Het Vuur seemed reluctant to continue their journey up the mountain. Sterre was hardly more enthusiastic, but certainly more able, and she was about to make some attempt at encouragement when the sound of approaching hoof beats disturbed the both of them. Ears flicking towards the sound, Sterre lifted her head to locate the source of the noise.

From the trees that ringed the base of the mountain a familiar figure emerged, a young filly at her heels. Inka. The tall, dark mare was unmistakable, though her companion betrayed just how long it had been since their tense meeting that day at the Falls.

The little girl was entirely unfamiliar, though Sterre could hardly have suspected to guess her parentage when she barely knew a single face on the whole of the islands. Perhaps once she might have known some stallion from another land that had those untidy white markings, and could have guessed the culprit before Inka could confess, but nowadays she barely knew a single face other than Het Vuur’s.

The little girl looked up at them both with unfamiliar blue eyes. Sterre watched her for a moment before turning her dark gaze to Inka instead. She greeted her with only a stiff nod. The other mare looked shell-shocked, barely able to speak, and beside her Sterre noticed the confusion crawling across Het Vuur’s face.

She ignored the filly’s question and Het Vuur’s both. They were not for her to answer. It didn’t seem right to tell her that he was her grandfather when she was not her grandmother, and it didn’t seem right to tell Het Vuur that he had a new granddaughter when she didn’t. So she only watched and waited for Inka’s reaction.

She didn’t know what to say to her, or if she should say anything at all.

Instead, she glanced briefly back to the little girl. How many grandchildren did she have now? She didn’t even know. Rook and Merete were god knows where with god knows who doing god knows what. Maybe it was better that she didn’t know her hypothetical grandchildren. She didn’t exactly do a great job with the first generation.

this thing of darkness
I ACKNOWLEDGE MINE