This new, nubilous version of Methuseld was not exactly dressed like a featherbed, but Aza settled in against the curve of her back and made do. The woman was currently much more good-humored than Donovan, anyway, and now prone to breezy speeches. As they began the latest leg of their sojourn out into the desert, Aza let her hands lightly rest on the General's hips and just listened. The tonality, the phrasing, the propensity for self-complimenting... that all sounded a teensy bit familiar, yes, like someone Aza had so recently met.<br/><br/>Aza glanced sidelong at the other horse's rider, then down to its baggage. The fox had popped back up from the bag, now free (as they all seemed to be) from the influence of cicada-song, and was obviously totally immersed in what Methuseld had to say. It nodded its little head in agreement with it all: 'plenty of fun,' 'nothing to worry about,' 'ravishing,' the whole bit.<em>I'm Zaz,</em>it introduced itself in return, showing all its gleaming white teeth in what was probably supposed to be a friendly grin.<em> I think we're related!</em><br/><br/>The girl blinked, and looked back up at Don. "Dean goes where, when he is not... here?" she inquired, in about as mild a voice as either of them had heard from her, as she lightly traced a fingertip along one of the ebon skewers that protruded from Methuseld's sleek black getup. The ship, the fox, the shadows... Methuseld, her armor... Aza's own behavior... She tried to remember the exact sequence of events on that ship, after Donovan had tucked her into the bunk to sleep. There had been light, and then there had been darkness...<br/><br/><em>There is no light without the darkness,</em>the fox reminded her, still with that rapacious smile.<br/><br/>"In my head, I do not want you," she told it, refusing to look back.<br/><br/>It shrugged, which was a weird gesture for a fox, and slithered up out of its bag of booty to the horse's back, then tried to push around under Donovan's arm to his lap.<em>Why do we need Dean?</em>it asked as it crawled over, mostly addressing Don.<em>I like Ravishing better anyway.</em>