Now that the connection had been drawn in her mind, it seemed so obvious that she couldn't believe none of them had ever seen it before. Of course, Kohelet had seen neither Rougaru nor Nyimara in person and therefore could not gauge for herself how different their appearance and carriages were or else she might have been less hasty to believe it to be so easy to connect the two.

Yes, she was his sister. Yes, that was who he meant. Kohelet stored the scent she'd caught on his handsome black coat away into her memory, locking it in so that she might recognize the silver-haired witch by scent if not by sight.

He hesitates on her third question, however, and the worry on her face intensifies. All too easily the first-time mother could imagine a jealous aunt coming to reclaim a piece of her family, thereby drawing the ire of Rougaru back onto her family. She shivered at the thought, but stayed frozen in place, her gaze desperately searching his for an answer until he finally shook his head no.

Kohelet didn't have to be a mind reader nor an expert in body language to understand the heavy yet that he'd implied. It hung over their conversation like an angry stormcloud, so painfully reminiscent of the years the Cove had spent at war with Paradise that she shuddered as the weight of it yoked back over her shoulders. Fell's angry stomp made her flinch - not because she was afraid, but because her fears had already begun to spiral. Like with Rougaru, Kohelet had no frame of reference beyond that which she'd heard.

And while she hadn't heard as much about Nyimara as she had Rougaru, she'd heard enough to know that she was dangerous.

Silent, she watched him circle around her, his gaze and thoughts elsewhere. She wondered what was going through his mind and whether she should be offering reassurances or investigating further. Knowing that Nyimara was still out there, and still enough of a potential threat to warrant a warning, meant that they needed to do something about her, even if that something was as small as warning the herd and island of the reemergence of danger.

She followed his lead and lapsed into silence as he settled, relishing in the feeling of being at his side. She still felt more than a little guilty about the Kolfinna situation and her refusal to do the "right" thing and tell her father, but all of that faded in the presence of her handsome black stallion. Taciturn as he might be, she still believed in the good in him, and honestly believed that even his tendency to fight and challenge for mares came from something instinctual rather than malicious.

She had to believe it, or else acknowledge she'd made a massive mistake.

Some time later, she stretched to touch him, her gaze rising to try and find his. "We'll be okay," she murmured, forcing confidence into her voice. "Is there something you need me to do?" Kohelet would not insist on being his voice when not invited, but she was keenly aware of the privilege speech afforded her.