Do I dare
Disturb the universe?
Stripped bare of bravado, thrust into the tree-lined artery of the new world, Aoide picked her way slowly, slowly through the trees. The leaves were full and fresh and harmonized a quiet cacophony with the wind. Away, clear back across the grove, a tree trunk moved and groaned a low and looming knell. She was not far: the low hum of other voices, barely audible, mixed with the forest’s sounds.
Hidden in the dappled half-light of the trees, Aoide allowed herself to pause and, briefly, to tremble.
There was much at stake. She did not know much, but this she knew. She knew it in the veins that pulsed riotously against her throat, in her skin seared by the lightest touch of air. Now, in the murky humidity of half-morning, her eyes gleamed wide and dark, hooded by the bone-white of her blaze. They looked like drowning.
When she turned her head the fear was gone. It had never been.
The high stockings of her legs glinted beneath the underbrush as she moved. As she neared the heart of the Threshold it became impossible to divorce her from her surroundings. Her coat was a vivid chestnut, red licked with gold. Or perhaps that was the sun, filtered through leaves. She basked in it. There is no beauty without juxtaposition. She wore her blaze across her muzzle and under her chin like a mask.
There was a sudden break in the trees. Her hazel eyes regarded the clearing mildly. At any moment they would melt into the soft cream of her blaze. She was aware now of the others gathered at the edge of the trees. She could just make out their shapes. Her neck craned and she lifted her pale nose into the air. Perhaps she had known all along.
“Hello,” Aoide offered to everyone and no-one all the same. Her voice was youthful and high. She braided it into the wind.
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stars in your multitudes, scarce to be counted. filling the darkness with order and light.
You are the sentinels. silent and sure. keeping watch in the night.
Naked tail swished back and forth, furry plum brushing against the soft grass. The apparition of a beautiful mare weaved through the trees with a subtle bliss. She clung to the shadows that spread across the land. A small smile lifted her lips despite the pain she still suffered from the dreadful boils that covered her skin. The pale maiden carried herself with grace that contradicted the illness that dared ruin her flawless form. She refused to acknowledge them, especially when the sent of an unknown had crossed her nostrils. If the Threshold had brought a new soul to this realm she would see to their welcoming.
A youthful voice tickled her ears. Within moments a golden gaze caught sight of the striking equine mare. "Greetings." her voice chimed back with a silky texture. Nuray stepped somewhat out of the shadows, albeit letting the blanket hide the open boils. She didn't dare get close in fear of spreading this disease onto the newcomer. "My name is Nuray, a resident of the World's Edge." She bowed her elaborate crown in greeting.
"Are you new to these lands?" she asked, head tilted slightly to the side. "If so then let me be the first to welcome you to Helovia. I must be honest and say that your timing is most unfortunate." Nuray paused. She did not wish to sugar coat the situation at hand. "Portals to a land called the Rift have been opening and bringing with it corrupt gods and disease." Her head flicked to her bubbling red spots as evidence. "Which explains my currently.. unpleasant appearance. However, we have been routing these demons."
"Perhaps you did not wish to know this." Nuray shrugged. "But I thought it was best if you were prepared before stumbling into something unsettling. Please do not think of this as a scare tactic, only honest wishes to keep your purity untainted." Others would question her tactics of recruitment - if that was what she was truly trying to do - but her voice was genuine. "If I may be so bold to ask.. what is your name, darling?" Ah, yes. Pleasantries. Much less interesting than the happenings of the world.
"Talk?"
ooc welcome to helovia!
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A smile spread over Aoide’s pale lips like honey, slow-moving and saccharine-sweet. “Nuray,” she repeated, voice full of wonder. The name filled her mouth and twisted across her tongue. It tasted exotic, like a wild spice. Like the mischevious fae that she had heard about from the storytellers back home. Like hope.
Through the umbrage, Aoide could just barely discern the outline of her thin-haired companion. Nuray’s two spiraled horns caught a ray of sunshine and glinted. They were menacing and breathtaking and perfect. Aoide came from a barren land, godless and devoid of magic. She had heard of unicorns and pegasi in stories and she had always wondered what they looked like. If they smelled differently. Talked differently. Moved with an alien grace. As a filly, Aoide dreamed the same dream every night. She dreamed that she was playing in a field, running, when feathered chestnut wings burst from her sides. It hurt but she kept going. The field turned into a hill but the grade was too steep and she started to stumble. She closed her eyes, braced for impact. When she opened them she was flying.
Aoide stepped closer.
“You are beautiful,” she said, although she could hardly see. She had seen enough.
She listened intently, trying to soak up the information about war and disease. Her eyes glowed as Nuray spoke. It seemed to Aoide that right as Nuray mentioned her ‘unpleasant appearance,’ the light shifted. The red boils gleamed proudly in the sun. For a second Aoide looked at them, intrigued. If Aoide was afraid, it was impossible to tell. Back home horses died of boring things, she supposed. Of cougars and packs of wolves. Imagination did not suffice.
“Thank you,” she offered, shifting her focus back to Nuray’s eyes. “It is always better to know, I think.”
Her expression softened. She wanted to reach out to Nuray, to comfort her. She imagined that a creature thus inflicted might be quite lonely. But she didn’t want to intrude.
“Do they hurt much?” she offered instead. Aoide was beautiful, hauntingly so, with her long white-dipped legs and bone-mask blaze. It was easy to forget that she was three, just barely old enough to have left home. But the question reflected her youth and a brashness she might one day outgrow.
A moment later, as an afterthought almost: “My name is Aoide. It really is a pleasure.”
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ooc / thank you! :)
@Nuray
stars in your multitudes, scarce to be counted. filling the darkness with order and light.
You are the sentinels. silent and sure. keeping watch in the night.
You are beautiful. Surprise shook the pure maiden. She hesitated. Was this female, whom was beautiful in her own right, jesting? Her golden eyes scrutinized the newcomer but there were no signs of underlying messages or sarcasm. A smile graced her face once again. "Thank you. As are you." Nuray matched honesty with her own. Although an equine, which some may consider plain, this mare had colors that made such bold statements that it was neigh impossible to ignore.
The ability to accept the facts and not flat out reject them was a handy one. Understanding a situation was better than turning a blind eye to it. "I believe the same." It was a sign of wisdom. "Ignorance is far from bliss for me." She chuckled quietly to herself. The lady of purity could not handle not knowing anything about a situation because it meant she wasn't in control. So she was like the moon, always subtly observing amongst the shadows.
"I would be lying if I said they didn't." Her question brought her thoughts back to the boils that bled and oozed out puss. Almost immediately she wished to hide back in the darkness but she forced herself to remain still. She would not let this bloody disease force her into submission. "However the winds have whispered of a cure." A boil popped and she winced. Heavens she couldn't wait to get rid of these ugly little monsters.
"No, darling, the pleasure is mine. This conversation has been a delight compared to some of the more.. thicker headed individuals." Surely she could think of better words for these bone heads but Nuray decided it was best to hold her tongue. Still her mind drifted to those that had dared to attack her Goddess and her hair stood on edge. "If you seek asylum, I can escort you to the World's Edge." Safety and assurance was something everyone sought in some way or another. "If you do not wish to join you do not have to, but it would be much safer than wandering these woods alone. If you do not like what you see then you are always free to leave and explore the other herds."
"Talk?"
ooc <3
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