But again, she surprised him. While her admission of a basic knowledge of medicinal plants wasn't in itself all that encouraging, the fact she followed it up in a quick demonstration was. Odgen followed Swahili first with his cynical stare as she traipsed over to a nearby flowering plant--Butterfly Milkweed--and divulged what she knew in an informative, succinct explanation. By the second plant, the sour look on the antlered stallion's face began to lose its tartness, and by the third he actually moved to join her beside it, staring down at the Spiderwort and back up at Swa with a new curiosity in his glowing eyes. It might not have been much in the grand scheme of things, but this young mare wasn't some cloistered, ignorant fool like he believed many in the region's herds to be. She had a practical mind, a memory for useful things, and wasn't helpless as a babe.
As a clear afterthought, having left the offered purple flower floating at first, he plucked it out of the lady's hold with a look and brought it closer while listening to her prattle on about some alleys at home, an eagerness to learn more, an unexpected desire to learn from him if he would allow it. Ogden glanced sidelong at Swahili again, warning bells ringing within the recesses of his mind. This was a bad idea. No one desired to be around him--for any length of time. Usually the antlers and the fangs were enough to drive others away at a first glance, but if that somehow failed then his brusque attitude made sure of their departure. It was smarter--safer--for him this way, to keep that distance between himself and others before the inevitable loss left him heartsick.
And yet... And yet... He hated that some part of him continued to wonder, to question, whether things might be different this time. If it could be possible for someone to be tolerant of his coarse edges and see past what others had run from in the past. His eyes narrowed as the internal struggle continued, snorting as he stood taller, gathering himself and hardening his heart against what he had every confidence would happen. "They never agree," he explained, his tone gruff and direct, "because the uses of the plants overlap. It depends on the location, what can be found there, or what the user has determined works best." Was he really beginning the lessons now? He made a face, cursed himself for entertaining the girl's curiosity while being convinced it would be fleeting at best. "You mentioned home. Will your absence cause concern?" If he was going to do this, he most certainly didn't want it painting a target on his back for some overprotective family members to come looking for the monster keeping their precious girl from home.
