As her daughter nursed, a wave of contentment enveloped her. Lifting her chin to the rising sun, she murmured a silent prayer of gratitude to her gods. But her peace did not last as the shuffle of hooves across the sands reached her ears. The stranger emerged at the crest of the dune, his presence causing her muscles to tense. Her icy blue eyes narrowed in suspicion, and her ears flattened against her head. She had little interest in whoever this was. With a protective instinct, she shifted her weight and stepped between the stallion, advancing towards them.

Welcome home, his tone was flat. She narrowed her eyes, sensing something simmered beneath the surface. An unsettling unease coiled in her stomach, twisting her insides with anxiety. "My name is Asmodeus.. I and my queen, Nyimara, are glad to have you." There it stood, Mother's latest play thing. A disdainful arch of her eyebrow accompanied her scoff. "My mother glad?" she scoffed, her voice laced with disbelief. "Well, Asmodeus,'" she snapped, "if she's so eager to see us, wouldn't you mind fetching her?" She shifted impatiently, a flick of her silver tail brushing against her haunches.

Her gaze, as sharp and unyielding as ice, remained locked on the stallion. The thought of traversing the desolate desert with her newborn in tow held no appeal. They would remain here, waiting for their arrival. "Tell her Skogsra and Valkyrje have come to see her," she said, her voice flat and emotionless. Then a sly smile played on her lips."She wouldn't be happy if you left us baking in this heat for much longer."

Her attention, momentarily captivated by the stallion, waned. She lowered her gaze to her daughter, who lay curled at her feet like a small, delicate bundle.

A knot of unease tightened in her stomach. She knew, with a chilling certainty, that he wouldn't simply disappear. He was one of the many who flocked to her mother, drawn by the same dark allure that had always attracted the scum of the island. And this time was no different.