Osiris had long since fallen silent.

The wolf had landed himself in a strange, unfamiliar situation. His paws nimbly touch the ground, making little noise on the soft loam of the forest ground as he walks. The prints left behind in the mud between the green overlay softened curves with jutting holes from the talons upon his feet. Nimble and quiet, like the predatory half of his bloodlines, the hybrid moves through the forest like a shadow, unnoticed by creatures unless their eyes land upon his large furtively moving figure. Hard golden eyes peer out, a guarded light hovering before the feral eyes of a dog. Above his head, the lithe little black dragon, truly a snake with wings and a few other adornments, watches with curious violet eyes.

The pair is normally solitary, unless accompanied by the wolves with whom Osiris claimed family ties despite their lack of blood relations. Upon this day, however, the great wolf moves not just with Comadre, but with a smaller, more elegant white mare - Nadira. Having promised to escort her to the Foothills, Osiris walks calmly, despite the inner storm of self-doubt and worry eating away at his chest cavity. His head is held high, much higher than that of the dainty lady's, but her horn would easily make up for much of the height difference between them. From what the wolf has gathered about Nadira, she is a gentle soul, and one who would not easily come toward violence. The stallion had little to fear from this pure looking unicorn with gentle azure eyes. The only fright amidst their company was the giant form of the hybrid.

Spring sunlight drifts through the branches of trees as they pass, dappling the fur laden form of Osiris. Much of his winter coat still remained, though if he were to brush against the bark of any tree surrounding him, a few pounds of thick fur might scrape loose. There would be a time for grooming later. Right now, Osiris was playing the role of a valiant knight delivering a princess to her Kingdom. It was laughable to think of the nightmarish creature in such a gallant position, and he shakes away the thought almost as quickly as it sprung upon him.

The trees slowly begin to thin, and the wolf lets out a hardly noticeable sigh of relief. The heavy weight of silence has begun to press upon his chest, but Osiris is hardly skilled in the art of conversation well enough to suggest a new topic without aid from their surroundings. Light saturates the forest easily, announcing that the canopy is thinning and the great forest of the Threshold will give way to the Foothills valley, perhaps the best land for grazing in all of Helovia. Glancing back toward Nadira, Osiris offers a small, almost imperceptible smile. "We are almost to your new home, Lady Nadira," he says, assuring her that their travels were coming to a close soon. The wolf is no less nervous to enter the land of the Earth God, for upon his last visit the haughty and fiery tempered Ricochet had laid war upon him and Ophelia for entering. Though Archibald had done well to chase him out, there was uncertainty in the wolf's heart as to whether his passage here would be well received regardless of the Incendiary's absence.

The trees clear, allowing the flowing hills of green to be revealed in all of their splendor. Grey rocks crop out from fields of emerald, but the most apparent break in the scenery is the pair of figure standing not far from Nadira and Osiris. Comadre chirps excitedly, flying immediately toward the golden mare and her companion, causing Osiris to curse under his breath slightly. If there had been any hope of avoiding this golden damsel and stallion, it was lost now. "Let us greet your fellow herdmates," a forced smile and calm voice says, before the wolf sets off at a trot toward the warrior and newcomer of the Foothills.

Stopping several paces short of the duo and lion, Osiris gives a cautious look toward the golden mare, while ascertaining that Nadira has followed behind him. "Pardon the intrusion," he says toward the golden mare, who looked more at peace in the green hills than the stallion. "I am escorting this lady to this land. She was offered a home here by Boltar." Comadre floats curiously before Romani and her tiger, before offering them a toothy grin and fleeing back to land on Osiris's shoulder.
""

[ooc: I kind of assuming Nadira would be following him, so I hope that's okay. x__x; ]

The small mare's introduction is a kick in Osiris's side, reminding him that while he spoke with manners, his were still sorely lacking as he had failed to introduce himself properly. It would be a bit awkward with the flow of the conversation, so the hybrid remains quiet, only nodding at appropriate intervals and allowing Nadira to get a better look at her herdmate. The golden mare does not seem as bothered by his feral appearance as Osiris once guessed, but the stallion who leaves might have been. The wolf chooses not to appear bothered by his polite and rather quiet exit, turning his focus mainly upon the lady of the Foothills as she speaks. The words are cordial, kind even, but are laced with a power that would become a warrior. Osiris suspects that this Romani might be a guardian of the land. If so, he would be leaving Nadira in good company, a relief to him.

Golden eyes glance downward toward the little figurine of perfect white porcelain, noticing with a bit of chagrin that while her face is calm and peaceful, Nadira looks anything but happy. The wolf did not know how to cheer up the little dove, not having known her for long at all, but distractions tended to come at favorable times for the wolf. Just as the silence had taken hold of the group, Comadre's voice sails through the air in an all too familiar greeting. "Ooooofffffffeeeeee," he bellows, leaping off Osiris's shoulder with an excited trill and flying into the air, meeting with the silver dragon halfway, his clawed hands outstretched to grab onto Tinek for a strange embrace. The dragon's violet eyes look concerned almost immediately, darting from the silver back down toward Ophelia.

Osiris himself turns to see the other white unicorn mare. Embarrassed almost immediately, knowing that Nadira had been called by Ophelia's name during their meeting recently. He wondered if seeing the mare belonging to the delicate name in the flesh would make her feel flattered or angered, but the wolf had always thought that Ophelia was a graceful sort of beauty. Nadira, too, held the same sort, but the red-tipped unicorn he knew was obviously more lithe and tall, adorned with fascinatingly colored eyes and accompanied by the silver dragon Tinek, whom Comadre flies beside now.

"Tinek has always been rambunctious," Osiris says in response to Ophelia's words, giving her a small smile as an acceptance of her apologies. "This is the first time I've ever heard you apologize for it." He laughs slightly, giving the mare the comfortable warmth she appeared to need to draw closer. The golden eyes still look toward her deep set stones of sapphire and ruby questioningly, for normally the mare had no qualms about waltzing in on Osiris's conversations. There was something off about the look in her eyes, and the way they gazed at him as if he were nothing but a stranger. A very unique stranger. Comadre lands upon the wolf's back, motioning toward Tinek to join him with an outstretched arm before giving his bonded very sharp eyes.

Something is very wrong with her, he says in the chasms of their shared mind. The dragon had not had to tell him, though. He had been thinking about Ophelia, but this was not the mare he had been hoping to see in the Threshold.
""

Even as the other mares in his company spoke, golden eyes stay locked upon the delicate face of Ophelia. Those eyes, feral like a dog, kept locked upon the small white frame, trying to garner what her ailment was. It was as if someone else had taken her body and strode forth, but with Tinek close in tow speaking to Comadre, it was a hard chance that they were being fooled by imposters. The bond between a companion and master would recognize no such charlatan as their other half, and therefore, the wolf was left perplexed. There was no escaping the thought that she was changed, that she was not Ophelia, yet the silver dragon which soared with Comadre chained him to the blatant fact she was.

The loss of familiarity as she looked at him ripped at his heart like claws. Surely, a face such as his would not be so easily forgotten. Keeping his sorrows from his face, he simply watches, catching the last strands of honeyed words welcoming her into their small gathering. Comadre sits quietly with Tinek, huddling close and offering support to the young silver dragon, Osiris noticing the small weight added but hardly feeling it. His entire body felt numb, not being recognized by the one in this land who had known him the longest. This was the mare he had sworn allegiance to, but she could not even look at him with knowing eyes. He was a stranger, pinned between two acquaintances and a friend who could not remember his name. Feeling dumb, empty, rather at a loss for words, Osiris's ear cocks back uncertainly.

The anxiety creeps over the ice of Ophelia's face as well, claiming both her eyes, blue and crimson, setting her face into emotional knots that pulled harder on Osiris's heart - pain. He knew it well, and the sharp sting of her face contorted in that agony almost made him move, but not quickly enough. Were it not for his sharp hearing, the whispered words she spoke from behind tight lips during her retreat might have been missed. I do not remember any of you. Golden eyes widen and he takes a step toward her, only to see her turn tail. I cannot remember. Tinek lifts off next, following the racing form of her body, and Osiris leaps forward as well, stopping only when he realizes that chasing her is foolish.

"Ophelia!" he calls after her, a large baritone holler that bounces off the trees and echoes on the ground, worried but warm. "Damn it," he whispers to himself, turning to view back over his shoulder at the two mares who he have expected to be gawking at the scene. Comadre's gentle purple eyes are what meets him instead, his face falling slightly. "Do not worry, Osiris. She will be friends again," a toothy smile guides him back toward the other pair, his head lowered but his face calm. "We will just have to teach her that we are good again." The small black crawls along the wolf's neck, latching onto the poll and giving him an embrace. "You are right." The words are said only to the dragon, but plenty loud enough for the other two to hear in this small gap.

He lifts his head, the dragon losing balance and being tossed rather haphazardly in the air, catching himself on leathery wings. "Following her now will do no good," he says to them, as if to quell their worries. "Romani, would you be willing to give Nadira a tour of this land? I have family I wish to visit in the area, and I need not drag you two with me." Perhaps the comfort of the wolves would soothe his soul.
""