Of course she couldn't see anyone. It would have been embarrassing for the Sleuth if her dark colored body could be that easily spotted, even by a herd-sister. It would be an understatement to say that she was pleased as Africa's gaze swept over her where she huddled in the deep shadows beneath the trees, fur still moist from her recent soaking in the cool waters.

The Oasis was the only reason the black mare was able to survive the desert at all. She had yet to adapt to the harsh climate; the hollow strands of her thick coat were made to keep out cold winds and frozen precipitation, not withstand the relentless beating of a white-hot sun for months on end. The tips of each strand had been bleached into a rusty brown, she always felt covered with a layer of grime and dust and sand crunched between the teeth every time she ate.

Even so, the blackbird couldn't think of a better place to be in the world. This was HOME, the place she had been looking for ever since life as a vagabond and a nomad had become unbearable and painful. The stallions that led them were her brothers, the mare that slowly submerged herself in the liquid depths was her sister - a sister she knew exceedingly little about, but a sister none the less. Their ties were not of blood or history, but rather of a common wish. To live in the land of the sun, to coexist and try to survive each day, and perhaps become a little wiser for it in the process.

Maybe it was curiosity that made the shadow-born pegasus relax and allow the layer of twisted light that had kept her unnoticeable to disappear. Once the dappled girl resurfaced she would be met with a pair of fierce, unyielding eyes and ebony lips pulled back into a wry, amused grin. Round black ears would be pricked her way, and a voice, sightly hoarse and deep as raging rivers, soft as evening winds, warm as a mothers embrace drifted across the surface of the lake.

"Silly girl, don't you know to stay still when the sun is at its peak? If you want to kill yourself there are better ways to go about than being fried alive, I assure you." The raven inched over to the edge of the vast expanse of water, movements slow and awkward due to the every growing belly that now had become impossible to hide (even though she still tried to, covering it with the feathered wings) and dipped the nose below the surface. Drinking deeply from the life-saving waters, she didn't linger long under the glaring sunlight; as soon as she was done the short mare waddled back into the shade, gesturing with a shrug of a wing for the one-winged girl to follow.

Can't have her faint from sunburn, now could they...

Dark brows raised slightly at the way the gray started, but didn't say anything about it. She supposed that it could be somewhat unnerving to find yourself face to face with a shadow, no matter how mortal; especially when one had considered themselves alone and undisturbed. The reaction still only added to the slight amusement of the marginally older pegasus, who somehow felt years older than the slender dove. Perhaps it was the softness of the eyes that did it, or the energy with which she moved; Shadow wasn't sure, but whatever it was she envied the Oracle her energy. The mere thought of stepping beyond the protective shade of the palm-trees was revolting, and frankly she didn't see the point in making the effort to move things around - could anything be of such worth that she would carry it from place to place?

Well, she thought as she settled down in the shade once more, perhaps she wasn't one to judge. The broken horn she had claimed as prize after her battle with a unicorn still rested in the fold of her wing, and wrapped around it was a yellow stone embedded in intricate metal lace. The blackbird wasn't sure why she kept the peculiar tokens with her, but something about them made it hard to let go. One was a proof of her own ability to defend the home, and the other... Well, it was pleasing to the eye, even though the chain was too short to fit around her neck.

Glistening purple eyes watched the one-winged mare beneath the thick, bushy forelock as she settled down, visibly uncomfortable. Another horse might have offered a reassuring smile, said something nonsensical and empty to break the silence. She didn't. There was no need to break the quiet unnecessarily; a slight nod was the only acknowledgment she gave to having heard her 'sister's comment.

Still, eventually her innate curiosity got the better of her. After a long while of eying the carefully wrapped leaf parcel the shadow stirred, oily feathers rustling as the wings seemed to swell;
"What do you have there?" she asked, voice neutral but the glittering gaze betraying her interest.

She almost felt ashamed by how easily her curiosity was indulged. If it hadn't been for the shy eagerness with which Africa unraveled the makeshift parcel she would have told her to ignore the request, to not pay her any heed. But, done was done, and as she found herself faced with a set of items she usually would have regarded as nothing but trash and an anxious smile the blackbird made an effort to smile back. It was little more than a stretch of the lips, but the wish to be gentle with her company was reflected in the eyes, softening the orbs considerably.

"They are nice" she said, hoping that the words would appear more sincere than she felt. "I do like that shell... " This was actually true. The colors and the pattern appealed to her, as did the sharp spikes on it - perfect to throw at people you didn't like, delightfully dangerous if you happened to step on it. Yes, the sleuth rather enjoyed the seashell - albeit probably for different reasons than the downed dove.

As she was asked about her own treasures she was rather quick to nod, head reaching to the other side to pull them out from the ebony feathers, eager to shift the focus of attention away from her own reactions. Shadow wasn't good at this socializing thing, she never knew if her blunt personality and different perspectives would be tolerated by the others, or whether she would end up hurting with tactless remarks. For all that she was reluctant to let others close to the heart she didn't want to make them sad either - it was a difficult road to travel.

Pulling out the piece of horn and the bright yellow amulet she placed them on the ground next to Africa's trinkets and shrugged a little.
"Usually I don't carry things around" she said, giving the gray a quick glance. "I never stayed so long in one place that it was worthwhile to get attached to items and sceneries... These seasons are the longest I've ever lingered in one place."

Come to think of it, she had soon been a part of the Dragon's Throat for a year. The thought was mind boggling, but at the same time she couldn't believe how quickly time had passed. So much had happened since she had crashed to the ground from overexerting herself in a storm, only to be healed and brought along by Cirrus... The long winter of endless night, the coming of spring and gradual return of the gods, an invasion fought and won, the subsequent return of the sun as if the Fire Lord had been encouraged by the strength of the horses residing upon his lands. And it had been soon after that she came across Carnesîr... A faint sigh passed through the inky nostrils and with a shift of the wings to make them rest more comfortably against the swelling sides she returned to the present, nodding towards the items on the ground.

"The twig-like thing is a piece of unicorn horn" she revealed, eying Africa in search of expecting a reaction, whether positive or negative. "It snapped off from my opponent during the invasion, and I decided to keep it; mostly because it seemed to tick her off. And the stone I found as I drove her off... Not sure what it is, but since I found it just after winning the battle I decided to keep it as a token."

The smile turned slightly wry, her pride as she spoke of defeating her opponent apparent by the way the stubby neck swelled.