Annubis' brash introduction, when coupled with the warnings auntie Roisin had imparted about the Commons, had set her on edge to expect a certain caliber of behavior from him. The more time she spent in his presence, however, the less he seemed to embody the sort of cartoonish villain she expected him to be. It was a bit like when Sigurdr had claimed her, portraying himself as sweet and kind, and then proceeded to cause a ruckus on the islands and abandoned her... only in reverse.

She much preferred it in reverse. Finding out Annubis was nicer than she expected was much better than the opposite.

"Yeah!" Promise answered eagerly, her curly tail held aloft while she jogged ahead of the stallion, her gaze skimming eagerly across the tree line for the big bills of the Toucans. Hymn trailed after, letting the two of them interact without pressing in, hopeful that the silvery stallion would be a boon for her daughter. She knew what it was like to grow up with a father, and she didn't want the same thing for Promise. She had always hoped that when she did eventually have a family that it would be close-knit and healthy, not broken and sad.

As Annubis turned to look at her, his smile made her flush for reasons she didn't really want to acknowledge and she nodded her head in agreement. It was a bit strange to hear the story she'd told Promise one night as a way to distract both of them from the long hours of emptiness being brought to life again. She had always done her best to distract the girl from her lack of playmates or father. Some days were easier than others.

When she'd found the bird, Hymn had been at one of her lowest moments. It was shortly after she'd conceived Promise, although she hadn't been certain at the time, and she hadn't seen Sigurdr in the days since. She was truly alone again, and it had terrified her, because she hadn't ever wanted to be a parent alone. But it wasn't as if she could undo what she'd done, and so she made do as best she could, eventually naming her baby girl Promise as a reminder of all the things she'd make happen for her.

"It's not far from here," she eventually answers, and then turns her gaze to the girl. "Do you remember where, darling?"

The look of concentration that appeared on Promise's face was comical, but after a moment of frowning and smiling and shaking her head, her eyes widened and she nodded. "This way, momma!"

Already knowing what was coming from her daughter's amped response, Hymn picked up a jog after her before the girl could get completely out of sight. Without thinking too much about it, or about the tone she delivered it in, Hymn spoke up again. "Think you can keep up?"