Orhan's expression tightened slightly as he mulled over the little mare's words. In his opinion, a horse only came to the desert if they were dangerous, desperate, lost, or had no other options. He thought of his meager herd, and how they had come to be here; Vesti could not or would not leave Salem, and Carisa was a deaf horse who had apparently come here searching for a refuge from the outside world. Even his own mother had seemingly lived in the desert for so long because it had kept her far from those who would have harmed her.
As he looked at Ava, the stallion reflected that she did not seem dangerous, desperate, or lost, yet her words indicated that she fulfilled the last criteria: having no other options. He frowned. It made sense: why else would she come to the desert? She claimed she was here to explore, but if she had been away from the islands as she claimed, why bother returning just to visit a wasteland?
The desert may have been his home - the only real home he'd ever known - but Orhan had never been one to romanticize it. The desert was hard and brutal even for those who were suited to it; he didn't buy that any outsider in their right mind would willingly come to make memories here.
It was with a sinking heart he decided then that Ava must have been going soft in the head in her old age.
Still, that would not stop him from accomodating her as best he could. "I'm afraid that business with the yılan you saw back there is about the most exciting things get around here," he replied honestly. "But you're welcome to make as many memories as you like here."
After bobbing his head to emphasize his words, the stallion glanced off across the oasis for a moment in thought. "Do you have any family on the islands, Ava?"
He was not quite sure what pressed him to ask such a question, having already anticipated what her answer might be.
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