The charred mare’s rough laughter elicits a faintly more genuine smile, a concession to her amusement. Heartfire has always been a bold creature, a trait no doubt inherited from her grandmother. To be fair however, it is not a quality that typically elicits laughter. But then, her audacity is not often quite so benign.
Shifting her gaze, she eyes her grandmother curiously for moment. The response elicited is not unexpected, but she does wonder what her grandmother thinks of the current state of affairs. Absent she might have been, but Heartfire has always managed to keep abreast of the happenings in this kingdom (and others, though she would hardly admit that to just anyone, lest all her secrets be known).
“Hmmmm,” she hums after a moment of silence, her tone contemplative. “Even so, given the current queen’s… lack of attention, you might have done a sight better.” The statement is not uttered in such a way as makes response necessary. Instead it is an acknowledgement. One that is heavy upon Scorch’s mind, if her next question is any indication.
The slight change in topic hardly surprises her. It is a valid question. And one that has far too many answers, few of which she actually wishes to share. In part because she would be loathe to admit how much her feelings for a certain stallion had affected her. And even more so because they had been inherently selfish in nature. But then, she has never claimed to be a selfless creature. Just the opposite, in fact. She has never done anything that did not benefit her in one way or another.
For a long moment, she chews over the question, debating how much she should actually reveal. Her grandmother might be as trustworthy as they come, but Heartfire has spent too many years learning to hoard her secrets to divulge them so readily.
“Simply put, I discovered something which required my attention. And frankly, at the time I left, Nerine was doing well enough.” Not flourishing as it once had, but certainly thriving. And while Heartfire might be conceited enough to believe her presence would have improved matters, she is certainly not so conceited as to believe her absence is what had led to Nerine’s current state of inactivity. Though perhaps she should be. “Why is it, do you think, that I have returned now?”
Perhaps she had been absent, but she had not truly been gone. It is not coincidental that now, when she is truly needed, she has returned.
i see your sins
and i want to set them free
Omg I forget what a butt Heartfire is sometimes :|