d'Artagnan chuckled at his friend's observation of Lotus and proffered his head in amused agreement. Not that he knew how well she 'played' the shade hadn't stuck around long enough, he remembered her intoxicating flowers like it was yesterday. Even the memory made him nauseous to the point of shivering, it was best he left than feeling the wrath of Kou later. He walked in step to the Frostheart, enjoying the companionship after a long time of not seeing him and the freedom to talk with a friend he trusted. There was a pause between words, like the snowy stud was trying to gather in his thoughts and think of the best way to deliver his story. The Nightshade was patient for the most part, though a part of him silently wanted to shake the story out of him as his curiosity deepened. Aramis bounded on ahead, nose going to floor and tail straight as he scented out his next lunch. Drool beginning to form around blackened chops that he left in pools behind him.

He listened without interrupting the story, part of him wanting to laugh out loud at the absurdity of it and rather blandly point out that it was entirely possible Mauja had been drunk. Half worried the Frostheart might have eaten one of his delusional poisons and it was all his fault. Another part of him argued that it was so obscure and fantastical that it was in fact true, and Mauja had been caught in another dimension. The Time God who created their land sprung to mind at the thought of a different world, maybe Mauja had become a God's favourite toy for a while until they grew bored a tossed him aside. d'Artagnan had not seen a Vy in the Basin, but that was hardly anything of note, since he tended to wander around their herd lands at night when everyone was asleep. When his friend stopped speaking d'Artagnan was silent for a moment, sorting out the jumbled thoughts that danced around his convoluted mind.

"And I thought I was the insane one, are you sure Psyche didn't knock you a few times on your head? I wouldn't be surprised with your track record with mares." His voice was full of jest but his eyes watched his old friend with a slight concern, wondering why the brute seemed to be so down about it but the shade said nothing. He didn't know how such a strange experience effected one's mind and he hoped if anything was alarmingly wrong, that Mauja would've confided in him. Instead he smiled and bumped the Frostheart's alabaster shoulder. "I'm not entirely sure where you went or why you were sent there. Maybe there was a purpose to it, or maybe the Gods were playing tricks on you, but I'm glad you're back. This herd needs you, whether you see it or not."

The shade was never really good at comforting words, they were rather foreign on his tongue and often it showed. d'Artagnan had been with the herd of unicorns since the beginning, watching them fall and grow again. It was also a given fact, he felt stronger by the side of his spotted friend, watching their little family climb up into something greater, hopefully giving them goals to aspire to before passing on to the next life.