Adara had really let herself go. If you had known her before the attack, you would have barely recognized her right now. She was covered in dust and mud, it was caked on her black socked legs and bay underbelly. Her mane and tail, usually smooth and free of tangles, contained small burrs that had caught itself in her hair, dirt and sweat dulling the black colouring. But despite her looks, she still carried herself as she always had, her head held high, ears pricked, attentive to everything around her. She had to be attentive. She had learnt the hard way that one little distraction, even for a moment, could result in tragedy.

The two years of wandering had certainly taken its toll on Adara, and not just her physical appearance either. Mentally, the mare was drained. She had lost the one thing she cared about most in the world, and she doubted she would ever fill that space in her heart. Since that day, the mare vowed to herself that nothing would ever make its way into her heart like her sister had, she would never love anything as she had Tali. Her personality hardened, and she left her herd, sickened by the way they were able to act like nothing happened

Like wolves hadn’t just torn apart a foal.

Adara spat in frustration at the thought of them. Disgusting. She shook her head, reminding herself that she can’t get lost in the past, it would distract her from the present. Moving into a fast trot now, as if to escape her past demons, Adara moved along the Desert roughly, her hooves kicked up the sand and she knew that anyone at all close to her would be able to see her coming. Not that she planned on sneaking up on anyone.

She didn’t even know where she was.

It was at that moment that the bay mare spotted another on the dunes. Her body was black and stood out against the browns of the Desert. Whinnying at the other, announcing herself - one could never be too careful in a new, unknown land - Adara changed her direction towards the other, coming to a halt near her, her ears pricked. She eyed the mare warily, arching her neck slightly. Unsure of the intentions of the other mare, Adara didn’t want to be caught off guard by an attack. “Are you the leader here? I’m not exactly sure where I am.” Adara said after a moment, not taking her eyes off the other.