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After her evening with Vadim, she'd returned to the Edge. Invisible once again, but she'd grown used to the sensation of walking by someone and not having recognition light up in their eyes. Nobody would ever understand how much it hurt, but she'd stopped bothering to tell them. Why should she? It did nothing to change it, and instead she persevered, gathering herbs and doing menial tasks for Alysanne and Resplendence. Tending to the garden. None of it really made her happy, but little did these days, and being busy was better than standing around and letting her thoughts percolate in her brain. Moving about made her feel like maybe she wasn't actually sad, let her forget.

Forget.

FO R G E T . . .

A soft sigh escaped her maw, a shadow falling across her eyes and lifting a laugh to her lips as she glanced up to peer at Rathunax who was staring down with his chin to his belly to look at her as his wings carried him onward. They moved with ease, in tandem, a pattern born of repetition and living in each other's back pockets. They had no rhyme or reason, no purpose or destination. It was reminiscent of her days as a wild horse, with no herd to return to, nobody to answer to, no curfew and no task to complete. At times she missed it, but she was just as lonely then as she was living in the Edge. So she'd decided long ago that she'd rather have the protection of a patron, a safe place to sleep, over the nomadic life she'd once lived.

Rathunax cried out, jolting Nayati from her thoughts. ADIM! he shrieked happily in her head. A rush of warmth made her knees weak, threw off her steps, and Rathunax was immediately smug. "Oh shut up," she moaned, embarrassed. Still, she hurried her steps, eager to see her friend once more. Except he didn't seem to be alone, and she slowed with a sudden hesitation. Was it appropriate for her to intrude? Rathunax nudged her, pointing to the willow near the banks, which she could collect as part of her reasoning for being in the vicinity. As he flew off to do so, she trailed towards the creek, flowers blooming with every step and fairy baubles tinkling happily in her mane.

"Hello Vadim," she called to him, and her smile turned to include Vlasi. "Hello Vlasi." The mare was an unknown, and was thus turned to last with a mildly sheepish expression painted on her lovely visage. "I hope I'm not intruding, I came to gather some herbs. It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Nayati." Hopefully that would prompt her to reveal her name.

Meanwhile she happily walked through the stream towards Vadim. Though he was no easy book to read, she had experience, and he seemed tense and rather upset by something. As she neared she turned to shield her face from the other mare, brow crinkling in concern. "Are you okay?" she murmured to him privately, dipping her head to drink from the water as an excuse while her crimson eyes remained riveted on her friend. Had something happened? Was the mare dangerous?

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Notes: Hope you don't mind the thread crash! Nayati is on an herb run and she knows Vadim ;D

Collecting: Willow and Valerian