No smile was given in return to the one that had enough warmth to melt every inch of snow around them. Many called the desert a barren wasteland, heat that hurt and did not warm. The God of the Sun had been banished, hated, feared for many seasons. Athena had never begrudged him that, and the beauty of the Dragon's Throat was easy to find when you had lived there most of your life like she had. Icy blue irises found her own brindle, flickering in a way Athena didn't understand. Was her species making it hard for him to look at her without judgement? Then something smoothed over his face, wiping the tiny lines she had been looking over in concern. Was he troubled? First instinct was to ask, to help in any way she could. Before mouth could even form one syllable to ask the questions lingering on her tongue, warmth slowly seeped into the glacier paint of his eyes and turned them more to the light blue of a new spring day. Had Athena been born a feline, she would be purring with delight. Undaunted, the wings at her tail fluttered and swayed the long appendage happily at the warmth he was showing them. Lana, perhaps, was wiser and more mature than the older woman due to her wary nature, but trusting others had always been Athena's achilles heel.

Lana's fearful, stuttering words had Athena's face melting into a sweet, motherly face of comfort, as thick and delicate as honey. Torn between watching the interesting Mauja and the young woman she had sworn to protect and help, Athena nearly missed her shuffling uncertainly forward to stand at her side. Was she more comfortable in Mauja's presence now? Athena naively let this soothe her belly a little, and with a warm private smile just for the two of them she let her tail flicker up and twine gently around Lana's hind ankle, wings kissing the skin tenderly. She did it often enough to others, hoped idly that she wouldn't startle the femme with the motion.

Again, merely two words fall from his lips in a musing manner. Athena let him muddle through his own thoughts, just as she'd done when Lana had awoken disoriented from her nightmare. The shadow that passed over her eyes made golden ears flicker worriedly atop her cranium. One step towards him, soft face tilting to the side in curiosity and hope that he would be open enough to tell her what was gnawing so harshly at his insides. Though she may have been unfairly denied her chance at healing magic, Athena still had a softness that could mend most worries. No words spilled forth to ask directly, letting him choose to avoid the question written along her brows. Whatever it was seemed to flutter away once again, and the curiosity on his face, the open wonder and elegance, made her think of a particularly regal prince, though much younger than his adult status. It was childlike, but almost eloquent without speaking a single audible word. His next query had a soft hum echoing in her throat, and hips swayed slightly to one side as a hind leg was rested comfortably. "No...not often. I at least prefer to stay where I wander the most, I'm afraid I get awfully lost quite easily," she laughed gently, left ear flopping much like a rabbit to the side, giving her a sheepish quality. It was embarrassing, but a part of her she couldn't get rid of. Though she could track down her precious medicinal plants blind and deaf, she was hopeless with navigation. "I don't really intend to leave her, as I've just found her today. I get rather lonely, not many are as kind as you," and gratitude seeped clearly into her voice, relief apparent on her face. It was a nice change of scenery to not cower before Lana's master, as Athena had on one of her first days in the Basin. Though, she was careful not to say Lana's name, realizing it was still hidden from the spotted prince. King? She still couldn't tell, though his regal stature betrayed him no matter how kind his face appeared to her.