She smiles at him and can’t quite catch the breathy laugh that escapes. "I feel like you could teach a rock to be stubborn.”
The poor girl probably never had a chance. Not with Leilan as her Father anyways.
Lilliana shakes her head in jest but quickly glances back up at the draconic stallion. "Oh, I’m sure there are,” she agrees. The Taigan has met her fair share of horses that have often disagreed with her way of thinking. The spirited smile that lights up her face says as much. "What fun would it be if we all agreed?” She asks rhetorically.
The differing of opinions (to her mind) - the way another horse might see the world - offers perspective and depth.
"Anybody gives you any trouble, send them my way.” Lilliana teases with a good-natured grin. It's said in jest and confidence. Of the few horses who reside in Taiga, she can’t see any of them being perturbed by Leilan. The offer is an almost ludicrous one - the chestnut is no fighter and if he was in any real danger, whatever Lilliana might be able to do is fairly limited. Especially given her current state. Still, the smile softens and so she adds, "But if you ever have need, you have friends in Taiga.”
The wind blows especially cold then and Lilli wonders briefly how he endures it on the Isle. To her, it seems like such a lonely existence. A quick glance at his scales reminds her that he probably prefers the cold as her sleek hide prefers the warmth. He probably prefers the loneliness of his Isle the same way she prefers the intrigue of Taiga. For each horse, their own calling. Each heart longs differently.
At the mention of his wife, he shakes his head and she doesn’t pry. (She never does - never will - and feels momentarily relieved that he hasn’t offered insight to the way his shining eyes had dimmed. She knows what it is to not be able to open yourself up - to extract pieces of your soul for what feels like impending judgment.)
They continue to walk along and Leilan does offer his own experiences of parenthood. An ear flicks carefully in his direction and she listens as he explains about his firstborn. How he felt he almost smothered her. Concerned, she glances up at him. "How did it go with your firstborn? Did she forgive you?”
She glances out to the rugged cliffs ahead and feels the pulse of each wave as it crashes against a coastline that lingers somewhere below their hooves. "I don’t know how you did it,” she adds. "There were five of us and I-," she stops herself, blinking away the memories of Murmuring Rivers. "I guess I should consider myself fortunate that there are only two."
And then Lilliana smiles at the mention of Wen - Eurwen - another one of his children. "You should be very proud of her,” the chestnut decisively states. "I’ve had the pleasure of recruiting with her and Nerine couldn’t ask for a better Diplomat.” Her blue eyes light up the rest of her face with a lively expression. "I take it she got that from her mother?”
The poor girl probably never had a chance. Not with Leilan as her Father anyways.
Lilliana shakes her head in jest but quickly glances back up at the draconic stallion. "Oh, I’m sure there are,” she agrees. The Taigan has met her fair share of horses that have often disagreed with her way of thinking. The spirited smile that lights up her face says as much. "What fun would it be if we all agreed?” She asks rhetorically.
The differing of opinions (to her mind) - the way another horse might see the world - offers perspective and depth.
"Anybody gives you any trouble, send them my way.” Lilliana teases with a good-natured grin. It's said in jest and confidence. Of the few horses who reside in Taiga, she can’t see any of them being perturbed by Leilan. The offer is an almost ludicrous one - the chestnut is no fighter and if he was in any real danger, whatever Lilliana might be able to do is fairly limited. Especially given her current state. Still, the smile softens and so she adds, "But if you ever have need, you have friends in Taiga.”
The wind blows especially cold then and Lilli wonders briefly how he endures it on the Isle. To her, it seems like such a lonely existence. A quick glance at his scales reminds her that he probably prefers the cold as her sleek hide prefers the warmth. He probably prefers the loneliness of his Isle the same way she prefers the intrigue of Taiga. For each horse, their own calling. Each heart longs differently.
At the mention of his wife, he shakes his head and she doesn’t pry. (She never does - never will - and feels momentarily relieved that he hasn’t offered insight to the way his shining eyes had dimmed. She knows what it is to not be able to open yourself up - to extract pieces of your soul for what feels like impending judgment.)
They continue to walk along and Leilan does offer his own experiences of parenthood. An ear flicks carefully in his direction and she listens as he explains about his firstborn. How he felt he almost smothered her. Concerned, she glances up at him. "How did it go with your firstborn? Did she forgive you?”
She glances out to the rugged cliffs ahead and feels the pulse of each wave as it crashes against a coastline that lingers somewhere below their hooves. "I don’t know how you did it,” she adds. "There were five of us and I-," she stops herself, blinking away the memories of Murmuring Rivers. "I guess I should consider myself fortunate that there are only two."
And then Lilliana smiles at the mention of Wen - Eurwen - another one of his children. "You should be very proud of her,” the chestnut decisively states. "I’ve had the pleasure of recruiting with her and Nerine couldn’t ask for a better Diplomat.” Her blue eyes light up the rest of her face with a lively expression. "I take it she got that from her mother?”
LILLIANA
i met your demons and they do not scare me
(they will be angels once they learn to fly)
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind