Nadeždah wasn't oblivious to the way her father's mood shifted, nor was she any stranger to his self-pity. She knew she could just leave him here to rot like he too often assumed she wanted to, but she was also keenly aware of what it was like to be left alone and can't bring herself to do that to him. So yes, she did stick with him out of pity, or perhaps sympathy, but she didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing. If only he could see it the same way.
She was quickly distracted from her thoughts by the sound of approaching hooves, rhythmic against the dry summer dirt. She swiveled her head to peer in the direction they were coming from, dark eyes landing on a silver-and-black stallion making a beeline toward them. At her side Mikhail bristled as the male's voice rang out, startingly close. His dark ears flattened against the ebony tangle of his mane, head lifting and cloudy eyes narrowing in the stallion's general direction.
Nadeždah was far more receptive to the stranger's presence, a wide smile pulling at the corners of her lips. It'd been weeks, possibly months, since she'd interacted with anyone but her sire. Though his frightening tales of what happened to lone mares in the Crossing was always in the back of her mind, she found herself longing for outside contact. Besides, she wasn't alone, was she?
She let her gaze roam over the stallion once, then twice, appraising him with a critical eye. He was handsome enough, she supposed, and his politeness was a refreshing change from her father's usual callousness.
"That's fine," she piped, at the same time Mikhail's gruff voice cut in with a firm, "No." This earned the old man a glare from his daughter. Snaking her head out, she nipped him lightly on the shoulder as a warning - 'don't ruin this' - before turning her attention back to the stranger. Mikhail only gave an annoyed grunt in response and went quiet again. Nadeždah stepped closer to the stallion, admiring how his coat was made of both moonlight and shadow, and the intensely icy gleam of his eyes. "Ignore him, he's just in a bad mood like always. My name's Nadeždah and this is my father Mikhail. What brings you to the Crossing?"
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