“Two seasons?” The ocean mare echoes her golden friend with both surprise and concern coloring her features, her voice so hushed that the words are practically mouthed. While Tiamat certainly enjoys her cave within the Aurora Basin, she can’t imagine what it would be like to not leave it for two seasons. Questions immediately bubble up to the tip of her tongue, wondering why Rexanna would remain sequestered for so long, or what events transpired to keep her in the darkness, but movement from her companion distracts the blue Lady.

Recognizing Marembo as the strange creature from her hatching (partly from Tiamat’s memories, since the Leviathan’s are largely hazy in the beginning), the little whale glides over to him. Allowing the lower part of her fins to skim the surface of the moving water, Nimue eyes the polecat, having seen nothing like him since. Slowly, she extends her round head forward and into the furry little palm, trilling a slow whistle.

Tiamat can’t help but smile to herself, gesturing to her precious Leviathan with her curved horn. “And that is Nimue,” she adds to the end of Rexanna’s introductions, because she doesn’t remember introducing her companion before. Sweeping her pearly eyes then to the dragon-scaled mare, Tiamat is quick to reassure her. “You’re not intruding! If anything, it was I who intruded with my less-than-graceful entrance,” she laughs merrily at herself, tossing her head in humor, hair still slick and dripping from her unwitting waltz into the river’s depths. “A pleasure to meet you, Amaris—and Dramyrth,” the Lady inclines her head to both of them, her words far more sincere than a simple phrase to carry on the conversation.

When it is time for Rexanna to answer her question, her former herd mate quickly absorbs her attention, and even despite the generous compliments that Amaris offers (which truly cause her heart to glow with warmth and happiness) there is a lingering sense of concern that puckers her brow. “Rexanna is a beautiful soul,” Tiamat agrees with her newfound friend, casting a short but brilliant smile to Amaris, before her anxious eyes return to the gilded mare. “How strange it is to have your babies all grown! I’m happy to hear they are doing well. Have the Moon Doctors taken a look at your newest little girl? I would offer to try and heal her myself, but I’m afraid I only have herbs that would help alleviate any discomfort for a condition like that—I no longer have healing magic,” she tilts her head sadly.

However, suddenly realizing that it has been that long since she has seen Rexanna, she recognizes that her dear friend wouldn’t know her latest news. “Oh!—I have been promoted to Lady of the Aurora Basin,” Tiamat crows with delight, truly honored (and quite daunted, frankly) by the title that the Time God has recently crowned her with. It is a responsibility that she doesn’t take lightly, even though it is thrilling to serve her beloved mountain home.

Still, news like this usually comes as a double-edged sword. By the time she continues, Tiamat’s features have sobered from her usual cheer. “Hotaru has disappeared, I’m afraid—have you seen her recently, by chance?—and Deimos…Deimos has passed away,” she lowers her head so that her lips brush the water’s glassy surface, her gaze dropping to her cloven hooves, now webbed as she stands on the river bottom. Even though it’s been nearly half a year since the Reaper’s death, the grief is still fresh in the sea maiden’s heart. She does not know if Rexanna is already aware of this information, but it is at least comforting to know that they will both understand one another’s sorrow. Deimos had been a great and noble leader for them.

“I meant to ask about your wounds,” Tiamat suddenly breaks the grieving silence when her lowered eyes trail again to Amaris’ glowing burns, her healer’s heart grasping at the distraction. “No doubt the water feels good, but if you need anything more to help ease the pain, or prevent infection, let me know—I can help,” the Ocean’s Light smiles, once more as bright and sparkling as the sunlight that filters around them.


notes; Sorry it's all over the place ;-;
“Speech.”