Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
| Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5 |
| Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath
Chan |
LACE
Who, in his mind,
has not probed the dark water?
It was one of those clear and sunny autumn days where everything seemed shaped from light. A vivid blue color dyed the high heavens, while a warm sun gilded the leaves of the trees, making them glow as if set ablaze. The air was cool, the birds chirped and flew on and off between the trees, and the water in the streams had gained a refreshing bite. It splashed up around the wild-marked legs as the stallion waded across and dyed the coat in darker shades of black and gray; it almost looked as though the strands of hair was shimmering in metallic hues when touched by the light.
The weather was perfect for explorations, and this time the newly arrived outcast had set his sights on a new area that he hadn't payed attention to before. Partly it was because a great many horses scents were mingling here, and he was cautious in nature. He had no interest in joining a herd, neither did he like the thought of being questioned by a border patrol. Thus, Lace traveled up towards higher ground with a great deal of caution. He had convinced Fajira to serve as a lookout, and after a long while of commenting on how overly careful he was she had agreed. If he concentrated on their bond he was be able to sense the rush of air over glimmering white scales, rays of sunlight playing with the eyes and see the view of the mountainous landscape far below, dominated by rocks, sparse foresting and a waterfall that crashed down toward a small pool. He would see the shape of horses move over the terrain, small and undefined like ants; but none that payed attention to the small gray dot that moved around the outskirts of the region...
With a shake of the masked head his attention was brought back to the things he could see with his own eyes. It was always unsettling to view himself from Fajira's perspective. Normally it wasn't something he preferred to do, but this was a suitable occasion if any. Not that he feared the inhabitants of this land, or of any land for that matter. It was more... Yes. An act of caution.
The stallion saw and felt how the grown rose beneath his feet. Keeping an eye on the ground to stay clear of holes and sharp rocks, his progress was slow and somewhat tiring. He kept himself to the trees as much as possible, curiosity mingling with a feeling that he was doing something stupid. The latter emotion increased when a large patch of open ground appeared before him, a steep rise where nothing but rocks and patches of rough grass grew. The nearest tree had to be at least fifty yards away, leaving nothing to shelter him with.
Perhaps it had been a bad idea to come up here, he mused and halted, resting for a bit with the weight placed on only three hooves and the hip cocked to the side. Maybe it would be best to turn around before anything happened...
Chicken a faint thought teased within his mind, making the silver grulla snort and flip the ears backwards.
Am not. Fear and caution are different things. He was answered by a mental laughter that made his tail flick in annoyance, knowing that the dragon had stopped listening. He grumbled to himself about it for a while, before returning to the problem at hand. To cross or not to cross, that was the issue.
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Credits
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Equine :: 17.1 :: 11 |
| ali |
S O L E I L
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
|
Gold shimmered delicately in the rays of sunlight that shone down on the mare. Her wounds from the Sun God had since healed, the burns of her back turning gold and taking on the delicate pattern of lacing. Her section of her mane where her neck had been burned had started to grow back, as well. Rather than grow back silvery white it was gold. She was not overly fond of the markings because of how she came about them, but neither did she hate them. They were simply markings, but she knew when she saw others with gold markings that they had been burned just as she had been. She considered herself one of the lucky ones for not having more burns than she did.
Carefully, Soleil moved away from the herd, having no desire to be anywhere amongst them. Ever since Paladin had beaten her mother out for the position of leader and had named her the Equine representative there had been bad vibe in the air. It left her feeling uncomfortable and not wishing to be around anyone there except for Paladin, but he was always busy. It was one of the things she disliked immensely about a position as leader. They had little, if any, time for one another. She'd, honestly, rather have someone else in her position because she didn't want to be leader any longer. Leading the Tides had been enough for her. She wanted to focus on her family now. Her sons were gone and her daughters had started lives of their own. She still had trouble believing that Ktulu had become a mother.
She wasn't old enough to be a grandmother.
Soleil sighed heavily as she continued walking, mindful of the rocky ground and holes that the burrowing animals would leave behind. He tail slapped against her flanks as she walked, mulling over the herd and her family. She needed to speak with Paladin when she saw him again and tell him that she still desired to have children even after the two sets of twins she'd had with him.
The mare breathed in then stopped, her head raising. The scent was one she hadn't smelled since she'd been but a foal in Isilme. Without a second thought the mare spurred herself into motion, only stopping again when she reached a clearing. "Lace!" She blurted his name out before she could even think about what she was doing, but there was no mistaking the stallion that had picked on her when she was a foal. No other horse she had met in her life had those same markings.
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Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
| Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5 |
| Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath
Chan |
LACE
Who, in his mind,
has not probed the dark water?
A warning sent through the bond woke the stallion from his thoughts and made him focus on the sound of hooves that steadily approached. The ears flattened against his neck as he warily crept backwards, intending to slip out of view of the pale horse that soon became visible. Honey colored eyes narrowed, taking in the steady built of the mare as well as the markings upon her gray hide; she seemed to have been involved with something recently, because parts of her mane were gone and patches of the coat on the back was shorter than the rest. He didn't linger on the fact that the regrowing hair had a different color than the rest of her. Markings and strange colors were nothing compared to the many strange things he had seen in his life, and a bit of hair wasn't going to matter much. Not even if gleamed and shimmered of purest gold in the light of the sun. Pretty, but useless in a fight.
He cursed to himself when it became obvious that she had spotted him, and as she suddenly came charging towards him the grulla steeled himself, dancing away from the trees with powerful, elegant strides to make moving easier. Was she going to attack, just out of nowhere?
Then her voice rang out and no amount of warning would have been enough to prepare him for what he heard. The stallion backed off, creating more space between them and snorted warily, eying the mare suspiciously. There was still a good distance between them, but somehow it didn't feel enough. How could she know his name?
"Yes?" he asked warily, ears still tucked backwards as he surveyed the ground that separated the two of them. It was a bad place to fight in, the footing was treacherous and the slope would put him in a disadvantage...
From the corner of his eye he saw Fajira come darting down, emitting a sharp sound in warning; fire frothed around her open jaws as she broke the dive and turned sharply, cutting the space between Lace and the stranger with her white little frame. She wouldn't let the flames out though, not unless her bonded told her to; they had fought in enough battles together to know a real threat when they saw one, and this was merely a warning not to approach carelessly.
"I don't think I know you" the stallion said, searching his mind for any memories of a gold marked mare. Nope, none. Nothing came to mind, but in a way it wasn't surprising. During the long years that had passed since he left his mothers side he had traveled long distances and encountered many horses; it wasn't unlikely that he was known by someone he couldn't recall.
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Credits
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Equine :: 17.1 :: 11 |
| ali |
S O L E I L
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
|
Soleil stopped when the stallion began to back away toward the treeline. Maybe this wasn't Lace. The Lace she knew would never retreat so quickly or without reason. The Lace she remembered from her childhood was mean, but he was confident in his abilities. He had been a warrior, not a coward. Her ears tilted back as she thought about it, only to have her attention drawn to a small white dragon that dove between them with flames licking its maw. She didn't remember Lace having a dragon, but it had been years since she had seen him last. A lot could happen over the years.
There was no surprise on her face when he finally said that he didn't think he knew her. How could she expect him to remember her when she had changed so drastically over the years. She'd gone from being pitch black as a foal to nearly white save for her legs. "You know me." She said, her head tilting slightly. "From Isilme."
She grew quiet for a moment and smiled. "You seem to be doing well, Lace. You're still really pretty." She wondered if he would remember that. It was one of the first things she'd told him when he was a foal only to have him take it the wrong way and shove her down into the sand. It made Soleil wonder what his reaction would be this time.
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Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
| Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5 |
| Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath
Chan |
LACE
Who, in his mind,
has not probed the dark water?
Black-laced ears twitched to catch her words and once more his eyes narrowed and looked her over in a scrutinizing, almost rude way. As always the mention of Isilme made the stallion flinch, the white tail flicked uncertainly. Really? That was indeed a long time ago. During that long a time many things could change, and it was even possible that she had disappeared completely from his mind. He consulted the white dragon that had begun to circle above them, keeping a watchful eye on the situation; she dug through her early memories as well, but nothing came up, and apparently Fajira couldn't find anything in his recollections either.
He drew a breath to deny any knowledge of her, when the teasing comment reached him and suddenly made him choke.
"Noooo... Impossible." He didn't care if it seemed threatening; with a short command he made Fajira stop the display and fall back behind him. Suddenly the slender equine moved from his spot, stretching the dark legs out in a smooth trot that quickly closed the distance between them. He didn't stop until he was close enough to touch the mare.
"It can't be" he exclaimed, even though the comment brought back a vague memory that proved beyond doubt that she was telling the truth. "Are you that little shrimp?" It was almost insulting, to think that the little foal that had pestered him during his patrols had grown into this stunning little thing - or not so little, actually, because even if he was loath to admit it, she was more than a full hand taller than himself at the withers.
Both voice and expression reeked of disbelief, he had to reach out the nose and nudge towards her shoulder to make sure that she really was there and not just a trick of the light. Clearly someone had to be messing with him, because this was just unbelievable.
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Credits
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Equine :: 17.1 :: 11 |
| ali |
S O L E I L
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
|
Soleil smirked as recognition dawned on the silver stallion. She had thought that those words would remind him of who she was. It was something that had been the innocent observance of a young foal that had been taken the wrong way by a stallion who should have known better. She remember well, his reaction to it. She remembered the bite of sand against young flesh and the pang of anger that it had sent through her body. She also remembersaded her father coming to her rescue. Never before had she seen him as angry as he was then. Aera, of course, had come as well and had told her that her and Lace's punishment would be patrolling the borders together.
What fun that had been.
One pale ear tilted back as Lace's disbelief continued to him calling her a shrimp. "That would be me." She said, though she was still unamused at being called a shrimp. "But it looks as though you're the shrimp now, Lace." The mare said before bumping the stallion's neck with her muzzle. "I never imagined you were so short." She teased the stallion goodheartedly.
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Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
| Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5 |
| Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath
Chan |
LACE
Who, in his mind,
has not probed the dark water?
Aaah, she just had to go there. Go ahead, rub it in, point out all the things that annoyed him and dangle it in front of his face. The ears of the stallion seemed to dance on top of the black masked head in pace with the exchanging emotions, eventually settling into a neutral position as a look of indifference claimed his face. If there was anything he had learned and become really good at between their past meeting and the present it was how to hide his emotions. The stallion was no longer a young fighter who allowed emotions to control his body, and he had matured enough not to let simple words make him loose control. The glance he gave the gray mare was patient and somewhat distant; a faint smile crossed over the ebony lips before he withdrew from her touch.
"It's something that runs in the family" he replied calmly, the head turning slightly to watch Fajira as she came flying towards them. The dragon was unusually quiet as she landed on his broad gray back; misty silver eyes scrutinized Soleil critically before turning away. Lace was stunned. Usually his bonded would take this opportunity to tease him, befriend the new horse, explore the surroundings and generally be a pain. He tried to prod her mind gently for an answer to the unusual behavior, but she shut him out with a force that had the grulla recoil from the shared mental space within their bonded souls. Puzzled he let her be, and returned the attention to Soleil; the exchange with the white dragon had only taken a moment, barely noticeable for someone who didn't know what to look for.
"What have you been up to since then?" he asked, genuinely curious about how the annoying little girl had managed to turn into this beautiful, mature lady. Time sure was playing games with him, and fate had a funny way of throwing the past into his face. Shifting the weight between his feet, Lace studied Soleil from beneath the relative shelter of the white forelock. Wonder if she remembered about his treason... if she knew, what would she think about it? He knew it shouldn't be allowed to bother him but it still did; old habits and guilty consciences didn't wear off easily.
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Credits
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Equine :: 17.1 :: 11 |
| ali |
S O L E I L
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
|
Blue eyes shifted to the white dragon that landed upon Lace's back and one ear tilted back at the very cold greeting she received from it. It seemed as though everyone had something against her and she hadn't done anything to anyone. Sometimes she wondered if her decision to leave the Oasis had been what pitted everyone against her. If that were the case then everyone that was angry needed to grow up or just get over it. The decisions she made in her life were for her happiness, not anyone elses. Why would she stay in a place where she had absolutely nothing? Terrador was gone and her only living son had been no where to be found. Her bother and parents were all gone. There had been nothing left for her in the Oasis, so why stay?
Soleil blinked and took a deep breath, drawing herself from her thoughts when Lace asked what she had been up to. "Not too much, lately." She admitted. "I became a warrior for the Tides before the sundering. I birthed two sons by Terrador." She didn't even know if Lace would remember Terrador. He'd just been another foal that would get on the older stallion's nerves.
"After the sundering I found that one of my sons had died and the other was missing with Terrador." It was still painful to talk about her youngest son's death. It sent a stab of pain and guilt through her heart that she had not been able to protect him, only comfort him in his last few minutes. "I became Tides leader. I bet you never thought that would happen." She forced a small smile as she thought back to the Tides, overrun by the Sect. She thought of the unicorn mare, Nyra, that had kidnapped her daughter. She could still see the blood that coated her legs and hooves. Blood that had belonged to a mare she had slain.
"I also birthed two daughters and two sons by Paladin the Valiant." Her smile became much less forced when she spoke of her children and her love. "My focus has been mostly on my family, but they're all growing up and leaving home. What about you, Lace?"
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Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
| Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5 |
| Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath
Chan |
LACE
Who, in his mind,
has not probed the dark water?
Strands of white silk swayed slowly by darkly painted hocks. Weight shifting between the strong legs, he remained quiet while she spoke and tried to imagine the hardships she must have been through. Again it felt as though guilt would overtake him, but this time it was of a different kind. If only he hadn't left Isilme when he did... It hadn't been from hatred that he sold out the herd, nor had it been the reason why he left the lands. Perhaps if he had been there, he would have been able to aid her somehow, lessened the pain. Soleil had been annoying to deal with as a foal, but he hadn't hated her either; only been too inexperienced to know how to deal with obnoxious children. He had been little more than a child himself at the time, with more pride then he could handle. Inwardly the stallion grimaced at the memory of how he had taken out his irritation on the small foal, pushed her into the sand. It wasn't something he was proud of. At that time Lace had reacted as if she was his own age and capable of defending herself, able to fight back. Of course she couldn't though, she had been so small, so innocent still. And look at her now. Those eyes he knew to glimmer of mischief and pride in herself was clouding over with sadness and pain as memories played out before her inner vision. He could almost see them himself, familiar as he was with the landscape around Isilme and some of the horses that lived within the herd.
He was surprised to hear about her relationship with Terrador, but didn't let it show as he nodded, making a brief pass at the revelation.
"I remember him. The son of Adalwulf, if I remember correctly... We fought each other once, and while he was young there was no lacking in power of bravery in him..." The grulla didn't mention that he had lost to the colt, and been relieved to do so; it might be one of the few times when a defeat had left him with only physical pain. Even now he looked back at the bout with gratitude rather than disappointment; how heavy would his burden not have been if he had won, and thus inflicted injury upon one he had promised to defend?
Clenching his teeth he forced his thoughts back to her tale, a story of love intermingling with loss until he wasn't sure how he was ever going to be able to respond. What could he say, who had no family save for Fajira, who had no children and no mate, hadn't lost anything but pride and faith in himself... In comparison he suddenly seemed so self centered that it almost choked him.
It was a relief when she mentioned Paladins name and he was allowed to react. This time his surprise shone through the emotionless mask; even Fajira shifted with a slight warble as they both remembered the tall black unicorn stallion they had met just after arriving to Helovia.
"Paladin you say?" he said and couldn't help a slight grin from tugging at the lips. "You have chosen a big one then, just like Terrador. I think I approve more to this one though; at least your current mate doesn't seem to hold that haughty I'm-better-than-you streak that seemed to ooze from the Valley." Of course he hadn't spoken with Paladin long enough to judge his character fairly, but the displeasure with which he had faced Delinne at the thought of her being a racist hinted quite strongly towards a more tolerant attitude. The simple fact that he had chosen Soleil as a mate was a strong indicator as well.
The smile faded slightly as the topic turned to himself, but Lace forced it to remain as he turned the head and gazed out across the landscape.
"Me? I have been travelling with Fajira. We left Isilme before the war of the Tides had ended, and I don't think I've stayed more than a season or two in any one place since then. The world outside Isilme is vast, Soleil... There is much to see, so many different cultures and faiths and ways of life that you wouldn't believe it, but somehow there is always strife. If it's not over food and water then it's over race, or land, or oppression. I've been fighting in countless wars, but no matter what I just couldn't find a reason good enough to justify all the suffering and death that followed in its wake."
A bitter grimace twisted the lips for a moment, before he forced the muscles to relax and turned to her with eyes shadowed by a tiredness that he really was too young to feel. "I'm glad that you have found a good mate. You deserve all the happiness you can find, little sun."
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Credits
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden
| Deceased |
| Mare :: Equine :: 17.1 :: 11 |
| ali |
S O L E I L
Does it have to start with a broken heart
Broken dreams and bleeding parts
|
Soleil nodded to Lace when he asked if Terrador was the son of Adalwulf. "Adalwulf had many children." She could only assume that trait had been the main one passed on from father to son. The desire to breed and produce as many foals as possible had been a strong one. It made her wonder if Terrador loved any of the mares he bedded or the foals he produced like he claimed he did. She laughed quietly. "There certainly wasn't a lack of bravery." She agreed. "But neither was there a lack of sex drive. There was a lack of faithfulness, though." Ultimately that had been what drove her off. She had always envied the relationship her parents had with one another. Her father had been faithful all his life to her. She had wanted that same thing.
Pale ears tilted forward as Lace began to pass judgement on Paladin and she was glad to hear that he was in favor of her love. "Paladin believes in equality among all." After everything that had happened in Isilme, the sundering, the wars, so many dying, it was easy to listen to his talk of equality. It was easy to fall for him and she had fallen hard. "Our herd, just like the Tides in Isilme, allows anyone to join who wishes to. We all live together peacefully." For the most part, anyway. There were still the few that lived with their heads shoved up their hind ends and desired supremacy for a certain species.
The mare became quiet as Lace spoke again, listening with rapt attention as he spoke of he land outside of Isilme and Helovia. She had always believed there was something else out there, but she'd never had the desire to leave until Isilme had become overrun with shadows. Crane had said it was vast, but she hadn't exactly believed him. Being his sibling she was more apt to thinking that he was exaggerating to make his adventures sound more grandiose than they actually were, but she could believe Lace. "Maybe one day I'll see for myself." More than likely not, unless Paladin wanted to travel with her.
Lace soon had her smiling once more. "I hope you find happiness, Lace." She said, reaching out to bump her muzzle against the stallion's neck. "Life is too long to live alone." She looked at the dragon then back at Lace. "But of course you have your beautiful dragon... I think you know what I mean, though."
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Lace the Silverthorn Posts: 459
| Deceased atk: 5 | def: 9 | dam: 5.5 |
| Stallion :: Equine :: 15.3 hh :: 14 HP: 65 | Buff: NOVICE |
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Fajira :: Plain White Dragon :: Fire Breath
Chan |
LACE
Who, in his mind,
has not probed the dark water?
He grinned wryly over her way of describing Terrador - and as much as he wanted to the stallion couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of satisfaction over how his former opponent had managed to loose the faith of this mare. Lace didn't know Soleil well, but it didn't take much looking to figure that she was quite the catch for any stallion - it would really take an egoistic mind to think that one could find better.
A faint breeze cooled the sun-kissed skin on his back. Black hooved legs carried him around slightly to allow the gentle embrace of the golden rays to fall over the shoulders, the whithers arching upwards almost unnoticeable from a faint sense of pleasure. He was itching to continue his exploration, but it was equally interesting to converse with this ghost from the past, who felt warm and real enough where she stood before him. Fajira listened quietly to their conversation and appeared to be dozing off in the beautiful day, the spade-tipped tail curling coyly against his side.
"It sounds like a dream" he mused out loud in response to her description of the Foothills. "Nothing like that would have been possible for long in Isilme, nor in many other places I've been to. I don't know what it is about the minds of our races, to judge so easily by appearance instead of more valuable aspects. Who cares whether you have horn and wings or not, really?" He shook his head in quiet exasperation over a mindset that he would never come to understand. It couldn't mean less to him whether someone was able to fly or carried a growth on their heads - it was all just appearance anyway. It made their battle tactics shift somewhat, but that was really it. No difference was made in how they loved, the wish for safety and home and a chance to enjoy each dawn without worry for the safety of yourself and those you loved. He would sooner start to look down on Fajira for having teeth and breathing fire - traits that he really found to be less charming about her even if it was handy in a pinch.
The White lifted her head slightly and gave him a soft warble in protest. This time it was his turn to just laugh and shrug it off, much like he laughed and waved off Soleil's talk about love and family with an amused fling of the head.
"I've never been much for that kind of relationship" he chuckles and grinned towards the younger mare with a faint glitter in the golden eyes. "Probably because I never stick around long enough to form any closer bonds. Fajira claims that there's something wrong with me though." He inclined the head towards the drowsy dragon on his back, the voice teasing in an attempt at engaging her into the conversation. The attempt fell flat however, as the winged lizards only reply was a slight pinch of his skin that made Lace flinch. Puzzled and increasingly annoyed by the odd behavior of his bonded, he shrugged it off and left her alone to sulk or whatever it was she was doing.
"I met a mare called Mirage upon arriving here" he continued, returning his attention to the gray lady with a thoughtful look. "She spoke about a group called the Qian, and half offered me to join up with them. Do you perhaps know any specifics about them?" Perhaps this was his chance to hear an outside opinion of the shadow mare and her collected family - so far the only thing he knew of was what she had told him, and the few points Paladin had mentioned upon their meeting. Lace was tempted to join them, tempted to follow the path of the black-and-gold dragon queen... But he needed to know more. Had to know more, so as not to race headfirst into something he wasn't prepared to handle.
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Credits
♦ Permission granted to use magic and violence on Lace and Fajira
♦ Only tag in new threads, spars and if it's urgent
The Store | The Warden
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