Anger is hot on Arah's caricature, and it's so odd to her that Lakota momentarily wonders what it was she did to make her so furious. But then Aodaun nudges himself gently against her scar, and understanding flourishes through her. It's a huge display, for Lakota, that Arah would be so furious with Ktulu for harming her. Face warm she kicks idly at the snow with one black hoof, a little overwhelmed with the intensity of Arah's emotions. She had mentioned Ktulu's wraith phase, hadn't she? So why was she still so upset? It touched her nonetheless, illogical as it may seem to her. It reminded her that maybe she wasn't as alone as she believed, that there were still others out there who would defend her to their dying breath. Unlikely that it would ever stop being strange to her, but at least they existed. How had she garnered so many dedicated friends? She was hardly anything special, it was simply astounding to her. Did they all have a preference for short, angry mares with a knack for poisoning others gleefully? If so, they really needed to get some help.

Delicately she shrugged, careful not to pull at her side too much. "Arah, there is nothing I would want fixed. I wouldn't be...well I wouldn't be me. Sometimes better isn't really 'better', you understand?" Her words were soft, the same defeated tone she held previously, but there was a sardonic smile on her face. Maybe it was hope, or just an acceptance that life was going to keep gleefully kicking her down into the dirt repeatedly. One way or another, it seemed she was able to accept that her own brokenness wasn't going to simply disappear. She doubted she even wanted it to. It was her little idiosyncrasy, and she hated and loved it equally. It made being honest so much easier, made her friends that much more faithful, because they knew exactly what they were getting into when they became so important to her.

"Maybe nothing is too strong of a word, but it isn't much. I don't know how strong I can be to offer you my friendship, but for now, I'm not sure what else I can offer you." A weak smile pulled at her lips, hopeful but flighty, as if ready to turn and run the moment it appeared Arah would hurt her again. Her heart caught in her throat before she could, and she gave a pathetic choking whimper as the news was placed gently upon her. So...Arah had found love. She'd...she'd had foals. Lakota felt vaguely dizzy and she clenched her eyes shut, her breathing fluttering as if wanting to cry. The tears pricking her eyes certainly seemed to fit. Why couldn't she just shut off her ears? Because Arah kept going on, and she didn't want to hear a single word, not now or ever. Lakota sharply moved her eyes away, so brief was their eye contact, and snarled. She hoped Arah got the wrong impression, thought she was angry or disgusted instead of hurt and lonely like she felt on the inside.

"Congratulations," she managed to spit out, somewhat strangled but at the very least mostly sincere. Couldn't look at her anymore. Didn't think she even wanted to if she could. Passionless, she scoffed, staring off to the side almost wistfully at the snow her and Aodaun had upturned. "Don't. There's no need. I don't want it." The Poisoner feared if she elaborated it would only hurt her worse, and she had enough on her shoulders already. Lakota refused to let Arah see her break down or falter. Few held that privilege, and with each new season their numbers dropped.