The little filly’s eyes widened and her breathing hitched in excitement. She had wanted to learn more about what it meant to ‘claim’ the stallions when they found themselves in the Peak. Her impressions of the process were completely opposing. The views from her mother were entirely different than the words that came from the pirate queen. This was a chance to learn from the Prime Minister, the one who oversaw the Peak as a whole. She would know, and Taika was excited to see the woman in action and teach her this thing that she felt was all part of the bigger game.

Once the mare told her the truth about civility Taika sobered and came back into reality. She showed a rare moment of calm collection as her imagination was put on hold. With clear eyes and a pleasant smile she listened to the adults with interest. Not even a year old she continued to learn from everything that happened around her. Ears that had were tufting with her winter coat trained onto Impazienza and she tilted her head in confusion. If that was civility, Taika’s mother had been lying to her. Unjaded by the world, the varnished girl did not begrudge the stallion’s presence and was more interested by it than anything.

“Adelheid?”< The filly repeated, the excitement filling her voice again. This stallion knew her friend! “If Adelheid invited him to the Peak, he can’t be that bad!” Taika spoke with confidence, having the utmost faith in her friend’s judge of character. She looked back up at Impa, her usual smile plastered on her face again. “She would not allow him to be mean.”

With a swish of her forming tail she stepped up to Strack and reached out with her nose as though to a friend she had already made. “Any friend of Adelheid is one of mine!” She ignored the fact everyone who was anything was a friend of her’s. Dark eyes looked up at the stallion with a friendliness but also an intelligence that shined like the sun off the snow that was deep around them. Her smile faltered for a moment and she looked back at the Prime Minister, wondering about the rules of territory and home. Lessons of life were common and constant in her life. Looking back at Strack the grin grew again. “I bet if you asked someone would give you tour of the Peak! You could see all the snow in the world!” Her little feet launched her into the air and back to the mare’s side with a snowy crunch. “We are busy keeping the mountains safe from the snow monsters!”

Taika
Filly ~ Magnus&Taytim ~ 15hh(wfg) ~ Smokey Black Varnish