She's got the devil's eyes

Heartfire has always been a ruler inclined to let others live their lives with minimal interference on her part. Of course, that does not mean she neglects to leave behind certain… incentives, but she certainly is not heavily involved, nor does she hover. There is freedom in that, no doubt. But also danger, though many do not realize it. She may refrain from stepping in often, but that does not mean she was not watching. And more often than not, she would give others just enough rope to hang themselves.

Indeed, she’d been watching many nooses begin to tighten these last several months.

She has little doubt Neverwhere had come to at least some of those conclusions regarding why Heartfire had made her such a strange, and seemingly benign, offer. Of course, she had soon discovered her gift only functioned within the confines of the northern kingdom. The mare might have her freedom, might be able to walk away at any moment with no further repercussion, but Heartfire had certainly provided her with enough incentive to return.

You see, Heartfire knows horses. She knows their minds and how they work far too well. Or perhaps just enough, given how much she has studied them. And she had known, from the very moment she had met Neverwhere, that the only one who could ever convince Neverwhere of anything was Neverwhere.

But she had also seen enough to believe the woman had a great deal of potential within her. A potential Heartfire had been keenly interested in further exploring. And thus, her solution had been as elegantly simple as it had subtly underhanded. And yet, she frequently finds the dappled mare returning, time and again, to the windswept cliffs of her kingdom.

For the most part, she had not bothered her. She had offered her welcome, and she had given her space. But now, today, she does approach, for the first time since she had shown her the lovely vistas of Nerine. Her steps would no doubt indicate her presence first, and she does not try to mask her approach. She settles comfortably alongside the brown mare, gaze sweeping over the expansive waters before shifting to settle on her companion.

“I see you have been enjoying Nerine’s views.”

and they'll cut you like a weapon

She's got the devil's eyes

She had long since grown used the Nerine’s frequently biting winds. Her coat already grows thick, warding against the frost that hangs so threateningly in the air. She had never been a notably attractive woman, and without the sleekness of her summer skin, she is markedly less so. With the scruffy thick fur and tangled locks, she is perhaps one of the most plain and ordinary women to grace this land.

Were it not for the stunning blue of her eyes, she might have been entirely unremarkable.

But that has never bothered her. Her confidence does not lie in her appearance, or lack of it. No, there is so much more to the world than what one can actually see. As a woman who deals so frequently in vision, she is far more aware of that than most. And she had often taken advantage of that mistaken impression in others.

Her lips twitch at Neverwhere’s dry greeting, an almost-smile briefly touching her lips, appreciating the humor in that statement. Many might believe sarcasm and wit lost on Heartfire, but for all her icy serenity, she does, shockingly, possess a sense of humor. In most cases however, her deliverance is so deadpan, most don’t see it for what it is.

That is one thing she does rather appreciate about Neverwhere. Others might find her brash and gratingly sarcastic, but she is one of the few who actually seems to appreciate Heartfire’s rather interesting brand of dry humor.

Appreciate may be a loose definition in this case, but she’ll take what she can get.

She allows the brief silence to fall between them with no comment, gaze turning to consider the view Neverwhere had been admiring. When the dappled mare continues however, asking a decidedly conversational question, Heartfire turns her attention back to her, one brow lifting slightly. She considers the question with due thoughtfulness before replying, though her voice contains a faint hint of amusement as she speaks. “A great many things. But I have trouble imagining you’re actually interested in what they are.”

and they'll cut you like a weapon

She's got the devil's eyes

Heartfire has seen too much not to understand just meaningless borders truly are. The concept is purely for the benefit the society’s mind as a whole. Certainly the land itself has no understanding of it, nor would it ever care just where and how their petty dramas might spill. It’s this understanding that had prevented her from developing the fierce protectiveness over imaginary lines that so many in this land seemed to suffer under. Ultimately, it is a product of diplomacy and made nearly as much sense in the grand scheme of things.

Still, she had long ago learned how to play by a certain set of rules. Of course, it’s also hardly surprising she had learned to bend those rules to her whims as well. She may play the game, but it’s not quite the same one most of Beqanna seems to adhere to. Which, as far as she is concerned, is perfectly dandy.

She had always made it a point to keep her name from tongues and minds as much as possible. While that unfortunately was becoming much more difficult lately, it still only circulated with any frequency among those who happened to have either caught her interest, or placed their hooves in all the wrong places. Either way, she is perfectly aware that even those who do speak of her, speak with a fair amount of uncertainty and absence of any real knowledge. Even those who would be her adversaries as it were.

Her lips twitch in amusement as Neverwhere irascibly retracts her question. What others might find grating, she finds quite amusing. Truthfully, she cannot imagine Neverwhere would actually wish to hear her thoughts anyway. While Neverwhere might find the frequent unkindness of them amusing, her companion had never struck her as the overly political type. And considering how heavily they tended to lean that way these days, no doubt Neverwhere would find it mind numbingly boring otherwise.

Or, well, perhaps not boring, per say. But certainly she would gain a few more insights into the mechanics of Beqanna than she might wish to. Especially if she discovered just how lacking in privacy things truly could be.

“I suppose you could say that,” she replies idly when Neverwhere continues. Whether the question had been sarcastic or not is irrelevant. After all, it’s likely become exceedingly clear by now that she is not typically one to simply enjoy the scenery. Unless, of course, the scenery also held some particularly juicy bit of information.

After a brief, rather unassuming silence, she continues with an almost nonchalant, “How did you enjoy meeting my grandson?”

Perhaps Neverwhere wouldn’t understand the question at first. After all, the familial resemblance is decidedly lacking. Still, the brief flash of the blue and gold stallion, as though simply a memory passing one’s thoughts, would no doubt jog those recollections.

and they'll cut you like a weapon