Talien stands apart from the rest of the herd as Liland’s call to gather brings them all together. As the months began to wear on, so did her patience for little things. Everything seemed to find a way of annoying her and the swollen barrel that she now sported that held promise of new life. Despite her initial displeasure with Liland and the way in which she came to become so swollen with foal, Talien had grown to love the life that kicked and berated her ribs with a fierceness. She had never expected to be the dotting motherly type but seeing the herd dynamics as it was, and devotion she had seen from each mother, she found herself secretly excited to experience the same feelings.



However in this moment, she feels nothing but annoyance. Since her arrival into the herd, Talien has learned that despite the overall outward appearance of a happy herd dynamics, the Bay herd was in turmoil. Her latest one on one conversation with Liland had done much to repair the tattered and torn pieces of their relationship and she found that it was easy to be honest with him despite how brutal that it might appear to be at times. None the less, the Bay was in an uproar… and she did not like it.



She had heard more than once how this Atlantis stallion… Rougish or something or other, had ruined Liland’s life when he stole his lead mare. Liland had been quick to spill the story to her and she could almost feel the distain upon his tongue as he had spoken the name. Now she was a different creature than Liland. She did not wear her heart on her sleeve. At times she even wondered if she had a heart beneath that pretty layer of brandished gold skin. Unlike the pale bay king, she did not believe in love or other such fickle emotions. Attraction yes. Preference absolutely. A mutually beneficial relationship sure why not. That is what she shared with Liland and his herd now. But never love.



Talien watched silently as Liland stepped forward to address the herd, proclaiming that times were changing and that he was reawakening once again. She had seen how lost and broken he had been, often wondered if it was wise for her to stay and brave the cold winter months instead of venturing to much warmer climates and perhaps somewhere with less drama. However, she had stayed. Not only was she fairly sure that Liland would never freely let her go, she was a bit determined to see a time when the Bay herd settled into something similar to normalcy. A single lobe flickers as Liland remarks with a rather nonchalant attitude that Zjeena has been sent away to the jungle stallion and that she was to be his second mare. Of course they had spoken of it before but it had been brief. Talien had advised him that it felt odd but that if it was his wish, she would not object and even now she does not do anything more than to give her head a brief bob of acceptance. Paper thin nostrils flare wide, exhaling a single deep breath as the eyes of the others mares drift over her small frame. Proud head lifts, brandished gold neck arching as she blinks at him before bending her head to gently scratch at an invisible itch along her foreleg.



Liland does not linger his words upon her new title, next he addresses the position of queen. There would be a new one. Talien was a bit surprised that it was coming so suddenly, but she did not comment. Instead a single brow raises in question but for the time being she kept her words silent. Perhaps later she would discuss with Liland his choice, perhaps instead she would simply do as she always did. Observe. Time would tell if his choice would make a fitting queen. No doubt Ylva or whatever her name was played the part of Fjord purebred that Liland seemed to drawn too. That too was a confusing point but well he was a strange stallion to believe in love so how could she fault him. Pale crystalline ooids flit to the departing form of Sabela as the small mare turns quickly and departs from the group after Liland’s initial words are spoken. Clearly she is upset but at what Talien did not dare to ask. It was all turmoil and only time would tell if the herd would correct what had been put wrong.