The hope that had already begun to fall from the young stallion’s face left in a rush when Cerosi spoke. The steel mare had a deep voice, though smooth and a bit melodic. She usually spoke quietly, as though she were afraid of being overheard and punished - which, for most of her life, had been a very real fear. Though she was no longer afraid of being hunted and watched, Cerosi still spoke quietly, out of habit.

When she offered to help the grey colt search, he refused politely and Cerosi nodded. Her stoic face softened a bit as he called himself a fool for mistaking her. "Don’t beat yourself up about it. I still think I see my dad sometimes, even though I’ve entirely forgotten what his face looks like after all these years," she said, attempting a comforting tone. It didn’t quite work, but at least she sounded friendlier than she had before, and the conversational nature of her words might still help him feel better. It was hard to tell if it worked; he was a stranger, and she could probably not read his face even if she knew him better. His gaze wandered, and she wondered if he had forgotten her; should she take this opportunity to escape, in case he had no intentions of letting her leave? Under the circumstances, taking off seemed especially rude, and Cerosi did not have any screaming instincts trying to tell her he was dangerous. Not yet, anyway. It was still early.

Before she could have darted away if she had chosen to do so, the grey stallion’s eyes swept back over her and he took a few steps closer. Cerosi tensed, but did not move, her muscles coiling beneath the gunmetal skin in preparation for whatever it was he was about to do. He stopped before reaching her, and Cerosi relaxed a tiny bit. She hoped he had not seen her alarm. She hadn’t really moved except for the tiniest flick of her ears, and maybe a bit of apprehension in her expression. His nostrils flared, and she wondered what information he was gathering. Tentatively, she reached out to him to offer a breath.

"Cerosi," she responded when he introduced himself. Something about his name was just the slightest bit familiar, but she thought she might be imagining it, so faint was the feeling in her memory. "I’m just exploring, actually. I’m new to the islands. I’ve been staying in the Desert with Cain. It’s… all very new." She cocked her head at him curiously, like a foal experiencing something for the first time. "So you’re a prince..." It wasn’t really a question, but curiosity flavored her tone. A cheeky, mischievous smirk crossed her face briefly. "Should I bow?" she asked, knowing she would likely get in trouble for poking fun at his authority. She was used to being punished for such things, and it had never stopped her in the past, though this time she was attempting to be mildly bratty, rather than intentionally disobedient.