we are one in the same
you take all of the pain away

They ran towards one another, joys alight like fires in their hearts to have reunion so close at hand. Though Cera held great bitterness for abandonment, he could not hold it against the dove. She'd never grown close enough to him to have made the pain anything more than the sad awareness that once again Cera had failed to keep someone at his side. Though he'd missed her greatly, he could not condemn her. Nor would he push to understand the reasoning behind her disappearance. Privacy was something Cera did not have a particularly great amount of, considering what an open book he was, but it seemed others held great respect for it. It was easier not to insult her than risk it.

The Prince sank into her touch with gratitude, reacquainting himself with the scent of her, the uniqueness that all carried and that Cera held great appreciation for. She was home at last. Cera prayed that Gaucho had been reunited with her as well, that her presence would only improve the mood of the man Cera cared for so much. "It's so good to see you again," he agreed, bubbling with warmth and care for the tender woman. She'd helped guide his hand on many projects, had taught him more than any other absent Forger had. It was she who had helped inspire his genius, given it form and life. Even if she were not a kind and homely soul, Cera would love her for that nonetheless. The world was too cruel for someone like Sohalia to live inside it, and Cera idly wondered sometimes if she'd suffered similar fates to the ones he'd had to hurdle. Not that Cera believed he was above his sins. Self esteem was not on the boy's list of virtues.

Sohalia easily directed his attention, vacillating though it always was, to Mesec and the boy's plight. Cera smiled kindly, understanding of the problems the moon boy faced. "My sister has the same problems. I'll ask her how she handles it, perhaps I can help you find a way to beat the heat!" Mentally making a note to inquire as to Ranjiri's methods of dealing with the desert with her own onyx hide, Cera's smile instead turned soft - understand. The boy was unsure, clearly hesitant of his belonging in the Throat. He is so much like you, Ilaria murmured across their link. Uncertain, out of place. Cera could not help but to agree, seeing something old of himself reflected in the silver pools of Mesec's gaze.

"But there can be no shadows without sunlight," Cera pointed out gently, hoping Mesec would understand the metaphor for what it was - you belong here just as much as I do. "It will always become easier with time," Cera agreed. All of it. Time mended as many wounds as Cera had ever known in his life. Of course, though Cera adored company, it never seemed to seek him out without desiring something in return. So he waited patiently as it was revealed, as it was always wont to do.

Ah, but what a wonderful reason for once!

Cera's excitement would have exploded out of his own skin were it possible, and the Prince perked up at the mere idea of interest in his field. "Never too busy for someone interested in crafting!" he chirped, wings trembling with restrained eagerness. "Come, I'll show you," he breathed, turning with a bright smile and practically skipping back to where Ilaria was keeping careful watch over the clay blueprints. Waiting until the pair had followed, Cera pointed out the very center of the piece. "This is the well. I crafted it last season, and though it still needs a top and a way to haul the water out, it's full and prepared for use." Of course, that would need some explanation as well. "You see, the Throat is the largest target for drought, and our only source of drinkable water is the Oasis. I've always feared it drying up someday, though I doubt the God of the Sun would allow that to happen for long. Still, I wanted another source of water - and with how massive the Throat is, if anyone was dehydrated it could be too late by the time they reached the Oasis." Brow crinkled into a frown, merely imagining the disasters that the Throat had somehow gracefully avoided. They'd never stopped plaguing Cera, even when they never happened. Because they still could.

"The irrigation system is meant to solve that. It's shallow, half of a metal tube that is just above the sand and raised on small intermittent, half-square poles. They reflect in the sun and moon alike, so bumping into them wouldn't be a problem, and they're low enough for foals to walk over. They would all connect to the well, maybe even more than one. The irrigation system itself would be like a loop, eventually all of it connecting back up so that any water would be reused - since it's fresh water, we don't want to waste it by dumping it into saltwater that we can't drink." Realizing he was rambling on, Cera cleared his throat a little shyly and turned to smile at the pair. "It would greatly improve the hydration of our herd, and any droughts would be more than capable of being dealt with since the well water is found underground where the heat can't reach." Gazing out eagerly across the sands, Cera's golden primaries flexed and trembled with excitement.

"I was thinking in the future we could even team up with the Basin for their cloth, and make coverings to keep the water from evaporating as quickly with the heat. It would be nice shade too. But I've yet to figure out all the flaws in that plan." Finally he settled his emeralds on Mesec, glowing from the inside out. This was what he loved to do, what his purpose was. And he liked to think that he excelled at it. "For me, crafting isn't just about making armor, or random items. They may be bigger projects, and they may take more time, but all my crafts have always helped the herd just as much as any healer can help a single equine. It's what I love to do. Keeping your herd safe doesn't have to come from violence," Cera noted a bit quietly, mind flashing to Midas and all the invasions he'd had to see the Gallant run off to.

@[Sohalia] && @[Mesec]