Eva's outbust about her excuses made Kahlua want to stop back and yell, to tell her to be quiet and listen because she was getting to the taking responsibility part. Only a herculean effort prevented her from actually doing the yelling, but she did respond with a small snort of distaste. Kahlua did not like to lord her position over her herd but in this moment she really wanted to just tell Eva to be quiet because she couldn't talk to her queen that way. Still, she couldn't go kicking everybody that disagreed with her out of the herd and in the end it was the thought of what Kaj would think of her if she did so that stopped her. Perhaps it was for the best that she did not, though, for the tension seemed to drop between the two of them as they reached some sort of subtle, precarious agreement.

The queen could have spouted out that she knew where he came from, had known ever since he trespassed the first time he came to the Edge, but Eva did not seem interested in being wrong and (as much as it pained the queen not to spout out some sort of know-it-all words) in the end the queen simply nodded. And slowly, ever so slowly, the tension started to dissipate and the moment went from one that could have ended in yelling to one that would hopefully end in learning for both of the mares. They both had much to learn.

Normally it was Kahlua who demanded others walked with her, but she did not protest the command from the philosopher. Setting off with Eva, she walked at an easy pace through the branches and brush, enjoying the warm spring air and rustle of the wind in the trees that complimented Eva's voice. Though the story was long, the queen listened eagerly to every word. She had so much to learn, so much to know in order to best create a plan to bring peace to all of Helovia. Eva knew more than Kahlua had imagined. It seemed she had chose her path in the herd well and suddenly Kahlua was frowning at her and Kaj's decision to make the hot-headed Aurelia Seer. Still, the Lady Moon had approved their choice. Much like in the case of naming Kahlua queen, the goddess must have known more than the mortals gave her credit for.

Nodding in agreement as Eva said that she could not condone war in the name of peace, Kahlua murmured softly in between some of Eva's words, “I could not agree more with you.” She didn't add much more, as she didn't want Eva to stop, and the queen kept her gaze more or less on Eva as they walked, turning forward only to avoid a tree or rock as they appeared.

Kahlua shuddered as Eva got to the part of the story about the dead coming back to life, reminded very acutely of her own time as a monster- a shell of her own self. “Oh Eva, I'm so sorry,” she tossed in at the appropriate moment, the sincerity in her voice obvious though her words were short, so as to interrupt Eva as little as she could. Again she desired to reach out, to offer a touch to the philosopher that could give her some strength in the moment, but a tree divided the two and by the time Kahlua reunited with Eva on the other side the moment had passed and she kept her nose to herself.

Kahlua stopped with Eva, turning to face her, still listening, still quiet and eager, blue eyes bright, hanging on Eva's every word. Finally, it was her turn. “And what were you taught as a child, Eva? How did you come to feel so strongly about peace, about fighting against racism? What made you want to take the attacks of the shades when you could have been running with your friends?” The queen loved her friends, but she hadn't taken the bite of a wraith because she had wanted to. It had been pure accident. So many questions, so much to learn. How could she ever know everything she needed to learn? It seemed that the God of the Sun had a very specific idea in mind when he had given her this quest.