The gathering that had began with just one had now swelled to quite the sizable, and diverse, congregation… tense with the awkwardness that was inherent in these types of initial meetings, yet the pregnant silences which punctuated their conversation bore the promise of more. Whether lasting friendships, or something more insidious and sinister, was yet to be known. And Ether, not so much one to partake in idle chit-chat, preferred to listen, to analyze, to construct first impressions based upon the evidence thrown willingly before him. In fact, he descended upon it with the eagerness and precision of a stalking lion. He stood in silence as they came, each one following quickly after their predecessor. A golden mare, her companion a spritely, fuzzy creature, was the first to arrive, making their gathering a trio. Her entrance was quite disconcerting, the accusation that had been ripped from her mouth reverberating roughly through the small clearing. But however off-putting was this first interaction, Ether could not combat the smile that pulled at his darkened lips at Amren’s words; and as she finished, he contributed his own, husky, mantra.
“Agreed, I don’t believe that being eaten is a concern among us. However, there is no need for violence, as I’m certain no one here means to do you any harm. Either way, it is quite the pleasure to make your acquaintance, Dagrun. I am Ether.”
The black and ivory stallion, of a build far larger than his own considerable physique, was next to arrive, accompanied by a canine, her build slight, but nonetheless, Gwenyth stirred noticeably from her perch upon his back, the precarious tips of her talons tenting his softer flesh. At once, she unfolded her feathered appendages, stirring the fine threads of his mane as she flew daintily over his head, descending just as gracefully onto the snow hardened ground between his sizable hooves. As she, once again, stowed her gossamer wings at her sides, she bestowed fleeting glances upon the figures of the feline and the new canine. A gaze, not of fear, but of cautious awareness, though she doubted that the sight of her jagged beak and rapier-sharp talons would cause them to see her as an easy target. Meanwhile, Ether, his attention focused solely upon the individuals before him, provided a small bow of his finely-structured cranium to his fellow steed. He had never been one to surrender to the hot-headedness that had so many of his testosterone-carrying compatriots becoming adversaries at the mere sight of one another. After all, it was always better to build bridges than to burn them. Instead, he offered a greeting, brief, but rife with neutrality.
“Well, Dizalgah, you shall surely find it here. Again, I’m Ether… and this is Gwenyth.”
He motioned to the Saker falcon at his feet before allowing his gaze to travel smoothly between the faces before him. The grey and forlorn face of Amren, the edgy features of the dun mare, Dagrun, and this stallion, Dizalgah. Perhaps this was the beginning of something…
ETHER
it’s darker than space
ARABIAN HYBRID | 6 YEARS
COMPANION TO GWENYTH | SAKER FALCON [AIR] |
