The drift of the winter wind against Nalia's delicate small ears brought with it the whisper of a voice, so silent but near enough that the young filly had no trouble picking it up once she figured out what it was. The hunger in her belly had not yet been satisfied, but the urge to see who had approached overpowered and forced her to lift her head to get a better look.
The one who had come close was a new arrival, not one from the many groups Nalia had tried to get close to not too long ago. The mare sported a crystal white coat, very much like the blanket of snow surrounding the two horses' hooves. Her mane and tail were just bright, her face being the only real spot to show any differentiation of color. She was close enough that Nalia could see her eyes were a bright molten orange, a term for that lingering in Nalia's mind. She would call it honey, but it was a few shades darker, and for some reason, a word she had learned long ago, amber, came to mind.
The mare also sported some darkening in her coat around her nose, but other than that, no flaw in her snow-like appearance could be seen.
The one feature that took Nalia by surprise, and that was saying a lot, was the pair of wings that sprouted from the mare's back. Unlike Nalia's own, which bore more resemblance to a bird's feathered pair, the mare's reflected with the light of the sun, as if they were the undisturbed surface of a lake that showed one's reflection. They shone with a bright light to them, and Nalia wished to ask exactly what those wings were made of or how they worked.
But she didn't want to overstep her boundaries, considering the mare had greeted her in such a polite fashion. Nalia swallowed the blades of grass hanging from her chin before tipping her nose toward her neck, a small bow to signal a greeting to this new arrival. The filly's wings twitched, for she could never hold them incredibly still for long, as she spoke to officially greet the mare.
"Not in the slightest," she replied, offering the mare a friendly smile. This new one seemed like a pleasant, friendly enough creature, and the fact that her stance was relaxed led Nalia to believe she would not show her open hostility for the time being. The filly herself relaxed her tense posture, her tail dropping so that it was no longer slightly pressed against her hindquarters to express her caution. Her ears were forward and eyes bright, reflecting her understanding and calm nature.
All of which immediately disappeared when the presence of another was detected.
Without warning, another horse appeared beside Nalia, drawing a surprised snort from the filly. She immediately swung her hindquarters around so that she was facing him dead-on, not wanting to expose herself in case he had some sort of plan. Nalia was not angered by his arrival, but moreso at herself, for twice allowing unknown creatures to appear nearby without sensing them.
Were her dam's warnings starting to fade, even after all this time she had lived by them to keep herself and her former friends alive?
Since she had moved away, Nalia missed the stallion's eyes gazing over the form of the white mare, but did not miss picking up on them when he turned his head to gaze at the filly. He questioned who Nalia was, moreso directing it at the white mare based on how he phrased it. The filly's eyes glanced over him quickly, trying to pick up on signs of hostility. Surprisingly, she found none, though her gut told her that there was something she needed to be wary of around this older stallion.
He was taller than both mares by a few inches at least, sporting a coat much like Nalia's own, but without the white paint spots. His legs were draped in the zebra markings Nalia's had, along with a dorsal stipe and dark muzzle. Nalia had a blaze on her, but the skin around it was outlined in a darker shade than the rest of her face. If it wasn't for Nalia's other markings, the two could be mistaken for relatives.
In response to his question, Nalia offered, "This friend would appreciate a little something called personal space, thank you." The filly was usually polite, but didn't like it when others intruded upon her so easily. Her ears were slightly tilted back, showing she was cautious right now, but her eyes were relaxed, showing she would be willing to listen to what he had to say.
@[Ilma] @[Arithmetic]
The one who had come close was a new arrival, not one from the many groups Nalia had tried to get close to not too long ago. The mare sported a crystal white coat, very much like the blanket of snow surrounding the two horses' hooves. Her mane and tail were just bright, her face being the only real spot to show any differentiation of color. She was close enough that Nalia could see her eyes were a bright molten orange, a term for that lingering in Nalia's mind. She would call it honey, but it was a few shades darker, and for some reason, a word she had learned long ago, amber, came to mind.
The mare also sported some darkening in her coat around her nose, but other than that, no flaw in her snow-like appearance could be seen.
The one feature that took Nalia by surprise, and that was saying a lot, was the pair of wings that sprouted from the mare's back. Unlike Nalia's own, which bore more resemblance to a bird's feathered pair, the mare's reflected with the light of the sun, as if they were the undisturbed surface of a lake that showed one's reflection. They shone with a bright light to them, and Nalia wished to ask exactly what those wings were made of or how they worked.
But she didn't want to overstep her boundaries, considering the mare had greeted her in such a polite fashion. Nalia swallowed the blades of grass hanging from her chin before tipping her nose toward her neck, a small bow to signal a greeting to this new arrival. The filly's wings twitched, for she could never hold them incredibly still for long, as she spoke to officially greet the mare.
"Not in the slightest," she replied, offering the mare a friendly smile. This new one seemed like a pleasant, friendly enough creature, and the fact that her stance was relaxed led Nalia to believe she would not show her open hostility for the time being. The filly herself relaxed her tense posture, her tail dropping so that it was no longer slightly pressed against her hindquarters to express her caution. Her ears were forward and eyes bright, reflecting her understanding and calm nature.
All of which immediately disappeared when the presence of another was detected.
Without warning, another horse appeared beside Nalia, drawing a surprised snort from the filly. She immediately swung her hindquarters around so that she was facing him dead-on, not wanting to expose herself in case he had some sort of plan. Nalia was not angered by his arrival, but moreso at herself, for twice allowing unknown creatures to appear nearby without sensing them.
Were her dam's warnings starting to fade, even after all this time she had lived by them to keep herself and her former friends alive?
Since she had moved away, Nalia missed the stallion's eyes gazing over the form of the white mare, but did not miss picking up on them when he turned his head to gaze at the filly. He questioned who Nalia was, moreso directing it at the white mare based on how he phrased it. The filly's eyes glanced over him quickly, trying to pick up on signs of hostility. Surprisingly, she found none, though her gut told her that there was something she needed to be wary of around this older stallion.
He was taller than both mares by a few inches at least, sporting a coat much like Nalia's own, but without the white paint spots. His legs were draped in the zebra markings Nalia's had, along with a dorsal stipe and dark muzzle. Nalia had a blaze on her, but the skin around it was outlined in a darker shade than the rest of her face. If it wasn't for Nalia's other markings, the two could be mistaken for relatives.
In response to his question, Nalia offered, "This friend would appreciate a little something called personal space, thank you." The filly was usually polite, but didn't like it when others intruded upon her so easily. Her ears were slightly tilted back, showing she was cautious right now, but her eyes were relaxed, showing she would be willing to listen to what he had to say.
@[Ilma] @[Arithmetic]