Conley Brothers

Spectra sighed deeply, looking up at him with pitiful eyes. It had seemed so simple to slip inside and find the wings and slip out..and would have bern except for having been locked inside

"Vlad..." Adanya said quietly "who is it?"

Vlad sighed and opened his eyes. "Spectra," he said softly. "She tried to break into the Ringmaster's wagon to get something back. It appears she was caught, and Felix punished her for it."

"Oh, pretty lady!" Kazimir whispered in horror. Then anger twisted his features and he spat out a stream of furious words.

Adanya blinked and looked at Spectra. Horrified. "He cannot be allowed to do this" she muttered. She liked Spectra fine. She was kind to her and gave her the space she needed .

Kazimir put a hand on Adanya's arm, his hand trembling slightly. "Keith asked me to look after her like she was an aimal. Vlad..."

Vlad held up his hands to them both. "Easy," he said, keeping his voice low. "Easy. Do not think for a second I am willing to let this pass, but we need to be careful with how we proceed forward."

Adanya nodded a little in understanding. "What do we do Vlad?" She could see why Spectra had asked for him. He was better at keeping his head in these situations

"Let me think," Vlad said, standing. "I need to finish caring for the unicorns. I will return after I have finished that." He turned and started walking away.

Kazimir looked at Spectra. "I am sure he will free you, pretty lady. Vladimir is smart."

Spectra could only give a little nod and watch them.

Adanya frowned but nodded "let us get her food water and more things for comfort" she figured this would also help keep Kaz from doing anything else about the situation

Kaz nodded and smiled at Spectra. "We will be right back. We will find you good food and something better." He stood and shook himself off before turing to head for the chuck wagon.

As Vlad was getting back to his unicorns Viviana was there. Staying back a bit but watching the two graze. She had never seen anything like them before! A true rare find

Vlad stopped short, staring at Vivian from a distance as she was watching the unicorns. His initial reaction was to challenge her, but Kazimir was the one who followed his initial reaction, not Vlad. He squashed the feeling for now and watched her. She did not seem to be doing anything threatening. Regina wasn't even paying attention, and his alpha mare would know if someone was being threatening.

After a long moment, Vlad walked forward and past the stranger. "Were you looking for someing, Ma'am?" he asked with a polite smile, walking toward the pair of equines.

Viviana glanced up as he passed "No...was just admiring your animals. Beautiful" she looked back at them. "I'll go. You don't like me" her expression had been peaceful but her normal frown returned, shoving her hands in her pockets and backing off

"Of course not. I have not been given a chance to like you. Nor have I been given a chance to dislike you. You are a complete unknown to me," Vlad pointed out with a quick smile her way. He bent over and untied Regina's lead from the stake and led her back over to where her take laid out neatly on simple stands by the wagon. "Unknowns are always terrifying. It is only by facing that terror that you can learn whether or not that terror is justified. Sometimes it is, but often times, not so much. Would you hand me that brush, please?" He indicated the soft brush with his hand before tying Regina to her usual stand. She didn't really need the tie, but he did it anyway.

She paused when he spoke to her, not really having expected him to engage with her.

"That..makes some sense..." she hesitated, studying him a moment before the stepped forward and picked up the brush and held it out to him, staying a full arma length away though

"Thank you." Vlad took the brush then stepped around to Regina's opposite side as he started brushing her down, taking off the bit of dirt and dust she'd picked up while he was gone.

The big, golden unicorn swung her head around and sniffed at the stranger, her nostrils blowing big gasps of hot air as she took in the strange scents. The unicorn was truly massive, a little larger than a Gypsy Vanner but smaller than a Clydsedale, meaning Vlad's head barely poked over her back.

"This is Regina," Vlad said. "She is curious about you."

V watched the impressive animal. Could run her through easily with that horn if she chose to.

"What do I do?" She asked uncertainly. She had never been around a horse much less a fine beast like this

Vlad looked over Regina's back at her. Animals had an amazing way of bring out the true person underneath the masks and the personas. She was still an unknown, but perhaps not as much of a threat as he had originally thought. "Would you like to pet her?" he asked. "She will allow it if you are gentle."

She nodded a little "Yes...she won't hurt me?" She was just so big! She held a hand out palm up to the unicorn. Somehow seemed the right thing to do...let it sniff her? She really had no idea what she was doing

"Not unless you give her cause to," Vlad said. He walked around to the woman's side and laid his hand flat on Regina's glossy neck, drawing his hand down it slowly. "Like this, always in the direction of the hair. It is... a bit like petting a large dog," he told her.

Regina ducked her head and nudged him gently, her gleaming horn inches from his shoulder.

"Ah! Yes, printesa mea. She wishes me to get on with things." He went back and picked up her harness.

She hesitated a moment before doing as he said. Reaching out to pet and unicorns neck "never pet a dog.." she said quietly, mostly to herseld "no animals allowed...not even a rat...no they.." she had started to talk to herself in nearly a whisper but caught herself and shook her head slightly, stepping back, suddenly seeming to be on edge

Regina pricked her ears and turned toward her, touching her arm lightly with her soft muzzle.

"Ah, I see. That would make petting a unicorn a little intense, then," Vlad said calmly. He set the harness on Regina's back and let the straps slowly slide down her sides. He looked at the woman over the unicorn's back. "You are welcome to pet Regina whenever you like as long as she is not working. Negru, the black one, he is a stallion and far more feisty, so I would stay back from him." He started hooking the straps with nimble fingers. "I am Vlad."