The more d'Artagnan watched his old friend the more he began to see the internal conflict and he smiled faintly when his jesting comment seemed to take him by surprise. It seemed that wherever the Frostheart had gone in space and time that it had effected him in a way that troubled him, though d'Artagnan wasn't renowned for his sharp insight, he did know his friend, and something deep inside wasn't quite right. It was hard for him, the infamous Doctor, to try and reach that place within Mauja that troubled him. It wasn't something he could simply heal, a wound of a metaphorical case was beyond him though he could try words of encouragement. Even if it wasn't his strong suit and rather ruined the image he had created for himself. For a few moments he rather wished Kou was with him, she would know what to say and it would come out much kinder. Rather than his gruff tones. "My friend I lost my head a long time ago" he said with humour to Mauja's jesting question.

Heads. Who needed them.

He watched the bane as he drew back within himself again and spoke in compliments of Psyche before going to express his relief at his reception. d'Artagnan stared at him, his eyes boring into the iced blue of Mauja's as the snowy stud's muzzle touched his horn. The Nighshade had a sudden urge to hit his former King, if they were back at the cliffs of the Edge he might've even pushed him off, though he kept his violent thoughts behind the bars of his mind. Who knows what other drabble the Frostheart would come out with if he was knocked senseless. Instead lids narrowed as if he was trying to look inside his friend, find the old King who spoke words of fire and rallied the unicorns like he was some saint. The Mauja the Frostheart that he knew when he first came to Helovia, the Mauja who had followed him to the Earth God and the Mauja who installed passion into the Plague. As the red's thoughts churned his gaze turned sad for a moment before changing into exasperation followed by a sigh.

"You're different now then you were back in the first days, when our little family was first formed." He smiled at the pet name he gave the herd, the family that constantly changed but always remained strong. "Are you really that weak? Or are you running away from the uncertainty inside you? Maybe a sense of guilt for being gone from the herd for so long?" Though d'Artagnan was angered inside he managed to keep his voice at a kind level, his questions were more like probes. Trying to find what exactly it was that bothered Mauja so much. "Is it really enough... Don't you feel like you owe them more than that, you battled shoulder to shoulder with them and shed blood with them when the Edge was lost, surely you want more than their simple approval."

d'Artagnan wasn't sure if he'd got across what all that he thought in his mind. He wanted Mauja to see that this wallowing in self pity wasn't helping himself or the herd. Maybe he was wrong, the shade had a rather harsh upbringing and was always taught to ignore the hurts that plagued himself and concentrate on the important. Maybe that was why most who met him described him as being so cold. Though d'Artagnan wasn't entirely free of self pity, his depressed thoughts of the Moon Goddess still sat like a dark shadow upon his soul. His voice grew quieter and softer as he turned to watch Aramis bounding around "I don't like to see you like this, broken as you are, but I must also say I know the feeling..."

His voice trailed off towards the end and he wondered if Mauja had thought of the Moon Goddess. Her patron land she had so happily given to Mirage and her hoard of heathens. Though each time d'Artagnan had been to visit her, she'd never given away anything that would suggest a reason why she had let such an atrocity happen. It struck him the most because he was burdened with constant reminders of her, not least of all his first born son. Mesec. Who had disappeared again. The Nightshade wanted to hate her, hate her for abandoning them, but apart of him still betrayed his resolve. His own flesh and blood, his son, had her blood too. He was their son. Maybe that was why he couldn't let go.