Lavender

softspoken in the dead of night

Through the denser parts of the swamp, where the mangroves grew close, and the ground could be treacherous, a pale mare picked her way with utmost caution, pausing frequently to survey the terrain, to hold her breath and listen for anything that would signal a large figure approaching. Sometimes it felt like minutes passed as she stood there, wide-eyed, trembling with apprehension and exhaustion, before she would move on, snatching mouthfuls of sparse vegetation where she could.

Beneath the mud that covered her pale gold and white coat, it was evident the small mare was thin.

One of the other bachelors had lingered close by for a time after Khyber had been snatched away from the Lagoon, and having returned to the ongoing state of anxiety that she’d lost herself in prior to giving birth to the colt at her heels, Lavender found herself on edge. As fall approached, and she felt her body preparing to conceive again, Lavender’s anxiety ramped up exponentially. Without Khyber around, she was at the mercy of the bachelors who remained, and she could not risk harm coming to Kythri by making a run for it again.

Out there, herd stallions would care not for her young son beyond trying to sway her to their side. At least here, he had the blood of the brotherhood in his veins.

"Kythri, stay close,” Lavender spoke the words over her shoulder, her blue eyes darting only briefly to meet her son’s gaze. Unseen, he nodded, and noting that she was not looking, he whispered softly back; ‘Yes mama.’

They were hiding - a game that his mama played a lot of the time. Sometimes he wished that he could go play with some of the other foals that he heard, and rarely glimpsed, but then his mama would be all alone. He’d learned not to ask about the other stallions - his mama said none of them were his father, and Kythri got the sense that she didn’t really know them, since she rarely spoke any names, and whenever they caught a scent of one of them, Lavender withdrew and altered course.

All he knew was that he hadn’t seen the stallion who had given him a name in what felt like a very, very long time. His mama hadn’t been the same since he went away. She didn’t sleep much, and was very jumpy. He hoped that his father would come back soon.

It had been difficult for Lavender to try and explain where Khyber had gone, and why, but even now, she felt muddled about it in her own mind. Thus far, no harm had befallen her, but that was solely due to her overly cautious nature, and the fact that the majority of the Bachelors had been content to let her be. Perhaps it was unfair of her, to harbour such a skewed view of the Peak mares, but thus far, her interactions with those who represented the Valkyries and the consequences of their actions had left her with only the bitter taste of fear in her mouth.

Taking away the only one who had reason to treat her well, and leaving her unprotected. And for what? To give Khyber a taste of his own medicine? That rang more of vengeance than the so-called purpose of the Peak (or at least, what Lavender had at first perceived it to be); to protect mares. But then again, she could hardly blame anyone for not even knowing she was here.

She was no great mare like Ursa, imposing in height, strong and desirable. What use would she be to anyone? Even in birthing Kythri, she had been weak and slow to recover. At least he seemed strong and healthy, growing into his lanky legs and filling out well enough. If nothing else, Lavender would pledge herself to raising her son as best she could, while trying to protect her own wellbeing.

Having lapsed in focus, lost as she was in her thoughts, Lavender drew back hastily upon feeling her hoof sink alarmingly quickly, angling her body so as not to back into the boy at her heels, and also prevent him from venturing further into the dangerous marshy waters. Too late, she caught movement through the undergrowth, and squinted, realizing that she had wandered into one of the more open areas of the Lagoon.

It was instinct, and not mere suspicion, that had her stepping forward, despite how her heart quivered in her chest, to put herself between the horse approaching, still obscured from clear sight, and her son. The last horse to happen upon her had been an outsider, wishing to take her away, closely followed by a newcomer to the Lagoon.

As with her experiences of the Peak, so too did she have reason to be wary even here in the heart of the Bachelor’s territory. Even as she fought to stand steady despite the way fear of the unknown, fear that she would be set upon, had her legs shaking, she somehow managed to keep the quiver from her voice when she called out. "Who’s there?”