Adara could feel the mare’s eyes on her as she drank, but she knew herself that she was just being cautious, the bay mare would have done the same. In fact, knowing that she was under the watchful eye of this mare made her feel somewhat better - given the circumstances - because it meant that at least someone else here would not let things slide under their nose, and Adara would not be the only one on the look out for danger or strangers coming here.

That is, if she stays here.

Adara nodded her head slightly at El Aran’s words. Peace. Peace for now. She knew that peace never lasted forever, though there were some that believed it did. Peace could be short lived or go on for centuries, but it always, always ended. And when that day came, Adara would be ready. She would not allow herself to grow lazy and unfit of fighting, not again. “I understand. But, I will be ready to fight if the need ever comes.” She replied, dipping her head slightly. Giving her loyalty to this mare that she barely knew seemed odd for Adara, but she knew she had to start somewhere.

Besides, she’d much rather give her loyalty to another mare than a stallion, mares tended to be less driven by vengeance and aggression. And El Aran already proved the fact that she held the priority of health above war by telling Adara that the only fight was for survival. And it was Adara who should be proving herself to the mare, not the other way around. If she wanted to live here, she needed to show she was capable.

“I came here by mistake.” Adara admitted, turning her head slightly and quickly glancing over the barren landscape before returning her gaze to the black mare. “Though now I am not so sure it was.This land has its own struggles, water and food is sparse and the sun burns everything. But only the strongest could survive this climate, and I rather not be near a place where many predators lurk in the shadows because of the abundance of prey.” Her voice filled with venom as she spoke, her anger reaching her surface as the thought of those wolves grew strong in her mind. “The Desert doesn’t offer us much with food and water, but it does offer us strength in the hardest of times, and protection from those that pick on the weak.” She stopped, not realizing how her voice had grown louder and that she was no longer really talking to the mare but giving herself a small pep talk.
It was at that moment that Adara decided that she would stay here, and she would thrive.