Silence filled her ears as she walked across the Meadow once more. Last time she was here, she had met two stallions - Lace and Paladin. Though she was not sure that she had overcome her disgust of stallions, she kind of still liked those two. It was something about them that made her comfortable.
The mare immediately thought of Fajira, the small dragon that Lace had brought with him. She's never been afraid of dragons since she'd never seen one before, and the small female hadn't scared her.
She smiled to herself, and continued walking. The unicorn was heading for the river once more, just because she was thirsty. It was a long way from the Edge to here, but it was worth it.

The mare saw the river in front of her, and sped up to reach the river. Her black mane and tail were dancing if as they were playing with the invisible foals of the wind, touching every corner of the air around her. The horn in her forehead shone as always, even though the sunlight should've made her horn shine in it's natural color - black.
But no, no.. That irritating purple light would always make her someone strange, someone who everyone talked about - not in a good way though.

'Sometimes I just wish that my mother had birthed a normal foal with a normal horn... Or maybe not birthed at all.' The depressing thoughts filled the mare's head, and she sunk her head into the water. It looked welcoming, as if the water had been waiting for her.
Slowly, she started to calm her thirst, and stood with somewhat spread legs to keep her balance.
Maybe she looked ridiculous, but who the hell cared about that? She was alone, and nobody saw her. That's the most important thing.

Word count: 305
OOC: -

Walk, walk, walk.
"Talk, talk, talk."
Think, think, think.

The silence over the meadow felt foreboding and ominous. Maybe it was nothing more than the overheated imagination of a soldier tired of fighting pointless battles, or maybe the approaching war really was the avantgarde of some greater struggle. Either way, Lace was reluctant to take part in it even though he probably should. It weighed on his mind, the debt of gratitude he had taken upon himself and it itched to be repaid. He had a great opportunity to do so now, but still the stallion hesitated. He lingered restlessly on the Meadow that had become his favorite haunt since the arrival to Helovia, strolling without goal across the vast plain in an attempt at keeping the feet from heading towards the north. The war drums called to him, resounded within his very soul; he wished to deny it but battle was what he had been trained for, it was what he knew.

Snorting sharply he tossed the head in annoyance over the adrenaline that unbidden seeped into his blood. Perhaps if he cooled his head he would be able to resist the call, maybe the water of the river could wash away the illusionary scent of blood he thought to smell upon the wind. With sharp strides that smacked into the earth he moved towards the stream of liquid silver that coursed through the meadow and without slowing down he plunged out into the cold water. Droplets cascaded high into the air as the liquid embraced him, and for a moment he had to struggle to breathe as the chill squeezed the air from his lungs. It was deep, torrents tugged at his hooves and threatened to pull them away from beneath him - and perhaps it would be for the best. If he ceased to exist then perhaps no more horses would fall for his hooves, no more sadness would spread from him and a small shred of peace could be restored to the world...

Fajira didn't agree with him though, and with a sharp warble she circled around his head and forced the stallion to return towards shallower ground. Even as he heaved up onto the shore once more with water running off him in droves she didn't want to calm down, and it didn't matter how many times he reassured her that he wasn't actually trying to kill himself.
"Please Fajira calm down" he said out loud, eyes trying to follow the fast flight of the White as she buzzed around his head like an oversized fly. "If I wanted to die I would choose a more becoming way than to drown myself. You of all should know that, since you continuously claim that I'm too vain to leave an ugly corpse behind.." He shook his head to remove the water that dripped from the white forelock, annoyed over the way it plastered against his face; as he turned to look back out over the river he noticed a somewhat familiar horse not far away, and couldn't help but smile faintly at the sight of the glowing horn and the oddly markings that covered the large unicorn.

"Delinne!" he called out, hoping to draw her attention - if he hadn't already with the ruckus he had created. "It's nice to see you again, what brings you all the way here?"

Dell was deep in her thoughts as she drank the cold water. A war was coming - she knew it, but she also knew that it wouldn't begin just yet. Would she participate? Maybe. She closed her eyes and raised her muzzle right above the water to breath. She may be useful in case someone tried to steal one of their members again.
Though she felt guilty about their doctor - d'Artagnan. The Throat had stolen him, and she didn't even know anything about it until it was too late. But she had been doing her job with the mystical stallion Deimos.

A sigh left the black mare's lips, and she sunk her black muzzle into the water once more. She loved her rank in the herd, it made her feel important. In her father's herd, she had been nothing at all except for the pathetic daughter of a leader. Bullied, disliked, raped... She was nothing.
Now, she's one of the two who kept herdmembers from being stolen. Galloping hooves made the mare wake up from her thoughts, and aware of the fact that someone was coming towards the river. But she didn't care enough to raise her head and see who it was.

Delinne continued drinking, and just as she was done a voice called her name.
"Delinne!"
The mare turned her head towards the voice, and saw a grullo stallion standing there. Didn't she know that stallion from somewhere...? Then she saw the spiderweb-like marking on his face, and grinned.
"Lace!", she called, and started to move towards the equine. She laughed in joy of finding someone familiar, and not a stranger. The Friesian looked at him, observing him with two blue orbs.

"It's nice to see you again, what brings you all the way here?"
She stopped laughing, and smiled with her whole face.
"My question is; What are you doing here? It's nice to see you as well.", she said and looked at him. He was taller than her, but not as muscular build - so they seemed equally big as they stood in front of each other. The mare saw the little Fajira flying over his head, and smiled even wider before she turned her eyes to the grullo again.

"To answer your question, I'm just here to calm down a bit and have a cold drink. I'm happy to see you, Lace." The mare nudged the stallions neck, and laughed a bit. She still couldn't understand that he was here with the little lovable dragon.

Word count: 421
OOC: Fantasy overload o__o

Walk, walk, walk.
"Talk, talk, talk."
Think, think, think.

If he was surprised by the sudden warmth of the mare he had thought to be shy and withdrawn, it didn't show on the stallions face. He simply returned the nudge against his neck with a breath of warm air against her own nape, before retreating just a little to reclaim some personal space. A smile twisted the sooted lips as he felt Fajira's mood brighten at the greeting of the unicorn; with a warble she landed on the sturdy whithers of the lady, her weight barely noticeable and the sharp claws careful not to pierce the sleek skin.

"I asked first" he teased gently, nodding only when she had revealed the reason for her stay in the area. A bit of cold water and solitude, it seemed a good enough reason; but did she really have to come so far just to get water? Lace had never been to the Edge and didn't know anything about the terrain, but it seemed unlikely that a herd would choose to make a home of a terrain that couldn't withstand a siege. That meant they needed water and access to grazing... Ah well, it had little to do with him where she chose to replenish herself.

"I've been doing pretty much the same thing" he told her, the answer vague but not so much that it required further inquisition. He didn't wish to talk about the approaching invasion, partly because it felt like betraying Mirage to speak of things she had told him in confidence, and partly because the two of them might end up on different sides of the battlefield. Heck, they might even turn out to have to fight one another, and Lace had no desire to warn a potential enemy about his participation. But, well.. It wasn't decided yet, and for now he welcomed the small respite.

The grulla moved away from the horned mare and shook the water away from the silvery coat, not bothered by the dampness so much as he found it unsightly to be dripping in front of the lady. He listened as the dragon chattered loudly to Delinne, complaining about how much trouble he had been causing his bonded since last time they met. He wasn't sure if the birdlike speech was enhanced by mental voice or not; sometimes his souls light and guide chose to address other than himself, but it never showed and he never knew when she was going to do it or not.

"Don't listen to her" he gruffed with an affectionate look towards the White. "She lies without hesitation, that one, whenever she thinks it will suit her purposes." The cobwebbed nose reached down and scratched against a foreleg, before the stallion returned the honey-colored eyes to the stocky mare. "How do you like it in the Edge, lately? You seem more comfortable now than when I saw you last time." He hoped that she had found some friends. It was rough to be alone, he knew from past experience.

The unicorn watched Lace as he backed away after replying the nudge with a warm breath, and snorted quietly. She saw this stallion as a friend, but not someone to rely on. Who knew who he really was?
Dell watched as the stallion shook off the water on his coat, and whilst he did that the little dragon came to her.
She imagined that Fajira tried to complain, but she couldn't understand a word of what she said. The mare laughed, and lowered her muzzle to the white female.
"I understand how you feel, Fajira.", she whispered and smiled at her. The she raised her head again and looked at the dragon's bonded.

"Don't listen to her. She lies without hesitation, that one, whenever she thinks it will suit her purposes."
The mare giggled a bit, and looked at Fajira. That sweet thing, lying? It wouldn't be hard for her though. She was as adorable as you could be, and Delinne had a hard time staying on a fair distance from her. The blue orbs turned to the grullo stallion.
"You say? She doesn't look like a lier to me." The unicorn raised a 'brow and smiled. His next words made her slung her head and snort a little.

"How do you like it in the Edge, lately? You seem more comfortable now than when I saw you last time."
Well, of course she felt more comfortable. She felt more like home than ever. If you even could call the place she was born at a home, filled with rapists and bullies and blood...
"Well, of course I seem more comfortable because I certainly feel comfortable. The Edge is my home, and I feel it more than before now. Even though I haven't met all of the herd-members, the one's I've met were rather friendly." Her spoken words were spoken with truth, and she meant it with every piece of her pumping heart.

Word count: 323
OOC: So sorry :c

Walk, walk, walk.
"Talk, talk, talk."
Think, think, think.

A sharp snort announced a mild annoyance with how the two ladies were teaming up on him. Sooted ears folded backwards slightly as he gave the dragon and the unicorn a glare - though the edge was taken off by a gleam of amusement within the honey-colored eyes. He had to hold back a faint smirk when he felt it tugging on the corners of the mouth, and shook the head violently once more to get rid of some more water. If it happened to splash over the women in the process, it would just be a plus.

When Delinne replied with certainty in her voice and spoke of how much she liked it in the Edge, his amusement nearly died out completely. Lace was quiet for a while, the gaze trailing off towards the grassy horizon. He couldn't tell her what was about to happen. Did she know that her home soon would be faced with invasion, and that he might be one of the enemies charging the borders? Maybe, maybe not. At least, if she knew then he doubted that the horned femme would stand there and chat with him so casually.

"It's good that you've been treated well" he mumbled. If only that could be the case for everyone, whether they had horns or not... Judging by what he'd heard from Paladin there were plenty of racist ideals sprouting in the Edge, and he had a suspicion that it was at least part of the reason why Mirage was intent on having that particular land. It was sad, really, to know that not everyone would be able to get along no matter how you twisted and turned.

A warble from Fajira soon brought his mind back to the present situation, and with a smile the stallion pushed the grim thoughts to the back of his mind. He watched with a grin how Delinne doted on the dragon, thought that he noticed a longing expression in the eyes of the unicorn.
"If you only knew" he replied dryly to the subject of Fajira's silvery tongue. "But how about you, Delinne? I think a bond would suit you well, and it is certainly a good way of never feeling alone. I have heard that the Gods of this land is rather present; perhaps they would be able to help you find something." His own prayers hadn't been answered, but in afterthought perhaps it hadn't been necessary. Mirage had been able to lighten his load considerably, and while he couldn't swear that it had anything to do with the noble deities, it felt like too much of a coincidence to dismiss. Maybe their silence had been a way of helping him, in a better way than any answer would have sufficed to do.

When she heard the tone in Lace's voice it confused Dell a bit. But she didn't go any further with it, in case it was her imagination only. He had sounded like it wasn't really a good thing, only worrying.
The mare lowered her head a bit and looked at the white dragon beneath her.
'I wonder what it's like to have such a bond with an animal, mythical or not,' she thought, fascinated by Fajira.
She seemed so innocent, somehow, but maybe it was a part of her defense. Dell would never be able to attack her, anyways. The little companion had caught her heart in a way she haven't felt before.

The sound of words made the mare look up, right into two golden eyes.
"But how about you, Delinne? I think a bond would suit you well, and it is certainly a good way of never feeling alone."
She snorted, though not very loudly, and tilted her head a bit. Bond? With an animal? Dell glanced at Fajira again. It wouldn't be so bad with a little companion by her side, one to talk with when she was alone.
But what kind of companion? Would a dragon fits her as well as it seemed to fit Lace?
The rest of the stallion's sentence made her aware that he wasn't done with his speaking.
"I have heard that the Gods of this land is rather present; perhaps they would be able to help you find something."

The Friesian almost felt like laughing. She had been at the Veins once to ask for magic - but she already knew how that went. She had been asked to come back next season.
"Lace, I don't know if I should. I mean, I asked for magic half a season ago. And it feels like they don't want me there yet."
Her voice was a bit unsteady, and she cleared her throat.
She wouldn't be able to go to the Veins until Frostfall, which didn't attract her that much.


Word count: 338
OOC: -

Walk, walk, walk.
"Talk, talk, talk."
Think, think, think.

The stallion smiled and shrugged a little with the gray shoulders. "It is up to you to decide, of course. Only, I don't think you need to brood too much over not being answered on your first try. I was denied as well when visiting the Veins. If anything, I suppose they wish to test the resolve of the one who seeks their aid. They can gift great powers after all, and it's not something one should receive lightly."

His head dipped low, lips napping at a patch of grass while he allowed the words to sink in. It wasn't that he wanted to persuade Delinne into something, but rather that he wished to reassure her of the goodwill of the gods. He'd had reasons to doubt too, but the more he mulled it over the more Lace came to the conclusion that they never meant harm, and didn't act out of malice. Not even the flames of the Sun god that had scorched his hide had done permanent damage - he had been blessed with healing right away too, and among the silvery strands he now sported gilded patterns. Wasn't that a gift in itself?

Still, he could absolutely understand the hesitation of the horned mare. He shared it, the feeling of not wanting to be a bother and a suspicion that it would be better the less he had to do with the Divine Ones. He respected them, more than he had with any other deity in any land so far, but it didn't mean he was ready to start praying on a daily basis.

Taking the time to chew the course grasses, the white-maned soldier eventually swallowed and offered the mare a slightly wry grin.
"Anyway.. Where do you hail from, originally?" he asked, sporting a casually curious gleam in the molten eyes. "I've traveled extensively in my life, perhaps I may have heard of your homeland or even been there myself."

Lace's opinon made her think a little extra. Maybe she should try to go anyways. Maybe someday. She watched as he started to graze and let his words sink into her thoughts.
"It is up to you to decide, of course..." Yes, it was her decide. But he had bigger effect on her then he might think. Even with this in her thoughts, she hesitated. She just had to think about it a bit more.
The mare snorted slightly and looked down on the grass. The Orangemoon had made a big effect on the colors around them, making the grass yellow and the leaves red, orange and yellow.
She lowered her head and took a bunch of straws from the ground, and let the moment replay in her head.
"If anything, I suppose they wish to test the resolve of the one who seeks their aid..."
Would she have to go through a quest?

Dell had never done a quest before. It hadn't been needed in her homeland. There hadn't been any Gods that ruled over them, that you would go to if you wanted something or someone. There had only been the Kings and their Queens... Her father had been the Prince of one of the Kings. Had.
They had deported him from the Royal Family, forcing him into forming his own herd in the dark part of the land. The mare sighed deeply. Her father had been given a horrible life, and he had passed it on to her.
She saw how Lace moved in the corner of her eye and she raised her head, still chewing.

His voice was clear and the question made her wonder if he could read thoughts. She had just thought about it!
"Anyway.. Where do you hail from, originally?"
Dell eyed the equine and smiled a bit. He could be sure to receive the same question.
"Well, Lace.. I derived from Dixtrod, which isn't that far from here." She took a step closer. Somehow it felt like she needed to be close to tell this.
The mare sighed, and looked into his golden eyes.
"You may have heard of the land, but I'm pretty sure that you haven't been inside the borders. The Kings wouldn't allow an... Excuse me for saying this - they wouldn't allow an equine." She hated that she said that, but it was true. Only horns and wings were allowed, and any soul without those features were either chased away or killed.
"Where do you hail from, Lace?," she asked and tilted her head slightly.


Word count: 427
OOC: -

Walk, walk, walk.
"Talk, talk, talk."
Think, think, think.