the firestarters always get the burns
and the good guys never get the girl
The moon-coloured figure moves without too much speed. Winter is approaching, moreso in Hyaline than anywhere else, true, but not that much different from the hills attached to them - if of course, Lepis had not chosen to take the most open path that could be found.
Ilma herself, she takes the routes that may not be the straightest line, but then again, she's not the one in a hurry. When she reaches Lepis on the border and the mare starts to out her cynical lines, the white woman snorts but otherwise just lets her rant. Lepis' smile is not genuine, in fact, there's a huge mountain that Lepis brought with her here today, as well - containing her ego. And Ilma's not smiling at all, simply keeping a neutral face.
The white mare shrugs, and looks at Lepis a while before speaking. Perhaps her full-term steal was a cover, at least, the way she told it now, but it could also be her way of making herself sound less bad than the rest now that it had turned on her. "On the outside, they are the same, Lepis. I'd thought you of all horses would understand that in diplomacy, image is everything." She outs it in a mildly lecturing tone, because, that's what you do with children who don't seem to understand exactly what they are doing, but you don't want to scold them for it either.
She nods to the path she's just taken. "Let's get you settled first, it seems that you need a break from the winds from taking the shortcut. We'll sort out further terms later if you want."
Truth is, she just wants Lepis to see what kind of an impact a full-year steal would have been on Hyaline, on Ilma. And how it felt to be confronted with it. What better way than to take the woman of similar position from her own lands? And sure, if like she implies, she wasn't meaning it to be that long, then she should have said so in the first place. To be honest, with the way this woman was "bargaining", and honestly not doing the greatest job at it in Ilma's opinion, it should not surprise her that maybe she wanted something in return for Ilma's freedom - but the tables were simply turned, now.
And Lepis did not have to pout about it being so.
@[Lepis]