Zahra, Ilham, and Hanna

It was pride that turned angels into devils

Certainly no expert in the business of freeing those trapped in the complex of trees, and certainly no more adapt and finding the prisoners to begin with, Zahra found herself following closely the cunning nose of her sister; they tracked presumably the newest and freshest tinge, amid an utter chaos of colour. Thankfully, the other horse was following, it seemed, a similar inclination and before she knew it, the black and white girl could see the dark silhouette of another horned being striding forward between dense trunks. The glade they came together in was bright, airy, and a comfortable contrast to the musty dimness of the old forest surrounding - nostrils broadened opportunistically, and lungs drew a deep and hungry breath. The stranger offered a smile, friendly enough, and Zahra replied quickly with a beaming grin of her own.

Quietly and thoughtfully she observed the adult coming nearer, her expression maintaining a consistent air of cheer. The Basin had many unicorns, a preference towards them even she felt, and the winged-girl was fairly certain that they would readily accept another just like them - three opal-blue horns adorned this fair face no less. Zahra realised she was staring,  thoughts were rambling and she blinked twice, nodding with a flash of pearly teeth in greeting. "Hi!" She replied at last when the mare was poised at last in front of her. In a well-meant and natural gesture, the filly’s whiskered lips lifted briefly towards the skin of her company. "I'm Zahra," she answered promptly, boldly, altogether forgetting her travelling companions in the heat of the moment.

The conversation (surely that’s what this was) seemed to be flowing rather well - at least, answering questions was something Zahra was very good at!

The mare with the lovely purple eyes spoke on, and a larger grin still embraced the young pegasus’s two-toned features. "I don’t think anyone lives here," she informed the older matter-of-factly, laughing a little, because the idea of anyone finding comfort in the wilderness they stood in seemed far fetched. "Uh-huh, my family is nearby - kinda… They live that way, between the mountains where ice coats the lake and the aurora lights dance at night." Zahra gestured north, turning her tapering nose in the general direction from which she and her siblings had come. By that time the unicorn mare’s attention had diverted downward, and realising, the filly’s own eyes followed.

"OH! Whoops," she blurted suddenly, cheeks flushing red beneath the fine mask of clean white. "…and my sisters are Bird (eyes grazed the still kitsune) and Ilham - but she doesn’t say much." Slim shoulders shrugged and she seemed altogether oblivious that the puny spider was tucked safely from sight. The kitsune’s four tails twirled to the sound of her name however, and sharp emerald eyes passed by the much taller horse; she remained in place, perched tightly against the bony leg of the filly. "We go everywhere together y’know. They are my very best friends!"

Towards the apology then offered, Zahra merely scoffed - she wasn’t fussed at all. In truth, the girl was more than pleased with how easy this all seemed.

Just as Fiachra finally offered her name, there was unexpected commotion nearby. A stallion sailed with all of the grace Zahra might have, from the tree-line and the filly startled, eyes wide with surprise. Shifting a cautious glance by the like-coloured mare, she established that the other was not one to fear - her friend was on the verge of laughter, or so it appeared, and mimicking the reaction of the other, the girl chortled softly beneath her breath. Perhaps they’d already come across each other in this tangle of trees - it certainly seemed that way as the stallion fed his queer greeting forward.