It is Vadir who spots the mare first, and her hatred bubbles up through her bonded's mind like poison squeezed from a wound. Her eyes blaze and smoke billows from her nostrils as she sends Volterra multiple pictures of Sikeax on fire, running and screaming for her life.

Ordinarily, such images would amuse Volterra, if they were directed at anybody else - as it is, he frowns and glances up towards the massive golden dragon. Vadir, don't. She is a good woman - just because she prickled your pride doesn't give you the right to attack her. The gold gives a contemptuous snort and circles lower and lower, until she lands heavily on the goliath's broad back. "You just say that because you want to bed her," comes her crooning hiss of a voice, and her deadly pronged tail lashes hard across her bonded's flanks.

His frown deepens and his ears pin, lunging forwards a few steps to unseat Vadir, who rises with a grunt of anger into the skies. That's not the reason. He wishes Vérzés was nearby to agree with him, but the red is off hunting the plethora of animals that live beneath the shadow of these trees. With just Vadir's overwhelming personality to contend with, Volterra finds himself feeling rather resentful. He adores his golden queen, of course he does, but she is painfully stubborn, willful, and utterly convinced of her own importance. "Just like you," she points out as she hears this train of thought, and he can't help but give a snort of amusement at the truth of that statement.

I'm going to see her, he tells his dragon firmly. You go and hunt. I won't have you upsetting her - God knows I've done enough of that by myself. Guilt plagues him at the manner in which Zhu was conceived, although he tries not to dwell on it. All he can do is try to make amends, and let her know that he has changed. He likes to think that their previous meeting helped that, but there is still more that can be done. With a loud huff of displeasure, Vadir flies away through the trees and out of sight, whilst her mammoth bonded alters his stride to move towards Sikeax.

He soon sees her, standing idly in the forest. Her bonded is nearby, looking suitably hideous and frightening, but his attention is focused soley on her. "Sikeax," he rumbles, moving closer. "How are you?"