By all rights, she shouldn't have been soaring over the Basin's snowcapped mountains to fly over the valley they sheltered. That kind of thing could start fights between herds, especially ones that already didn't need much reason to fight eachother. Kri would have her tail if she got wind of this. But it had been a sweltering, uncomfortable night in the Throat and she desperately needed to clear her mind after the invasion.

It was worth it, though. The cold moonlight illuminated the land below her, the cool wind whistling through her mane and soothing her sweat-streaked hide where it touched. With the cold came a kind of clarity, enabling her to finally calm her mind and put her doubts to rest. Java, however, did not find their flight so enthralling and was burrowed into her mane, sending her fuzzy pictures of the Throat, a tropical island, anywhere but the sky over a tundra in the middle of the night. He did like the stars, though, and soon his miserable mental images were replaced by a feeling of wonder as he gazed up at the canopy of twinkling lights so far above them. It really was gorgeous, the landscape beneath them accenting it perfectly.

Aryel, meanwhile, was more interested in the dark shape below. While it seemed that most Basin horses were asleep at this hour, here was one taking a solitary jaunt. A devious smile curled the mare's mouth. Why not buzz the unicorn, give them a little scare? She wouldn't exactly loose any sleep over startling a Basin horse. She tilted her wings, causing herself to go into a steep dive. She would just swoop over their heads and be gone before they knew what it was. Maybe all she needed was to prank a unicorn.

Except it wasn't a unicorn.

With a shock, she realized there was no horn on it's head, instead, wings were bunched at it's sides. She ascended quickly, managing to clear the horse with several feet to spare. She landed heavily in the snow some feet in front of them and turned quickly, folding her wings to her sides. "Hey, thought I should warn you that the unicorns here don't take kindly t-" she stopped short, eyes widening, then narrowing to peer at the horse, no, a filly.

"...Lana?"

Scrawnier and scruffier than she remembered, it really was her, the filly she and Levi had befriended, who had gone missing some time before. "Wha-what are you doing here?" She already had a small inkling, though. She desperately hoped it wasn't true. The thought of Lana being held and abused by those damned unicorns was an awful thought.

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

Before Lana could reply, they were interrupted by a growl, then a scent. Aryel's head whipped around to take in the view of a large, blood-colored bay with two glasslike horns. His heterochromatic gaze was as heartless as his voice. By his hooves skulked a horned, red-and-black dog, the source of the growling. Aryel turned to fully face him, giving an incredulous snort as demanded she leave and that Lana step away.

How dare this horse keep another enslaved, as property? How dare he take a small, sweet filly, barely out of childhood, from her home? How dare he treat her like dirt? Something snapped in the pegasus's mind. Her glare became even more livid as she stalked forward to stand in the face of the much larger, no doubt more dangerous horse as she quivered with rage. "Do you wish to start a war, ass?" she hissed, looking him full in the eye. A wiser mare would've played it safe, and most certainly have not gotten in range of those deadly horns. But Aryel, as many soon learned, was not exactly wise. Foolhardy, passionate, and temperamental were more accurate words. "This mare is a member of the Dragon's Throat, who, if I recall, requested a state of neutrality with the Basin. Taking her prisoner is tantamount to breaking that agreement." She was all but bearing her teeth at the male. "Now, I'm going to walk out of here with her, or so help me, as Sergeant of the Throat, I will bring the entire army down on your heads, and they will not hesitate in slaughtering every stallion, mare, and foal in this damned frozen wasteland!" At the last word, a flash of electric blue sparked dangerously in her eyes. She had yet to put her magic to good use, and was just itching to give this arrogant mule two hoof-shaped brands on his ugly face, and grind his little pup into the snow while she was it. Java, still crouched on her back, gave a self-satisfied sniff to punctuate her words.

As Lana defied the male's orders, she looked back briefly to give her a broad grin. She could have nuzzled her if she wasn't currently facing the bay brute. As it was, all she was able to do was nod and say quietly, "That's my girl."

(Does D'art showing up automatically mean Lana can't leave? Also, I'd like to mention one little thing. Aryel can be beaten up certainly, maybe even take some damage to her legs or wings, but I'd like her to walk out alive.)

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

Somehow, everything had changed. Within hours she had unknowingly missed absolutely everything. However it wasn't to remain that way, for Athena had awoken to realize that Lana was not where she always was. Nervous and anxious over the disappearance of the young girl she felt she should protect, Athena had set out into the chill, trying to follow hoofprints that disappeared as quickly as the snow fell to earth. Worried hazel eyes swept over the flat alabaster horizon, long tail flickering anxiously as the feathers beat to the fast rhythm of her heart. Where was her precious friend? Had she been harmed? These thoughts only served to drive Athena into an even faster pace. She may be short, but she could still manage some speed when she wanted to. Athena would never forgive herself if Lana was injured when she could be there to protect her. Though Athena was not a fighter, she would still protect Lana even if she would not fight back. Lana was young, and Athena felt as if she needed to keep her safe until they could escape. However it seemed she'd already had that idea, for soon the wingless pegasi could see the outline of three forms. One of which had become very familiar to her.

Breathing a soft sound of relief, Athena sped up to move to Lana's side, muzzle brushing over her body softly as the medic checked for any injuries. Sighing in relief when she found none. The tension in the air was only then noticed, after she had ensured Lana was unharmed. Athena's ears flicked back in discomfort as she heard the words a rather familiar looking mare hissed at d'Artagnan. Before she could catch herself, she found her mouth opening in a soft gasp. "Aryel?" She hadn't seen the woman in ages, it seemed. Indeed it had been quite some time, but she still cared for her. Hearing she was a Sergeant of their herd made her heart bloom with pride, sharing a warm look with the other female before withering under d'Artagnan's cruel gaze. Lana's fierce 'no' had been surprising, and Athena moved to place herself between the stallion and the young girl, wanting to be a barrier should anything bad start going down. Nervously Athena watched Aryel, not wanting her real name mentioned. But she could do nothing, not without d'Artagnan taking notice and raising the alarm more than it already was.

---
Notes: Athena can be injured as much as you want, permission granted to anyone so long as she isn't dead by the end of it.

Focused on the bay stallion, Aryel had not seen the lion-tailed mare when she walked up. It was her soft gasp that drew her attention, causing her to turn her head to gaze incredulously at Athena. She gave her a slight smile. "Long time no see." She truly hadn't seen the palomino mare since her first days in Helovia, seasons ago. Had she been here this entire time? If she had had hackles, the thought would have caused them to rise. Keeping not one, but two Throat horses prisoner? Unforgiveable.

She looked back at D'artagan and scoffed. "Deaths? With all due respect, which isn't much, by the way, your soldiers would not even be a match for ours. Horns will only get you so far." Her brow furrowed as he mentioned a Throat horse with armor. As far as she knew, only one stallion in their lands had a suit of armor, and that was General Midas. She scowled at the stallion, wondering what he had done. "Have you ever met my friend Gaucho?" she asked, tilting her head. "He's not burdened by such pesky things as morals. All the excuse he needs to kill someone, anyone, slowly and painfully is an order from his higher-ups. Pity he isn't here." His rewording of his previous sentence confused her briefly, but she was prepared to take it. She looked back at Athena and Lana, nodding for them to go home. She would be right behind them.

And then the real trouble started.

A voice caused her to turn from D'artagan to a new mare, this one bearing a passing resemblance to the bay in her soulless blue eyes. She was accompanied by a strange fog that sent an explainable shiver down Aryel's spine. She drew breath to respond to her, when the fog suddenly seemed to lunge towards her. Before she could react, it was everywhere, going into her, through her nose, her ears, her mouth. She gave a short whinny of fear and shook her head back and forth, the whites of her terrified eyes showing as a cold sensation invaded every part of her body from hooves to wingtips.

Those that got to know Aryel would know her as a very proud, independent horse. She prided herself on being free-willed, only following the orders of a worthy leader. This was precisely why the sensation of loosing control over her own body was the most terrifying thing she had ever felt in her four years of life. It was all she could do to not beg pitifully for the mare to stop as her front half bent, leaving her kneeling with one foreleg folded beneath her and the other stretched in front. Her neck was arched and her ears flat against her head as she gasped for breath, eyes wide and blank. The fog was slowly cutting off her connection to Java, her connection to her magic, her own mind. It would be so easy just to give in and-

Chomp!

Aryel jerked, snorting in pain. Java, feeling their connection growing weak, had cast about desperately for something he could do, and settled for clamping his sharp little teeth into the skin where her neck met her back. The bite had jolted her back to consciousness, but she was still rendered immobile. She managed to turn her head a few degrees to look at the two prisoners. "Go on." she gritted out. "I'm...I'm fine." She pulled her gaze back to the two unicorns and fixed them with a look of pure loathing, fear still running through her body at the sight of the mare's horn leveled towards her. But they had had their fun and would let her go now, since they were also letting the other pegasi go. Wouldn't they?

(This is now very interesting.)

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

Their eyes meet, and Athena is thankful when Aryel did not speak her name. It had taken her a long time to get used to her facade, to become 'Ari'. All that she wants to stay is clogged up in her throat, and she cannot speak. Instead, warm eyes turn impossibly sweeter. How long does it last? It is an easily shattered peace, and d'Artagnan's dismissal had been missed by the golden mare. Athena wanted to cower beneath his anger, respecting his strength far more than Aryel. Then again, Athena was not a fighter and would stand no chance against the experienced poisoner. Even so, the thought of the Throat being dragged to war over herself and Lana...Athena's nature rebelled against it. Would rather to remain forever, far from her blooming wonderland of desert and red sand, than risk the warriors that had protected her for so long over such a simple existence.

Aviya's arrival shook her, and Athena's ears flattened submissively. She was no brave soul, having more of a look-on-the-bright-side, love-everybody mindset. d'Artagnan giving her sudden freedom, and announcing her as his daughter, was more than enough to make her drop her eyes further and try to hide her small aureate frame even more. Would she even have the courage to run, leave, if she was given the chance? Aviya's threatening gaze was already enough to make the tiny shimmer of hope disappear. Nevertheless her body still remained close to Lana's, wanting to protect her like the day when they'd met Mauja. When the fog floated dangerously close to them Athena shied away from it, knowing it was unnatural and feeling the prickles on her skin that always worked as a sign that magic was in the air. Seeing it descend on Aryel made orbs widen in terror and horror, but she could do nothing to help her and knew it. If she tried, she too would be caught up in its effects. Watching the warrior, the Sergeant, kneel beneath its power made her tremble. Order soon came from Aryel's lips, and Athena whimpered softly, conflicted. So badly she wanted to return home, and apparently her and Lana had the chance, but she hesitated. Torn. Would they hold true to their word? Surely they would be more wary, considering they knew of the inner workings of the Basin? Athena's tail flickered fast, jerking around in complete betrayal of her poorly hidden anxiety.