Night
Night had not quite fallen when the boat made shore at a rather unremarkable dock. Blood red painted the placid ocean in the hues of war as the sun began its dying descent before the oncoming wall of night.
Anxiety and a small amount of excitement thrummed through Aislinn’s veins as it always did when she travelled to a new land. From the woodland bordering the small wooden dock and the stone buildings rising above the treeline in the distance, there was little the star-singer could ascertain of this unfamiliar world. The harbour was quiet, as peaceful as the birds warbling lazily in their roosts, with only the odd sailor milling about. Without the warmth of the sun a brisk chill gripped the air and Aislinn pulled her cloak tighter, glad of its velvet lining as she stepped carefully from the boat. After days at sea the ground felt wobbly beneath her hooves, as though she were bobbing upon imaginary waves. A grimace passed her star-flecked features for just a moment but the feeling would pass in time. Though not overly fond of sea travel the Coruscant was familiar with it when the distance was too far for her wings alone to take her. Keeping her head down, lest they try to engage her in conversation, Ash slipped past the harbour master and sailors, leaving the ever darkening ocean behind her.
For a moment Aislinn paused, regarding her surroundings from star-spun eyes. The fresh evening air filled her lungs as she breathed in deeply, enjoying the peace and solitude before the inevitable hustle and bustle of the looming city.
The shadows lengthened as the day finally died, the stars blinking into existence across the velveteen sky. It took very little time to traverse the winding path, watching the city rise ever higher from the treetops. The glow of lantern light was a proverbial second sun upon the horizon, painting the skyline in a halo of gold.
When at last Aislinn breached the walls of it, passing beneath an old stone arch, she cast her silver gaze about at the picturesque little city. Many an equine milled about the streets, and though Ash’s heart was filled with no small amount of trepidation at the crowds, she was too awestruck to care. Shops, open and bustling, lined the cobbled streets, the lantern flames dancing within their glass cages. Though the Coruscant did not have any previous experience in the city with which to compare it to, it was almost as though the town came alive at night. Eyes sparkling, a faint smile on her lips, she wandered the streets, avoiding eye contact by searching every shop and stall, window and street.
“speech”
