While the floating island was beautiful, a fun adventure and a welcome release from the pressures of queendom, the painted woman realized that she did still have some duties to fulfill. With several of their friends missing from the herd meeting, Kahlua was fully aware that their herd needed to grow larger. They were woefully understaffed in the informants' division, and with Nasreen promoted to Seer Kahlua wasn't aware of any crafters under Dragomir's charge either. Well, a queen's work was never done, she supposed. So, with one last look at the floating island, Kahlua stepped onto a cloud and drifted back down to the ground, headed towards the Threshold.

When she finally arrived, the queen trotted happily through the woods. The cool breeze from the autumn air lifted her hair, blowing it about, leaving her to shake her head from the brilliance of it all. How long had it been since she had been here? Too long, as usual. It was a shame that leading a herd left her so busy all of the time. And it seemed like forever that she wandered the woods, searching for any newcomers into the woods. But perhaps she was just impatient, for in time she heard a voice through the greenery. I'll be fine. She smiled.

“Hello!?” she called out, her bright soprano trilling out, singing with the birds in the trees. “I'm Kahlua!” she followed up, though she couldn't actually see who she was talking to. But in a few more steps she found herself emerging through the brush to be standing before a pretty yellow appaloosa, gasping. “Oh my goodness, are you alright, what happened!?” she followed up with, upon seeing the mare's scars over her eyes.

Of course, poor Kahlua was a fool queen. Not everybody can be perfect. So she said what came to her mind, and what had come to her mind was the poor newcomer's injuries. Kahlua only hoped she had not offended the pretty woman. She had never intended to come here and make an enemy. Still, she couldn't help but shift backwards slightly as a memory invaded her mind. The last time she had commented on somebody's facial disfiguration she had ended up in a fight that she had not wanted to be in. She felt her muscles tense as she prepared to run off. She had no interest in fighting this day. Just in case it helped, she added softly, “I'm sorry,” and looked down.