pidgeon listens with an unusual intensity as the tall stallion speaks, her tiny ears rapt in attention. normally her mind would wander with such conversation, it would be stolen by the swaying palm fronds, the orange burst of sunshine at the beginning of the trail that danced with the shadows, and the cawing of the colorful birds… but his deep voice draws her in as he describes paradise as if he were an artist describing the scene of a painting. it is easy to be in his company, she finds, when she doesn’t have to worry about her babbling mouth…

when his eyes find her face again she feels the all too familiar anxiety drying her mouth like cotton. usually conversation did not come hard to the little speckled mare but for some reason, he put her on edge… she nearly breathes an audible sigh of relief at grier’s voice beside her though it causes her to start. the lilting dialect of her friend soothes her nerves like a balm and soon enough pidgeon is able to smile easily again.

she reaches out her spotted muzzle to trace grier’s shoulder affectionately, beaming easily. with the pony mare beside her, her confidence doesn’t feel quite so shaken. her eyes glance upward toward rougaru more bravely as she adds to her friends explanation. ”things didn’t work out quite the way i expected… in the bay that is… but i’m glad grier and I crossed paths… and i’m glad we are able to stay here together. there sure is a lot to look at...” she thinks of his earlier mention of all the wonderful things held here in paradise she still gazes brightly in rougarou’s direction. all of the sudden she realized her words could be interpreted differently, with her vision obscured by the stallion, and she sputtered quickly with embarrassment, “the birds i mean….” she drops her eyes, mortified, wishing grier had stolen her away from the conversation before she had made such a fool of herself in front of the handsome stallion before them.