A small smile was the response to her light-hearted teasing, one she returned. It was a handsome curl of dark lips, she was not blind nor a fool, and his physical attributions were more than satisfactory. Hotaru was no temptress in her right mind, had lived her life being second best, a shadow at the heels of her twin. There was too little self-esteem to play this stallion as she may, in time, learn how. No, this was a tentatively companionable banter between two acquaintances, one Hotaru navigated with the intention of only delighting in a fellow soldier's brighter spirits. So far, she seemed to be doing rather decently, so perks to her for not being an utter social failure.

His fondness distracted him as he hummed an agreement to her words, and she briefly wished she could enjoy the same closeness with a companion that he clearly did. The Gods had deigned, clearly, that it was not yet meant to be.

Crown shook gently and she hummed softly, lips turning up in a pale ghost of an amused smile, always more reserved in the display of emotions than most. "A delightful nuisance, if anything," she conceded, though a wicked gleam of approval brightened her features as his words dragged on, detailing how each monster should be treated. "A stallion after my own heart," she purred, tail lasciviously curling from ankle to ankle as she tossed her locks to better view him, as if this revelation somehow needed to be reaffirmed visually.

"I'm sure all those heads would look wonderful all in a row decorating the borders of a herdland," she laughed, soft and maleficent. "Warning: beastlies and bad-do'ers ahead." Humming her amusement to herself she quieted, not wanting to scare away the handsome company she'd somehow managed to win over with her forthright attitude. Foals were precious, sacred even, an innocent generation that was not to be touched. It was pleasing to find someone who shared, even to some degree, her philosophy.

However it turned out, she smiled to herself as he fell into step beside her, her own slim legs dancing at a faster tempo than his own due to lengthier stride. Surprisingly he is the one to initiate the next bridge of conversation, and her ears perk in pleasant surprise when he allocates his own answer prior to hers. "The Basin? Truly!" But her lyrics are warm and surprised in a frankly genial way. "I was set to be accepted by d'Artagnan, but the wraiths drove us underground directly after. It's still my intention, my family lives there still, but I've yet to make my way this far North until now." It's only a half-answer, she's quite aware of it, and so she amends her words smoothly after. "I merely wander. Until I find d'Artagnan again or chance upon another official at the borders, I've yet to claim a herd for my own." The irony of the fact that she walked unknowingly beside one such ranked stallion would not be known to her, but her voice was a touch warmer to have it revealed that he was from the snowy reaches she so desired to call home.