The conversation quickly took on unfamiliar patterns. Lena began to speak of others in the herd, others that Ashamin had not seen and was beginning to doubt the existence of. Perhaps the Aurora Basin only housed a few. Then again, Ashamin didn't need the company of many. For a long time, he'd had the company of nothing but the wind and snow.

So he kept the name Ulrik in his mind. Perhaps, if the builder of these sentinels was kind, Ashamin would be able to learn something from them. There was a lot Ashamin wanted to learn, and he was beginning to have the feeling that the Basin was a place where he could gain the new knowledge he desired. Knowledge, safety... it truly had potential to be the place for him.

He watched as Lena seemed to think over his thoughts. She thanked him. He twitched his tail, nervous. He thought she might have more on her mind; he couldn't help but notice that her smile held less confidence than before. She had turned from him, towards the sky and the kitsune by her side. She sounded fine, and perhaps had his eyes been closed he would have believed that to be the case. But the subtleties that played across her features, the almost nervous wink, looking more like a twitch than a sign of assurance, told a different story.

Ashamin had felt the same many times before. That, paired with the approach of another mare, turned his attentions away from Lena. He hadn't the heart to question her, and he hadn't the mind to, either.

As the mare approached from the distance, Ashamin felt his heart lurch. There was a sense of anticipation that made the young stallion nervous, and he doubled back, retracing the tentative steps he had taken deeper into the night-blanketed frost of the Basin. When the mare was close enough that he could make her out more clearly, he was even less sure of how he was supposed to react. She was almost gold, even in the pale light, and her cream colored coat reflected the odd pattern in the skies above. Her horn, long, twirling, majestic as Veril's had been, sported a glittering chain that flashed when the mare stepped.

The mare drew closer with a smile and Ashamin's shoulders sloped in faint relaxation. She seemed to have an affect much like Lena's, and despite her sudden appearance, he felt himself grow slack with oncoming ease. Ashamin nickered and offered a slight smile back, casting Lena a sidelong glance as if seeking affirmation. Was this the right thing to do?

The mare spoke, introducing herself as Rexanna, and as Ashamin noted her name he noted too, with pleasure, that she was new here as well. So perhaps he wouldn't be alone in exploring this new place--this new home.

"I'm Ashamin," he proffered softly, his long tail waving behind him, the small white tuft at its end catching the light with a dull glimmer. "I-I'm new as well. It's... good to meet you."

He stuttered when he spoke, but mustered up the same courage he had when first meeting Lena and approached Rexanna with his muzzle outstretched. He reached to brush his cheek against hers, only for a moment, before walking past and alongside her, perhaps brushing his flank against hers as he did so. He stood further ahead, looking out over the Basin before turning back. He tucked his head beside his knees and glanced back at the cannons of the mares behind him--Lena's, a dark, familiar looking bay, and Rexanna's, gold dipped in ash. His ears perked as he listened to Lena respond to the newcomer, asking her about her time here and introducing herself as a time mender. He would have to ask her about that later.

"It is beautiful," he answered belatedly, speaking down to the earth, his slight breath whispering across the thin snowfall on the ground. He lifted his gaze again, looking out this time towards the aurora. As if possessed, he walked closer towards their shine. From his lips came Rexanna's words, a mere whisper repeated to the heart. "It truly is quite the sight."

((OOC: Sorry guys, I'm really sick and didn't have a full mirrored post in me or really much of one at all but wanted to get a reply to you.))
[[Tagged: @ [Lena], @ [Rexanna], all others who wish to join.]]

Ashamin