Ampere was startled by the gaze that Megaera turned upon her. She had only known the mare as the strong and capable warrior, and to see something so deeply upset within her, so willingly (was it willingly?) exposed and raw, caught Ampere off guard. She was hardly one to talk - whatever strength everyone thought Ampere carried was surely forgotten beneath her frequent outbursts, whether rich with grief or anger. Except, that was Ampere, but Megaera had never been so open, at least, not to her.

Was this friendship?
Or was this just the depth of Megaera's loss?

Except, what? Though her ears turned towards the Sunspear's voice, she didn't think she heard her right, because what she said didn't make sense. "Well sure," Ampere started, her gaze holding steady the bleak one Megaera offered, but there was clearly a wrinkle in the edges as Ampere struggled to understand. "At the oasis, like always." That was the main spot for switching patrols, although Ampere didn't have the heart to tell Megaera she had no intention of doing any soon. She was too tangled up in her own despair still, something that likely addled her understanding in this moment, or so she thought. Because surely Megaera didn't mean ti imply she'd stand beside Ampere every time the herd got wily? Or did she just intend to have a partner to go against Sikeax, no matter the reason?

Ampere hadn't once considered that Megaera was mourning more than just Gaucho, more than just the new sultana, bur rather what that meant for the old.

Then the Golden Prince came, and with him, a new light, a new understanding. Ampere quietly reeled as Cera spat his words, more angry than Ampere had ever seen him. As she desperately tried to understand, her mind wading through a boggy sea of despair already, she gradually began to pin her ears and step back. It wasn't Cera that caused this though, rather what he said, or what it means. It's as if he were fire and she the dry wood taking to his flames and sustaining them.

So while Cera snuffed out and left, Ampere continued to blaze.

"What?" she asked, incredulous; wanting to believe for one more moment that somehow Cera had been wrong (like he'd been at the meeting). "You're not leaving, are you?" And yet Ampere had already started to distance herself, already started to dredge up the hard bite of anger that so easily came to her when other emotions were too much to deal with. She was hurt enough already by loss, did Megaera really have to add to it? She couldn't blame Gaucho, but she sure as hell could blame this breathing mare who was choosing.

"You can't!" she said forcefully, her resolve hardening as her gaze flashed across the Sunspear.