Jasiri watched the old mare's reaction, one ear flicking out to listen to the wind sweeping across the mountaintop. She liked the fire she had lit in Inka, but at the same time she knew she had made a mistake. This mare obviously did not realize how old she was. If she continued to try and convince herself she was younger than she really was, the dark mare would die trying something her body could not handle. Better to accept the fact and live, albeit less carefree and enjoyably, than act like a foal who hasn't discovered its limits.

Still, something tugged at the back of Jasiri's mind, and she couldn't help but wonder if it would be better to go out fighting. It seemed a lot more fun and exciting than becoming a heap of bones and skin.

The silver mare kept in a sigh and her disappointment. Whatever chance she had to persuade the dark mare to join her growing herd had shrunk to a tiny sliver. She had made a foolish mistake, and has been careless enough to offend Inka too greatly to continue her mission. Until the dark mare spoke again. Jasiri had expected Inka to scold her down the mountain, but this was much more enjoyable.

"Only physically," she snorted. She stopped to silently stare at the old mare and piece together her sentences. She hadn't really solidified her own thoughts on the matter yet, only because had been distracted by her neighbor's shenanigans. "As drafts," she shifted her weight, "we can form fine relationships with other horses. But we cannot form the same connection two drafts share." She pushed the thought of Nuru to the corner of her mind. She knew he would object, but it was the truth. It was the main reason she left their old herd.

"Do you not tire of looking down on other horses, or holding back your strength to keep from hurting them? We are condemned to treat them as lessers." She felt like a preacher, but pressed on. "You misunderstand me. I do not strive to protect drafts, but to give us a place to connect and not feel so foreign. A home to be our true selves."

She fell silent. She didn't want to mention how spending time with shorter, non-draft horses made her skin crawl. Or how ostracized she had felt before finding these islands. She hoped the former would pass with time, and the latter would never come back. "All I ask is that you consider it and pass my message onto any drafts you know." It was foolish to trust a horse she had offended, but she had no other choice. The closer winter crept, the harsher the ocean clashed. She already knew once winter hit she would be marooned on her tundra until spring came to calm the waters and warm the land.