To Gnome’s relief, the conversation began to pick up pace. He had gotten the sense initially that the painted pony hadn’t wanted to talk to him one bit, and he wouldn’t have blamed her. Now that Rougaru had arrived, however, it seemed she did not have any hesitation speaking her mind. Again, he couldn’t really blame her for her sourness toward the silver male. After all, she’d been pulled from her home heavily pregnant to swim to an unsuitable climate. He listened with interest to their exchange, speaking of the water as well as wolves both literal and metaphorical.

He caught some movement in his peripheral vision as the other small fluffy creature edged her way closer. He cast a sympathetic glance her way and gave her a small smile that he hoped would reassure her. The little mare, however, seemed to only have vehement eyes for Rougaru. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he followed her glare over to Rougaru just as he was asking Gnome a question.

“No, I was not from Tinuvel. Previously the Prairie was my home.” He glanced back down the shore to the blue roan, who still stood grazing with Veles. Now was not the time to reveal their whole history, he supposed. “I was born elsewhere, but the climate and foliage were more similar to those found on Luthien and the Crossing.” He chuckled at Grier’s wondering about Xiomara. “I actually don’t know. One day she told me to report to Paradise, so I came here. I stayed because at the time I had no other connections, and I was happy to help with protecting Rougaru’s herd in exchange for a home.” He gave Rougaru a grateful glance. It was true that coming here had not been in his plans, but he often thought of all the events that had transpired since his arrival. He had reconnected with Kendry and Lilika, and had met Monster and Veles. Without Xiomara sending him here, he may not have reconnected with or met any of them.

Grier spoke of Liland and how he’d rushed her out of the Common. It was a scenario all too familiar to the dun. Often stallions would come and usher mares to their territories without so much as a word or friendly glance. In fact, Xiomara had laid claim to him in a similar way. He understood wanting to bolster numbers, but there was a civil way to do it, in his opinion. Still, he could not forget that some females may want to feel possessed in such a way. A long time ago – so long ago that he couldn’t even remember her name – a mare had become angry with him for not being forceful enough with her. The memory still baffled him.

Interested, he flicked his ears forward as Grier began to speak again. Judging by her accent, he had assumed she was not from here. She confirmed this fact, and detailed some of the events of her past. So, she was no stranger to being traded either. He presumed that she, like him, was still unaccustomed to stallions being traded as mares often were. The idea was still unpleasant to him not because of any notion of being better than a mare; rather, he disliked the idea that anyone of any gender could be treated as so replaceable. As she ended her explanation with a rhetorical question, he nodded in empathy with her but did not speak further until she asked for their stories in return.

“Well, I already mentioned a little, but I grew up far from here also. I had no reason for coming here other than to seek adventure, and I certainly have found it.” He paused momentarily before turning his head and gesturing toward the blue roan. “Lilika – the blue roan down there a ways – and I grew up close to one another, actually, and it was just luck that brought us both here long ago. Some unfortunate circumstances separated us for some time, and we have been recently reunited.” A genuine smile lit up his face as he discussed Lily.

The solid red pony spoke in a heavily accented voice just then. Though her first word was not in any language Gnome had heard before, the latter two were clear enough. She had not addressed him, but he felt it would be impolite to go further in this conversation without acknowledging her, so he said, “Hello, Valka. My name is Gnome.” He stretched his pink nose down to her level, inviting her to exchange breaths with him if she was willing.

Gnome