He hadn't meant to frighten her, he hadn't been trying to be sneaky. But he of all people should know that it was far too easy to be so engrossed in something, that the approach of another went unnoticed. Her head snapped around, and he flinched back as if to protect himself, shoulders hunching as his ears twisted away from her. A single tear escaped his eyes, the crushing pain in his heart overflowing as the organ sped up with adrenaline. But she was soon to settle, and he? His heart was too heavily weighted to keep up its errant beat, to keep up its speedy march. And he placed down the hoof he hadn't even realized had been raised, ignoring the wet tear track down his cheek and simply looking at her, watching as her eyes flicked down to the hooves she stood upon, as if she was unable to meet his gaze.
Unable to meet his gaze? Hah, that was a change of pace. The corner of his lips twitched upwards in something resembling pity as his brow twisted itself together, smile a mixture of wry amusement and soft understanding. He had some idea of what she was feeling.
He didn't come any closer, allowing the mare her distance for thought and introspection. He only turned so that he might better face her, anxious nature momentarily quashed beneath the heavy lead weight that lay in his breast, as if trying to crush the organ within in its vice like grip. His hooves were soft taps on the stone, as light as his thin frame in his movements.
Her visage seemed to twist at times while she thought, her inner thoughts bared to the world through her face. He couldn't follow her train of thought, he was never so good at that. But he could watch, and wait. He could wait. His own smile dipped downwards, losing the wry twist further and further as time went on.
"I-"
Another tear dripped down his face, the opposite side as the first. Her voice sounded lost, searching, a little confused.
Almost broken.
He understood that.
He didn't have to know her history to understand.
"I'm-"
A sound shattered the vulnerable air, broke through the realm of understanding and brought back the masks. Ripped away the soft trust of two souls who had taken a moment to expose themselves, or at least try to, with no suspicion and no doubt, only the gentle wish to meet the other where they stood.
It was ripped away like flesh from bone.
"Seraphina."
The mare before him went as cold as ice.
"Inkheart."
And Auru felt every muscle in his frame go tight with tense fear. Understanding bled from his features to be replaced by fright and shock as his head whipped around to look at she who had entered the premise, his body turning with the movement. He felt the breath flee his lungs as the gaze of the winged mare of obsidian and gold turned to him.
"Greetings, I assume you are both here to praise the glory of Solis?"
Something whispered in the back of his mind.
Solis...
"You assume correctly - it has been too long since I have brought an offering."
Ah, the god of warriors. No wonder the mare held such strength in her form.
No wonder he felt too small in comparison to the two mares before him now.
"I suspect that you are here to do the same?"
Ah, right. This was a place of worship. A place where people far and wide came to in order to leave gifts for the gods. In order to leave something of value for those who commanded order in this world.
He had nothing.
He had brought nothing.
He hadn't had a thing he could bring.
He hadn't even been planning on coming here. Only running, running, running.
He didn't-
He hadn't-
He bit on his lip with the tips of his enlarged canines, pulling the flesh between his teeth ever so. Enough to bring just a little pain. Just enough to help him focus, even as the breath that flowed through his nostrils felt like too little, too little to sustain the frantic pounding of his heart as it tried to punch its way from the cage of his ribs. He couldn't say anything, his throat swollen shut and voice stifled. He only turned his gaze away from both mares, giving something that could be interpreted as a nod, and shuffling slowly towards the shrine he presumed to be Solis's. It certainly looked like the shrine of a warrior god.
He kept his back turned to them, but kept his ears turned to them as well. Listening, listening. He could barely focus on the shrine before him, everything in him turned to the two women so much stronger than he, even if to the casual observer he seemed intent on ignoring them.
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OOC: GUESS WHO'S BACK BABY, hope you two are still interested in this thread! If not, just let me know, please and thank you! ^^
He's tryin
