She hadn't expected the stranger to bow.
It seemed an archaic thing here in this realm of sun and sand, of warriors and soldiers, of endless days of wrenching an existence from beneath the unforgiving sun. Yet here she was, a gold draped paladin, and here he was, a blue dressed stallion with his horn poised to plunge into her heart - but it was a polite threat, if any threat existed, and that was something she could accept. Lips curving upward ever so slightly, Eden listened carefully to the cool melody of his reply, his voice oddly reminiscent of the oasis' calming waters. She couldn't, however, miss the sharpness of his gaze, the intelligence that flickered behind those eyes.
There had been rumors of a spy in their midst, of the damnable Night Court and their heathens sending fledglings called Crows to infiltrate Solis' ranks. Was this sky kissed stag one of them? Pursing her lips for a moment, Eden considered his reply, worrying over his tone, over what could be a lie, what could be truth. At last, though, the paladin cast away her worries and her doubts; she was a warrior, not an inquisitor and if this newcomer was a false follower, then Solis willing, he would be weeded out. Grin returning to her features in full force, the shield maiden nodded her assent to the stranger and began a short narrative of her patron deity.
"Solterra was established as the realm of the Day Court and seat of Solis, the patron god of Daylight after the father of the gods, Tempus, created Novus. We are a desert realm, as you may have noticed, and share borders with the courts of Dawn and Night, though Night Court..." She trailed off for a moment, her ringed nose wrinkling, "We don't have a wonderful relationship with the denizens of Denocte. No one does." With a shrug and a shake of her ropey tail, Eden forged on, "We are made notable by our warriors, but I like to think that our healers and clergy are our strongest assets here - to be able to eke a life and a faithful light out of this land requires more strength than tossing hooves and teeth at an opponent, in my opinion."
@Voltaire I know how you feel! Sorry for the wait doll
