The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon when Ash decided to slip away. Mother was no where to be seen, nor was Finley. Asmo, always by her side, was asleep at long last from his ever-vigilant watch. If she was going to finally get some alone time, to gather her thoughts and try to decide what she wanted to do, it was now or never. So with careful steps, Ash tip-toed away, only allowing a sigh of relief to escape her dark muzzle once she had stepped into the shadows of the pines and out of ear shot from the herd.


Pausing, the mare lifted her dark head so that her blue eyes could sweep over the branches above. The scent of pine was always refreshing, especially on the crisp morning air. It would never be Atlantis though. Her birth home still called to her, just as she knew it did her siblings. If only their mother could see their restlessness. If only she would take action before something bad came of it. Sighing again, this time with frustration instead of relief, Ash shook her head which tossed her thick mane back and forth across her neck. Dwelling on it was only going to sour her mood and ruin the day and she wouldn’t allow that.


Picking up a trot, the painted mare traveled across the familiar land of the Cove. In the last few seasons, she had memorized the paths almost as well as the ones on the Shore. What she wasn’t familiar with though, was the other territories. Under the reign of her Father, Ash knew she shouldn’t worry over which one she crossed over, but the idea of stepping into the Bay was a little nerve wracking. At least in the Inlet and Arch it was her siblings that reigned there. The young mare was only left to contemplate a short time before a distant call caught her attention. Ears perking, Ash broke into a longer trot, her tail held aloft in excitement as she hurried off into the Inlet to see who had come to call Parvati.


When Ash stopped just along the tree line, her curious eyes peering from the shadows, she spotted the stranger along the beach. Even with sea water tangling and matting his mane and tail, she could tell they were thick and lustrous. The painted markings on his skin also drew her attention, and his stature seemed strong and powerful. But none of it caught her attention like his eyes. Is this what it was like to be a Queen? To have such suitors come calling?


Ash found her breath coming faster, her heart fluttering and a strange feeling twisting in her stomach. Part of her wanted to race down to meet him, while another wanted to turn and flee. But as the daughter of Solomon, King of Tinuvel and Xiomara, the Warrior Queen; Ash couldn’t back down. She would not shame her family with this strange feeling that wanted to make her run away. Glancing around, the blue roan paint did not see Parvati. Or what she assumed would be Parvati, as she had never met her half-sister. So, squaring up her shoulders much like she had seen her mother do and arching her neck, Ash gave a floaty trot out of the trees and down to where the stranger was waiting.