oh come forth
into the storm and rout
and be my love in the rain

The tables had been turned as she led him down the coastline towards the sea foam and salted breeze. She was his Orpheus, and he her willing Eurydice, hoping for freedom from his shackles in the form of her retreating back. A promise out of this pit of Tartarus, a prison for the wicked and the cruel, tearing the feathers from his wings to leave him flightless in his despair. Yet here she was, a breath of reassurance, and while the only wings she held were attached lovingly to her delicate visage, she still lifted him upon the currents of her company high above the turmoil of his daily life. He had first experienced this feeling when they'd met in the Veins, and it was what had drawn him back to her in the end. A willing, tamed beast chained only by the playful look in her eyes and the fire in her smile. 

Kaj had no issue with following her lead in this manner, well aware of the fact that he was still nothing more than a visitor in her lands. He gazed up at her with a twinkling, playful gaze, trying not to grin as she flicked her tail and cocked her hip down at him. Kaj could play this little game, and he quite enjoyed playing it with her. Though she seemed to agree on his silently proffered middle ground; she had her view, he had his comfortable spot. For a moment he felt at home, here on the beautiful golden sand with the sun he so embodied warming the expanse of his wings. A gentle sea breeze tickled pale tresses against his neck, and Kaj had to consciously remind himself that this was not his home. And unfortunately that was a fact that could not change, not for quite some time nor without a drastic change in his lifestyle. But gazing upon Maren's skin awash in golden sunlight as her knees folded delicately beneath her, he wondered if that would be such a bad thing. 

It was a terrifying thought, for while he could not remember those who had shattered his heart previously, the awareness of the fact it had happened still remained. Even the gauze-covered emptiness of taken memories could not hide from Kaj the full reality of all he had suffered. And he felt as if he still barely knew Maren, which was understandable considering they had only met twice before. Nevertheless he still felt an inexplicable draw towards her guiding light, and for a ship as lost and lagging as Kaj, that was undeniably valuable. Enticing, perhaps. He desired her mind, her knowledge, the light accent of her words, the spitfire of her personality he'd glimpsed as she'd shouted at Ilios. He wanted so badly to unravel her, travel the labyrinthine structure of her personality. Truly know her. She was just so...interesting. Perhaps this day would shed light on the soul that lay pulsing in her breast. 

Kaj gently reached to brush his primary feathers against her flank in quiet pleasure as she lowered herself beside him, happily retracting his wing rather than forcing her beneath the shade of it. As Maren leaned in and inhaled the fragrant fumes, the Aurelight chuckled throatily and gazed across the sparkling water. Was the Throat always so beautiful? He never seemed to visit in the colder seasons, had only known the sun and sand in his visits. "The water must be far warmer here than in the Falls," he noted pleasantly. Cornflower blue gems turned to regard Maren as she took her first sip, a deep, almost primordial pleasure twisting in his chest as she voiced her distinct pleasure. He had satisfied her, and so in turn he was also satisfied. 

"Is it?" And so he craned his neck to mimic her, mindful to sip gently at the surface, letting the fragrant, subtly sweet concoction roll on his tongue before swallowing. The golden hummed pleasantly and smiled as he retreated. "Far milder than the peppermint tea!"  he noted with wide, captivated eyes. This was far more fun than he had expected, trying out different mixtures of herbs. "You may have doomed me, miss Maren," Kaj teased with a grin. "Now I want to explore how many ways you can make tea." Perhaps she would aid him in that endeavor? If she could bear his presence in such continuity of course. 

His eyes grew a bit distant as he smiled wistfully, recalling a mist-covered landscape and dark silhouetted trees. "Yes, the Edge is famous for its mists. It's quite heavy, but it fades out near the cliffs where the trees do not shelter it from the sun. The world falls away into ocean, a straight drop to the water. It's where the Edge received its name, I suppose." Despite the iconic mists, the ledge - accessible generally only by the herd- was still the prevalent landmark for the area. "So the water is unfortunately not easily accessible by hoof," he murmured apologetically, though he carefully labeled every bit of information she'd just shared with him, cherishing it. But as he turned to her, he could not help but stare. His gaze lingered far too long for propriety's sake, and Maren was far from an oblivious creature. Kaj ducked his head in brief embarrassment, but he gazed at her from beneath a pale cloud of lashes nonetheless, smiling boyishly. 

"No, dear. You've nothing unsightly on your face. I'm afraid I was staring for quite the opposite reason." She was crafted so finely, and while Kaj had never seen a pegasus with wings positioned the way they were on Maren, he found them so deeply endearing it was embarrassing. Especially the way she self-consciously used the dexterity of her smaller wings to try and brush an invisible substance from her pale face. "I would apologize, but I have a feeling you enchant far more than me on a daily basis," he teased, a quirk of play twisting on his lips, foxlike slant of his eyes hooding gleaming orbs. Kaj leaned forward to sip some more at the tea, allowing Maren time to compose herself or level a comeback at him if she so desired, wondering where his boldness was coming from. He couldn't help but be playful with her, equally wanting to tease her as much as he wanted to shelter and delight her. 

"You mentioned a boat. What is that? I'm afraid I don't know much of architecture, I came from a very primordial land. I would love to see it," he confessed, both out of curiosity regarding this new word and object and out of a desire to see the vessel she clearly held great pride and affection for, if the way she'd spoken of it had been any indication.