MAY THE SECOND BITE YOU IN THE BREAST

Any slight that the buckskin aimed at the bandit-faced girl, slid away like water off a ducks back. She had always been fairly even-tempered and was rarely one to be intimidated – even less so as she aged, which was just as well given her chosen role within the peak. Trading insults and getting into petty squabbles was not the proper way for a warrior to conduct herself and certainly not if she wanted to be taken seriously. A friendly match between peak sisters, however, well, that was an entirely different matter. ”Summing ah look forward ah”, she chuckled amicably. She was also somewhat grateful that the mare hadn’t taken the offer up immediately. The present was for meeting and getting to know each other, though she certainly wouldn’t shy away from sparring in front of Taika. The filly could benefit from observing how to defend herself.

Little hooves pressed into Geirdriful’s golden shoulder and then released as the peppered filly returned to solid ground. The bandit-faced girl had to chuckle at her take on everyone’s respective roles. ”Airs no’ing fas’er an a speed of ligh’” she informed the girl playfully, darting to the side to prove her point. Being ¾ Quarter horse, she was built to run, fast. ”She migh’ ge’ me by cunning doh” she admitted in a lower jovial tone, dipping her head down to the girls level, ”You’ll have ah warn me if she’s coming for me.”

As the filly took off, naming Rodrigo the soldier and proclaiming her win over her mother, Geirdriful could only laugh at her antics. It was good to hear so many voices echoing around the mountain again when it had been so for a time. She shook her mane out – and with it, much of her playfulness as talk turned to more serious matters.

She frowned at the mention of Rodrigo being a lovely trinket, ”I’m sure he does, bu’ he doesn’ seem like a bad egg” she observed, her tone still relaxed and light. She glanced toward Rodrigo, as if trying to see a hidden agenda but came up blank. “Wha- would Impazienza need wi- a s’allion whose doing no one any harm?” she asked with genuine curiosity. Not to take away from Ysabel’s victory but the peak didn’t need males unless it was teach them a valuable lesson. Picking a well-mannered male off the street seemed counter-productive to their goals – or perhaps Geirdriful was still too young and naïve to understand the further reaching implications.

The dunalino gives a small laugh at Rodrigo’s words, her playfulness beginning to return, “We are only a fearsome bunch when you give us a reason a be.” she warned mockingly, though there was a seriousness that lurked below the surface indicating that the sentence was true enough. Taytim mentioned not realising what would happen when a stallion entered the peak and if the girl could have shrugged, she would have. “No’ all s’allions who come in’a peak are claimed, jus’ depends on who finds ‘em I guess.” A small, mischievous smile found her lips as she paused, “and if ‘ey deserve a be caugh’”

Her attention turned back to the sooty mare when she asked a question. The small smile remained on her lips at the notion of making alliances and enemies but she was not nearly as productive as that – plus that was the job of the politicians. “I was on a crossing, spreading word of a peak and looking for a friend who seems a have vanished wi’ las’ year’s summer sun” she answered truthfully. Perhaps the return of summer would bring him back.“I hope visi’ing islands is summer will prove more frui’ful ‘an a crossing was.”