The further he walked the more his temper worsened. The cold land of the Aurora Basin was but a distant memory as the sun beat down on him for miles, increasingly making him more agitated by it's infernal heat. He took refuge among trees when he could, splashed through streams when they appeared and cursed at the sky so many times he was beginning to make up new insults. He marched along the borders of trees and beach before the smell of the marshes hit him. d'Artagnan always had found this place intriguing, the few times he had ventured here he had found himself drawn to the death that moaned beneath his cracked hooves. Aramis seemed to be enjoying the new atmosphere too, bouncing on a youthful stride whilst staring at the ill looking swamp with a pup's curiosity. The shade had been trying to decipher whether the hound had grown, his feet seemed a little larger but then again... He did have a very skinny body.

The pair took their adventure further into the Spectral Marsh, stopping now and then to observe something strange or obscure. It was during one of these examinations that d'Artagnan's eyes fell on the winged form of a black stud. Seemingly making his own way through the marshes with his alabaster appendages that made the shade's gaze darken. He motioned to Aramis who trotted off towards where the pegasus stood, flicking his tail in anticipation. It was something the shade had wanted to try out, he was used to fighting on his own but now he had the help of Aramis. A one two combination he wasn't used to as of yet, so tactics was something he had to figure out.

Slowly, with tongue lolling out to one side, the puppy stepped in front of Murdock and simply sat down on his haunches. Watching the pegasus curiously, like a youthful child would. His bonded stalked in behind the dark coloured hell hound, his red coat a dangerous sign as it crept through the across the muddy ground. Careful to keep to the small pathway. d'Artagnan finally found himself in position and turned the glint of his eye to their target before them.

Power raged from his behind and the Nightshade powered forwards aiming to push the stud before him into the marsh to the side. Aramis darting out of the way in time to miss being trampled. Glass horns glistened, a broken one a sign of his battling past, an amulet bounced against his neck and a tail flicked when impact neared. It was almost a test of nimbleness, if he was successful would this strange be quick enough to keep his balance on the only path that led through the marsh. Or would d'Artagnan rid the world of another pestering, winged bare head. He danced to the side once close, trying to brush shoulder to shoulder, malice filling his face.

It was over in a matter of minutes and the shade was soon back to a trot. Behind the stranger now, puffing out his nostrils through the intensity of his attack. Idiotic may be, but the shade rather liked the first combo he and his pup tried, since Aramis was only a babe, there was only so much he could do.

A calmness settled on him now, as he turned to see what damage he had done.

Hooves clattered and bodies neared, the pegasus swung with impressive footing and when the Nightshade stopped he snorted annoyance at himself. The swamp moaned and murky water splashed, the stranger regained his balance and sprang forward away from d'Artagnan, Aramis now well out of the way and by his side. Gilded eyes glowering, heckles springing up along his back and a low growl rumbling from his gut. Curled ears pinned back. The excitement died down and now d'Artagnan faced the stranger, bitterness in his mouth. He missed. Normally, he would say nothing and simply double back on himself and try a different attack, but not here. In the marshes one wrong move could have you singing carols with the dead at the bottom of a sickly pool. Not something the shade wanted to be doing.

Tail flicked and he spoke above the growls, eyes piercing and simmering with red warning signs. A smile played on grey lips "the hell? Just trying to rid the world of another pathetic creature. But it seems I am denied blood yet again, that's some footwork you have" low, unsympathetic was his voice. Something about the scent of this stag told him of no familiar herd, no arid smell of the Dragons Throat like that little colt and his armoured father. Nothing familiar from his former and rightful home of the Edge and most certainly not cowardly enough to be of the Foothills.

No.

He was like that other mare. The equine of no distinct scent who screamed for her life as it was taken from her. Covered in her own bodily fluid he had simply killed her in cold blood, did she even have a family? He didn't care, no one had come for her, no one had tried to save her. Much to the Nighshade's delight she had left the world without even a hint of fight in her. Worthless being. d'Artagnan was a racist animal, he hated all without a horn though usually kept to hateful words and threats of violence. It was in these moments that the madness came out, the ringing in his head put there by endless beating from his father. Drove insane for his inadequacy. If one truly knew d'Artagnan, would they have so much hate for him? Did anyone really know the Nightshade?

The Time Mender would beg to differ, but he wanted no sympathetic words. No mushy sentiments of 'I understand that feeling'. He just wanted the contradictory. Death and peace. Eyes narrowed and head tilted "do you normally roam alone?"

[ooc; sorry for your wait. <3]

d'Artagnan couldn't help but notice the irony that if the stranger before him had possessed a horn instead of his feathered appendages then actually they might of got on. The darker stud played the game well, not getting to bogged down in the details and instead his mind kept up with the pace of the Nightshade's own ways of thinking. d'Artagnan was thoroughly impressed, even though he wouldn't admit it aloud. The shade's odd changing mood disturbed his bonded Aramis, who looked up at the blood coloured stallion with a puzzled expression as the Mender turned over exactly what it was he hated so much about the other races. For d'Artagnan knew it wasn't physical appearance, he would've rejected his son there and then if it was, but it also wasn't the magical differences that seemed to irk others. No. In the end the one and main thing that really bothered the shade was blood. A unicorn was pure the rest were not, Mesec may posses blood of all three species but he was a God's son a therefore different from the rest. At least, in the shade's reasoning.

Dual coloured eyes turned to the other who seemed to wrestle between fear and suspicion, Aramis seeming to worry him more than d'Artagnan himself. The shade nodded to the pup, he would make a fine Guard dog one day with his keen curled ears and sharp nose. It was a weight off his shoulders not having to constantly watch his back anymore. The affection that radiated off d'Artagnan affected his bonded and soon Aramis' markings began to glow a violent red whilst tail flicked from side to side.

d'Artagnan considered the strangers words, snorting at the strangeness of their conversation and the tense air around them. One wrong move and someone was most likely going to end up in the marsh. "You never know what's lurking in the shadows ready to take advantage of an unassuming stranger" was his rather bleak reply. Cracked hooves squelched against the ground then and d'Artagnan turned away from the stud to look in the opposite direction, his bonded already bounding on ahead in a playful puppy like manner.

"You win today, the moods gone and I've lost interest. My friend is a Hellhound called Aramis, and my name is d'Artagnan. May I know yours before I leave?" He wasn't exactly sure why he'd offered their names, in a way, the shade thought that this pegasus had won the right to know. A strange notion but he was the first to escape and still stand as if unperturbed, he didn't fall nor did he retaliate. d'Artagnan wasn't sure why, but in his strange convoluted mind, it sort of made sense.