The gentle sound of waves paired with the occasional call of a sea gull brought a smile to my muzzle while I trotted along the beach. The damp sand was much easier for me to walk across than the dunes of the Dragon's Throat, although it was a great deal messier as it clung to my mane in clumps. 'Ah, screw it...' I thought to myself, ignoring my vanity for a moment to watch the beautiful scene before me. The ocean was gorgeous, and the smell of the breeze was delicious. Nostrils flared as I took in a deep breath, barrel expanding to allow my lungs the space to inhale the salty air. "Aaaah..."

A gentle smile graced my lips as I picked up the pace to a canter, racing a pelican that was flying inches above the water parallel to the beach. Each breath began to form clouds of fog in the damp, cold air. When I lost sight of the pelican (he had dived without my noticing), I slowed down to a walk, panting as I chuckled. How long had it been since I felt the joys of laughter? I couldn't remember...Or rather, I didn't want to remember. I knew exactly when I had last been so happy before Helovia, and I hated it. A time that I simply wished I could was away and forget about. A time when my heart had been stolen away without even a second thought, when I gave my all to one that I thought would keep all promises made. Oh how wrong I had been, how I had been played...

'If I could say it to your face...' The thought crossed my mind, mentally going through all the words I wished to say to the very person who betrayed my trust and smashed my heart. 'Would you even know? Do you have any idea the pain that you caused me? No, of course you didn't. You may have thought that you were sparing my feelings, or perhaps you truly felt the words that you said, but for that I felt my heart shatter. It's taken me this long to let you go, to forget about you....And damn it, if you still don't taunt me in dreams and memories! If I could say it to your face, I would tell you that I fell in love with you. And you never even seemed to notice. Either that, or you played oblivious. And how dare you. I hope you enjoy your life, but please...For my sanity, give me back my trust. Return the pieces of my heart...' My crimson gaze settled onto the waves beside me once again as my mental rant came to an end, muttering my final thought. "I deserve that much."


OOC: Open to any!

Fig was not drawn to the beach instinctively. She was a creature of the tropics; of humidity and lush, dense rainforests. Less inviting still was the sour wind which swept a fine, damp mist off the rolling western ocean to burn the delicate evergreen foliage throughout the canopy she carried. It stung her sensitive eyes no matter how defensively she squinted, and infiltrated her billowing lungs, causing her to cough on occasion.

Long, limber branches above - reaching further even than her bobbing black and white face - swayed gently to the soft rhythm of crashing waves, and the young tree-girl ambled awkwardly and gradually down from the northern most rim of ragged forest. She had not before then found a chance to explore the shimmery white stretch of sand which was plainly visible from the cliff top realm above; it’s distant beauty was intriguing though. The thick, flowing hair dressing each of her powerful legs soon matted with sand and tangled into grimy, gluey knots as the water saturated them –as did the long, dragging tail behind. The area nearer to the water, she noted quickly mind due, was far easier to travel across than anything remotely dry and powdery, so she made certain to hug the water closely.

She had only ventured a small way (even that took a considerable length of time), when she thought to turn and retreat. The beach simply wasn’t terrain her cumbersome body was well adapted to crossing after all! No sooner had she paused to weigh her options however, than a blur of movement caught her tiring attention.

The stranger came swiftly forward, unusually thick tendrils of pallid hair streaming to the side – and the tail behind – and Fig propped back across burly black haunches to watch. At first she could see naught but a dismal grey, embellished perhaps with a lighter smear here and there, but the creature (wingless and hornless; simply lovely) was a sight nonetheless. Her stride seemed long and elegant, and the young Lignea marvelled at the speed which seemed so easily to rival the grand pelican soaring to the side, just offshore. Dreamily she wondered what life could be like for those who knew not the pleasure of wood upon their backs; naturally she would have it no other way, but the scene unfolding looked divine.

As the other slowed, stopped and turned to gaze apparently, out across the waves, Fig began forward again. She wandered as quickly as her hefty frame could manage through the sloppy sand (which wasn’t very quick at all), to perhaps meet the other, a broadening smile dressing her large, white-blazed face. “Hello there!” She called out cheerfully, perhaps overly so, but the naive Lignea was yet to discover any who were less than forthcoming.

The sudden addition of a new voice startled me, and I jumped back at the unexpected greeting. I had been so absorbed in my own thoughts that I had not realized that another being had approached. Turning my crown to face the owner of the voice, my eyes immediately settled on the small tree that she was carrying on her back. Orbs widened slightly with surprise, wondering why she was carrying a tree to begin with. Certainly it was heavy upon her back? It didn't seem ideal to me to start a conversation whilst in the middle of heavy lifting or transplanting trees. But as my gaze traveled down the trunk to look at the mare, I was surprised to see that the roots...They were...'They are a part of her...' I tried to force myself to look the mare in the eyes, not wanting to anger her by staring. Naturally, I could not help but wonder what exactly she was...She didn't look like a pegasus, equine or unicorn. She was a new species that had never been seen in my homelands before...

Awkwardly I cleared my throat, hoping I hadn't offended her. "Hello, miss." The draft built mare came off as a friendly young one, and I offered her a small smile in return for her beaming grin. It was nice to see a cheerful face, having met some rather serious beings as of late. "Forgive me, I don't mean to stare. I've just, never seen anyone uh..." How was I supposed to word this without it coming out as an insult? "Well, I've never really seen anyone like you before." Silently I prayed to the Gods that she would understand what I meant. Surely there couldn't be many like her in these lands, and I didn't want to flat out say 'Hey, why do you have a tree on your back?'

Upon first glance (even before she had ambled down the beach to meet the stranger), Fig’s thoughtful green eyes had presumed the other to be more far simply dressed than the many ostentatious Pegasi who called Helovia home – those that she was becoming well accustomed to meeting. As she drew ever closer however, her error became plainly obvious. Even without strange horns adorning her face, glossy feathers, or dragon wings, the mare who seemed not to notice her arrival was anything but ordinary. She was very much as elegant as the young Lingnea had assumed – curvaceous and feminine, and beautifully expressive, even there motionless with her face cast up into the steady breeze.

The grey she had seen darkened to black, sleek and without the mat clumps and thistles that riddled her own shaggy appearance and Fig discovered also a rather fascinating white web blanketing her back. Thick braids were draped across the pattern – those which she had seen trailing through the air as the mare cantered – and most peculiar of all was a glistening headdress across the brow. She hardly noticed that the stranger’s blood-red eyes were trained to the sprawling, flourishing wood upon her own spine. Many in Helovia greeted her in much the same fashion (although startling so dramatically was not what Fig sought at all), so the young tree-girl was beginning to suppose examinations to be a fairly common 'first meeting' behaviour. She certainly never imagined herself to be anything exciting.

When their gaze locked at last, Fig was still grinning pleasantly.

She passed a fleeting glance by the rolling, frothing white waves as they fell hard against the sand and thought if they were any less rough, she might truly appreciate a drink. The young Lignea felt itchy as wet sand rubbed against her skin, and though the air held always the bitter chill of winter (the wind never letting her forget), she began to notice a salty, clammy stench rising about her – one she rather disliked. She turned routinely, so that the sun might penetrate her fluttering foliage to warm and dry her thick coat, and as she was realigning herself, the horse before her began to speak.

Fig laughed lightly, amused firstly because the mare with the web cloak and heavy braids was quite unlike any other she had met before – it was grand that they should hold such a thing in common, and it was a fine icebreaker. As the slow, melodious sound of her chortling softened and ceased, the tree-girl replied “You also are splendidly different, friend! And to stand out among the creatures of this land, Fig thought was remarkable. “I am Fig,” she continued then, rocking back her weight to rest against clenched haunches while the tree above shivered with each gentle movement. “My kin are not native to Helovia. I have travelled a great many miles to be here. And yourself? From where do you hail?”

My lips pulled into a welcomed smile as she complimented my appearance, something so rare for me to hear that my appreciation for her words could not possibly be explained. I dipped my muzzle with gratitude. Auds pricked when she mentioned her kind, wondering where they must have been from and what could have brought her to Helovia. "A pleasure meeting you, Fig. My name is Morrigan," I introduced myself politely, though it was evident that I was a little uncomfortable when she asked from where I originated. "I am from a land that I would much rather forget, however I have found a new home in the Dragon's Throat." It was all I would give her in regards to information about my birth herd. I watched as she turned her back to the sun, fascinated by the movement of the leaves and branches.

I desperately wanted to ask her questions about the tree on her back, but I knew that is was incredibly inappropriate. Something so personal to another would take a close friendship in order to ask such things, for if an acquaintance asked such questions then it was rude and disrespectful. So, I settled for small talk. "May I ask, what brings you to Helovia?" Silver crown dipped to the side, forelock following in suit as I tilted my head while waiting for her answer. I hoped she didn't find me too boring, but I couldn't bring myself to think of anything else that wasn't directly related tot he plant on her back.

As clumpy mats of thick black fur in turn began to dry, a white crust materialised where long, flowing roots draped not across her. Fig’s cumbersome frame was heavy and far from the sort whom might naturally be prone to visiting the waves – much like Morrigan – and though she meant to stand relatively still while the pretty braided mare spoke so affably, her enormous, plume shrouded hooves slipped constantly as the briny water crept nearer; in fact, it was virtually impossible to maintain balance even with the sprawling arms of her lovely canopy so evenly spread above.

Nevertheless (and despite her growing dislike for sand, sea and surf), she wore nothing but a kind smile for the sake of her newest acquaintance and though the revelation of her past home was brief in truth, it was more than sufficient according to the easy-going young tree-girl.

There was a moment’s pause, a chance to consider and collect thoughts. Morrigan was the second she had met now to mention Dragon’s Throat – a place that she had fancifully imagine might reflect the fierceness of its name. Fig was intrigued and her expression could not evade that feeling. Buce... Bu-cephalus (she pronounced the name only with billowing breath and the faintest bounce of her large skull), had not offered an invitation to visit though like Midas from Hidden Falls and so there was, as a result, grand mystery surrounding its existence. Large green eyes sparkled with interest.

“The elders of Prim’sylva were bestowed word from Nepenthes of the Plants and Corocottas of the Animals, that I should seek...” For a second Fig hesitated and her body plants swayed as she fought again to right her sinking, skewed balance in the soft, yielding sand. “...I have been sent here to learn about Helovian customs and restore the symmetry of your natural world; to teach the Lignea’s beliefs so that peace and harmony might be found.” That part was no secret and she gave it freely with a broadening smile. For the time being, especially while criminals lurked, Fig thought it best to keep the more important aspect of her quest well hidden.

Inadvertently, the young tree-girl drew the conversation nearer to the other’s roused curiosity. Her own interests however, lingered around Morrigan’s most recent home.

Noting the mare's struggle to keep balanced in the slippery stand to keep her balance, my scarlet gaze dipped to her hooves before looking up to the vixen. "We can walk if that would be easier?" I asked politely with a soft smile, pivoting in place so the ocean's waves were now kissing my hooves from the left. With a gentle toss of my head, I started walking at a slow yet steady pace to allow her to catch up to me. I was still quite interested in learning more about her, and my auds pricked as she mentioned foreign names and a rather unique quest of sorts.

"That sounds very noble, what an interesting quest to be on. I'm not sure of too many Helovian customs myself, but perhaps someone of my herd knows of some traditions. Our Sultan, he is not from Helovia...I'm not really sure where he is from but he has a really heavy accent and his English is broken, but he has been here a while. I'm sure he could help you." I offered the tree-mare a soft smile from beneath the mass of hair, before turning away to see where we were going. Mindlessly I watched the salt water ebb and flow along the shores, upturning small shells and constantly shifting the sands. With the arrival of yet another wave I was careful to avoid a particularly large shell, smiling at the site of the scalloped white and red pattern. "Sometimes it's hard to find those that truly want peace nowadays, I hope you are successful in your journey."