A part of Sonorae is still tense. The part of her that the immediate comfort provided by Rougaru's warmth and protection has not quite reached. It is a part of her that still shivers when he touches her, inwardly careening away with wide-rimmed eyes and a rapid heartbeat. Not even the hours spent curled at his side, her fear gentled by his kindness, have reached this inner pearl. It rebels against the way she melts at his touch, and voices her fears of his intentions. Still, Rae rejects the wisdom of this inner voice, and gladly so. Faced with a choice between the perpetual hum of terror and the tranquility of Rougaru's company, she would choose the latter every time.

Again the chocolate beast reaches out to brush her shoulder, sending her doubts skittering away and she smiles again. She is helplessly under his spell, unable to flee even if she had wanted to. He could probably ask her to bow and kiss the ground beneath his dark hooves and she would, as long as it meant he might smile at her like that again and wrap her speckled form against him.

She can sense that there are words left unsaid when he finally speaks again, but the words he offers provide enough to keep her attention for now. The thought of their being four herds sharing one island is intriguing to her, and she cannot help but wonder if they are all as beautiful as Rougaru's Paradise. Were they all led by gentle, handsome stallions? Or were the dangers that lurked on Atlantis composed of more than just fanged beasts?

"I would," she offers with a smile, although her mind cannot let go of the idea of Rougaru having sons. The thought of him caring for some faceless, wobbly newborn made her whole chest warm. It also made the small, resistant inner voice mewl in fear and for once, Rae heeded this warning and did not inquire more. "Are the fruits good?" Realizing that this is probably a strange question to ask, her face heats up in embarrassment and her gaze tears away from him to study the path he'd indicated. "I can't remember if I've had them."

As they walked, however, she could not tear her mind away from the idea of Rougaru as a father. She could not remember her own parents - whether they had been kind, or impatient, or distant. They very well could have been the ones to put her into the position she'd found herself in on the Crossing for all that she knew. Eventually, her curiosity proves to be too much and her gaze darts back to his entrancing green eyes, a shy smile on her lips.

"You mentioned your sons," she begins hesitantly. "How many do you have?" This, if nothing else, seemed like a good topic to start with. After all, she hardly knew him.