After speaking to the Prime Minister, Mouse became very aware of how uncomfortable Skylar must be. Not a word came from her direction, so the grulla shifted to press her shoulder against the younger mare in an attempt to give her a bit of reassurance, though she did not feel so sure herself. She kept her eyes on the painted roan until Impa addressed her again.

Her eyes met those of her friend, but she found as little emotion there as was present in the draft’s voice. The indifference was worse to her than flat out anger or disappointment, and at first she was rather hurt. But as Impa went on to liken her to the cold-shouldered general, Mouse’s ears snapped back into her mane. She would not stand for being compared to Anath, someone who had not fully welcomed her into the Peak as she should have, but she would not let loose her anger in front of Skylar. Not that the mare couldn’t handle such things, but it was not her argument to participate in or behold.

Softly, she nudged at Skylar’s shoulder, giving her a reassuring nod and whispering a promise to find her later. Mouse paused for several moments, watching the tobiano retreat out of earshot, before she turned back to glare furiously at the blanketed mare with ears pinned once more. Her anger bubbled up into her throat, choking back her words for several moments. Frustrated with her lack of control over her emotions, she stepped forward and aimed to place a harsh nip on that solid black shoulder. Finally, she managed to speak in a low voice. “You have no right to speak to me like that!”

She shuffled back a few steps in case Impa decided to lash out at her, and simply stood for a few moments, flicking her tail in irritation and attempting to slow her breathing. A sharp snort escaped her, and she spoke again, this time in a more controlled tone. “Do not forget, Impazienza, that you are not without blame. It does not make my disappearance right, but I had my reasons, just as you had yours.” She looked in the direction in which Skylar had headed, though she caught no sight of the mare. Mouse almost wished she could follow the blue roan, or else go back to the children, but she had made her decision. Her chosen family was the mare before her, and she would not turn away from her now, no matter how poorly she had been received.