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Sliver-rimmed clouds herald a vibrant sunrise soon to come, the lightening of the eastern sky a surefire indicator of a clear, cold day. Spring's kiss left dewdrops on the grass, little pearls of water that break and flow against my dark and searching hooves, sent down to nourish the new green life and saturate the earth. The pre-dawn moments are a lovely time, an hour to be cherished and enjoyed, and really, a time when I would not have minded being fast asleep. But such was not to be my luck today.
Unlike the younger, more dedicated crowd, I no longer spend my nights stalking attractive stallions. Kali's hunger had spurred my into alertness, her claws tugging at my mane and hooking my mind away from pleasant dreams of a moonlit sea. Sluggishly I'd blinked at her, eyes narrowing as they came into focus and absorbed the sight of her innocuous, cerulean gaze. Hungry, she had told me with her movements, long tail wrapping around her feline haunches as she purred hopefully. "Aren't you old enough to hunt on your own?" I'd replied grumpily, but my protests held no strength. I yawned, stretching and shaking the nighttime dew from my back and mane, glancing at the still dark sky and then back at Kali's delicate frame.
As Kali rose into the still morning air I began my daily walk, pale mane clinging diligently to the dark length of my neck in anticipation of the first rays of sun, which would disperse its lingering moisture and free it from the comfort of my skin. I had taken to pacing the borders of our home in my spare time, ostensibly to keep guard of the borders but realistically to maintain some distance from my herd mates. With Mirage's recent disappearance into the hold of the Aurora Basin, I felt naked and exposed, a failure of a sister left to tend to herself in a land of strangers. I would rescue her, and soon; but I could not do it alone, and the idea of approaching the strangers who shared my borders was not an appealing one. Why this loneliness had overcome me once more was beyond my insight to discern, but my antisocial nature relished the separation.
Which brings us here, to the edge of a clearing where many have gathered, and where I have somehow wound up.
Kali sent me the image of the strange mare, a blue and white paint who followed the one she knew as 'her' Lace. Despite my distance from the herd, Kali had been cultivating her recognition of who belonged and who didn't; she fully embraced the idea of family, my gryphon, and all of them belonged to her. As her excited thoughts flooded across our bonds, I caught snippets of images, a glow surrounding a distant pool and a growing crowd surrounding our glaizer. A glassy creation too beautiful and strange to quite comprehend. It wasn't until Kali spotted a rabbit and the images stopped that I realized I'd been making my way towards the little gathering. In the rising dawn, I stopped, and for a brief and floating second my body tensed in preparation to turn away.
Then I stopped, and laughed at myself, and carried on.
The first I saw was Lace, his steps hesitant as he approached the little group. They stood away from me, across the pool, two unknown and one I recognized as Kiara, the young mare resplendent in the growing light. I could hear her introduction, her open tone and invitation for some explanation as to the strangers' presence - no, not strangers. Kali had only denoted the equine as not belonging, although the unicorn was still as stranger to me. But so was everyone, these days.
With a nodded greeting to the exuberant Fajira, I left the group to mill about itself for the moment. Far more interesting than a bunch of fawning mares was the discarded creation of Lace, a glassy thing left upon the ground where the stallion had stood, glittering in the dawn and enticing all my curiosity. Gingerly I stepped forward, testing the damp ground before placing a hoof down, mud splashing up onto the starry patterns that marked my legs. My neck extending, I reached a nose to touch the stuff, snorting at the chill of the transformed sand. It was lovely, whatever it was. It brought back memories, the vision of a great black steed decked in bloodstained silver and another, golden mare with metal wrapped around her hocks. Was this the same, perhaps?
Temporarily finished with my inspection, I lifted my dark crown, finally offering some acknowledgment to the others present. I let my gaze pass over the blue and white mare, the slightest narrowing of my eyes indiscernible to any but those who know me best, head held high in uncomfortable authority. Measured steps brought me closer to them, slightly - "You look exhausted, Lace." Quiet concern makes its way into my voice, genuine and sudden. Lace had been a central pillar of support for our herd in the absence of Mirage, filling the place I should have stepped into, and any resentment I might have felt for his strength was offset by my gratitude. It would do no good to have our craftsman work himself to death. Again I stepped forward, an easy pace from the grullo stallion now, ready to offer physical support should the smaller equine need it.
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a glaziers pace (crafting glass, open)
