a new world hangs outside the window
beautiful and strange
it must be I've fallen awake
I must be

She could hear the scuffle of hoof against rock in the distance, but the dark mare was too distraught to care. Let him come to finish me off. She thought. But Cullen had already rounded up Merete and disappeared down the trail leading to the Lagoon. Whoever was coming for her, was coming from the boulders of their mountain. Exhaustion set in and the tears began to slow after several minutes. Her breathing evened out, and the muscles underneath her sore and bruised body finally let go. She breathed one final heave before rolling up onto her side, dirt and leaf litter clinging to her sweat-matted fur.

Wasp felt compelled to do something. Anything. The Peak could not continue to limp along like this. But she was at a loss to know what should and come come next. Cullen clearly had the upper hand at this point. Briefly, she wondered if returning was a mistake. Perhaps she should just keep trudging forward. Something out there in the world might be better suited for her. Maybe she'd find her purpose out there, one day.

The Peak warrior snorted once before finally outstretching her shaky limbs and pulling herself up to stand. But the time she managed to wobble on all fours again, Merete's daughter was cresting the hill toward her. Wasp's heart sunk deep into her gut.

The two didn't know each other well, but seemed to be about the same age. They were certainly the youngest recruits the Peak had at this time. Wasp returned Drika's nicker with a whimper of her own, and struggled to look the other mare in the eyes. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Drika, I'm sorry." She blurted out, breathlessly. "It was Cullen. He's got Merete. I tried to stop him, but." Her voice waivers here, and Wasp can feel the tears building in her eyes again. "I couldn't. I'm so sorry."

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