Solitude. He couldn't recall the last time he had spoken to another being, much less spent any significant amount of time in the presence of another. He had traveled the lands, keeping away from allies of both the Six and the King. Let them fight their battles; it had nothing to do with him. He would look after himself, find his own way, and no one would be telling him any different. Not if he had his way. And the azure stallion always had his way.

Some might think he led a lonely existence, but Alize was content, peaceful, and sure in his ways. He ate what he wanted, when he wanted, where he wanted. He slept at any hour of the day or night. And if he wanted to take a midnight stroll through the grasses, watching the stars pass through the sky, no one was there to tell him anything different. He was content. Any time he felt the urge to be near others of his kind, he could linger around the edges of camps here and there. Groups of the Six, or of the King, it didn't matter - they each formed a cluster for companionship and comraderie. He could slip into the larger herds unnoticed, observing their ways and listening to their conversation until he was bored. It never took long, for he rarely found conversation that interested him. As the war heated up, more and more the talks were of how each side would attack the other. It became a topic Alizé quickly became bored with, and meant that he spent less and less time in the midst of others.

Tonight had been an exception, and he had found himself near a herd of medium size. Though not large enough that he could walk through as he pleased, there were enough Azrein that he could meander around the edges and blend in, watching and observing before slipping away. He was so used to being ignored that he didn't notice being observed. The mare stood in the shadows on the other side of the herd, nonchalantly blending in and conversing with other Azrein. She herself was new to the herd, and noticed when this new stallion had come up. Never having seen him before, she observed him casually, and noted when he slipped away again. He had not talked to anyone, only watched and blended in. Was he there for the same reason she had been? She was impressed with the way he went unnoticed, handsome as he was. His tail was long and leonine, and the horn on his forhead had been the longest she had seen. He was a unique creature, and yet he had caused no stir, no comments from the others of the herd. As she moved through the herd, the spotted mare detached herself in much the same manner as the stallion had before, following the direction he had gone. Her task had been mostly complete within the herd, and her curiosity at this anomaly had been piqued.

The unicorn new instantly the moment he was being followed. Being always alone meant that he noticed when he wasn't alone anymore. His mood quickly soured, and he chastised the unknown lurker for being nosy. He continued on his way, hoping that they would grow bored quickly. After a few miles, he gave up all pretense, frustrated with his stalker. He stopped and called out, staring ahead yet projecting his voice to be heard all around him. He cleared his voice first, making sure that it would not give out on him mid-threat. There was nothing worse than trying to intimidate someone, only to come off as pubescent colt.
"Go away, and leave me alone. I'll give you a chance. If you continue to follow, I will assume you to be enemy, and will not hesitate to attack. Turn now and go back, and you will be unharmed."

He waited another moment without hearing an answer, and began to move again, hoping the stranger would heed his words. Within a few steps, it was obvious that they had not. Alizé stopped again, and with a huff of frustration, he turned around. "Alright, go away or come out. I know you're there, so there's no use in pretending you're not."
The mare stepped out, coming forward into what little light was given off by the moon. She flicked her tail, but other than that, she showed no nervousness. Even in the light, dappled by white as she was with pale white hair, the mare looked ethereal and mysterious. She blended into her surroundings well enough to be easily missed by the casual observer. Alizé made sure to not take his eyes away from her. "Who are you, and why are you following me?" he asked. The stallion didn't even try and sound nice. This mare was a bother, and the sooner he chased her away or fought her off, the sooner he would find peace again.

The mysterious mare countered with questions of her own, ignoring the ones the stallion had thrown at her. "Where are you going? And with who?"
"Where I go and with who is my own business. I'll ask you again before charging." At that the stallion pawed at the ground, loosening up shoulders that had become tense. "Who are you, and why are you following me?"

The mare sensed that this was the final straw. She completely relaxed her body, and flopped to the ground, tucking her legs under her. "Calm down, calm down. I'll answer your questions, big guy." From the angle, the stallion looked even larger and more intimidating. An observation that appealed more to Nia than she would admit. "I'm Nia. You were watching the herd back there as well, right?" WIthout waiting for a reply, she continued on.
"I was watching them to. And you as well as you came up. You seemed to blend in well with them, but not part of them. So I was curious as to what you were doing." She tilted her head innocently, charmingly.

Alizé looked down at her. "Leave me alone. What I do is of no concern to you." With that, he turned around and began walking off. Nia jumped up to her feet, and began following him again. As he turned around to glare at her, Nia slowed down and looked at him. "What? It's not against the rules to go the same way, is it? We just happen to be going the same direction!" She smiled coquetishly, she hoped. He really was a tough one to crack. But there was nothing like a challenge to give Nia a purpose. She thrilled at the thought of getting along with the burly stallion. The fact that he was to her tastes might have added even more bonus to the thrill as well.

In response to her statement, Alizé turned a bit to the left, veering away from the mare. He was unsurprised when she followed him, and left it alone for the moment. At least she wasn't talking. As they plodded along, she closed the distance between them inch by subtle inch until she was walking side by side with the stallion. They continued to plod along, if not together, than with tolerance. Nia studied him from the corner of her eye. He had seemed large when she had looked up at him, but standing by him showed her just how much a difference there was between the two of them. Taller, longer, and much more built, he was all that was masculine in an Azrein. The wicked looking horn and fierce looking mohawk added to the image. He really was quite unique, with stripes that shone lighter in the moonlight than the rest of his coat. Sizing him up, she made a decision. Alizé was too good to pass up.

With a few quick steps, Nia overtook the stallion and positioned herself in front of him. Alizé was forced to either stop or go around. After a slight pause, he changed direction and walked away. What did this mare want from him? Again, Nia put herself into his path. At this point, the mare had become something outside of his experience. He stopped, looking torwards her with a wary expression. "What do you want from me? I don't have anything of use, I don't know anything interesting, and I don't know anyone worthwhile. I keep to myself. So if you don't have any business with me, scram."

The mare chuckled, a sultry giggle. In that instant, Alizé realized that he had come up against something he had no clue what to do with...