contact. She finds his touch a little strange, but at least she has a better sense of where he stands. Her ears stand erect as she detects the sound of him moving around. From what she hears, and a moment later, from what she feels as he stands wingtip to wingtip with her, Hawkeye is now positioned alongside her. No longer feeling quite so pinned to the wall, Nasreen relaxes slightly and her snuffling sobs begin to quiet.

"Come, let us get out of this darkness and into the light m’lady," he coaxes her. "The entrance I came from, is not far. Simply retrace our steps." Though she is reluctant to leave the safety of the wall, she is hesitant to contradict him. So, she takes one faltering step forward, keeping her hind leg against the wall. With all of the scuffling they did when he ran into her, she is inclined to doubt his sense of direction. She is inherently uncomfortable questioning authority, but fear wins out. She has to say something. “Maybe…maybe it would be good to go towards your entrance while sticking close to the wall…?” she suggests, her soft voice and unsure tone indicating more of a question than a statement.

In the meantime, her companion has spoken again. “Tell me Lady Nasreen, where is your kingdom?” If only she knew. She recognizes though, that he’s trying to be friendly. She can work with that. Nasreen may have spent little of her childhood in the courts of Th’orqui, but if the princess was trained in anything, it had been in social graces. Besides, she can talk about home for days. Perhaps Hawkeye doesn’t know what he has just gotten into.

“Well,” she starts, beginning to open up, “I don’t quite know where Th’orqui is in relation to Helovia. I’ve been trying to find it though,” she admits shyly, surprised at herself that she is sharing this information with a feathered stranger. “It was quite beautiful—perhaps you’ve heard of it?” she asks, sudden interest coloring her tone. After all, if the stranger was a Pegasus, perhaps he hailed from Th’orqui himself, if not one of the neighboring kingdoms. Now that would be a stroke of luck!

@[Hawkeye]

A stroke of his pectoral feathers against her own wing tips, was all he had to go by. How he wished to see her beautiful face in the dawn, her voice was soothing in these lonely caves, and thus far the Pegasus he had met here, has been rather pleasant company. She speaks as she shuffles and moves at his side in the depths of darkness, and he listens attentively. She wishes to follow the rock wall, slightly hesitant himself; a lobe lazed to the side as he panned his gaze around the darkness surrounding, as if he would see anything anyway. Lips lapped upon his lips as if to question her reasoning, her desire to follow this stone barrier; but the stallion said nothing to doubt her statement. "Good Idea." He spoke freely, leaving his wing extended to touch her own, as he brushed his other wing along the cold black stone that lined this place. He began to walk, golden hooves placed with careful steps in the blackness. A single lobe aimed upon Nasreen as she spoke, while the other listened for a change in echo against the stone to help adjust their position. As she spoke of her Kingdom Th’orqui, the steel stallion couldn’t help but reminisce on his home land. Proud however, that he was able to calm her and strike up a general conversation was enough to please him for now. Hopefully, in good time they would indeed find their way out of this darkness soon enough. She spoke of the realms beauty, and inquired if he had heard of it. An unfortunate frown flickered upon his lips as he shook his head gently as they continued. "I have witnessed several enchanting realms; however Th’orqui remains unknown to me." He released a heavy snort, as the exhaled oxygen rumbled through his nostrils; the dust of the sand was a very unusual annoyance. He cleared his throat, and turned to gaze at the blackness where the mare should, be standing. "I hail from the mountains of Artemis. It too is- was quite lovely.." Was. His voice trailed off, failing to mention his kingdom burned to the ground during an invasion, his brethren lost. He fell silent for a moment, lost in thought of his devoured homeland, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes, followed by a glint of sorrow. "Is your brother there?" He questioned, regarding her statement previously of him being gone. He just hoped she didn’t mean deceased, because that would be just awkward. @[Nasreen]

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He has not heard of Th’orqui. Nasreen’s face falls, and for a moment she is so caught up in her disappointment that she fails to catch the note of sadness in his voice when he tells her that he’s from the mountains of Artemis. She’s never heard of his homeland, but then again, geography has never been her strong suit.

“Is your brother there?” Hawkeye asks, voice cutting through the darkness. She laughs, and it is bittersweet. “I have four,” she tells him. “Quilyan, Erigor, Magnus, and Eirik. Quilly—he’s the oldest—is here, in Helovia…somewhere. We found each other just before everything up there went to ruin. I haven’t found the others, but if Quilly and I made it here, I’m sure we all are wandering around. It’s only a matter of time before we’re all together again…” Memories of her brothers and sisters float through her mind as she speaks. She finds that her thoughts linger on Ishtar, her twin sister. Whatever has become of her ? she wonders. She misses the giggle fits, the mischief, and the constant companionship that they enjoyed for the first two years. While she has learned to live without Ishtar, it still feels like there is a sister-shaped hole in her heart that no one else will be able to fill.

“What about you?” she asks. “Do you have brothers and sisters? What is it like where you’re from?” Before arriving in Helovia, Nasreen had spent all of her time in Th’orqui and in the wilderness. The beginnings of her royal education had taught her that there were other kingdoms out there, but she had never been herself. She was curious about the places beyond her travels--so far, she felt as if she'd only caught a glimpse of the big, wide world.

@[Hawkeye]

The steel knight continued to walk, wings arched and outstretched one tip running along the rough damp walls of the cave, and the other delicately placed upon the feathers of Nasreen. A laugh, gentle and bittersweet sang to his ears as she began to speak of her family. He was envois of her siblings, to have that blood companionship as a child of youth. The one he noted in his mind however, was Quilyan. He resided somewhere here in this kingdom of Helovia, reunited and then segregated by darkness. And for a moment, he wondered if she held that same sadness, as he did in his heart for his brethren. They were not bound by blood, but raised together in a kingdom, they fought together, learned together, bled together. These were his most trusted companions, his friends, his brothers. Soft thick lobes fell to the sides in though as he remembered their bold faces. The last he saw of them before the dragons had taken Artemis. A gentle shake of his head warned himself not to get too deep in thought, in fear of regret, in fear of wondering where they were, if they were alive. A faint hint of glowing gray appeared in the distance, perhaps the reflection upon the dark walls of the entrance. In hopes the light would have shimmered upon his delightful companion, he turned to gaze upon her, where she was standing in the darkness, and still nothing. But she questioned him now, and a faint smile creased his ivory dipped lips. ."I had many brethren, none bound in blood however. They were my dear companions, my friends, my brothers." Tones were deep, humble and proud to speak of them. A noble band they had called the Squadron Hawks. He let his memories of them be strong and powerful, as he returned his golden gaze to watch the journey before them. "Artemis.." He breathed the name of home softly through baritone vocals. "A kingdom of rolling mountains, lush waterfalls and rainforests below the haze of clouds. Artifacts of gold glittered with the rise, and the setting of the sun. " His eyes closed for a moment, as if he could see it again, to feel the warmth of the breeze upon his skin, the waterfalls mist to clean his wings of this dusty mess. The feeling hit him in the gut, as he lowered his silver crown slightly. "Now it’s a wasteland, of ash and dead pine." His voice mixed between anger and a somber loneliness. Lobes arose from their slicked back status, to perking towards the growing rays of light. Turning to gaze into the shadows and gazing down upon his hooves, a small glint of gold could be seen. They would be free of this darkness soon. @[Nasreen]

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His story is tragic, yet not entirely unfamiliar. According to Quil, that was all that was left of Th’orqui: ruin and waste. Though she refuses to believe her brother’s account, Nasreen’s heart goes out to her companion. She knows what is like to be a stranger in a strange land. “It sounds beautiful—much like Th’orqui. I’m sorry that it has been lost to you,” she replies softly, surprised at the unsolicited tears pooling at the corners of her grey eyes. The stranger’s tale has moved her. Tentatively, she reaches out in the darkness, seeking to offer a shred of comfort to a fellow lost soul. For a moment, she pushes fear aside in the name of solidarity…but her own boldness startles her, and she withdraws her muzzle hastily. Perhaps it brushed his withers, perhaps not. She is too flustered to remember.

A glint of metallic gold catches her downcast eyes, and she makes out the form of a hoof. A hoof? If she can see, that means light, and if there is light, that means… Swiftly, her head snaps up, and the dim glow cast by the wall of flowing lava in the main cavern seeps through the darkness ahead. Her breath catches in her throat, and her pace quickens to a hasty trot, then a canter. They are out! A weary, albeit slightly hysterical, laugh of relief gushes from her throat, and she stretches her wings in the cramped tunnel, dancing in place. Still, she cannot fly, but she can see…she can see. Nasreen turns to look behind her, seeking the face of her rescuer. Is he there? Whose face will greet her?

@[Hawkeye]: I think it might be fun if for whatever reason, he stays back and she can’t find him. I’d love for them to meet in the future above ground, so she can realize that he saved her c: Is it okay to end the thread after your reply?

Her apologetic tones warmed his soul, as he gazed upon the light in the distance. The sudden burst of energy next to him caused him to retract his wings against his ribs, snorting roughly as the lady at his side seemed excited to see the light. He paused, as she danced ahead of him, her coat shimmering from the light of the cave entrance. He remembered how scared she had been, to see him in the dark. He didn’t want to risk losing what little comfort he had just gotten from her just by showing his face. So he remained still, in the shadows the light hardly illuminating his coat to a dull silver and gold shimmer. Watching her dance with joy brought a smile to the soldiers face, his wings stretching for a moment, as he turned in a pivot, slowly letting his gaze turn to hers. Although he remained masked in the shadows, as if he had never been there all along; a ghost assisting a fellow Pegasus he retraced to the depths of darkness. A smooth albeit sorrowful smile curved upon his plush gray muzzle to the sound of her joyful laughter. "Good day, Lady Nasreen." His voice but a whisper as he moved back into the shadows, perhaps to remember the fallen troops from home, to hunger on the hate for dragon blood, and to miss the companionship just formed with a stranger. Unsure if he would ever see her again, he managed to turn and give her one final glance as she searched the shadows for him. Her silhouette was lean and beautiful, splashed with an array of color. And he could only wonder what she looked like during the dawn, or the setting of the sun. Until we meet again. @[Nasreen] : That’s fine. :] I really want something to become of them, so yes! They need to meet in the day light :D

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