The thing moved forward and d’Artagnan stepped backwards, Aramis snapping and inching closer. All in all it was a rather tense dance of creatures who were coming to terms with legends. It spoke and the shade froze, the words were strange, horse words upon a carnivores lips and an accent that was foreign to him. At least he could understand the brute, though the Mender wasn’t quite if he wanted to or not. The first few words seemed to be more comments to himself and the Nightshade’s head tilted to one side, legends? Who was he calling a legend? He watched through narrowed eyes as a smile broke out on a hairless face and he introduced himself as Kelec… A centaur. Carefully, he took a few steps forwards before stopping again, a ray of light catching the side of his face sending sparkling colours through his glass horns. Aramis had quieted a little, but the mutt’s gaze was steely and his tail thrashed from side to side. It was then that the beast did something strange and sank to the floor, legs folded beneath as he spoke once again.

What legends was he talking about? Had he never seen a unicorn before? Maybe this centaur really was… An idiot. The only legend here was his royal half hair. d’Artagnan felt a little more of his confidence returning and he stepped forwards to stand beside Aramis. Eyes still held a twinkle of confusion, his body still tense in a confused kind of fear, but his voice had grown surer. "I’ve never heard of your kind, but I can assure you we are far from mute, half horse." Something about that one wrong fact tickled the shades humour. Mute? Surely not.

"I am d’Artagnan, a unicorn. The hell born is Aramis." He nodded to his bonded, who sounded his presence with a sharp growl before falling quiet again. "What do you want here?" He asked as his hound crept forwards and snatched whatever was in the strangers… Claws? They most certainly weren’t hooves. What is it? The shade asked of his dog who made short work of whatever it was. Meat d’Artagnan grimaced, so this Kelec was a meat eater? Or did he too have a carnivore companion too? Too many questions, he thought about attempting to take it back to the Basin, though one look at the hairless limbs and he wondered if the centaur would even make it up the mountain.

For a moment he stared at the floor, a small smile on his lips as his mind drifted to wherever his blue eyed Nurse was.

Dear Kou, what would you do?

d’Artagnan awaited a response to his rather demanding question, his mind still trying to wrap round the strange situation he had suddenly been put in. He didn’t know if this Kelec was friend or foe, horse or alien and surely with such a small head there could not be any of his kind that could bare the noble horn. How unfortunate. An inky black tail flicked to swat a fly as the half horse gushed his pleasantries, his smile strange upon pink lips that were framed in a brief dash of hair. Ears twitched to catch his odd accents that layered his voice which spoke words of indecision and kinship. A topic than d’Artagnan could finally relate to. Perhaps an unknown and scary beast to the eye, but his heart seemed to beat in the same patterns and that was a slight comfort to his own hammering muscle that sounded loud in his lobes. His own greying lips formed a grimacing smile and he subconsciously tilted his head southward. "Helovia is a large place, a series of battles have ravaged the land recently, perhaps they were missed… Though I doubt one of your appearance would be likely to go unnoticed."

His words were emotionless, blunt and to some, probably rather rude. He spoke his doubts and let his uncertainty lace each word, it was the only form of defense he knew, rarely the Nightshade came to such an event where his own courage would be tested. Cold hearted honesty was all he knew when situations got… Weird. He kept the grimacing smile as the centaur threw him an amused look and he almost curled back his lips to ask him what his barely hairy face found so funny. However, the beast spoke and took the fire from his sails, instead he listened.

It appeared all the Nightshade could really do so far was smile grimly. Was this what his life had really come to? Strangers in the night and dejected smiles. The normal d’Artagnan might have laughed or sneered or taunted the centaur in some way, but right now the world seemed to be crashing down around him with the only hope flaring away in the sky. He didn’t feel like reaching out to taste this half horse’s blood and it showed through his dull eyes. "I can’t say, I come from the cold mountains where the foraging in rough, but there is food to be found in plenty if you know where to look." Kelec then moved on to inquire after the shade’s own mind, questions he might have or must have. Finally d’Artagnan laughed a rough husky laugh, the hardness in his gaze lifting and Aramis sat back on his haunches as the tense air lifted.

"Questions are for those who have time and I do not. However, I can’t offer you a place to settle as I’m still not sure what you are even though you say you mean no harm. I will take you to my land if you wish and you can seek my herds approval. Or by all means-" he ushered to the land around in an elaborate wave of his head. "explore." The Nightshade paused then, his mind still had not decided whether he liked this creature or not, instead all he found was a puddle of confusion. He didn’t know quite why he offered to take him to the Aurora Basin, after this being wasn’t pure, there was no horn upon his tiny head. Yet, something about leaving such a strange being here alone felt wrong, it was like when one found a new piece of land and stuck his flag in it. This was d'Artagnan's discovery and most of all, he wanted to see the reaction on his herd mates faces. Perhaps then his confusion would become clear.

d’Artagnan grunted and continued to watch the flame haired centaur in caution, he wondered again how such a creature came to be. There was nothing quite devilish about it and if the beast was a devil then the Nightshade was sorely disappointed, which begged the question of how many of these centaurs were there? Was he the beginning of a new wave of species? d’Artagnan wrinkled his nose at that thought and toyed with the idea of killing the half horse now before more of its disturbing kind decided to pack their things and move in. Yet, the closer he took it to the Basin, the more chance he had of killing it. He doubted this one centaur would pose much threat to his beloved ice manor and if the brute should pick to wonder by himself… Then the shade would have to take a chance and attempt to bring it down. Hell dog watching Kelec with intensity, the pair waited breathlessly for the beast’s decision with fight mode half on.

The duo almost jumped in unison when Kelec gave his verdict and d’Artagnan felt his heart beat slow a little. So he decided to take the journey up the mountains after all. He watched the other rise to his more natural feet, a strange mixture of emotions littering the red bay’s face and forced himself to remain still as alien form drew up alongside him, Aramis always watching through beady eyes. Mind lost in the strangeness of the new day, he pondered his last hypothesis that perhaps Kelec was a being like the earth monster he had fought nights ago, but there was something different about the air around the being.

Mismatched gaze dropped to the claws that could bend and pick things up, they looked flimsy and fragile, hairless again. It was the last thing he looked at upon the creature before turning abruptly and walking off through the wood, attention on the Basin whilst his bonded loped beside him. Who knew what would happen when they reached their destination, perhaps he would have to kill him in the end, or maybe they’d find a use for him. He wondered what Kelec thought of him, a friend he had called him, if only the half horse knew the shade's true self. Maybe he wouldn't have been so inclined to follow.

Pushing all thoughts away for now, he picked his pace up into a bouncy jog.

[thread in Basin coming ^^]