Ailill listened politely as the mare explained a force that held the fate of others at its will. It was a concept he was slowly starting to get used to, but was unsure how he felt about it. He had always been one of the earth, aware of only what was around him. Even as the eyes of carved rocks had peered out at him from the faces of the mountains of Paradise. In this moment though, as he knew the waters were going to start to get rough, he could not help but think it might be a good idea to get whatever help they could for crossing.
He watched her curiously, his tail whisping. We are on a main island, with very little shelter from cold, and this one feels the season changes more than some of the others. The water gets rough with winter storms. Whether it was snow or thunderous storms, the waves were consistently treacherous. Fools tended to take the trek. Ailill refused to admit to himself that he was indeed one of those fools. He blinked in surprise at her words. Unseen, his ears flicked back and nose recoiled slightly and hoof stomped gently in surprise and denial. My lady, I am sorry, but you are wrong. Kindness should always be expected. As should respect and honor. His tail lashed again at the thought of the loss of honor in the world. Once more conveniently forgetting he had been one to go thieving about and digging himself into holes. Still, he would stand beside those who needed him.
He grinned when he got her name. It is a pleasure to meet you, Rahsheda. His nose reached out and brushed gently against her’s, assuring her where he was and breathing in her scent. You do me an honor. Still standing close, his pale ears flicked forward at her last words, relief that she was going to come to safety with him. She told him she could not see and he was thankful he had taken the selfish opportunity to remain close and touching her. A soft roll of laughter vibrated gently in his chest. I will gladly take you there. I will stay close and guide you. Without moving too far, he shifted so he could keep his nose on her body and gentle urge her in the right directions. Thinking ahead, he came to the conclusion he would not lead for fear of leaving her behind. Instead he would swim beside her and guide her with word and touch until the reached the safety of the Ridge. Hopefully her Su Ata would smile on them for this swim.