His soft laugh and genial nature was well-received. The irritability boiling in her gut at leaving her favored island settled back, pleased to allow conversation with a nonconfrontational individual to be the distraction. Mariael’s eyes brightened and a smile hung off her mouth before a breathy laugh escaped her and she shook her head. “You don’t need to bow.” Though the pleased expression on her face showed she already respected him – Mashkull – more than she’d expected to. His compliment of her name did not go unnoticed either, though Mariael was not well versed when it came to flirtations and let it lie rather than pursuing it further.
“Mashkull,” she repeated his name and nodded, silently approving, before her smile widened just a little. “It’s a fitting name, though I imagine your parents had more hand in it than you did, same as me.” Mariael’s smile deepened. It had been some time since she just had a normal conversation with someone… most of her conversations had an agenda or were tense with apprehension knowing things could go sideways fast. This was good, though. It was good to just talk sometimes.
Mariael refocused on Mashkull, studying the sturdy stallion. He struck her as refreshingly different; a breath of fresh air blown through the islands, stirring them into consciousness. New blood coming to the islands was the only way the natives could continue to survive… and she was certain she’d assumed correctly about Mashkull. “I’m going to guess it won’t be too outlandish of me to assume you’re not a native of one of the other islands?”
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