She shuns his offer of a shoulder, and he raises an eyebrow. Rather than being offended by her rejection, the beast is actually filled with admiration for her - she wants to walk alone, unhelped, despite her injuries and the pain that is undoubtedly coursing through her nerves. He gives a small huff of agreement, then continues to walk alone. He lurks close to her still, however, as there could be any amount of predators marauding between the trees just waiting to pounce upon a defenceless mare; he has put her into this state, so it is his duty to be her guardian until they get to safety.

The golem's fiery glow allows him to see her face as he asks about her voice. It tells him everything she needs to know, and he feels a small pang of guilt for his insensitivity. "Oh." What does one say to such a revelation? That's inconvenient? That must be hard? However do you cope? It's not like she will be able to answer any of those questions, even if he does ask them. Although the goliath shuns pity as being one of those weak emotions that lesser men feel, he cannot help the small pang of it that creeps unbidden through his psyche. How must it feel to be trapped in eternal silence, unable to communicate what you want to? Of course, their species relies heavily on body language - small cues taken from the tiniest twitch of a muscle or flicker of an ear - but there is no replacement for the simplicity of speech.

She gestures towards the golem, and he takes that as an invitation to talk about it. Guided by his mind, the little rock creature runs in a circle around one of his stout forelegs, illuminating his underside with a livid orange glow. "It is one of my magical abilities. I can create them in any shape and a variety of sizes, although I cannot really control what they do. They seem to act on my impulses rather than my direct instructions - in battle, they will simply attack the nearest target." He has only used them once, because he almost feels as though utilising them in battle is cheating. They are strong and can pack a heavy blow, so it is like a two against one battle when they are used.

In a true challenge, however, with real consequences, he will have no such qualms.

They are nearly to the water now, and the stallion gestures with his muzzle towards it. The golem trots off to stand alongside it, casting its light across the still surface to allow the mare to see where she's going.