Her first words likely had more of an impact than she expected or intended them to do. That she was not jaded by her capture won her a great deal of respect from the Sultan, whose gaze bore into her with quiet intrigue.

"What truth?" He spat, sounding annoyed as if expecting some word game to follow. As she continued, the Wildfire found himself unable to tell if she was naive and lucky, or a true trickster. His flaming wings ruffled against his flanks as he considered her words, stormy gaze never wavering from her eyes. "I fight when provoked. Like now." He began, tossing his pierced nose. "You take what is not yours. Strength not come from numbers, no. Strength come from chomokh oakah.." He trailed off, unable to find the word in the native tongue to represent the emotion he was trying to describe. Stomping a hoof into the sands, his black tail snapped angrily against his barred hocks. Snorting, he continued. "Strength come from inside. Not from things you take."

This was both a response to both relations she spoke of: strength not being found in numbers or battle. Of that she was quite correct. If Gaucho had no family to fight for he would possess little strength. Without his rhojosor likely the pink spy could defeat him.

Her final question caught him slightly off guard. How could she speak as she just had, and not understand his reasons? Nostrils flaring he regarded her curiously for a moment, wondering if she was merely pulling for more information from him. "You try to take my family. If not take them, take what belongs to them. They my family, and I their Sultan. Maybe you have good reasons to take from them. Gaucho not care. Gaucho only care about them." A grimace parted his dark lips as he recalled Meg's report of what the pink spy had done to the body and grunted. "My warrior say she see you eating murdered bodies." Well, that wasn't true. Meg's report had been that she had seen Hotaru with one body. Even so, Gaucho's mind automatically assumed the worst: that she was some sort of cannibal, or perhaps worse, the murderer. "Phaedra was one of ours..." His voice broke softly, the shame and guilt at having let her succumb to such violence overcoming the stoicism that normally masked his features. "You ruin her body." He concluded tartly.

---

chomokh oakah; honor of the soul
rhojosor; family

What would come next might sound like a challenge, but it was not. The dun truly didn't understand, although for the first time in a long time he was genuinely trying to. Her norms and rules seemed inconsistent, her questions demonstrating that. If the Basin did not constantly attack the other herds (though to be fair, the last Invasion was more than a year ago passed now, no?) they wouldn't need such protection. Gaucho knew this was fool hardy to suggest however; idealistic. There would never be a time of peace. Never. He understood the need for protection and yet ..."That not protect you from me." He began, his voice strong but soft in tone. He thoughtfully watched as the armor disappeared, being reminded of that that Midas wore. Had Midas' armor ever protected him when it mattered? "You have daughters, but keep armor for yourself. You here now, they alone in Basin. How this protect them now?" Not a challenge, just confusion, which only continued. Her words caused Gaucho to shake his head, to hold and release his breath as he mulled over her words.

"Teach daughters to avoid conflict, but that what you start. Leaders tell you to take from us. Why? You build up icy walls of snow and unicorn horns. You not keep us out, you just keep yourself in. You could ask for items. Could find crafters, could ask Gods. Could challenge with respect. You teach daughters to avoid conflict but you create it." Gaucho didn't quite know that the Basin was racist, only that Unicorns seemed to inhabit it although the underlying morals that drove that situation to occur were lost on him. Still, Gaucho remained confident that it was the Basin who created the problems that they experienced. They sought to expand, but why? Was there not enough room in their icy caves and plateaus? Certainly it seemed there was. Why invade the Edge and the Throat all those seasons ago? Why attack and kill and then retreat? Why steal when they could simply trade? Trading didn't require any moral settling or breakings of ideals. So why this? Why was treachery and thieving always what they resorted to?

As Hotaru's voice rose, Gaucho's wings flared from his sides causing bits of flame and black feathers to fall upon the sands as a snarl crossed his dark muzzle. Phaedra was her mother. That was not something Gaucho expected. Realizing the girl did not plan to attack, Gaucho rearranged his wings against his dark flanks, still wearing a snarl. He had expected any kin of the golden beauty to be...well, gold and winged. Hotaru was pale, peachy, and horned. Who had the father been? Oh. As Hotaru continued and the details were fleshed out, the snarl on Gaucho's lips faded to a thin line, then finally a frown.

Had the moment been different, had Hotaru been one of his and not his prisoner, he might have commended her. Might have told her that in that moment he could see more strength within her than she likely gave herself credit for. She was strong. Strong enough to best him? If her children's lives were at stake Gaucho thought she just might be, even without all of her magical trinkets. But the moment wasn't different, and so Gaucho remained silent on the matter, although his gaze revealed the admiration that she inspired.

Speaking of the Moon Goddess caused Gaucho's brow to furrow. On the one hand he knew well what it was to follow the will of a deity. Indeed, Gaucho would do anything that the Sun God asked of him, regardless of what taste it was in, or where it fell on the moral spectrum. And yet... yet the Moon Goddess was the patron of the Edge. Hotaru hailed from the Basin. What was this? More trickery? A confused story?

"You from Basin. God of Spark is your God." He ventured flatly. In his heard the God of the Sun was to be revered by all. It didn't even occur to him that other herds may not worship their deities the same way. Although .. what reasons could the pink spy have to dwell away from the Goddess she so adored and followed? What reasons could she have to dwell in the Basin if what she wanted was to keep her daughters safe?

Gaucho huffed, dissatisfied with the beginning of Hotaru's response. That the Basin told her to do it...On the one hand, if he told his herd to act he would certainly expect them to. He would find questioning and disagreement unacceptable. And yet ... what was it he actually expected? Could he now truly chastise Hotaru for not thinking for herself and instead blindly following orders when in fact that is what he expected of his herd? Of his family? What would he offer as justification? That it was for the good of the herd? That the God of the Sun willed it? That he could see a bigger picture than they? Something told him that if he asked Hotaru, he would receive similar answers of her superiors. It was how leadership worked. Fumbling mentally for a purchase on which to grip, Gaucho found himself lost in thought.

Should he even have taken Hotaru at all? The wheels turned slowly. He had sent Silk to capture Hotaru, although he would not have wanted the Basin to retaliate against his spy. Indeed, he would have wanted them to come for him since it was under his instruction that the bat-winged creature acted. Looking at Hotaru, Gaucho's nostrils flared once again as he drew in a breath.

Had he made a mistake? Not in action, but on the recipient?

"Gaucho here to protect them. Warriors here to protect when Gaucho not here." He mumbled in response to her question about his collar. "Besides, it too big for them." He concluded disjointedly, still lost in his own thoughts.

As she continued speaking, Gaucho broke out of his haze, gaze focused solely upon her. Intently. Directly. As she spoke of her herd, her family and how she would stay by them even when they made poor decisions, Gaucho found himself agreeing and understanding, which only added to the conflict that was storming within his blue-striped chest. It was true, he would do anything for them, and while he would try and steer them away from making mistakes such as those that he thought the Basin was making ... surely she would say the same? In fact, she was. If this was a mistake, it seemed it was a mistake she would make for her family.

Her response to his query about the Moon Goddess was also eloquently mind-boggling. Indeed, were he taken prisoner his allegiance wouldn't change and yet ... yet what he did within the Throat was for the reverence and devotion of the Sun. Could she say the same, walled up behind pillars of ice and rock? Hadn't the Basin just held a festival for the God of the Spark? The Moon Goddess was jealous, he knew that much. How could she stand for such a thing? How could Hotaru pledge her loyalty and devotion while having to hide it in the face of the family that she professed her allegiance to? Which was more important? The Goddess, or her need for family?

Gaucho remained silent even after Hotaru had finished speaking. She had said much and it was taking time for his simple mind to finish calculating the full extent of her meaning. Once done however, the Wildfire remained puzzled, confused, and torn, but sure of one thing. It was not Hotaru who his conflict was with. It was with her superiors, whoever they were.

"Tell me why." He asked through clenched teeth, a rare vulnerability glistening in his dark gaze as he once again sought to find her dual-coloured gaze. "Tell me why you no try to trade. Edge ... Kahlua always wants peace." He began thinking of the idealistic paint who had visited the Throat on more than one occasion brokering gifts. "She would trade. And Midas in Falls ... " The dun shrugged. Midas was reasonable most of the time, and if terms were presented in a neutral manner he could not see his former co-leader turning down the offer. "Would too. Earth God probably make him." Unconsciously Gaucho smirked thinking of the relationship between the paint and the God, failing to see that he himself was equally puppet-ed by the God of the Sun.

"You invade us seasons ago, Edge too. Not come first with terms. You fail. You try to take from Throat now and fail. Force not working." Squaring his massive body to hers, he lowered his skull to her level, peering at her intently. "Why you no try. Why you do this?"

Gaucho nodded in response to her comment, he obviously was large. What brought a smile to his own features was hearing her comment that the armor she wore would be too large for her daughters. Stepping back, Gaucho apprised her now as he hadn't before - his warm and masculine gaze now coating her coral curves, and seeping into the swell and dip of her back, thighs, and chest. Gaucho's nostrils flared nearly silently, drawing her scent in, as his gaze roamed higher, lingering here and there, before finally returned to meet her gaze. Silent for a moment, the Sultan allowed himself merely to absorb and observe.

"You are small." He concluded finally. However he did not mean this just in contrast with himself, nor as a slight. She was petite, but that didn't saying anything about that meant. "But spirit big." It was the only hint he would give at the thoughts he had entertained earlier when he had seen the fire and passion flare within her gaze and seemingly blaze within her core. "Maybe that not what your daughters fit into...yet."

As she continued speaking his smile fell away and his attention became rapt once again. When was the last time a female held his attention so, in a way that was not focused upon their physique? He couldn't recall, and likely if asked, Sohalia wouldn't be able to either. As she spoke of the Edge, the dun snorted. Perhaps he would have to visit the foggy cliffs ... certainly the Edge seemed to have more secrets than they let on. Although the Throat hadn't asked them about their standing with the Basin, they hadn't been forthcoming with that information either. Very sneaky, painted queen. However it wasn't until Hotaru mentioned Midas that Gaucho's head rose in surprise, and a mischievous twinkle glimmered in his gaze. Midas? Tearing up an invitation from a child? He had seen the painted Czar not too long ago, and all seemed well. He hadn't mentioned anything of the incident, but had tried to reaffirm their alliance. Interesting ...

As she concluded, Gaucho let his dark mug lower once again, thinking. In his mind he searched for memories of when he had first arrived here .. when had this fight with the Basin begun? He couldn't quite recall .. although he knew Kri and Ophelia had formed an alliance when Ophelia led the Grey .. knew that the Throat had aided the Grey in taking over the Foothills .. and knew that the Basin had called upon the Grey to aid in their invasion.. The Throat had always stayed out of it, hadn't they? Gaucho only recalled the infiltration of Mauja and the attack upon the Throat. A cold horror suddenly filled Gaucho's chest, and his rugged face rose from Hotaru to stare into the sky, confused and contorted with concern. Had he truly taken his place as leader just to perpetuate a war that no one knew the beginning of? He didn't even know the leaders of the Basin, at least he didn't think so (oh how wrong he was). Did they know him? (yes, yes they did). Exhaling sharply Gaucho's gaze lowered to regard Hotaru once more. His stormy gaze searched hers, his focus switching from one coloured eye to the other, intently looking for answers or treachery.

"Gaucho...not remember why we fight. Only remember the Basin invasion...but...not know why. For land I suppose." Was that it? Was that really all it came down to? A land dispute?

With a gentleness that only a few saw, the Wildfire sighed. Things were easy when the world was simple and primitive. It was only when you threw words, war, and women into the mix that it started to get complicated. "In two days we go to Arch. Bring Phaedra and Stella back here. Ophelia will be there to take your Father. You come with Gaucho, but leave with her."

Although the bulk of their conversation was still seeping into his mind and required more time to consider, one thing was clear. Taking the spy had been a mistake. It had been hasty and unprepared and unplanned. Perhaps if Gaucho had to be more strategic and couldn't simply throw his weight around, forethought would be something he would have to take more seriously. Even now, perhaps he needed to take it more seriously. He didn't have time to walk her back, so remaining in the Throat would have to do. She would still be his prisoner but ... perhaps of a different sort now.

Not often, but occasionally, Gaucho wondered what the creatures of Helovia might think of him if they spoke his language. Were he privilege to Hotaru's prima facia assessment of him, he would have disagreed. He was not more complex, he was simply barred by the weird customs of Helovia and its distorted language. He appeared one dimension perhaps, because that was the extent his education would allow him to appear. Sohalia and his blood-kin had been learning his language, and had grown together because of it. Perhaps he wouldn't be viewed as such a war-headed pig if he could do more than string together primitive sentences. Mara was helping with that but .. it wasn't enough.

At her mention of her quest, the Wildfire snorted. He couldn't imagine being given such a task ... then again, if the Sun God had commanded it he would have done just as the pink one was doing. Perhaps they weren't so very different after all. Perhaps his tongue would be as sharp as Hotaru's if he were raised here, with this language.

As much as he had enjoyed their talk, his primitive mind was nearly full. He needed to think, to digest the things that she had said and plot a course of action based upon her wisdom. It was ironic, how interesting and well things were going now that the two had spoken, and the dun didn't want to hinder the momentum that was building. In his antlers Mara hissed softly, urging him to go before he said anything stupid.

"Three days." He breathed softly. He made no comment on her decision to remain away from his herd. She could do as she liked. Perhaps his confidence in her was misplaced, but she had earned for herself during their brief conversation, and so Gaucho would take the blame if he was wrong. Not for the first time he underestimated the damage the rosey mare could do.

Spreading his flaming wings from his flanks, Gaucho took to the skies. He would need to tell his herd what had occurred, needed to let them know the pink one was here. As he rose higher and away from her, he realized he hadn't bothered to ask her name. Mentally he wondered if Mara knew it, but the snake confirmed that she did not.

Well, pink spy it was that.

[Short so that we could move along with other things <333 Thanks for such an awesome thread!]