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For his part, Trev wouldn't necessarily say that he was afraid. What he'd say was that he was cautious, and prudently so; living in the forest tended to make one wary on a good day, and knowing that there were kalonas and potentially even skinwalkers running about did nothing to make him any more cavalier with his security. If anything, he would be surprised at himself if he WEREN'T cautious when dealing with a stranger who was at least half kalona.

But there was a difference in being cautious and being afraid. He might not be the most awe-inspiring of Soquili, but he also felt able to take care of himself in the clinches. He would meet the other Soquili with caution, but not with fear, thanks very much, and hopefully that would show in his guarded but open countenance. That countenance remained as it was even as he shrugged in response to the other's question. "I think of myself as my mother's son, as my sister's brother. I have no control over what I came from, so to allow that to dictate my behavior would make no sense. "

Truth be told, it had taken him a long time to come to that realization, and he still struggled periodically with his paternal heritage. He doubted he'd ever be able to accept or forgive his father for what he'd done to their family, but he also refused to let himself be defined or measured by that blood.

It had been a long time since Trevelyn had come to terms with his parentage, the complicated situation between his parents and the resulting fallout. He would accept that Jean-Claude had fathered him, but refused to let it weigh into who he was or how he considered himself. Draven had been a far more 'real' father figure, having been there for him since childhood, and his mother...well, his mother had been the ultimate parent, and he couldn't think of her departure for the land of the spirits without pain. His loyalty to her was unswerving, his denial of Jean-Claude unchanging.

It was that acceptance that allowed him to maintain his mild appearance and tone as he replied, "It isn't a question of acknowledging blood. It's a question of allowing blood to define me, and that I will never do. Why would I choose to define myself by something I have never had any control over?"

If Trevelyn didn't know better, he would say that he'd just floored the other stallion. The long pause, the blinking, the hesitant response, it all suggested that Trev had said something shocking or remarkable, which he knew it wasn't. Though at the same time...if he were to be honest with himself, it had taken him years to get to that point. First in flat-out denials, later in trying to get past those denials; it had been a lot of soul-searching and a lot of wasted time before he'd gotten to this point, so it wasn't really that strange that this other stallion wasn't there.

Still, it was odd to have one of that notoriously sinister race looking at him as though he were some sort of sage. It was unsettling.

So he played it off with a shrug and a slight smile. "I can't speak for you and what you've gone through in your life, Somnium, but I know for myself that I'd rather be what I make myself and not be pigeonholed by anything to do with my blood, ancestry, or anything else so uncontrollable. I'd recommend it as a thought to seriously consider."

Chalk another surprise up to the flame-footed stallion. Trevelyn hadn't expected any sort of positive interaction once he'd identified the other as a kalona, and he'd been shocked on that account more than once in the short time the two of them had been chatting. Yet this last revelation was the least surprising; for all that the other stallion was a kalona, he was a part kalona and was fully entitled to having his own opinions, opinions separate from those embraced by the pures of his race or even his own family. It had taken Trev himself so long to come to grips with being his own individual that he couldn't be surprised at the other stallion needing some time of his own.

No, the surprising fact was that Somnium wanted to chat with him again. That he'd gathered enough of importance from Trev to want to repeat the experience was unusual and caused Trev himself to simply stare at the other stallion for a moment before shrugging. "If such is your wish, then I don't see any harm in it. Though it's not like I'm a font of any kind of wisdom..."

Experience had taught Trevelyn to be wary when he encountered strangers in the woods. Experience and common sense had both contributed to a natural reserve when it came to dealing with kalona and those of their ilk. Don't turn one's back on them, don't take one's gaze off of them, don't rule out the possibility of any sort of surprise. He had internalized these rules at the beginning of this encounter, and he had to smile as he thought of them now. This Somnium was definitely a surprise, albeit in an entirely new way. Chalk up another new thing for the demon race!

"We will have to see, then. Perhaps the next time we meet, you'll find the idea of being your own creature to be a less alarming fact." He allowed the other a nod, though he didn't offer any additional details. Just because Somnium seemed pleasant enough now didn't mean it wasn't an act, and it was never good to reveal one's home location to a stranger, even one that looked innocent. Live and learn and consequently continue to live!