MAY THE SECOND BITE YOU IN THE BREAST

The dunalino overo girl’s ears twitched at sooty mare’s words to the stallion but she didn’t give them much thought. Geirdriful was used to others noticing and commenting of her distinctly odd manner of speaking. Her mother had warned that others would use it as ammunition against her if she didn’t learn to speak correctly, but it had never bothered her when she was young and it bothered her even less these days. Such trivial observations did not matter to a warrior, no matter how loud or rudely they were spoken.

When the bay stallion stepped forward to introduce the group, she offered him her nose in greeting. As he went through their names, she tried the sounds out in her mind and came up blank with how to pronounce the dark mare and her child’s names. Her ears flicked uncertainly, but all thoughts of Taytim and Taika took a back seat when the sooty mare cut the stallion off. The dunalino wondered if that one was the leader of the little band. Her mother had told her that it was usually the mares who led the herds and the stallions were just there for protection, reproduction and bringing in new mares. Geirdriful had never seen a lead mare in action, however.

The bandit-faced girl frowned a little at the mare’s words, hoping she caught the name correctly and wondering how to answer the mare’s question. She’d already introduced herself, though perhaps the mare wanted to know exactly who she was and not just a name and a rank or maybe she was too busy commenting on Geirdriful’s speech to notice what she’d actually said. “Geirdriful, a Valkyrie. If you were lissening ins’ead of cha’ing you’d have heard, Ysabellanazeka.” She replied, a touch of humour adorning her words. “I can show you, if you’d like.” There was a spark in her blue eyes that was both mischievous and serious. She was overdue a good spar and risked becoming out of practice – not a convenient for the sole warrior of the peak. She was always willing to have a friendly fight, or even an unfriendly one should the need arise.

While the three spoke, the darkest mare had been explaining the dunalino’s words to the child but before long, she too addressed the peak warrior. Her eyes narrowed just a touch at talk of being trapped but there was no malice in the statement to suggest Geirdriful might have to act on their behalf. Perhaps that sheepish look was because the then heavily pregnant mare had not been able to make the trip back down the mountain, or perhaps the weather had stopped them. “Oh?” she questioned curiously, tipping her head slightly so that the peppered filly could reach her locks with more ease, “Why’s ah?”

Before any real time passed for an answer, the filly suddenly declared that someone, most likely her mother, was wrong and proceeded to rear up against the warrior’s shoulder. Geirdriful held her body stead, though hooked her head slightly around to get a look at the girl as she spoke. She was certainly brave enough. Hushing her tone to speak directly to the filly, though the others could certainly hear if they were listening, ”Ah’s because I shine brigh-er.” she grinned, giving a shake of her head and hiding the girl’s face beneath her silvery locks.