I think I'm lost. . . .

[Shadow]

The thoroughbred's hooves made soft thumping noises as she trotted along the beach. She halted near a spring, a frown gracing her lips. Ear's flicking back, then forward, she shifted uneasily. None of this looked the way her cousin had described.

It was a pretty enough place, for certain. The sun was just setting, painting the sky in iridescent hues of awe-inspiring color. The sorrel forgot her troubles for the moment, her gaze on the scene before her.

[Meg]

The dark auds of a Dark stallion were pricked in the direction of the femme, eyes watching her movements from a safe distance.

Not that Lacrymosa would be afraid of a mare. No, of course not. As Lord of the Darks, reputation and legend said that he feared nothing. Untrue accusations, but in this case, there could be something to be said for reputation.

No, Lacrymosa was not scared of a lone equine, brute or vixen, young or old. He was wary of outsiders coming onto his land, always cautious.

So it was a slow trot that brought him towards the mare, his proud head raised high, and his nostrils flared slightly as he took in the banshee's scent. She was watching the scene, he saw, the sunset on the ocean. It was his favorite view, to be sure, and the reason why he so loved spending time in this terra, why he made his home here.

Quietly, he slowed to a walk, still keeping his head high as he spoke. "Greetings, lady."

[Shadow]

So caught up in the view, the thoroughbred had no idea that she was not alone until a voice broke her revery. The sorrel started in surprise, turning quickly to face the stallion who had approached her.

Eyeing him warily for a moment, the femme came to the swift conclusion that he must be the leader in this place. She dropped her head slightly in a submissive pose, nodding as she did so.

'Greetings, Lord.' she responded, hazarding a guess that such was his position.

[Meg]

Lacrymosa nodded slightly at the mare, eyeing her quickly. Her submissive posturing made him feel slightly more secure in this situation; she wasn't going to try to challenge or threaten.

"I am Lacrymosa, Lord of the Darks." He was quick to throw that title in, he noticed, slightly amused by his own actions. Of course, none of this could be shown; he was attempting to play the role of the cool, aloof ruler of this terra. It was slightly harmed by the fact that he could barely hide his smirk.

"And you are?" This question came a second or two after he had stated his own name, after a short pause where he had been silent. He still attempted the act, and to be polite at the same time; of course, these two things were quite contradictory, and this fact was making it difficult for the brute.

[Shadow]

The sorrel kept her head lowered in a submissive posture, but her ears pricked forward as the stallion spoke. At his introduction, she mentally nodded to herself. She'd been right, he was leader of this place.

At his questioning of who she was, the thoroughbred raised her head, though she was still careful to remain submissive.

'My name is Corinne, Lord Lacrymosa.' she answered.

[Meg]

"It's a pleasure to meet you, then, Corinne. A lovely name," he added as an afterthought, a simple statement.

Lacrymosa paused a moment, watching the waves of the ocean for a few seconds and sighing contentedly, cocking one hoof up in relaxation. He still watched the mare warily, alert for any movements on her part, but overall he had no concerns. She was showing submission to him, and seemed respectful. Perhaps if he showed he was relaxed, she would relax slightly as well. The brute was still getting used to the submissive actions shown to the Lord of the Darks, the respect he often got, although he'd been in this position for some time.

"I saw you were watching the ocean," he finally stated, turning back to the vixen slowly. "The best view in all of Opaque, in my opinion at least. Do you agree?"

He was stalling a little. He should question her about what she was doing here, what she had come for, where she was from...but Lacrymosa was still struggling to get over the stress of certain recent events, and another moment or two of calmness would be nice.

[Shadow]

A smile appeared on the thoroughbred's lips at the compliment to her name. 'Thank you.' she said softly. Following his gaze, Corinne cast her own gaze to the sea. The rhythmic motions of the ocean were soothing. Not only that, but a glance out of the corner of her eye at the Lord of Darks showed that he was relaxed, and it helped ease her own anxieties. She remained mildly wary, but it was very mild in comparison to what it had been before.

The sorrel's ears tipped toward Lacrymosa as he spoke once more. Her smile grew warm. 'I most certainly agree. Your terra has been blessed with the most lovely view I have ever seen in my life.' she stated fervently.

Corinne was a little confused by the conversation. On the other two occasions when she'd entered other lands, she been interrogated immediately by their leaders on who she was and what her business was there. It was very relaxing not to be bombarded by questions.

[Meg]

"Not a problem," Lacrymosa responded easily, smiling pleasantly. He kept his eyes on the ocean for a few more moments, dark orbs following each little ripple of the tide, focusing on the distant horizon, where the sea and the sky blended into one. Another gentle sigh left him, remembering his life before he had been Lord of the Darks, when his greatest worries had been small, trivial matters. But now things were different. Now he had horses to recruit, herds to run, and a war to win.

"You know, I agree with you...the reason I chose this as my terra, instead of another place...the reason why I spend so much of my time here...is simply for the view." He grinned at Corinne. "Not to mention, of course, that the waves are quite fun to play in." Well, so much for his previous act. The cold and aloof Lord...really not so cold.

"Well, all good things must come to an end, I suppose, and as nice as this has been...I must ask you what your purpose is here. We're in the middle of a war, you see, and you can never be too careful." If he could, the stallion would have shrugged apologetically. As it was, he cringed a little, still wearing the same little grin.

[Shadow]

Corinne's gaze rested on the ocean, watching waves rolling up the shore. Deep brown eyes took note of the soaring flight of a gull as it circled, carried ever high by a warm upward current of air.

The sorrel turned to Lacrymosa as the Lord of Darks spoke once more. At his comment on the simple pleasure of playing in the waves, she smiled. Corinne glanced sidelong at the dancing waves, then returned her attention to the Andalusian. Smiling, she answered, 'I can well imagine that playing in the waves would be quite enjoyable.'

She'd known the question was coming. Still, she had to admit that she had hoped that it would continue to be delayed by pleasant conversation. It wasn't that she had anything to hide, it was simply that she disliked anything that struck of interrogation. She'd suffered a real interrogation once and never wanted to repeat the experience ever again. Even so, the stud before her deserved answers. After all, she was trespassing on his land. Giving a small, wry smile, the thoroughbred made answer.

'No real purpose, actually. I was headed someplace else altogether. Unfortunately, I got the directions confused and am now completely, not to mention totally, lost.' Softly, her gaze stealing toward the ocean view, she added, 'But now that I have seen this place, I am not so sure I want to leave.'

[Meg]

Lacrymosa followed the mare's gaze, quickly catching sight of the gull. They were common around here, often hunting for food around the ocean shores. He watched it for a few seconds before speaking.

"Oh, believe me, it is. Especially when the waves are at their largest..." Lacrymosa paused for a moment and watched the water pulling at the sand of the shore, carrying off the top layers, only to replace it a moment later as another wave rushed forward. "Of course, when they're crashing over your back, it might be a good idea to leave the water. I've learned that the difficult way," he added mildly.

The Dark brute nodded warily as the Thoroughbred spoke, considering her words. The territory, and the Darks in general, did desperately need more members. With the war approaching (there was no doubt that it would be coming soon), each new recruit was valuable. But still, each new recruit must be considered carefully, especially if they were in this particular territory. There could be no mistakes.

"Many have felt that way before..." Lacrymosa trailed off, leaving that statement to hang in the air for a moment. He was thinking of the Lights in particular, all those years ago when they had settled here. But also, of the Darks, when they had first arrived in Opaque and settled. Or of he himself; becoming leader of the Darks, he had chosen the Beach as his territory, unwilling to leave it. "You should know, though, that times in Opaque are not peaceful. Right now...we are in a difficult situation. Would you be willing to assist in this, should you choose to stay in Opaque?"

He studied the mare carefully, all traces of playfulness gone. He was not often this way, but it was becoming more frequent, as the situation became more and more tense and strained.

[Shadow]

Corinne smiled. 'I can imagine that the larger waves could be quite dangerous if one is not careful.' she agreed. Her smile grew wry as she added, 'I have to admit to being inexperienced in playing in waves. My old home was far inland; no chance for playing in waves there.'

Corinne listened intently as Lacrymosa continued. Her expression was grave and thoughtful, reflecting her understanding of the seriousness of the turn their conversation had taken. Apparently things were not as peaceful as they might first have appeared upon her arrival. She wondered what exactly was going on; what difficult situation was there that things were not peaceful?

'I would be happy to assist in any way I can.' the Thoroughbred answered quietly. She hesitated an instant, then continued, 'Though perhaps it would be good for me to know of what exactly is going on.'

[Meg]

Lacrymosa shook his head mournfully. "That's a very sad thing to hear," he said solemnly, a teasing tone just barely audible behind the mock-sadness. "We'll have to remedy that, should you choose to stay here. Playing in the waves...well, that may just be the most important task a horse will find in all his (or her) life. Are you prepared for that?"

Then he let out a little sigh, his playfulness gone, the sadness real this time. Just the thought of the war was enough to darken his mood for quite some time; but he had been trying to get over that lately, replacing it with the confidence that his side would win the war. The Darks would win, would rule Opaque again.

"I'm afraid we're at war here in Opaque. The Darks--that would be my alliance--have lived here for quite some time. Longer than any living horse can remember, and long before the generation before this one. At least, so the history says. In any case, the Darks arrived here and made it their home, and we lived peacefully for a long time. Then the Lights arrived, decided they would invade our territory and trespass on our lands," his voice turned bitter and angry, and he didn't even attempt to mask his hatred for the other alliances. "Ever since, we've been fighting them in this war. Another alliance formed--the Neutrals, mostly traitors to their own herds, or cowards who wouldn't join into the fighting."

[Shadow]

Doing her best to wear a solemn expression, Corinne nodded in quiet agreement. 'It is something I have regretted all my life. I am glad you would be willing to rectify the situation if I stay.'

The young Thoroughbred grew serious as Lacrymosa's expression became truly solemn. She listened intently, eager to learn what the situation was that she now found herself in. When he had finished speaking, the sorrel mare was quiet and thoughtful.

Did she really want to remain and be caught up in a war that wasn't really her own? She could always retrace her steps and continue on to her original destination. Corinne's gaze strayed around the beach and she shook her head inwardly. After being here, even for so short a time, she felt a growing attachment to this terra. She did not want to leave it, even if it did mean getting caught up in a war.

Quietly, her tone serious and her gaze fierce, she said. 'I wish to stay. I want to help in any way I can; I'm not an experienced fighter, but I can learn.'

[Meg]

"A very sad thing to hear," Lacrymosa repeated his earlier statement, still shaking his head sadly. "I am glad to hear that you would be willing to learn, though. Perhaps there is hope for you after all," he added, grinning mischievously.

The thoughts of war, however, were nothing to laugh at, so he sobered quickly. His eyes grew slightly cold at the mere thought of the Lights.

He could almost imagine what she was thinking. The war wasn't something that many horses would want to be involved in; it promised to be long, bloody, and fierce. There would be no mercy from either side. Yet, looking at his territory, Lacrymosa wondered...would he have chosen this life, had he not been born into it? Yes, he would have. He would have gladly taken it all for the chance to live on this Beach, to rule the Darks with his Lady, Bella, and their new filly.

"You don't need to be an experienced fighter," he then said softly, grateful that the mare had chosen to stay. Each side needed new members desperately, despite the proclaimed confidence in the side. Pride didn't win a war; numbers did. "Any way you would wish to help in would be appreciated. You are most welcome to stay in Opaque and in this territory."

[Shadow]

'I am relieved that you feel there is hope for me.' Corinne responded, a playful light in her dark eyes.

The Thoroughbred grew sober as her thoughts returned to what she had said. She meant every word of it. Whatever was needed, she would do it. If this was to be her home now, she had every intention of helping in it's defense. The young sorrel was completely inexperienced in matters of war, but she was more than willing to learn if it meant she could help keep her new home safe.

'Thank you for allowing me to stay here.' Corinne said softly, smiling warmly.