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Yes, this was definitely better. So much better that it barely bore scrutiny, if she did say so herself!

With the air of one extremely satisfied with everything, Anelisse turned away from the still pool of water she had just been examining to beam proudly at the albino raccoon that sat a little off to the side, busily sorting crayfish shells into a pile. Anelisse was not deterred by her familiar's seeming inattention, though; the years that she had spent with Raccoon at her side had taught her that just because Raccoon didn't LOOK like she was paying attention didn't mean that she wasn't. In this case, it was even more obvious that Raccoon would take note, for who didn't like to hear good news?

"I tell you, Raccoon, there is nothing quite as wonderful as seeing a wound healed and a blemish removed forever. I do quite honestly believe that my face is looking even better than it did before, what do you think?" Without waiting for any sort of acknowledgment, Ane struck a pose with neck arched, nose raised, and one dainty foreleg lifted off of the ground in a dramatic profile. She had reason to have faith, and they both knew it.

Looking up from her sorting, Raccoon chittered her equivalent of a giggle at her Mistress, then cocked her head to one side in close scrutiny. Really, there was nothing to be disappointed in; a little more than a month had passed since the most recent visit of the Red Stallion, and since then Mistress had thrown herself into the business of 'undoing the damage' of her long flounder through the realms of emo. Each day had seen Mistress eating properly and moving about actively; her favorite form of exercise had been to float down the river, then swim back up against the current. In addition to making sure she didn't get too sweaty, this was extremely good for her limbs, and each week saw the hollowness of her body give way to its old slender smoothness. Resolve saw the gauntness of her face flesh out, and her eyes lost their sunken appearance; today, much to Anelisse's delight, had shown her a face that looked just like it used to, before The Tragedy.

And Raccoon was quick to agree, albeit with one change. Clapping her paws in earnest delight, she echoed Mistress' opinion, but at the same time her keen eyes were reflecting on what was, to her, the most profound change. This Mistress was every bit as lovely as the Mistress of old, but she was far more introspective and prone to lapsing completely into silence for longish periods of time, times when Raccoon would glance her way to see a frown furrowing that otherwise perfect brow.

Well, introspection was all well and good, but too much was unhealthy. That was part of what had motivated Raccoon to suggest a trek to her Mistress and why they had been away from home for nearly a week; Mistress had been a fixture of their clearing for months now, and with little to do and no one to talk to there was no reason she SHOULDN'T daydream. A little change of scenery was bound to do her good, and Raccoon by association.

Besides, Raccoon had another reason for wanting to have Mistress on the move for a bit. Over the past couple of weeks, she had come to harbor the strongest of opinions that they had acquired a neighbor; more than once in her slithering treks through the area in search of hair and shinies she had heard the rustling of a large creature trying to hide itself; her sharp eyes had seen more than one trace of Soquili habitation in the form of the occasional hoofmark, or a slightly chewed branch. Beyond that, she had been unsuccessful; their neighbor hadn't been so considerate that they left behind any hair or even any real smells. The fact that they had a neighbor could have been a positive thing, but a neighbor that didn't socialize and refused to allow themselves to be seen, introduced, or identified made Raccoon very protective on her Mistress' behalf. If they returned from this 'tour' to the same neighbor, then Raccoon would set about finding out the whys and wherefores; for the time being, though, her mission was to make sure that Mistress was happy, content, and well-groomed.

Check, check, and check at the moment. Anelisse's eyes as well as her face were smiling as she broke her pose, and if that didn't belie contentment, then she didn't know what did. Well-groomed was also a given for now; Raccoon had arranged Ane's two-tone mane into a cascade of mostly loose curls, pulled back from her face by two long tendrils of hair that usually framed her face and secured with the ever-present hair pin. A simple enough style, but one that framed Ane's beautiful face and drew attention to her beautiful eyes; a true winner, if Raccoon did say so herself!

And judging from her mood, Mistress was in agreement. Happy day, indeed!

There is a certain merit in the belief that opposites attract, in many definitions of the phrase. At the moment, extreme cheer and energy seemed to draw in equally extreme lethargy and annoyance...yet at the same time, the two Soquilis were alike in both having things that preoccupied them. Had Anelisse known of the troubles that plagued the flutter, she might very well have sympathized; she, at least, knew somewhat of her dilemna.

At the moment, though, that dilemna was banished from her thoughts, her pleasure at the seemingly complete return of her health and vitality eliminating all negative emotions or concerns. For the moment, she was Anelisse, daughter of Angelique, and a vision of perfection and grace.

And just like a vision, she was a bit inattentive as to her surroundings. Luckily for them both, Raccoon suffered no such distractions, and it was she who first chittered the news that there was another Soquili approaching. Very light footfalls, leading Raccoon to think that there was another mare approaching or else a very soft-footed stallion; either way, it was naturally imperitive that Mistress knew right away!

Having spent years in Raccoon's company, Anelisse could interpret her familiar's gestures and chitters with as much ease as if they'd been spoken words. This new intelligence immeadiately brought a frown to her face, one that was quickly replaced by a meditative expression.

On one hand, she'd had bad luck with visitors recently. A great deal of trouble and mess and headaches, definitely not something that had been much pleasure for her beyond the initial conversation and being able to admire decently built stallions. On the OTHER hand, she was now looking her best and feeling much better, and hadn't she resolved to go out and impress the world with herself, therefore bolstering her family's reputation as perfection?

It was decided. Quickly polishing her horn against her flank to give it an extra gleam, Anelisse glanced out in the relative direction of the footsteps and called out, "Excuse me, but are you at all in need of a drink?" The pool was the reason that the two of them had stopped here, so perhaps the traveller was also in need of a drink. She could be hospitable, if she wanted.

When she had called out, Anelisse hadn't actually seen the other Soquili yet. The footsteps and Raccoon's word had been all that she had to go on that there was someone out there. Seeing the one she was talking to had raised all sorts of new emotions though, first and foremost of them being surprise.

What a small stallion! Anelisse herself was a bit on the dainty side, so even average stallions tended to seem larger than life to her. This stallion, though, for all of his bulk and obvious stallionhood, was hardly bigger than she was, almost like a mare in his height than any stallion she had ever seen. And his WINGS!

Being a unicorn herself, for the longest time Ane had been unaware that Soquili could even have wings. She had learned of winged Soquili in time, to be sure, but never before had she seen one with anything other than feathered wings. This little stallion had wings that looked like they would be very much at home on a butterfly!

Now, Ane had never been good at hiding her feelings, so that surprise as she looked at the stallion, watching as he walked up to the pool and drank, was transparently obvious. It was definitely lucky that the stallion was somewhat out of it, otherwise who knew how dramatic the situation might have become!

As it was, she managed to collect herself after a long stare and returned the thanks with a light, "Don't mention it," before remarking to him, "You do look rather listless. Have you tried sleeping, or perhaps a brisk bath? If you want, my Raccoon would be happy to do something with your mane and tail, I've always found that very soothing." See, she could be helpful; the only problem was that she failed at tact!

"Just because I think anything doesn't mean that it's happened, does it?" Anelisse's response was quick, her tone prim and at least a little bit indignant at the tone of the stallion's reply; it was extremely unkind of him to be rude when all she was trying to do was be nice, after all! Still, she was the generous sort of mare and WOULDN'T turn her back on him and his rude behavior; she was better than that, after all. Besides, maybe he hadn't meant to be rude and just had an unfortunate tone of voice.

That in mind, she did her best to sound charitable and kind in her response, nippiness aside. He WAS tired, after all...

"But if you want to do things your way, that's fine. I was just offering." That said, she turned up her chin slightly and looked away, the perfect picture of noble condescension.