I am the first and only child of the stallion Krezpa. He was lead stallion of a large herd in the forests of Stracenie. She says, and Mikhail nods as if he is actually listening. The words that come from her mouth are foreign to him. He is almost tempted to ask about this place she speaks of, but he decides against it.

They are making themselves comfortable when suddenly, Felony appears before them. He looks at Kochanie with a scrutinizing eye before turning to Mikhail, who meets his father's gaze and braces himself for what he knows will come. The price for her will be two colts. I want her traded to a stallion before the end of this season, he says, but Mikhail doesn't move, doesn't speak, doesn't acknowledge his father's words - at least not verbally. The look in his eyes is one of compliance - an unspoken "yes, father." He will do as he is told, of course, not because he wants to please his father, but because he knows he must.

Turning to Kochanie, he sees her shaking, but he makes no move to comfort her. The gentle, comforting colt she met in the Commons is gone, replaced by one much colder, more stoic. Their gazes meet, and Mikhail's nostrils flare in annoyance. "Don't worry about him." He says, taking a few steps towards her. "He'll soon forget about you and you'll be free to stay as long as you please." His words are another lie, another strand of silk added to his intricate web of falseties. "Now tell me, Kochanie, why did you come to the Islands in the first place?" He tries to distract her a little, to keep their conversation going, in the hopes it will take her mind off her impending fate.