Taliesyn had made his way north to work his muscles and keep condition. In time, he spotted a silvery ribbon of water falling from a great height. The stallion made his way to the river below, lowering his head to drink the clear water before turning and finding a path that went up. This would be a good work-out, and he began picking his way up, keeping at a walk. Walking up steep footing like this was often a much better workout for a horse’s back and legs than simply charging up, which worked best for stamina, heart-rate, and lung strength. His shaggy coat lit the way, especially his trailing mane and bright horn, and he had little trouble scaling the path, taking his time to examine the next step or obstacle, running his muzzle over the area to let his whiskers add information to what he could see with his eyes. It took an hour or so, but in time he crested and stood, letting the burn in his muscles from the climb ease into a warm simmer as he breathed in through flared nostrils, gazing out over the land below with interest before moving to the water and drinking, taking it slowly and savoring the sweet crystalline flavor of the water. Thirst satisfied, he turned and stood, hind hoof resting as he let himself relax slightly, resting before he made his way back down. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think

He had taken to wandering the lands for a time, hoping in his heart of hearts to find some remnant of his lost herd. Friends. Brothers. Sisters. Aunts. Uncles. Grandparents. Cousins...he thought he had picked up a trail somewhere, but he wasn't sure if his memory was correct in remembering the scent or if it was just a figment of his imagination. The night they had all been scattered, he knew some had been slaughtered or captured...surely there were survivors...or at least descendants of those who managed to survive. He snorted as Sky called from above, her shadow flitting over him for a moment as she guided the way towards the waterfall that loomed ahead. Idu, his loyal primate companion sat on his back, humming to himself as he pieced together yet another piece of jewelry that they would likely use for trade. Unless of course, it was a piece that either of them wanted to keep. But the Egyptian prince was rather particular about what he wore. Reaching the base of the falls, Balian decided this was where they would rest tonight. Idu wasted no time in putting away his project and leaping off the stallion's back to escape to the rocky bank of the pool. The male chuckled at Idu, knowing the monkey never missed an opportunity to fish every spot they could. Taking a deep breath, he appreciated the sereneness of the area. The rush of the waterfall did well to crush and wash over the thoughts he wanted a break from, and the waters were crystal clear. Pure and untainted. He leaned down to drink, the coldness of it washing down his throat. He wasn't sure he had tasted water better than this yet, but there was still much to explore. When he was done, he was about to take a leisurely stroll when Sky returned to perch gently on his whithers. "We're not alone, Balian." She chirruped before tilting her head up the slope. Following her gaze, he spotted a glow closer to the top of the falls. Ears strained and nostrils flared, though he couldn't pick up any sound other than that from the waterfall. The scent, however, he became aware of once Sky had pointed it out. Another stallion? And this one with the distinct scent of a pack, it seemed. Curious, he decided to pick his way up the same path the other had taken. Slowly, carefully. He made his way up until that glow drew closer and closer. As he finally made it to the top, he practically threw caution to the wind. While others of his kind might be more cautious, Balian wasn't afraid of anything. Whether it be foolishness, pride, or just plain curiosity, he didn't care. But he would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised when he saw the one he was trailing. Indeed, it was another stallion. Though he seemed to shimmer and glow, and not only that but the beast had a horn as well. He had seen wolves with all manner of things that weren't normal to their kind...and now, he felt like he hadn't quite seen it all until now. For the first time in forever, he felt utterly speechless. All he could do was stand there and stare. Equal parts awed at what he was seeing and stunned that he had come across another horse that didn't hold that feral look in their eye. But...was this guy even a horse? Or was he dreaming...? "Speech"

With the vantage point the stallion held, he’d spotted the tall stallion below long before the winged friend with the dun had spotted Taliesyn, and as he watched the other horse pick his way out of sight up the steep trail, he confirmed to himself that the other horse was one of the High Kind of horses. It seemed there were factions among all creatures, those who had a higher sentience, and those who had remained feral. He’d even seen wolves that just weren’t the same as even the plainest timber wolf here on Boreas and Auster. There was a certain spark they lacked. Curiously, though, he recognized the stallion’s scent as the wind twisted a quick sniff past his nostrils, and his upper lip twitched briefly in a slight flehmen response, though not in distaste. The stallion was younger, healthy, and no longer smelled like the pack Taliesyn had caught whiff of in the west some time ago. The other came into view and stopped short, staring. That reaction was understandable. To any who ever paid attention to the myths and legends, Taliesyn resembled a shaggy Unicorn, vibrantly white and shimmering under his glowing light. The younger stallion wasn’t the first to react this way, and he wouldn’t be the last. “Good evening. How goes it?” His rumbling voice was gentle, and wholly companionable as his neck arched in a brief head-bow, head tilted to regard the other horse with one vibrant teal eye. On his withers Wangui shifted to better watch the proceedings, wondering if there’d end up being a mad chase, though there were no mares to really encourage an altercation or even friendly show-off sparring match. Maybe one day. The last horses he’d encountered were Kamilah and Acacia. One had a dubious backstory paired with ambition that he’d decided, having not seen her since, had been false words and fleeting desire to lead, and the second was young, barely more than a filly—though, really, neither lady had been much more than a filly – thrust into a wild world with a panicky, flighty nature. How were they, she and her friend? He shifted his weight to the other hind leg, ears swiveling as Isolde dropped from the sky to perch on a nearby rock, adjusting her wings neatly and regarding the other horse and his friends with an interested golden eye. Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think