Desert

If he caught the awkwardness in her hesitation, he did not show it, and his easy-going rejoinder almost let her forget it happened at all. But Fell is hard to forget. He is entwined in her past and in her present in ways she cannot every undo, even if she would someday want to. There is no telling if they will ever again have a future together after everything that has transpired, but Kohelet would be lying if she denied that a part of her fervently hoped to hold him again, just as the other half felt ashamed for the very desire.

I would say you're the winner, he said, and she laughed, her muzzle wrinkling in a grin. "It's about time I won something," she answered, still chuckling. "Might as well be a contest over who has it worse."

As he summed up their situations as captives, she hummed softly and hesitated before nodding in agreement, even with his final statement. There was no universal rule that said she couldn't have platonic male friends... even if there was a part of her that rebelled against the platonic moniker, given her status and history. She was unattached now, given that she did not belong to Fell, or Rafe, or anyone but herself. Not even the roan stallion that had sired Amalia had come for her. What harm was there in looking for a different future for herself? But no more had the thought formed than she shied away from it, offering a chaste nod in response. "Indeed we do."

The patchwork stallion moves on a moment later, hastening to introduce himself and she chuckles, realizing that she was no better. Names seemed somehow inconsequential after the details they had shared, but she did not hesitate to offer her own. "No, forgive me. I got a little too carried away with my troubles," she said with a laugh that was only slightly strained. "Well," she said, her tone edging on teasing, even though the lightness in her voice made her heart hammer with nerves. "My name is Kohelet." She contemplated his second name for a moment before deciding to ask. "What does Bjornson mean?"

His final question gave her pause, which was why she did not answer it right away. The first thing that rose to her mind was Tinuvel, of course, but the thought of her icy homeland filled her with as much dread these days as it did joy. Salem certainly wasn't the answer either; not only did she live here, but she despised the sand and sun and omnipresent heat. Atlantis was a possibility, given how her father had spoken highly of the jungle during his visit there, but from what she understood, Nyimara was from Atlantis, as was Rougaru, and she knew that she - personally - would have a hard time not looking for their minions around every corner. She considered her answer for a long moment before finally responding, her face thoughtful. "Luthien, perhaps. It is the only place on the Isles where I don't think I have much family to run into and after all this..." she said, gesturing generically to the land owned by their relatives with a rueful chuckle, "I could use a break from family."

She reached for the monochrome stallion then without thinking, intending to encourage him to share only to pull herself up short before her muzzle could make contact with him. Kohelet pulled away as if shocked, pointed her gaze elsewhere, and spoke instead, her weight shifting uneasily on the sand. "And you... Sig, where would you go?"

mare - mutt - black tobiano - 16.1h - solomon x sicily