Feray seems pleased to see her, which is a relief. Arkana feels a little tension melting from her body as she reaches out to exchange breaths, the Badlands Queen's friendly voice and relaxed posture setting the tone for the conversation at hand. Returning Feray's sheepish smile with one of her own, Arkana finds herself studying the other mare's face as she wonders what had brought her all the way here in her condition. While she had seen Feray plenty during her visit to the Badlands, Arkana's attention had been focused on Roheryn, and she had not truly studied the mare until now. One blue eye and one brown stare back at her, a perfect mirror image of her own, and the roaning woven into Feray’s golden coat reminds Arkana strongly of Persephone and her two daughters: Arkana's sisters, Sabran and Eadaz.

Feray would fit in well with the Forest herd.

I came here for you, Feray says, and Arkana's eyes widen in surprise. When the Badlands Queen goes on to explain that she had intended to bring Arkana back to the Badlands, Arkana feels a little flutter of anxiety in her belly. "Bring... me back?" she repeats, one brown ear twisting back atop her head. The child is his, is it not? Feray continues, and all at once Arkana feels like a little girl being caught doing something devious.

"I..." Arkana begins, heat rising into her face; it's almost a mercy that Feray cuts her off before she can answer. Nervous energy makes her shift in place, her hooves crunching the leaf litter beneath her. When she finally has a chance to collect her thoughts, which have scattered like minnows in a fast-moving river, she says, "I'm so sorry, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Roheryn's been a... a good friend to me and the herd, and after Creed came to live with you all, I thought it was worth coming for a visit - to see what all the fuss was about, I suppose. I don't know if I'm ready to settle down anywhere yet. As for the sire..."

She ducks her head so that her eyes are momentarily hidden by the veil of her dark forelock. "I don't know for sure that it's him. And he doesn’t know. I’d prefer to keep it that way." Despite the heat in her cheeks, which makes her feel as though she's been scorched by the sun, it's surprisingly easy to admit this to Feray - easier, certainly, than it had been to admit to her own family. "I'm sorry you came all this way, especially in your state. You're more than welcome to stay here and rest for a while if you need to."

Her imploring eyes watch Feray for an answer.