The woman's humorous reply did put a smile on Marceline's face. So far she knew only two things of her — that she was brave, and had a good sense of humor, and both of these things marceline found herself drawn to. She would make a fine addition to her tiny herd.
Though all Marceline wanted to do was usher her new companion home, she knew there was something to be admired about patience and tactfulness. Hurrying through this interaction would only make her seem like a poor queen who cared only about bulking up her numbers and not for the quality of those she was selecting to be members of her herd. While there was merit to the saying 'strength in numbers', there would be time for that later. This one was only the beginning.
"You are right, my friend, you do have quite the advantage. But some aren't so intimidated by size, especially those pesky Lagoon boys. Stay away from them and you ought to be fine." It was a snippet of wisdom that Marceline had picked up quite early on and passed onto any mare willing to heed her warning. It didn't occur to her that she may have already had a run-in with the swamp dwellers. What mare could live on these Islands and not run into those eels?
Keeping her amber gaze on Ash's, Marceline offered a dip of her own head, tail flicking lazily against her legs. "I am Marceline, queen of the Hills. It's over on Salem." She motioned with her head in the direction her home was. "Have you been to Salem yet, Ash?"
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