Amethyst eyes glimmered thoughtfully beneath the thick fringe as the shadow nodded. It was true that it could be pleasant to wander on the ground from time to time, and it certainly was comfortable and secure when the weather raged at its worst. To be stranded on the hard soils however... even the thought was unpleasant, and the raven felt that it would take a lot of effort from her part if she was to ever fully understand a barren one.

Was it bad of her to think like that? Hector had seemed like he didn't care much for the topic, and the skeptic glance she had received weighed slightly on her mind even as she broke into a smile at his audible mirth. Despite herself the mare felt how muscles relaxed and her guard lowered; quite possibly a stupid thing to do, but how could she continue to be tense and wary when the face of the stallion expressed such joy? Her eyes followed his movements from beneath the cover of dusky eyelashes, strangely intrigued by the fiery coloration of his eyes...

"I'm glad" she replied dryly and pulled a corner of her mouth into a wry grin. "Remind me to never give you a reason then... You seem capable enough when it comes to defending others." If anything, the sheer size of the young brute would make most think twice about picking a fight with him, and the muscles that swelled beneath chestnut skin appeared strong and honed. Suitable for both running and flying, sturdy enough to lean against without fear of toppling over... Catching herself trailing the outlines of the stallions body with her eyes Shadow quickly turned her head away and began counting the number of red tree branches that silhouetted against the pale blue sky, intensely hoping that he wouldn't have noticed her interest in his physique.

His next words made her turn back again though, quickly and with a look of incredulity written plainly on the features. An ear turned backwards, expressing mild skepticism. "A ghost?" she repeated, doing her best to keep the voice mild and vaguely interested rather than doubtful - with mixed results. "Really. That's... certainly different. Is it anything like that... wolf thing that followed Cirrus around?" She really hoped not. While she had tolerated the presence of the predatory canine because it belonged to the roan healer the little shade wasn't so comfortable around them that she'd want more in the herd. What was this strange fascination the horses around here had with pets anyway? Or maybe there were other reasons why a ghost supposedly followed Hector around. Maybe someone close to him had died.

"Speaking of Cirrus" she hurried on as a thought struck her, eager to get away from the topic of magic and unnatural creatures. "Hector, do you think you could tell me a bit about the rules and structure of this place? No one has told me anything so far, and I've never been a part of a herd before..." She looked up at him hopefully and stretched the wings out in a more relaxed way to loosen the muscles before they returned to their positions, resting more comfortably against the ebony skin this time.