A small part of her had hoped for a few hours spent in the quiet seclusion of her own thoughts, but regardless how much distance she puts between herself and the current events in the Badlands, still her mind tends to drift reluctantly back. When the sound of rustling leaves and the strong musk of a strange stallion drifts towards her, the blue-eyed girl is all but happy to find herself a more current distraction.

Pale lashes flutter as she blinks against the sunlight dappling through the trees above. Twin sonars lift amid the drying tendrils of her alabaster mane as for the first time, her eyes fall on the approaching form. He is a stranger, as unfamiliar to her as most of the other scents of horses that linger here in the Prairie. Tension begins to build beneath her buttermilk skin as memories of Tyr and countless others arise unbidden. She is the stranger here, a wanderer who has drifted far into rich green pastures belonging to another. It would be all within his right to chase her far from here or to retrieve his pound of flesh from her bones. Nervously her long ivory tail twitches against her heels, the weight of her body shifting back and forth on her haunches to retreat at a moment’s notice. But the moment does not come.

Despite the darkness of his body, the light that shines in his auburn eyes is as gentle and kind as the baritones that slip past his lips. Lady? There has only ever been once in her lifetime that such a word was bestowed upon her and she preferred to keep that heartache locked and buried as deeply as possible. Her small muzzle tilts in curiosity now as he comes to a halt before her. He is a handsome creature, the kind that caused her own long dormant hormones to heat with fascination and her heart to flutter. He stretches his finely dished muzzle towards her, his whiskered lips nuzzling the sleek golden hairs of her shoulder in greeting. Her own slender neck arches as she angles her own muzzle towards his own, paper-thin nostrils flaring to drink in his scent. He warns of dangers here and despite herself, the golden mare cannot help but to glance about them. There were dangers everywhere these days but was there something new in particular that was plaguing her birthplace? Coyotes liked to roam through the prairie grasses regularly but aside from one instance, she had never heard of them doing more than hanging around the outskirts of the herd. Wolves? She had almost forgotten about them. She had heard of wolves terrorizing Luthien for a time, many years ago but since then they seemed to have either disbanded or disappeared altogether. At least that is what she had heard anyway. ’Allow me to be your protector… your companion.’ the last words cause her to turn her gaze back to his handsome features in surprise.

Even as a stranger, something in the warmth of his dark eyes proclaims of his intention to keep that very promise. Cherish… devotion… those words are almost foreign to her now. She has only vague memories of the dedication Shamwari shared with his mares.. With her mother. Her own life has been met with no such luck. ”Ummm…” she begins, clearing her throat with a shake of her head. ”Im… uh… A..Ayiana.” she stammers, trying to gather her thoughts and damper the rising tide of appreciation that heats her cheeks. Her smile broadens albeit a bit sheepishly, ”I did not mean to intrude or worry you. I was born here many years ago…” she begins, her azure gaze lingering on the perfect diamond on his muzzle if only to keep the thrumming of her heartbeat from stumbling her words any further. ”I… I’ve been living in Salem for a few years now and well, I wanted to see if my mother was still here. Her name is Larka.” she finishes, exhaling the breath she had not realized she had been holding. She gives her head yet another shake. What was wrong with her? Was it just this season now that she was free of Salem and the confusion of Raegar’s presence? She glances once again into his gentle, brown eyes. Was it something more?