The conversation between Grier, Gnome and Valka was progressing at a terse and rather slow state. Rougaru had always favored getting to the point quickly and avoiding any of the nonesense that came with word play. It had never been one of Rougaru's fortes anyway. Silently he listens as Grier responds to Gnome, remarking her distain for the water. There had been a time when he himself had shared her belief, no true love for damp conditions or the feel of mud that squished and squelched beneath his hooves. Ironic really for a stallion that had grown up on the shores of one land or another his entire life. Perhaps that was why he learned rather quickly that it was best to simply deal with it. After awhile the waters were not nearly as miserable if you let your mind dwell far from them. "I learned early on long as your mind is focused elsewhere the waters arent so bad." he remarks his words void of emotion. It was an attempt.

The little painted mare meets his gaze with a guarded expression. Her words, though lilted in delivery are firm in their suspicion and he finds that even the beast curves its dark lips upwards in amusement. A coy grin slides across his whiskered lips as a throaty chuckle rumblers from deep within his chest. Multifaceted eyes of emerald green glitter as he drops his head in mock feign of suprise. "Yes the wolves of Paradise make determining friend and foe difficult but by the gods they protect their own." he teases, thick plume flicking idly against his feathered hocks.

Valka moves closer to the group now, her slight, fluffy frame clear in the perephrial of his vision. Absently he turns to gaze at her, noting the venom in her dark eyes and the way her sandy lips curl into the form of a silent snarl as their gazes meet. Clearly she was not happy with him. The expression even more noteable by the way her small ears bury beneath the fluff of her thick course mane.

Were it any other circumstances, no doubt the wolf would have given her a cocky laugh, his own eyes alight with challenge as though he dared her to step a hoof out of line. But well, in the current state of things, even the beast was weary from battle after battle.

A single lobe tilts sideways as he blinks absently at her. Thick muscular neck coils as he snorts calmly at her a moment before turning his gaze once more to Gnome and Grier. A single dial flickers at the two toned stallion's mention of Tinuvel. He had nearly forgotten that the stallion had been a gift from Xiomara in exchange for his daughter's timid lover. "Ah yes I forgot you too came here from Tinuvel Gnome. When Xiomara still held her claim on the Inlet. Seems like years since that transpired. She too traded the tundra for the jungle." he adds, pausing for a moment to chew over his own words. "But you were not originally from Tinuvel were you?" he asks a genuine interest piquing as casually he turns towards Grier. "What about you? How did you end up on these islands?"

Valka moves closer now still, her small muzzle outstretched to Grier in greeting as stiff words fall from her lips. Ironclad had mentioned something about a language barrier, the extent a bit more clear now. She fixes him again with a piercing gaze and he merely blinks back at her with calm stoic reserve. He felt certain that for some time still her anger would flourish, especially with the wounds of betrayal still fresh in her mind. Nonetheless he was determined to prove that her anger would be met if the need arose... it just was not this time. He does not stretch his own muscular neck towards her, does not dare attempt to provoke her, instead cocks his proud head and offers his own name, "Valka....Rougaru." he breathes bumping his jaw against his own chest before extending a single forelimb to rub at an invisible itch on his nose. Doing his best to make his broad, muscular form appear as as ease as possible. It was different, this small group of strangers. An for now, he was content in the slow progression of the conversation as it played out.