In another time and place, Amaris might have been excited about the prospect of being in a new (completely new) environment. Grant it, that excitement would have been greatly aided by the fact that she could turn tail and run home to Salem at the first opportunity if things went sideways. Nonetheless, Amaris is an adventurous soul by nature. Although lost in an unfamiliar world, she cannot hide the rapid staccato of her heartbeat at the thought of exploring it further. But she was not about to let this black demon look alike know that. Regardless of how friendly he tried to be.

He does not appear to take offense to her reservations. Instead, he allows her to process the invitation in her own time without an outward show of impatience or judgment. When she manages to nod her acceptance the smile that breaks across his features is remarkable, at least in her mind’s eye. From the moment he appeared behind her, Amaris cannot help but see the similarities between “Kho” and his father, even before he announces the black beast as his sire. The smile that falls silently into place across his dark lips makes him almost appear handsome. Despite the adoration she felt for Raegar and her determined promise to keep him to herself, Amaris cannot deny the warm flutter that begins to grow within her. It begins unnoticed at first, a reaction she assures herself is only in response to the exertion of her own energies and excitement from the morning swim. His rich brown eyes enhance his dark features, glimmering brightly even in the sunless gray sky that hangs above them. Perhaps it is the kindness in his eyes, or his smile, or maybe even a small combination of both. Regardless, Amaris finds a gentle smile beginning to tug at the firm corners of her own ashen labrums. What was wrong with her?

She tries to shake the fascination of her new companion and his world from her chocolate brown eyes but it is impossible. All her life has been spent in the dry arid desert terrain of Salem with few, straggly trees and even less shade (depending on the time of day of course). To see such enormous trees with thick, wide trucks and long branches splayed high above her head was quite awe-inspiring. She had never seen something quite so large (well, aside from the high canyon walls of the badlands of course). It was a bit daunting to see for the first time. Nervously and as nonchalantly as she can manage, Amaris crowds close to Kho’s hip, quickening her pace to bring her closer to his side than trailing behind. She did not want to risk getting lost among the maze of trees, she would never find her way back out of that she is certain. The ground beneath their feet is lush; thick with green vegetation and undergrowth. It is all she can do to keep her apprehension in check. This island was so different from Salem. So different from anything she has ever seen before. It made her wonder what else was out there. What might the other islands look like?

’ I don't think he will bother you while you are here…’ Kho begins, drawing her gaze temporarily away from the vast forest that surrounds them and back to his dark profile. Pale lashes flutter as she stares once more into the warmth of his hazel eyes that angle back toward her. ’ He tends to leave the mares alone unless they want him around.’ She cannot help but huff a response, her own ears ticking backward at the thought. Like hell he would find her wanting his company. The very idea that there were others milling around here somewhere that actually WOULD want the battle-scarred stallion’s companionship is baffling. ’..shocking I know.’ The sarcastic comment he finishes with is accompanied by a gentle chuckle. A sound that is far more pleasant than she cared to admit. The ghosting smile that had continued to wrinkle the corners of her dark lips widens as she too chuckles softly, her auburn eyes shining with unspoken words of amusement. Try as she might remain aloof and indifferent, Kho was quickly peeling away the layers of her guard. As they continued down the narrow, twisting pathways through the trees, Amaris cannot help but feel the beginnings of something akin to comfort sinking into her bones. Tension begins to disappear from her gilded coat, the protective arch of her long neck relaxing as she continues to take on their surroundings in companionable silence. On occasion, Kho would shift direction, following the well-worn, path stretching before them, causing Amaris to accidentally brush against him. Warmth stirred beneath the aureate hairs of her coat and she finds her head automatically shaking in response, forcefully shoving aside the growing appreciation with a flick of her tail.

Slowly the trees begin to fall away and the soft earth beneath their hooves begins to harden. The distant mountains once hidden behind the forest canopy looms above them and Amaris finds her gaze traveling to the jagged outline their peaks cut against the sky. She had seen mountains before, and admired the dark purple-blue outline protruding above the expanse of ocean, but never had she imagined that they could be even taller than the trees! Was that where Kho was leading her? Just how big was this herd’s territory?

She starts to open her mouth in question when the obsidian stallion turns down a level pathway that Amaris swore must lead straight into the heart of the mountains. Dark eyes widen as paper-thin nostrils flare, sifting through the sharp unfamiliar scents that surround her for the stale odor of a dead end, of a trap. It would be just like the demon’s son to lead her to her death and by the gods she would not go willingly! Yet try as she might, there was no smell of decay or death. Fresh, crisp air meets her searching nostrils, and though her gait has dropped from the usual sashay into something more cautious, Amaris continues to follow willingly.

Instead of leading her straight into the mountains looming beyond the foothills, Kho descents down a worn path in the rock that opens into a protected cavity. ’ Here we are..’ he murmurs, pausing to the side of the path to allow her to pass. ’ You can go in…. Standing next to the edge is nice.. ’ he continues but she hardly recognizes the words. Her gaze is glued to the beautiful scene before her. The first thing to grab the golden mare’s attention is the warmth. The shelter from the large granite stones encompasses the warmth from the hot springs, but it is a warmth that she did not expect. Gingerly she steps past the dark stallion, her golden frame brushing lightly against his shoulder as her curious gaze took in the scene that lay before them. Zephyrs swirl around them, lifting the ends of her alabaster mane and causing them to dance and sway to a voiceless rhythm. Paperthin nostrils flare as again she drinks in the scent of the stone recess. It is warm here, much warmer than the biting breeze that had shorn away at the thin hairs of her desert coat since she was first brought here. But the warmth is still different from what she is most familiar with. Instead of the dry heat that Salem offered, the air that surrounded her now is thick with humidity. Tentatively she moves closer to the water’s edge. Small, fluted ears pitch forward as she stretches her long neck to allow her gaze to peer into the reflective surface of the pool.

’ I can leave you alone…’ he begins and Amaris jerks her head back towards him, her eyes widened. ’...you’ll have them to yourself. My dad avoids them. ’ he continues as if trying to soothe the anxiety that suddenly resurfaced. ” No!” she exclaims, a bit more forcefully than she meant to. The idea of being left alone in this foreign land is more than she is prepared for. Not to mention she had strong doubts about her ability to find her way back to the shore by herself, even if she could see the banks of the Bay in the distance. Her ears tilt sideways as for the first time a flash of embarrassment dances in her downward gaze. ”I…I don’t want to be alone.” The words that fall from her lips are timid, a far cry from the fierce, spirited mare she had tried to be on the shoreline of the Bay only hours earlier. A shudder crawls down the length of her spine as she cast her dark, searching eyes up towards his dark face once more. ”Stay…here? With me?” she asks, hope lingering like a sheer veil in the softness of her voice.