The cracking sound of hooves on leaf litter alerted Evren to another approach, and she pricked her ears, expecting to see Tarek, but finding Indira instead. Evren’s joy was no less evident, however, and her weary face brightened with a wide grin and a nicker as Indira rushed to greet her. Yet Indira’s question gave her pause, and her smile faltered.
“Ah, well - Hannah and Blackout are home. That’s all that matters to me.” Evren offered her sister another smile, but this one was weaker, less convincing. She made a mental note to explain the situation to Indira - and Tarek - later. She had no intention of keeping them out of the loop again.
“You go ahead,” Evren said as Indira led Hannah and her children away to find Tarek. Evren watched them disappear into the trees for a moment, her heart lifting to watch them all together. This was it - this was her family. For a brief moment, her heart swelled with familial love. But then she locked eyes with Persephone, and knew it was time to tell the truth of what had happened. Evren stepped forward and leaned her head heavily against Persephone’s withers, as though she could collapse with exhaustion at any moment. She breathed in the mare’s scent, and felt a little calmer. Things might be crumbling all around her, but at least she was home.
When she pulled away, her expression was grave. “We… have a lot to discuss. Things didn’t go entirely to plan. We didn’t get so much as a glimpse of Vita Nova.” Evren released a heavy sigh. “And as you probably gathered… Warsaw raped Hannah. And he has declared war on Luthien.”
9; mutt; bay tobiano; 15.3hh |
