Helovia's threshold, where those who wandered from the outside world would venture into the land. Some would be found, Israfel had been told, and be taken into herds to start families of their own... And some would simply continue on, content to live the lonely life of an oucast. The thought made the demi-goddess shudder. Wasn't the life of an outcast lonely? Did outcasts have any friends? Or did they only want to rely on themselves?

Either way, Israfel would never want to live without her family. Her bond with Smoke had only solidified since she had returned from the Veins of the Gods, and had sought out her mother for comfort and answers to her questions. Oh, the things she had learned... Smoke had been so full of knowledge, so smart and kind, answering any questions that Isra had with the patience of a saint. It made the pale princess all the more glad to have the Wild Rose as her mother... Yet even though she loved her family dearly, a feeling of unrest had begun to blossom within the pale yearling's breast. Sometimes she would wonder just what else was out there, in Helovia, what was waiting for her to explore...

For so long she had simply run amock, doing as her own arrogant heart had told her, uncaring of the feelings of those around her... Yet her visit with the God of the Spark had changed Israfel in ways that she couldn't imagine. Where she was once haughty and bratty, the demi-goddess now found herself more soft-spoken, more kind and less flamboyant. There would always be that fire inside of her, however, that spitfire attitude that she inherited from the God of the Sun... But for now, for once, Israfel began to feel as though she was truly finding herself.

Golden adorned wings expanded, feathers shifting as the hybrid slowly made a landing in a clearing of trees. The feathered appendages expanded and pushed downwards, using the current of air to soften her landing upon the spongy ground of the Threshold. Sharp vermillion eyes took in her surroundings, and Israfel held her head high as she surveyed the trees around her. What, exactly, had brought her here today? Her yearning for exploration, perhaps, the restlessness that had taken over her fiery spirit had caused her to take to the skies that morning...

Tucking her wings close to her barrel, Israfel shook her head, strands of ivory and the petals of red flowers shining brightly in the morning light. Looking up at the sky, peering through the thick canopy of trees, Israfel smiled. "Good morning, Papa," she murmured. Despite knowing the truth of what the God of the Sun had done, Israfel didn't love him any less. No... She still loved her father, but something had changed. The need to live up to his expectations was still there, of course, to make him proud, but the yearling had come to some kind of understanding since meeting with the God of the Spark. While she could still strive for greatness, she shouldn't lose herself along the way. Idly Isra wondered if Smoke would be proud of this realization that her daughter had.

Ruffling her feathers, Israfel once more looked around before golden hooves outstretched to continue her journey. Her tail flicked to the left, then the right, brushing againts the back of her hocks in a gentle caress. It wasn't long into her journey that the sound of a voice caught her attention, and the yearling's ears snapped forward as she listened. Nostrils flared widely as she tried to pick up a scent, but nothing came. Fear and curiosity bubbled up into her breast, but the demi-goddess pressed on. Who could be out here at this hour? Maybe a weary traveller?

"Hello?" She called out, dipping her head downwards as to avoid snagging her horn onto a low-slung branch. It was as she cleared the tree that she spotted who had spoken, a black and blue clad Pegasus. For a moment Israfel examined him, head tilted slightly askew, before she smiled. Vermillion eyes sparkled in the sparse sunlight, for it was pleasant to see another creature who had wings. "Hello there. You look lost... I'm Israfel, from the World's Edge. Who are you?"

Almost as soon as she had spoken, Isra mentally chasticed herself. The ebony and blue stallion's head shot up in alarm, and the demi-goddess couldn't help but smile sheepishly. It hadn't been her intention to startle him... Perhaps she should have nickered her arrival first before so boldy calling out to him. As this stallion's head rose, Israfel's vermillion depths stayed locked on his dark eyes. There was something remarkably sad about him. Idly the yearling wondered just what had happened that could have made him so dejected.

"Sorry," the pale female said softly with a dip of her head, pink lips still upturned to offer him an apologetic smile, "I didn't mean to startle you." Then, her ears flicked forward as the male spoke. He murmured a couple words, each one something that she couldn't decipher given the distance between them, but what he said next she could easily pick out.

'I'm not lost really, I was just... Going.' Going? Israfel's head tilted slightly to the right, a breeze rustling the flowers that were tied into her mane. Where was he going?

"... Where are you going?" Israfel inquired, one golden-clad hoof daring a small step forward. The hybrid didn't want to seem as though she was intruding, but also wanted to get close enough to let this Pegasus male, Alcina, know she wasn't a threat. "Do you have a home, Alcina?" Where these questions were coming from, the youngling wasn't sure; after all, what right did she have to simply waltz in and interrupt his day? Perhaps it was the 'right' of the curious. No matter what he said, however, Israfel couldn't shake the fact that something was deeply bothering the dark male in front of her now.

Was he lonely? If hew as going somewhere, did he have a home? Friends? Family?

"Is there anything I can do to help you? I mean, I know you told me that you aren't lost, but..." Here, Isra's right wing shifted upwards slightly, feathers rippling in a form of a shrug. "Are you looking for a home, maybe...?"