His approach was silent, feet falling softly upon the slowly melting snow. Despite the many recent events, it was good to know that there still was peace to find within the borders of the Edge, among friends and family. Things were amiss with the world. The voice in his mind that had provided him with company and conversation was silence, and while Fajira still flew by his side and filled the air with the music of her voice, the stallion was starving for someone to speak to. Talking to Fajira right now resulted in nothing but a monologue, the dragon often boring out halfway through and taking off to hunt, socialize with the other dragons or play in the warming winds.

Lace was loath to admit it, but the solar eclipse had created a rift between them, and he was feeling lonely.

When he spotted the newer addition to the herd by the edge of the cliff, it was almost with hesitation the grullo approached. Would she speak to him, or was he disturbing her in her thoughts? A faint smile, almost shy in nature adorned the lips as he slipped in by her side, neck arching in greeting.

"Ysuelte, it's good to see you again. How have you been?" Since the herd meeting a while back, and that was a while ago. Perhaps it was negligent of him to spend so little time with the rest of the herd that he had to inquire about her health. He felt awkward in crowds though, often preferring to keep to the woods, traveling the lands in solitude - of course, with Fajira's company, but she was more a part of him than a second party.

[Hope you don't mind placing this after arrival of spring. Also, sorry for the wait ^^']

A long, slow breath slowly relaxed the muscles of the body, with difficulty as he had been much tenser than he'd thought, for a longer time than what was healthy. Her welcoming smile made his own thaw some, caused the stallion to feel more at ease as he settled by her side. Hips cocked to the side as a black hoof rested lightly against the reborn earth, silken tail catching in the breeze; Fajira extended a cheerful cry as she passed over the lavender mare, before she continued out over the edge of the cliff to sail on the ocean wind.

Quietly admiring the sight of the beautiful unicorn by his side, Lace listened with a saddened smile to her reply. Did she know how good it felt to hear the voice of another answer him, instead of empty silence and the echo of a voice that should have been there but never came?
"It is. I may not look like it, but I prefer when those around me are at ease and well. I suppose that is why I appear tired." He sighed faintly, the smile fading as he turned to gaze out across the sea. How long had it been since he last appreciated the scenery? Even now it was with thoughts of other things clouding the mind, stealing away from what could have been a serene moment.

"There have been so many things going on lately. Maybe you're not aware of it, new arrival as you are, but the Qian has only been living here at the Edge for a short time. Before we came, there were others living here; a band of unicorns, who hold strong dislike for those of other races. We fought them for the right to live within these Moon blessed borders, and at the beginning of winter we won the battle. The Qian moved in, and even though they were offered to stay, the unicorns chose to embrace their racist views and fled to the iced plains of the north. "

"For the most part of the winter they remained passive, but recently they have begun retaliating against us. Several times they have crossed the borders, and because of our lacking numbers they've managed to kidnap several of our family members. Even Mirage..." He clenched the teeth hard at the thought, voice pained as he uttered the name of their queen. He had failed her then, been unable to detect the presence of the intruder before it was too late. And now she was gone, and nothing he could think of would bring her back with their numbers only.

It was a part of what plagued him, but far from all of it. So many other things had happened to rattle him. It was the fall into the Heart and the meeting with fire gremlins and a boggart, that had left traces in form of a magic flame in the chest and terrible nightmares each time he tried to sleep. It was the eclipse, that had silenced the voice of his beloved dragon; and the movements of the gods, that shouldn't be any of his business but still managed to concern him. The Sun was back in his rightful place, but who was the newcomer, the fourth God?

The exhale was sharp, almost forceful as the gold-dusted stallion shook the head and pushed the thoughts aside, for who knows how many times. What was the point in dwelling over things he couldn't affect?
He forced the smile back onto the face; the lips twisted easily, but it never reached the honeyed eyes.

"Lets not talk about that though; we'll manage all of it, somehow. How are you liking it here, have you settled in well? Perhaps you've noticed, but there's plenty of things to do for everyone who calls the Edge their home. Did you find anything of interest to fill your days with?" A faint glimmer of curiosity brightened the handsome features as he turned back to the lady. Had she chosen anything yet?

Had he ever met one with a demeanor so soft, so quiet as hers? Her quiet, serene self contrasted sharply with him and his ways. Ysuelte seemed crafted for magical forests where white trees stretch tall to touch the face of the moon, made to walk through endless nights where water cascade down a steep rock face in melodic streams and murmur secrets to those who cared to listen. Him, on the other hand, was as born for battle and strife as an ax, blunt and to the point with little imagination for things beyond the battlefield. What did he know of beauty or grace, he who had stained the coat with blood from countless others, who had killed and harmed and stolen all the things counted as precious?

Rightfully, it should have been she to be graced with the Moons touch, her to collect and shape wonderful things from shadow and starlit water. He could manage battle gear and practical things to carry and contain, but when it came to beauty... Not everyone appreciated the elegance of a dragon as she dove to capture her prey, or recognized the dignity within a snakes eye as it coils through the night. And while a spiders net can be oh so intriguing when coated in morning dew and lit by rays of a rising sun, how many stops to admire the fat spider sitting in is nest - waiting for dinner to come to it?

Then and there, Lace felt very tempted to simply resign his high position in favor for this soft spoken young doe. So very tempted, but while Mirage remained a captive and wasn't there to protect the family, he would have to do his best in her absence. The tasks of a Glazier didn't amount to much in times of war, but the rank was unquestionable. He owed it to the Qian to offer guidance while the WeyrLeader was away. His own personal feelings in the matter could be addressed later; when the Queen was back and everything went back to normal.

But what to do for Ysuelte? The waver of her voice caused by longing didn't pass him by, and it was with thoughtfulness painted across the masked face that he regarded her. Surely, there must be something he could do for her, as head crafter and second in command along with the rest of those in second tier.

"Tell me.." he said carefully, "if you were free to create anything at all. What would you make, and what tools would you use to make your vision come alive?"