Alysanne waited for Mauja to tell her that she was an idiot, that she had handled the situation all wrong, but his frustration didn’t seem to lie with her… or not directly. It was more of a frustration with Helovia in general from what she could tell - and of course he was right. It was theft, what Raeden had done, but it hadn’t seemed quite so simple. She opened her mouth to argue with his brief statement that it might have been his fault - there might be a few who could take blame for this situation but it was not Mauja - but he continued before she could and she did closed her mouth again, unwilling to interrupt.

For a brief moment, Alysanne realized that she was actually glad to have evoked such a strong response from Mauja - but that moment was chased quickly with guilt. She hated anger and did not wish to see its magma-hot grip take hold of anyone. She felt unsure whether she should move away, whether she’d only annoy and anger him more by standing here and talking. But when had Alysanne ever run? She’d stay for as long as he would tolerate her. She’d stay and she would try to put out the fire she had helped start.

"I should just burn this fucking place down,"

It was not his harsh language that caused her to flinch away from this hoarse whisper (she had grown up with Iona after all) but the images that were conjured. Her green eyes slide close, attempting to shut out those images... but of course it doesn’t work. It was easier to focus on the images without the distraction of the snow, of Mauja’s body close to hers. She didn’t know if he meant it how she is imagining it - all of Helovia bursting into flame and bringing every mare, stallion, and foal down with it - but her imagination ran wild with the very suggestion. It was the stuff of her nightmares. Alysanne unwillingly remembered her dream from earlier this very morning - of Iona wreathed in flame and burning with it - and her words come out as a hoarse croak. “I wish you wouldn’t.” It did not matter if he had been serious or not (though, really, she did not know Mauja to make jokes).

Once, she had always imagined it was Tembovu who would burn down the world and even now her mind is loath to replace him with Mauja.

A frown darkened her eyes when she opened them again to seek out his face, studying him carefully when she found her voice again to whisper. “Surely it is not all worth burning down?”

If you could only understand—through my heart and through my veins

I gave it all,

I'll give again.