That’s crazy... she thought almost sourly, thinking quickly of the desert’s elusive hyppocamp, the camels there and the skins; the tiny Threshold twix and even the wailing basilisk she had seen in Deep Forest a long time ago. Naturally she wanted them all to be saved – not just a lucky few to repopulate a drying landscape. Concerned eyes flicked to Midas and they found his tender golden gaze upon her – as though her own thoughts had been translated through the lines on her pallid face, he spoke. “But he’s the God of the Earth?” Africa rebutted quickly, trying to make sense of their fond deity’s request. “I wish he would save them all...” And though she said nothing of it, the one-winged mare imagined there were some of their equine kind who could easily trade place with an innocent – many even, in their place.

A hot flush harried the skin beneath soft facial fur, and her wide barrel squirmed unnervingly, perhaps even visibly.

Even her simplest of minds understood that there was no point in arguing the subject; she followed automatically as Midas turned from the thrum of the dizzying crowd and they soon arrived beneath gaping arms of an old, leafy oak. The cool shade was a pleasant, instant relief. The black and white insisted she rest, and there was no space allowed for tired arguments in his tone - she had not the energy left to bother in any case. Aching limbs carried her a little deeper before joints locked with a jolt beneath the burden of her weight, and without a second thought lashes sealed snug around creamy eyes.

Silas lifted quickly from his beloved’s curved hip and took rest on a barky bough, above. He watched curiously as Fina’s cool-coloured sister slipped down to stand in the grass, strange frost following in her wake; star-glitter poured off his own feathers, more visible in the shadows, but the fire-bird was easily the most beautiful in their unique trio (he thought anyway).

Hours later, the tender stroke of the stallion’s whiskered nose roused her from light doze and light eyes opened, a warm smile to greet him. Glancing around, with ears swivelled forward in curious fashion, she noticed that the light had dimmed to dusk, and the air had cooled to a more comfortable balmy temperature. She nodded quickly to his query, “Yes,” and shook her coat vigorously to loosen stiff sinew. As she did so, round stomach swayed boldly and each leg below splayed out in sequence to prevent toppling.

The break had been worth Midas’ time - the irritation building on her fatigue (and sparking hormones), had been soothed away almost entirely for the time being.

As Fina sailed eagerly above, brighter still than the sun on a fine day, the nocturnal zephyr rose to join her in the air – the ice-princess rose also, with (now expected) enthusiasm. Only the blanket of night’s deepening shadow was left as the bright orb sank beneath the far away horizon, but Silas was in his element and made no effort to dull his flaunting display.

Africa stiffened as the stallion’s obsidian skull lifted to the wind (though light was its existence), and followed its bridge to the tapering end to find the antlered silhouette of a deer – poised with equal concern. His mate followed with soft, inaudible tread and touched breath against his pelt; it was a moment of intimacy that touched the one-winged mare’s gentle heart, and so too her irregular mood (the rapid climax of oestrogen swirling to life in irrational frenzy).

That that wonderful euphoria quickly dissolved when tendrils of earth, golden-laced sand, leapt for the couple; jaw dropped a little and pale eyes fell wider, incredulous, though dismayed. It had been a cunning plan thoughts noted quickly, as full realisation of the task they had been dealt set in – thought of their salvation brought small relief, enough to stiffen the lunge of her disgruntled tongue into silence. Unhappily, but resolved to the situation they were in, Africa danced lips across the stallion’s dark shoulder – comfort, reassurance, but jerked back suddenly when the sound of a voice shattered their solitude. A colt and his dragon were watching – and she winced visibly when eyes caught sight of the shadow squirming beneath fastened talons.