What was home? Throughout his life it was a question that had continued to haunt him. Through battle and strife, from one land to the next he had wandered, and the closest he had ever come to finding an answer was the pearly white dragon that cheerfully slipped through the warm spring air and invited her bond-sisters to dance. Even now as their attentions divided and focused on separate things their hearts remained as one, more closely connected now than every before, because they now knew something that they had never known before. They belonged together, they wanted to stay together, and no manner of silence or heartache would be able to tear them apart. They had endured the silence of the eclipse and came out on the other side, stronger than before; without her Lace was only half of what he could become, without him she was lesser than she would ever have been had the bond never existed. As long as they were together everything was alright, they could accomplish anything... Surely this sensation of warmth, this love that knitted them closer than any pair of lovers ever could, surely this had to be what they meant when speaking of home.
If so, then it also had to be home, the feeling he got as the inky mare before him easily avoided his playful attack and awarded the scolding words with a peaceable smile. Snorting in faked sternness he rolled the honeyed eyes and retracted his neck, tail swishing calmly behind the hocks. "I'd say you've been through enough interesting things for a while. If you're not careful you'll find yourself unable to rest even when you truly want to..." Half serious, half joking the stallion shook his head in mild exasperation over her stubbornness, the amulets gifted by the Earth God for the duration of his quest rattling and bouncing against the neck as he did so.
The chance to keep reprimanding the DragonHeart passed however as quiet hooves announced the approach of another. Turning the head briefly, the Glazier watched with a smile hinting at the lips as Rishima joined them and snuggled up close to her sister. The flowers adorning her tassels surprised him; she didn't come off as the kind of mare to decorate herself, perhaps because of the natural beauty she already possessed. The wings of the nostrils flared and quivered gently as he breathed in the sweet fragrance of the colored petals, a scent of spring mixing with that of her skin and the fragrance of the shadow mare beside her... No, he didn't mind it. Not at all.
It was something about the sight of the two ladies wrapped so closely around each other that made the stallion take a step back. Awkwardness perhaps, from witnessing a kind of closeness he knew next to nothing about. It had been a long time since he met his family, a very long time indeed since anyone but Fajira had any kind of bodily contact with him. Unsure of what kind of emotion it was that seeped up from the depths of the soul Lace averted his gaze, took to watching the dance of the dragons and the griffin instead... He didn't realize until too much time had passed that he failed to give Rishima a proper greeting.
Only when Mirage began to speak did he return his attention to the mares. It was easier now as he had to focus on the words of his leader, as curiosity mingled first with curiosity and then with a steadily growing sense of surprise. Sensing the shift in feelings the White paused in her games and came flying, curious as to what it was that made him react; she landed on the ridge of the neck close to the poll and wobbled slightly as she tried to keep the balance.
For a time, wide eyes and silence was the only thing he was capable of. Truly, Lace wouldn't have been more surprised if she had confessed her love for him - something he found equally as incredible as this, and not half as amusing.
Why surprised? the dragon wondered and leaned precariously to the side until she could look him in the eye, tail quickly wrapping in an uncomfortable way around his neck as she was about to fall off. You are capable. You are there when needed. And you like the responsibility...
"But I..." he began, realized that he spoke out loud and interrupted himself with a quick glance at the sisters. A slight frown wrinkled the skin around his eyes, and without revealing what went on within his head the stallion allowed the gaze to wander between Mirage and the moon-marked mare. "I... am honored by your trust" he eventually said, hesitance only barely noticeable in the voice. "Are you sure though? It hasn't even been two seasons since I came to join the Qian. Surely there has to be someone more suited for the task. Torasin maybe, or..."
The uncertainty he felt became more visible as he glanced between the black ladies, the weight of the responsibility the WeyrLeader tried to place on him appeared daunting. Was he really ready to do anything but follow, could he even imagine the role of a lead where every life within the herd would rest upon his abilities? Sure he wouldn't be alone about it, but already the rank was going to be enough to weigh him down.
An ear twitched, tail flicked once more as the steed mulled over the offer, thoughts going round and round as he tried to get a grasp on what he truly wanted. A sudden urge to run and hide washed through and sent a tremble through the skin, enough to dislodge the dragon from her perch so that she dropped down into the ground. Lace barely noticed, nor did he listen to her sudden burst of trilled complaints; he was too deep in thought, too concerned with the kind of consequence this could have on him, the herd and the feelings he held towards Helovia overall.
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