With weeping and with wailing, accursed spirit, do thou remain

It was clear that the little hummingbird had yet to inform the girl of the exact nature of their relationship. It wasn’t really surprising to Divina. The girl did appear to be a delicate thing, and an overall lighthearted creature. She could understand the desire not to trouble her. It had been different with Dante, who had arrived in these lands in a cloud of gloom and despair.

So the she-wolf nods eagerly as the little bird assures his companion that he had not lied to her. While the canine was generally the logical and realistic half of their whole, she did have a whimsical, romantic side. And the little bird’s description of how an equine and Axian came together as simply ”magic”… well it was simply perfect. Had Divina been comfortable openly showing her emotions to anyone other than Dante it might have brought a tear to her eye.

It appeared as though Blessed were communicating silently with Avery, though the little hummingbird continued to speak aloud. Blessed’s gaze met Dante’s and he could not help a smile from his face at the bemused expression on her face. He simply nodded his head once, reaffirming his previous statement. Like it or not, Avery was connected to the alabaster mare that stood before him. And the mahogany stallion thought the bird was rather delightful. She definitely could have gotten much worse… well… other Axia were much worse. But Dante could not imagine the pretty female standing with him now to have anything but a delightful other half.

Now, neither Dante nor Divina had much experience communicating with mutes, however they were finding that understanding her was much easier than they could have anticipated. Especially with the little colored bird at her side. Dual dark gazes watch the gestures of her delicate head, pointing back to where she had come, to the borders of these unique lands. Her expression changed, questioning. And my dynamic duo did not notice the bird carefully rearranging her mane. Their minds carefully interpreting her carefully maneuvered question.

My bay stallion’s own gaze followed where hers had briefly gone, his eyes narrowed in thought. He did not like to think of his life before Avenion, of his years of exile, of the brotherhood, and mostly of Alegra. Divina struggled hard not to smirk and roll her eyes at this thought. Though Dante might not like to think of Alegra, she certainly made an appearance in his mind more often than his canine companion found appropriate. ”I never really had a home before coming to Avenion.” Dante’s voice was low with just a hint of old anger. ”Not really anyway.”

He returned his dark eyes to Blessed, trying to focus on the present and not the past. Divina had noted often, and with surprise, how easily Dante had gotten by here without ever having to speak to anyone of his past. Two pairs of ears twich as the little bird spoke once more and Dante’s expression returns to the easy, handsome smile. ”Divina and I have been together for over three years. I don’t know what I would have done without her.” He turned his gaze to the russet she-wolf at his side, his affection for her apparent. She smirked up at him and thought, ”I know what you would have done… you would have wallowed in self pity until you died.” And this he simply ignored as he returned his attention to Blessed and Avery.

”So are you planning on staying in Limbo?” Dante was not fond of the home of the homeless, and if Blessed so wished he would love to have her join him in the Hushed Woods. But there was no good way to outright invite a mare home, so he started with a more neutral question.

He liked the girl, but he did not want her to feel obligated to join him.