From the dawn of time, to the end of days I will have to run, away I want to feel the pain, and the bitter taste Of the blood on my lips, again Paladin the Valiant needed to leave the Foothills and clear his head. He had been growing restless and irritated with the way it was being run, and even though he had desired to simply enjoy his retirement from leadership, he was bored. The black dun stallion was a warrior and a fighter; he had led the Tides into an almost successful victory against the Sect when the Shades came and sent Isilme into a hellish oblivion. Running laps to regain his strength and work out the scar tissue in his homeland was also growing boring, and he missed being able to clear his Tides of age old debris through the sand. Something had to give, and he had an idea that he was going to challenge the leads for the Foothills, but he would wait until he had a chance to consult Soleil on the matter. The thought of his lovely mate brought a smile to his pale lips, and the stallion's crimson eyes closed as he imagined her silver form against the stunning backdrop of his mind. His heart was instantly lifted, and he moved through the meadow, thinking that he might run into his daughters or sons in this lovely, open place. Neither set of twins were there, and the fact that they had been absent from his and Soleil's side for so long was growing worrisome. As he approached the cool river, Paladin gazed across the vast expanse of the continent, appreciating the beauty this place held. Even though it was no longer Isilme, it was home. Clouds had begun to gather over head, and the rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. A rain storm was coming, and he eagerly awaited its arrival. The landscape desperately needed the moisture. DO YOU FEEL MY PAIN NOW?

These lands of Helovia had so far proven to be rather comfortable. Plenty of space to move on, interesting areas and a good variety of wildlife that didn't seem to be too infested with predators. And best of all, so far they hadn't encountered any of the never ending wars that had so infested their old home. Isilme had since perished in its own flames, and for once the silver coated stallion felt content with simply remaining right where he was. No herds, no obligations... Just him and Fajira, roaming the vast expanses of the continent without feeling any kind of pressure.

It was heaven on earth, and where he stood and grazed from the roots of the aged grass Lace had for the first time since he arrived begun to relax. It was something he did only rarely, but.. honestly? What could attack him here in the open, when he could see around himself in an almost perfect circle and Fajira soared high above, hunting for anything that could keep her entertain. Mice, birds, other dragons or horses, anything that moved really.

He lifted his head every once in a while to watch her fly, a small star of pristine white that skillfully rode the winds beneath the looming black clouds; it looked like a storm was brewing, but the grullo with the silver mane didn't mind. Rain would only do good, and he had always enjoyed the feeling of droplets on his skin, the sensation of sand and dirt washing away. A breeze tugged at the silken tassels of his tail, and with a content sigh he turned back to the ground and continued grazing.

Someone coming!

The excited announcement boomed through his mind as the White came swooping down, the lithe frame almost touching his back before she took off again, the frosty wings beating hard to take her up to such heights that she could see ahead. Lace tensed his muscles reflexively and looked up, amber eyes peering around until he spotted a silhouette approaching from a distance.

Horned one, it's a big horned one! So long since we saw one of them, not since home. He smiled at the fearless enthusiasm of his bonded, though didn't share it entirely. He kept an eye on the newcomer even as he kept grazing, took note of the direction the other was traveling in; when it was clear beyond doubt that the unicorn was heading their way the stallion raised his head once more, swallowed the last of the grass he had been chewing on and called out a greeting that resounded through the landscape. Neither threatening nor questioning, it was simply an announcement that he was there; he had met enough horned ones to know that not all of them were friendly, and the last Lace wanted was to startle the other. The closer he came, the more he could see that it was a big one, at least one full hand taller than himself and thicker in built; stallion too, if he'd ever seen one.

I hope I don't have to fight him he remarked casually to his dragon, all the while watching the black stallions approach.

The long, black legs slowly moved her body forwards to the Thistle Meadow's center. She didn't have to hurry, since she didn't have plan on meeting someone or being somewhere. She just needed to be. And she also needed to drink. The mare snorted and slung her head quickly, before she set off in a calm gallop. Dell needed to run. She hadn't run since she first came to Helovia, and the muscles beneath her skin stretched nicely. Oh, she had missed this. The invisible foals of the wind played with the hair in her mane and tail, and mixed the white stripes with the dominant black. As she started to approach the river, she suddenly stopped. Her blue eyes widened for a second, then she snorted and whinnied quietly. It was a stallion. His black coat was shining, and looked good with the white legs and muzzle. The stranger had a white horn in his forehead, with a strangely red tip. His mane and tail was colored just as his horn; White with red tips. She looked around a bit. She didn't know this stallion, neither did she know what herd he came from. Just as she was going to continue her study of the black unicorn - a greeting was called over the fields. 'The hell?', she thought, and turned her head to the way where the sound had come from. An equine. And a stallion too. Wasn't it her lucky day? It was almost like she needed to laugh. 'Two friggin' stallions, just as I needed to rest', Dell thought, and the corners of her mouth turned up a bit. But, she didn't have anything against some company exactly. She just hoped that these two were friendly, because she had no lust for fighting. She lowered her head, decided to ignore the two stallions and walked towards the river. All she wanted was a drink, nothing more. Okay, maybe she would need to eat and rest a bit as well, but nothing more. Her head lowered more as she approached the river, and sunk down her muzzle in the cold water. 'I must be in heaven... This water is like medicine for my soar throat...' Word count: 370 ((OOC: Probably my worst post ever. I am truly sorry for writing this -___- I'm just very, very tired and I'm going to sleep now.. :c)) Walk, walk, walk. "Talk, talk, talk." Think, think, think.

From the dawn of time, to the end of days I will have to run, away I want to feel the pain, and the bitter taste Of the blood on my lips, again The breeze that whistled past his ears and lifted his crimson and white tresses also carried the scent of another his way. A velvet, black ear tilted behind him to catch the sounds and he turned his crimson eyes to see. Up in the sky, he barely caught sight of a small, white dragon against the darkening sky, and the stallion frowned. Paladin had a deep respect for dragons and their abilities; they made him nervous, as they should any sensible unicorn. Paladin heard his voice carry on the wind, a gentle, non-violent call. How long had it been since Paladin had listened to the voice of another stallion who was not crying for battle? Though the black dun stallion was content to exist in his own, peaceful silence, he was truly a kind soul at heart, and the stallion behind him was one he did not recognize. His colored reminded the Valiant of Smoke, but with more archaic markings. A he turned, Paladin returned the stallion's call and easily slid into a two-beated gait, the wind pushing against his hair and filling his nostrils with the strong, earthen smell of rain. Proudly, the black dun strode up to the newcomer, kindness written in the violence of his crimson orbs. "Greetings," he rumbled in his deep voice. "You are new to Helovia?" he asked curiously. "I am Paladin of the Foothills." Another approached then, a mare by the scent. Also, the smell she carried told him that she lived in the Edge among the darker and more violent racists. The Valiant's expression hardened into that of a warrior, and he lifted his muscled neck boldly. He was not at all apologetic over the fact that the had turned away two of her herdmates not too long ago, no matter that they claimed to be healers. After fighting a war against his nonsensical racism, Paladin's patience for the matter was rather thin. "Hello," he greeted the mare in a tone that was half as cordial as the tone he gave to the new stallion. DO YOU FEEL MY PAIN NOW?

No need to fight, just play the White replied cheerily as she once again swooped down towards him, this time letting her paws brush gently over his back before she darted off again to examine the arrival of yet another horned one. Lace closed his eyes as she furthered the images through her mind, showing him the black horned mare before she had come close enough for his own eyes to spot her. Why was every horse and their horn bent on coming to this place just when he was trying to relax? Even so the gray vagabond swallowed the faint annoyance over having his solitude interrupted and turned so that he could face both of the horned ones, and nodded politely in greeting to the latest arrival - a mare this time, it seemed - before he replied to Paladin.

"Well met, Paladin, and you as well, lady. My name is Lace, and my pale companion is Fajira" he inclined his head towards the sooty femme, speaking as much with her as with the stallion. "We are newcomers indeed. It has not been more than a few days since I passed through the Threshold, and so far I've only had the pleasure of pleasant encounters. Is it always this peaceful in these lands?" In his mind he tried to imagine where these Foothills might be located, but found it difficult; without stepping too close he could feel the scent of both woodlands and grass on the red-eyed one, and gods knew that he had seen plenty of both trees and grass since he arrived. The mare was different; hers was one of sand and sea, a rather becoming salt-ridden scent he had grown accustomed to during his time in the Isilme Tides. It was familiar and nostalgic, but it was indeed a different one than what he was used to; she was foreign, unknown, and his smile as he regarded her was as distant and formal as his words.

Quietly regarding these two new encounters, Lace suddenly felt a chill run across his skin, one that had little to do with the wind or the approaching bad weather. For the first time in a long while he felt alone and exposed in the company of others. These two, albeit from different herds, still had their species in common and knew of tidings and history that he had yet to learn of. What could he speak of that they would care about, what would they have to say that he wanted to bother with? He was without kin in these lands, and by rights he should remain that way. Besides, it wasn't a part of the plan to get dragged into yet another senseless war that didn't have anything to do with him. Without having to especially look for it the grulla noticed the difference in Paladin's attitude between himself and the mare. It might just be personal grudges, might be a distaste for mares in general - although Lace had never met a healthy stallion that hadn't been willing to at least look properly at one - but either way it wasn't something he wanted to get involved with.

The dragon sensed the change within him and dived down to land on the broad back and offer comfort, only to feel a gentle push in their connected mind. No This wasn't the right time or place to display weakness. Lace wasn't giving away anything of his feelings on the outside, simply kept the smiling mask that he always offered strangers. Fajira gave off a cawing sound of dismay, but for once obeyed without complaints. Instead of landing on his back she extended her wings and floated down towards the ground, where she landed and began to inch closer to the black mare, curiously wanting to examine her front hooves.

Sure she heard their greetings, but all she came for was rest - not making friends. Neither did she want any enemies, but to hell with that. She drank in peace, while the stallions seemed to greet each other with happy tones and names, but a sharp tone saying "Hello," made her look up at the black stallion. Dell raised her head slowly, watching the stallion and observing him with the blue orbs. "Hello, stranger," she said and smiled a bit. The tone in her voice was kind of a mix between cold and warm, and she only used that for strangers for now. Her head turned to the grullo dun, in other words the equine. Lace. Delinne almost raised an eyebrow when he introduced a white little dragon as Fajira. Dragon? A spark of interest filled her eyes, and she looked closer at Fajira. The rest of the stallions words didn't interest her. Something in her posture changed, and she became more welcoming. She followed the little dragon with her orbs, and snorted quietly when Fajira landed in front of her - and came closer. She lowered her head, and watched the little creature crawl closer to her. A smile appeared on the mare's lips, and she whinnied short and quiet. "Hello, little Fajira," the mare whispered with a warm tone to her voice. She had always loved small creatures - mythical or not. She looked up at the grullo dun and the black stallion - and smiled. "I'm sorry if I acted rude before," Dell started, and smiled. A reaction from the smile she gave the dragon, but it would probably make the stallions less tense. "My name is Delinne, but you can call me Dell for short. I come from the Edge," The smile had stayed on her lips, and when she looked down on Fajira the smile became wider. The black Friesian almost felt a motherly urge to protect the little creature, and she watched as the dragon moved closer to her front hooves. Word count: 342 ((OOC: A little better, and you've found her weakness xD)) Walk, walk, walk. "Talk, talk, talk." Think, think, think.

From the dawn of time, to the end of days I will have to run, away I want to feel the pain, and the bitter taste Of the blood on my lips, again The storm clouds raging overhead reminded him over wintertime in the Tides; his lovely Tides. He missed them desperately, but he was soon growing accustomed to this place. Perhaps he would soon be able to rule the Foothills as honorably as he had ruled the Tides. He could only pray that he would have enough mercy and honesty to win the affections of those who resided at the base of the mountain range. The stallion listened to the stranger's question, and he hummed thoughtfully. Paladin had been one of the first to arrive in Helovia, and he had seen much of the changes that had occurred since the Isilmians had established the countryside. "Yes, for the most part," he replied honestly. "Once, the Throat was occupied by worshipers of the Sun, but a group of pegasus invaded. The leader of the Sun tribe and one of the pegasus warriors perished in the battle." He recalled the news of Voltaic's death with deep sadness. He regretted not pursuing a relationship further with the proud and distant lead of the Islands. With a polite smile, the black dun glanced up at the sky which grew darker by the second. Still, one of his velvet, ebony ears tilted in the direction of the Edge mare, and he regarded her with suspicion. His crimson eyes glanced to the side as she seemed to become infatuated with the stranger's dragon, and he furrowed his brows in confusion. Unicorns were naturally fearful of dragons, but he supposed she might not have seen one before. At any rate, the shimmering white was quite lovely and smaller than the other dragons he had seen. Her name was Dell from the Edge, and Paladin frowned. The Edge held darkness, but he had never been able to pinpoint open racism on any of its members before. Still, most of the unicorns kept to themselves among their trees and mist, and the black dun preferred life that way. "We are well met, Lace," he replied with open kindness before watching as lightning painted the sky in bright light. "Most equines live either in the Foothills or as part of a band run by Mirage," he explained to the newcomer. "I and my mate used to rule the Tides of Isilme before we fled here, and we are currently in a brief retirement." He added the last bit with a short, jovial laugh. "Unicorns reside in the Edge, and they have turned away any without horns before," he spoke, eyeing Dell with caution. "Typically, I warn those with kind and gentle heart away from the mists of the Edge. It lies to the West, north of the coast, and you cannot miss its borders which are thickly lined with trees." Paladin hoped that his synopsis was helping Lace. DO YOU FEEL MY PAIN NOW?

Humming in acknowledgment of the reply to his question, the gray knight shifted the weight between his feet and contemplated the information quietly, all while watching Fajira from the corners of his eyes. Making sure that she wasn't going too far in her exploration of the mares large hooves, he found comfort in seeing how his other half sat up on the scaly hind legs and raised the little head up towards Delinne's maw, noses meeting as the dragon purred like some other feline. The taloned paws were gentle as they reached to hold the soft muzzle of the horned lady, and Lace could feel the pangs of fearless curiosity as the dragon acquainted herself with the other horse.

"If she gets too close you need only say so, and I'll convince her to give you room" he said to the mare, a faint smile tugging at his lips at their seemingly mutual fascination. Had it happened when their bond first formed the grulla might have grown jealous of the interest the White showed someone other than himself, but after long time and many hurdles shared together their bond was strong. Now he could share in with his comrades joy, allowing the brightness of her soul sweep away the clouds that darkened his thoughts, much like the towering clouds was beginning to block out the sun above. A cold wind swept down to tug at the pale tassels of his mane; he shook them away from the eyes and turned the ears to pick up on Paladins words as the stallion continued to speak.

He might as well have spoken to a tree however, because after only a few words it was as if though the slender stallion had frozen in places, hooves glued to the ground and the eyes far, far away. Had he heard correctly? It could be a trick of the wind, a wishful thinking on his part, a mere wordplay... But no, the other had mentioned the Tides. And not only the Tides, but Isilme as well. Lace tried to swallow, tried to speak, do something; but the wind must have stolen all the moisture from his tongue, because he couldn't find words. The news hit him like lightning, and all at once the old guilt came thundering down over him, draped itself over his shoulders and threatened to pull him to the ground. The knees felt weak, and as if from some great distance he could hear himself speak...

"The Tides, you say? Fancy that, I have spent time in the Tides of Isilme as well, some years ago now. It must have been before your rule there however, I don't believe that we have met before."

Was it his voice that sounded so calm? It was a wonder that he wasn't choking on all the things that remained unsaid. Was it really his face that upheld that smiling mask, as dark and jaded as the blackness that tainted his actual skin. So smooth, Lace, so pleasant. Like a cobweb gleaming of dew when hit by the first rays of sunlight, only beautiful because the spider can't be seen and nothing has been caught by it. He felt hypocritical where he stood, smiling so kindly to this lord and warrior, even while the crimes of his past remained unanswered for.

This time Fajira didn't ask. With a moll tuned trill she slipped away from Delinne and skipped over to the gray stallion, the wings flapping to aid her as she deftly climbed up his foreleg until she could stretch out on his neck, arms and legs wrapping soothingly around him as far as they could reach. Within their minds he thanked her wordlessly, allowed himself to sink into the graceful calm of her embrace. Like he had so many times before the soldier allowed her to take over for a moment, let her guide his mind to more pleasant thoughts; with a breath that sounded like a sigh he lowered the neck slightly, felt the muscles untangle themselves along the back until the legs finally managed to unlock. He had to think before he managed to pick up the trail from Paladins words, pieced the parts of the puzzle together and filled in the rest with guesses and hints from the White's mind. So the peace was unstable and trust was hard earned, here like everywhere else; it came as no surprise to them.

"We came upon Mirage when walking through the Threshold" he revealed, still somewhat numb to the revelation that there were other Isilmians roaming the area. "She seems like a pleasant person, and Fajira enjoyed the company of her Golden. On the note of the pegasus though... did they take over the lands completely? Wonder what happened to the cultists, I mean." It wasn't that he particularly cared for the feathery kin now for any zealous priests. It was just a question of mere curiosity. Or rather... Oh by the gods, who was he trying to fool. He was just desperately trying to gather his mind, keep himself from cross questioning the other about his time in Isilme and find out if they had any acquaintances in common. He really, really didn't want to know, didn't need even more horses to answer to.

Delinne watched the little dragon move back to the grullo dun - or Lace, as he was named - and smiled. She had never seen a dragon before, and the little creature was so adorable. When Fajira had settled herself on Lace's back, Dell watched the two stallions as they spoke to each other instead. She felt a bit like an outsider, since the black stallion looked at her strangely. He clearly didn't trust her. But why? What was wrong with the Edge? Sure, there were some racist unicorns - but Dell was only a little racist against the Pegasus-race and that was mostly her father's fault. She looked at them both, and found herself thinking that they were attractive. The mare snorted at the thought. 'I'm not dependent on stallions. They made my first years horrible.. I have no use for them..' she thought and sighed a bit. Slowly she lowered her head to the water below her and calmly thought about the two that stood near her. 'The black one is most attractive.. Maybe. Maybe I think that just because he's a unicorn as well? He's a kin, unlike the equine. What was his name again?' She stopped drinking, and thought for a second. 'I think it was Paladin, or something like that. I should've listened better to the equi.. I mean Lace.' As Delinne went deep into her thoughts, one ear vaguely heard what the two were talking about. The Throat, the Tides, Isilme, Treshold... She only recognized the name Treshold, since that was the place where Mauja had found her. And two pegasi-mares named Xira and Sierra. Shivers were sent through Dell's body when she thought of Xira. That mare scared her a bit, or rather made her uncomfortable. The Friesian looked at stallions once again, and the little dragoness. It would probably be nice with a companion, but she would in that case prefer something more stable that could walk beside her. Word count: 331 ((OOC: No fantasy ._.)) Walk, walk, walk. "Talk, talk, talk." Think, think, think.

From the dawn of time, to the end of days I will have to run, away I want to feel the pain, and the bitter taste Of the blood on my lips, again Paladin tensed instinctively when the little white dragon's talons settled on the horned mare's muzzle, and he forcibly slid his eyes away. Dragons made him nervous. He appreciated their beauty, but he respected their fire even more. As he spoke about the Tides, he watched with concern as the grulla warrior seemed to grow unnaturally still, and he took a step closer in case the mighty stallion were to fall or stumble. Still, he spoke and Paladin could not detect any sign of predominant emotion in the words besides calm, and he nodded with crimson eyes still flickering with worry. "You must have been there before the dawn," he replied in agreement. "The land is now over run by the living dead, shades bent on the destruction of those still capable of breathing," he added with a heavy heart. He watched as the white dragon made purchase on the grey's back, and he wondered if those claws hurt, especially when the dragon was young and like a child with their actions. After retelling the brief synopsis of Helovia, he listened and smiled. "Mirage is lovely, though I have not had the pleasure of meeting her in person. Still, many of her followers have taken to calling the Foothills their temporary home," he explained. "The cultists have died or disappeared, but the pegasus do still live in the Throat; they have taken it over completely. However my daughter, a unicorn, lives there with them with her sister. They are a remarkably friendly group, but still a force to reckon with." Paladin was having to raise his voice to be heard over the whistling and groaning of the winds. The dark mare remained silent, even as he passed his judgement on the unicorns from the Edge, and he supposed that she was either very smart to say nothing or very naive if she thought that the Edge was filled with honest, gentle folk. His crimson eyes would continue to watch her until he knew the answer for sure. DO YOU FEEL MY PAIN NOW?

The way she was watched by the red-fringed four legs didn't pass the dragon by. Once she had made sure that her bonded was beginning to relax again, she stood up on his neck and tried to walk closer to the horned one, balancing precariously with wings spread wide in case she would end up falling. With almost childish curiosity that had nothing to do with her years of experience in horses, she stopped once reaching the somewhat more stable spot between Lace's ears. The grulla frowned slightly at her antics but remained still, watching quietly as the White reached out, tail wrapping around his throat for support, and tried to bump noses with the cautious unicorn.

Don't tease him, Lace tried to warn, but found himself more or less blocked out from the dragons mind. I won't save you if he takes offense.. Or rather, he would. But sometime the little dragon had to learn about things such as personal space, and with the cautious glances Paladin was throwing her the silver coated vagabond found himself almost curious as to how the other would react. As he watched the other with reserved interest, the steely ears twitched at the sound of rumbling thunder somewhere above; the skin on his back twitched upon feeling the first cold droplets of rain, and as the storm began to release its fury upon them he had to struggle to make himself heard above the sound of the wind.

"Ah yes, the Quian if I'm not mistaken. What kind of horses are gathering under her? She mentioned that they were searching for a more permanent location, but I couldn't quite grasp how many they are or what they really are trying to accomplish." He couldn't deny that Mirage had caught his interest. Hadn't it been for her obvious determination to claim a land for herself and her group he might have been willing to run with them for a while, to learn more about them - about her. But as it was, Lace didn't have any interest in battles, and he was loath to accept an invitation to a herd that was just about to go to war. He was tired of bloodshed for stupid reasons - and to try and form a new nation when there obviously already existed healthy ones to coexist with, he couldn't understand this urge to be independent.

"What do you think of the mood in the Edge?" he then asked the darkly coated mare, somewhat curious as to why she wasn't defending her own herd. "Is it as bad as Paladin has come to think, or have rumors simply been exaggerating the issue?" The grulla smiled towards her, his voice smooth and pleasant as he attempted to involve her with the discussion. So far she had remained silent, but whether it was because of shyness or a lack of interest in the topics was hart to tell.

Either way, it would soon prove difficult to keep talking if they were to remain out in the open. Around them the grass was bowing under waves of explosive wind, and as the thunder rumbled more loudly in the sky the stallion suddenly felt an urge to run. Not out of fear though. It was more of an itch in the legs, a maddened kind of excitement that made him want to grin widely, laugh in defiance of the natures forces and race with the rain... But maybe it was just him.

She watched them talk with a little smile resting on her lips, and sunk her head to graze off the green grass on the meadow, that was turning yellow as result of the Orangemoon. Her thoughts soon enough wandered off on their own.. The Friesian imagined herself with a companion by her side, maybe a chamois of some sort with golden horns. That would look good next to her, and he would be able to defend her if her strength wasn't enough in a fight. But what would she call the gems? She would most likely prefer a buck, and not a doe. Bucks were more brave, according to her. Ten words made the black mare look up at the grullo stallion. "What do you think of the mood in the Edge?" The sudden question surprised her a bit, but she soon calmed down a bit and answered him with a strong voice - happy that he spoke to her -; "I actually think it's quite nice there. But I've not been there for very long, so I don't really know it all. Mauja is a great King though, I respect him deeply. And what Paladin thinks is his opinion, but what I know off there's no bigger problems at the Edge." She looked at him with her blue orbs and the little dragoness as well. They made a great pair, quite matching. She looked quickly at the other stallion. He seemed nervous about the dragon, but why? Such a small creature couldn't possibly cause much harm? Delinne suddenly wondered why Lace had said that last part. "Is it as bad as Paladin has come to think, or have rumors simply been exaggerating the issue?" Huh. Dell thought about it, and sighed. She didn't even know half of it. But she would probably find out soon enough, somehow. Word count: 308 ((OOC: Baaaad.....)) Walk, walk, walk. "Talk, talk, talk." Think, think, think.