She was so... cheerful. Her chipper attitude seemed wildly out of place in this dreary winter weather. Yet, the tobiano stallion found himself refreshed by her effervescent nature; he had never seen anyone so happy before, so eager to acquaint herself with others. Giving a nod, he stepped forward, the potential promise of company luring him from the frigid shadows. "Yes, I am." He confirms with brevity, words falling from his lips and disappearing into the night air like the breath from his lungs.
"I... appreciate your invitation, Katla." He continues, unsure of how to respond. He has never considered himself a friendly type, nor has he had many he would consider friends. The stallions of the Lagoon were not his friends; the trinket mares that bided their time around the lagoon's borders were not his friends. Not even his own brother was a friend to him. Although he understood the concept of friendship, it was still foreign to him. So to have this mare offering companionship to him like it was the simplest thing in the world, well... it puzzled him.
Sighing deeply, Mikhail shook his head, disappointment coating the edges of his words as he spoke again. "But I can't see very well, especially at night. I'm afraid I would only slow you down." The idea of adventure had never appealed to him; even after his departure from the Lagoon, he did not consider himself an adventurer. But the prospect of camaraderie, well - that appealed to him greatly, to an inner desire to find in others what he could not in his own family: togetherness.
"My name is Mikhail, by the way. Why did you come here, of all places?" The question escaped his mouth before he could really think about it. It almost seemed rude to inquire about her origins (perhaps it was a sensitive matter), but he had little regret for posing the question to her. His curiosity was too strong - he had to know. Outsiders were rare, nowadays... most were content to stay away from the Islands, and those who were born here often never left. So why here, of all places? Why the Islands?