They were all keen observers of each other, Amaris wondered if a muscle twitch, a blink, a discerning glance, a breath was missed as the stallion and mare's eyes roved over her, seeking to identify her flaws, her strengths, or perhaps just her. Golden eyes peered back at them both, absorbing all that she could, observing much without comprehending everything - full understanding would come later, she knew, when she had time for her thoughts to settle the realisations of what all the subtle cues meant would piece themselves together, like a puzzle one has been staring at for too long but which is easily assembled with a pair of fresh eyes.

The fire-mare offered her realm of residence easily enough, and Amaris' previous thoughts were confirmed of the mare's identity, her parentage, perhaps even the burdens she carried. She spoke of an absent father, and had Amaris been privy to the thoughts roiling in Erebos' mind, she might have agreed with them. As it was, the dragonmare could only wonder at the gathering of at least two descendants from leaders of the herd - she did not know Erebos' lineage and was not about to pry without the conversation naturally shifting that way. The dragonmare knew somewhat of that which Kiada spoke, the neglectful feeling of dejection when one's parent must tend to their herd before they can even spend a quiet evening with oneself. But Amaris had lost her parents now, and had had a decent upbringing despite it all anyway, and so while she tried to see things from Kiada's point of view, she also couldn't entirely embrace the fire-mare's standpoint.

The steed asked a more direct, pointed question then, and the dragonmare offered a small wisp of smirk to alter the smile she wore, appreciating his directness, his power of observation, his cunning and intellect, even if all he had done was identify openly where she had hidden facts and truth, obscured all but the most necessary information from them. Amaris replied in her smooth, honey-sweet tones easily - she didn't hide such facts completely intentionally, it was more a force of a habit from her childhood, to give only the bare minimum information away while gaining as much as possible in return.

"Here and there, I admit to suffering from a wanderer's wayward heart many times over the years. Most recently, I have taken up residence at the World's Edge," again, though she held onto that tidbit, that superfluous morsel of information. There was no need to go into who her parents were, surely. "I hope you have otherwise been well too, Kiada," she offered with a small nod to her now-confirmed herdmate. "And the Basin too, of course, Erebos."

Attention swivelled to the stallion once again, as Erebos, a master wordsmith if ever there was one, shot another question to Kiada, seeking clarification, seeking to know how this mare felt as she underwent these experiences. Amaris found herself guiltily listening in once more, curious to know almost in the same way one might watch reality television (though of course, she wouldn't know that).

The Basin is strong and mighty, Erebos assured them, and Amaris could see a deflection if ever there was one, knowing of the (somewhat) recent falling of their longest standing leader, the Reaper, knowing that many of them still mourned and grieved, having met several of them in her travels. It wasn't that she didn't believe his words to be true - the Basin was indeed a strong and mighty herd even if the Reaper was dead - it was more the fact that he offered no further details, and it was obvious to the dragonmare because she had attempted to do the same just earlier in keeping the location of her residence to herself.

But Amaris would not prod, not openly, she would merely glance at the stallion, perhaps raise a 'brow in a silent question, but then the glance would cease, disappear, and she would resume being the quiet, only partially contributor to this conversation.

@Erebos @Kiada

Amaris