He comes for her quickly - Eloísa is glad of it. She’s exhausted and thirsty and there is a low level of terror thrumming underneath her skin even now. Even knowing that her presence here is planned, that Arsinoe knows where she is and will not forget her. Even knowing that Raegar has already been successful against Helios, and if it came down to it one of them would fight for her.

But in the end, she’s left one unknown for another - and what if Arsinoe was wrong? What if Helios is actually some villain, what if he’s going to hurt her? Or cast her out, send her scurrying back to the Hills in shame? Perhaps he will see right through Arsinoe’s scheming to place eyes and ears in the Dunes, or perhaps he will be entirely uninterested in letting her stay as part of his herd.

Eloísa is agonizing over all of the what-ifs when she sees him. He’s handsome in a generic sort of way, all sun-kissed red-gold with a creamy white mane and tail. He fits in against the endless sand and sky, looking right at home here as if he was born to Salem like she was. His words, when they come, are kind enough. He speaks of things changing in the Badlands and Eloísa does not bother to try and fight back the tears that well up in her eyes anew.

She shifts uncomfortably when he asks what happened, and Elosa cannot help but cast a longing look back to the Badlands. Her mother lies dead somewhere in there - bones swallowed up by the harsh sand. Her whole life has been spent within the safety of her home. To have lost it all in an instant is a shock, and she is still half in disbelief that such a thing could have ever occurred.

“My father – Rafe – he disappeared. A new stallion took over the Badlands and…I don’t know.” She doesn’t want to lie - but Helios isn’t dumb. Why wouldn’t she seek protection with Evrain in the Hills? Or defer to Arsinoe and Raegar, let them fight it out and protect the herd? So many options that do not lead to her begging his sanctuary. “I panicked and ran - I don’t know what he wants. I’m..I’m exhausted and I don’t think I can make it all the way to Evrain in the Hills.” All true - half truths, because she ran to Arsinoe and not him. But she isn’t lying about not being able to make it - between the emotion and the heat, she’s exhausted. As if on cue her legs shake under her and she lets out a soft, terrified little noise. “I couldn’t get past him to the water - is there somewhere I can drink?”