After Rowena vowed never to be separated from Dances or Echo again, she allowed them to disappear beyond the waves without her. Rowena understood Dances' need to move Echo to a safer place, and she longed to join them, but she knew if she followed right then, that Osiris would he hot on their heels. The possessive stallion was never far from her. It's a miracle he didn't interrupt their reunion on the shores of the Ridge.

Rowena had to cut ties with Osiris before she could leave.

She challenged him to her freedom that same evening, and the experience was harrowing. They were closely matched in battle. Osiris has his size, and his strength. It's lucky Rowena learned a thing or two growing up in the coven. It was her experience that helped her gain the advantage over an opponent that could very easily physically overpower her. In the end, she prevailed victorious, but not without a few bruises to take with her on her journey to the Forest.

A chill winter's breeze against the dampness of her coat numbs the pain. She takes even, yet curious steps through the trees. Her eyes search the dimly lit forest for any sign of Dances or Echo. The further inland she goes, the faster her heart beats in her chest. The Forest is not a familiar place to Rowena, and all the unfamiliar smells that linger here remind her of that.

To these strangers, Rowena is a mare stinking of the Ridge. She knows nothing of island politics or the coming of war, but the fear stirring in her assumes the worst. They said they were coming to the Forest, right? Where are they?

Rowena comes to a crossroads. The path splits here. She could continue north, or head slightly east. This is where she stops, teetering on the edge of indecision. Her lips part, as if to call out, but she's wary of who might answer.