The ground was solid beneath me, cold and stiff, allowing no real give for a beast of my size. Casting my gaze towards the sky I wondered what it would feel like to soar above the trees, losing myself amongst the stars as others of my kind would do. I knew that they took this privilege for granted and I longed to be blessed with such graces and this brought a deep sadness to my heart. My feet would never leave this land, never touch the treetops… Perhaps I mourned the defect I carried, but at times I suppose it made me feel safe. But I had always felt “safe”, as it occurred to me that the word alone meant that I had never really lived. I longed to be rid of such a description, but there was no changing what had already been done. One day I would overcome this burden, but until then, I was but a mere thorn in this garden of roses.

As I moved into the Steppe, I was not surprised to find that the barren lands possessed no real beauty, at least in my mind’s eye. The dead grasses and browning foliage did nothing to encourage a pleasant mood but instead dampened my current self-pity and disdain. However, a loud thunderous clap brought my head up and induced a tight bunching in my legs and neck. I was weary as to what could have made such a noise and I was very skeptical as to whether or not I wanted to find out. But as curiosity killed the cat, I was helpless to ignore this sudden change to my daily routine. As I picked up the pace, I began to recognize the unmistakable scent of horseflesh. It was sweet and tangy and very much female which made my approach even more vital. However, as she came into view, I realized that she had just experienced a crash landing. For this, I was quite thankful that my wings were out of order…

She a queer looking creature, with hints of turquoise not only in her wings but on her legs as well. I had never seen such an unusually colored creature but this made her temptingly irresistible due to my fascination with her strange hues. Looking at her now, I couldn’t help but notice the carefree attitude that had relaxed her muscles and lit up her face. She made me feel at ease and I felt comfortable announcing myself under no pretenses. “Having troubles?” I chuckled at this and shifted back onto my haunches, clearly making myself comfortable without a trace of her permission. After all these were free lands right?

[W/C:446]