Charismaetic

Dmitri didn't really mind the girls talking to the stallion. In is mind, he didn't own them - they travelled together, and he hoped would form stronger bonds through their journeys - but he wouldn't stop them from choosing their own path. In that respect, he was a far throw from most stallions, and perhaps it would change as he grew older, but for now he was a relaxed creature. Though he would keep an eye on them, from the short distance he had left between them, just in case. After all, it was his responsibility to take care of them. He talked to Scion casually, getting to know the colt a little more, while the others questioned the stranger. The stallion kept glancing upward nervously, seemingly still looking for whatever had his attention when Torben had first spotted him, which caused Torben to do the same - seeking some clue of what had the other so concerned. But he could see nothing. Fern, on the other hand, was more interested in her quest and couldn't help but get a little

Fern was all too aware of the fact that she, Dmitri, and Niamh didn't have the greatest knowledge of the Blooming Territories - something which had been all too clear in their initial search for the shrine - and that was a fact that worried her. The truth was that the vision had been both vivid and vague at the same time. She knew exactly how it had looked, but beyond that, she couldn't begin to fathom where in this ancient woodland it might be. Dmitri had concurred, and the group had come to a halt to discuss how to proceed. None of them wanted to wander around directionless, making the journey take far longer than it should when someone else might have some clue about the temple's location. However, their only encounter in this area had not exactly gone smoothly, with only Dmitri's smooth-talking getting them out of a difficult predicament. As the adults talked, the two colts were having their own discussion, rooting around the area curiously. "I thought you said this would be an

It started as a strange humming sound in the air as the mare approached the stones she had sought, the sound filling her ears as she progressed into the circle yet when she reached the center it stopped, and instead, she was enveloped in a deep silence which seemed to fill her very core. Fern found herself holding her breath, her head gently turning as another hum - softer, comforting, drew her attention to a glowing symbol. A blossom. What did that mean? It had to mean she was gifted with earth magic. Then came the vision - sudden and all-encompassing. She found herself stood in an unknown glade, surrounded by ancient trees, a soft light filtering through the morning's mist. At first, it seemed that was all it was - a glade, one of many in the Blooming Territories. But then she noticed something else. This ancient place, untouched for so long, was not just a glade. There were signs of what used to be here, a temple now reclaimed by the earth. She longed to see more, but the vision

Fern kept herself going over the next several days by focusing on her goal, pushing down the resentment she felt toward the stallion whose herd she had joined - yet whom she had found herself in need of. As much as she wished it were not so, Dmitri had proven himself a good leader beside his miscalculation in action, and the safety of the herd was far preferable to a life alone. Especially if she ever wanted to leave the Blooming Territories, the lands in which she had lived her life, and experience what lay beyond. Her tail flicked behind her as she followed the others. Dmitri led the way, all so confident in his ability to find the shrine despite having no clue which way to go. He had squandered an opportunity to gain information from the stallion with which they'd had an encounter with several days before. He'd been so certain that it made more sense to move on as quickly as possible, to avoid any further potential disagreements and the risk of a fight breaking out, but it could

Traveling by night, the group stuck to the borders of the various herd territories - the three adults keeping the foals between them in case of attack by predators. To ensure that they did not turn back on themselves, Dmitri scratched trees to mark where they had been to give them their best chance. It seemed to be working well, and they progressed through the territory with decent speed considering their caution. At least, that was the case until a shadow appeared - developing into a rather grumpy stallion, his ears pinned against his skull - as they drew closer. "You’re trespassing here stranger. These lands belong to me. Your herd now belongs to me, best get to steppin’ else my hoof will find itself somewhere unsavory," the stallion huffed with his eyes fixed upon Dmitri with malice. Niamh responded quickly, pushing Torben and Scion behind her and Fern - the three adults forming a wall between the stallion and the youngsters. Scion rested his head on Torben, his anxiety growing as

Fern once again took to the back of the group as they traveled - claiming it was a protection thing but in truth still questioning her choice to travel with Dmitri and his band. A fact which had only been exasperated by his decision to take the armor that she had found for his own without even a moment's hesitation. There were moments when he was sweet, where she wanted to believe he had the best of intentions, but it had felt like a violation and her fragile trust was now even more questionable. Her green ears slicked back against her skull as she moved onward, cloven hooves quiet on the thick grass. Dmitri didn't seem to have much of a plan now. They had found remnants of the earth kingdom, treasure, and now? He seemed content to just wander between the silver birch proudly wearing his new helm. The colts, at least, seemed happy. Torben, a little older than the newcomer, seemed to have taken on the role of big brother; but in truth, the difference between them was so small and the

Their journey into the forest was proceeding well and fully rested the four found an extra spring in their step as they moved deeper. Torben seemed to run from tree to tree and rock to rock in some quest to find something interesting, while the adults watched on happily. Dmitri was more relaxed now, although the weight of his responsibility was clear for all to see. Lives hung in the balance, each decision he made risking pushing them into the face of danger. Even now, he spotted predators in the distance, and navigating the trees in such a way as the avoid them without alerting his companions to the danger was quite a dance. But it was the role he had chosen for himself, and he was glad to do it if it avoided the potential panic that could overtake them when faced with such a risk. He spent his time chatting idly with Niamh, and trying to convince the shy Fern to join in, when he suddenly stopped. Behind them, the forest path had been dark - shaded by ancient deciduous trees with

Dmitri was feeling pretty pleased with himself, if not somewhat confused when Niamh raised her voice in his defence. The bay mare, sweet as she was toward Torben, tended to be sharp with him. Honestly, he thought he was letting her down most of the time. But for her to come to his defense against the green-coated mare before he could even react made him feel warm inside. Better yet, her words worked. The green mare seemed to consider her words, before shyly speaking, "Very well...I suppose I'll tag along. I've always wondered what's in the northern wood anyways." Which is how their little group grew once more. Fern was certainly the quietest of their group. As they continued through the rocky area of the forest, the air thick with the smell of pine, she seemed to always be a step behind - watching, and rarely speaking. Dmitri wanted to get to know her better, but soon found she reacted better to walking side by side in silence than true conversation. It was possible she had just grown

Torben could barely contain his energy as they wandered deeper into the forest, something Dmitri was starting to realize was fairly normal for the colt. When he wasn't speeding ahead, he was bucking and bouncing around like some creature possessed. Niamh would try and calm the youngster, usually to no avail, although their stories did draw him in for a while. However, the further they delved into the forest, the harder it was for the colt to express that energy. The trees seemed to draw closer and closer together until it was almost impossible to pass through them and, eventually, they hit a wall. Dmitri had never seen anything quite like it. The trees' trunks weaved together as if to stop anyone venturing further in. As if protecting a secret. It filled the stallion with curiosity - he longed to know what was hiding within. But he also knew there was no way they could proceed further by going in. Which left them with two options. The Veiled Rift or the Coast. "This soon, huh?" He

Dmitri followed Niamh and Torben through the forest, smiling as he watched the bay colt pestering the mare who had stepped in as his caretaker. He was a boisterous thing, constantly on the move and seemingly without a care in the world - a far throw from the sniffling youngster they had found only a few days before. Dmitri was sure that was all to do with Niamh, too. The mare had soothed him, cared for him, and nurtured that confidence back with a tenderness she certainly didn't reserve for her lead stallion. While she had been focussed on nursing the little one back to health - both physically and mentally - Dmitri had been considering their existing conundrum. Magic. Something he had thought was just old mare tales, designed to entertain foals until Niamh had told him what was going on in this world. How other unicorns were somehow unlocking their own innate abilities, although she wasn't sure how that was happening. It had been a matter of curiosity, but as the herd grew and they