Far from being put off, Wink found a little bloom of delight with everything he was saying. She turned her head to look back at her sister and was rewarded with a smile. Yes, Amerea saw it too. This was the place.
They'd been looking for a herd to settle in, trying to find a place they'd both like, and here it was. It was exciting enough for Amerea to feel like she was doing something, it was peaceful enough for Wink to feel like she wasn't in danger, and the social structure here...
It was a family, not a kingdom. The royal titles were there, but they weren't important here. If what Garmionnt was saying was true, and he seemed too honest to be telling a lie, then in this herd, it didn't matter where you started out. She wouldn't be looked down on for her humble roots. They wouldn't think she was a sin or an object of disdain. Garmionnt was the great-grandson of a king and queen? And yet, he didn't seem to care about rank? He seemed to like her, and she definitely knew that she liked him already, everything he'd said so far she liked. She knew right away, this was the place. And these were the people.
"It doesn't bother me in the slightest, Garmionnt," she said with a warm smile. "Your herd sounds like lovely people, and like a wonderful place to live. Maybe..." She hesitated. "Maybe if we like it...and of course if you like us...maybe we could stay a little longer than a night...?"
Garmionnt nodded. "Yes," he said. "You would be absolutely welcome to stay with us--and to join us, if you so choose."
Wink smiled. "I think we just might, Garmionnt," she said, and turned back to her new home.
