Far from her snowy glade, Kamilah felt bare in the open grassland without the protection of a single tree. For as far as she could see, nothing grew above her hock, and only a few untended strands managed to grow above her cannon. For a great while the roan stood on the border of the lands, raking her gaze across the horizon for any signs of danger, her head slowly turning from side to side. She did not live this long by charging forward blindly, no matter how lush and tantalizing the greens may appear. Though the lightness in her belly reminded the mare that such food was a requirement, not a choice, and slowly the mare made her way past the border and into the open grasslands, her ears perked and her head high as she continued to feel an uneasiness with the new land. The summer sun burned against her flanks as she ventured forward, the light hum of the insects played like a entertainment band for her dinner, and soon Kamilah felt more at ease as she came to a stop. With a last turn of her ears, Kamilah allows the pull of her stomach to drag her head down to the ground as she began to graze. The snow frosted tendrils of her mane cascading down her neck like a waterfall, a few strands curling between her ears and shielding her gaze from the harsh beams of the sun.

"Kamilah"

He had grown accustomed to living among the wolves. They weren't so bad, he supposed...but he missed his own kind. Particularly his mother and father, but he knew they were no longer in this world. The Egyptian prince walked quietly among the short grasses, the literal monkey on his back resting on top of him with a wheat stalk in his mouth like tom sawyer. He wasn't sure for how long he would be forced to stay with them, or...if he was even being forced at this point. The stallioned supposed he could take off whenever he felt like it, just like he was doing now, but for some reason he felt like he owed it to Jupiter to help him out a bit more before he took off. On one hand, Jupiter had practically saved him from some other unknown fate from the slave market. On the other...he was indebted to the young wolf. But for how long, he wasn't sure. He made a mental note to seek out the young wolf to get some clarity. While yes, he lived among the wolves now, he didn't want it to be like that forever. Or so he thought, anyway. "What's that?" Balian's attention was drawn up as his companion practically half-perched on his head. The stallions ears perked forward as his gaze searched the fields and saw it. There was...another horse...though whether or not it was an intelligent one like himself or one of the many that had reverted to their primal, prey animal state, he wasn't sure. "Do you think they're like me?" He questioned quietly as he watched from afar. He wasn't sure if he should approach her, so he remained where he was on top of the knoll as he studied her. "Speech"

The sweet taste of lush vegetation greeted the woman's lips, soaking her tongue and easing the ache she felt within her abdomen. It was everything the female could have hoped for, but just because the mare was relieved to finally have food in her belly, it didn't mean she was completely oblivious to the world around her. While filling her stomach with as much grazing ground as she could muster, Kamilah would often find herself lifting her head to scan the surrounded areas, her ears always on alert for any sign of danger. It was an unfamiliar action to the exiled queen, as her previous herd would graze in shifts; half the herd feasting while the other half constantly remained on guard. It was a much safer back then, back when she had the numbers to hide behind. Out on her own for the first time, would force the roam woman to adapt to the loner lifestyle. To constantly be on guard.. and to always be afraid. A whispering came on the back of a soft breeze, bringing the mumbled words of far off creatures. Alarmed, the mare picked her head up once more, turning in the direction of the breeze, letting the scents fill her nostrils and her hair to be swept from her eyes.

Not far from her, just above a small knoll, stood a stallion coated in gold with black tendrils licking across his frame. Curious as she was, Kamilah tilted her head to the side, wondering if the voices she had heard came from this male. Perhaps he has a herd for me to join? The possibility was too enormous to pass by, and so the woman turned her frame to face him, letting herself take a few slow steps in his direction before coming to a halt. "Excuse me, are you here to stare or are you here to speak?" Perhaps not her friendliest greeting, but she would offer a small grin on her lips as a consolation. When she approached, something could be seen on the back of the stallion, a creature of some strange nature, and the women would bob her head in it's direction. "Do you know you have a stowaway?" It was fairly large, probably a know pest for the buskin male, but nevertheless she would offer the comment, curious as to just what she was looking at. After all, who ever heard of creature riding a horse?

"Kamilah"

As he watched her from his position on the knoll, he watched as she raised her head and...looked right at him. "Crap! Do you think she noticed me noticing her?" He whispered to the monkey, his own ear flicking back nervously. "Well what do you think, genius? You're not as stealthy nor as small as a wolf. Anyone would see you coming from a mile away I'm sure...especially if you're standing on a hill and starting at them" Balian tossed his head back, causing the monkey to slide down onto the middle of his back as he snorted. Before he could respond, however, the mare had approached them, her initial question catching him off guard. "I uh...I'm sorry?" He hadn't meant to stare, but it had been a while since he'd met another horse that was intelligent enough to speak. "Do you know you have a stowaway?" "I uh...huh?" He felt...so confused. He was in shock at finding out she really could talk, and that she wasn't just one of animals that had lost their intelligence and lack of speech. "She means me, get your head straight!" His companion had whispered in his ear, causing Balian to shake out of it at last. "I-I'm sorry, yes. This is my companion, Idu." He glanced at the monkey on his back before looking to her again. "I take it you haven't seen many of our kind with companions before?" "Speech"

Pale face contorted into an expression of confusion as the stallion seemed to lack the intelligence to respond to her. It was odd, though not unheard of, at least where Kamilah had come from. Back in her homeland, equine were more than just intelligent, they were constantly growing their knowledge and applying their new skills to better the lives of everyone. It would seem, in these new lands, equine lacked proper authority, and have since fallen into a more primal stage of their thinking. The mare would sigh, disappointed that she had stumbled into a fragment of her kind, rather than the true vision of glory she had originally thought the stallion had been. The woman was about to turn around and head back to her pasture when she heard the stallion's voice, a much clearer and verbally solid structured sentence. Blue orbs widened slightly in surprise, her ears perking forward as she stood attentive to the stallion. Though it was clear he had the knowledge of language, his words still lacked meaning to the mare. "Ah. I am aware of horses taking familiars. Though I do not know this creature's species?" Curiosity taking a hold of her thoughts, Kamilah found herself glancing behind the young stallion, searching for signs of other equine. It was unusual to find a stallion his age wandering the lands alone, and as the mare casually observed his frame, she couldn't see an obvious reasons for him to be a stag. "Are you alone, monkey man? Or do have a harem tucked away nearby?" Perhaps it was her seasons of ruling as queen that she was so keen on finding more. Thankfully she had already run into another, a stallion with a unique adaptation, but there would always been a need for more. If this stranger carried with him a herd of his own, perhaps Kamilah and her unicorn friend could join, and the cycle would once again resume. The ambitious woman would intergrate herself into the social hierarchy, and work her way to the top. Only there she would be safe... only there other's would be safe.   "Speech"

Art by Ulfeid3. Table from Ardent.

Well. His first impression wasn't the best, but to be fair, he was surprised that there were others like him. Others that hadn't fallen to their primal instinct, their intelligence dwindling back into history. But when she turned to him again and spoke, he was finally able to recuperate enough to speak more clearly. More confidently. "Idu is a monkey. A black howler monkey to be more precise," He glanced back at his companion for a moment, grateful for the primates friendship. "I suppose I'm one of the few of our kind who has taken a...familiar. Honestly, he's a great help. His hands are capable of doing a lot of work that our kind can't do on our own." Indeed, Idu had become invaluable to the stallion. When she looked behind him as if looking for something else, he remained quiet until she spoke again. "Are you alone, monkey man? Or do have a harem tucked away nearby?" Did she just call him Monkey man!? He snorted with indignity for a moment before shaking his head. "No. Not yet. It's just me and Idu...and some wolves..." He cleared his throat before continuing. "We live among a pack of wolves. Strange bunch, but strong. I've been with them for a while now...I can't deny it, they've been useful for protection. And in turn, I help them. I did think about a herd, but to be honest, I haven't come across anyone like us until today. My name is Balian, what's yours?" Of course, he didn't mention his position in the pack. Or how he came to live among the wolves. He hoped to get out of that position someday soon, but until then, he would just need to show them that he wasn't just some big dumb animal that they could use forever. Maybe if he proved himself, they'd rank him up or let him go. For now, he'd just have to play the part for the sake of his pride... "Speech"

Her head tilted to the side as she peered between the pair, taking in the information the stallion provided as she committed it to memory. A howler monkey... Blue orbs looked at the paws of the creature, noting how it could grip items easily. Perhaps, collecting such creatures could be useful. "Interesting. It is nice to meet you, Idu." She would call, though a bit uncomfortable with the interaction, she was happy with the idea of obtaining one of her own soon. She had some ideas she would find helpful in her plans if she had the accessories she desired. A small smile pulled at the mare's lips when she heard the stallion's snort, finding the sound humorous. Monkey man it is then.. All humor was striped from the air however when he began to speak of his new found companions; wolves. Her joy dropped from her features, and was replaced by a stone cold expression as she silent listened. So the rumors were true after all... a stallion living among wolves. Kamilah could not ignore the dreaded feeling that swelling in her abdomen, nor could she fight the urge to frown deeply as he continued to express the benefits of living with predators. "The protection of a predator... against other predators... seems a bit of a paradox, don't you think?" She would calmly ponder, taking a few steps forward, seemingly uninterested but indeed she wanted to inspect the stallion for wounds. "While I'm sure you've done what you needed to... to survive... is it really what you desire?" Another cautious step forward, attempting to reach his side so she could inspect his frame, looking for signs of abuse. In the mare's mind, there was no universe where a beast could befriend a prey animal, an equine living with wolves... it was unnatural. Blue orbs flickered up to the male, trying to seek out a truth that supported her beliefs. "If you wanted to leave.. if you wanted to build your herd.. would they let you?" Balian. A foreign name to her tongue, but one she would commit to memory happily. Like Taliesyn, he would be close to her, she would consider him a member of her herd, a friend, in a strange new world that she was desperate to understand and control. Attempting to turn and come up to the stallion's side, the roan woman would look up to the stallion with a deep sigh. "What if there were others, like us? Would you want to leave? Join us, Balian?" Her questions were meant to cause hope in the stallion's heart, caged though it might be. The mare would want nothing more than to free Balian, but it had to be his choice as much as hers... for now. "My name is Kamilah, and I want you to join us. Join me." "Speech"

Art by Ulfeid3. Table from Ardent.