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His dark gaze immediately rolled forward at unexpected movement, both intrigued and amused. He kept himself still and didn't shy away, and perhaps she'd be able to get a better look at him--all of him--now that there were less shadows between them. "She is." Cormorant agreed with a slow nod, shifting his wings as he took back to thinking about his mother. She was brave, stunning and ruthless. In turn, his father was clever, powerful, and practically unstoppable. Unless, of course, one threw a skinwalker into his path... He had to resist baring his teeth in a horrible, hating grin, instead fixing his attention back on his current company.

"They do. I'm not sure if that has anything to do with my genetics, however." No, she was likely too sweet to enjoy the hot tang of blood and flesh, the thrill of the hunt. But not all predators had to kill their prey to make it fear, he knew that well. "Grass tastes good to you, mm? ...I've tried it before. It's not a matter of taste--I truly didn't find it bad at all. It's more a matter of my body can't handle it." So he would assume. Hard to turn vegetarian with carnivorous parents.

Twisting his head a little to eye her better, despite the wavy dark locks that fell across his face, the stallion eventually questioned her once more, "Do you like what you've seen of the mountains so far...? That's why you said you came up here, right? To explore?"

Movement; sharp, sudden, fleeting. His black gaze had fallen upon her in an instant, draw to the weakness like a shark to blood. After a moment though, he would blink, the intensity fading into something more politely puzzled. Well, surely her more primal instincts were warning her. That was to be expected. How long would she continue to deny them to continue this conversation? He was hard-pressed to grin, but controlled himself with a minor flick of his ears.

"You aren't a carnivore." He would remind her gently. "...But enough. I'm Cormorant--I don't think I told you before." Would she grow more at ease again with that bit of information, or was she too wary to accept a more personal truth? This was a good learning experience for him, and he was only now realizing it. How much could he toy with her until something broke? His tail swished itself softly as he mused, careful to keep interested eyes on her person to offer the impression he was patiently waiting.

A slow, slight grin at that. "The cold spoils the mood for most anything, I've found. You're right; the wind is more... numbing up here, somehow. All rock and ice and shrubs." It was an absent thought, really. "It's a more dangerous life up here, for certain."

Like a flower. So like her dear siblings names'--their family was founded on simple thoughts, happy ones. Would he have been able to stand such a thing if his family was so painfully naive? Or would he have still understood, and set off to live as he wished, just like he was doing now? "A pretty name." He'd compliment with a faint smile, and shifted faintly as her question made him think.

"I guess I like the challenge." The stallion replied after a moment. "Testing myself. The air is very thin here; it's difficult to fly and takes a lot of work to even get airborne. It gets lonely, though... I don't think I'll stay up here for much longer." Not enough amusement to keep him satisfied, really. His ears pricked a little when he caught the first sounds of the rain beginning to slow.

"You'd be surprised about what lurks in the forest." He continued, casually, as though not really thinking. "Some demons.... They can take down a whole family without even batting an eye. Those are the real monsters." Skinwalkers. It made his lips slowly curl, felt his skin tremble a little as though he could still feel that mare's--that monster's teeth deliberately raking themselves down the side of his neck.

All he'd been able to do was lay there, helpless. Scourge had been nearby, his horns shattered from her blows... With a grunt, Cormorant shifted and drove those thoughts off, not wanting to think about it. Not while he still had company, anyway.

"My father." Cormorant hissed slowly, the sound slicing through the rain that still pattered on the cold stone just outside. "They found him, and..." He angled his head thoughtfully to the side. "...It was cruel." He agreed after a moment, allowing his tone to be heavy as though with past grief. "He lived. But only because my brother and I had interfered with the she-devil's torture. My brother was hurt the worse. I only gained these reminders of how close I'd been to death." He arched his neck for her slightly, showing those scars.

"They are monsters." The stallion finally said once he'd finished fuming, his eyes hollow thanks to his attempt to suppress his glittering, hateful mirth. "They don't care about things like that. So long as the world is consumed in chaos and pain, they'll be satisfied." Sharp teeth shifted in his jaws for a long moment.

"Be careful about who you trust, Alyssum." Was all he offered even as he grimly settled back into the shadows. "Don't ever believe the shapeshifters."