Leif

Leif truly believed that as the days passed he would grow more acclimated to this new land he had found himself in, this land of Helovia. As those very days passed, however, the ivory stag began to wonder if it was true. For awhile he had remained in the Aurora Basin, satisfied with his coveted, protected surroundings, growing familiar to the nooks and crannies of the land and the many not-equines that lived there, remaining isolated from the Basin herd, always watching, studying, and learning how his new brothers and sisters worked. How they functioned, how they spoke, acted, desperately trying to familiarize himself with their odd mannerisms.

As an Elk, he knew nothing of the customs of horses. As Rexanna and Elspeth had stated, their males did not knock their antlers together in a form of rough-and-tumble greeting. Instead, supposedly, in this land, not-horses intimately brushed their muzzles together regardless of sex, breathing hot air within one another's nostrils. It was a foreign concept, but an intimate one that spoke of close relation, and Leif had no idea if he would ever be that comfortable in this mysterious land to do something like that to another.

A few days since his acceptance into the Aurora Basin herd had drifted by, and Leif had grown restless. Settling within a herd had done wonders to ease his uneasiness and anxiety, yes, soothing the feeling of constantly being hunted, but he was plagued with a yearning to explore Helovia, to see more of this mysterious land full of beautiful and unique not-horses and fellow exquisite wonders.

From the northern lands the white stag had ventured south, a proud, pale ghost amidst oddly placed normality, his steps cautious but graceful, blue-green eyes looking out for adversaries as well as soaking in every bit of knowledge that he could. What he stumbled upon, however, could not be placed into words.

Beautiful.

And it was. Breathtakingly so, that for a moment, the white Elk stood between a collection of white-flowered bushes, his equally white pelt standing out amidst the surprising amount of greenery, appreciating the beauty that he had happened across. Eight-tined head held high, large oval ears swiveling, the stag surveyed the place he had found with a silent, awed appreciation.

He had thought this land somewhat barren and dry amidst the hot summer sun, but this land, lush and abloom with flowers, leaves barring off the hot rays of the sun, was a grand, welcome exception. Nearby a creek could be heard churning against the earth, but what truly caught hold of the stag's blue-green eyes was an odd, stone formation. Pillars as thick as tree-trunks rose up out of a stone slab, gnarled bars of metal woven intimately together with a rainbow of glass held protectively in their metal grasp. How odd it was... How positively queer.

A flash of pastel, equal parts dark and bright snagged the Elk's attention and his head twisted, antlers snagging a few low-hanging branches. Leif's gaze landed upon yet another not-horse, and this oddly-colored woman, just like the few that he had met, were so intricately decorated and otherworldly beautiful. For a moment the Elk's eyes remained rooted on the pastel woman, appreciating her strange beauty from afar, taking note of the proud horn upon her feminine brow and wondering if she was a threat...

But she appeared calm. Peaceful. Equally as beautiful as the scenery that Leif found himself standing in, a pastel priestess amidst a summer's paradise.

"... Greetings, Miss," Leif dared to beckon, large ivory ears swiveled forward and at attention, his dished, handsome face expressing nothing but warm gentleness and innocence, "I apologize for intruding upon your afternoon meal." Vocals were deep and somewhat guttural, as usual, but tinged with royal eloquence. Here, he dipped his magnificent head in a nod towards the pastel not-horses' direction, unable to figure out how to go about properly greeting this woman. "My name is Leif. Could I persuade you to share this beautiful space?"

the white stag

Leif

She took note of him with honest surprise, as they always did. Her head raises with a thoughtful pause, seeing him, the sight of him taking a moment to register as it always did... But she appears to not be put-off by his arrival or his abnormalities, instead swallowing her mouthful of breakfast and beckoning him to join. Her voice is feminine and pleasant to hear, vocals sweet and kindly, noble in their own way, and Leif can already tell that his council for company with her would not be misplaced.

A sincere and warm smile crossed his handsome face, blue-green eyes shining with obvious relief that he had not been cast away by this uniquely colored mistress. She twists her head, the jewel of her horn catching the speckled sunlight in a positively queer way that intrigued the white stag, but her words urge him closer and so closer he goes.

The bull Elk moves at a slow, leisurely pace, not wanting to intimidate, startle, nor upset this woman he found himself in company with. "Thank you, fair Doe. Your kindness most welcoming." As he advances, his head lifts, gaze wandering back towards the stone, iron, and glass structure with blatant curiosity. "... I am new to this land of Helovia, but never in all of my years of travel have I encountered a place like this. How peculiar and beautiful it is. Do you know the name of this place?"

If she did, he would do well to remember it, and more than likely pay it a return visit.

Settling close but not intruding upon her personal space, the white stag lowered his head and slowly lipped at a few rich, green blades of grass, pulling them up slowly and eating in almost a delicate manner. Politeness had been driven into his skull since birth, and in the company of a fine woman, Leif had no intentions on acting like a sullen, hulking brute... Not that he thought he ever could, if he wished to honor his mother's spirit.

Chewing thoughtfully, the white bull swallowed before lifting his head, gaze once more focusing on the pastel and striped woman. "... Forgive me if this is terribly bold of me to say, but I have met with a lot of beautiful individuals since my arrival, but never have I met such beauty as yours." It was not a flirtatious or lewd statement, merely that of a thoughtful observation, admiring and complimenting beauty where it was due. It was simply in his nature to admire and learn. "Are you from Helovia, miss?"

the white stag