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Khalon loved the sound of his friend's laughter. It rang through the still, silent trees he was pushing through like bells. He was tackless this night, he'd convinced (somehow) the two-legger to remove it, so his movements were silent, without even a jangle. He cleared his throat after a moment of listening to the laughter, and was disappointed when the noise so quickly cut off. "Hello, Milady Echo." he murmured, and stepped forth from the trees, into a beam of moonlight. It gleamed off of his black body and the silver horn, caked with old, dried blood. "And greetings to you, Master wolf, and many thanks for your guardianship of the fair lady this eve." his head dipped to Okami.

Cool eyes assessed the scene. Echo stood in shadow, the graceful curve of her neck accentuated by the mass of silver-violet waves and ringlets on her head. Long, slim legs appeared shorter due to the vines creeping up them- he knew the vines to be a fresh green, with small blue flowers, though in the darkness they could not be seen- nor could he see her velvety black body. It was only knowledge of what she looked like in day, and the faint gleam of butterglies and silver hair around her that granted him the sight he truly needed to describe the mare.

His ward, an intelligent a mare as he had ever met, though cursed with the strangest of afflictions. She would have made a fine battle mare. They needed no words, only a long leg, a keen eye, and a strong body. Fate, however, had chosen to cause her to be a mare of leisure and delicacy- a shame, she could have been glorious at his side, had things differed. She had been wasted, however beautiful.

But then, he was a warrior, not a judge. And he could appreciate the view.

Khalon smiled. "I see. He must have been saying quite a lot; Your greeting was nigh impeccable." He had nno hesitation in giving her the praise he well felt she deserved. It was nearly perfect, after all, and given her affliction... well, it was better than Forrest, who, after his latest rejection by the beautiful (and haughty) Selene, had taken to tripping over his own tongue. "And how do you do this fine evening? Are you getting ready to go?"

The grin was predatory, and the look on the face of a mare that he could not bring himself to think of as anything (on one level) but delicate and ladylike.... It was beautiful, and sent a shiver through him. Underneath Echo's dainty body, and childlike exuberance, she was made of steel. Sweet, indestructible, resilient, and powerful, with a mind as sharp as a sword, when she needed it. "Well then, milady, shall we depart?" he stepped further from the trees, boldly out into the open. "At your pleasure, sweet Echo, let us venture forth."

"I know." The stallion's voice was laced with amusement. "But I see no water nearby, do you?" he suffred the wolf on his back admirably. After all, it wasn't as heavy as some things he'd carried in the past. "The plan, for myself, at the least, good wolf, is that we shall go ahead and proceed towards water. After all, we are going to stay awake all night until the stars set and the sun begins to rise. What if we grow thirsty? Shall we not go ahead and get the tedious journey out of the way so that we shall not have to endure the long travel once we are already parched?" he raised a brow at the creature on his back and then trotted off a bit, guiding the mare.

Khalon has well-hidden his grimace at the wolf's tactless assessment and comments on his current stench, but he unfortunately, could not deny the validity of the claims. "He was correct, milady." he said ruefully, after the wolf had exited the scene. "I do, unfortunately, reek- or more bluntly, stink." he grinned. "My tack was just removed, and as I was running a bit behind due to unforseen circumstances, well, I have not had time to bathe." One shoulder shrugged itself. "I apologize that you felt the need to drive off your honest little friend."

The black stallion laughed. "Very well, milady. Though I hardly smell of flowers, if you can bring yourself to tolerate my company than I shall not belittle your courtesy." he bowed his head. "You are, however, too kind, milady. I thank you for your attempt at soothing my pride." the smile he gave her was genuine. "Echo, you are truly a wonderful companion." he broke into a canter, intent on getting faster to the water, so that his smell would cease to offend the good lady that much quicker. Also, he wanted a race.

Free of tack, his body was lean and strong, and though in truth he could not imagine the mare keeping up with him, with her plumpish body, and the mass of curls, and those damnable leg vines he always had the desire to rip away.

The war stallion had been pleasantly surprised when her headlong gallop had proven to be swift enough to keep up with his canter. Though she would not be able to take him at a gallop, by any means... And then, as he thought that, she had taken to the sky. A beauty, on the wings of an angel, with her too-long tail flying out behind her, and the butterflies that danced around her twirling and bobbing in a blue escort around her black body that dotted out the stars. As she rose higher, he broke into a gallop, hooves beating into the earth until they were like war drums, and bit at the earth desperately, trying to catch up to the airborne Soquili.