The swim from Atlantis to Luthien was easy; her strong legs striking through the water, dragging her body through the salty water as if it were no different than walking on land. But the trip between isles that did not take very long, felt as if it lasted a lifetime. The skull faced warrioress had dreaded this visit with every fiber of her being since the moment Warsaw had called his allies to arms. In truth the blue roan wasn’t sure what she was fighting for, but her thirst for blood and violence had forced her to agree upon a whim. Stupid, she realizes now, but it is too late to back out. Instead, she is forced to pull herself out of the waves onto the shores of the Forest. The tall trees and dark shadows loom ahead like an awaiting nightmare. As she takes her first deep breath, her senses are overwhelmed with the rank scent of outsiders, rather than the stronger smells of leaf litter and trees as she remembered.


Drawing herself up, Xiomara squared off as if she was already facing an enemy. Striding from the open beach into the trees, she walked with purpose and with confidence that only came with familiarity. As she drew deeper into the forest, the cries of battle began reaching her ears. But rather than rush to join the terror, the mare angled herself away. Following the invisible path, Xiomara only stopped when a large gapping hole yawned before her. Ebony ears straining forward as she swallowed hard, lowering her crown to peer down inside. At the bottom, just barely visible among the years of fallen leaves, was the long strands of black hair.


Her mother’s tail hair.


xxx
“Are you okay, mother?”


Xiomara peered down at the mare laying below, her body looking strange compared to the strong idol she had always known her dam to be. It had been days since the ground had opened up, swallowing the roan mare, and not once had she risen. But even if she had, would she even be able to get out? The walls were well above her head; the filly was unsure if she would make the jump. Although the young filly, less than a year, worried for Xina she did not think the worst. Her mind too innocent to realize what she was witnessing happen.


“I am fine, Xio. Stop your worrying.” Xina said, opening her two-toned eyes to look up at her daughter. It was a struggle to speak, but her strong motherly instinct even now wanted her to comfort the child. “You should go and graze. I shall not have my daughter growing weak.”


Xiomara flicked her little ears with uncertainty, but her mother knew best; right? So, she stood from where she had been laying near the edge, walking only a little way off to snag a few bites of grass. It didn’t taste that well, but she had already started trying it before this happened. More to copy her mother than a true want for the strange green things. After eating just long enough to make Xina happy, Xiomara quickly returned to the edge where she had been. “I’m all full.” She chirped, giving a smile as she looked down at the mare again. But something was different. Xina didn’t answer her, and her head was laying funny. Xiomara frowned, leaning a bit closer. “Mother?” she asked, but still Xina did not stir. “Mother?!” Tears began spilling down the filly’s face, realizing that her mother was no longer there. It was only the shell that she had once occupied. Grief caused a scream to escape her pink lips as her body collapsed upon the ground.


xxx


Xiomara’s heart gave a hard thump before everything felt as if it was seizing up. Her chest constricted, unable to draw in any air. The seams that held the warrioress together quickly began to snap, her resolve giving way to panic. Before she realized what was happening, the mare was scrambling backwards so quickly she nearly fell on her own rump. Pivoting while also struggling to keep upright, Xiomara took off into a blind panicked dash. Her breath came in hard, hyperventilating gasps, and branches and vines whipped across her face as she didn’t even bother to look where she was going. She just had to get away. Get away. Get away.


Suddenly, everything came to a colliding halt. Her body struck something hard, yet warm; flesh, her fear riddled mind realized, as she went crashing to the ground. What little air she had before was gone, knocked from her lungs upon impact, and her body hurt from how hard she had struck the other. Raising her head, Xiomara tried to focus her blurry gaze to see who she had blindly ran into. “B-Bjorn?” she gasped out, her voice almost sounding like a little girl’s. Slowly she drew her legs under her, pulling herself up to stand. Thankfully nothing had been broken; but dirt coated her body, clinging to the tear streaks along her face. While leaves and sticks stuck out of her mane and tail.


Head dropping to hang level with her knees, Xiomara’s entire body shook as she sobbed. She shouldn’t have come here; she had known it would be a mistake all along. “I’m so sorry.” She said, her voice shaking with grief. Unsure if she was saying it to him, or the remnants of her mother she had just been running from.