Inwardly, there was a piece of her heart that broke whenever she encountered foals. At one point and time, Stargazer had assumed she would have a family of her own. A loving mate, children to raise and care, children that she would give her life for. However, fate was cruel. Her mother’s wandering spirit had kept her from finding anything lasting. Even when she was old enough to strike out on her own, her dam ruined everything. Shaking her head, the grey mare pushed such somber thoughts away and instead found the joy of being in the presence of kind faces. It should not be so rare to find a place where one is welcomed but that is what this world has become. Broken and bitter and evil. But here, here there are good horses. I could like it here, she rolled these thoughts over and inspected them as if they were foreign. Had it really been so long since she had had friends or at least someone she might be able to trust?

Keeping her face gentle, her auds swiveled in slight surprise at the colt’s exuberance. A small laugh fell from her maw, not mocking but a joyful sound. ”Jabari, what a handsome name for a young man. And your mother,” She moved her nose slightly in the other mare’s direction, ”What is her name? She seems like a good mom.”

Stargazer dipped her crown respectfully to Brienne. Her instinct had always been strong, her gut telling her things she couldn’t know otherwise, and at the moment, it told her she was in good company. It set her at ease, making it easier for her to drop her warrior’s face and instead inhabit the loyal, loving girl she was always meant to be. Childlike wonder had been her strongest characteristic at Jabari’s age. Now? Distrust was very near the front of the list. Of course there were good reasons for this, stories that her scars and blind eye told partially. ”I realize I’ve intruded upon your home. Do you think it would be okay if I stayed? Would your leader allow that?” She asked softly, directing her question toward the mute femme as her chocolate optic traveled from son to mother and back again.