Welcome to Gaia! ::

Faline awoke as the first rays of sunlight began streaming through the trees. She smiled gently as she rose to what appeared to be another beautiful day; birds twittered in the trees as the sun continued to rise, the cloudless sky a gradient of amber, peaches, and lavender, finally fading to blue. After a quick drink from a nearby stream, she would set about her usual routine- wandering the woods, checking on the various creatures and plants that lived in the area. There always seemed to be something fascinating happening, whether it was fledglings taking their first flight, migratory birds stopping by, or flowers beginning to bloom.

Soon, she came upon a small, beaten path. It was the path taken by travelers, but it was seldom used, as few came this deep into the woods- the foliage was even starting to overtake it a bit. She paid it little mind, pausing to watch the trees for signs of life rather than the trail.

As she watched a bird feeding its young on a nearby branch, her ears twitched backwards towards a noise from behind her. "Hoofbeats?" she thought. Though they were softened by the soil underneath, the sound was unmistakable. Apparently the bird had heard it too- alarmed by the noise, it flew away. She too, was slightly apprehensive. Turning to face the sound, she relaxed. It was a stallion, his coat as dark as the night sky, or as the shining black backs of beetles. She had not seen anyone like him before, though she had seen so few of her own kind. Having no fear, only curiosity towards this stranger, she spoke to him eagerly.

"What brings you out this way?"

"Me?" she giggled softly, "Why, I live here." She thought for a moment, then said, "I know just the place. A little ways from here, there's a fresh, cold spring that runs into a large pond, and next to it, a clearing full of soft grass and clover. It's...a little off the beaten path, though." She motioned to the forest behind her. "If you'd like, I can show you there." It was an offer she made in kindness and sincereness, and similar to ones she had made to others before- yet the other travelers she encountered usually just asked for directions. For who would follow a stranger into the woods? Well, Faline might, but she had little sense of suspicion or caution. Would this stallion be willing to trust her?

"By the way, what's your name? I'm Faline."

Smiling in excitement, she turned and began the walk towards their destination, motioning for Erebos to follow along. Her pace was moderate, her steps, soft- a deliberate effort not to harm any plant life that came underfoot.
"So Erebos, where do you come from?" she questioned. She idly wondered if he had ever been to the woods before. She wouldn't be surprised if he had; they did span a large area, after all. Perhaps he just came from another area of the woods, or maybe he was a traveler from a far off place. Her mind raced with the possibilities..!

She nodded. "So, you're not too much of a stranger to this area, I take it. I've heard before of very peculiar places- places with hardly a tree growing in them. Rolling hills, never ending dunes of sand, towering barren mountains..." she paused for a moment, seemingly lost in thought as she imagined such lands. "But yes, I've always lived here. At least, as long as I can remember. I've had dreams before, almost like memories, of a vast, grassy plain." Faline suspected it was the Greater Herd Plains- she had caught glimpses of it between the trees the few times she had ventured to the outskirts of the woods. "But it's no matter. I'm comfortable here."

As they continued on, she took note of their surroundings. "We should be there soo-" she began to say, but stopped short as she saw a shadow pass by overhead and heard the whirring of wings, looking skyward to catch a glimpse of the creature. "Oh, oh, did you see it!?" she asked excitedly. "A blue heron..! It must be headed to the pond too. How lucky to see one now- they'll start to migrate south in about a month." She smiled widely, the delight she took in being among the woods and its creatures clearly visible.

Faline's lips turned up in a slight smirk as she noticed Erebos startle at the bird. She didn't laugh, however- she wasn't one much for teasing others. And after all, any Azrein could be surprised by such a sudden noise, especially in a place like this where one might hear a threat long before they see it.

"Mm, yes, that is what I meant- that you would be more or less familiar with the flora, fauna, and terrain of this area due to your travels," she explained. "If you hung about this area of these woods, we most likely would have already crossed paths!" As they conversed, Faline noticed the stallion shake his head. Her head tilted slightly in quizzical manner, but not thinking it too strange she chose to pay it no mind and continue speaking. "As I'm sure you know, herons are water birds- there's water around here, of course, but not any particularly large rivers or lakes. So they're a bit more rare than say, the common sparrow or wren."

As they continued on, the area between the trees widened and the foliage thinned- thanks to this and the sun continuing to rise, the light coming from between the leaves became stronger. Faline's ears perked up as she heard the soft babbling of the spring nearby. "Oh, that's it! It's just up ahead!" Excitement getting the better of her, she trotted forward to the edge of the clearing.

[Sorry for taking forever to reply- I've been a bit busy, and my rp muse was failing me. xD]

Wishing to quench her thirst as well, Faline trotted after Erebos to the spring, dipping her muzzle in the cool, clean water. After drinking her fill, she contentedly sighed, satisfied with how refreshing it was. Smiling at Erebos' comment, she replied, "Aren't I? It's surprising that more Azrein don't live out here." She supposed it might be due to how dense this area of the forest was- she had seen more of their kind further out, where the trees were spaced further apart and the foliage a little more sparse. Of course, there were clearings like this one, and the old paths, but besides that there wasn't a whole lot of room to run (without obstacles in ones way, that is), or take off and land for the winged Azrein. None of that was any concern for her though- she didn't feel the need to rush everywhere (nor was she a fast runner), and she could barely hover off the ground for a few seconds with her tiny wings.