[private] but its wonderful to see that it never phased you

[Tarian]

Most of his days begin like this.

Tarian spends his nights patrolling because in the life he lead before Beqanna, there had been little time for sleep; a soldier rests little while waiting for the dawn of battle to come. It had been easier to do something instead of waiting for the sun to rise. As a young stallion, he had volunteered for sentry duty and as the years had passed, more roles had been offered to the former Heir. Battle tactics, scouting, raiding parties.

He patrols nightly but the lull of peace is something new for Tarian. Loess has no real enemies (there is little love for Pangea but the Dark God's country has grown quiet and the pegasus can think of no better fate for a foe than to be forgotten). Their numbers are few but they are steadily growing.

Still, this life is not like one that Tarian has known before and so perhaps it makes him cling to his rituals and habits all the more.

After the patrols are done and there is nothing needed of him from Lady Oceane, the gray stallion comes to this beach. He doesn't stay long but each morning, it is the same. Tarian moves towards the surf and wades into the water. He drifts further and further out to where the waves finally crest over him and so he dives underneath them, flaring out his wide wings and soaking himself in ocean water. The pegasus always vanishes for a while but then resurfaces and finally departs from the sea to another part of the beach where the sun can warm him as he dries off.

There is a sound - something separate from the gull's cry or the sound of the waves dragging pebbles back to its murky depths - that makes the older stallion lift his Spanish head. It would seem his secret beach has been found and Tarian isn't pleased; his last encounters had been Altissima discovering his new ... talent, Tiercel rising from one of Loess' lakes like a swamp creature, or Ashhal having a chunk of himself being torn off by a shadow monster.

None of these sound appealing this early in the morning, especially when he has just been up all night patrolling.

"By the breezes, girl." Tarian says to the dark filly that he sees. "Has no one taught you - ," and then he stops because her ebony coat catches the light just right and the pegasus is reminded of his younger sisters that he hasn't seen in years. Mina had been graying out the last time he saw her - a pale coat that she shared with their grandmother and father - but Maren's had shined as this girl's had. There are plenty of differences; her wings hadn't been glowing nor had there been any splashes of white. His sister had a pair of mismatched eyes, Brynn's green and Valerio's blue, where this one has only a shade of green to rival Spring. 

But it's enough to catch him off guard. 

It's enough that it makes his anger fade, enough that it appears he's only mildly annoyed at this disturbance of his morning routine. While he hasn't seen her before, there is no overwhelming stench of another territory mingling in the air and Tarian can only assume that she has been long enough to shed her old life. The Champion - despite his dripping wings and soaked mane - somehow manages a stoic expression and considers her with a blue-eyed stare. He decides to state the obvious (and disclude himself from the statement): "You're up early."

@[Cheri] please let me know if i need to change anything