Evren could not say what she had expected Warsaw to look like, but as he strolled into view, his silhouette pale against the dark green backdrop of the inlet, she felt strangely… disappointed. Her mind had had ample time to build a convoluted image of a monster, scarred and ugly, with a mean face and cold demeanor. Warsaw had a cold demeanor to her eyes, to be sure, but in all other ways he looked… normal. He was just a stallion. Evren had to remind herself not to be fooled by this. No matter how normal and harmless he looked, Warsaw was a monster.
Evren stood stiffly as he approached, her expression set and hard. When he spoke, however, her composure faltered. With fury in her eyes, she opened her mouth to deliver a sharp retort. “You aren’t welcome on our shores either, but that didn’t stop you from taking Persephone, or Hannah.” She watched Warsaw’s face carefully to see how he would react to that. I know you have her, she told him silently. This was not something she had shared with Shamwari, for she knew that he still had a hope of having some sort of diplomatic discussion. For Evren, that was not the case. The time for diplomacy was long gone, in her eyes. She wanted blood.
She fell quiet, however, and let Shamwari do the rest of the talking. As much as his diplomatic attitude and calm demeanor frustrated her, she could also not help but somewhat admire it. His self-control - while not something she could relate to - showed just how careful and intelligent he was. He was playing the long game. Yet, when he apologized - apologized to Warsaw - Evren turned her head to side-eye him in alarm. What the hell was he doing? She did not know the details of the situation they were talking about, but since when did Warsaw deserve any kind of apology? Since when did he deserve anything?
Evren lashed her tail and shifted her weight restlessly when Shamwari finally introduced her. She met Warsaw’s gaze with open distaste and ears buried in her mane. “Let me be clear about something, Warsaw. You and I are not friends, and will never be. You have committed multiple unforgivable crimes against my family and my herd, and I would love nothing more than to strike you down where you stand. But that is not my place. I am here on Persephone’s behalf. Therefore, I come here on two conditions: that you let us speak with Vita Nova, and that you send Hannah back with us. If you do these things, we will leave here peacefully. If not…”
Evren let her words trail off into the frigid air. She would let Warsaw’s imagination do the rest.
9; mutt; bay tobiano; 15.3hh |
