03-09-2021, 12:36 PM
The light that meets the dark
Cheri watched Starlore’s halo dip and bob above his head as if it were a floaty thing, attached by some invisible string behind his ears. Whenever he shifted or spoke it bounced in response, following along like some strange companion animal made of light, but Cheri doubted it was alive. She wondered idly whether it served any purpose aside from looking aesthetically interesting, (as if she wasn’t covered in useless objects herself) and found through her strange curiosity that she no longer feared what might happen to her out in ‘questionable territory’, as Yanhua might’ve said. Starlore truly seemed the harmless type, even if he was kind of blunt about it, which made Cheri slightly more eager to give into his demands than she would've been if he'd acted any differently.
“If you insist.” She shrugged her wings absently, trying not to smile. The generous offer he was saddling her with was nice, she thought, and it also doubled as the perfect excuse for staying put in the red zone for a little while. A little walk, a little talk, and he sticks around as an escort. What could be more reasonable than that? She could already picture telling her father as much.
“I am tired.” Cheri reiterated, letting her wings droop at the thought. She looked around them at the darkness unfamiliar to her and had to admit that maybe Starlore was right to press her into his companionship, even if he did seem like the politely aggressive sort. Cheri could hardly tell left from right in the woods back home; she relied on the familiar paths and places she’d learned as a child born in sunlight. Out here, she’d be a walking target. “Do you know where to find fresh water?” The black-cloaked mare asked him, turning back to catch Starlore’s eye.
She guessed he could take that as a yes, to his proposal. Cheri would stay and put his mind at ease, if the life of a stranger from the North meant so much to him, and secretly she would be able to catch a glimpse inside the life of an Eastern horse. It was perfect—almost too perfect—but Cheri found the temptation irresistible either way. She promised herself to be on silent guard around Starlore, regardless of any angelic glow or charmingly dominant personality, and pulled her hooves delicately together through the night-washed sands of Silver Cove, waiting to follow.
“If you insist.” She shrugged her wings absently, trying not to smile. The generous offer he was saddling her with was nice, she thought, and it also doubled as the perfect excuse for staying put in the red zone for a little while. A little walk, a little talk, and he sticks around as an escort. What could be more reasonable than that? She could already picture telling her father as much.
“I am tired.” Cheri reiterated, letting her wings droop at the thought. She looked around them at the darkness unfamiliar to her and had to admit that maybe Starlore was right to press her into his companionship, even if he did seem like the politely aggressive sort. Cheri could hardly tell left from right in the woods back home; she relied on the familiar paths and places she’d learned as a child born in sunlight. Out here, she’d be a walking target. “Do you know where to find fresh water?” The black-cloaked mare asked him, turning back to catch Starlore’s eye.
She guessed he could take that as a yes, to his proposal. Cheri would stay and put his mind at ease, if the life of a stranger from the North meant so much to him, and secretly she would be able to catch a glimpse inside the life of an Eastern horse. It was perfect—almost too perfect—but Cheri found the temptation irresistible either way. She promised herself to be on silent guard around Starlore, regardless of any angelic glow or charmingly dominant personality, and pulled her hooves delicately together through the night-washed sands of Silver Cove, waiting to follow.
@[starlore]