Skippin' on Flowers [Muiris & Ezmeralda]

It was finally spring again! The warm weather had arrived after a brutally cold winter much to Ezmeralda relief. She always loved this time of year. It was during this time that her family returned to their summer home in the farmlands where the sheep were let out to graze on the bountiful, green grass that had emerged from underneath the freezing layer of snow. Of course, things were a little different with it just being Ezmeralda and her sister, Roselia, returning to the home this year, but at least they would be busy. They had spent the first couple of weeks at the farm cleaning out the dust that had gathered and shaving off the woolly fur from their sheeps' winter coats. Ezmeralda was pretty crafty at coming up with ways to use the wool to sell. She stuffed the soft fur into pillows, made blankets and linings for coats, or her favorite to make: a woolly, fluffy hat to help protect horses ears from the chilly weather of winter that would be returning soon enough.

Ezmeralda had worked feverishly on finishing products for the Flower Festival, stitching the last of the goods she and her sister would be selling. She always loved the Flower Festival despite the fact she rarely ever did anything other than silently spectate. Watching those around her enjoying themselves and seeing all of the beautiful flowers that had blossomed in the spring-time sun in Onea was enough for her. When the morning sun arose on the first day of the festival, Ezmeralda was giddy with excitement as she threw on the red cloak she saved for special occasions and readied the stall where they would be selling their goods. She placed them neatly in categories of what they were and even placed a few flowers here and there to give the stand a little something extra to draw in potential customers. "Ezzie, I think you might be going a little overboard this year." Roselia said in a joking voice to which Ezmeralda let out a nervous chuckle. "I-I'm just really excited. This winter was a rough one, and I'm ready for the nicer weather." She explained while she walked around to the other side of the stand to inspect her work. Roselia sat down behind the stand, ready for business. "You suuuure it's not because you'll be looking for a certain someone special? Maybe a certain midnight wonder who rescued you from the bitter cold all those years ago?" The younger mare teased, mockingly making kissy faces toward her. Oh goodness, why had she even told Roselia about that? She knew it would just bite her in the butt later. "N-no! I'm just looking forward to all of the events and... stuff. You know what, you can have the first shift here. I'll see you later, Roselia." Ezmeralda said with a small smile, flicking her long tail in goodbye to her sister as she walked among the crowds that were already beginning to form.

It was crazy how many horses where in one place, and Ezmeralda found herself taking a break from looking around at all of the different merchant stands to watch one of the many fights that would be happening throughout the day. She normally didn't support things of the sort, but seeing how the fighters moved so gracefully around each others attacks or knowing what they were fighting about and rooting for the side that she hoped to win was strangely enthralling. Her ears swiveled back slightly when she heard the sickening sound of the losing opponent hit the ground, having the air in his lungs forcefully pushed out as his weight hit the dirt. Ezmeralda winced at the pain that was evident on his face and turned to look at the crowd in an attempt to take her mind off of the fight for just a moment. It was then that she saw a familiar face. He was clothed in a green cloak with lovely wolf-fur lining. She blinked in surprise, debating on whether or not it was really him until he turned his face slightly in her direction, and she was able to see the horns that protruded from his muzzle. As the winner was declared for this fight, the grulla mare made her way through the crowd, careful not to step on any hooves or tails. Ezmeralda could feel her heart beating a little faster and a blush already warmed her cheeks. Why in the world had the gods made her such a blubbering goober when it came to things like this? "Muiris!" She called out to get his attention over the noise of the crowd, a sheepish smile appearing on her face. "F-fancy meeting you here." Ezmeralda said as she finally reached his side. "How have you been? I-it's been awhile since we've gotten a chance to see each other."

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She worried for a second that he wouldn't recognize her. It had been years since they had seen each other after all, and the last time they had met, he hadn't exactly been on the best of terms in life with his loved ones leaving him unexpectedly. It still pained her to remember how sad and hurt he had been back then, but as she looked at him now, it appeared that he was doing a lot better. He looked happy even (or at least content).

All of the imagining she had done over the years of running into him again seemed to be replaying in her head, but it was nothing compared to the real thing. It seemed unreal to her that he was even there. Perhaps this was just one of her imaginations. "It has been a long time." She agreed with a soft chuckle, lifting her head slightly to get her hair out of her eyes. 'Too long.' The herder thought silently to herself. A smile pulled up the corners of her lips at the excitement in his voice as his eyes flashed with recognition. "Well for someone just fairing, you look like you're doing quite well." Ezmeralda muttered, wondering in embarrassment afterwards if she were being a little too weird. Her green eyes lit up when he asked how she had been doing and even remembered her sister. "I've been doing pretty well and so has my sister. Thank you for asking. We've been crazy busy getting our sheep ready for the warmer weather and making goods for the festival." Ezmeralda admitted with a little sigh at the thought of all the hours of labor the two of them had put in recently. It had been worth all the hard work though now that they were there with the Flower Festival bustling around them.

Her attention returned to the present as she turned her green eyes upwards toward his brown eyes that almost looked red in the morning light. After a few moments, she noticed herself staring a little too intently and turned back toward the new fight that had begun during their greeting. "S-so what have you been up to seen we last saw each other?" Ezmeralda asked curiously, swiveling her ears toward him. After all these years, she had to wonder what all had happened since she had seen him, and she found her mind bubbling with questions to ask him. Worry also ate at the pit of her stomach as she wondered whether or not he might have found another mare to share a tent with or not after all it had been years since he had even seen her. She quickly shook off those thoughts though, blaming them on her seemingly constant insecurities. That was definitely something she had been trying to work on: growing more confident in herself and her actions (even though it seemed old habits died hard).

The cheers of the crowd erupted around them as the winner from the previous fight sent another victim sprawling into the dirt only to have him jump back to his hooves and deliver a vengeful blow. "The festival is really lively this year. Are you enjoying yourself so far?"

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She winced at the loud thud as one of the fighters dealt a heavy blow to the other, and she fought the urge to cover her eyes with her long tail like a scared foal. Fighting was a typical thing to happen at the Flower Festivals (and in War-Forged in general to be honest), but something about the sound of each hit made her bones ache as if she were the one being hit. It took Muiris a minute of silence before he spoke again, and Ezzie watched as the gears of his mind turned as he went through many years worth memories. Eventually, a small shrug pulled up his shoulders and a quiet sigh left him. She didn't blame him for not having some sort of interesting story to tell though. She didn't even know if she had a story of her own to tell. It was easy to get caught up the daily grind of life and work and not something really interesting to tell. "There's nothing wrong with that. As long as you're enjoying yourself." Ezmeralda assured him as she saw a slight frown form on his face.

A sheepish chuckle escaped her as the question was turned on her, and the unicorn mare fell quiet for a moment before shaking her head in defeat. "I can't say I've been up to much either. I did some work on my family's summer home last year I think it was. Added another room and painted it." That was it. That was all she could think of that was worth mentioning, and she couldn't help but giggle a little at how boring she must seem. "I guess we've both been busy with work instead of going out and adventuring some." Ezmeralda joked and chuckled. It seemed both of them needed to get out more and have some fun. She waited anxiously for him to mention that he had found someone that he loved and loved him back, but when he didn't, part of her couldn't help but be relieved that he didn't mention a significant other. She felt awful for being so selfish enough to wish someone be alone, but after all of the daydreaming of this meeting, it would probably hurt her more than she had thought if he had found someone.

Ezmeralda nodded to his words, enjoying the feeling of the warm sun on her back and the gentle, spring breeze rustling her mane. She turned her eyes up from the fight just as he winked at her. It felt like the world froze, and after a moment of doubt that it had even happened, she realized that she had been holding her breath. She tried to release it as inconspicuously as possible, but it ended up coming out as a nervous giggle, and her cheeks turned hot as she blushed. "Y-yeah, it's definitely nice to have the day off to relax. I haven't gotten a chance to look around too much though since I had to help set up the stand for my sister and I's merchandise. This is the first place I've really stopped." She paused for a moment, her mind still a little frazzled with embarrassment, but at least it seemed like he was in the same boat as he looked away for a moment. "D-do you want to go with me check out some of the stuff that the merchants are selling after this fight? Maybe we can get some food or something afterwards and catch up." She asked, giving him a hopeful smile. Hopefully she didn't seem too awkward. She certainly wasn't used to asking others these kinds of things and definitely not after they had winked at her. She could already hear her sister's nosy questions in her ears. 'He winked at you?? Oh he was definitely flirting. What did you do after that? So when's the second date hmmm?' Ezmeralda had to admit that she liked the idea that he had winked at her, and his awkwardness afterwards was endearing and sweet. Where she normally would have been fearful and even more insecure after someone tried to flirt with her, something about it being him just felt... right.

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Ezmeralda giggled at the sound of his joking tone. Wow, if anyone overheard them, they'd probably think they were the most boring bunch in War-Forged for sure, not that she minded being boring. After all, she hadn't noticed that she didn't have a life full of excitement and adventure until someone had asked her. She couldn't shake a strangeness that had crept over her thoughts though as she was reminded how weird this was for her. It was like reuniting with a very close friend that she had known for years, and she could honestly say that she didn't feel the least bit awkward like she normally did. For the first time in a long time, she just felt... normal. "Oh yes, I'm sure we'd wow plenty of others with our fascinating stories."

She grinned excitedly as he agreed to accompany her around the festival to look at the different knickknacks and other things that would be going on. Eagerness grew inside of her at the thought of all the different events that they would probably see. Spring and the Flower Festival were a time of happiness and celebration, and it was about time after a cold, long winter to have something to be happy about. Not to mention that all of the weddings that happened during the festival called to her soft, romantic side. Something about a spring wedding during a gathering meant to celebrate life and happiness was beautiful to her. Her attention was grabbed by Muiris and the fight, and she twisted her ear toward him to catch the words he muttered softly. A smile appeared on her face as she responded, "Yeah, they're not exactly as... graceful as the other fight." Now that he mentioned it, the two fighters did seem a little awkward in their movements as their fighting styles conflicted with one another. "Let's go." Ezmeralda's eyes sparked with joy and excitement as tilted her head toward a small part in the crowd that they could get through to leave before carefully making her way away from the makeshift fighting ring.

Her brows rose in surprise at Muiris's admittance, and her green eyes studied how embarrassment shaped his features. "Really? Like never?" She asked curiously, wondering what he normally did during this time of year. Probably the same as she normally did: work. A cheerful grin pulled up the corners of her lips as a small chuckle escaped her. "Well, we'll have to change that. I'll try my best to make sure you have a good time." Ezmeralda promised sheepishly, hoping that she'd be able to show him everything he'd been missing out on over the years. "The best thing here at the festival has to be the food... or at least that's what I think. There are some merchants who make the most amazing drinks and treats that you'll be anxiously waiting for the next festival to try it again." She spoke as they began walking toward where the majority of the merchant stands were set up. The delicious smell of food was already drifting in their direction. "There's a merchant who makes some really great apple cider if you want to try some of that first?"


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Her ears perked with interest at the sight of the small smile on his face that hinted at his mind traveling back to reflect on memories of the past. As he spoke of his mother and their time spent together here at the festival, it became quite obvious to her that he cared a lot for her by the fondness in his tone and the way his eyes softened slightly. It was heart-wrenching to think of why he couldn't accompany his mother any longer to events such as this, but Ezmeralda prayed silently to Kaia that the case wasn't as drastic as her mind was making it out to be. "H-hopefully you'll have a good time then and have lots of stories to tell someone if they ask you what you've been up to." Ezmeralda said, casting a playful grin in his direction.

Ezmeralda smiled brightly at the cheerfulness in his voice, something that she hadn’t heard during their first meeting. “Cider is one of my favorites too!” She admitted with a soft chuckle. She hadn’t in a million years thought that she would run into Muiris again. With all of the traveling War-Forged horses do, it just wasn’t in the odds that they would happen to run into one another again. She was certainly glad that she had though and thanked Kaia for the chance to make a close friend.

She could already smell the sweet scent of the apple cider as they approached the stand where the merchant was preparing cups of the warm liquid. Just as she was about to take out her pouch of money, Muiris quickly stepped forward with the shards needed for the drinks. A coy smile appeared on her muzzle, and the unicorn mare could feel her cheeks blush as she took the drink from Muiris as he handed it to her. She had never in her life had anyone pay for anything for her and certainly not a stallion that she had a bit of a crush on. It was a nice feeling though for someone to want to buy you something. “T-thank you. I really appreciate it, Muiris.” She muttered and dipped her head slightly in gratitude.

Ezmeralda took a deep breath of the warm scent of cider as she thought of what they should do next. There were so many possibilities, and all of them were just as good of an idea as the other. The sound of music could be heard from the musicians that were performing here at the festival, playing their brightest and most cheerful tunes. “Well, it’s not a Flower Festival without flowers. Y-you don’t have to wear any if you don’t want to though.” She added sheepishly as she walked toward a stand with a variety of flowers and arrangements placed neatly on the table’s surface, her long tail swaying gently behind her. The flowers were in all shapes and sizes, and she studied each and every one and thought of which she would wear this year. She knew very well how most stallions thought about the mare-ish flowers decorating their body after all her father had been one of the many that wouldn’t put a single flower in their hair even for the sake of the celebration.

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All of the bright colors were almost overwhelming as she looked at all of the different arrangements that laid on the table. There were flowers weaved into intricate designs: necklaces, attached to bows, crowns, everything you could possibly imagine. All of them were equally beautiful, and Ezmeralda was finding it hard to decide which she would like to wear. She felt Muiris come up close beside her after he had lagged behind slightly, his own eyes glancing over the items with interest. It was a relief to see that he was at least looking at the flowers. After seeing War-Forged stallions turn their noses up at the dainty plants for years, she had been expecting him to ignore them. But Muiris was different than the typical War-Forged it seemed. Sure he was strong (after all he had to be in order to be a Raider), but he showed a lot more kindness and generosity than she had seen from many others over the years.

Her green eyes glanced up from her decision-making at his question, and a small grin danced across her face. "It looks great!" She replied just as the crown fell into his eyes, causing a fit of giggles to escape her. "It might be a little big on you though." Picking up a similar one to the one he had, she swapped the two, placing the new flower crown delicately onto his head. Once she was satisfied that it was going to stay, she gave him an approving nod of her head. "That one fits nicely I think." The mare complimented him shyly, looking up slightly at his face that was now framed with a glorious crown of delicate flowers. Noticing herself staring slightly too long, she glanced away, feeling her heart flutter nervously within her. No one in her life had ever made her feel this way. It was an odd feeling but not a bad one. Ezmeralda remembered how her mother described what it felt like to start developing feelings for someone: the butterflies in your stomach every time you saw them, the desire to know more about them and spend more time with them, staring into their eyes and noticing their different expressions. It broke her heart to know her mother never truly got to experience that... but at least Ezzie could say that she was starting to grow quite the crush on Muiris. She liked his lopsided grins and the way his forelock fell over his eyes at times, and she liked the fact that he actually seemed to like being with her, even if she found herself to be pretty boring.

Pushing away her distracting thoughts, Ezmeralda picked her own flower crown to wear that had bright pink and purple flowers woven together in a tight circle that she placed on her head in a way that her horns weren't in the way. She quickly paid the small amount for their two crowns, casting Muiris a friendly smile. That was the least she could do since he had paid for the drinks! "So what would you like to do next? Did you see anything that you wanted to do or look at?" She asked, wanting to let him pick what they could do next.

Word Count: 541

She was having a blast. It felt like it had been so long since she had actually enjoyed herself and laughed this much. This felt like the first time in years possibly that she was truly relaxed and having fun. Ever since her parents had died and she had become responsible for raising her sister, she didn't have the time or energy to do things that she enjoyed doing. She was way too busy with the responsibilities that she had suddenly been given to even think about doing anything for herself. Of course she didn't mind. It wasn't her sister's fault that their parents weren't with them any longer, and Ezmeralda tried to look on the brighter side of things. Roselia was older now, and Ezmeralda was able to venture out a little more, much like today, to have a little bit of fun. Hopefully, she could do things like this more in the future. Maybe make friends with some of her herdmates, or just find a beautiful place to calm her mind.

It helped her social-anxiety and timidness to have someone with her. Normally during the festivals, she was a ball of nervousness, waiting anxiously for her to slip up with her words or accidentally step on someone's tail, but Ezmeralda was distracted from those worries by the stallion beside her. She glanced upwards at his handsome features, making sure to not be blatantly obvious that she was staring (though she was probably doing so very poorly. Being secretive wasn't exactly her forte). The brightly colored flowers really brought out the brightness of his brown eyes and contrasted with his dark coat very nicely. 'Oh gods, I really need to stop before he notices me staring at him like a total goober.' She thought to herself, catching him looking her way out of the corner of her eyes. It seemed that it wasn't just her that was having a hard time not letting their eyes linger a little too long... but maybe she was just imagining it. The two of them were hanging out, so of course, he would be looking at her!

At the sound of his deep tone, she was brought back to reality, and the unicorn nodded her head. "Yeah! It feels like it's been forever since I've heard music." She admitted, hearing the soft sound of the music already gracing her ears. Ezmeralda followed after him towards the middle of town where the bands were playing. The crowds swarmed around them, bustling here and there to look at the different stands and spend time with friends that they hadn't since seen the previous spring. "That sounds great. There's plenty to look at between here and where the bands are playing." She agreed, taking another sip of her cider as her eyes wandered the merchant tables on either side of them. Everything she could imagine was there at the festival, from jewelry to coats and other clothes to paintings. She paused every now and then at different stands: a couple with brilliant paintings whose details and color amazed her and another who was selling hand-sewn quilts and other clothing garments. She appreciated and loved handmade things and saw the talent that each of the merchants had for their craft. Being a merchant herself, she knew the hard work and time that was put into each piece, and she found herself gravitating toward the merchant stands that showed promise for the merchants there to be truly loving of and talented at their craft.

They slowly made their way to the middle of town, and as they walked, Ezmeralda kept her long tail close to her body, not wanting anyone to trip over it and hurt themselves. The band currently playing was standing on a stage that had probably been built specifically for the festival and was just big enough to hold the horses upon it along with their instruments. They were playing a variety of different instruments that flowed together into a wistful, upbeat tune. A smile spread over Ezmeralda's muzzle as she closed her eyes for a moment to listen, ignoring everything that was going on around her to focus on the beauty of the music. "It's really beautiful." She muttered just loud enough for Muiris to hear her over the horses around them and the music.

Word Count: 720 

Ezmeralda listened to the beat of the instruments, following along with the musicians' rhythm in her head as she tried to listen for each individual instrument in the song. It had been so, so long since she had heard a nice, upbeat tune. After spending months in the mountains around nothing but her sister and their flock, it was nice to hear the sound of a beautiful melody. The music was relaxing, and it warmed her heart to see musicians so passionate about their music (not to mention brave enough to share it with everyone there at the festival). It made her a little anxious just thinking about performing in front of this many of her fellow herd members, so it amazed her that someone could be that courageous.

All of the horses that she suddenly found herself around was overwhelming to her, and she found her green eyes darting between moving horses and the band, and her ears flicked back and forth as she caught other sounds going on around them. There were so many horses moving and talking and laughing in the plaza. Ezmeralda had no idea that there were even this many horses in War-Forged! Of course there were plenty of horses in War-Forged otherwise they wouldn’t be such a force to be reckoned with, but seeing most of the herd in one place was quite astonishing and eye-opening to witness. It wasn't easy for her to be around so much noise and so many horses though. She could handle being surrounded by sheep and listen to her sister talk her ears off. After all she worked with them every single day, but her nomadic lifestyle made it hard on her to get used to seeing, hearing, and smelling so many different things all at once.

All of a sudden her head snapped in Muiris's direction as the stallion let out a huge sneeze that even seemed to startle some of the passersby. "Bless you." Ezmeralda muttered, looking down at him as he wiped his nose on his knee. She frowned in concern at the sight she saw when he picked his head back up to look at her. His eyes were watery, and his nose was runny, and despite the grin that he kept on his face, she could tell that something was up. "Muiris, are you alright? Is something over here bothering you?" She asked like a concerned mother which she instantly wanted to smack herself for. But his reddening, watery eyes were definitely a cause for concern.

"We could go somewhere else if something over here is making you sick." Ezmeralda offered with a crooked smile, tilting her head curiously. Maybe it was all of the different smells mixed together that was bothering him like this, and if it were a simple fix, she didn’t want him to feel compelled to stay just because of her.

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Her ears swiveled toward him, trying her best to hone in on the sound of his voice above the noise of the music and the crowd around them. His eyes were watery to the point where she doubted he could even really see what was going on around him, and his nose was wet from the mucus that his body was created to get rid of whatever had intruded his senses.
'I'm allergic to flowers.'
Her eyes widened in surprise at his statement. He was allergic to flowers? Well, it definitely explained the sudden onset of symptoms that he had. Ezmeralda couldn't help but feel incredibly guilty that she had bought him that darn flower crown without making sure that he truly wanted it first. "Oh no! I-I'm s-so sorry!" She apologized frantically as he took off the crown and placed it on the head of a small filly that happened to be passing by. A small grin appeared on her face to see the pleasantly surprised look on the filly's face as the crown slipped a little too much over one of her ears. It was a moment bright enough to distract her from her guilt and worry, but as soon as the filly was out of sight again, it felt like a tidal wave crashed over her. A few birds had begun to flutter high above her head as her blessing swelled with her emotions, and Ezmeralda quickly bit her tongue, trying to quell her growing anxiety and guilt. The last thing she needed right now was birds flying all over her or pooping on the innocent equines around them.

The unicorn mare nodded her head silently in agreement to his plan, walking behind him through the crowd. Guilt weighed down her stomach with each sound of discomfort that he made until they were finally outside of the crowded plaza and into a much quieter part of town where tables stood in front of small cafes. The music playing from the band could still be heard though from where they now stood.

A nervous look played across her face as he turned back to look at her. She expected to see anger or frustration on his face, something that she would completely understand. She had been dumb and inconsiderate, and she should have asked first before buying it and putting it on his head. What she saw on his face wasn't what she had expected though: embarrassment, and the words that came out of his mouth caused a breath of relief to escape her. "Don't be sorry. I should be the one apologizing." She muttered apologetically, giving him a sheepish grin. "You could have told me that you were allergic to them. It wouldn't have hurt my feelings if you had said no. I would feel even worse than I do now if your nose and throat got so clogged up that you couldn't breathe because of something I gave you." Ezmeralda admitted, feeling her stomach twist nervously at the thought that she could have possibly killed him. She could already hear the news traveling all around Hireath: 'Herder mare kills Raider with flowers at the Flower Festival'. Her cheeks burnt a crimson red in humiliation, and remorse filled her eyes that glanced upwards at him. "A-are you feeling a little better? Your eyes don't look as watery."

Word Count: 559

She took a few deep breaths, shaking off the panicky, nervous feeling that had risen inside of her now that it was evident that he was going to be alright. 'Stop freaking out you dork! He's fine. He said he would be okay.' Ezmeralda told herself and felt herself calm to a point that the birds that had started to circle began flying off in different directions as her blessing loosened its grip on them. A sigh of relief escaped her at the sight of them darting off. While she liked her blessing, it wasn't always welcomed (especially when she still didn't have a lot of control over it yet).

When her eyes returned to ground level, she realized how close he had gotten, and she felt herself blush slightly. When had he gotten so close to her? Had he noticed the birds circling overhead and was trying to calm her down? "I'm just glad you're okay." She muttered in relief, feeling slightly less guilty at his attempt to comfort her. 'Oh goodness, why must I seem so weak and panicky all the time?' He probably thought she was a nutcase for feeling so badly over giving him the sniffles. Maybe part of it was the fact that she liked him, and she wanted desperately to impress him somehow. To show him how far she’d come since he had given her shelter from that snow storm, but maybe she just needed to relax and be herself... hopefully that wouldn't scare him away.

She hadn’t even thought that he probably went through this every year when the Flower Festival came around. All that she had been able to think about was the fact that she had been the one that had put a flower crown full of pollen on his head. “That’s good that you’re feeling even just a little bit better though. I didn’t even think about how you deal with all of this every year. I was just… worried.” Ezmeralda admitted sheepishly, fighting to urge to cover her face like a timid filly with her long tail. “J-just don’t let me kill you, okay? You won’t hurt my feelings if you say no to anything especially if doing it might end up hurting you more than helping.” She added with playfulness in her tone, trying to show that she was still having a good time despite their little mishap.

Ezmeralda took the moment of silence to allow herself to relax, focusing on the sound of the music. She hadn’t even noticed that Muiris remained by her side until she felt his nose bump against her cheek and felt herself flush hotly at the feeling of his soft nose on her fur. “Y-yeah, I’d like that a lot.” She agreed and nodded her head, her long hair bobbing slightly. “Let’s go watch one of the races, and maybe some of the games will catch our eyes on our way over there.” The mare suggested, wondering what kinds of activities they would have set up this year. She normally didn’t participate in any of the games and watched instead in fear that she would end up making a fool out of herself, but maybe this year she’d work up the courage to try out a game or two.

She tilted her head in the direction she intended to go, allowing Muiris to catch up to walk beside her if he pleased. Her mind worked to produce some sort of conversation for their walk to where the races and games were being held, but for the introvert that she was, it was pretty difficult for her to think of something interesting to say at least until something finally clicked. "Have you been anywhere interesting over the years? I don't get to travel too far off the path that I travel with my flock on Mount Skeldr, but I'm sure as a Raider that you get to patrol a lot more land than I do." A smile spread across her face, her eyes filling with curiosity at where he might have had the chance to since they had last met.

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