THE OTHERWORLD | snow

[Toaster]

S O C R A T E S

__________________________________________________________

Nothing. There was nothing out in these lands. The silence cut through the air like a hot knife through butter. There were no birds today, no grasshoppers, nothing. And then… a breeze. The stallion spooked slightly, muscles tensing under his hide as the grasses rustled far ahead of him. Ears pricked forward, and he could feel his heart start to pound in his chest. For the longest of seconds he simply stood there, waiting and watching for anything that may be out in this world. For a moment he feared the powerful black body of his worst nightmare, his own brother, would swoop in to punish him, but nothing came. Heaving a sigh, he shook his head and rolled his eyes at himself. “Honestly, you get more paranoid by the day” he scolded his own suspicious nature, which seemed to have gotten worse recently.

Socrates, The Cavern King, was the ruler of these lands. Covell had been his home since his mother, the old queen, had fallen ill and passed. Socrates had only been a yearling at the time, though had been taken under the wing of his vicious older brother, Voltair. Slowly, yet surely, his frightening kin had corrupted him. Transformed him from a soaring bird to a flightless one, and he just couldn’t lift himself up to return to his old ways. He could only be thankful that his brother had gone missing nearly two years ago, leaving Socrates to rule these lands. And his father? He could only assume the worst. He’d been gone so long that the stallion couldn’t even remember him. And now he was left as the angry and broken leader of Covell. The only thing that kept him going was Ayla, the great spirit he had so much faith in. Ayla will keep us going he assured himself Ayla has blessed these lands. But even as he reassured himself of his faith and his great spirit, there was a hollow feeling deep in his heart. Was he doubting the great spirit now? The very thought of doubting such power was a sin! He couldn’t doubt such a thing.

“Get a hold of yourself!” he snorted, turning away from the open grasses of Covell and to the huge mouth of his precious caves. To any other horses that had never seen these lands the massive, dark maw that lead to the depths could be an intimidating and frightening sight. But for Socrates it brought comfort. This was his home, and it always had been. He’d been born here, and he’d been raised here. A hint of a small smile crossed his lips as he stepped towards the familiar darkness.

It was a long journey from the bright open spaces of the outside to the Chamber of Ayla. Several miles of winding, twisting passageways that could confuse any horse unfamiliar with these parts. The only light this deep down was the dim glow of blue cave worms hanging overhead. The only sound was that of the dripping of water off the damp ceiling and walls, and the own echo of a horses hooves. It was comforting to Socrates, and he knew these passages as if there were a map drawn out in his head. Several times did he pass small chambers, used for several different purposes of his herd. It was only when he got to the end of the narrow hall did the bright light of his most precious area light up the darkness. A few more steps and another bend to walk around, and he was met with a most spectacular sight.

The Chamber of Ayla.

The scents of the chamber washed over him, carried by a light breeze blown down from a shaft in the roof so far above. The slightest bit of sunlight shone through the shaft, helping the mass of pink, blue, yellow and white glow worms light the huge chamber. Far to the north, across the surprisingly lush underground oasis, he could see just the slightest speck of a waterfall come down from the world above. Closer though, was a landscape of ferns and grasses, originally seeds carried in long ago by the mud on horses hooves. Mountains of limestone stretched up to the western end of the chamber, tops nearly touching the rocky roof. There were several mighty pillars keeping the whole place from collapsing, and only a very few trees capable of surviving in these conditions. Perhaps, to most other horses, such a subterranean existence would seem undesirable, but the king loved his lands.

Socrates took a deep breath, nostrils flaring as the comforting smells of home filled him. “Ayla has truly blessed us, mother” he whispered to his long passed dam. He descended a slight incline and was soon met with green ferns brushing his legs. Black frame jumped into the air, and he whinnied to his spirit, Ayla. Yes, he had anger problems, and believed those of Covell far outweighed others, and yes, he had a broken soul. But The Cavern King always felt at peace in the presence of such beauty.

[Nature]

SHIMRI.

[/right][/size]

What had led her here, now that was a funny question -- the lands reeked of stallion, which was honestly the last thing the blue-eyed mare needed. However, something still brought her to the large and gaping entrance of the cave, and proceeded to bring her to where she was currently: picking her way through the dark tunnels, in the "middle of nowhere". She kept her sense alert, and her eyes wider so that they could soak in as much light as possible. It was difficult to see at first, but after some time traveling and exploring, Shimri had adjusted some. She could see the faint outlines of small pillars of stop hanging from the roof, as well as the jutting limestone coming from the ground. It was strange; Shimri could have sworn she had picked up lights from outside of the cave, yet here she was, well inside of it, and there were no lights to be found. It was strange, wasn't it? Lights in the middle of darkness? Perhaps that was what had intrigued the mare so much that it would cause her to enter into a stallion's territory without permission. Snorting lightly to herself as she carefully began crawling down a sloping land, the white mare brought herself courage. Hah, if anyone tries anything while I'm in here, I won't go without a fight. Not even these strange caves can stop me. Shimri was thinking to herself some, boosting her courage as she continued dwelling in unknown territory -- in almost pitch-black darkness, no less.

She had received a few bruises from tripping over stones she had failed to miss, and bore a bit of a scratched shoulder from where her hooves slipped from under one of the several rocky slopes she had to maneuver through. The white mare paused for a moment, flicking her ears almost inwardly. Was it such a good idea, listening to her adventurous side? The white mare's shoulder quivered, and she whisked her tail along her haunches. So far her adventurous tendencies had landed her almost helpless to those who called this place home. However, the mare trekked onward, determined to find the source of the blue lights she had caught glimpse of earlier, when she was outside of the cave. She could smell him, thick in the air, and she knew that sooner or later she would likely confront the King, or at the very least one of his mares, but she did not pause her mission. Those blue lights had to be created by something, and she was not about to just let the thought of learning about it go. The faint outlines around the rocks were becoming stronger as she walked, though the mare halted at times and doubted her own judgment and sanity. It was a valid move: the caves were full of winding paths, and any horse who was not native to the Caverns could easily get lost, or driven to insanity. Determined not to fall victim to the caves, Shimri caught control of herself and pushed onward, taking note that the lights were getting larger the more south she headed. The pale mare managed to stick out slightly in the pitch black, though that was mostly thanks to the growing light illuminating off of the cavern walls. The caves seemed to go on for miles and miles, and Shimri felt a tinge of both irritation and worry cross her mind. What if she never did find the stallion, or any of the herd's members? What if she was stuck here, alone to wander like a blind foal until she died from starvation or insanity, all because her curiosity pressed her on?

Shaking her head vigorously, she cursed herself. How dare she think such negative thoughts, and stoop to such a weak level of mind. Snorting, the mare set her eyes determinedly toward the light that she swore was growing the more she walked. That was her way out,and that was the way she had to take -- there were no other options. Onward she trekked, until she knew that the light was growing, for she could see the blue tint along the rocks. A smile almost formed, and her paced picked up to a brisk trot, for her vision was returning to her, and her confidence followed. The light grew, and was colored in blues and greens, with yellows even, which were what Shimri presumed from the sun's rays. As she moved, her eyes caught everything, and her spirit grew as the excitement rose. Crossing a bend, and heading right, and the cave opened up into a clearing, expanding into a large chamber. Shimri halted abruptly, shocked and awe-struck. Ger bright blue eyes looked to the roof, her mouth almost agape. Like a foal seeing the outside world for the first time, the white mare explored everything with amazed eyes. The walls, and the roof, were glowing -- yes, glowing -- and the sight brought overwhelming calmness and wonder to Shimri's heart.

After a few minutes of looking around, the white mare began moving again. The chamber held grasses, pillars of rocks, other foliage, and there -- she caught the scent now, her body returning to it's alerted senses: stallion. She had found the glowing lights, though she did not entirely know what they were, but the scent of a stallion nearby brought hesitation to her steps for a few moments. She did not desire to see any stallions, for stallions usually only had one thing on their minds when they spotted her, and the mare did not want to deal with a stallion in these caves -- especially when she did not know her way around here, and the stallion likely did. Flicking her ears back lightly, Shimri swallowed lightly before moving toward a blue-lit wall. She had come this far already, and wanted to know now what caused the lights; a mere fear of a stallion surely would not stop her investigation.

Coming to the wall, Shimri gazed in awe at the lights, and the source shocked her more than she thought it would have. The cave walls were lit up by thousands of small, mostly-immobile, glowing worms. The thought would have repulsed some, but it fascinated the mare. Looking at them for a few minutes longer, the mare whisked her tail along her hocks before breaking her gaze from their light. This place was so calming, it seemed otherworldly. Sighing lightly, Shimri entertained thoughts of remaining here, in hiding, away from the stallion, for a while longer before returning to the now-mundane-sounding world. After experiencing such a wonder as the glowing caves, normal life out in the normal world seemed almost undesirable.

But this was not her place to be.
Especially since she was a trespasser, and the stallion of the lands would have every right to chase her out, if that was his intentions. Still, Shimri could not fight the fact that she still wanted to remain here, if only for a little while longer, so that she could soak in the mystical feel the chamber gave her.

[/justify]

[Toaster]

S O C R A T E S

__________________________________________________________

He moved on, taking careful steps as not to unnecessarily destroy anything edible. While the main feeding grounds of his herd were miles up to the surface, some of the plants down here were indeed edible, though most tasted horrible. Nevertheless, he always took care not to squash anything that couldn’t spring back quickly. Stuff down in these depths were not known to grow quickly, and he was sure the great Ayla would punish him if he ravaged this beautiful homeland that he had been graced with. And Socrates had no desire to anger the one he was loyal to.

The black stallion wondered momentarily where his herd had run off to while he’d been off patrolling. He’d left them near the outcrop of limestone to the west, but was sure they would have no reason to stay there for the amount of time he had been gone. He may have been underground, but the chamber was a vast place none the less. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his head from a tuff of grass he’d been munching at, ready to start the scavenger hunt ahead of him. This is what he got for being unsocial, even with his own herd. But just as he was about to move on, a scent caught his attention. He visibly stiffened at the smell of a stranger on his turf. How had they even found their way down here? Perhaps he underestimated some. He may of gone into a fit of rage if it weren’t for the fact that this certain stranger was female, as far as his nose was telling him. Her scent was appealing to him, and he decided it would be best to go and check out the mare that apparently had a fantastic sense of direction.

For several minutes he carefully picked his way around huge pillars, rock, and the occasional tree in his path, following the scent that had distracted him. It wasn’t until he’d gotten to a particularly large cluster of glow worms along one of the chamber’s walls that he spotted the white horse. Socrates was quiet in his approach, always careful with his feet as one had to be when living in a place like this where it was always easy to trip over uneven ground. For a few minutes he simply watched the mare from a distance, body half hidden by a particularly big outcrop of limestone. From what he could see, she seemed fascinated by the glow of the worms that helped light this underground oasis. It was indeed a beautiful place. But this mare, in all her light glory, could of easily outdone everything around her. Her white coat seemed flawless, say for a few scuff marks here and there that he figured she’d gotten on her trek down here, and a cut on her shoulder. But no matter, for she was a looker. Socrates could not help but notice how well put together she was, too. But why was she here, of all places? And how had she not been picked off by some other king, to display as some trophy mare? Maybe she was here on business for another? This simply would not do for Socrates though. He wanted her for himself. Not just as a mare to bear beautiful young, but he oddly wanted to get to know her. To know her likes and dislikes, and all the adventures she’d been on in life. She intrigued him to no end. And given her beauty, he could not of doubted that Ayla had blessed her. Maybe she was a chosen one.

Finally, after long minutes of observing, he decided to make his entrance. He trekked forward, quietly, stealthily, almost cat like. “What makes you think intruders are welcome in my lands?” he spoke up, halting a few yards away from the mare, head held high and a stern gaze not wavering from her. Chosen as she may be or not, he was still cautious of this female. She could be a dangerous new queen or fighter of an enemy herd, for all he knew.

[Snowfrost]

SHIMRI.

[/right][/size]

She would have continued investigating the area, but the scent of the stallion she had caught earlier was growing stronger, and she knew that he was soon to be near her. She could sense him when he approached, and knew that he was watching her. She paid him no mind, instead further looking at the glowing specimen. However, she did take note that he was watching her, and for quite the amount of time. When he finally stepped from his post, she was not surprised -- not in the least. Shimri turned her head to face the large ebony stallion, he blue eyes meeting his own steadily, her stance rooted and relaxed -- almost in a bored manner, even. He approached with his guard up, which she could commend him for, though she was no threat to him. In fact, because he was the stallion around here, she was at a grave disadvantage. If his intentions were ill, she would be at his mercy, though the white mare knew she would fight til she no longer could if anything happened. Shimri definitely would not go down without a fight.

Blinking lightly, the blue-eyed mare flicked her ears back lightly before pointing them forward slightly. She whisked her tail along her hocks before answering his guarded and rather hard-toned words. It almost brought laughter to the mare's voice, but she held it back easily.

"Dunno, really; the blue lights from inside of your caves intrigued me, so I felt it would be a shame to merely depart after capturing such a strange glimpse. Trespasser, I may be, but one could see curiosity has led this cat into your dwellings. Now, will you be the killer of the cat's curiosities?" Shimri kept his gaze, though she felt the desire to continue looking around the interesting land. However, the white mare knew better than to do that -- knowing if she was welcomed or not had to be her first priority, and the mare did not desire to be thought of as a enemy in a land she was unable to escape from without knowing her way around -- especially with a stallion who was larger than her, knew the lands, and still had questionable intentions.

Her blue eyes kept with his, calm and steady, showing nothing of fear nor worry, and the mare studied him as she always did horses. Holding back a light snort, Shimri again wondered about this stallion's nature.

[/size][/blockquote][/justify]

[Toaster]

S O C R A T E S

__________________________________________________________

Eyes narrowed as the mare looked at him, seemingly bored of his presence already. Perhaps she was mentally challenged? Though his opinion on her suddenly dwindled just a little, he still wanted her for himself. The physical beauty of a horse far outweighed their mindset. His own brother was just like that. Mentally unstable, but very well put together. Socrates couldn’t help but feel that he himself had gone a little nuts in the head over the past few years, especially with the stress of leading his own herd. Being a king was fantastic considering all the mares for the taking and the power that came with owning land, but the sudden weight that had been dropped on his shoulders after Voltair’s disappearance was always felt. He was supposed to be king, not Socrates. He was supposed to lead the horses of Covell to glory, not Socrates. But here Socrates was, the ruler of these expanses of caverns. And he constantly felt strained. But perhaps it was a good thing his older brother had gone missing, for he’d been undoubtedly good at corrupting his younger brother and considering that, Socrates probably couldn’t of taken much more diving into darkness without the consequence of drowning. Though, he often felt he'd taken on water already. Some of his mothers last words suddenly swept through his head when he’d been just a youngling. “Don’t let just anyone in, young boy” she’d said “You never know how far they will go to get what they seek”. The words always confused him, yet made sense at the same time. Oh, but he’d done such a mighty fine job of that so far, hadn’t he? Not.

He gazed into her blue orbs with his own. Hers were just slightly lighter, as was everything about her. She was positively the most stunning creature he’d ever laid eyes on. Socrates had always been a nervous horse. Not in the sense of fleeing at danger, but in the sense of ready to lash out should someone not watch their step around him. He always met danger head on with little hesitation. But it also made him untrusting of others, as did his own mothers words. But here, looking at this new horse, he suddenly felt safe, warm. Her words were not the kindest to be spoken to one in his position, but something about this mare calmed him. At that moment, he didn’t feel threatened. At that moment, he felt more at home in this place than he had in a long time.

For several seconds he didn’t reply, pondering what to do in this new situation he found himself in. Despite his hate for his older brother, he was still the only one for the king to look up to even if he was gone. His father he had no memory of, so he couldn’t take examples from him. And his mother? Thinking about her to much saddened him, even if she was with the great spirit now. But what would Voltiar have done to this mare? Well, there was no real question about that. He would of gone up and forced her to submit in any way he desired. Socrates himself had done that quite a few times in his life. But he didn’t want this mare leaving. The feeling she gave him he did not want to lose. “You like the blue lights?” he asked with a glance to the glowing wall behind her, voice lightening just a notch above the doom and gloom tone he usually carried. “Curiosity is a dangerous thing, though. You walked onto these lands carelessly it seems. But it also seems like you have lucked out, for I have no ill intentions of harming you” he told her, gaze steadying back on the beautiful female. His frame relaxed, but he still carried his head high with authority and pride as if to intimidate the mare despite his horrible and overwhelming interest in her. If only his brother could see him now. "Poor, confused little Socrates" he would mock "You feel so much for others yet you've sinked so low".

[Snowfrost]

SHIMRI.

[/right][/size]

Shimri blinked, listening to the stallion speak, noting the change in his demeanor as he did so. When asked about the lights, her eyes broke their gaze from his own as she turned her head towards the wall, looking again to the glowing lights.

"They're an anomaly, of sorts." She said simply, not looking to him as she did so, but keeping her eyes on the walls. For a few moments she remained silent, observing the lights, wondering why there was no movement. Perhaps there was, but it occurred at such a slow rate that it nearly seemed to not move at all. Shimri pondered ideas about the worms, but kept her senses alert on the stallion, a portion of her attention clinging to him. He spoke again, and this time his words made her gaze snap towards his own, blue eyes matching one another, though hers birthed a sharp edge to them this time, her ears flicking lightly back for a moment before setting back forward. She held his gaze for a few moments, her own carrying venom and mistrust, while his own were oddly calmer.

Shimri blinked, breaking the hard stare she bore, returning her eyes to their calm and calculative manner. "Dangerous, you say? Danger only exists for those who believe in it, or for those who pit themselves against others who mean them harm. Perhaps these caves have hidden desires of harming me -- but then, if that were true, they would not have lead me here with their paths, am I correct? And, if you mean me no harm -- as you claim -- then you are not the being wishing such upon me. So, with this being so, then there is no danger in my path ending up before your own, and yours before mine, no?" Her cool blue eyes kept their steady demeanor, her words matter-of-fact, and her stance rooted still. Dangerous or not, neither this stallion, nor this cave, really scared the white mare, though whether or not they should was another thought entirely.

A few moments allowed for a pause to blanket the air, and Shimri snorted lightly, breaking the chain. She blinked again, her eyes relaxed again, and whisked her tail before speaking once more. "You spoke of these lands as your own earlier -- that means that you are the Cave's King, correct?" Her tone was casual, non threateniung, but not respectful like a new horse's tone should be. It was actually as though she were merely talking to an equal, the ebony stallion being only another stallion among this anomaly of a Chamber.

[/size][/justify]

[Toaster]

S O C R A T E S

__________________________________________________________

He could of laughed at her, or smirked, or told her that she was indeed wrong. If only she truly knew the evils that lurked here, hiding in the darkest of corners. She seemed foolish in his eyes when she spoke, as well as a bit high on herself. How old was this mare, exactly? She couldn’t of been any older then he was, if not younger. Who was she to speak in such ways to him? Who was she to speak down to the king of Covell? Who was she to speak so highly of herself in the presence of the great spirit that blessed this place? Socrates wondered if she had learned about Ayla, though highly doubted it. The wanderers that came from outside this place were often as foolish as her. But he still had hopes that Ayla had blessed this one. How else could he describe her angelic looks, even if she had a sharp tongue to match? Despite all of this, he held his voice. He figured, in time, she’d learn to hold hers. He was sure his brother would of lashed out at her if he had been here. She was lucky that that particular danger had not been in these parts for quite some time.

The ebony stallion stood completely motionless before her. Not the twitch of an ear, nor the blink of an eye or the flick of a tail came from him. All was silent for the longest of seconds, though he felt oddly relaxed in the silence. The stallion had never been one for much conversations, though he often found himself thrown into them considering his high position. Usually it sufficed to just run out anyone who was not desirable or proved to be a nuesence. But he still wanted this mare, even if she didn’t seem to be returning the favor at the moment. Socrates then suddenly found he had something to aim for for the first time in a long time. This mare didn’t seem very trusting of him, obviously. Sadly, he could not blame her about that either. He was so much like his brother, only toned down just the slightest, but he was still capable of horrible deeds. Given that, her untrusting nature of him was understandable. But he wanted to get her to trust him. He was not sure what it was that had made him feel so comfortable around the mare, but there was no way in hell that he was going to let the source of it go that easily. He’d do whatever it took to keep this beauty here with him. “You are correct, I am indeed the king of this part of the lands” he said, looking away from the mare to take in his familiar home around him. "You are in the realm of Covell, in the Chamber of Ayla."

[Snowfrost]

SHIMRI.

[/right][/size]

She studied him further, and decided that it would be appropriate to hold her tongue some. She noted his motions, his actions, his eyes; those eyes, blue as her own, though she believed hers to be just a shade or two lighter, were upon such a dark coat -- it was interesting, just as the chamber was. It had taken her longer than normal to actually study him, but she blamed this on her mistrust of stallions. She especially was mistrusting of him considering the circumstances of the location: widing paths, nearly pitch-black darkness surrounding the lands, no knowledge of the ways around the caves -- everything about the lands were practically against the white mare, yet she had managed to safely make her way to the chamber, so why could she not take the same path away from it? Shimri paused, whisking her tail lightly along her hocks. She realized she did not exactly know the paths she'd taken, only that they were winding and full of different turns that she did not entirely expect, and the entrance here cost her a bruised shoulder. Plus, the stallion knew his home, and she was still not convinced that his intentions were just. She was sure that if the stallion really wanted to, he could chase her down, trap her, and well... do whatever he pleased with her, which was what Shimri assumed was hardly to strike more conversation.

The white mare swiveled her left ear outward, listening to his words, suddenly intrigued at the mention of the Chamber's name, and the Realm of the lands he called 'Covell'. The blue-eyed mare blinked, pondering lightly his words. "I see; Ayla, you say? A lovely name for such an anomaly as this." Shimri looked around, her eyes full of wonder and awe, but when they returned to his own they faded back into the calm calculative manner they held previously. He might have seen the change; he might have not. Honestly, it mattered not to the mare. The mare blinked again, this time cocking a hip -- a sure sign that she herself was relaxing, even if she did not realize this herself. Shimri looked around again, a faint smile turning along her lips, though it was not easy to see. The blue lights were enticing, awe-inspiring -- mystical and full of wonder. This chamber was everything that Shimri's mind craved, and every kind of adventure and otherworldly essense that could form inside an otherwise mundane-looking land.

Shimri sighed lightly, deciding to test him a bit, merely to see his reactions. She brought forth a light smile, lowered her head a bit and tucked her head in towards her chest before lifting it once more and holding his blue gaze. "Well, King of the Cave of Covell, it seems that it was fate that I arrived before your feet, drawn in by the blue lights, wouldn't you say?" She wondered what he would think about her faint submissive move -- would he feel it to be true? Would he see it as a trick? Would his mood sour from her actions? The thoughts that whirled in her mind about his reaction almost brought a smirk upon her face in and of itself.

[/size][/justify]

[Toaster]

S O C R A T E S

__________________________________________________________

Socrates did not like being looked at for long periods of time. The mare’s gaze on him was an unfamiliar feeling. In these dark lands, it was easy to hide, and easy to miss others of a darker coat like the stallion. And he could remember his brother’s scrutinizing gaze on him, judging him, telling him he was imperfect and that Ayla had not blessed him. Socrates had always tried not to believe such things. Mother had always called him perfect, and told him that Voltair was just jealous. Jealous of his deep chest, strong legs and saphire eyes. Could that jealousy have been the cause of his brother’s madness and corruption? These were things the black stallion always seemed to be trying to figure out. He always wanted to know why. The treatment that his brother had showed him had made him stronger, which was always a plus, but it also made him into an angry beast most of the time. Not to mention the confusion he always felt deep down. Voltair had taught him bad habits that now, with him gone, Socrates was trying to break. Though it often failed. Murder, rape, mutilation. Oh yes he was guilty of all.

He seemed to have zoned out for a minute, staring intently at a lone fern just off to the side of his acquaintance as if he were in deep thought. He would not of allowed himself to sink into such and become so distracted if he hadn’t of felt so comfortable around the mare. Perhaps he was to assured she would not attack him. Was he going against his mothers warnings yet again? Eyes drifted back to her, ears pricking in time to catch her question. He noticed she seemed to have relaxed some, which was always a good sign. “Indeed. Odd as it is though… Ayla doesn’t usually choose outsiders”. Socrates pondered over what his great spirit was up to, and why she had chosen a horse from another land and graced her with such beauty. But he was not going to question it to much. He was glad she was here “What is your name?” he asked, tail swishing to brush his left side as he was suddenly curious of what others called her. He could feel exaggerations of his brother’s harsh words pounding on the door to his mind, ready to degrade him and corrupt him some more. Ready to demand he force himself on this intruder. But he did not let them in.

[Snowfrost]

SHIMRI.

[/right][/size]

Listening to the stallion speak more, Shimri made her attempts to listen, which really weren't hard to force -- not as hard as she had thought they would have been. He spoke of Ayla, the sacred lands he apparently worshiped -- or believed in -- and the white mare took a bit of interest in it. For once, her eyes gleamed, reflecting the blue and green lights off of her already-blue eyes. She smiled lightly to the stallion, relaxing a bit more.

"Well, then, perhaps I'm just part of the anomaly -- an unusual outsider." She fell silent for a few moments, watching him with a bit more interest, though she still greatly desired to explore the lands more, instead of engage in the conversation. However, it appeared that it could neither be helped nor avoided, so the mare went along with it. The stallion seemed a bit changed himself -- perhaps the lands calmed him as well? No matter, she had noticed it. His blue eyes were a clash to his dark skin, almost making it seem like he was otherworldly himself. Now, this intrigued the mare. For once, after having been difficult with the King, she had calmed enough to take a moment to really look at him. The more she did, the more she found interest in him and his lands. It was strange, that an entire herd lived in these caves, but, at the same time, it was so fascinating. In such a way that she herself was desiring now to meet more of the herd members, if there were any around at the time. The scent of other horses were more stale than this stallion's so Shimri had to wonder exactly how many residents currently lived here. Then, the stallion asked of her name, and that spark of defiance ignited once again. Smirking lightly, she lashed her tail to her haunches and tilted her head.

"Shouldn't I be asking the same of you? Or, because I am the one on your lands, you expect me to introduce myself first?" It was all out of play, but perhaps he would not see it as such. After a couple of moments passed, the mare blinked lightly and snorted softly, before intoning with serious calmness. "My name is Shimri. I come from the forest, though I did not exactly... find it to be the right place for me, so I simply wandered off, leaving the King and his lands, though he did not mind my actions, I'm nearly certain. I came across here because I felt that the mountainous range might be more suited for me, though why I came to your caves before the actual Mountain territory is unknown to even myself. Nevertheless, spotting a speck of those blue lights intrigued me, so I investigated out of my nagging curiosity, and ended up here, before your hooves. Now that I have given you my name, might you be so kind as to offer yours?" Shimri smirked again, still keeping up the bit of humor in her voice. It was a change from when she first met him, and it was definitely bordering her character.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]