A shadow moved slowly along the edge of the oasis. It was a small, scruffy figure that inched forth only a few steps at a time, pausing ever so often to raise a dark head topped with thick and wild tassels to look across the landscape. There was something slightly off about the mare. Not so much her lack of height or the stocky built, because there were plenty of small and runty horses out there. Neither was it the wings that jutted from her shoulders. They were perhaps the most normal about her where they lay folded against inky black sides, shimmering faintly in the evening light. No, it was more in the posture, the twitchy way she kept looking around and the apparent tension of someone who had ended up in a place completely unfamiliar to them.

A sharp snort sent a plume of breath exploding from flared nostrils, and with a twitch of an ear the shade kept pacing around the cold waters. She wasn't entirely sure that this had been a good idea. For all that Shadow wanted to find a stable home and some semblance of a family, she hadn't been entirely sure what that would entail. At most she had been surrounded by three or four pegasi at a time when during her roaming childhood her parents had joined up with other vagabonds for a short time. She had seen everything from mangy old mares with no teeth to newborn foals struggling to keep up with their mothers, but never before had she been surrounded by so many scents, hoof-prints and traces of activity.

As if it wasn't enough with having a giant herd all around her, Cirrus had disappeared almost as soon as they had arrived, leaving her recruit to fend for herself while she went off to heavens knew where. The young mare flicked a bushy tail in unease, peering around with her vivid eyes for a glimpse of the color-changing filly that had dragged her into such a strange world only shrug and leave as if there was nothing more to add. Shadow found that tantamount to irresponsible. The girl knew how unfamiliar this Helovia place was to the purple-eyed crow, knew more than well how little she knew about magic and other races, or even how this herd worked. Really, she hadn't even thought of revealing the name of the leader of the group!

With a huff the shadow bent her head down and nibbled restlessly at a patch of rough dry grass, frowning at the bitter taste but continuing to chew none the less. Hopefully nothing would go wrong, but it was hard to make promises when left with so little information. Shadow wasn't a stupid mare and she had every confidence in her ability to take care of herself... but that was out in the normal world where the most dangerous creatures were wolves and bares and she could out-fly most others. Here it seemed that none of those rules applied. Here there was magic and creatures without wings, and predators were going to be the least of her problems. She sighed and came to a halt, peering curiously up towards a tall red tree, completely barren and seemingly petrified. If only she had thought this through more carefully.


@[Hector]

Hector Hector watched the smudge of black in the Oasis for a little while, atop one of the smaller orange cliffs, wondering whether he should go down and introduce himself. She seemed to twitch every so often, as if she was waiting for someone to suddenly jump out at her, a mare not really in tune with her surroundings. Perhaps she was a new recruit recently brought in from the Threshold, struggling to figure out her next move in a new land. Hector remembered being like that once, just a lad in new surroundings, the bustle of others as he tried to fit in the best he could. Eventually, he found his calling as a warrior and flourished under his new found responsibilities, finding enjoyment in honing his skills and admiration for other warriors with much more skill than he. It occupied his mind and with the new addition of Veci, the hybrid was finally beginning to find a little more stability. Of course, he always wanted more and had his gaze set on bigger things, but for now he was content with his progress so far. With that in mind, the soldier leapt from the cliff and glided down to the oasis to greet the jittery ebony mare. Veci had disappeared, no doubt fishing for something to scare or up to no good. It seemed Hector always suspected the worst of his friend, but always in a fond light. He could not imagine his spectre behaving any other way. Upon landing, he noted her petite size and rough coat with wings like that of a crow, perhaps the most intriguing thing about her was the purple eyes. He concluded she was not shockingly beautiful like Daenerys was, draped in silver and gold, with a sculptured Arabian build. However, their eyes were similar in shade and that alone startled him for a few seconds. He had never seen another mare with eyes like hers until today. Gathering himself quickly, he proffered his head in greeting, clumps of orange mane falling forwards down his neck as leonine tail happily swished from side to side. Slowly, he began to approach the mare, scared she might suddenly bolt at any minute. "Sorry if I am intruding miss, I have not seen you around here before. My name is Hector, who might you be?" He asked sincerely. Stopping a polite distance away from her as fiery pools lit up brightly. The stud had spent a long time in just the company of Veci, which he didn't mind and quite enjoyed, but he had to admit it was nice to have the chance to speak leisurely to another if only it lasted a few moments. She might indeed prefer to be left alone, but he hoped to know the purpled eyed girl's name at least.

_{image credits}

Her head turned sharply as she saw a winged flame come gliding towards her in the outskirts of her field of vision. Wait, no.. not a flame. Just a stallion dyed in almost the same flaming hues as the landscape around them, a deep earthy chestnut with eyes like fire and a mane that reminded her of a sunset she had seen once as a foal. The skies had been set ablaze then, bathing the world in crimson and yellow until her heart had ached from the beauty of it. An ear twitched as he landed, a wing unfurled and stretched backwards until the inky feathers brushed over the red sands, only to quickly snap back and return to its place against the shaded sides, prepared to stretch out once more at the slightest sign of violence. Not that she thought he'd attack her. Just... one never knew. Tensing up slightly she forced herself to remain still as the stallion came closer, eyes widening for every step he took in her direction.

He was big. Very big, in fact. So tall that when he came to a halt not far from her, Skuggi had to look up to meet his gaze, bright orange squaring off against shaded violet. It felt quite certain that he was the tallest pegasus she had ever seen, and for a long while it was all she could do to take in the sheer size of the steed with a stare that most would have considered to be rather rude.
And yet, it wasn't the difference in height that glued her tongue to her gums, nor was it the thought of how enormous his wingspan had to be to lift him off the ground. It was the horn. Only once before had the little raven seen a horned horse, up in the frozen cave where she and Cirrus had come across a bare-shouldered creature. The memory still made her twist uncomfortably, unable to quite accept how lacking the unicorn had seemed.

But Hector... He rather went to the other extreme, and even as she registered the fact that he had spoken to her the newcomer felt questions form on her tongue about the heavy protrusions that jutted from his face.
"Shadow" she replied absentmindedly and shifted the weight between her feet, uncertain if the simple introduction was going to be enough. "No wonder, I just came here... Cirrus invited me" she added, hoping that the name of the healer would mean anything to him.

"Are... Aren't those heavy?" she asked when the mare found herself incapable of staying quiet anymore, and gestured towards the two sharp branches that broke his blaze. "I didn't know it was possible to have wings and a horn.. horns." A slightly quizzical look crossed her face as she blinked up at him, trying to sort out the torrent of fear-mixed curiosity in her head. "I've never seen... are you.. I mean, do you belong to a different race? Than me, I mean." It certainly wasn't the most eloquent speech she'd ever held, but hey. Who could blame her, after all the shocks she'd had these past few days?

Hector Hector bore her scrutiny calmly. He was used to this kind of staring, though he hadn't really happened much to him in Helovia, he used to get it all the time back home. Even heckles of the word 'freak' would often be tossed at him or 'monster'. The only stallion who loved him in anyway was his old warrior class teacher, who surmised that those around him were mostly likely scared or confused and Hector bore the brunt of their flaring emotions. As a child it was hard for him to ignore such comments and it often got him into trouble, but now he was a grown stallion and was able to offer gentle smiles with understanding eyes. Finally her voice came from her sooty lips and Hector stashed away her name. Shadow. Apt and rather lovely. An easy name for him to remember and he nodded once when she mentioned her claimer. Hector knew very little about Cirrus apart from her name and her role. The child was young, but seemed quite capable for her age. It was her next words that surprised him as she motioned to his two rather solid horns. Nobody had ever asked him such a question and he had to consider it for a moment. Hector had never really thought about it, they were there when he was born and he had grown up bearing them that the weight never bothered him anymore. Perhaps his neck and head had grown accustomed to the weight. Who knew. It certainly was an interesting question though and the orange boy raised his brows. "Not really, not anymore at least. They are quite handy I think" his smile had an edge to it, but the mare was already thundering on with more questions and the soldier couldn't help but admire the boldness of her queries. She took no prisoners that was for sure. He lowered his head, tail coming limp between his legs and ears comically to either side of his long, flowing forelock. "I suppose I might and then again I might not. My mother was both unicorn and pegasus, my father was an equine, I am the embodiment of all three. I have wings like a pegasus, horns like a unicorn and the heart of a humble equine. Does it really matter what race I am?" He asked with a sceptical gaze. He never thought it really mattered all that much, but he also knew some horses were sensitive about it and who was he to judge anyone. As he had a right to his own opinion, so did she. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he tilted his head to one side. "Are you afraid of me Shadow?" He was honestly curious as to whether the mare was. The stud had no intention of harming her after all and the thought of someone being afraid of him was rather disturbing.

_{image credits}

His answers were awaited with almost childish anticipation. There was something intense about her gaze as she studied him, unabashed and almost aggressively unconcerned about things like manners. Shadow was a country girl after all, more used to the silent company of deers and wild boar than that of chatty horses. Why would anyone ever take offense by honest curiosity? It was excused in foals, so why not in those of older age when they stumbled across something that was new and frightening.

At least he answered with more thought and interest placed into the reply than Cirrus had. The healing mare that had brought the crow into the desert had seemed puzzled by the ignorance of the short pegasus, and her words had left Shadow more bewildered than before. Hector appeared much more thorough, though whether he appreciated her curiosity or not was left for anyone to guess. It didn't bother her much. Neither the edgy smile he gave her nor the statement of least concern could keep the questions from flowing freely off her tongue, and it was with fearless intrigue that she nodded after his explanation. A mix, then. A piece of each race, a fraction turned into something whole and complete... It made the dark mare feel as though she was the strange one, for not having a horn herself.

But then, even as she found herself starting to settle into some kind of understanding of how this part of the world worked, he asked a question that forced th young girl to pause and think. A well-shaped head tilted to the side in a birdlike manner as her gaze traveled out across the as of yet unfamiliar landscape, as though she would be able to find an answer written in the cold sand.

Did it matter? Was it important whether he had a horn while she didn't, that some had wings while others did not? Well...
"It's not that it's very important" she mused and looked back at the big stallion, who upon closer inspection appeared to be at least the same age as her, if not even younger. "It's just that I've never seen a horse without wings in all my life, and then I stumble in on this place and all these new things fall down on my head. I don't really know what to think, is all." The ebony wings shifted as the shadow gradually started to relax, eased into a kind of wary comfort by the kind look on Hectors face.

"It makes it harder to get along with others, don't it though? We who have wings usually fly where we are headed, so that makes us faster and hard to keep up with. And how would anyone who hasn't flown be able to understand how lovely it is, how much it means to us?" Was it possible for her to understand someone who had spent their entire life bound to the earth? To the raven the unicorn in the cave had seemed slow and exposed, flightless as she had been. How did they survive without being able to fly away from dangers?

Shadow would have loved to ponder these matters for much longer, though the question she had been asked was calling for an answer. Was she afraid of him? The first trace of a smile slipped over her sooty lips, quick as mercury or the flash of lightning. "Should I be?" she asked in return, the ghost of playful teasing coloring her foreign accent as she measured the young tribrid.

"Would you use your magic against me, Hector, or spear me on your horns?" A lurching feeling of unease at the thought passed without coloring her expression. She wasn't sure, in all honesty. He was big and strong, he knew things that she didn't and weapons she didn't possess. Perhaps she was... but it was a fear mixed with fascination in that case, the kind one feels when the earth trembles at the force of a thunderstorm. It was one she didn't mind facing, with all the reckless bravery that only youth possessed.

Hector In no time at all, Hector found himself rather enjoying the conversation, the mare's answers were unexpected and the more the playful talking went on the more he began to warm to her. Perhaps he had found another friend within this growing family, Hector hadn't had much luck in meeting many others and each friend he gained were always held in the hybrid's highest regard. Friends were something new to him upon joining this land, he'd never had any back home, and that made him cherish them all the more. He listened intently to her answers, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement and his mind ticking away on how best to answer the words she threw back at him. Maybe it was the forward way she looked at him or the brutal honesty that intrigued him, all the same, it was a meeting he was not going to forget. The stud flicked his leonine tail before a bright smile broke out on his features. "I imagine it would be quite a shock, though I'm sure I'm not the strangest creature you will find here." He paused then to consider her other words, his eyes glazing over in thought as he contemplated the joys of flying. It was indeed a miraculous and wonderful thing to fly, to feel the air on your wings and the sun on your back. To view the world from a unique perspective of beauty. There was nothing quite like flying and he understood her comment quite well though the boy could also understand the feel of the ground. He was, after all, fifty percent equine. "They could not understand, I think. To know the beauty of flight one would have to experience the ride, but I do also love the earth. Sometimes it is nice to simply walk from place to place." He said quite dreamily, the touch of the ground and the embrace of the ocean were all things he had come to treasure as well. It was then he bellowed into peels of rough laughter, this mare was not frightened of him at all! He was glad of it. She need not fear the stallion before her, unless those he loved were threatened, Hector was indeed the gentlest of giants, only irritated now and then as was the way of an imperfect being. He bowed his head flamboyantly, folds of orange hair falling over his face before he lifted back up with an expression of mirth. Fearless indeed, she seemed to boldly go where her heart told her. "I have no magic to use against you dear Shadow and I am sure you are far too quick for me to spear you with my horns. I am indeed a gentle giant unless my kin are threatened, that I will not stand for." His gaze turned thoughtful once again as he pondered introducing Veci. How did he introduce a spectre anyway? She'd probably think him a complete lunatic, but with the way this conversation was going, Hector didn't see why not. For now he left the boggart to his mischievous games and rather boldly approached the subject him. "I do, however, have a ghost that follows me round. I would beware of him, he's not evil, just a mischievous sprite by the name of Veci." He stopped talking then, watching her carefully, he would not blame her for thinking him an idiot. After all, who bonded to a ghost? A ghost that hatched from an egg, slithering out like a shadow before becoming invisible to the eye.

_{image credits}

Shadow It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves Amethyst eyes glimmered thoughtfully beneath the thick fringe as the shadow nodded. It was true that it could be pleasant to wander on the ground from time to time, and it certainly was comfortable and secure when the weather raged at its worst. To be stranded on the hard soils however... even the thought was unpleasant, and the raven felt that it would take a lot of effort from her part if she was to ever fully understand a barren one. Was it bad of her to think like that? Hector had seemed like he didn't care much for the topic, and the skeptic glance she had received weighed slightly on her mind even as she broke into a smile at his audible mirth. Despite herself the mare felt how muscles relaxed and her guard lowered; quite possibly a stupid thing to do, but how could she continue to be tense and wary when the face of the stallion expressed such joy? Her eyes followed his movements from beneath the cover of dusky eyelashes, strangely intrigued by the fiery coloration of his eyes... "I'm glad" she replied dryly and pulled a corner of her mouth into a wry grin. "Remind me to never give you a reason then... You seem capable enough when it comes to defending others." If anything, the sheer size of the young brute would make most think twice about picking a fight with him, and the muscles that swelled beneath chestnut skin appeared strong and honed. Suitable for both running and flying, sturdy enough to lean against without fear of toppling over... Catching herself trailing the outlines of the stallions body with her eyes Shadow quickly turned her head away and began counting the number of red tree branches that silhouetted against the pale blue sky, intensely hoping that he wouldn't have noticed her interest in his physique. His next words made her turn back again though, quickly and with a look of incredulity written plainly on the features. An ear turned backwards, expressing mild skepticism. "A ghost?" she repeated, doing her best to keep the voice mild and vaguely interested rather than doubtful - with mixed results. "Really. That's... certainly different. Is it anything like that... wolf thing that followed Cirrus around?" She really hoped not. While she had tolerated the presence of the predatory canine because it belonged to the roan healer the little shade wasn't so comfortable around them that she'd want more in the herd. What was this strange fascination the horses around here had with pets anyway? Or maybe there were other reasons why a ghost supposedly followed Hector around. Maybe someone close to him had died. "Speaking of Cirrus" she hurried on as a thought struck her, eager to get away from the topic of magic and unnatural creatures. "Hector, do you think you could tell me a bit about the rules and structure of this place? No one has told me anything so far, and I've never been a part of a herd before..." She looked up at him hopefully and stretched the wings out in a more relaxed way to loosen the muscles before they returned to their positions, resting more comfortably against the ebony skin this time.

_{image credits
table by whit}

Hector He smiled broadly at her first reply. Taking a leaf from Veci's book as pools of a burning furnace glittered with mischief, his smile turning crooked and he rested a back hoof. "It's nice of you to notice." He chuckled in his booming vocals. A large voice to go with his rather large body, it would do no good after all to be walking round like goliath with the voice box of a mouse. No one would ever take him seriously if that had happened. He watched her gaze trial off to their surroundings and Hector too decided to look up to the sky, finding gentle pleasure in the mass of blue. A rare sight in the winter months, an echo of Tallsun long since past and a hope to the next. The warrior's gaze growing wistful, he enjoyed the warmer months much more than the harsh cold and the hampering snows. Maybe that was why he was born with orange hair. Hector turned back to the ebony belle when she spoke in a tone he didn't quite know how to decipher. Perhaps she truly did think him an idiot and he almost wanted to kick himself for mentioning his ghostly friend. Yet, he couldn't help but feel sad that Veci was never noticed, he often wondered how it made him feel. Maybe that was why the spectre chose to be so mischievous, perhaps it was a way of getting that attention that those with physical bodies naturally got. He smiled at the irony. They were both freaks in the end, beings that were only meant to exist in legend and together they filled the void in each others souls. It sounded like a sad life, but Hector had never been happier in his life and it was this happiness that he wanted to share with Shadow. With his herd. "In a way I guess, the bonds that link us together are the same, though I barely know anything about Cirrus and her friend." Hector truly didn't really know much about the healer never mind her wolf friend, he used to serve her father before he passed away. That was about as close to knowing her as he got. Before he could say anymore Shadow was already motoring and lobes twitched to catch her words, his expression growing thoughtful at her query. He took a few moments to piece together an explanation before trying his best to explain the workings of the Dragons Throat. "Of course! Our herd is lead by Commander Kri the Resolute and Chancellor Sumati the Sinbird, we split our ranks between warriors, spies, healers, crafters and pupils. Depending on their interest, horses usually take up one of these ranks and train in their chosen art. The council is a mixture of the best of these ranks who aid our Leaders in decisions and help keep the herd a peaceful place. As for rules as long as you don't turn traitor, obey your Leaders and promise to protect the herd, your family, you'll be fine." He hoped some of his words made sense as he rather blurted it all out at once before another thought occurred to him. "There are other herd lands out there too, we have an alliance with the Worlds Edge in the west and we did fight side by side with the Foothills at one time, though I am not sure what our relationship is with them anymore. The Aurora Basin has taken a few of our members hostage before, I would caution to beware of them." Hector cocked his head to one side then, "do you have anymore questions?"

_{image credits}

Shadow It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves Would she really be able to settle down and relax in this herd? The thought gnawed uncomfortably at the back of her mind as Shadow listened to the patient replies the fire stallion gave to her barrage of questions. Warriors, healers, leaders. Even a council, whatever that was. Was all of that really necessary? Maybe it was. He wasn't the first one to caution her against Aurora Basin and without really knowing why the crow was starting to feel a tinge of fear sour the taste in the mouth whenever the far off herd came to mention. Cirrus had dragged her off north before they came to the desert, she had met with unicorns and found them both strange and fascinating. Were all of them bad, should she avoid all of the horn carriers? But then, why would Hector claim that race didn't matter, if one of the races were evil? ... Do you have anymore questions? Inky feathers ruffled as she was pulled out of her thoughts by the question and the expression on her face dropped a bit with embarrassment as she realized she hadn't payed attention. "Loads" she said with a dry undertone as lips curled into a smile. "I don't want to hold you back if you have things to do though..." Eyes brightened to a soft shade of lavender by the winter light gave the tall brute a measuring look, as if trying to assess how much she could impose on him without being considered rude. A daring streak pressed for more intimate questions, but common sense helped her curb her tongue; it wouldn't make for a good first impression to ask about the personal life of a stranger. "Should I join a rank too?" she asked instead, making an almost visible effort to keep the questions down to one at a time. Ebony tassels swayed behind thickly furred hocks as the small mare changed position, feeling her neck ache slightly from looking upwards all the time.

_{image credits
table by whit}