The silver mare watched Areo Hotah's posture change, hiding back her broad grin. She was glad to have a draft in her herd who was content to make her life easier. He would be useful through the winter, especially with his size, but she was prepared to keep the entire herd close to the mountains. She didn't want him to continue patrolling since this was their first winter on the island. It would be a shame if he froze to death attempting to follow an order.

Although she missed whatever the two were talking about, the black mbwe jike looked more than happy to move on and spit out her insults. Jasiri's ears flicked back. She hoped the black mare would freeze during the winter. There would be more food and less hassle for her and Areo Hotah then. "Better than yours," she had managed to forget about the tenderness that lingered in her nose. As long as she didn't eat too hastily, she was more or less fine.

She ignored the black's other question, dismissing it by shifting her gaze and focus to Areo Hotah. Her plans didn't need to be shared. "Have you seen anything on your patrols? Has there been any trouble?" She hoped the forest hadn't been spewing out as many horses as the ocean. If the bay herd was trying to get onto her tundra, they might be a bigger problem than she imagined. She didn't want to deal with any harassment during the winter.