d'Artagnan had lost count of the amount of times he felt the urge to swallow in his own uneasiness. Cloven hooves grinding against the surface as he struggled to get his body to simply stand still under the pressure of conversation. It recent months, in the quiet of peace, he'd found himself getting more and more confined to his caves. His only contact being with his family or shouting at intruders. In fact, he seemed to spend most of his life either talking to himself of pissed off at others and it was really beginning to take a toll on his social skills. Or what little he had of them to start with. Yet, he mustered all of his bravery and lingered on with the two women, forcing himself to make idle conversation and have a little more understanding about those who were his herd mates. Tail slapped against his hocks and his shuffling around continued, crimson ears swivelled to catch the sweet words of Lena who expressed her wellness and enquired after his own. He turned to her and nodded once with a brief smile.

"I have been well, Lena" he said as kindly as his brusque voice could manage. Genuinely happy that she was in good health and honest in his own reply. Life was not too bad, a little boring if you were to ask the shade, but not terrible. Children seemed to be the main thing happening to him at the minute. Kou was simply blooming and he couldn't help but smile at the thought of her. Peace was not so bad, if only he felt more sure about the future. About the future his children had before them. If anything he wanted to protect them, the same emotion may have extended to Mesec if he had not walked from the land that he should've called home. With all the anguish of the Moon Goddess and her betrayal, d'Artagnan could not find the forgiveness in his heart that should be easy to give to his child. No matter how infallible the masses thought him to be, there was a part of the Nightshade that was experiencing pain and uncertainty. Mesec was bearing the brunt of this.

He could slowly feel the awkwardness descend on him then and he swallowed for what must have been the tenth time, looking down to observe the way his hooves were cracked through the middle. Lena spoke once more and suggested showing her around the lake and to that d'Artagnan nodded, his cave was not too far from the lake that never froze. He could follow them there and then return back to his brooding. As Lena began to move he followed after her, turning his attention back to Tiamat. She still speaks with formality, addressing him as Sir instead of simply d'Artagnan. Yet, the Mender was impressed with her clear way of talking amongst strangers and listened carefully to her words.

"Correct, I help those of this herd with ailments they may possess. Lena also helps me do this job, you are welcome to join the healing ranks if that is what you truly want to do." He said simply and approving of her request to join the healers. He purposefully left out the poisoning part of his job. Not many knew his dual role, those who did were either apart of the plague or dead. Maybe ignorance was safer than knowing too much.

Time passes by until finally they arrive at the lake and d'Artagnan turns his head to one side when he notices the change in Tiamat's personality. She spoke to it like the liquid before her was apart of her family, at least that's what it sounded like to the Nightshade, though she was whispering. He could've heard her wrong. He smiles and gazes off in the direction of his cave with a longing in his eyes. "Do you ladies need me for anything? If not, I have some things I need to see to" his longing lacing into the last of his words as he tore his gaze away from the cave's direction and back to the mares.