Pride and trepidation fought inside her when his answer came so quick. It seemed that this was a thing he'd been waiting for. Her finely scaled muzzle brushed the thick fur of his ruff briefly, letting her thoughts marshal themselves into things she could say.
With a little shiver that belied the warm air thick around them, she nodded slowly and held his fervent gaze. "Yes, whenever you're ready." She replied softly, feeling the twinge of motherly regret to see her child so clearly grown before her. He was not the mewling, ocean-born kitten she'd found on the beach any more, and she was struck hard by that. For a moment all she could do was gaze at him, heart in her throat. Where had time gone? Cormorant was not far behind him, either.
When she could speak again, the words were blessedly steady. "I known Pteron had begun teaching you some things in the way of battle. Things I can't teach you, and if you want to continue learning, perhaps we can find you a suitable teacher in Tephra." She reasoned that the larger kingdom overruling them might have more horses knowledgeable about those things than their own mainly peaceable home. Her tail swished against the sand, warm grains scratching enjoyably against the membranous fins. "I know I talk up our policy of peace and mutual respect, policies
my sister and now Eva continue to uphold. They're good ideas, but... I can't help but see how vulnerable they make us, now." She looked away, knowing that her insecurities were playing on her, but she didn't want to s the alternative any longer.
"You and your brother, and anyone else who wishes it, should be able to protect yourselves. That is what I want. In the meantime, I think you will make a wonderful recruiter for us. There are others out there who might like our way of living, and regular trips to the mainland might do a young tiger good." She chimed, lightening the tone of her voice. Her smile was warm where it touched on him, pleased that they'd had this moment to just be mother and son. One day, sooner than she'd like, she would be missing these simple afternoon talks.
@[Halcyon]