As he moved, she feared for a moment that he was pulling away from her, that the warmth generated by their intimacy would be shattered by the icy wind that tore over the cliffs. Everything she had said to him jus tnow was a lot to take in - she felt his reaction to the news of Azzuen, his shifting curiosity to the rest of her news. But the warmth did dissipate for a moment, and Mirage shut her eyes tight, unwilling to witness the motion of him leaving again. Stop being silly, Akaith murmured with a strong sense of amusement, flashing an image of the stallion slinging his nape over her own, pulling her closer instead of pushing her away. And, as she watched the image sent by her dragon, she felt the sensations over her neck, against her body, the warm reassurance of his nearness. She melted to his touch, drinking his words greedily, addicted to timbre of his voice, the way it crafted words that set her heart aflame. The question of whether there was temptation present was a cruel one to ask, one that she looked at with guilt and reluctant truth. Desire, similar to that which Torasin had always truck up within her, even after her commitment to Vikram had been made known, was uncontrollably running rampart within her. But was it so bad to feel desire, as long as she did not act upon it?

It was bad, cruel, and unfair. And she knew it.

The mare was glad that his voice broke the silence once again, though his words were laced with more of a bitter aftertaste this time. He raised genuine concerns, ones that she knew would be the largest obstacles they would overcome. The difference was; Mirage was aware of these obstacles, and she was willing to overcome them, or at least try. She would not allow herself, nor her family, to be too intimidated just by the sheer size of the task ahead of them, to give up on the chance, however minute a chance it was, that they could carve themselves and their future generations a home where all could survive happily, peacefully, equally.

"Who is to say what is and is not natural? You? Me? The Gods? Perhaps, in Gassul, it was not natural for you to bend trees to your will, or live on into the unforeseeable future. But you are not in Gassul anymore Lace, nor even Isilme." With an insistent nip aimed for whatever part of his body she could reach - his chest, his shoulder - she continued speaking, her voice expressing some of the surprise she felt at his negativity, his fear for the path she had set for him, when he was the one who had always asked what the next step would be. Did he think it was going to be easy? A simple walk in the park?

"You surprise me, Lace. While you may speak the truth, from your experience, experiences I hold too, I am asking you to envisage a new life, a better life, for all. No, it will not be easy, but it will be worth it, for ourselves, for our future, and the future of our children and their children… If the strength is spread equally, then it will be impossible for one individual or one group to rise and damage those that could not survive against them." Sure, those who thought themselves stronger could try, but they would not be able to succeed if their opponents held enough strength to stand against them. While the little mare always believed in the saying that it was not the tool one held, but the manner in which they longed to use it, but that only held true if everyone had access to the same toolkit. And here, in Helovia, they did.

"The Basin are home to the Plague, a group we are told are determined to exterminate all those who do not hold horns upon their heads. They are ruthless and cunning, and have been far too quiet recently. We beat them once, and they have made it known that we are not forgiven." She referred to her time spent there as prisoner, and the countless little insults that had been passed between them ever since. "I fear that they gather in strength and numbers up there, planning to overthrow the rest of Helovia.. Which is why we must help all to gain the strength to stand up against them. Magic is the answer, Lace. It is a gift, to be treasured and respected, to be shared and cherished, so that we might live in a world where there is no more struggle, no more hatred, no more war or battles or unnecessary death and destruction."

Yes, Mirage knew that what she wanted was unlikely to ever be achieved, but that did not stop her wanting it, striving for it, appealing to all she could to join her on this journey and make it that much more likely to eventuate.

"As for my daughters… I have no doubt you will meet them, whether you want to or not, in the future."