When the supernal being began to walk among them, awarding snide comments about each and all of their suggestions Erthë found herself pursing the lips together. He had asked them a question, now he saw fit to question them about it? Correcting tests, awarding points for reasoning, was it? One by one was pushed through the grinder and for each time the otherworldly (or perhaps much too worldly) feline came a step closer to herself the young mare stiffened. What flaw would he find in her her own reasoning? She had no doubt there would be some - she was after all a mortal, and a rather young one too even if she preferred to think of herself as mature for her age.

Meanwhile, Erthë listened absently to the replies some of the others made. If the creature hadn't been so snide in his choice of words, so smug as if he somehow sat on the correct answer in a debate where there ought to be none, it might have made for a couple very interesting discussions. Indeed, some of those she heard speak up here the filly noted down in memory to revisit later, to seek out and inquire further on their lines of thought. So many flexible minds there were out there, how many deep thinkers and generous souls indeed! Had Erthë thought herself alone, somewhere in the murky depths of her own ignorance?

No, she sighed, cringing inwardly as she looked within herself for the answer. The truth was far uglier still, and much closer at hand; she simply had not considered them at all, these numerous faces and unknown souls that came and went outside the borders of the Edge. They had been nothing but faces, outsiders, unknowns, strange people who had chosen for some inconceivable reason to remain outside the blessed mists. No wonder the Lady was sending her away from the borders of her home. No wonder she instructed the foolish child to look beyond herself, and closer instead at those she so presumptuously had decided to bless with happiness, to dazzle and impress and placate through her own brilliant accomplishments.

Shame burned within as she watched the serval question little Laume, clouding her cheerfulness and internal peace over with a layer of sticky gray smog. Listening to the smart reply from the little fairy nearly had her choke, shock and amusement forcing their way through the throat into a chortle despite her fervent attempts to stifle it. Gods! Anyone who ever thought she was brazen as a kid...

Then the cat finally stood there, staring her down with luminescent eyes and wicked amusement purring at the back of the tongue. His remark stung her, like the prick of acacia thorns or the burn of scrapes that always managed to hurt more than an actual cut. Yet, somehow, Erthë found that it still wasn't impossible to keep her head high as she turned to face him, and when she parted her lips to defend her statement the voice did not tremble nearly as badly as she had feared.

"Yes, that would be presumptuous" she replied, meeting the gaze of the creature with all the regal calm she could muster. "Wasteful too, as it was not only them I was referring to - perhaps I did not speak clearly enough."

She shot a meaningful glance at Laume, whose suggestions of topics for the gods to chat about still rang in her head, making her want to laugh and groan at the same time.

"I meant to say that I would ask for the honesty of all who walk or fly or crawl on the belly, anyone with a soul to think, a mind to comprehend or a tongue to speak. I have heard about these things called white lies, they are supposedly deemed appropriate for when the truth is judged too weighty for a person to carry. Personally I see all lies, regardless of intent, to be rather insulting and the withholding of information to be nearly as bad."

"Indeed, where would you be now if you were not free to speak the way you chose? Or for that matter, what would you do if your query was met with nothing but falsehood? "

She thought of what would happen if no one ever spoke a word of truth again, or indeed if everyone suddenly was rent unable to wrap the truth in pretty lies or sweet nothings. What would her father say if he was to know exactly how she was, if he suddenly had to tell her everything about where he had been and all he had done in the time he had spent away from her....

It was sure to be terrible! So painful for some, so... liberating for others.

Erthë smiled but it was not a pretty smirk that graced her lips, and the gleam in her eyes had nothing to do with kindness or well-wishing as she turned back to see if the serval had any other complaints about her reasoning.