elif
His measured response took her by surprise; judging by the looks of him (all that bright gold) and the fact he stood at the edge of her country’s oasis (surely everyone knew now was not the time for a jaunt to Solterra) had her assuming he was of the sun court.
But neither his accent nor his politeness marked him as a native. After his reply the girl’s expression softened, and she settled her wings against her sides almost abashedly. Still, she wandered no nearer - her natural distrust was bred into her for a reason, and the reason was that almost everything in Solterra might bite if given the chance.
“I wouldn’t say you’re intruding,” she answered, “but our king might.” She bit out the word hard, king, throwing it away from her mouth like rotten fruit, but did not elaborate. Elif’s inborn pride in her country bordered on conceit, and she assumed he knew of Raum and the toppling of Solterra’s fragile order of peace. The thought - always just an itch away - made her stiffen and twist her ears like an anxious racehorse near the gate.
It was poor timing, again. For as the thought of Raum flushed her with an anger and fear that made her want to click her teeth, the enormous stranger was dropping into a bow. Now the lithe pegasus had to bite back a surprised laugh; despite growing up among the lesser ring of nobles in Solterra, most of the bows she’d come across had been in story-books. Certainly she did not expect one here, the two of them alone, and her looking as disheveled as a post-storm wildcat.
“Call me Elif,” she told him, and after a moment angled her slim muzzle down in a semblance of a bow. “It’s nice to meet you, Sol, but now is not the best time to explore the Day Court. Unless you think you could learn much as a statue.” Though she’d said it drily, the girl felt a lance of guilt sear her when she thought of the damage their silver king had already wrought - his monster had turned some poor sailors to stone, and it was not something to be flip about.
To distract from her guilt the pegasus stepped alongside him, bent her head down to the water and drank. The water was a cool balm down her throat, but she did not close her eyes to enjoy it - they were wary, watchful for movement, and one ear remained trained on Sol. She would not put it past Raum to post guards at the Oasis, restricting citizens from drinking; nor would she put it past a strange, no matter how seemingly chivalrous, to try and get a jump on her.
But despite her wariness, Elif was not afraid. She was small, and she was quick, and the wind was always on her side.
