The Thief heard the bleat that came from Duir as she expressed her greeting, her eyes finding the cerndyr and perhaps glinting a little bit on the edges of a smile as Marembo squeaked his own excitement. It flooded through the bond, beginning to wash and nip away the edges of the darkness her mind had found itself in. The creature immediately spun to her side, and she lowered her head to the cerndyr, now having grown a little bit since the last encounter – with the budding of horns as well! Marembo, as Rexanna lowered her head, gripped onto her mane as he was lowered and became nearly eye level with Duir. Happiness beaming from his tiny blue gaze.

Rikyn’s voice met her ears easily as well, offering her a smile that she had finally begun to return. It twitched at the corner of her lips as she raised her head back to the ebony and gold stallion, her eyes seeking his own gilded gaze. He looked about the same to her, from her last encounter. But despite being a Thief, she wasn’t great at reading people. All she could do was keep her steady gaze on him, perhaps glancing around his figure as he also surveyed hers. He was muscular, taller than she, and she always loved that. She had a thing for taller men – after all, all the others she had slept with had been taller than her at least a little bit.

She shifted her weight, the golden chains that trailed across her back moved with the movement, glinting and scattering hues of fire across her coat as she heard him ask her if she was alright. She nodded gently before replacing the slight twitch of a smile on her lips into a bigger, brighter one. She might not really be okay, but she didn’t need to dwell on it further. Besides, what would she say to him? She’d tell him that this place reminded her of Cal, and all the horrors the bloody Pegasus had done to her – even in this very spot! She’d tell him about how she gave birth to twins in the clearing not far from the water’s edge, and how she thought she wasn’t going to live through it until after Alysanne came to her rescue. But it wouldn’t do any good.

So instead she let her gaze grow soft on him, reaching her muzzle out to share breaths or even gently brush the velveteens against one another in an official greeting before continuing. “It’s been a long Tallsun. I’m glad to have the cool nights of Orangemoon again.” She admitted, sparing a slight second for a chime of a laugh. It wasn’t a lie, but it was at least and easy answer. “I do find it funny, though, how you said I could find you near water.” She began, motioning her head to the river that trailed like blood nearby them both. “And that's exactly how I found you.” She offered him a brighter smile.

"Talk."

— that you’d never have no worth,

but you were always gold to me.