Welcome to Gaia! ::

The mists were a tricky thing, both helping to aid the pale Chevalier in his duties while he scouted the outskirts of their land and also hindering him when it came to others that lingered within them uninvited.

By the time he saw the pale and peach female, she was nearly upon him. He steeled his limbs and lowered his head, ready to pounce upon her at the first sign of aggression - but instead she simply introduced herself, proud and polite, and he found his wariness settling even if he knew his duty was to steer her away.

"Well met, I am Iphiko," his words were to the point but not unkind, "and you are much too close to my pride lands. I am afraid I cannot let you past this point though I will kindly see you out if you have become lost in the mists."

As if suddenly reminded, Iphiko's eyes rose to the sky overhead and the twinkling lights that had been hanging about their pride for some time now. He did not know if it was a common thing among these lands - after all, they had not been here a full year. Perhaps that was just some strange phenomenon that occurred during this season? He really, really couldn't say.

"Yes, well, that is sort of the point of living among the mists," though he was being pointed about making her leave, he was at least doing it with a nice enough smile on his face. "We can hide among them, especially if we make sure our pelts our pale and hard to see when we walk outside.

"If you will follow me this way, Vida," he dipped his head politely and shifted to a slow walk away from the heart of the pride that lay behind him. He took slow, deliberate steps to ensure she did not get left behind as he went, then turned his great white head to look at her.

"Were you out here looking for something?"

For a breath, he seemed stunned to silence by her forwardness. His paws hesitated on there steps and his eyes lingered on her as if he wasn't quite sure he had heard her correctly. Then, all at once, his mind caught up with him and all he could do.. was laugh. It was gentle and amused.

"Well, not exactly," the glimmer of humor was still evident in his voice as he fell back to step. "But that is the point. We don't allow anyone to stay if they would be easily spotted in the mists by outsiders; it's why I can't let you into the pride heart, I'm afraid."

Then, inspired by her forwardness, he let his eyes trail the colors of her pelt curiously. She was not a lioness of the mists and never could be but Iphiko had not always been of the mists. In fact, he was from a pride that had very little discrimination against colors at all. He could still admire her for who she was even if he knew the pride as a whole would not accept her.

"Though I must say that you are still quite beautiful, even if you do not belong here."