You’re dripping like a saturated sunrise, anyone

[Ilma]

She’s elusive - even though white and elusive don’t often match so well. But at the scent and later, sight of a new visitor, the Ambassador cannot remain in hiding. She steps forward, out of the trees to go and greet her - then suddenly she sees her fellow mountaindwellers, Svedka’s gold-and-white running happily forward to greet the dark mare, Kagerus’ spotted bay body following. She seems to carry a gift for the man, and Ilma stops dead in her tracks. Her eyes have a hollow gleam to it but the others are too far away to see; halfway through the grass that separates the treeline from said hilltop and the lake also, she’s just staring. For once not offering a warm welcome whinny, she feels she is too much. A third wheel. Or a fifth. She half-expects Solace to sweep down, as if all of them already knew that the mare was coming and she was not informed.

She knows the thought is ridiculous, and she tells herself so. Kagerus is her friend. She was there for her when she returned from the lake, knowing she would have to. But to meet with the cheery Svedka again- he cannot help it but his male body may emit too much of a male scent for Ilma right now- she feels not ready to be cheerful.

So, she remains to watch them. She wonders why Kag is bringing the sun-and-cloud male flowers, and regrets not catching up on what may or may not be going on.