Her blue eyes flashed. Right on cue, the stallion emerged draped in the smells of the Lagoon, dark enough to blend into the deeper shadows if he stood still enough, Oswin imagined. She studied him quickly, glancing over every line of his body, assessing the build, the scars on his coat. In spite of their varying differences – she a young mare in early stages of pregnancy with only one or two fights in her life and he, a bachelor stallion used to hard living – Oswin held to confidence she would have little troubles should a fight break between them. It was a foolish thought, but Oswin never claimed to be anything but when it came to a potential fight.

She was tempted to tell him exactly who she was to see what his reaction would be. Would he feel threatened by a strong mare of the Peak? By the General, no less? Or would he shrug away her title with little care and keep them on equal ground? It was a curious thought, but Oswin wasn’t ready to give up the game quite so easily.

“I’m not,” she said with a smile, glancing past him before bringing her gaze back to his face. “I know I’m at the edge of the Lagoon. I came here on purpose.” Her smile curved a little higher. The potential for danger was intoxicating – the way her instincts were kicking in, ready to respond to any threat that came. She could feel the blood coursing through her body. Oswin shifted her weight just to move, to find some way to push out the energy building inside her, and her tail flicked back and forth.

“I wanted to meet the infamous bachelors of the Lagoon.”

oswin
this is as brave as I know how to be.
I know it’s gonna hurt you, but please… be a little proud of me.