The stallion's look was disapproving at best but Kahlua was nearly useless at reading expressions. For the moment, she was stuck in her imagined limbo between pleasing the WingLeader, now her equal, and disappointing him to no end. Still, as she had given him no chance, he had no words for her and she was able to go on pretending everything would be alright. The smile that lit his face when she mentioned a gift was infectious, forcing one upon her own face. She practically radiated pleasure. She really did feed off the presence and happiness of others, and it made the work go all the faster.

Had she been more observant, she would have taken in and noted the diligent stance the stallion took for the entirety of her work. She was a soldier through and through, it was easy to see. His attention was commendable and any of the horses in the Edge would have been proud to call him general in that very moment. The way the chain links accented his neck as it was finally finished, resting there upon his crest, Kahlua even found the stallion handsome, though she was not very prone to thinking such things. If she ever did think such words, she rarely meant them in more than a passing sort of way. This was more than that. He looked regal and it could not be ignored.

For a moment, at the thoughts of handsome stallions, her mind slipped back to Skywalker. Their meeting had been happenstance at best, but Kahlua thought that at least some of it must have been the work of the gods. After all, had she not found her amulet the very day she had met the stallion? And had they not traveled to the Veins of the Gods together, bowing before the shrines that honored the deities? She had felt so at ease with the stallion despite his initially unnerving attitude. For a moment she wondered if she would see him again, though the thought was quickly followed by another. Why did she want to see him again? It was not a question she usually asked herself. Was there something more between them? The thought confused her more than gave her peace, especially because he was an outcasts of the wilds and she immediately tried to shove it to the back of her mind. Now was not the time.... never was the time. Plans of building a wall were in place to keep others out, weren't they?

The WingLeader's drew her from her confused mind and she almost immediately returned to her happily glowing state. I love it, was all she needed to hear from him to bound forward and close the gap between them. The stallion seemed to have the same thought, because at the same moment he moved to place his wing over her back and curl his neck around her own. She had never been beneath the wing of a pegasus but she had to admit that the feeling was not altogether unwelcome. “I'm so glad,” she managed, allowing herself the pleasure of snuggling close to him for a moment. She sighed as he moved away, trying to hold onto the feeling of the closeness for just a moment longer.

At his confession that he had never received a gift, Kahlua was dumbfounded. It escaped her, as it so often did, that most were not as giving as she was. The world here was strange, the horses so troubled. Before she could scramble together some coherent words in her head, Kaj was speaking again. You were motivated by love and friendship, he started and her smile faded somewhat. So he had not forgotten about the other information she had given. One ear remained perked towards him, the other fell down sideways again, displaying her confusion as evidently as possible. At least his words were kind enough; though, she doubted she would be upset at the large soldier even if he did choose to chastise her.

“I understand,” she said with a smile, then in jest and because she did not want there to be tension she added with a laugh, “Sir!” At his next comment, she nearly danced. The thought of traveling with the stallion was an exciting concept to her. Besides, she already had plans in her head of going back. She was going to make each herd a gift, even the terrible unicorns of the Basin, in a show of peace and friendship. Giving to make others happy was all she knew. Perhaps it would keep the wrath of the Basin at bay. At least, she hoped so. Taking his advice to heart, Kahlua reminded herself that she would have to ask for a guard upon delivery of each of the items.

“You're welcome,” she said finally, when he had done speaking, bobbing her head, quite pleased with herself that she should prove useful without even trying. “I may very well need your help in the future,” she added a moment later, going on to explain that she wanted to make each herd a statue as an offering of peace. She did not mention their shapes as she did not yet know what they would be. Her eyes searched his for a moment, seeking approval or disapproval for the idea. She also wanted him to know that she had taken his mention of a guard seriously. Then, after a moment, she spoke again. “Who leads the Foothills?” She was curious that they should have had such a change of heart. It did not occur to her that the leadership would have changed entirely. A few humming notes filled the air as she watched his smile. It did wonders to her soul to see him happy. It was a shame that she could not bottle this moment, for in the days to come she would not know the feeling. “You seem too kind to be a warrior,” she said then with a gentle laugh, her words skipping between ideas much the way her addled brain did. The idea of Kaj as a ferocious protector was strange to her.