PERSEPHONE

Persephone frowned at first, watching as a smirk curled the stranger’s lips. She wondered what he found so funny – was he laughing at her, or something else? Her ears flicked back momentarily in irritation. She had never liked being left out of a joke.

Before she could reprimand him, however, the stranger began to speak, introducing himself. Dragomir was his name, and Persephone committed it to her memory beside his pale appearance and the rough voice he spoke in. For now, his words provided enough distraction to warrant overlooking the arrogant smirk that had distracted her momentarily.

It paid to be patient in power, calm in control, she reminded herself.

She laid the minor annoyance aside, and turned her attention back to the stallion’s words. To her surprise, it was another request for information about some long-lost friend. Was everybody on these islands looking for somebody? Persephone had only been in the Forest for a season just passed, and yet already she had found two strange men wandering her home in search of someone who was not her.

Perhaps one day someone would come looking for her instead. It would make a welcome change.

“I am Persephone,” she replied, introducing herself in return. “And this forest is mine now.”

She eyed him for just a second, making sure he knew this as fact, before returning a little more pleasantly to his question, relaxing a little now she was satisfied he wasn’t going to be too much trouble.

“Your friend isn’t here anymore, I’m afraid, and I don’t know his name.” This much was true, although she committed it to memory now in case she should run into him in the future – Braylen and Paradiso, so far, remained on her list of mystery men who had lived in her forest before her. “Can I provide you with whatever you hoped to get from him?”

all of your demons will wither away

mixed, bay varnish roan, 14.3hh