Inka

Fresh from her encounter with the strange draft mare, Inka roamed the mountaintop with anger in every step. She knew that Impazienza was around here somewhere - her scent was strong and recent - it was just a matter of finding her. The prime minister had been scarce the past few months, and it became evident to Inka by the signs of life in the area that it was here, at the highest elevations, that Impazienza had been hiding. Were Inka in a better mood, she might have stopped to wonder why the prime minister had seemingly been confining herself to the mountaintop, but right now the reasons did not matter. She had something urgent to report; everything else could wait.

After a short, fruitless search, the Friesian mare lifted her grey-peppered muzzle to the wind and weighed her options. The river was nearby, with thickets of trees clustered on its banks providing ample hiding places, and it was one of the remaining places she had not searched yet. Plus, her frustration had made her thirsty. Thus Inka made her way to the slow-moving body of water, brushing her way past branches to reach the bank. As she lowered her head to drink, her dark eyes searched the opposite side of the river, where lazy willow limbs trailed along the water's surface. There, in the mud, she could see large, fresh hoof prints. Impazienza was nearby. Her heart fluttering with anticipation, the Friesian mare lifted her head, hardly giving herself a chance to swallow her drink, and let out a call to the prime minister in the hope she was still nearby.