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Lily stared out in front of her, heading for the water she knew was nearby. She was focused on the water, not expecting anyone else nearby, nor thinking about it, so she was not paying attention around her. It had been a long, tiring day. She had spent it with her family, traveling, and her father had been trying to engage her, to gently convince her to come out of her shell more, once again. It was always trying for her, because she preferred her quiet and gentle contemplation of the world. To be fair, her father did not expect her to be energetic or anything, as many other seemed to, but he always wanted to draw her out.

Between being tired, and being focused on her destination, Lily did not realize there was someone there, heading directly towards her, until they had collided. She went over, sideways, with a bleating cry of statement, losing her footing and her composure all at once, and getting muddy while she was at it.

She was just laying there, startled and stunned, when he approached. She looked up at him, eyes wide, then his words penetrated her mind and she slowly relaxed, just a little. "Ah... I am... I think I alright. Mildly bruised, perhaps... and my dignity is thoroughly sprained..." She spoke in a soft voice, high and sweet. Her tone was shy, though a little joking at the end. She carefully began to maneuver herself out of the mud, working to get her legs under her again. "And I, too, am sorry, for I was paying attention to what was in front of me, only..."

She stood carefully, shaking out her limbs, and stretching her muscles, checking how each felt, to be sure she had not, in fact, sprained more then just her dignity without realizing it. After she had shaken out, though, she was able to see that she was generally fine. "Are you alright?" She asked, tilting her head at the grey buck, feeling bad that his elegant, based on what she could see, markings were now liberally spattered in mud.

"Indeed, it can be a slow process. Nonetheless, it is better then a sprained ankle or something of that nature." She said, her voice remaining at that soft level. She glanced down at the mud covering her, and controlled the urge to sigh... It was always a challenge to get it out of her long hair, and she wished she did not have to deal with THAT, but it was what it was.

His suggestion, however, earned him a small smile. "Yes... That is where I was heading, was to the water... Though my goal had been to drink, rather then muddy it. Sadly, the first will have to occur, then once it clears up, I can have my drink."

She glanced back at him, and the mud on him. "I think we can both use that, in fact. I am sorry to have gotten you muddy." She began to move in the direction of the water, a little slowly, as some of the bruising was in her knee area, but otherwise, she was moving fine. "Ah... I am Gilded Lily..." It occurred to her that she should probably introduce herself to the poor buck she'd knocked off his feet.

She heard the way his voice caught, and glanced at him sidelong, a look of quiet sympathy in her eyes. She did not ask, nor pressure, just showed quiet concern for the fact that he had clearly lost someone. "That is true. I hope to never be in that position, especially for the sake of my kin."

She considered his suggestion, her black brows drawing together for a moment as she contemplated the wisdom of his words. She took into account how long her hair might take to rinse clean, and her shaggy tail, and she gave a slow nod. "A wise suggestion. You are right, drink first, then rinse myself free of the mud."

"Mmm a little mud in the wrong place could hurt, for mud can be slippery, but generally, that is true. Nonetheless, mud is not much fun to wear." As they approached the edge of the stream, she gave a gentle smile to him. "While I would not call it a pleasure to be knocked over, it is a pleasure to meet you, Someday. It has been some time since I have met those who were not kith and kin."

"I can only imagine." Her eyes were gentle as she gazed at him, compassion shining softly. "I can only think that the only way to keep going is to remember that there are others who care about us in the world." Caring was something that mattered, greatly, in her family, and she cared easily, and often.

She chuckled, and nodded her head. "True. I appreciate you thinking it through, as it is clear that I did not do a good job of that myself." She would have tossed her head a little, but with the mud all over her, she felt that would be counter productive at the moment.

She moved to the edge of the water, finding a careful angle at which she could lower her head, to slake her thirst, as he spoke. She drank her fill, before responding. "A new friend is always welcome, especially when they seem to have no particular expectations." She stepped, with care, into the water, moving so that she was not directly upstream of him, but to the side. She considered her long hair, sighed, then knelt, carefully, in the flow, and lowered her head, neck turning, until her hair was submerged, but her snout was pointed up.