Freya felt comforted by the mare's presence, the closeness of another that she had deprived herself of for so long. She listened intently as the mare spoke her humble introduction.
Luthien? She paused for a moment, reaching deep into her memories for any whisper of familiarity beyond a name, but found nothing. She had only ever heard of the distant island, but had never stepped hoof on its soil. "Ah, a queen like myself." She said with a smile, feeling an affinity for the mare bloom within her chest. "Well, at one point. I used to be queen of the Inlet, on Tinuvel, alongside my... former mate." The dun barely stopped herself from frowning at the mention of Dogun, the subtle twitch of her lips betraying her typical reaction.
She considered her answer to Persephone's question as she brought herself to her hooves, shaking the dirt and grass from her hide. How did she answer that without revealing too much? She had seen things and been places that others here would not - could not - comprehend. She wondered if they'd call her crazy, if she told them about the types of beasts she's met on her travels. Best not to risk it, she mused, answering carefully: "Nothing in particular. I've just been wandering the Crossing, really. I thought I might find some familiar faces here, but no one stands out." There was a hint of sadness at the edge of her words, a longing for companions that no longer roamed these islands. She held onto the hope that maybe, someday, they would return. But she knew these were empty wishes.
"How long have you been the leader of the Forest?" The old mare asked, hoping it might allude to Persephone's age, and also genuinely curious to know how long she had been in power. Some territories, she had overheard through whispered gossip, were notorious for changing owners frequently - sometimes multiple times in a year. She had been thankful the Inlet was not one of those places.
Another part of her wondered how one could just up and abandon their family like that? Then she remembered that that's exactly what Dogun had done to her, to their children, and she swallowed thickly against the sudden dryness of her throat. The thought doesn't bring her to tears like it once had - after so many years, she wasn't going to waste the precious energy weeping for a lover who couldn't have the decency to at least say goodbye first.
But still, she felt that sadness gnaw at her soul, at the edges of the empty space that he had left within her.