Through the eyes of a child, the world was less complicated - a warm and welcoming place that held no place for the cumbersome burdens that adults often placed upon themselves. Iscariot was glad to have his presence be embraced so readily, and in turn he shed the last remnants of his reservations to join them in spirit as well as body. The paling red child even drew closer to him, and the pale stallion met her halfway, pink nostrils fluttering when he extended his muzzle to exchange the customary greeting of their kind. She smelled of Siobhan, and the male he presumed must be Ailill - though he had not yet met the Ridge’s third guardian, and had only encountered the mare in passing. Perhaps after today, both this unfortunate truth and his semi-reclusive nature would change, and he would become more than a ghost who haunted the outskirts of the herd while contributing little to its welfare.

Perhaps there truly was a place for him here.

His lips had just parted to respond to the first girl’s question when the second stepped forward. Her posture was subtly protective in a way that reminded Iscariot strongly of his sister, and a small measure of warmth broke through his solemn expression, curving the corners of his lips upwards. Speaking again, the girl who had called herself Roisin strengthened his first impression by narrowing her eyes and tilting her small head to one side. It was an expression that Rivaini had often worn when regarding him in the moments when she’d been torn between exasperation and amusement. Most of the time she would succumb to the latter, and warm laughter would tumble from her lips. These were some of the best memories that he held of his past - and the few that he clung to whilst the sieve of his mind allowed the grief and sorrow that lay behind him to slowly drain away.

“I climbed to the tallest lookout after it rained, once,” Iscariot began, his pale eyes drifting upwards - in the same direction from which he’d come. “And it was there. A big rainbow - so close that I thought it could touch it - stretched across the sky right above me. It looked like it touched the ground over on the next ridge. So I went to find the place that it ended, but it was gone when I got there.” The perlino turned his attention back to the two girls, his smile both wistful and sad. “They never seem to last long - but maybe next time it rains, I could show you - if it’s there.” Of course, there was no guarantee that Roisin and Akadi’s mother would ever permit such an adventure with a stranger. But if they asked, she might at least bring them there, and let them see for themselves. After all, who could deny the young whatever their hearts desired, especially when it was something so easily given?

As if sensing this vulnerability, the golden filly made such a request of Iscariot. His thoughts immediately turned wary when she turned to regard her collection of flowers, remembering all too well what had happened when Rivaini had played ‘dress-up’ with him those years ago. But there was no way to extricate himself with grace - and especially not without disappointing his potential new friends. And so the perlino Andalusian remained where he was, his posture rigid but his expression still kind as he silently hoped for anything but flowers in his mane. Literally anything. He would sooner face one of the black cats who roamed the jungle than Rivaini’s laughter - especially if Faolain should be near enough to join in.

Thankfully, the dun filly returned with a feather instead of a blossom. Exhaling his breath in a gentle sigh of relief, Iscariot decided it was safe enough to play along for now, and even lowered his head so that the vibrant shade could be compared to the slightly-darker hue of his mane. “What about that green-and-yellow feather you found earlier for Akadi?” He asked, his eyes touching on it where it lay between the two more distinctively single-shaded piles. “It would stand out more than orange against the red of her coat.”

Flowers or none, Rivaini might have laughed even so to hear her brother speak now. But Iscariot thought that Faolain might have understood at least a little. When you wanted someone to be happy, after all, sometimes you did strange things for the sake of being the reason behind their smile.