(alexis, I left you an important message here. <3)

He doesn't hear Mellow's reply; there is little to hear anyway, for Mellow has retreated back into his shell, and Encantador's eyes are all for Sova. He likes the way her chocolate coat shines in the sunlight. It has a depth to it that reminds him of his mother's eyes. Simultaneously he finds himself half irritated and bemused by her quip; she is an odd one, that's for sure.

"All the better; if I recall correctly, you said you couldn't fix me, anyway."

There's a wry little smirk tugging at his lips as he says this. Not that he wants her to 'fix' him, if indeed he is at all 'broken': he's not naive enough to believe that one individual can magically fix another's problems simply by existing. "Welcome to the desert, Sova," he finally says with a more genuinely friendly tone to his voice. If 'welcome' is the right word, he thinks to himself, knowing that his home isn't precisely the most luxurious of places to be.

Suddenly he is all-too-aware that Mellow is standing right there with them, solemn as usual. Encantador feels self-conscious for the intimate wordplay he's exchanged with Sova in front of his beta, but as ever, the chestnut stallion is unemotive. Canta peers at him from the corner of his eye for a moment, before saying:

"Mellow, thank you for receiving Sova on my behalf, but... would you allow us to speak privately?" His words are tentative, but it is clear he is not the one asking for permission. It is a gentle command dressed up as a timid request.