Her brown eyes remain locked on him as she takes shallow breaths, trying read his reaction to her promise. His blue eyes widen at the mention of a foal and she is taken aback for a second, dual parts of her wondering if had forgotten, or worse if he regretted giving her one. Both slender ears tuck back again, belying her uncertainty.

There is a rational part of her mind that argues that unlike her, Bjorn has no way to know if their coupling had been successful. They'd been apart for most of the days since the event, and even if they had been together, the changes were subtle and hard to notice. This overwhelming swell of emotion, even given the circumstances that caused it, was a fair enough sign for her. Normally she exists on much more emotionally even keel, not prone to such extremes.

Her lover closes the distance between them, pausing only inches away and she can feel the heat of him, or perhaps only imagines she can. This ocean land they called home was quite warm, but his presence was tangible. At his plea, a worried smile tries to work its way onto her lips but fades quickly as he touches her.

She expects his anger, needs it almost to justify her guilt, but he doesn't give it to her. Instead, she can feel his sadness and she leans in to it, burying her face into his mane. The breeze blows loose strands across her face but she does not pull away from. Silently she draws her strength from him and his solidarity.

When he pulls away she feels more centered, his calmness or forgiveness, whichever it was, serving to soothe the worst of the bitter edges of guilt. Confusion wrinkles the skin of her brow and she stares at him, dumbfounded. Wherever had he gotten that idea from? He hadn't even been here, having been doing what he could to protect their interests outside of the Ridge.

"Wha?" She doesn't even finish the word, and lets the soft exhalation of her uncertainty serve as the only intro. "What do you mean, Bjorn?"

She reaches out then, finally becoming aware of his own heartbreak. Her muzzle traces his cheek, a weak smile trying to form on her lips. "No, love. I don't blame you."

She swallows them, her own guilt resurfacing in full force. If anyone should be blamed here, it was obviously her. Her gaze drops to the ground as she pulls away from him, and she shakes her head slightly. "I can't blame you when it was my fault. I... couldn't make myself move when Ysabel and S-"

She stumbles over his name and re-buries her head against him, a sniffle working it's way up. "When they were taken I just stood there. I couldn't move. It's my fault they are gone. I couldn't stop them or save Ysabel, or the little ones. It's my fault they're gone Bjorn. I'm so sorry." She trails off, still waiting for the explosion that was sure to come.