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She wanted to sing, like she'd heard others do, that soft, high pitched whisper of sound and words, but when she opened her mouth, there was nothing. Nothing but the sound, and that was not what she sought. She could cry, that much she did often, until her eyes were rimmed in the red, and puffy with her tears. She needed conversation, and thus far she had met... no one. No words had she heard, only seen what they could do from afar, and those words were not clear to her. But eventually she found that if she tried, she could form noises like they did, sounds like they did. And it was wonderful.

But not enough.

Call her greedy, but she sought more. Sought to make those noises that they made to each other as she hid, quietly awed, behind the great trees, watching them. Sought to be able to move forward, take her place at their sides, converse as they did... as she thought she might have, once upon a time.

But she had lost that, and she didn't really know why, or how.

"Guilian, you have always had an eye for the pretties."

Echo heard a voice, and looked up from her place curled under a rock, in the shallows of the lake. The words registered, the first she'd heard clearly, and tentatively, knowing what they meant, she threw one back at the stallion, remaining hidden as best she could. "Guilian."

The word was unfamiliar to her, as it had no defined meaning. But an eye was the thing one used to see, was it not? And a pretties... well, she wasn't quite sure of that either, but somehow she knew it had something to do with the flowers being braided into his mane and tail. And oh, how she agonized, knowing a conversation was so close! She wanted to speak, to chatter, as she may have once- had she not, would she know these words? No. So it meant that once upon a time, she had known these words, and spoken them.

"Guilian..."

"Chica?" she was curious. Again, a word she didn't know! But there was a creature, coming toward her and her protection, and her eyes widened, worried. Afraid? "Best... Guilian.... unknown." she forced out, moving deeper into the shadow. Words she had heard from him, and could understand how to piece together.

Echo shivered, in the cool air under the rock. The water had just become warm to her, not ice, and now she was up, in the air, and she was chilled. How.... vexing.

"Alright! Alright!" she said, voice faux-cheery. She couldn't shrink any further back into hiding, but nor could she bring herself to move forward, into the light. Yet it would be so very easy to step forward. The other soquili looked so very concerned, she almost felt guilty for being the cause of that worry. "All... alright... Guilian."

She shifted, hooves and long tail bringing up a small splash. And moved to the side, her tail spinning into the light, too late to snatch back, carried by the water she herself had stirred up. And after all, if she showed a little bit of herself, then the other soquili would surely realize she was alright, and continue on, leaving her to her eerie existence, skulking in brush and darkness, crying.

....

But was that what she wanted? Here also was her chance to press herself forward, slowly, into a life. Where she could use words, and sing.

But still, she held her peace, waiting on the stallion in front of her to speak, so she would have words.

"Bite... Guilian..." she said frankly. "Alright? Promise." And she certainly would, if he kept getting closer. Goodness, the way he'd peered at her tail was like a predator! "You... out!" and she sidled back into the shadow, dragging back in her tail. She was grateful her body was so dark. He might catch a glimpse of her peacock green wings as she flared them out to look more imposing in the shadow, but for the most part she blended well.

And as much as she would love to see the sun, and speak to another soquili, this one made her shiver. He was very pretty, yes. "Guilian... chica?" she asked, finally, trying to see if maybe Chica was a word for Soquili, or a word for.... something.

"Chica... yes." she said finally, voice almost a purr as she watched him step back happily. Good, no more invading her personal space. She watched him quietly for a while, tail swishing on the water. How could she begin to ask him questions, when she was so limited? She could feel words, questions, bubbling up and welling inside her, but her mouth opened to silence. The only things she could say were the words she had heard from him!

She gave an inarticulate cry, infinitely sad, and frustrated. "Guilian, you... assistance." she said. But assistance with what? She was bound, tied by her inability to communicate. It wasn't.... it wasn't fair! "Conversation... assistance, Guilian."

Oh, how very frustrated. She gave a frustrated snort. "Conversation assistance, Guilian! You help, conversation! Speaking, you help me!" she said, trying to peice the words again. This was really, so very difficult. "Face to face assistance." she tried, flicking her tail back out, coyly. "You help me, speaking help. Face to face. Sure. Alright?"

She looked at him, still shadowed, shifting slowly towards the light. He wanted her out, she would grant that to him, but in exchange, he would have to give her more words. And conversation. She could really only echo him, but she knew how to piece them together. She would be able to make conversation, eventually.... she just needed to keep him talking.

"Conversation, Guilian?"