Vita Nova was not surprised when she stirred in the morning and found only her sleeping colts by her side. Warsaw seemed on edge lately, despite the brief calm their sons had seemingly brought into their lives. Tension was high among the islands. While the sooty mare was for the part, isolated from the politics and the chaos among the leaders of various herds lately, she was used to the great grey stallion disappearing for a while only to come home battered and bruised. He always came home, however. And at least to her, he always seemed victorious.
She never felt unsafe on Tinuvel. Warsaw was a fierce warrior, perhaps the greatest there was among the chain of islands right now. Maybe even greater than her brother, Shamwari. Sometimes the spotted mare worried that his ambitions were perhaps too great - too much for one stallion to bear. But she never wanted to be the one stifle his dreams. He was determined... so determined. And Vita Nova was the one to reap the benefits of his grand plans.
She rose per usual, and stirred her slumbering boys. She watched as the two colts tumbled and played in a clearing while she grazed in the dewy morning light. Autumn was here and winter was coming. She could feel it in the air.
But a commotion in the distance rung through the trees and the boulders. She summoned her boys to come close with a deliberate whinny. There she stood, frozen for some time, her brilliant blue eyes trying to spy someone or something in the woods around them, but all she could hear were the snap of hooves against flesh and the clash of legs in between grunts and gasps for air. After a short while, the noise fell quiet. She hushed her colts with strong nips to their sides when they threatened to sneak away.
Finally, the bugle of a stranger cut through the brisk air, causing several slumbering ospreys to cry and take flight from the trees around them. "Follow me." She demanded from her children. "And no matter what, you do as I say."
They walked carefully through the woods in the direction the call came. The Queen of Tinuvel eventually saw them - Warsaw and Neon, and a stranger standing opposite to them. Vita Nova's eyes grew wide, and a chill shot down the length of her spine. As she approached, it was as if this strange mare had sucked all the air out of their home. The mood was chilling.
She trotted toward Warsaw with concern laced over her features. He looked exhausted. She took note of his bloodied body. "Warsaw, what happened?" She cried out, ignoring the strange mare and Neon completely. She touched his shoulder gently, trying to find solace in his eyes, but there was none. A creeping sense of dread overcame her. Something bad had happened. Something had changed for the worse.
"And who the hell do you think you are?" She shouted over Neon, whose rambling she just couldn't take right now. Her silver ears lay flat against her poll, and her sharp blue eyes narrowed on the strange blue roan mare who stood so coolly in their presence. As if she owned the place or something. Vita Nova could feel her gut twisting as she waited for answers.
Mare | Evaline x Valentine | Smoky Back Splash | 15 hh | © Vinyl |
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