.Twinge.

The golden sunlight shimmers in her auburn eyes as the handsome dark bay stallion picks his way closer to her with ears bent and dark muzzle outstretched. A mischievous smile curls across her own ashen lips as his deep baritones murmur against the sleek hairs of the slender neck. Her breath catches high in her throat as the rhythm of her heartbeat quickens its pace. A purr rumbles deep within her breast as she arches her long neck back, to scrape a reprimanding nip against the point of his mahogany shoulder. Her own fluted lobes twist backwards, pinning tightly against her skullcap as those shining eyes glare into his own. ”Make sure it never happens again!” she growls, though even the growl somehow loses its fierceness as it transforms into a tangled laugh. Her heart felt full. Despite Torch already having left her side to explore the wide world on the mainland, somehow being with Bacardi and sharing in the birth of their new son seemed perfect.

As Burn presses even more firmly against her hip, Twinge shifts her attention to the youth at her side. A single hard glare is issued to the newborn in exasperation. ”And here I thought I was done having to lug your weight around.” she taunts, shifting her weight to lighten the press of his small form against her own still sore belly. Fluted ears pitch forward and her gaze shifts as Bacardi moves to stand at her opposite side, his warm throat pressing against the curve of her back as he gazes down on the colt. Burn, seemingly both surprised and confused, glanced up at the feel of the stallion’s warm breath against his back only to find his sire’s whiskered muzzle stretched above him. Snorting his displeasure and surprise, the young colt attempts to spin around to face the potential danger only to manage to tangle his long legs beneath him and tumble to the ground with an audible thud. ”Burn…” the chestnut splashed mare murmurs with a playful sigh and gives her proud head a shake. The colt pauses, glancing up at his dam almost expectantly, waiting for her to turn from the stallion to help him to his feet once more. Twinge however, has never been one to coddle (one thing that thankfully Harlequin instilled into her) and merely remains where she stands, her eyes and ears gazing at the colt. That is… until Bacardi’s words leave his lips.

’remain at my side…. Queen and co-lead of the forest.’ his words causes her head to snap towards him, her amber eyes widened with surprise. ”Queen?” she asks, trying to wrap her mind around those very words. ”I… uh…” the reply collects itself on her tongue, making her mouth feel both full and empty at the same time. A queen? She had never considered it. Harlequin had always danced to the beat of a different drum. She was neither Cain’s queen nor did she submit to the masses like a herdmare. She had always done what she was best at and that was wandering the landscape in search of danger or unwanted guests. In the Bay, Valka had been queen and run her herd as she saw fit. Bacardi had never been far from her side when it came to making decisions that would affect them all but for the most part, none of it ever affected her. She had always been free to run and explore as she saw fit herself. It was in the Bay that her bond with Bacardi had grown from mere acceptance to something more akin to affection and even love if she was one to believe in such a thing. The thought of parting from him when he decided to venture onto the main island had been too much to bare. It seemed only natural that she go with him, if only to prevent herself from having to deal with nuisance stallions doing the best to flaunt their fanciful praises and compliments to bring her home. She choose Bacardi long ago and it only seemed fitting that she remain with him until the fates draw them apart.

”Are you sure?” she asks, for once, the usual honeyed venom absent from her voice. She? A queen? What did she know about running a herd?