Roux tried her hide her smile as the girl shied away, clearly flustered by an answer she hadn't expected to receive. She never really tried to undermine her siblings on purpose, but there was an undeniable sort of power that came with being one-up on anyone, even a stranger.
Their muzzles met briefly, and Roux tasted the stranger's exotic scent without thinking anything of it. Even if Faline's scent could have given away her ancestry, Roux's entire world was centered around her relatives in Paradise and it would not have seemed amiss to her. Everyone smelled a little like Rougaru in Paradise, She did, however, enjoy watching their breath plume together into the frosty air before the wind stole it away from them.
No, the spotted girl answered, and Roux's face danced through a set of conflicting emotions that started somewhere near doubt and ended up closer to amusement. Surely the girl was lying. She was so very sad and worried-looking that Roux couldn't imagine that she was telling the truth about being unharmed. After all, in the silver girl's limited existence, sadness usually had a cause, and that cause was normally someone (a brother, a mother, a friend) being mean. At one point, the silver-maned filly even went so far as to look behind her newfound friend as if the woods themselves would divulge the answer she was seeking, but the trees remained as uncooperative as the girl.
Roux pouted, her umber lips curling downward into a disappointed frown as she considered her nameless companion. Normally she'd be able to enlist the help of either of her parents to pressure a sibling that didn't want to be forthcoming, but she had no such tools at her disposal here. Both Rougaru and Sonorae were likely still in Paradise, safely cocooned in the relative safety of the jungle while she was out here experiencing her own adventure. It would have been nice of them to send someone with her for company, but she hadn't really wanted to tell them where she was going. Her father might have encouraged her boldness, but her mother would have had a fit if she knew the risks Roux was taking.
Finally, after what had felt like an eternity to the impatient filly, her companion finally offered the answer that she'd suspected all along. A triumphant grin quickly replaced her earlier frown and she nodded to herself. She had been right! Of course, for Roux, that was quite obviously the norm, at least if you asked her mom.
It didn't matter that the girl still wore a sob-story worthy expression, with her pretty eyes downcast and her lips curved into a tight little frown. For Roux, this moment was a triumph and she relished in the feeling of guessing the right answer. Unfortunately, her new friend didn't elaborate any further and a mote of silence filled the air between them. The chocolate girl shifted her weight, impatience warring with the manners that Sonorae had tried very hard to instill in her daughter, despite Roux's very vocal objection to every lesson.
I'MFALINE! Her new friend's shout surprises her, and Roux steps back, her ears ticking too and fro worriedly for a moment. As soon as the surprise passed, a delighted giggle slipped out and she favored Faline with a beaming grin.
"I like your name, Faline. It's really pretty," Roux replies, proving she was capable of being polite when it would serve her own purposes. "I'm Roux... kinda like Rougaru, but more girlie. My mom wanted to name me after my dad because she loves him so much," Roux elaborated, exaggerating the syllables and rolling her eyes to convey how disgusting she found her parent's love affair.
"Where you named after anyone? Or is your name just yours?" Her blonde bangs trailed across her face as it tilted inquisitively, ears perking forward again. Suddenly, the memory of her first question returned and she abandoned all interest she might have had in the origin of Faline's name. "Oh! Wait! I almost forgot, I was going to ask who hurt you? Do we need to go beat 'em up together? My dad taught me a few things."
Again, her eyes lifted to the scenery behind her pretty new friend, their dark emerald depths lightened to near viridian with interest. Living with mostly brothers had afforded the precocious girl a fair amount of experience in defending herself against larger and stronger opponents. If beating up her oppressor would bring a smile back to Faline's face, Roux would do it.
mare
lusitano mutt
silver bay
16.1h
love