MAY THE SECOND BITE YOU IN THE BREAST

Geirdriful was still a young mare, only just out of filly-hood herself and was a still a child at heart. She enjoyed some friendly competition and fun in her life and had been lacking in both of late. She’d barely even realised just how much she had missed company until she now found herself with the pleasant kind.

When Ysabel nudged at her in jest, playing along with Taika, Geirdriful nudged back and arched her neck in a mock battle stance to mimic the roles they had been given. As she made her comment about the speed of light though, she darted away and chuckled at the sooty mare’s response, perhaps one day soon they would learn who really was the fastest – or at least have some fun trying to figure it out. Keeping her voice to the same whisper as Taika used with her, she leaned close to the filly’s small ear, “Perhaps wi- prac’ice we could be a sneaky ones and surprise her, Moonchild” she whispered, and ruffled the girl’s spiky mane. Taking the Taika’s colouring and earlier topic of sun and star gods, Geirdriful had settled on a nickname that seemed fitting.

When Taika took off and they settled into more adult topics, the dunalino’s attention shifted from the filly to the sooty buckskin mare. Geirdriful’s mother had spoken of Valkyries when she was young and she had decided in that moment that she was meant for the role – that she would fight for the peak and any injustices on the islands. She had yet to learn the full politics of her home, however, and was always keen to learn what others thought they should be doing. Rodrigo questioned Ysabel before Geirdriful could decide on a question to ask and listened with interest to the answer. Her mother had told her about how most traditional herds functioned but she had not mentioned anything like Ysabel spoke of, though it was not far off how Geirdriful assumed the lagoon worked. Unfortunately, she would eventually learn that her assumption was wrong. “Your home sounds marvellous” she observed , and left it at that, sensing in some small way that she should drop the topic even though she wondered why someone would leave such a place.

Her ears pricked in interest when she mentioned the Arabians of the dunes. Geirdriful had heard nothing of them but they had obviously made an impact if someone new to the islands had already heard about them. Would be good a have someone a explore wi-“ she admitted, glad of the mare’s offer, ”I haven’ heard abou- ‘ees Arabians, day making good or bad names for ‘emselves?”