Natures first green is gold
The rust coloured lady picked away contently at some foliage. Tephra was a fertile land, the volcanic soil provided abundant nutrients for plant life. This fertility, combined with the constant heat exuded from the volcano meant that there was never really a winter. Finding food was exceptionally easy and allowed the small mare to be picky when she grazed. This ease of access also meant that the short mare had become somewhat plump.
It was nearing sunset, the golden rays of the sun highlighted the dark plume of smoke rising from the volcano Pumpkin Spice had become used to the acrid smell in the air, and now hardly noticed it, save for when the ponds and rivers began to boil and the steam would rise and burn anyone who went to close. The sunset was partly cut off by the plume of smoke, which was somewhat more thick than it had been of late. Already the eastern horizon had the dark blue hue of the coming night, though the stars and moon could not yet be discerned.
A call alerted the lady that there was a stranger near by; Pumpkin Spice had not noticed that her lazy hunt for her favourite fare had brought her so close to the outskirts of Tephra. By the tone of the noise she suspected it was a stallion near by; normally she would let someone else worry about strangers; a pudgy pony was not the most impressive welcoming committee Tephra had to offer. Her curiosity got the better of her and she meandered toward the other; her hooves making soft yet audible noise on the rocky ground as she approached. For the most part the shrubby foliage was taller than she, a well worn animal track was her means of navigation toward the stranger. As she got closer she was greeted with the fresh scent of horse; though it was not mingled with brine and sulphur as the local horse scents were.
A gap in the brush brought the flaxen chestnut mare into the open, a distance of a few horse lengths from the new comer. Spice's warm eyes rested on the stud - for it was most definitely a stud, and widened in surprise. He was certainly the largest specimen she had come across in a very long time; and all thirteen hands of her seemed to bring her to approximately his stomach. His pelt was dark with white flecks; he was feathered and horned and all around the most astounding character that Pumpkin Spice had ever seen, and she had thought herself accustomed to the mutants that Beqanna could produce. The golden brown fae was aware that she was gaping at the stallion, and it took a moment for her to gather herself, this momentary lapse caused her some embarrassment. She tried to cover her surprise by shaking her coat, as if to rid herself of flies.
"Greetings, I am Pumpkin Spice, and you are now within Tephra." The greeting was friendly, though it sounded as if it were a rehearsed line. "Do you have a name, stranger?" She would have asked further questions; but she was intimidated by this behemoth and wasn't sure of his purpose. Maybe he was homeless and searching, perhaps he was an envoy from some other land, she really had no idea. Not to mention she wasn't used to being the face of Tephra, or used to being in the presence of giants.
Pumpkin Spice
OOC: Sorry for all the words, it's been a while since I played as Spice and she needs some exercise :p