The hoofsteps that trembled up the ground and through her feet did not belong to Mouse, and Impa turned to see who approached. She did not know who she expected, but the champagne-gold pelt of Anath did not come as any great surprise. Her ears turned out to the sides in a gesture of indifference, neither happy nor sad to see the other mare, and when the General spoke to her Impa offered her a brief nod. “Yes,” she said. “I did. I brought a mare and her filly back with me. Try not to bite,” she said, her voice dry, but a corner of her mouth turned up in a small smile to indicate she was teasing.

The arrival of Mouse pulled her attention away from Anath, and Impa whickered a greeting to her friend. She was so glad to see the grullo again, and her ears flicked forward in interest to see the small filly tucked behind the mare’s hip. Her eye shifted to the mother as Mouse tensed, and Impa took one step forward to partially block the General from her sight. Anath would have to go through Impa to get at the smaller mare, although the draft did not anticipate another scuffle.

With the General on her blind side, Impa tipped one ear her way and addressed Mouse first. “She’s lovely. What’s her name?” Impa asked with a dip of her nose toward the tobiano filly. Her one-eyed gaze shifted back to the little grulla, and a small smile flitted across her face. While she was proud of what she had done, the situation was nothing to laugh at, and her voice was sober as she continued: “I located Styrke, and I punished him for what he did to you. And I rescued a mare and filly who were in the herd with him.” Not that Aliyana had been very thankful; if anything, the mare was angry at Impa, but for reasons that made no sense. The mare had consistently defended Styrke even after learning he had raped a mare. Impa couldn’t comprehend that.

She glanced toward Anath then, to eliminate any idea that the General was being excluded. “How did you know I fought?” she asked with a curious tip of her head.