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The sights and sounds of early fall whirled about the young stallion merrily, tossing his golden mane about his titanium clad features. Above his current resting spot, the stand of ginkgo trees waved lazily in the breeze, sending a few trails of their unusual yellow leaves to their final resting place across the autumnal land... or nestled gently in Tiarnan's glossy mane. The air about them was heavy, still holding a light golden morning mist, and within it Tiarnan reveled.

Oblivious to society as a whole, Tiarnan found himself amid this stand of thousand year old Ginkgo often. It was a timeless place, one that soothed his ruffled nerves after a particularly vexing training session. And here, he merely watched the passing clouds; sometimes he would count them.. other times he would assign a shape or a face to their misty exteriors. Naturally he had to be careful of his trail, assuring himself that neither his father nor his mother could find this spot.. though he had little doubt that his brother could find it.

Distancing himself from that troublesome thought, he analyzed it from a comfortable distance, attempting (and not for the first time ) to discern how he really felt about his family. Galahad he adored... they were brothers after all... his mother he had positively worshipped as a youngster, and respected now that he had reached adulthood. But his Father had become a bit of an enigma, since Tiarnan had not inherited the old warhorse's fighting spirit. Discipline he understood and adhered too.. but the regimental drills and insistence to fight had begun to wear down the airy young alicorn.

Thoughts of strangers were far from the young stallion's mind, but he noted the change in the trees. They would warn him, sometimes, of changes in the wind... of passing birds... and now of an unfamiliar tread. Always these trees gave some sign of nature's view... another reason he liked this spot so much.

Still...

Drawn now from his internal musings, Tiarnan spared a glance around, but could not see an immediate change in his surroundings, granted the golden mist was a hindrance in that regard, since the sunlight filtered down from the east and reflected along the tiny beads of moisture in the air... so he assumed any travelers would likewise be unable to see him. Idealistic maybe, and unworthy of his training, but Tiarnan had long ago decided that knowledge was his to do with as he pleased...

And it pleased him greatly to ignore the internal warning bells his father had programed... and just be.

With that closing thought, his eyes drifted heavenward again, through the ancient ginkgo boughs, and into the brilliant blue sky. Let strangers come... he wouldn't rise to fight them.

Tiarnan reveled in the silence of morning, so the voice... gentle as it might be, fell with the weight of a predatory bird upon the back of a white fluttering dove. He could admire the skill with which the falcon stooped, but he would miss the graceful elegance of the dove. Like the birds, he could appreciate the quality of the female's voice, but he mourned the loss of the morning silence.

Above him, the ginkgo stilled, as if holding it's breath... and he too drew breath as he swiveled about to assess the stranger. She was nothing short of lovely, but such things held little for Tiarnan beyond simple and genuine appreciation. Like his mother, she was delicate and refined, and like other mares he had met, she carried herself in a way that bespoke a fine upbringing. Yes, he could appreciate her beauty... in much the same way that he appreciated the moon framed by stars.

"Hope has little do do with intent milady, but no, you are not bothering me." He replied simply, his bright blue eyes were tranquil beneath the shining helm, and held little beyond what he intended. Having acknowledged her presence, he let his gaze rest on her for the polite moment... not staring, just inviting her to continue to speak if she so chose.

"I enjoy every morning milady." He replied simply, turning now to glance up at the trees. Granted, not EVERY morning was as lovely as this, and more often then not his mornings started early and violently to the sound of his sire's bellow and the Protector's answering call. Two peas in a pod, those two, and recently their early morning spars had grown to include Killian.. who had baskets on the way and so for some unfathomable reason... felt compelled to rile himself up and learn how to fight properly.

Silly really, individuals like Killian (and Tiarnan himself) lived in herds for the express purpose of having others defend them. Killian had a great deal of skill when it came to negotiations and planning for the future. More often then not, the afternoon sun would find him huddled with Wildfire and Seresai over a span of wet sand... drawing figures in the muck with a stick...

As for Tia, well.. he wasn't quite sure where he fit in yet. He fought just as well as his sire (though not quite as well as Blais) and could figure sums far quicker then Wildfire. But he had no real pull towards either... he liked staring up at the sky... listening to the wind...

However, at that point, it was the change in the mare's tone as she introduced herself that drew the stallion's wandering thoughts back to the present. His eyes snapped focused on her again as he turned back to look at her, and for a moment, he just weighed her words.


"You seek not to offend milady, I appreciate it." He said first with a slight nod of his head. So often these days strangers charged up demanding attention and identification... but there was something about the way she spoke and the words she used that gave him the impression of emptiness. She was a very unassuming mare, and while he could understand and relate to it.... it still.. bothered him.

In any case...

"My name is Tiarnan, and the pleasure is mine to meet your acquaintance Lady Ananchel."