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[h2]Amalia Solair[/h2]
Wife of Wilhelm ([@Saltwater Thief]) , sister bride of Onyx ([@Vesuvius00])
Interacting with Amalia[/center]

Blacked stone and iron. Harsh ice.
So there was nothing gentle or comforting in what was to be her new home. 

Amalia nodded respectfully to Wilhelm's words, thankful he has answered her questions instead of becoming angry at her for asking them. She stared at her plate, thinking of his words and struggling not to weep. Was it selfish to want something that was soft and gentle and warm? Again the memory of her parent's garden went through her mind. If she closed her eyes she could almost see the green plants, the bright bold flowers, the soft warm soil that held so much life...

If it was a quarry then the ground would be hard and packed tightly, not useful for growing anything but the ore he spoke of.
Why did she keep hoping? It was better to just accept the cold tomb that would be her home for as long as she could survive. Who knew if either of the Gems would make it there in one piece? The country was dangerous even for Drakken to travel.

~~~~~~

Once breakfast was finished no time was wasted. A carriage stood waiting to carry them away. While supplies were being loaded Amalia wandered towards the horses.
They were the largest she had ever seen! All black, including their eyes. One of the Drakken men was trying to subdue one of the horses, who seemed very agitated.
"Miserable cur," the Drakken snarled, trying to force its head down. The horse fought, pawing at the ground and bucking his head.
It was in pain.. She knew... She could feel it...
When the Drakken raised his fist to strike the animal Amalia couldn't stop herself. "Don't!"
The Drakken turned on her with a nasty expression. "Get into the carriage woman," he ordered.
"No," Amalia said, her voice and body quivering but not backing down. "Don't hurt him! Can't you see he's hurt?"
"I have been around these horses my entire life and you presume to tell me what to do?" he snarled, advancing on her now. He would never lay a hand on his master's property, but intended to try and scare her away. "This animal is a nasty son of a bitch who needs to be reminded who owns him."
Amalia's heart was thudding in her chest. There was fear in her eyes but she refused to give up. "Please, let me try."
The Drakken laughed and waved her on. "You want a kick to that pretty face, be my guest."

Amalia breathed, trying to calm herself before she approached the already agitated animal. His head still bucked up and down. She came from the side, in full view of the large horse, making certain he could see her. 
"I know. You are angry. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not going to say it's alright, because it's not is it? " Amalia asked in a quiet, soothing voice. "You are hurting aren't you? Something is causing you pain."
She kept speaking in the same gentle tone as she approached. The horse slowly calmed, watching her warily. Amalia came around to the front of the animal, slowly lifting her hand to touch him. He snorted repeatedly, moving out of reach of her touch, but she kept her hand steady until finally he allowed her to touch him. The horse seemed to almost immediately call under her touch. 
The Drakken stood with his mouth hanging open in shock as this little slip of a woman stroked the beast. She spoke to it like it was a child, reassuring it with soft words and gentle cooing sounds. Her gentle hands moved from the horse's nose to its neck as she stepped closer, placing her head against his shoulder and rubbing gentle circles on his neck. 

Amalia listened carefully, closing her eyes and reaching out with her feelings. Earth Gems could not talk to or control animals, but they could feel an empathy towards them and, if they listened hard enough, could get a pretty good idea about an animal's feelings.
Dropping to her knees, Amalia ran her hands over his leg and finally reached the hoof. The horse jerked at her touch and she paused a moment, soothing him once more before encouraging him to lift his hoof. There, wedged in between the loose shoe and the hoof itself, was a sharp rock.

"Bloody hell," the Drakken swore, coming down beside her. The horse jerked and whinnied, ready to kick the Drakken. Amalia jumped up and wrapped her arms around the horse's neck, soothing it. "We know what is wrong now. He can fix it. It's going to be okay. Shh," Amalia said, keeping the horse calm while the Drakken removed the rock and tightened the shoe.

[hider=Summary]
Amalia laments Wilhelm's answer and pines for her garden.
Outside Amalia makes friends with a horse, realizing he is in pain and calming him as someone fixes the problem.
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