I DON'T WORRY,
WORRYING DON'T AGREE
THINGS THAT BOTHER YOU, NEVER BOTHER ME!

It didn’t take very long for Talya to judge someone’s character and already she decided she quite liked the new Forest leader. Her mind hadn’t yet made itself up as to whether or not he was a god, as to her Persephone had been the Forest Queen, but he certainly had the presence of one. She had already trotted a few steps ahead, but she swung her head to look back over her hind and grinned as she saw Rilke playfully nip at Kestrel, toss the waves of his mane, and dance away before her son could get him back.

Underneath the psyche with which she protected herself, Talya’s heart warmed. She knew it was very important for Kestrel to have a figure like Rilke (or what could be assumed of his character so far), even if she could never properly vocalize those thoughts.

Kestrel’s eyes had widened in shock and he’d flicked his tail, snorting and dancing aside at the playful nip, but the smile on his face was quick to return, wide and happy. He hunched his shoulders and rocked his weight, kicking out his back legs - white up to his knees - and huffed a little breath as he came to a stop, swung his head and hopped a little off his front legs. His half-grown mane fell in awkward lengths at either side of his neck.

“The Forest has been pretty quiet since I was born here,” he admitted, thinking of Rilke asking after anything important to know, “and Persephone told anyone who didn’t want to stay that they could go live with her friend in the Prairie.” Kestrel had considered it for their safety, but again his mother wouldn’t hear it. She wouldn’t leave the Forest, even just to move into the territory right beside it. “So I’m not sure if anyone else really stayed behind.” His brown eyes lingered briefly up on the large stallion, wondering if he would be bringing more horses to live in their herd with them and feeling a bit of excitement build at the thought. Kestrel had never exactly minded it just being him and his mother and he’d never actually leave her side for good, but he was a little curious about meeting other horses. Maybe even some his age, too.

“Come on you slow pokes!” Talya hollered from where she’d happily shuffled up ahead. Kestrel could see that the bend in the path she was standing beside was one he knew well. It’d lead them down through a small valley, up a slight incline and then down again into a small area where the forest cleared and a large waterfall tumbled into a cool, shallow pond.

“Last one there’s a rotten berry?” Kestrel asked, grinning as he said it - it’d been a phrase his mother had taught him - then gave his narrow head another toss before gathering his limbs up under him and starting up the path in a transitional gait. As soon as Talya saw he was running toward her she let out a wild laugh and did a slow turn, picking up her hooves to run down the rest of the path she was planning on taking.