Liquid gold seemed to shimmer in the eyes of the dragonmare as the simple joy of being so easily accepted into a conversation, a gathering, an impromptu and delightful meeting settled across her façade. Dramyrth, quite pleased with himself and the admiration he was receiving, took to the air again amidst the conversing, content to go frolic with the little black soul that was lingering beneath Amaris' limbs - the little black dragon spirit took off like a small shadow, a forgotten memory, a smudge against the sky above. The golden king accepted the company of the black purely because of the pleasant mood he was in - normally, he might have huffed fire and ice at it until it winked out of existence once more.

Amaris listened to the conversation, affection for the young, carefree filly blossoming as she spoke of rivers and groves and apples - it sounded a pleasant idea, if only to pass the time of the day away. She mentioned the Edge, her home, and with joy the dragonmare was able to have the knowledge that she shared something in common with the girl, that she might even have forged a friendship on this day.

Quentin joined in, his voice also revealing a similar story to the dragonmare's, though she quirked a brow upwards, as if silently asking why he had been absent recently, but she did not really expect an explanation from a perfect stranger. Then he spoke of having lived at the Edge in the past - and again, Amaris is struck at the similarity of their pasts -- was he lost in a time slip too? -- but she is distracted from this thought by his playful wink and colourful words. Settle down? It actually took the dragonmare a second to process the words, the meaning, the allusion he was making. Once realisation settled, she smiled a wry grin, knowing it was what was expected of her - in honest truth, she had not thought of 'settling down', whatever that entailed or meant.

Younglings, Dramyrth offered, laughter in his tones as he 'helped' explain the situation to Amaris, offering colourful visualisations in her head of him chasing down female dragons in heat and.. Well. I get the picture, she retorted to her dragon sharply, but I do not believe that is all he meant.

"I was born in the Edge," she offered, turning to Maude with a bright smile, "though the years have taken me away from there, I have recently sought to call its misty woods my home once more. I do hope we see more of each other there," she said with an earnest honesty, a genuine sheen of hope glimmering upon her countenance.

"Herd life is not for everyone," she conceded gently, smiling again at Quentin, "but I do find it comforting to have a place to return to at the end of a day's adventure." It was a simple statement, not intended as a jab at Quentin's choice of outcast lifestyle, just a comment on the mare's current preferences. Shuffling the leathery wings that hung at her side, Amaris peered about, testing the air with her nostrils, as if trying to find something.

"Hmm," she hummed, as if thinking of something fantastic. With a devious smirk curling her lips, the dragonmare extended a great golden wing over to the yearling filly, aiming to touch it gently upon the girl's back. With nape arched and a playfulness entering her posture, the dragonmare than leaned forward, to whisper conspiratorially into Maude's copper-kissed ears: "Tag! You're it!"

A colourful laugh tumbled across golden lips as the dragonmare promptly leapt away from the duo, wings flared, before turning sharply upon her hocks and pounding a speedy canter in the general direction of the river, her golden dragon and the black smudge of spirit frolicking still in the skies above her. What was a beautiful day without a game of tag anyway?

---

Maude Quentin
Amaris will pretty much stop once they get to the river (if ya'll wanna follow anyway lol..)
Bleh, sorry for the wordy rambly mess. Oh, I'm waiting on replies to Amaris' Edge joining thread for her to be official, but she is joining the Edge as we speak xD

Daniel Schiersner @ flickr & larfsalot @ deviantart