The spotted stallion was too well acquainted with the fire and brimstone that others tend to bring in their wake for her bugle to have bothered him. While the idea of another battle right now is overpoweringly tiresome, he would not shy away if the pretty bronze mare decided to turn to blows. While he would find it less than ideal, he does find himself admiring the sauciness that seems to simmer directly beneath her flirtatious demeanor. An act? Perhaps her wiles are an attempt to throw him off-kilter but Joachim finds that he is enjoying them a little too much to be overly apprehensive at the moment. While she may distrust the male gender as a whole, the speckled creature before her that the distrust should lie with the population as a whole. Few have met him with welcoming arms or the whisper of a chance at something more than malicious intent. The awkwardness his mother left at his hooves has tainted his outlook on other's intentions to the point of always suspicious curiosity yet he finds himself always drawn to seek companionship. Perhaps I should not trust myself he muses silently as the woman before captivates him once more.

The smirk that slides across her velvet lips is enough to settle any misgivings he may have at the moment. She says his name and resists the urge to shiver with the pleasure that his name upon her tongue brings. She curls into him briefly, welcoming his touch, and he is reluctant to stop - yet he does. Her introduction offers the sound of a pleasantly deep chuckle from him. "There is no title more befitting...Nyimara." He returns her knowing nod. He has heard of her briefly in passing but had chosen to take any information as a grain of salt. Others often spin narratives in one-sided contempt - much like the poisonous lies his mother spews about him to anyone who offers a half-witted listening ear.

She answers his question with playful words and he offers her an amused smile. "Well I am glad I could alleviate your solitude." He dips his head once more in agreeance to her invitation and his long legs propel him to her side in an instant. Her confidence exudes from her skin like a perfume he cannot quite inhale fast enough. Her line of questioning is expected and more than fair considering his past within her home. "This is the only place that has afforded me any sense of belonging. As empty as these Dunes can appear, they feel like home." His answer may come off as vague to her ears yet he has answered mostly with honesty. He does not bring to light the feud between him and the roan mare just over the nearest border. The complete truth would include that he also wishes to remain near to her and to the siblings he yearns to know. While he does not necessarily care to absolve his mother from her sins, the allure of family in the form of his half-siblings pulls him close.

His bright blue eyes return her contrastingly dark gaze. "I did not appear here to challenge your rule. I would, however, like to extend a proposition. Let me rule beneath you - as your second - and I will protect this land as my own." The candor of his words is evident in the seriousness of his tone. He had a taste for ruling and while it was a whirlwind of blood, sweat, and consuming loneliness, he is unsure of if he wants to rise to that level of responsibility once more. The vicious scar upon the bridge of his nose is an ever-present reminder of the consequences of his actions and he has never been one to forget a lesson learned. He watches her, waiting silently as the walk along the beach, wondering exactly what her answer will be.