He laughed, but as she spoke the smile faded gradually until a serious, almost pained expression was all that remained. The stallion closed his eyes and let out a long, quiet sigh. Of course Nyx had told him about the invasion, but it was as though he hadn't fully understood the extent of it until now. Nothing ever made war as real as hearing the tales of suffering from a victim in person, and Dröm's tale was as grim as many he had heard.
"I'm sorry" he said quietly. "It must have been hard on you."
Of course, that should go without saying. Just looking at her dejected expression re-kindled an old ache in his chest, a familiar taste of guilt he'd carried around so long that it had become a part of him. If he had gone back to the Edge, if he had stayed when Kahlua asked him to, if he had only been there! Maybe this wouldn't have happened. The war, the pain, all of the blame thrown this way and that. What Mirage had started with the Qian had been toppled and destroyed, the peace crumbled and its members scattered by the wind. It seemed no more than a dream now, those precious years of tranquil calm, a fools hope and wishes...
Well. Then let him be a fool, because he would not stop dreaming.
"I know it might be hard to believe after all you have seen" Lace said, turning those warm golden eyes upon the young mare, "but the World's Edge used to be a much different herd. Once it had leaders that were kind and strong, leaders that loved peace and dreamed of balance. A fight for equality amongst all was what drove them to action, but they never longed for war."
He had always known that, even though at times Mirage had made him doubt her intentions. Why hadn't he understood that a dragon could never sit idly by while her weyr was under attack?
"I wish I could return to those days" he nearly whispered, old pain lacing visibly through his very being. "But it seems I'm the only one left who still remember what we stood for..."
He tried to smile at her again, but it came out as no more than a grimace. If only there had been more of them around, if only he'd forged stronger bonds with the rest of the Qian. Now it seemed that everyone he loved were gone.
Strange, how similar they were at that moment, she and him.
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