I watched the mare briefly as her gaze turned to mine, a mix of teal and silver scanned me over. Then her voice hit my ears and seemed that she had mistaken my words for being angsty. She spoke to me, saying that I was jealous and while I could agree, I wouldn’t in front of Tembovu and her. I shook my head and smiled briefly to her. “My words weren’t meant to come off hostile.” I began, eyes watching the other golden mare for mere moments. “I guess I just meant it as a conversation starter?” I muttered, ears flickering in my clumsiness in starting conversations I obviously wasn’t welcome in. I shifted my gaze to Tembovu for a few seconds until her voice filled the air again. “Rexanna, Thief of the Basin.” My voice held a bit of a hint of bragging – mostly for Tembovu to hear – but was meant for absolute innocence, if it weren’t for the pregnancy hormones driving me to sound harsher than I originally meant.

Then the Elephant King’s voice filled my ears, my head swiveling to him and his hostility. He spoke of Caleb and I shook my head, cringing at the thought. As he asked if it were another stallion, I only sighed and turned my gaze away from him briefly. “I thought we had agreed to try and live separate lives? Seeing each other now and then. Besides, I tried to tell you.” I spoke with a mirror-like reflection of the anger that pooled in the Elephant’s eyes. I could see his anger and frustration, but it was nothing that was hidden from him. I had told him before the show of fireworks that had somehow escaped my horn, a feeling that I couldn’t control quite yet, but one that I was coming to terms with as it grew within me. He asked Raeden if he could show her the Edge and part of me panged with a bit of guilt, but I knew that I had duties back in the Basin. I also knew that I wouldn’t be entirely welcome in the Edge anymore, either.

Shoving that thought aside, I stepped back from the two. “I’m sorry I’ve bothered you two, I think I’ll head home.” I spoke, mostly to Tembovu as I lowered my head, eyes landing on the mammoth stag. Scanning along the scars he had gathered from the Rift battles as well as the strength granted from becoming King of the Edge. Where he had grown lean and strong, I had grown fat and full of carrying a child. Granted it wasn’t something I was entirely excited about, but it had happened and I had learned I needed to deal with it. “Oh, and Caleb isn’t the father. So you don’t have to worry about him anymore.” My voice rang to him as I turned from him, swollen barrel casting a shadow of thickness and life. Eyes scanning the edges for a way to leave, but my heart didn’t want me to leave just yet. So while I stood and searched for how I wanted to get home with least trouble, my heart sadly enjoyed the moments of seeing Tembovu’s reaction. Knowing that he still cared.

"talk"