No, Nayl didn’t mind Jord’s response finding Castile; it didn’t bother her that her own question went briefly unanswered. The mare is submissive to the stallion, letting him grasp this meeting. Curious, Nayl looks at him, but she can’t help but glance down at Castile has he listens with a child’s fascination. ”Magma? That’s super hot, right mom?” A quiet nod is all she responds with and he grins proudly at having remembered the bit of geography he has been taught thus far. ”Mom has been there and said it was cool. Maybe one day I will visit.” He had been advised to visit other lands to broaden his horizons so what he says is more of a promise than a thought. Tephra will be one of the first places he visits, knowing that it thus far holds higher favor in mother’s eyes. ”It’s nice to meet you, too,” he looks at Dahmer now, but understands the formality that doesn’t entirely involve him. Castile remains among them, his wings thoughtfully shifting and ruffling, but his lips purse tightly shut so that he may listen and observe.
He is a smart boy, a good boy, and Nayl nibbles his forelock gently in praise. He smiles underneath the gesture, hiding it while mother’s head cranes up to see Dahmer more closely when he mentions Magnus. ”I hope he is doing well,” he is one of the few she would consider a friend, but the relationship is still in its primary stages where trust is still being built. She gingerly grasps for it, but trust isn’t something she readily hands away or clutches to. She has laid trust in others that have betrayed her; in a sense, she is afraid to trust, but she would never openly admit her revulsion.
That’s why she calculates everything they say, picking apart their tones, smiles, and intentions until there is nothing more she can scrutinize. She hopes – wants – them to be innocently adventuring versus spying. Underneath her taut skin, her muscles coil meanwhile her eyes search them. They exchange nudges, laughter. They seem harmless (she reminds herself of what she is capable of, reassures herself), but it doesn’t stop her from hesitating at first before replying with a plain ”Sure.”
The cliffs and the shoreline are far behind them, but when she turns inward, the landscape unravels in front of them like a carpet. ”You can follow us,” a soft touch against Castile’s flank is enough to urge him forward. His attention roams as quickly and easily as he moves. Left, right, gallop, halt, prance. As though he has never seen Nerine before, Castile soaks in the beauty of their home with an unrelatable exuberance to mother. Of course, her heart has gradually fallen for the land, but her gait is much more tranquil and placid compared to her son’s. Occasionally, she glances over her shoulder at Jord and Dahmer. She takes them to the edge of the cliff where it drops off to the sandy shore. The rocky ledge is perilous, but still she dares to stand near where the rock plummets. Her fiery eyes reach out and stare at the openness of the ocean ahead and below.
”Nerine,” she whispers to them with a tone of admiration. The saltiness of the air soothes her nerves albeit a moment until she looks at them again. ”There is a path down to the beach if you want to see things at a lower altitude.” A chuckle slips from her, never having proposed the offer before. Most remain at their borders, few wandering deep enough into Nerine to see the rocky cliffs and shore. They’ve lasted so far and she searches their eyes for what fascinates them most.
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