It is time for another foray into the Damaged ones's territory. Novitas doesn't like that word-- calling someone "damaged" just seems rude-- but it's the only one she has to refer to all three of them collectively. Since, after all, Shadow says they're not a Song, and it's obviously enough to someone who has viewed several such groupings that he's quite right. No matter how he feels about Clatter. 

Again, she's invisible and sound-muffled, for though she's looking for Mystic of the Fractured Shadow himself this time, she'd rather not get charged by two territorial mares in the process. Hopefully, she won't need a spell to find him. Given how well that worked out last time, she really isn't in the mood for trying it again this time. Besides, if she wanted to watch him without interacting with him, she could do it from the comfort of her own home, rather than stamping around the forest looking for him. 

Luck, apparently, isn't with her today: Shadow's cave is empty, the bubbling hot springs the only sign of life in the cramped compartment. Cursing under her breath, she comes back out, and pauses at the entryway. She shuts her eyes and focuses her mind rather than her magic; being a psionic is quite handy, now and then, and since she knows him well enough to recognize his mental presence, it's actually an option this time. He isn't far: that mindscape is completely unmistakable. 

Mildly familiar, from where Novitas still can't put her finger on, but still: unmistakable. 

In fact, he's just down the hillside, not far from where her path had taken her on her way to his cave. Novitas trudges down the hill, heading towards him, and doesn't bother dropping her magics when she reaches him. She's curious if he can look through her invisibility again. 

To her confusion, he's stamping across the very tracks she'd made on her way up-- he's managed to obliterate most of the signs of her passing, already-- and he doesn't look up at her approach. Not expecting to be tracked, she hadn't bothered with a third spell to keep her feet from sinking into the dirt and loam. She opens her mouth to ask what in the world he's doing, but before she can speak, his ever-mobile shadow leaps at her, stretching its tethers to his person, and rears in an obvious warning. Her mouth closes again. 

And just in time. Shadow whirls as a gray and burgundy patched samanayr, well-decorated with ribbons and with a tiny drum dangling from her neck, steps out of the foliage, nose lifting from the ground. For a long moment, both of the small equines stare at each other, and Novitas holds completely still staring at them. The only movement is Shadow's shadow, which prances threateningly behind him. 

Then the newcomer says, in the fluting samanayr language, "What do we have here? A broken, misplaced toy? Why, Shadow, it's been a long time." 

"Go away, ScreamingMidnight~Thunder," Shadow replies calmly, even mockingly. "Your lady will be wanting her lap-dog." 

"And yours will be looking for her toys soon," the newcomer smirks. "Where are the others?" 

Shadow says nothing, standing tall-- he positively towers over the mare, though she doesn't look particularly intimidated-- and, Novitas guesses, glaring at his uninvited company. She can only see his rump and pinned ears, but from his tension his expression can't be pretty. The new mare does not look impressed, either. If anything, she looks amused. 

"Very well, keep your secrets," the new mare chuckles darkly. "I'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. And maybe I'll find that pretty sa'krien and see what she says about--" 

She doesn't have a chance to finish, for the other two denizens of this part of the mountain come charging out of the trees with a pair of fierce-sounding battle cries. The patched mare turns on her heel with a whinny, and, probably wisely, bolts, sa'krien and scarred samanayr on her heels. All three are gone within seconds, leaving a startled Novitas and a stock-still Shadow looking after them.