Though the exotically freckled mare likely did not mean her words to be meant as an insult, but implying Vex was uncomfortable meant that the mask her mother had cultivated in her was cracked somewhere, and the real her was spilling out, contaminating the game. She drew herself up and back, the equivalent of squaring her shoulders and fixing her hair, and offered a benign smile to the kindly other mare that did a rather solid job of concealing her disappointment.
She did not bother to wipe away the tiny downward twist of her lips as Lysimache began her tale, already suspecting where this might lead. Vivienne had never spoken much of the Peak, which was, in itself, opinion enough. Her mother talked at length about the things she thought her daughter might need to know, those she might need to befriend, but she spoke little of the Peak beyond mentioning that Vex would find few creatures to bend to her will there.
Time on the Crossing had taught her who the Peak were, but they had failed to capture her interest. Public opinion on them ranged from anti-social man-haters, to insufferable do-gooders, to mysterious mountain witches. Regardless of who they truly were, Vex had known of their existence and of the potential for joining them since she'd been abandoned, and had not done so on purpose.
But if the other rumors were true - that the Peak kept as many captives as the Lagoon did - then she had to be careful not to provoke this unknown mare into a damning claim.
"The Peak is colder than this, and I am already cold" she murmured, ears twisting to tip just barely back. Which wasn't really an answer, but it was the only polite one she was able to find. Drawing in a huff of a breath she resisted the urge to bite her lips and tried again, once more bracing herself as though she were about to battle someone. Somehow she doubted that line alone would be enough to send Lysimache back to the Peak.
"I - appreciate the offer, but I want to mean something to someone. I..." Don't just want to be lonely somewhere new.
She didn't finish the thought. Instead, she allowed her gaze to dip away, her pretty brow furrowing for a moment as she tried to sort out the best way to let her down gently without trying to have someone else involved in her business.
"I am no one's sister, but I appreciate the offer." She finally murmured, her gaze lifting back to the striking mare.
She wasn't even anyone's daughter, anymore.
"My name is Vex," she finally relented.
"And I do - truly -" (another lie, this one without bite)
"- appreciate the offer, but I am no valkyrie or justice seeker or man-hater. I have no combat skills and have not traveled. I am of no use to you or your... sisters. I had hoped to find a herd of my own, but it appears that is not in the cards for me today."
Though Vex tried her best to keep the moroseness out of her voice, she doubted she had succeeded. As a girl, raised to believe that her strongest assets were her youth and beauty, it was more than a little disheartening to only be approached by a Peak mare, and not even one interested in her, so much as interested in recruitment. Vex wasn't sure how she would begin repairing her pride after this, but that was most certainly a question for a later time.
Mare Teke Mutt Silver Bay* Roan Overo 15.3hh ışıksız x Vivienne