Lasairian was wise in the eyes of the child, each steady word enlightening Maerys in new ways. She liked his take on the monsters - it was a vastly different viewpoint than others had given her. Using her mind in new ways was a liberating process for the girl who indulged highly in pursuits of the mind.

The stallion claims he is not innately afraid of the idea of them which makes Maerys' brow furrow. As a child, she'd always feared the beasts known as monsters for she had heard tales of their absolutely cruel nature and merciless killings. For the child, it had to be the opposite of the stallion - she was, without a doubt,  afraid of the idea of them. Perhaps she still imagined monsters differently than the cremello despite understanding his view on it.  Creatures categorized as monsters cared not if you were a child, innocent of any wrongdoing, nor did they kill always out of necessity. She thought about more easily imagined animals for reference. Lions, for example, only killed out of hunger. Elephants, massive and intelligent, killed for territorial reasons and to protect their young. She thought quietly about the monsters she knew personally - murderers, rapists, the absolute worst of her species. She'd known men, women, and even children that killed simply to watch the blood drain from a body or because they could. Her family line had nearly been snuffed out by a cruel stallion that was hungry only for power, gaining it through intimidation rather than admiration, and she was certain that he was a monster.

Before she can reveal her new thoughts - that monsters weren't apex predators, but rather evil beings with cruel and barbaric ways - he has already said something else that has caught her eye. Being what I am now, how weak this form is... The words catch her off guard and her furrowed brow now raises in surprise. Form? Was this not his usual form? Was he some faraway exiled angel, fallen from heaven and stuck wandering these forests for eternity? Did his red, tear-stained cheeks act as a medical condition when truly it was just sadness that clutched his heart? Was the scar on his shoulder some cryptic reminder of who he used to be, a greater, more immortal, version of himself?

When his words cease and he, presumably, waits for a reply from the child, she has thrown herself into such deep thought she cannot conjure the words to ask the questions she desires. "Thou art a mysterious stag, Lasairian." He seemed to belong here in Delumine, but simultaneously not quite. He did not act like a king nor did he move like a gangster, more so a scholar which is what he had already projected since they initially met. He revealed little through the emotion on his face, only a nostalgic smile here and there, something that drove Maerys curioser and curioser. "Mysterious, indeed. Scholarly, more so."

They spoke for a while, it could've been hours, minutes, or only a brief few seconds. Time stood still in the forest and she wasn't sure how long the two had mingled. After what felt like a time though, Maerys knew she had duties that needed completion. She knew that while she was here, speaking with Lasairian, that it was one less soldier vigilantly patrolling the border. When the time came to say farewell, she smiled kindly, the curiosity behind her mauve eyes never diminishing as she dipped her head and quietly said, "'twas truly a pleasure to meet thee, I doth desire to see thee again in the future." Before turning away and leaving, she offered one last statement: "Thee've given me a most wondrous deal to ponder on."

With that, the silver girl turned and began to leave, her mind only buzzing about what the words monster and evil really meant.

M A E R Y S