choke this love till the veins start to shiver
one last breath till the tears start to wither

Drika had eagerly taken up Kunzak’s request for company on the trip to the Lagoon. She was not the type to back down from confrontation – besides, the Lagoon had been forbidden to her all of her childhood, it was almost exciting to enter it now, even if the circumstances were less than ideal.

She made some attempts to talk with the unfamiliar stallion on the way over – she could have talked his ear off, given the chance – but he was not a talker. Whenever she spoke he only answered with a word, and he seemed distracted by his thoughts. Drika might have sulked, or tried harder to get him to pay attention to her, but she too was preoccupied by their destination, and she settled into her own thoughts instead.

Her mind drifted as she took in the dark surroundings of the wetland, until her name fell from her companion’s lip. She turned to him, ears pricked, only to see him burst into a sudden run. She followed, instinctively, and as she saw Bozena in the difference she understood. He looked so concerned for her, it was the most emotive Drika had seen him. The unfamiliar words that fell from his lips were indistinguishable to Drika’s ears, but the thought behind them seemed clear enough.

Before Drika could say anything, however, a piercing scream split the quiet. She span around, her ears pinned back against her head, and saw a gold and white stallion stood behind them. Clearly, one of the bachelors had found them already.

Drika shot a quick glance towards Kunzak and Bozena beside her, trying to gauge her own reaction to their own. Suddenly she felt much more like the child she still almost was, inexperienced and in too deep. But she pushed the thought away and turned her gaze back to the bachelor. She snorted, keeping her ears pinned and thrusting her own hoof angrily against the ground.

The tension in the air was thick. She didn’t know if it would come to a fight, but she was willing if necessary.

DRIKA
shut your mouth, baby stand and deliver