As was her habit the young acolyte kept an ear trained steadily on her teacher as he spoke, but otherwise a casual glance might leave one with the impression that she wasn't listening at all. Her eyes roamed the surrounding landscape with restless hunger as her feet carried her down the familiar path, easily avoiding rocks and roots; if it hadn't been for the awkward shuffling of her legs she would have been graceful, and even now there was a practiced ease in the way she moved that suggested the girl was quite accustomed to her ailment.

The absent-minded look about her did not stem from lacking interest in what the Seer was saying however. Quite the opposite; the girl was so focused on listening that she barely registered anything else, the flickering gaze merely a reflection of the inner workings of her agile mind. For now she would sort the impressions her teacher imparted and separate the facts from whatever emotional response she might have to them. Later she would mull over it all as she roved the nightly forest, rephrase and repeat the wisdom until it took on a form she could remember, understand and live by.

The process was interrupted by one statement that jarred her, the swell of emotional feedback too great to set aside. Why did the Seer stand in the shadow of the King and Queen? Erthë had never thought to question this before, but now she frowned as she tried to put words to her swirling emotions, attempting to phrase and frame the indignation in a format that could be understood.

"I would love to help out if there is anything I can do" she answered, as Alune broke off with an offer he ought to know she would never refuse. "Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it!"

Erthë had a deeply rooted desire to be useful to the herd, to repay the kind souls residing in the misty forest for giving her a home to return to. Her love for the Moon was an added bonus, a clue to how she could aid her big adopted family.  The girl was curious about what it was he intended to arrange, but that one question burned so hot on her tongue now that it overshadowed even her craving for a task to complete.

"Alune?" she asked slowly, still struggling with how to phrase her concern.

"Why is it that the Seer is ranked below the King and Queen? If this is the Goddess' lands, and the Seer is her champion and voice... Shouldn't the herd benefit most from being led by the one who speak most directly to the Lady?"

As she spoke, the filly was reminded of a similar discussion she'd had with her father, and she brought it up now to hear what her teacher had to say about it; would his stance be different from Vadim's?

"I've always wondered why we accept those who aren't loyal to the Moon into the herd" she said, so interested in the reply that she turned her head to gaze avidly upon the star-speckled stallion.

"Wouldn't it be better if everyone who came here swore loyalty to Her, rather than the leaders? There are so many changes in the ranks, people come and go and the only real ruler seems to be the Goddess herself, even if she doesn't walk the forest in body. And if she is the true ruler, then I think it should follow that the Seer ought to be the highest ranked individual..."

Perhaps it was a radical idea. None of the herds in Helovia followed such a system, and no one paused to study the character and beliefs of those they accepted into their ranks. Erthë cared about all in the herd, but she was astounded by the lack of piety and respect some displayed, while others even went so far as to speak ill of the protector of the lands.

Why would anyone ever think to settle in a place when they hated the deity that governed it?

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Waiting for the rain I'm bracing for the thunder
A twig that wouldn't sway in the wind