His morning had been relatively uneventful. He had gone to the cliffs in order to watch the sunrise, as he did almost every morning. He checked in on his oak tree and used a little more of his magic to draw the roots deeper into the earth so they might latch onto the rocky hillside a little more securely. Growing an oak in such a strange location was difficult, but he knew that with his magic, he could eventually get the roots to take on a much deeper hold to the earth and grow the oak big and strong.

But it was after the sun had finally risen that the stallion made his way back towards the citadel amongst the hustle and bustle of Dusk Court. He much preferred the countryside living as opposed to the city, but with his new role, he needed to be seen far more than he cared for. It wasn’t that he didn’t make friends easily or that he disliked court life, he just preferred a quiet life. After all, he had retired from leading kingdoms to live out his life in peaceful solitude. The only thing that he was missing in his life was someone to share his heart with.

Deep in thought, Rhone was hardly paying much attention to where he was walking. Even though there weren’t that many people up and moving at this early hour, they were moving in a direction and speed that he was not following.

As he rounded a corner, he hardly noticed the blue, black, and white mare as she stood quietly in the middle of the walkway. Rhone hardly had time to react, let alone stop. He scrambled to halt his momentum but failed. He bumped into the mare, jumping back quickly and getting out of her personal space. "I’m sorry miss, I was not paying attention. Please forgive my clumsiness." He supposed he had assumed she was moving at the speed of the others. Perhaps he thought that he could round the corner and just flow into the crowd. Unfortunately, that was not what happened and it left him feeling rather embarrassed and unsure of if he had harmed her in any way.

@Uzuri

Rhone watched as she turned to look at him, probably quite startled by not only the collision, but the depth of his voice. He had seen the way some mares were so startled being close to stallions. It pained him to know that something or someone in their past had been abusive to where they simply could not be around those of the opposite sex. Rhone’s heart had always gone out to them, willing them to one day find another that would show them love and kindness instead of pain and fear.

At her words, he shook his head, trying to take some of the blame off of her. After all, he had been the one who so unfortunately bumped into her. It was he who had not been watching where he was going. "No, no. The fault is all mine. I too was lost in thought and not really paying attention to my surroundings." Normally he was quite the observant one, but today, something was distracting his thoughts in a way that perhaps he should stop. If his thoughts were going to get someone hurt, then he really needed to look into correcting them.

At her question of if he was hurt, he shook his head ever so lightly. "No, I’m quite alright." And then his manners kicked in. Why hadn’t he asked her if she was alright? "How rude of me, are you hurt?" Normally that would be the first thing out of his mouth. But today? Today something had hold of his attention and manners and it was certainly not letting go.

His attention turned to the maned wolf at her side. He offered the other a soft smile, admiring the banter between the two. He had seen bondeds before, admiring them for how well they bonded to their companions. It was a relationship he often admired and was often jealous of. Perhaps his time would come that he should find someone like this.

Thankfully, blushing was not noticeable because when the little maned wolf complimented his appearance, he inwardly blushed at the thought. It had been a long time since someone had made a comment on his looks. Here in Novus, everyone was so strangely colored, it was hard to see how someone as plain and ordinary as he was fit in.

But soon, his eyes were cast back to the mare before him as she made introductions. Uzuri and Neema. He offered her a soft smile. "Rhone." His name was uttered with confidence, respect, and a sense of wonder. He had always loved his name, even if he was unsure how his mother had come to think of such a name. Lusitania had always been a mouthful for some, but his mother had worn her name like a badge of honor. But his name? It rolled off the tongue so smoothly.

"Perhaps I too can benefit from watching there I am going. Where are you headed? Perhaps you need some company?" It was a silent offer to accompany her to her destination. After all, he had nothing better to do today. He was going nowhere in particular and kept no schedule. Perhaps walking with her would give him something to do today and provide him with some pleasant conversation.

@Uzuri

Perhaps the fault was both of theirs, or perhaps it was completely one or the other. No matter who’s fault it really was, Rhone would take the blame nine times out of ten. He was just that simple man who wished only to please others and to ensure their happiness. If taking the blame for something he didn’t do made another smile, he would more often than not do it. But she seemed happy to share the blame, so he would as well. "Alright then." His voice was soft, his tone light. Lips curled into a soft smile as he regarded her wink. She seemed like a pleasant enough individual and for that, he was thankful. He can recall several times where he had bumped into another, and the other party had been less than kind.

He tried to ask her if she was alright, more concerned with her own injuries that what might have befallen himself. She assured him that all was well, that she was unharmed. He was thankful that no one was seriously injured. He’d seen a few collisions from people not paying attention to where they were going. While most were harmless, he had seen another die from walking along the edge of the cliff and not watching their footing. The individual had stumbled over the cliff side, never to be seen or heard from again. Thankfully, this scenario couldn’t happen in the middle of court life, but other injuries could, and do, occur.

Introductions were made, pleasantries exchanged, and it was refreshing for Rhone. "Aye, a pleasure indeed." Meeting a new face was refreshing and Rhone relished it. So often did others get too caught up in court life that they simply failed to see what was right in front of them: new people to greet and get to know. So much happened right under their noses that if they paid attention, their minds could be broadened so far.

Meeting a friendly face was something Rhone did not come across often, so it was no surprise that he was rather excited to stay and speak with her a little more. He offered to join her on her walk, wherever she might be headed. She didn’t seem to have a direction in mind, but he supposed that was okay. He understood her need to simply not do anything for a day. Sometimes that little bit of reprieve from life was a gift only the gods could grant. "I like to take walks in the morning. I usually spend my mornings at the edge of the cliffs. I was just on my way back. No real plans though." He always started his mornings by watching the sunrise. It had always calmed him and helped him prepared his mind for the day. "What do you train for?" The question was simple, but he supposed it was a good conversation starter. Was she a warrior? A medic? A scholar learning more knowledge? The answers were endless and each one of them were exciting in their own way. Rhone had once been all of those in his younger years. But now that he is older and aged, he preferred the quiet life of a scholar.

@Uzuri

Sunrises and sunsets were a beauty that he wished more would stop to take a look at. Many times, other would groan as the sun began to rise, protesting the need to get up for the day and be productive. Then, when the sun was setting, the same group of individuals would either be wishing they had more daylight (and perhaps wishing they had risen before the sun) or wishing for the sun to hurry and set so they could go out and live a more active, party lifestyle. Very rarely did individuals stop to admire the sunrise and sunset and unfortunately, they missed out on probably one of the world’s greatest beauties.

When she stated that she was unsure if she preferred sunrise or sunset, he immediately knew the dilemma. He still could not decide which he preferred, so he would watch them both. "I’m afraid I feel the same way. Both are beautiful as the colors fade in and out. It’s hard to compare them against one another." They were both so similar, but both held a different meaning to each person. He supposed it was up to one’s own mind to decide which was more beautiful than the other.

She asked him what he did with his days and he had to offer her a nervous smile. His days were rather boring, it seemed. He wasn’t a soldier, medic, or entertainer. He had no “job” to go to, nothing that demanded his time. He was a learner, a scholar. His days were usually spent quietly with his nose stuck in a book. "I am a scholar…I usually can be found reading. I always thirst for knowledge." Rhone was not a young stallion, he had lived many years. He had his years of leadership, of fighting, of healing. Novus was his retirement. Novus was the place where he could just sit back and do the things he enjoyed most: learning. Some would call him a lifetime student, always wishing that he could uncover more to learn.

He felt like talking about himself was only a one-way street. It would get boring after awhile only talking about his life and what he liked to do with it. So he asked her what she spent her time training for. Based on solely her build, he had a feeling it was in combat, but he had been surprised before.

As she spoke, he offered her a soft nod of his head, a smile shot in her direction. He found it utterly adorable that she seemed to bashful to talk about her training in battle. Everyone had their own strengths and it was important to find what you are good at and develop it. "It is an honorable profession." Someone had to stand up and protect the court - she would fit in well with the Halycon and other soldiers. "While I am no soldier, I have had my share of battles when I was much younger. It is an important job." Rhone was by no means an elderly equine, but he had quite a few years to her senior.

@Uzuri

He had once been a soldier, trained in battle so he might lead his people. He had hated the violence and the sheer will it took to train. He had always wanted to be a lover not a fighter, a scholar and not a soldier. But when he was younger, he had no choice but to learn the roles of both soldier and scholar, so he could become king and lead his people. But now that he was older, wiser, and no longer bound to lead, it was nice to just stand back and learn. It was something he had always dreamed of doing but had never allowed himself such a luxury.

When she speaks of her lack of talent in the medical field, Rhone cannot help but feel the same. He had once been given the gift of healing, but since that magic had been stripped from him, there was very little that he could heal. He knew the herbs and the poultices, but the actual skill set he did not have.

But when she speaks of her shyness, he cannot help but give her a soft smile. "You make it seem as though being shy is a negative thing." Rhone had never been really all that outgoing, but he had noticed that those who were really outgoing tended to be overconfident. In a situation such as war, her shyness might come in handy. It will force her to think and not act, to do things slowly instead of rushed. "It will serve you well in battle." The worst soldiers he had ever led were the ones who rushed into battle without a single thought of themselves or others. Being overconfident could be a death sentence.

@Uzuri - sorry, not my best D: