They swarm like flies upon dung, drawn in by the sounds of distress. Buce arrives first, catching Sikeax's attention for a short period before handing it back over to Alija. The violet's pain was easy to cure with the help of Devil's Claw, and yet while the herb was unbelievably hideous and lived up to it's name, it was a lifesaver for those suffering through pain she couldn't cure with a flame. "I'll have to fetch you some Devil's Claw."
Before she turns to leave, the child's struggle brings a smile to her tired face. Temptation of aid comes across her mind where she could offer the child assistance as her mother had done to her, but the desert sand didn't seem as deadly as the first snows of Frostfall. The bond was sacred, and stepping between it at this time would be insulting.
Gaucho's arrival brings something else with it. A question spills into their huddle of protection and admiration as of who the father was. She squints at the child while her mind battles names and looks in an attempt to match them. It quickly became a game of 'Who fucked who'.
But in the end, Mom always know who did the deed one way or another. Who it is, though, brings shock and surprise to her face.
He seems to be taking it badly, from what she watches clot his and destroy any of what she's seen out of him. Him, as a father, is not the image she ever thought of him with after their chat together in the cold. Bucephalus came off to her as a man who had other interests that didn't include children. Maybe what she feels from him is pity at this very moment, or maybe, she didn't feel anything for him. Anger draws her chest tight with a sharp pain.
Roy had never been there for her. He'd abandoned her shortly after their arrival to the Dragon's Throat, having discovered her once she'd fled her mother's side, escorted her to the desert, and left her alone without a good bye. The face that Bucephalus wears burrows into her soul and strikes a nerve.
"Congratulations, Bucephalus." Her pale shades watch him with a cold look of self-loathe, trying to keep her voice from being harsh while she worries Bucephalus may not treat Aakesh in the loving way she hoped all foals experienced from their parents. Alija was a good mare as far as Sikeax knew her, and the way the winged stud appeared to her in the past was well enough to gain some respect.
She turns to Gaucho, now aware of how private this whole issue was becoming. "Gaucho? Maybe we should excuse ourselves, this seems private." With one last smile to the fellow vixen, "Again, he's a handsome son. If you do need me, don't hestitate. I'll have you some Devil's Claw soon for your aches." With that, she turns and leaves, unwilling to bury herself into someone else's private affairs.

@[Gaucho]