Winds that stung the hide and a growing chill enveloped the two as they began their travel to the warm sands of the Throat. It was going to be a long journey but one that was more than worth its troubles. Granted, Isara could have easily flown all the way there, but Misael was wingless and she had decided long ago that just barging back into the herd land uninvited might prove to be a seriously flawed plan. Besides she rather enjoyed walking over flying unlike many Pegasus. Maybe that stemmed from her being born and raised for nearly a year underground or maybe it was just the way that she was.

As they traveled, Misael seemed more than happy to update Isa on what had all occurred during her absence. Fights between the gods, and invasion, new lands, and changes of some leadership within the Throat itself. My had a lot changed. It was almost overwhelming for her to try to absorb every last detail he shared. But it was also upsetting. A fight between gods? Where was she when this took place? How did the Lord Sun fare? Guilt washed over her as she felt like she should have been there to support her chosen deity. She felt like she should have done something besides gallivant around in the outside world searching for someone who obviously didn’t want to be found. Concern covered her face like a poster plastered to a wall – obvious and readable – though when she noticed Misael looking back at yet again she forced a faint smile upon her lips and tried her best to hide her concern. After all he seemed concerned enough that she might disappear at any second, which was definitely not going to happen.

Then his voice rings out against a silence that was beginning to wail against the mind like a new born babe. Shrill and discomforting. But what Mikael had asked was not exactly what Isara was expecting to hear from anybody…or at least… not from anybody so soon was more so the case. She had figured her reasons for departure would have been some sort of taboo until she had at least settled in some. And in response to this surprise Isara’s chocolate and cream body suddenly stopped and her expression though muddled was turned to the ground off to her side. She was originally at Misael’s side but quickly began to fall behind from her pausing.

A semi ring of small crystals began to grow from the ground as her emotions fluctuated within herself. She didn’t want to lose control so with noticing the blue green and black iridescent crystals she began to recollect herself causing the growth of the labradorite to cease, but what was already there remained.

“I’m afraid to understand my reason would require a story of long proportions,” she slightly whispered out to Misael to start off before she paused and sighed giving in to his curious manner, “But I guess there is time to tell it.”

After all, the Throat was still a ways off. So slowly but surely Isara told Mikael about how she was born a prisoner underground. Told him about the radical equines who tortured, tormented, and killed. Told him about her escape and how she watched her mother be killed. Told him about how she arrived to Helovia originally and the stallion that had taken her in as if she were his own. And then told him about all the good things that happened with Hector. The lessons on how to hold her gigantic wings. The lessons on how to run and be aware of her surroundings. All the good times. Her voice faltered as she drew near to explaining exactly why she had left and she had to take a short pause to compose herself. The trip down memory lane was proving to be more trying than she had thought.

“And then one day he disappeared, nowhere to be found,” she spoke softly as they were beginning to grew close to the border of the Throat, “So scared little naïve me went off to search for the man who was the closest thing to a father to me with the hopes of bringing him back. But obviously I failed.”

Warm rays of sun fell upon the two of them as they grew even closer now and Misael seemed to throw her a smile before welcoming her back and saying how the dunes had surely missed her. Her breath hitched for a few seconds before she realized that he was wrong, “Not the dunes. The sands yes but not the dunes. It’s one reason I fell in love with this place. The winds can sift and blow the sand into new dunes, but the sands will always remain the same. Ever changing on a grand scale but always the same when down to the smallest part.”

With that Misael pulled out a key and flaming wings began to carry him over to the island she considered home. Somewhat eager to follow, she spread her wings which were still and forever would be overly large when compared to her body and began flying gracefully alongside Misael’s multicolored body. It only took them a few minutes to cross the sea that separated the Throat from the rest of Helovia and then they both landed without incident. It was there though that they would wait for someone higher up in the ranks to accept her into the herd and it didn’t fail that Misael’s voice rang out against the silence with more questions.

“Well,” her voice rang back to him across the open terrain, “It was nice and the people I met I’m sure I’ll grow to miss, but this…this is my true home.”
Teal eyes met his golden ones as a truer smile started to grow in her lips this time. But it was shortly lived as Isara herself began to grow curious, “So what role do you play in the herd? You know besides shepherd of lost members?”

"SPEECH"
NOTES; woohoo!!!!!!! @Misael

The sight of the flaming wings appearing over the bridge always drew Ampere's eye, even if by design it meant someone was allowed to enter. It was like a bell going off whenever a door at a shop opened, not so alarming as a siren, but certainly a cue that something was changing so pay attention. So Ampere did, especially when she noticed that the one without wings was one she recognized from a past patrol. The other one though, the pegasus, well her memory begged something of her too.

Curious, Ampere angled her flight closer towards them, circling around to drop down and catch the tail end of Isara's speech. Sand scattered about her feet while her wings cupper the wind, flapping several times as she gripped her balance back on the ground. "Hello," she greeted casually enough as her wings settled at her sides, her tail feathers flattening back against her rump. The girl's words seemed like those of a stranger, but there was something about her Ampere knew she knew, but something too hard for her to place, especially with her terrible memory for names. Faces though, faces she remembered, but who was this girl?

Awoken by this new sensation from his bonded, Kygo's head turned from it's position against his wing and back. Bleary eyed he ruffled his feathers and yawned himself to wakefulness. He wasn't surprised to find himself alone again when he awoke. Ampere was always on the move, and he was sure she was constantly trying to ditch him on purpose. One day though the mare might realize just how unwise it was to leave half of her tiny, feathery soul alone where watchul hawks drifted past. One day.

Determined to find her, Kygo set out with a loud cheap. Meanwhile Ampere was down on the dunes with the two horses, her head tilted in thought. "Forgive me for staring, but you seem familiar..."

[Kygo not yet present]

With a sweeping motion, Misael begged for Isa to continue to follow him and so she did. But Isa couldn’t miss his reaction to seeing her crystals grow from the ground. A rising brow and curious eyes which seemed like the type to often be paired with relentless questions. But he remained silent about the matter and for that she was grateful for now.

Misael seemed to listen intently to the story of her past. Isara felt as if he was mentally ooh-ing and ah-ing over every detail she weaved the story more and more. Then his attitude seemed to have a brief moment of mixed feelings, but as quickly as it had appeared it disappeared and Isara couldn’t help but wonder what may have the ever inquisitive Misael in such a manner. Much like how he didn’t ask about her magic however, she didn’t ask him about the matter and let him continue on.

Although, she didn’t really expect him to tap her cheek like he did and her took her a little by surprise. Her teal eyes grew slightly wide as the shock coursed through her quickly and then as she heard his words her eyes softened. She did not fail he tried to tell her but deep within her she couldn’t help but feel as though she did. She had tried and didn’t succeed in her own personal mission was that not considered a failure? And if she couldn’t succeed at her own personal missions how in the hell was she supposed to succeed in any missions given to her to perform for the herd? Misael might not have seen it the way she did, and he didn’t need to but her lips parted regardless, “I realize that I tried…” she paused for a second to make sure she was remaining calm before moving on, “But merely trying isn’t what wins battles or wars now is it?”

Chocolate and cream body turned towards Misael’s multicolored body as he complimented her on her speech about the dunes and the sands and she couldn’t help but smile. Smile not out of happiness but out of bashfulness. She honestly didn’t think her words were that great but if he thought they were stunning as he had stated she wasn’t going to stop him.

Then again she didn’t really get the chance to do so before someone else finally arrived to greet the two of them. The mare seemed know Misael well enough to act casual – as did Misael now that she realized it. Isa watched the blue mare as she listened to Misael answer her question from earlier. He was an informant, sneak class. Mental strings began to tug at her brain as she felt like she remembered something about the sneak class at the very least. Was it something that Hector had taught her long ago or something that shunned learned from someone else or even on her own. The feeling nagged her and toyed with her much like a cat with its kill. She thought and she thought as the dusty recollection began to rise from the murky depths of her memory. Granted a year probably didn’t seem all that long to some but to her a year almost seemed like a lifetime right now.

“I think,” she began with her eyes shifting as if she was reading words upon the air before setting her gaze back to Misael, “I held an interest in that area when I was younger. Perhaps I could give it a try to see if it still holds an interest?”

Eyes then drifted over to the mare as she apologized for staring, and to be honest Isara hadn’t even noticed since she was trying to remember the sneak class things from her past. But the mare was right, she seemed familiar to Isa as well and the longer Isa stared at her the more she realized that she looked a lot like Hertz.

“Oh,” she gasped as the sudden realization hit her, “I did live here a little over a year ago. A stallion named Hector, I believe he was warrior of sorts, he found me and took me in as his daughter. That is before he disappeared,” her eyes fell towards the ground as she wrestled within herself to hold back her emotions that triggered her magic, “I don’t think we were ever officially introduced, but perhaps we saw each other at a herd meeting?”

Isara paused so to not bombard the mare with information and then continued, “My name is Isara. I hung out a bit with your son. In fact, I just ran into him in the Threshold…though he didn’t talk much to me.”

Brief sadness laced her voice as she wondered why Hertz was so quiet. Hopefully it wasn’t because he was mad at her. It wasn’t like she left him for dead or anything like that. She came back. It may have been a year or so later but she came back. Besides he had to know that the reason why she didn’t say goodbye was because she knew that he would get her to stay. He had to know all this so his anger – if he was angry – was childish right?

A slight shake of her head dispelled her rambling thoughts as she returned her focus back to the two before her: Misael and Hertz’s mother. Hopefully Hertz’s mother wouldn’t hold any ill will against her for what she did like Hertz might. With a soft sigh though Isa waited for anything to show signs pointing towards a good outcome.

"SPEECH"
NOTES; @Ampere @Misael

"Hector," Ampere murmured in response, the sound a distant memory falling from her lips with a ghost of a smile. Now she remembered him, of course she did, he was one of her warriors, and he like too many others, had gone. Gone where or why or for how long, Ampere never knew, because more often than not they all left without a word, and for all she knew, nary a glance back either.

Of course, she was in no position to place judgement given her own history, but that knowledge didn't make it any easier to just pretend it was okay. Especially when the loss of one, causes another, as with this girl, the realization dawning as her words continued.

"Isara, ah yes, I remember you now." She smiled weakly, the past still tugging on the corners of her facade, drawing lines and shadows there. "Always with Hector... we were sad to lose him. I'm Ampere, Chancellor here. Good to finally meet you, and I'm glad you've met my son Zero." Her gaze glanced about expectantly, but failed to spot him. "Did he not return with you?" she asked simply enough. In his growing age Ampere was less concerned with where he was all times, but the Threshold was a dangerous place for anyone, foals especially.

"Good eye for old Throat blood," she joked towards Misael, trying to shake the dust of the past off. That he recruited Isara did not surprise her, he clearly knew who was suited for the Throat. "So tell me, do you plan to stay this time?" she asked of Isara, watching her carefully.

[SORRY FOR LATENESS and blah this post]

Misael's words echoed and reverberated in the air as they traveled over to Isa's swiveling cream colored ears. As she processed the spoken lyrics she could feel a small sense of understanding. Knowing that you have tried your best was apparently worth more than winning...

Wait.

Teal eyes filled with confusion as she really thought about his words. How on earth was trying worth more than winning if winning was the mission? If you didn't not win then then the mission was incomplete and a failure. And a failed mission was a failed mission. There were no ifs, ands, or buts about it. That was Isa's goal with everything she attempted to do. Granted some things may take more time than others, but winning was always the end target.

Maybe he was trying to get at something along the lines of if you try and fail then you can always try again another time? Isa thought about it for a second and realized that that was actually a better way to look at a failure...but was it really what Misael was trying to say? She couldn't be sure.

One thing was for sure though: Misael saw potential in her and mentioned that he would love to see her added as a spy. A burst of pure unadulterated glee filled Isa's very soul for a little while, exemplifying itself with nothing more than a smile and some kind words in return, "Thank you. I will make sure to do so in the near future as I am sure I'll have plenty of questions."

Attention then turned to Ampere as she muttered Hector's name as if in some sort of remembrance chant. Then her facade morphed into one of recognition as she spoke Isara's name exclaiming that she had finally remembered her. To be honest, Isara was surprised that Ampere remembered her at all. For one they were never officially introduced. Second, well...she was only a little tyke when she was last in the sands of the Throat and Ampere was an adult doing...well...adult things.

Then the conversation turned to her son being the topic. For a second, Isa's eyes were filled with happiness from hearing Ampere say that she was glad that Isa had met her son. Then she said Zero.

Zero?

"Uh...Zero?" Isa faltered on her words as she wasn't sure now if Ampere had more than one son or if she herself had made the mistake of jumping to conclusions...maybe it was time for her to cover her steps before she got herself or this Zero (or Hertz) into trouble, "No, he did not come back with us. Perhaps he had other matters to attend to?"

For a little while after that, Isa watched as Ampere and Misael exchanged their own words about good eyes and what not. Ampere's seemed more like a compliment whereas Misael's seemed more like something a self-centered being would say while joking and Isa nearly rolled her blue-green eyes as a result. But before she could do so Ampere had once again turned towards her and asked if she was planning on staying this time and her eyes drifted to the sands below her hooves and then to the scenery around.

"I," Isara murmured through the heartsick look that painted itself upon her face, "I do. When Hector brought me here I made this place my home. I've been gone for long enough. It's time for me to come back home and do what I can to help provide for it."

Isa paused as she looked from Misael and then to Ampere and then to the sands that she considered her home and then looked at Ampere with a new determined resolve, "I will do whatever I can to help the herd."

"SPEECH"
NOTES; woohoo I actually kinda like this post xD @Ampere @Misael

Misael is oddly outgoing for his rank affinity, but Ampere has found all sneaks to have a penchant for smart mouths. His response only grows her smile into a laugh, and it reminds her that he is not that bad on the eyes either.

Isara's response turns Ampere's hungry stare from the stallion quickly proving interesting to her. Curious Ampere watched and listened, still unsure on what had made the girl pause on Zero's name, although perhaps it was the nick name (but he used that more than his real name...). She wasn't concerned though, and shrugged it off in favor of dealing with Isara at present.

"I'm glad to hear it, Ampere remarked honestly, her head lifting slightly with pride. "You're always a part of this family, I hope you know that. We'd be glad to have you back." That Isara seemed so focused on helping the herd too and not just herself, pleased her immensely. That Isara had left to begin with because of family showed the nature of her character, she was just sorry that it hadn't worked out for the girl. Horses came and went it seemed... family scattering like seeds in the wind, nothing strange given her nomadic background, but it was never easy when you lost some.

"As Misael said he could talk to you about the spies, but Ghost heads them, so I would find her as well. Despite her name, she is very real... finding her is always a trick though." Ampere smiled, winking, before preparing to set off and leave these two to discuss spying and things. Isara would surely like some time to get reacquainted with the desert, and Ampere had other tasks to attend to.