As the moon was showering the landscape in a soft glow, the temperatures lowered to a comfortable level. This called out Aurelius from his shelter, his restless heart once again driving him out through the realm. His stocky, short legs carried him across marsh and field, the moonlight shining clear as day. Small clouds of fog sprang from his nostrils, dew settling as tiny pearls on his broad back, giving him the same sheen as the rest of his surroundings. On his way back to the Edge, he decided to swing by the Threshold, just to see if a lonesome soul should be in need of assistance.

In between the heavy trunks, Aury’s dark pelt fell in nice with his surroundings, but his pearly white mane and tail didn’t serve as much camouflage. In the darkness, the withered brownness of the terrain wasn’t so bad, but he knew it was there, and it saddened him greatly. No, pissed him off rather. Someone ought to do something about it; he would gladly contribute, but due to his dwarven size, he probably couldn’t really make a difference. He shook his head an accelerated to a trot, trying to run off his negative thoughts, but he could not run from himself.

Her scent was carried to him on the slight breeze, as it swept through the forest. Slowing down, he inhaled deeply, soon stopping as the fae in question came into view. She was nothing short of beautiful, there seemed to be a certain glow about her, and he wasn’t late to notice the horn growing from her forehead. A smile showed on his lips; a candidate for the Edge, surely. He whinnied to her softly as she stopped in her tracks, noticing that she was wounded. A deep furrow appeared in his brow, voice laden with concern as his smooth chords left his mouth. "My lady, are you in need of assistance? You shouldn’t be out here alone, not in this state," he spoke, realizing he had left out his introduction. "Pardon me; I am Aurelius, of The World’s Edge. If there is anything I can do for you…" He took a step closer, friendliness shining out of his mismatched eyes. He was hardly threatening, but he hoped she would trust in him.

Her attempt to reassure him is rejected. "I’m short, my dear, not blind. You’re hurt, any fool can tell," he says, his voice a bit firmer, but still kind. He wouldn’t push her if she didn’t wish to pour her story out to him, he wouldn’t expect her to, but he couldn’t ignore the circumstances either. Having a big heart was not something he could deny, and it had gotten him into trouble in his past, but there are certain things that never change. Such was his compassionate nature, combined with a just mind; he could not simply look the other way. His rugged features smoothed out slightly, not quite wanting to settle with her answer, yet a smile broke through when she spoke again. Giant? That’s a new one, but he liked the irony of it. Her voice wasn’t one of mockery, as one might have expected, but sincere. Just as he was about to open his mouth in reply, their conversation was disturbed by the arrival of another. Aurelius had not caught her scent, as the winds were in her favor, so when she spoke he looked in her direction with slight curiosity on his face.

She was taller than both of them, clad in black but accented with white like Aurelius himself. He couldn’t help but feel a spark of annoyance as she answered a question that was originally addressed to him; that is poor manners, in his opinion, but the thought passed swiftly. She was hornless, he remarked calmly; he wouldn’t hold it against her, but others will. He nods back at her curtly, looking her in the eye calmly. Aury couldn’t read her, except from curiosity directed at the stranger. Being mocked for his size and looks wasn’t new to him, he had been an object of ridicule his whole life, so he wouldn’t be surprised by another set of mocking eyes. Like I said, some things apparently never change. Aurelius had learned to live with his obvious flaws, knowing life often granted him bigger obstacles than his regular sized companions, but he could handle it. They wouldn’t have the satisfaction of bringing him down.

As this newcomer didn’t contribute with much else than observations, not even a name, Aury felt that it was up to him to carry on conversation. "We have skilled healers at The Edge. They will gladly tend to you my lady, and I shall be honored to bring you to them," he hummed, hoping he wouldn’t get on her nerves with his concern. Just let me take care of you, he thought, gazing into her blue eyes that were almost painful to look at. Aury took a step closer to her, seeking to comfort her in some way, but instead of reaching out as he had intended, he stopped himself. He didn’t know her, for all he knew she might not appreciate his fussing.

Aurelius patiently watched the black mare to see if she had anything more to say, but it didn’t seem to him that the stranger had mind to speak. The blue mare speaks again and his petite ears swivel around to catch her words, attention drawn from the odd third party. Another smile replaced the one that had recently faded, vocals scruffy as he answered her inquiry. "Yes, we have an ocean, but no beach – it’s quite a sudden drop, but we’re not far from where the shore flattens into sand. Usually, the realm is covered in mists, or so I have been told; since our good God of the Sun went haywire, we haven’t had much relief from the heat," he paused, wondering if he should blurt out the state of his current home, which was not much more than a scorched plain, but he decided to keep it quiet. Looking into her eyes, a silent deal was made. Nodding to the dark stranger, Aurelius bade her farewell before turning to his new family member. "Let me lead the way, it isn’t far," he said, turning around and starting off slowly, making sure she would keep up.

[Thread coming up at the Edge.]