I appreciated her gestures of apology for her question, even though I answered it. It shouldn’t have been such a hard question to answer. For anyone else in Helovia that she could have said those few words to, I’m sure few of them would have acted the way I have - as if it were the most personal question in the world. It wasn’t her fault that I didn’t know whether I considered this place home or whether I would ever consider it home.

“You don’t have to apologize, it’s okay to not know.” I point out, attempting to soften the bluntness of the comment with a warm smile. It was too bad that she didn’t know but I wasn’t about to chastise her for that! There are a great deal of things that I don’t know but I couldn’t imagine apologizing for it, I’d never stop! It certainly reaffirms the idea that this mare isn’t some sort of Goddess - I doubt the divine were prone to apologizing. Though her mortality continues to confound me.

“The Aurora Basin, that’s what they call it.” At least I could fill in one of the blanks, golden eyes shifting from her face once more and into the distance as though speaking the name of the herd will light up a signal that shows me where I might find it. No such luck, however.

I find myself further softening to the strange Seren as she answered my question. I wasn’t sure if she literally meant the world being torn open or figuratively, given her appearance I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it was the first but my mind could not comprehend such a formidable event. I was not imaginative enough, I suspected, to even begin to guess at what sort of world Seren had been born into.  

But despite the difference in us, I could at least understand the last part of what she spoke. It struck me in the heart and any remaining harshness in my face or attitude completely falls away.  “It’s nicer here than where I had been stolen to as well.” I admit quietly, my eyes sad and gentle as they look at her. I’ve never been very good at hiding my emotions but I’m actually not trying to this time - I want her to understand that I think I know what she’s going through. I can only guess what sort of land she had come from but if it was anything like where I had spent the last year, her relief at the peace in Helovia must be great.

“Perhaps we’ll both be luckier here?”