Embarrassing? Maybe a little bit. Aurelius wasn’t going to hold the lack of enthusiasm among the herdmembers against Mauja, but he couldn’t help but be amused. This slight lack of respect for authorities spoke loud and clear to him about the mentality within the herd; and he liked the nonchalance, even the straight face Mauja pulled, as if this was nothing unusual. A bloke like Mauja made an impressive leader, and yet there were no scrambling unicorns in sight, hurrying to greet their leader. Not even the mighty, trumpeting call of this pale leader seemed to stir them, as they lay at rest among the shadows. Aury wasn’t as disappointed as you might think; he was certain he would have plenty of opportunity to meet the likes of this new band that he had stepped into. They couldn’t hide forever.

Aurelius noticed the slight defeat in Maujas stance and expression, ears flicking slightly – he did not want to see a strong leader, hanging his head like that. He couldn’t read thoughts, but if it was for the lack of a welcoming committee, Aurelius wouldn’t want him to be blue. Never once in his life had he been welcomed like he had by Mauja, always been the pariah, the bastard, the unwanted. But for the first time, he experienced someone that would invite him and willingly share his home with him. That fact alone had won Mauja many points within the grand heart of the dwarven steed. "There is no need for excuses, your grace. I’m sure they will join us, eventually. In this heat, there is no shame in seeking shade," he hummed in his smooth, deep voice, hoping to clear up the frown on the stags face. Without question, he followed behind his liege lord, keeping up without trouble. He did feel awfully small, walking next to Mauja, who was almost twice his size, but he didn’t mind too much. To any onlooker, the sight must’ve been quite entertaining, he thought, grinning to himself.

The impression that he had gotten from Mauja the Frostheart so far was vague. He knew him not, only from what he had seen and what the stallion had told him himself. A regal, slightly intimidating (although that may be just his height) creature, with an aura about him that demanded respect. As for Mauja’s darker agenda, Aury had little clue, only from what the fact that he ruled an all-unicorn herd could tell him. It may be an innocent notion that lay behind, or it may be something grander, but he figured that until he knew for sure, he would have to watch his tongue. If he was here simply because he was unicorn, he would have to watch his mouth. And then the question came, the one that he had expected would come sooner or later. He’d rather had it be later, but conversation drifted onto the topic unavoidably.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed as well, phrasing his answer with tire in his voice. "I’m afraid it is not a tale of much joy, m’lord. I was born on the Amber Isles, in a realm far from this, northerner by birth. It is a land of rocky shores, howling winds and bitter tears, he said, pausing slightly to look Mauja in the eye, his lip curling in a small smile. "I was a bastard child; you see where I come from, you take a mate for life, so when someone breaks the monogamous chain, it gets noticed. Especially if that someone is the leader of the flock, as my lord father happened to be. To him, my mother was nothing but a warm spring night of sweet intoxication, but then I showed up and stirred trouble at his threshold. I was not easily accepted by the others, as you may imagine," he said. Turning his sight back to the ocean before them as they crept closer, he pondered for a second before continuing. "I was never very popular with my father’s rightful mate, to put it mildly. This, combined with my obvious lack of size when compared to the rest of them, made me the scapegoat in all matters, great and small. Don’t think that I am complaining or seeking sympathy, for I have grown strong from it, but his lordship requested the story, so he shall have it, he finished by letting his voice die out, looking Mauja in the eye with his own mismatched pair, the strength within him shining through. He was free of them now, and they had done him a favor, for in their mockery he had developed the wits and sharp tongue that he so valued today.