The sound of his name in her mouth again only broadened the smile he wore, and he nodded, thrilled that she remembered him. It was a tiny bit of a blow to his ego to know that she hadn't realized his identity until this moment, but at least she did know. He might have been small then, but he most certainly wasn't now.

"What do you mean what do I mean?" He asked with a chuckle, blinking rapidly to clear the sweat that was dripping into his eyes and making them sting. Her expression was beginning to make him wonder if he'd misunderstood something somewhere, but he refused to be deterred. Ayiana hadn't really been that pleased to join him in the beginning either and now she was doing just fine in the Badlands under his protection. "You're coming to the Badlands with me."

His gaze flicked down to the leg that she held up, and he did his best to ignore the dual trickles of guilt that came from hurting her and pride for winning. "After you- we rest, of course." He added with another roguish grin. He might have been rough around the edges, but he wasn't going to try and hurry either of them to an early grave in the ocean due to overexertion.

"I've been looking for you since that day we met," he admitted, stepping gingerly forward to try and extend his muzzle toward her. "You said you would come to the Badlands with us," he reminded her without accusation. Things had gotten fuzzy after that day with Arsinoe charging off and everyone getting separated, but he hadn't forgotten Filumena's promise. "I knew that if I came to get you, and just showed you that I could take care of you, you'd want to come home with me," he admitted without embarrassment or awareness that his fantasy may not have been at all what she'd been imagining for her own future.

"You're going to love it," he echoed again more softly, attempting to be suave and charming despite the way the pain of his hind leg made him wince as he shifted his weight.

young stallion - mutt - seal bay overo - 15.1h - rafe x velahrn