The sun rose higher in the sky, a merciless presence among the parched forest. The silver dappled mare continued to saunter on with waning determination. The streak of red on her haunches was beginning to dry in the sun's growing heat, but the small wound still throbbed. It was a relatively minor injury for any normal equine, but the doe's body just didn't have it's usually vigor after her precarious entrance into this strange land. Wariness of her surroundings was starting to fade, dulled by pain and anger at the bad luck which had landed her in such a place. Why had fate decided to rip her away from her home and thrust her into this sickened wood? Were the gods just playing some cruel game with her, trying to find out how much she could take before crumbling?

A light breeze wound through the folliage, pulling the girl's dark locks away from her face. The scent of ash and dying plants permeated the air, yet the breeze carried with it an entirely new scent. It was something akin to equine, but lighter, almost bird-like. Ebony ears pricked forward in interest. Dished muzzle lifted into the air, trying to located the source of the alien fragrance. Summoning what little strength she had, Bellatrix pushed herself into a light trot, following in the direction of the smell. Maybe this smell would lead her out of the forest, towards some source of life! Up ahead, a small break in the trees made itself visible. She sped up, hoping she had reached the end of the dark forest. As her marbled form emerged into a small clearing, the mare glimpsed a sight she had never seen before. Her hooves dug into the ground, throwing her body into a sharp halt. Dust rose from the dried ground as Bellatrix stared at the creature. A pegasus.

Pegasi were the talk of legend and lore in her home. She remembered the stories her dam told her when she was just a foal, of horses with the wings of a bird that could soar high into the skies. As she grew older, she assumed that they were only myths, nothing more. No such creatures existed in her home. And yet, here she was, standing face to face with one. Porcelain eyes moved over the winged mare's golden body, lingering on her pale wings. Bellatrix knew that some sort of a greeting was in order, but she was utterly speechless. What do I say to a pegasus? Her mind wandered back to the stories she had been told of the winged equine, but she could not remember if they had mentioned anything about disposition. Luckily, the palomino was quite a bit smaller than herself. The smoke hued belle shifted her weight uncomfortably as she desperately wondered what to say to the petite pegasus.

Hello? A voice broke through the air, stemming from the little pegasus across the clearing. Bellatrix watched intently as the winged mare moved, asessing all she could from the other creature's body language. It wasn't as hard a task as she would have thought, for the pegasus was really mostly equine, except, of course, for her wings. Suddenly, the golden doe seemed locked in her place.. Was she poised for some sort of attack? Or could it be that the small statured mare was frightened as well?

"Hi," A brief greeting managed out of the silver cirqued equine. "I'm sorry if I have trespassed on to your territory. I'm lost, you see." More words tumbled clumsily out of her pink maw. The lithe ashen mare tried to relax her stance and forced a polite smile. She really had no idea where she was, and her body was exhausted from the harrowing journey into the forest. And now she was talking to a creature she thought only existed in legends. She sighed wearily, remembering the small wound she had gotten earlier. She turned her sleek neck back towards her haunches, shooing away insects as she did. The blood had dried mostly, leaving a deep garnet line across her hip. It looked worse than it was, and at least no predators had been lured by the scent of her blood. Sky hued gaze flicked back to the pegasus stranger, and then across the clearing they were in. The vegetation was just as sickened here as it was throughout the rest of the forest, and yet the clearing had one amazing component. A surprisingly clear pool of water sat before them, a miraculous find in the otherwise dried up wood. Bellatrix hesistated for a moment, then stepped lightly over to the small pond. Even if she was in someone else's land, she wasn't going to deny herself a drink. Her delicate muzzle dipped into the pool and sucked cool water gratefully.

"Oh. Um." The flight gifted mare spoke again in her light voice. "No. Um. I mean. This isn't my territory." Bellatrix removed herself from the refreshing pool to take a few steps towards the pegasus. She could see her wings a little better now, noting the multiple colors within them. How dainty the girl was! She was smaller than any horse Bellatrix had ever seen. "Sorry. I've never seen a horse before." Azure eyes widened at the phrase. Did that mean that there were no horses in this land.. at all? Nervousness gripped her chest. "Really? Where I come from, there are many horses.. I have actually never met a pegasus before. Are there many of your kind here?" The silver mare shifted uncomfortably. Was she the only horse here? Maybe pegasi didn't like horses and chased them away from this land. Whatever the reason, at least this pegasus seemed friendly enough. A fight today would surely be too much for her exhausted body.

"So you're a horse? Wow. What's it like not having wings? It looks so weird. Not that you look weird. You're very pretty. My mother always said horses were ugly foul beasts, but you seem like the opposite even if I don't know you." A soft laugh emanated from the silver mare's throat. Her uneasiness about the palomino mare was starting to seem very unwarranted. "Are you hurt?" "Well, it could be worse I suppose. I guess I'm beginning to run on. I'm Ariia. Who are you?" Bellatrix watched Arria's wings move, astounded at how well placed they were on her otherwise normal equine body. She thought of a response to the questions, glad that the other mare was curious instead of threatening. "Nice to meet you, Arria. My name is Bellatrix. I'm not sure how to explain what it's like to be a horse.. I've lived with humans since I was young, but I lost my human last night and ended up here." She sighed, wondering if the humans were trying to find her. Again, the feeling crept up on her. It was as if a little voice in her head kept repeating, "You will never see your home again". A twinge of pain reminded her of the wound on her haunches, causing her to glance back at it before giving her attention back to Ariia. "I'm alright. I just got a scrape a while back. These woods aren't the best place to run." These woods probably aren't a good place to do anything.. Bellatrix thought to herself, letting her gaze wander. The forest had definitely endured a few fires. She would have to find a way out of this place if she wanted to live. "Could you tell me where we are?"

G A S P A R D
The sparkle in your eyes keeps me alive...

The monochrome mammoth had paced back into the Threshold out of pure curiosity for the land. He had become fearful of the voices that grew louder the further north he went, especially into the frozen wastelands where he could swear he was full-blown mad. However in this place it was a little calmer in his mind. Perhaps he was just thinking this. He did not know. All the brute could think was that one day it would cost him his life. But no matter what he would never stop fighting it. Ever.

As he circled in on the place he thought he had arrived and stopped in, his large daggers hit the earth with a loud thud and the breeze ruffled into his thick pelt. The charcoal and alabaster contrasted against each other, making him seem even larger than he was. The wound began to ache again on his crown, Gaspard wondered whether it would ever stop. A heavy reminder of the day he lost most of his former memories, the brute was now full of paranoia that something similar would re-occur. No! he thought to himself with a stubborn conclusion.

Unaware of the two vixens that were in the distance, he then continued to explore the borders of his new homeland. As he began to close in on them, the voices uttered words of obscenities, talk of devouring them like a mad creature. Pure insanity! Trying to push these out of his mind since they would undoubtedly push him into a frenzied irate attack on the beings, he sensed them close. Passing through the dry lands with the heavens providing little respite from the heat only made worse by the thick pelt, he then caught them in his mossy pools. Closer and closer he came, unable to make out what they were saying. It was not necessarily easy to understand at the best of times, nevermind duchesses speaking to one another.

He gazed at both of them separately. First was the smaller of the two, a golden winged dame, she was miniscule to him but still he could do nothing but admire the wings. He then focused himself on her other features, near alabaster silks and orbs of cocoa. Almost cute, her crown was undeniably pretty with the features of a smaller being.
And then he rounded his investigations onto the other princess, a dappled cloud pelt and charcoal silks with azure pools that gave little away. Her elegant build prized a curled onyx marking that spread from the corners of her pools. She was smaller than he by quite a bit, but even for one of his own kind he was impressed. With thoughts of how to talk to the dames without seeming awkward, he turned his attention to the silver vixen.
"Greetings, I am Gaspard." Without wanting to seem rude, the mammoth brute showed his orbs of welcome to the other duchess too before turning his neck back round, "You are new, yes?"

G A S P A R D
The sparkle in your eyes keeps me alive...

Little things. Kill.
You know what to do...
The voices began to play in his mind again. The alabaster and charcoal brute was forever battling these insane pests that were clogging up his senses. Shaking his once handsome crown to be free of them, it felt as if they were clinging to the wound on the front of his crown, with sharp claws that dug deep and it was extremely difficult to prevent a squeal of pain. I am possessed. With all his strength he pushed them away as the clouded vixen spoke. She had wandered up to him and almost seemed to be sheltering the minuscule winged one. Were they frightened? They ought to be...

He took in the names of both of the newcomers, Bellatrix and Ariia. It seemed the other one had also bucked up the courage to stand against his mammoth size and speak to him, but still trembled. He could see the fear in their pools, it was as if they had never come across such a beast before. He thought to himself how scared they would be if they caught him on a fairly bad day. The reason he was alone was because he was dangerous, without even deeming himself to be. The insanity that was consuming him did not help either. Slowly dragging him into the abyss. Gaspard stepped back away from the strangers, afraid that if he was in close proximity could trigger the voices to control him.

In respect he tried to take in the information. For he did not know much about his new homelands as it was, so to meet other new creatures it was quite a daunting process. They might ask him about the area. And this was something he simply would not be able to answer, he was neither a good speaker of the native tongue of Helovia and did not know much of the homelands. He was still exploring, hence the need to come back here.
"Forgive, I am new also. I just arrive." He hoped that Bellatrix and the golden one, Ariia, could understand his babblings. They seemed intelligent enough to make this out.

The ivory and ebony brute thought quietly to himself if he had ever been able to speak in such a normal way as the creatures he came across on his travels. In a life that he long forgotten about. Was I normal?

The rays of Tallsun reached down into the clearing, casting a gleam over the grey dame's coat. The heat stung the long, dried scrape on her haunches. The urge to reach back and tend the wound was heavy, but the stallion's presence before her was enough to deter it. She didn't want to draw attention to her weakened body, although it was quite obvious that Gaspard would be able to physically overpower both her and petite Ariia if he wanted to. Hopefully he's not one for trouble.. She thought to herself vainly. She noted the deep scar on his massive face, silently wondering what could have caused such a thing. Saphire eyes widened as they caught Arria's small form courageously moving closer to the stallion, though not without a nervous shivering. Bellatrix smiled encouragingly at the smaller mare's words, trying to convince her own self not to fear their new acquantance.

Near ebony ears pricked forward intently as Gaspard made an unexpected move. Was this massive beast actually backing away from two little mares? Was he afraid of them, somehow? She remembered how ragged she must still look, after her earlier ordeal. The onyx marking on her face might also be a bizarre sight for him, though it was only dyed on as a permanent mark of her human owners. "Forgive, I am new also. I just arrive." The stallion's voice rang again, his words oddly arranged. He must be nervous. But why? As she breathed deeply, Bellatrix forced her pearly frame into a more relaxed position. "I'm sorry if we've alarmed you, Gaspard. I promise, I mean you no harm." She spoke, hoping to reassure the seemingly timid gent. Curiousity whirled in her mind, a curiousity that would probably be the death of her if she wasn't careful. Who was this unusual boy, and what could he possibly have to fear?

G A S P A R D
The sparkle in your eyes keeps me alive...

The words of comfort from the two vixens did not comfort him. The voices in his mind were growing louder and louder, and soon something would have to snap. It was not like them to let him carry on as normal for this long, so it was slowly building up before eventually a tragedy would occur. Knowing that it was too dangerous at this moment in time, he took another few steps back on his mammoth pillars. A moment of worry was teeming in his mossy orbs as he looked at both the newcomers, and wondered what possible excuse he could give for harming them. Especially the petite one, she would be hurt the worst he imagined. The size difference between the two was too great to be ignored.

The alabaster and charcoal brute finally bowed his crown in defeat to the voices when he heard the presence of yet another dame. This one was a charcoal, but he could not pull himself together to investigate further into her features. Instead, he pulled himself away and began to dance on his daggers, edging away from the trio.
"I cannot... I am sorry." His pools flashed to Bellatrix mostly, who, along with Ariia seemed to wonder why he appeared frightened. He could see it written in their expressions and body language. They were probably just as confused as he was. The irate sound of the other stranger's voice simply triggered another sense - to run. With a flick of his heavy tail silks he bounded away from the clearing, crashing into the scarce trees as he ran farther and farther into the lands, away from the forest. The loud noises sent the birds flying into the air that were relaxing in the branches only moments before. With grunts and shouts of confusion bellowing out of his velveteens, he headed for the quiet of Thistle Meadow.
I must go, I cannot stay! He was a warrior, only capable of harming in a frightful rage as this. The voices were pressing him further, and Gaspard was not wanting to be responsible for a possible death. Especially not for the newcomers.

[OOC: he's having one of his insane fits, and has left the thread so he doesn't harm any of the other characters. xD]

Concern wrinkled the svelte mare's eyes. The stallion moved away from her again, clearly frightened of something. His actions were growing increasingly worrisome, and her fear of his massive size was fading quickly. Maybe he really is afraid of us.. And if he wasn't afraid of them, then who or what had scared him? As if an answer to her question, a onyx form burst into the clearing. It was a tall, angry looking pegasus. Before Bellatrix could study the newcomer any further, Gaspard spoke. And just like that, the mysterious boy was running off into the depths of the wood.

"Gaspard!" The silver hued dame called out after him. She started after him, then suddenly caughter herself and spun around to face the mare who had startled the poor painted stallion. With her ears swiveling back in a threatening manner, she threw an aggravated glare at the pitch black girl. The rude mare certainly lacked some well needed manners. Her velvet pink lips opened to offer a seething address, but just as quickly clamped shut. Azure orbs forced themselves in the direction of the smaller pegasus, losing the fierceness they had for the blackened one. "I'm going after him, Arria. I think he may really be in distress.." She spoke to the petite golden doe, aiming a quick gesture at the other winged equine before advising, "I'd get out of here too, if I were you." Pivoting on mottled steel spindles, Bellatrix turned and began to run off in the direction of Gaspard. Her body was still tired from the day's ordeals, but something compelled her to follow the odd stag. It may have been the fact that he seemed so very alone and frightened. She knew the feeling all to well. If only she could catch up to that troubled soul.













(ooc: And Bellatrix has left the thread. ^^)