The silver stallion knows without a shadow of a doubt that Hymn would be a difficult creature to unravel. Like the fragrant, pale Night Jasmine whose delicate blossoms only unfurled in the brightest of moonlit nights, Annubis knows it will take much more than promises of safety, protection, and shelter to earn her trust. No doubt if he had been placed in her position he too would find it difficult to trust. Vihar had led him on many a merry chase across the islands, but not even his boyhood obsession could make him abandon Atlantis. Hyacinth had, at least seemed to understand that…. For a while. Had it hurt when they left him? Yeah. Moreso his ego than anything. At least he had Holo for a time to keep him company and occupy his mind. Hymn? He could only imagine how long she spent hiding in the shadows of the jungle or strolling along the beach with hope in her eyes before it dimmed into the despair that hides behind them now.

He wants to pry. The nagging voice in the back of his mind all but demands he at the very least ask her how long it was after their coupling that Promise’s sire decided to abandon her. He wants to know if she still hopes to find him, especially since it is here that he had once resided until the silver wolf staked his own claim. He wants to pry deeper and delve below the surface of her composed facade if only to see what anger or frustration looked on those carefully schooled features…. But there is a louder voice that rises above the others. A voice of reason and thought, surprisingly something he chose to listen to this time around. Like a bird with a broken wing, the sterling beast feared just how much she could handle before she broke into irreparable pieces.

The eagerness in Promise’s youthful eyes is heartening. She reminded him so much of how Holo had once been and he cannot hide the soft smile that creeps across his suave features. ’...momma rescued a bird…. Before I was born…’ he drops his crown even with hers, a single brow arching as he shoots a quick glance up at the silent mother at her daughter’s hip. ”She did, did she?” he asks, a mischievous smile tugging at a corner of his ashen lips. The smile that graces Hymn’s lips is illuminating, fleeting as the tiny hummingbirds zip through the jungle treetops and disappear before he can be absolutely sure it is ever really there. He would have to work hard to have that smile to meet his gaze. Challenge accepted.

Promise starts off towards the tree he indicated, pausing once to see if he intends to follow. Would he have liked to distract the filly long enough for the adults to talk? Absolutely. Was he about to disappoint the bright-eyed young filly by making some lame excuse to stay behind at watch? Not a chance.

The warm smile widens across his lips as he follows her, pausing himself to glance back at Hymn with a single raised brow, in invitation. No reason he couldn’t start working on that tattered bridge he was trying to build. ”Back in its nest you say?” he asks, a teasing grin flitting across his ashen labrums before he turns back to gaze affectionately at Promise. ”I bet that was something to see. Did your momma ever show you where the nest was? Maybe we can see if it has any new chicks in it this year.”