What We Have, I Hope You Like (Loey, Ruan)

[Aten]

Aten was glad to hear that Loey wished to go and see the Taiga kingdom. Whether or not it proved to be a successful recruitment to gain Ruan's land an additional member, Aten hoped that Loey would still perhaps be his friend. Aten was a kind and friendly stallion in nature. He wasn't thinking of Loey as just another addition to Taiga, or, as his sire or other stallions might have thought, an additional mare for the herd. He thought of Loey as a friend already and would be glad to show her around, to see if he could help her find a home in the Taiga if she did like it.

The mare stretched her nose out to bump his, a show of affection that Aten returned. He lightly bumped his muzzle against hers, his nostrils slightly flared as he took in the mare's scent. He did notice the smile briefly disappearing, a small display that many might not notice.

Had she suddenly grown worried about venturing to a new kingdom? Was she having second thoughts? If perhaps she was, Aten wouldn't chase after her if the mare decided to abandon the journey while on the way to Taiga. He would let her go off and explore if she chose to, if she wished to go to another kingdom and find a different home.

But for now, he'd give her the opportunity to see his own home. The stallion gave the mare a gentle smile, "I am glad to hear that. It is not that far of a journey; I think you will like it a lot once you see it for yourself."

Content that Loey wanted to see Taiga, Aten turned around and started walking in the direction of his home. He looked back a moment to encourage Loey to follow before turning and focusing on the path ahead, his instincts already pointing him back toward the kingdom he'd come to know and love so well.

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As Aten had promised, the journey from the Field to Taiga land was not very far of a journey. Being one of the closest kingdoms to the Field in the first place, and the fact that it was still early in the morning when Aten met the dappled mare, the duo reached Taiga's borders just outside the forest by the time the sun was beginning its descent to make way for the dusk's light.

Taiga was beautiful during the dusk hours, just as much so in the dawn. Unless you had seen the kingdom at every time of the day, you wouldn't be able to appreciate all of its beauty. After they managed to pick their way through the thick trees of the Forest and hit the edge of the Taiga kingdom, Aten looked back once more to make sure Loey was still following, his weight causing the pine needles beneath his hooves to crunch with a thick sound as he shifted around.

Once he was sure she was, he crossed the Taiga's border, his eyes lighting up when he spotted the outstretched meadow in front of them, marking the main portion of Taiga's land. Off in the far distance, one could barely make out a sparkle of blue, signifying the Taiga's main drinking source that the river flowed into before breaking off and going toward the ocean.

At the dusk hour, there wasn't a lot of fog rolling in from the ocean. The sunlight stretching out over the horizon blanketed the land in a beautiful sea of gold and orange rays, further making Aten's coat stand out among the greenery.

The stallion turned his head to look at the dappled mare that had followed him to the Taiga, "It is not the entire kingdom, but I figure you should see this first. It is one of the most beautiful sights, in my opinion. What do you think?" he asked with a grin.

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OOC: The italicized part at the beginning signifies a section that took place elsewhere; in this case, the Field. I figured it would be easier to do one big post rather than break it off into small, little and kinda poorly written ones.

@[Loey]

@[Ruan]