Her friend and queen was as thoughtful as she was, observed Illynx, the tender creases in the black flesh of Psyche's face leading the eyes on a trail of visible emotion, though the Lady of the Basin was rather skilled at shielding precisely what she pondered in comparison to Illynx, if the corporal was to be the judge. She assumed it was simply differences in character, the chocolate minx dis-concerned with the judgement or emotions of others. But did that mean that Psyche sought approval from those around her with more intensity than Illynx? It was a curious thought, the golden horned unicorn having always assumed Psyche to be above the inner struggles of finding a place in the world, the feather strewn mare regent over a herd of nearly fifty faces and having held similar esteem through most of what Illynx could recall. The anxiety etched into the ebony Lady's sinew only deepened her thought that perhaps Psyche was not an impenetrable wall as she had always viewed her to be, that perhaps the weight of her crown had begun to make the bricks sway and sag, and it made the concern within the golden marked mare's chest extend further than it had initially. And, another concern all together; that while she cared for her leader and friend, she knew very little of her, but that they both were indisputably beautiful and fierce of heart, and that the Lady Psyche was one to be respected and admired for her intelligence as well as her ferocious temper, Illynx having always viewed the black unicorn as a sister more thoroughly than any of the others who had crossed her path.

A sister, but also a shadow; Illynx wondered if she herself was as illusive to those in her life, if the cold mask she had worn behind her smile all her life had made her as untouchable as she sometimes felt her dearest friend to be. Was that why she was always alone? She wondered if Psyche was as solitary as she herself was, but then dismissed the notion; there were too many here who depended upon her for the Lady to be alone much at all.

The darkness amplified noises, she noticed, as Psyche's voice broke the temporary silence between the mare's statements, the air eerily windless and still but for the familiar tones of her friend and the rustling and mutterings of the herd gathered about the broiling water. The corporal wasn't quite sure what to say in response to the question, finding it rhetorical and remaining silent until she felt a nudge on her shoulder, the vibrancy in Psyche's voice more normal than it had been since the beginning of their conversation. Illynx's golden eyes swung about to look upon the black mare, a smile laced upon her lips. "Quite so, though I don't think I will ever manage to meet all of our herd," a giggle trailed from her, breathy and girlish, her head bemusedly bobbing to and fro in mock disbelief, "how have we managed to attain such numbers, my sister? Every day I still see faces I have not seen before." And she had placed names to many others, as well, and with so many she did not know it made it rather difficult to venture out of her cave some days when she awoke feeling particularly aggressive or desiring to be surrounded with anything other than strangers. "I can't say I'm helping myself keep caught up much. I've returned with several new recruits myself. Speaking of which -" her smile grew devious as she curved her head towards Psyche and lowered her voice so as not to be heard by those around them, not particularly keen on instilling more fear into the hearts of her kin within earshot unless it was deemed necessary by the Lady herself, "do you know of these 'Assassins' within the Arch? I encountered one while at the Threshold."