The child seems to rebuke the translation like a bitter taste in his mouth, the corners of his dainty lips puckering from the sour slap of reality.  Zyanya is impassive in that moment, her own lilac eyes drifting further into the past, remembering the first lips which imparted the simple wisdom.  The taste of magic clung to the tongue of her past, bittersweet when looking into faded eyes now out of her reach.  Still, a smile, serene and calm, rests on her own lips.

Accusatory, the boys question fills the small gap of silence between them.  The smile grows brighter on her own face, resisting the urge to giggle at the grumpy little colt before her.  Instead, she gifts him a pleasant look, a softness overcoming her features.  "My mother," the twinkle in her eye speaking volumes of love, and the pain in her chest remains hidden underneath that brilliant gleam.  The kindly face of her mother, elegant and wise, wreathed in smiles and adoring expressions, sits within her mind's eye for a moment, both filling and emptying her heart.

The boy sighs, a heavy weight resting in his small mind.  Of course, the porcelain doll of a mare has no idea what could possibly perturb the small boy so much.  She cannot see past the veil of his eyes into his childlike thoughts, see his own desire to curl under his mother and hide from the rain.  Only the small disappointments which he allows to fall through his features gives her hints to his mood.  A lonesome star, so young and yet so strangely serious.

She nods in return to his confirmation that he lived within the Basin as well, eliciting another smile from her.  The name of his mother is unfamiliar to her, but this does not surprise the mare.  The short time she had lived in the Basin, she had met many, yet there were still a myriad of unfamiliar faces which resided within the mountains.  The title of General is familiar, however, and it is one that earns respect across most cultures - Zyanya's former home included.  "I do not believe I have met her yet, unfortunately."  The voice is soft, wordlessly begging forgiveness from the strange boy for not knowing his mother.

He seems to contemplate how best to answer her inquiry - either to guard his purpose or eloquently describe it.  The small, dark eyes take on a shrewd expression, something quite comical on a face so innocent.  His words are strong, giving a large import to his place within the forest - a quest.  "Ah," she says, voice taking on a true tone of admiration.  "Perhaps, I can help you search... if you will have me, of course."

He inquires about her own purpose, catching her slightly off guard, though she is unsure why.  A thoughtful expression rests on her face for a moment.  Truthfully, she had no reason to be within the forest.  Maybe, she sought out the familiarity of trees to her old home, an attempt to assuage the loneliness building inside.  "I guess, I had missed the forest."

""