She had grown used to the desert in the short weeks that she had spent upon its sands. So, too, had she grown used to the herd that she now called her own. Though she had not become well-acquainted with any besides Ilios and the sweet filly at the oasis, she was growing more confident every day in her ability to communicate in semi-effective ways with the rest of the herd. Perhaps, one day, they would even come to see her as family. She had not chosen her blood-family, but this... this place, she had chosen. She was beginning to love it, to consider it the home that she had never had. She hoped that its inhabitants would begin to see her the same way that she saw them.

On this particular morning near what she hoped would be the end of Frostfall, the watercolor mare was seeking out the herd's Diviner. Since her arrival in the Dragon's Throat, Xolani had been wondering what she would be able to contribute to earn her place amongst her new family. She could not fight (the sight of blood made her ill), so she could not offer protection. She could not heal (the sight of blood, remember?), so she could not offer healing. She was silent, allowing her to hear much that others might not, and had briefly considered gathering information; but she could not bear to bring harm to others, even indirectly, and so she could not be a spy. She could not create anything of permanence, and so she could not craft.

What she could do, and do quite well, was learn and pass on history and stories about the land. She could offer her services to the gods, could use her newly-formed magic to put their tales on display. She could offer guidance and wisdom, if she was given the chance to earn it for herself. And she she sought out Maren, hoping to adequately explain her predicament and be given the opportunity to assist in even the smallest of ways. The memory of Ampere's greeting brought hesitance to her steps, for she remembered the frown that had creased the dark mare's brow upon learning of Xolani's inability to speak. Would her disability (Gods, how she hated to call it that, it left such a bitter taste in her mouth!) make her somehow undesirable for herd life?

No, she told herself firmly. I can show them. I can prove myself. And onward she marched, determined to find her place in the Dragon's Throat.

Thoughts.