the clatter of her hooves on the rocks kept her mind sharp and focused on the task at hand for the most part. the sound echoed off the hillside, reminding her of how far she had come. she had put this off for a long time, too long in fact. in her heart she had been holding out hope that someone would find her, rescue her from the islands and bring her home to her rodina, her matka. now she doubts her mother is even still alive. maybe none of them were. this treacherous thought causes a lightning bolt of pain in her heart and an ugly lump in her throat that she can’t seem to clear. with a bitter snort she tosses her head, urging negative thoughts in her mind to disappear, at least for now.

she had heard about the peak through a mare she had once conversed with, having mistaken the large black figure from a distance as her mother. it had been an embarrassing but soothing encounter, the mare inka reassuring her that she would at least find a safe home if she ever chose to venture there.

at first she was eager to go, to escape the common area roiling with horses seeking new homes, friendships, lovers, but something held her back. the royal blood in her veins made her too proud to associate with these beings except the one instance where she had intervened on behalf of a small clumsy mare. she would never be one of them. never find love, její sourozenec her soulmate, or the stallion her herd had an arranged a match with at least, never find a true home…how could she when she was so different than these creatures. but she waited and waited, hoping one day to see a large black figure emerge from the same frothing waters as she had, to call out for her. to ease her loneliness. eventually she had to accept no one was coming. she would have to make her own way here. and shortly thereafter she left, hoping to make her place in the herd of mares before winter set in.

that brings her to this place, climbing up the prokletá hora, cursed mountain, on a sunny autumn day. she was a strong mare, in more ways than one, but she found her body using muscles that were rarely in demand. she mumbled between breaths proč hora ... proč ne údolí and then scolded herself mentally. her matka had raised her better than to mumble and complain. thus she heartened herself, and with a refreshed attitude lurched upward. she would do the best she could here, to become part of this band of mares, she had much to offer them.

her body was that of a warhorse. she had outgrown even her brothers, surprising her entire rodina with her regal height. her body was imposing, not the willowy figure of most mares, but a true force to be reckoned with. while she did not have the feathers and added weight of a heavy draft she had the strength. she would make a fierce warrior if the peak ever needed one. she would find čest, honor, in being able to repay the mares by offering her protection.

when she was content that she was high enough up the steep hillside that someone might hear her she halted, planting the four large black hooves squarely, and lifted her head to the air with a loud whinny. it was only polite to make herself known before intruding any farther into the territory. her voice followed, foreign but clear as she could manage. rád bych se k vám připojil…i am Božena. she offers the words, knowing likely no-one would understand her even if they heard and waits patiently, gazing off the edge of the path at the rocky crevices in the mountain side. this place suited her more than she expected.