Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sidra is startled by the odd voice and lights, freezing in place with her ears perked and staring straight forward.

Eventually, Galaen's words filter through the shock. "A Gift? Is that what that was?"

Sidra nuzzled Galaen back, grateful for the reassurance. This was all a little much! "The birth-Gifts I know about, of course. I just haven't seen one of those plants before. And I'd kind of figured he'd already been Gifted somehow concerning his songs. He's awfully good...but I suppose that's not a Gift, then?"

"A part of him... yes, I can see that. I wouldn't dare to venture why the Mother would have chosen to Gift him thusly. Time will tell, I suppose." I still don't know what I'm going to do with him, though! Aak!

After a brief pause, Sidra turned to Galaen. "Do you know anything about foals?"

Sidra tilted her head to one side as the an... an... Oh my dear sweet Lady Mother I am talking to an angel. And he touched me! Sidra's knees suddenly turned to water and she sat down quickly, hoping she didn't look as graceless as she felt. She somehow managed the werewithal for a small nod and a short comment. "Yes. Ponds, of course. Other things too, like wandering off and getting lost." The blue-swirled mare shuffled her wings nervously and pasted a smile on her face that she hoped was missing sappy by at least a small margin. He really does have beautiful eyes...

Sidra flushed under her fur. "No, I'm fine! Really! I just wanted to sit down is all." It wasn't exactly a lie. Her knees had been fairly adamant about wanting her on the ground, after all. "Who's Deolna? Wait, where's Toro?" Sidetracked again, her earlier euphoria forgotten, Sidra whipped around looking for the foal.

Galaen froze when the colt ducked under him. His instinct was to fade from sight, for even though the hawk couldn't necesarily kill him it could still do him a fair bit of pain and damage.

But... the foal had chosen him for protection. He couldn't betray that. The grey angel stood his ground, only shivering slightly as the dark shadow passed over him. He heard the cries from other ponies in the garden as the hawk continued it's flight, and a scream of pain from one poor youngling that seemed to have been caught.

Finally, all was silent again.

"Sidra... Toro... are you both ok?" he asked in a weak voice, as he stepped away from the foal. With trembling legs he lay down on the soft grass with less than his usual grace.