He thinks there is only darkness residing within his heart.

This is one fact I know well about my bonded, and I have learned it well over the years we have spent together. My wolf pretends that he is a creature born of shadows and nightmares, building a wall only he can see ironclad around his heart. Those iron walls are supposed to keep the darkness from touching others, but even the sentiment screams of the light that truly resides inside my companion; it shines through his golden eyes and into the world through his valiant actions he has taken over the years. With a petulant and annoying smirk, I wait for the day when Osiris realizes that he is truly a saint hidden in the garb of the insidious.

Well, it's not that I feel my wolf is particularly scary looking. There have been many to feel this way about Osiris, but you and I know better than any that it would only be natural for a horse to fear a predator such as a wolf. Still, I cannot help but think that there is something inherently adorable about a furry horse with paws. He would probably snarl at me if he knew about it, though it is often hard to keep him from plucking thoughts from my head and I his. Such is the curse and blessing of a bonded. I am not really saddened by the fact that he would know every brief moment I thought him to be misguided in his views, for I feel that his self-hatred has sobered since our meeting so long ago. While I play the fool, I think I am the wiser of the pair. Osiris speaks well and elegantly, but he is far to lost in his view of himself to be anyone to ask for advice.

I hope the day comes when my wolf views himself through the eyes of his friends, instead of the eyes of fake strangers who haunt him like real demons. When he looks through my violet eyes toward himself, I will be pleased. I will be happy.

A whirl of colors rushes by as I jet forward, my leathery wings unhindered by the air on this calm spring day. I chirp and cackle, swirling about on warm thermals before springing up and back down toward the earth, barrel roll after barrel roll until I stop, expanding my wings with flare in front of Osiris's face. "Come on, Osiris," I say into the chasms of our mind, letting out a playful laugh before back flipping in the air. "We never play anymore." I frown, exaggeratingly, as I stare at him with angular eyes of the brightest hue of purple. "I think you are delusional if you recall playing together," he says with a gruff shrug before moving past me. His mood is particularly sour today, and I think it has something to do with his growing attachment to the mare named Nadira that has him worried. He does not do well with new ties to individuals because he feels entirely responsible for the safety of his family and friends. A brave but foolish stallion, but I still love him.

I love my wolf.

Giving up, I soar through the air, forward, ahead, wings batting the tall grass as I fly by, a soft touch from fields of green that slowly start to yellow. The smoke ahead tells me we are in the Heart of Helovia, but that is not what makes my eyes alight with childlike glee. My sharp vision peers ahead hundreds of meters, landing on the sleek figure of another. I coo loudly, and I here the impatient sigh of Osiris behind me as he begrudgingly follows. I shoot him the image of the bay mare who quickly becomes more detailed as I soar in her direction, coming to hover in front of her face with a wide, toothy grin. I purr almost like a cat at her, looking at her with a tilted head and curious purple eyes. I wish I could speak as fluently as Osiris, but I was not gifted with the same vocal structures. A pity to waste such a skill on someone who hates talking, I think.

My bonded catches up, and I flick him a quick glance before turning my attention back to the pretty, lithe mare. She has rest dust on her body and smells of the desert, much like Ophelia had at one time. Osiris steps a few paces behind me and I flip backward, landing upon his shoulder but nevertheless keeping my eyes upon the mare. "I apologize," he says, giving me a stern look like a parent might. I dramatically shrink back, exaggerated fear making it seem comical, before breaking and smiling at the mare again. "Comadre has the tendency to be annoying."

He really loves me, I promise.
""

[ OOC: I thought I would try a post or two from Comadre's perspective. Sorry if it changes suddenly. xD ]

Her build was graceful, but her movements were about the opposite. A clucking laugh is in my throat as I hover in front of her, purple eyes glimmering with the light of friendship. Her legs are splayed in surprise, as if she were a dog kneeling to play. Instead, she is a horse, and I know as well as you do that this is not a natural pose for the elegant creatures to take. Even my wolf, being half dog as I mentioned, would not assume such a position, and so my laughter is well justified. I am not malevolent, though by the fear that had raced in front of her eyes, I think perhaps she thought me so. The toothy grin could easily be mistaken, but she is not too hesitant to look at my solid violet eyes which gleam with excitement, not bloodlust.

I am thrilled by her curiosity as her muzzle slowly extends, wide little nostrils quivering with childlike delight, and I extend one clawed hand outward toward it, nearly touching before Osiris's gruff voice speaks up from behind me. I whirl backward, landing neatly on his shoulder as I explained last time, looking up at him and catching the disapproving look from his golden eyes. My dramatic acting seems to have amused my wolf, at least, even if Osiris snorts rather disgustedly in my direction. He tires easily of my tricks, but I think part of him enjoys my little shows of comedy. I know it, actually, as our mind flashes with a bright yellow of humor momentarily even though his face looks serious and drab. Such a mood killer, but I knew him to be rather comical himself. His humor was much darker than my own, often relying heavily on sarcasm.

My wolf has appearances to keep up, after all, if only for himself.

I smile at this mare, but her eyes are now glued upon my bonded's hairy figure. Osiris is stoic, his face neither offended or surprised. I know that he receives many curious looks, and there were times when he was greeted with out right terror, but the wolf was so used to these reactions that he hardly even lets out a sigh of annoyance - hardly. It is so light that were I not perched upon his shoulder feeling the slight raise of his ribcage, I would not have noticed. By the look upon the mare's face, I almost expect her to turn tail and run, and judging by the thoughts running through Osiris's mind, he feels about the same. "She is staying," I say finally, after a few short moments in surprise. "It does appear that way," Osiris says, turning his face toward me so that the bay makes no mistake on who his words are directed at. I wag my tail like a pleased dog as he speaks to me, purple eyes follow his golden toward the bay mare once more.

As she apologizes, her head turns toward the side, hiding her eyes from my wolf as she chokes on words. Unchanged, Osiris hardly seems to notice as she talks, except that his face follows her movements politely. Her eyes fall on me, though, and I give her another encouraging grin, probably looking nightmarish. Ree. After a pause of silence, I am surprised probably as much as the mare is at the laugh that erupts from Osiris. It is a small chortle, but entirely unexpected and I clutch tighter on his fur so that the quakes from his joy do not shake me off his shoulder. "You have no need to be embarrassed," he says, pushing the mirth back once more. "You are hardly the first to stare, and I doubt you will be the last, Ree."

He is being nice, and I am happy.

"I am Osiris, and, as I said, this little twerp is named Comadre," I glare up at him rather indignantly. I am hardly a twerp, and I coo in defiance. He only smirks at me and winks, and I nestle deeper into his shoulder, my pointed nose poking underneath his fur and hiding. Only my horns and purple eyes seem to peek out, and they rest quietly on Ree.
""

Osiris was not used to the light, and even know, he stood half uncomfortably before Ree, though his words fell out in a baritone that was silky and smooth, his face gruff but his humor soft. Despite all of his ordeals, the questions he faced toward the society he lay split between, the wolf had never been one to lack the ability to speak. At one time, maybe it had been out of some sort of selfish spite. He looked like a dog, but he was far more civilized than many of the equines which demeaned him daily. Now, however, that foolish perception of an angered child had long since been worn away by life. Osiris had learned in his years on this year that it was the wolves that were tenfold more accepting, sophisticated, and kind than many of the equids he had met.

With the cataclysm of Isilme had come many things, but, more importantly, Osiris had found a family. His body have been found strewn and broken across the forest floor, a small black dragon laying protectively over his bonded, fierce eyes, sharp claws, and violent teeth ready to protect the wolf until he awoke from his syncope. Had the hybrid been found by another than Little Sister, perhaps his fate would have been much different. There were many in Isilme that would not have hesitated to smash into his unsuspecting skull, but the bitter creature had found nothing but a warm tongue on his face, nudging him into awareness with curiosity and a whisper in his ears. Brother. The trio of wolves which he guarded now were the only left alive after the swarm of the shades, and they were like a ragtag family.

The hybrid, the wolves, and the dragon. They were connected, and that was all that mattered.

Staring out with feral golden eyes at the skittish girl who jumps at every word and movement of the great beast, Osiris comes to understand her fear. He was afraid of himself. The battle with the boggart had taught him as much, but more so than himself, Osiris feared the perception of himself through others' eyes. He kept to the shadows to stay out of their sight, out of their world. Now, he had a responsibility to the Grey, and he was left wandering more than he would have in former years. Still, today was an unusual day to leave him strewn out in the middle of one massive, clear field, with nothing but a fire to further illuminate his oddities. The small mare finds some sort of manners dwelling underneath the terror that had reigned her face, but that fear is slowly drawing into more of a curiosity. Who would not be curious about a massive wolf with a dragon soaring behind him?

Her words, however, cause another chuckle to fall from his lips. "I am far from a knight, girl," he says with a smile, revealing a pointed row of teeth behind fleshly lips. Comadre, however, is infinitely more flattered. He coos, lifting up from Osiris's shoulder to sit with regal grace, smiling at Ree with his own toothy grin. "Vrrreeeeeeee," he chirps, showing off his ability to speak like the horses. He winks at her, a purple eye vanishing beneath an ebony eyelid for a flickering moment. The dragon is entirely too driven by impressing others. He lives to be loved, and, in his own right, Osiris does as well. "He has you well fooled."

The words are rather in jest, for the wolf obviously has a deep affection for the small reptile which perches upon his shoulder so naturally. The pair themselves had an odd relationship full of banter that might be the reason why Comadre felt the need to be ceaselessly entertaining to his companion. There was something that seemed natural about the playful tune between the two souls, as if there had never been a period in the hybrid's life that the little dragon had not followed behind him with devotion, causing mock annoyance and sometimes well earned irritation from the grumpy soul that was Osiris. One cheerful, one much more solemn, but both had a casual interaction that would prevent any questions about their friendship, their kinship.

The light expression of Osiris's face takes on one that mimics fatherly concern as he peers at Ree. "What is a young mare doing alone in the Wilds? Do you not fear danger?" Helovia, while more peaceful than Isilme, was still full of many horrible things. Not long ago, he had been battling a boggart here in defense of Nadira. Surely, his luck would not be as terrible today.
""

[ ooc: sorry for the wait. x.x ]