Ophelia smiled kindly at Romani, her mind beginning to work on future plans, but no such thoughts reflected in her kind but strange gaze. Instead, she listened, curious that the mare had gone through the same loss as she had; she wondered if Romani had lost friends during those long, strange days as well. The time without her memories now sat on her mind like a nightmare, reminding her of foolishness she could not escape. "A pleasure to meet yours as well," she returned politely. "If you have suffered as I have without memories, then you also have my sympathy. Life is not meant to be lived to be forgotten," she said a little sharply.
She hoped that the God of the Sun was listening. She hoped that those words burned him like he had burned her. A darkness resided in her soul now, an ashy spot where her faith and devotion to the sun had once pulsed. Now she looked at her uncle who seemed just as joyed to see her as she was to see him, and she smiled softly. Being in her father's presence was stifling, but her uncle made her feel safe, like a child again. Very little managed to bring back her childhood in a positive way, so she embraced this reunion with her uncle, held onto it tightly. He pressed his nose to her cheek, and she returned the affection just as subtly by leaning into him slightly.
"My sister is in the forest with her son, I believe. Our mother is with our father in the Foothills, the last I saw," she replied. The one aspect of her mother and father that she valued was the fact that somehow, they had managed to stick together through the long years. Ophelia was not sure if she had the same devotion to remain so faithful, not when her memories would never allow her to forget. Growing too close to others made her fear that they would become predictable, and she would hate to be in a position where she could generally predict her friends' actions before they realized what they were doing.
Ophelia began to move in the direction of the Foothills, hearing Romani say that Paladin was indeed there. "Is my father well?" she asked curiously, joining the group. When he asked about the Grey, Ophelia's eyes hardened. Even as a child, she had been odd - too mature and too dark. Now, it seemed, that all of those traits had only been amplified. "The Grey is a band my sister and I have formed," she began. "We balance the often times tyrannical herd life with the outcasts and those wanting to rise up. We are mercenaries, spies and healers with a code of our own. Often, we will take payment for services rendered, but we have been known to turn down jobs before." Ophelia explained this all seriously and calmly.
The alabaster mare was an odd creature entirely. She had the voice of a quiet, delicate angel and the long-legged figure of one as if fallen from heaven and dipped in blood. Half of the sky remained in one eye and rage filled the other. Tinek joined them, landing on Ophelia's hip and watching the massive stallion and the other mare curiously.
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