Vihaan regards him evenly and in silence as he responds, and remains quiet. There were, she felt, some things Cain needed to say. And she needed to wait for him to say them, to gauge where they stood with one another, before she could speak from her heart. The dunalino does not stand still and silent as stone, however. There are gentle movements – a settling into the sand that shows she is comfortable right where she is, and graceful dips of her head, to convey that she acknowledges Cain’s words and feelings. And there are soft sounds too, a melody of empathic sighs, and a nicker of greeting issued underbreath to the piebald mare who approaches.

“Look at me Cain,” she says eventually, breaking the silence that had settled just as it was beginning to feel uncomfortable. And Vihaan waits until he meets her gaze and does not turn aside from her. “Do I seem caged to you? Am I not free, as I have always been?” Absently, one curved ear flicks towards the mare, who was unfamiliar to her in all ways but by sight alone. They had never spoken, and perhaps this is why she feels no shame in addressing Cain so directly, despite the circumstances. There are things that need to be said, and as much as one hopes for a better time to say things, Vihaan has grown to realise that sometimes there are no ‘better times’. And, there is evidence enough at their hooves beneath the mounds of sand – sometimes things happen unexpectedly. The dunalino would not tempt fate, lest it decide to rob her of time and a future, before she’d managed to say what needed to be said.

After several moments, she continues. “I stayed away so long. Much longer than I meant to. I imagine you wondered why.” A lull in the conversation here allowed Cain to respond if he wished. No doubt, even if he chose not to voice them, he had his theories. Vihaan carries on, revealing her reasons. “I want to be honest. I've felt lost from who I was. Spent time searching, and when I found the understanding I was seeking, there seemed hope I might find what I want here in the Desert. I come to you now to determine.” Another pause, this time to see what Cain made of the words she had spoken. If any questions are asked, Vihaan leaves them unanswered for now. “But the waiting was a test for you also, to see what you would do. And you did nothing. Is it doubt or faith that kept you from coming to find me?” She is very much aware of the presence of the other mare nearby, heavy with foal. The reason why Vihaan grows increasingly unsettled now is two-fold.

She needs to find Akello. And ideally, this conversation would be better if it was just her and Cain. But she does not resent the mare’s presence, nor does she let it deter her. After all, she has nothing to hide, acknowledges that whatever follows… The outcome that Cain chooses will be made with his herd in mind. “As for what the future holds… Do you remember that day you coaxed the truth from my lips? If I stay or go, the answer is rooted in the deep desire of my heart that I revealed to you.” Her bronze-brown eyes narrow in discernment as her study of his features suddenly sharpens. "What I want, above all other things..."

She remembers everything from that conversation they’d shared the day Akello had been born. It was when they’d truly opened up to each other. Did Cain remember that? Had he thought about it, as she had, replaying the murmured exchange over and over again in her head whenever she’d been alone during her stay on Luthien. She waits, expectant. Cain’s response would reveal much to her, and confirm whether he saw her as she truly was, and then they could determine whether what it was she wanted was held in his grasp, or if she’d soon depart to seek her belonging elsewhere.

And finally, she devotes her complete attention to the mare for a moment, addressing her. “Forgive my intrusion,” she says humbly. “If you need rest, I can leave. Return later.” In this manner, Vihaan acknowledges the mare, and expresses concern and thought for the mare’s needs in a way she hopes comes across as respectful. For all she knows, she may be perceived as an outsider encroaching upon a place that had once been almost-Home to her, and does not wish to stir up any ill feelings or discomfort in either mare or stallion. This is why she does not press for answers from Cain, and offers to retreat for the meantime. After all, she has no doubt only added to the many thoughts and feelings Cain is already dealing with, and Vihaan has no desire to come between him and the mare in any way.

Vihaan knows what she wants, but if she is not to find it here, she will accept that with dignified grace and part ways with the Desert King in peace.

Vihaan