He feels the throb of her collision, but it is her unprovoked lunge that has thrown him off more than any amount of pain. He looks at her as she returns to the sand, him almost four horse lengths away by that time. His ears flatten as she lowers her head, thinking her ready to come after him again and knowing himself only too happy to avoid another collision. Her ears stop him, though, from preemptively avoiding another lunge. That alone spoke for her before her words could.

"You did not return it" she says as if surprised that he had been true to his own word and not enough of a fighter to return her buffet in equal form. Atair would have met her challenge with his own height and weight, or maybe even saw through her bluff, though even he wouldn’t be eager to dispatch her. Antares might have taught her the purpose and the respect due his rank, but again he would not be eager to dispatch her. Rigel? Rigel would have probably fallen over - or not bothered to be so close in the first place.

He keeps his ears flattened, though he does not move away from her approach. He does not know what to make of her display, though he finds himself put out by the added adrenaline after thinking her intending to hurt him. When she extends her muzzle, he keeps his ears as they are but he slowly accepts the offered greeting all the same. "I am not meant for a Soul Sewn, nor to be a wife. I was born to feed the earth, but Eness dared the fates. I truly do not know what is expected of me here."

"One such as yourself, not inclined to be Soul Sewn or Wife, may oathe to a woman who is a First Wife as their Lady-In-Waiting… The purpose of a Lady-In-Waiting is to tend to the happiness and comfort of the Wife they serve. You promise your body and heart to them… almost a marriage - though she may not make any oath to anyone but her Husband." He sounds as though he is worried his information will pain her further, but he wonders if that wasn’t precisely what Ra had intended in bringing the two mares here. "Atair would bind you, body and heart, to her as his place as her Husband - then it would be your honor-bound duty to not leave her side until death did take you and Geb ate you to bones. The only time that you would be parted is when she sent you to do as she bid or when her Husband called on her to pay him… well, the usual attentions."