Rift met the emerald eyes of Naerys' mother with a sort of timid respect; he knew well how the concern of a mother could turn a simple worry into outright aggression. A small cough burst from the stallion's chest as his mind reached into the vault of memory and brought forth the worst night of his short life. It was as if the dust that had clouded his vision as his twins' bodies hit the canyon floor had clogged his lungs. Sucking in a breath and attempting to stay as visibly calm as possible, Rift fought back against the surging wave of memories that threatened to overturn his weak grasp on mental stability.

Blackfire had tried to kill his siblings, the ones not of her womb. She had tried to kill his last remaining ticket away from the bloodwashed canyon of his creation.

Rift felt sick, a pressure building within his stomach and causing his eyes to water. There were voices floating around him, distorted spectres crawling about the grass and mist, their words oozing from their mouths like molasses. Where was he? Jewelled eyes searched frantically for something solid, something real, and found purchase on a figure tucked beneath his wing. Tilting his head and studying the frail creature, Rift was unable to understand who it was. One moment, Avarice was standing next to him, nestled up to his side and prattling on about how she would meet her father some day. The next second, the split bodies of Felony and Morphine replaced the vision, their eyes hard and unforgiving; they knew what he had done on the eve of their murder. They knew who was truly to blame for their grisly demise.

He struggled not to choke on the guilt that filled his throat, his belly, shoving the air out of his lungs to create more room for the swirling mass of regret and pain. Rift forced his eyes to shut, to block out whatever was taking hold of him. Slowly, reality seeped back in, birdsong and the crash of waves upon cliffside gently coaxing the stallion out of his untimely episode. At the sound of Naerys' voice so near, Rift risked opening his eyes once more and found that the world had returned to it's natural state, the sun shining blithely as if nothing had happened.

... Thank you for walking me home, I promise I'll come visit you.  

A sweet smile and a gentle nudge on his cheek later and the child was gone, back to the embrace of her mother and the World's Edge. A relieved sigh blew from his chest as he finally saw the lanky filly home safe. With a nod, Rift saw that the young bird that had so inquisitively studied him throughout their journey was watching him, onyx eyes unblinking and seeming to emanate some message that Rift was unable to decipher. He settled for a soft, Goodbye, little friend. Watch her well, she has a reckless soul.

Giving a reverent bow to the girl's mother, Rift then looked on to the golden woman and her lizardlike companion. He noted the annoyance in the woman's face and the tension in her stance, she must have spoken to him while he had been lost. What with her blatant disrespect and unrelenting suspicion, the sorrel stallion decided to take a card from his own mother's hand and play the part the Edger expected of him. He flashed her a joker's grin, as curled and rogueish as he could muster, before giving a wink and ruffling his impressive plumage.

Every inch the scoundrel she thought he was.

Pity, darling, his voice held an uncharacteristic luster, a sort of sass foreign to his disposition, It seems you left such an insignificant impression that I didn't hear a word of what you said. Poor thing, there's still hope for you though. Wryness took over his faux-pompous air and mischief sparked within his pupilless eyes, Get out and see the world, dear, you'd be surprised at how travels can help you understand what a bore you are.

With a flip of his fiery mane and a sassified pivot, Rift strutted into the trees past his herdmates, barely managing to hold back the raucous laughter that filled him.