[AW] DYNASTY

[Avdotya]

It was not long before the crowd began to swell, although Avdotya's eye had fixated upon the delicate-looking mare to her side. She was not prone to embrace the irreverence of others and that much was clear in the choleric expression that overtook her face. "Perhaps you should learn to hold your tongue when you've got nothing of value to contribute." She hissed, her ears having laid themselves flat in the mare's sudden flash of displeasure. Her gaze only lingered for a few seconds more before it returned to where the winged stallion once stood, but the space he had occupied was now empty and instead he mingled among them in the hot sands below. To his credit, he lacked the obvious egoism many men bore. It was enough to at least convince the woman to listen to his words, to consider them; there were no others out there tossing themselves into the fray to build Solterra up from the wasteland it had become, after all. Avdotya remained still and silent while he attended to every doubt that had been voiced, assuring them each time that his conviction was not driven by gold upon his head but the desire to make a nation strong through its unity. She herself cared not for the details, but her mind was already putting together the many ways she could gain from a thriving Day Court- it was so busy, in fact, that Avdotya barely noticed the painted stallion approach her directly. His statement, however, was quick to draw her attention. If there was one thing she could never master, it would be the art of picking up on subtle sarcasm. The mare was unsure of the seriousness with which he carried his words, but none would ever know it by the stony look she showed. Traces of an impish smile even pulled at one corner of her lip, finally leading her to snake her brawny neck ever-closer to the stallion. "How are you to know that I am no shepherd?" Her voice was low and most likely inaudible to those around them, but her words were woven like silk and danced to his ear effortless ease. Avdotya's eyes lingered on his cold blues for a moment more, then recoiled to the commotion of the horde they stood within. It had been far too long since she last was able to stimulate her mind as she had in this hour- it was refreshing, truly. image © lunarblues