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He watched the out-of-place smile that crackled upon her black lips as she looked down at him, shifting his wings against the fierce gale that battered his snowy feathers. Once upon a time, Mother would have told him to stay away from such a daunting figure as this mare; now, the danger only drew him in. He felt vulnerable upon the white snow that could so easily be stained red by his blood, yet he was not afraid of the unicorn. The ever-present smile that he wore broadened slightly as her leathery voice reached his ears, and he donned a thoughtful expression as he worked out a response to her rather imposing question.
“Compassion and freedom, darlin’” he answered bluntly, shrugging his shoulders beneath the shelter of his wings. After all, he had fought for those two things, hadn’t he? “I would find myself wearing a crown of stars and ruling the north as a just and righteous king. But, perhaps that is unreasonable…” his voice trailed off thoughtfully as he frowned up at the pale sky. “I would love to have such a prosperous future, but I wish merely to be back at home. And yes, still exploring”. He smiled faintly at the silvery laughter that escaped her throat; seeming so foreign as it spilled from her lips.
Her response to his earlier question solicited an amused chuckle from him, and for once he felt oddly self-concious. “Even me, huh? Want a better view, then?” he asked, finally pulling his hind legs from the snowy blanket as he stood. Despite his change in position, he had not forgotten about the little plant that he had been protecting. Subtly stepping toward her, he positioned himself slightly over top of the plant as his wings folded against his sides. Without his shield of feathers, his face was now at the mercy of the weather and he cringed against the wind.
“I assure you, I’m a fascinating subject to study” he smiled, his voice shifting briefly to a posh accent as he raised his eyebrows. Casually, he looked her up and down, doing a little ‘studying’ of his own. He was pleased to notice that he stood slightly taller than her, but that only put the tip of her menacing horn closer to his throat. Absently he wondered what it would feel like to be gored with that brutal weapon, but quickly he was deterred from the thought. “So, where do you see yourself in three or four years?” he asked prudently, dragging his gaze away from her thorny crown. Surely she had some intriguing aspirations.
"Speak"
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