There wasn’t much else Eness could have done given the situation. To lose her home would have been heartbreaking and she’d seen plenty sniffing about the borders for the faintest lack of scent to lay claim to the land for their own uses. She couldn’t stand it and had done what even her father would have struck her down for, made her own claim. It was not a woman’s place she’d been taught and schooled, and while she would have liked to have had one of her boys do the honors, both were still far too young to understand. The black mare stands atop the hill overlooking the oasis they called their own, waiting for the response she knew she would get from the wayward men.

She does not wait long, the form of Antares rising from the sands first, his answering call to her own claiming a challenge, and she sees it in the way he strides towards her. She feels like a filly again under her father’s reign, the panic to cower and receive her punishment pushing to the forefront but she bites it back, forcing herself to raise her head high and stand tall against the approaching brother that head’s her way. Her husband comes out of nowhere, a racing bullet to put himself between his brother and wife, the very act that should warm her heart but even she knows the war that was surely raging in Atair’s mind at the moment. Being his soul-sewn would surely not be enough to protect her should he choose to side with his brother.

Words are exchanged between them all but not Eness, she has remained quiet but carefully watching each brother in turn. Before her lips can part the redder of all the brother’s speaks, his voice sounding from her side from which he stands, and she is grateful for his more sensible presence. Aldebaran for once spoke with more reason and clarity than any of the men had so far. She avoids her husband’s gaze through it, knowing she would break and throw her own self at his hooves for forgiveness when there was truly nothing to forgive.

“Brother’s,” when at last Aldebaran turns the words to her, does she at last greet them, ”squabbling will get none of you anywhere. We almost lost our home had I not done this; it is not what I want but here we are.” and then suddenly she was exhausted. Eness’s strong bravado fades back, and she is just a new mother still recovering from bringing two new lives into this world. Her eyes finally stare hard at the form of Atair, “and you husband, your anger with me is misplaced and if that is to be for the one who has borne you two sons then let Ra burn your mark from my flesh for i want no part of the anger that eats at you like a snake”. Tired and angry, as she should be.

She takes a shaky step forward, but falters, leaning into that of her redder brother for assistance or else the sand would be her bed. “Take your lands Antares, I’ve no wish for them myself,” she spits into the dirt, ears lacing back against her skull and staring him down, the fire her beloved Sakhmet loved her for showing through.