The sudden shyness Cerosi felt was discouraging. She thought she had been doing a good job of opening up and having fun; why was her mood suddenly darkening? She didn’t understand. A lump formed in her throat, but she forced it down. She would not let Akello feel like he had done a bad job of showing her around and making her feel comfortable.

Her gold gaze swept across the fiery horizon, trying to find something to distract the tungsten mare. She had learned how to ground herself early on during her time in the barbaric tribe her father had left her with, and it was a skill she hoped she wouldn’t need as often as she had on the mainland. At first, when her emotions were just beginning to turmoil, Cerosi was frustrated and angry that she already had to ground herself again so soon into her freedom. However, when her eyes took in the beautiful landscape Akello had shown her today, she realized it was much easier to settle herself down, to bring herself back to reality than it had been before her escape. Her discouragement was abruptly replaced with hopefulness. She hoped Akello did not see how rapidly her temperament was changing; she was embarrassed by the mood swings, though a gentle voice in her mind told her that this was just part of healing. She had the freedom to have and express mood swings, and that was something she had not possessed in her old home. She took a deep breath, and tried to go easy on herself, though her cheeks still felt quite warm.

Cerosi’s eyes sought Akello once again as he spoke, expressing the want for company in a manner that sounded similar to her own. He was right; sometimes it did just feel better to have another horse next to you. She offered a smile that was both understanding and tired. "Actually," she said, "do you mind if I join you tonight? I think I’d feel better bedding down with a friend. I’m not used to being on my own. It’s a little scary." Cerosi hoped as well that Akello did not think her a coward for admitting this. Being this honest was new to her, especially about her fears, and she felt almost uncomfortably vulnerable. Still, she rationalized, feeling vulnerable here was better than being vulnerable to predators alone at night.