Inka listened to the desperate explanations the stallions offered her, and then quite suddenly, the group’s number expanded until they all stood together in a number of eight strong. Inka’s dark eyes peered through the night to observe an unfamiliar brownish mare who almost immediately spoke on the two stallions’ behalf. Inka’s ears flattened, and then she realized that she did know this mare, if only indirectly. She had seen her with a stallion multiple times, and up until now had not questioned this, given that Impazienza seemed to be on top of the matter and the stallion did not seem intent on causing trouble. But now... Perhaps it was because Inka was tired, or because she had experienced the brief and intense terror a parent experiences in being afraid for their child, but her temper was high tonight, and she had no tolerance for the mare’s explanation.
“Considering this is a sanctuary for women, you have a habit of bringing an awful lot of men here,” she snapped, before her eyes were drawn away by the arrival of Taytim, evidently drawn to their gathering by the noise (as she had been). The dark little mare thankfully did not add to the furore, instead attaching herself silently to her daughter’s side and checking over Taika’s welfare.
Still, it was more than enough. Inka’s eyes roamed over the group and her stomach churned with dissatisfaction. There were too many horses here; their large number would be hard to control if tempers continued to climb. Impazienza, where are you? Inka fervently thought, before suddenly realizing something. She was the most senior horse here, in both age and experience as a Vulcan. It was up to her to resolve this situation. It would be difficult, judging by the manic way in which one of the stallions was rambling about kings and outcasts.
Then her daughter’s voice resounded in her ear. “They are trinkets of the Peak!” Adelheid cried out, and beside her the shaken Taika added her passionate sentiments. One of the stallions retorted, and his indignant chatter stoked Inka’s rage. “Enough!” she shouted, both to quiet the girls and the panicked intruders. She had no taste for captives, and it both surprised and worried her that her daughter had taken on board this barbaric mindset. Likely it had come from seeing Impazienza keep that stallion friend of Ysabel’s recently. And what if what this stallion said was true, and it was the girls who had attacked them first? “There will be no trinkets taken tonight,” she continued, letting her eyes fall on each face that looked back at her. It was difficult to hold everyone’s gaze, with the way her gut felt cold like ice.
Her eyes settled on Taika and Adelheid, and though her face softened, moonlight illuminated a frown still creased across her brow. “Whatever has happened here, it ends now. It’s the middle of the night, and we all are disturbing the peace of the mountain.” She looked briefly at the stallions, her gaze solemn in silent warning, then turned to address Ysabel. “If these stallions truly came here at your invitation, that means that you are responsible for them. Judging by what I see before me, you have failed in your responsibility. I suggest that tomorrow morning you either escort them from the Peak, or present them before the prime minister for her judgement. Knowing Impazienza, I would suggest the former if you don’t wish for them to be taken captive. I remind you again that this is a sanctuary for women, and you have endangered two of our daughters tonight by inviting these men here, whether they meant harm or not. I am not inclined to trust two grown stallions who cannot hold their composure around two young fillies.”
Inka turned to address Adelheid and Taika. “Girls, I am troubled by your attitudes tonight, and by the fact you ran off in the middle of the night. Taytim,” the Friesian mare lifted her eyes to meet those of the dark mare. “I trust you to discipline your daughter appropriately, and I will do the same for mine.” Moonlight glinted off the blood on Taika’s legs, and for the first time Inka noticed the girl’s wounds. Her resolve hardened.
“Let’s conclude everything there, shall we? It’s far too late for us to draw out such frivolity. Geirdriful, would you be so kind as so escort these men and our ‘sister’ away from here? I am sure they would like a safe place to sleep.” Inka side-eyed the young bandit-faced mare. Though she spoke with authority, she was unused to giving orders and was unsure her fellow peak mare would comply, even if she had done well as a bodyguard thus far tonight.
“Adelheid,” the Friesian mare then said, though she hardly gave her daughter a second glance as she turned to leave. “Come.”
She was shaking with adrenaline as her hooves found their way across the rocky cliffs, and one ear remained twisted back to listen for any more discontent in the group. Hopefully, they would all follow her lead and disband. She wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.
i N K A
vulcan politician; daughter of het vuur
16; friesian; EE aa; 17hh |