Visage turns towards her, familiar in ways she'll never be able to express, and her heart flutters. Every new sighting of him is unique, it reminds her that he really was there, that he really had returned to her. Sometimes she felt as if it was all just a dream, and that she'd awaken to find that Hana and Alleo really never had set foot in Helovia to find her. The Gods had blessed her, returning them to her. If she had ever done something right in life, surely it was that which garnered their appreciation, and sent her siblings to her when she needed them. Her gratitude would never wane, and she would be indebted to them until the day she died for granting her such a simple, yet meaningful thing. It was as if she could never look away from Alleo's face, as those thoughts touched her mind once more, fleeting but powerful. Seeing the emotions on his face, however, effectively killed what joy she had. What could possibly be troubling him so much?
Her ecstatic bouncing and attempt to engage him stuttered to an abrupt halt, ready to listen, ready to delve into the caverns of his mind to find the problem and fix it. He'd done it for her so many times she'd be unable to count them if she tried, and she was constantly trying to balance the scales.
Blinking himself out of a daze, he reached for her, and she returned the gesture with sad eyes. Disbelieving. He was lying to her when he assured her that he was fine, but the soft touch of their muzzles was not an action she wanted to forego. So much time had been lost, she didn't want to miss out on a single thing he did anymore. Lakota knew he was lying, and it turned her saddened frown into a disapproving one. "You're lying, Leo. You do not seek answers from Laima unless you are severely bothered. The past is behind us. Let it remain there." He was far taller than she, but the stubborn glare in her eyes firmly reminded him that she would take no excuses from him. Lying to her was not something she had ever approved of, from either of her siblings. It was taken as a personal insult, despite her hypocritical nature, for she lied to them just as much.
A smile lifted the corners of his pale mouth, eyes crinkling, but it was too sudden and too controlled for her to believe it to be sincere. "Do not hide from me, Leo. I am not a child anymore. I can handle your burdens." Her severity lessened with each pause, and at the end her eyes were searching his imploringly, wanting to show him that she was strong now. Despite her own weaknesses and inability to shoulder her own problems, she could at least handle his.
Gazing away from her, he drew her eyes, and she mimed him in return. The wind still blew their manes around, one as deep as shadows, the other pale like clouds. His voice brought her back around, and she faced him even when his eyes remained on the horizon, watching the scenery fade as the earth rounded. A sorrowful sigh escaped her, and her eyes stung a little, forcing her to turn her head towards the ground in a rather pathetic attempt at hiding it. "I always wonder, Leo. Herd life...well, despite my feelings towards it, it never seems to reciprocate. I am ignored by my brethren, only called to their sides when they are in need of my abilities. I am nothing to them, while they are everything to me. How can I not dream of what else is out there? I have explored so little, still, of this land." Unable to bare the idea that Alleo could be watching her, she shifted so that they faced the same point of the compass, shoulder to shoulder with minimal distance between their skin.
"But...Apollo, Phaedra, you and Hana...you are all so dear to me. Even if I am not needed...invisible...I stay because there may come a day when they do need me, or when I can put my life down to save theirs. I fear that if I leave, the harm that could befall them will, and I will not be here to stop it." She clearly recalled the way Phaedra had broken Apollo's heart, and yet at the recent meeting, he had received her like a best friend. What was she? Who was she?
Was she really nothing more than a burden, only necessary in times of crisis, nothing more than a barrier of blood to be spilled to protect those who were ignorant of her soul?
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