Drop by drop the rain fell down, until the musical sound of it hitting grass and leaf took over the night. Gradually the mist lessened as it was rained down, but each droplet that fell upon him felt cold and bothersome. He knew that within a matter of minutes it would rain properly, but until it did, it just served to bring his mood down a notch or two. Talons gripped him, grumpy nudges sent his way, but he ignored her, peering instead at Delinne's vibrant eyes. At least the rain would mask it if she started crying — his request startled her, and he let her look upon him. He had some things to hide, which he hid, but what he didn't was that slight edge of sadness, and worry. She, too, had been with the herd a while, helped fight for their freedom and right to live. But more than that, she'd always supported him, and for as long as he could, he owed the same to her. And yet, he couldn't help but wonder.. if she knew the darkness in his soul, would she sell him to the enemy?

If he were in her hooves, and heard the same three words from the lips of another- no, don't think about it. It would never happen, and if it did — it wouldn't happen in the first place. Firmly he told himself that. His own problems existed in his head, and in his head only, with no chances of becoming real, and they could good and well sit there and shut up, please and thank you.

What he said seemed to give her some vestige of comfort, or at least peace of mind, for she mustered a small smile, which gradually grew wider and wider until he smiled, too. His was smaller, one corner curling up more than the other. "Then... Then I shall join you later, after my quest is done. And... I will have to talk with him." One ear flicked forth, then back again, listening to the sound of rain and occasionally swirling in some other direction. It was starting to fall heavier, not just a faint drizzle, distorting the view with a curtain of gray. Mauja wrinkled his face a little when they fell on his muzzle, and gave his head a shake. Rain, rain, how I love thee not... It slid around the contours of his body, would plaster his mane to his neck; another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by the rumble of thunder, and even as Delinne was looking intently at her, Irma sent something which was equivalent to fuck this I'm outta here to his mind before taking off on barred wings. Silently she disappeared like a ghost into the night.

"You're on a quest?" Mauja asked her, conversationally, trying to decipher the meaning of what she had said. That she was to finish her quest, talk to her winged mate, and then come join him, or at least find him? If they felt they could live separated? It was what sounded the most logical, and he settled for interpreting it like that for now. The rain fell harder, and his ears flipped back in disagreement, yet he stayed put as if it was perfectly normal to have a not so perfectly normal conversation in the middle of the night, in the prelude to a rainstorm.