I smile at her as she explains her tendency to apologize. It’s a habit I’ve seen in a few mares - one my mother snapped me out of as soon as she could. She told me to never apologize for things out of my control. As a result, her daughter wa a little more hard-headed than she should be but at least it prevented me from being stepped on. “Yes, a hard habit to break but you’ll get there.”  

A light laugh escaped me at her question about the Basin, whether it was colder than it was here. I thought back to my first night there, when I had been freezing and went to pick a fight with Calder, who had failed to mention just how damn cold it would be. Time hadn’t changed my annoyance over that skipped detail and I wasn’t getting acclimated as quickly as I’d like but still…

“Almost. It’s protected by the mountains and they keep the worst of the wind out. And there’s caves to get shelter from and hot springs to warm in.” I stop and wrinkle my nose at myself - realizing that I’m sounding nostalgic about the place. Perhaps it was growing on me more than I cared to admit.

“You’d be welcome there, if you need somewhere safe stay. The horses here… well they’re a little odd but they’re kind.” Not that Seren also wasn’t odd - maybe she would be better at fitting in than I was - but that didn’t seem to mean anything here in Helovia. It was an entire land built of outcasts, everyone leaving behind one life or another and starting a new one here. For the moment, it was seeming a little too good to be true and I feared what was hidden in the shadows, feared what I did not know about this place.

The question she asked me had my face wrinkle in confusion again - but without any complicated feelings. I seem to be getting confused over a lot of simple words lately - “home”, “rift”. Perhaps I’m growing senile early, a triggered reaction to the stress of late. God, I hope not. I rather hoped to keep my wits about me while travelling in a strange land, thank you very much.

“No, not from the Rift.” A waiver of uncertainty broke my voice with the last word. Not because I was confused about whether I had been from there or not - but because I didn’t know where to go next with the conversation. I could ask her about it, but it didn’t seem right to. Seren was a mare with a troubled past - which began the weaving of a bond between us.

When I did speak, it was cautious and slow - and though my eyes were on her they were unfocused. “I was a slave. My herd was invaded, they killed most the stallions and took us…” I can’t bring up everything, can’t tell her the whole truth. It was too much - too much for me to think about nevermind explain to a near stranger. I liked Seren, I didn’t see a need to burden her further with my own sad tale when she had one of her own. I inhale deeply, my eyes closing for a long moment as I sought to stabilize myself. When I open my eyes again, it is with the question of whether Seren will understand my next words.

“My first few steps in Helovia were the first free ones I had taken in a very long time.”