Aryel rolled her eyes as the stallion spoke, but there was no real malice in her expression. She did scowl, however, when a very unwelcome voice broke in. It seemed that no matter where she went, she always ran into the horses she hated. Aryel jumped as Tio seemed to materialize from the shadows, poisonous green eyes as unnerving as ever. The back of her neck prickled as Tio seemed to look her up and down, and she responded by flattening her ears and giving him a contemptuous glare. "Save the flattery for someone who cares." she snapped. "It's none of your business what I'm doing out here. Oh, and Tio? It's Sergeant Aryel now, if you please." Even as she shifted her weight to one side, seemingly unconcerned about the dangerous horse, she still took a few seconds to size him up. He looked in good health, which was unfortunate, in fact, he seemed to be in better condition than before. Yet to the blue mare, he was still nothing to fear, just one cocky stallion who needed to fall off a cliff.

She scoffed as the stranger, Vex, replied to Tio. Those freaky green irises must be obscuring his vision, she thought, whisking her tail. "As for how we know eachother, well, Tio here is threatening to invade my homeland." She turned her blue-black eyes on the striped male with a smug grin. "A feat which he will never be able accomplish, sadly." This cocky grin, however, was wiped off her face when Tio mentioned Levi. The idiot had gone after Tio alone? She knew her friend was even more foolhardy than she herself was, but still. At the very least, they should've gone together. Her glare became even nastier. If this bastard had hurt her friend...

Java, meanwhile, had been awakened by their voices and peeped around Aryel's shoulder to see the others. He could hear the anger in his bondmate's voice, directed mostly at the striped buckskin. He flattened himself against Aryel's withers and made a tiny growl at him, his foxlike muzzle wrinking slightly. Aryel glanced back at him, wishing he would shush. There was no need to draw attention to her tiny companion, who could easily be crushed or bitten to death. She fixed Tio with a vulpine grin as a thought occured to her. "Tell me, Catallatio, how did your meeting with the Grey go?" She tilted her head to one side. "A little bird told me that they tossed you out on your fat yellow rear."

Walk walk walk walk.
" Talk talk talk talk. "

Aryel all but bared her teeth. "Don't you dare say anything about Kri." Tio could cuss her to hell and back for all she cared, but feeling the need defend the honor of her friends and superiors was one of the pegasus's greatest weaknesses. She scowled as he went on to belittle her further. The roan rolled her eyes. "Came here to meet you? The only place I'd want to meet you is on the battlefield, Tio. You're not quite the mare magnet you think you are." She stiffened as Tio crossed the stream in one powerful bound, eyes narrowing. But instead of taking a step backwards, she took one forward, shoving her head against his so the two stood brow-to-brow in an undeniably challenging manner. "And if I decide to call you out for being an arrogant, idiotic bigot who can't tell the difference between a rat and a bat?" she asked when he finished speaking. Had she had more common sense, she might have taken him at his word and left.

It was only when Vex spoke that her eyes were dragged away from Tio's. The stormclouds left her gaze for a moment, only to be replaced by contempt. Married couple? Yeah right. "I would love to rip his head from his neck, trust me." she said, shooting the dun another poisonous look. "Unfortunately, I lack the means." Her lip curled in disgust as the stallion pouted about his butt, then turned around and shook it for emphasis. "Ew." she said flatly. Aryel was straight, but any attractive qualities this horse might have had were overshadowed by his ridiculous mannerisms.

She shook her neck out, not caring if her mane smacked Tio in the process. "I can't see you being happy in my own herd, although I'd gladly tell you what I know about Helovia if you choose. Otherwise, I'll be taking my leave. Tio's stench is making my head swim." She turned to regard the poison-eyed stallion again with blatant challenge. Her acquisition of magic had left her far more cocky than normal. With the power of fire at her hooves, she felt she could take anyone on.

Walk walk walk walk.
"Talk talk talk talk."