She's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire.

The first thing she saw was red.

For a half heartbeat the Sunspear’s throat seized with horror at the thought of enough blood being spilt so as to coat the entire landscape. She was a warrior, true enough, but that thought made her stomach turn. No, not blood… not all of it. The light that filtered through the red leaves and onto red water was haunting to be sure, but it was not as bas as she had first feared, As the seconds passed her dark eyes darted everywhere, scanning the landscape to build a story in her mind. There was  blood, dark and dried on the ground and the forrest floor itself was torn from the hooves and claws of the battle that must have ended hours ago.

Of course she was too late… It had taken long enough to fly here and it must have taken Cathun even longer to reach the Throat on foot. The battle was over. She couldn’t fight. She couldn’t help. “Argh!” She beat the ground in frustration, one solid stamp in the red dirt as if that would help. She’d flown trough the night, clad in her leathers, ready to fight, to defend the family the grey warrior had abandoned. She’d deal with Cathun when she got back to the throat, but she had to find out what had happened to Ranjiri, to Aithniel. If they had perished she would hold the coward personally responsible. And who else had been here? Who else could have left this blood upon the ground?

“Gwaihir!” she called aloud to her soulmate who still soared above the canopy, “Circle wide, find our own, or anyone if you can!” She head his screeching call in return and knew he would return when and if he found something. They hadn't seen any of their herd on their way north and it gave her hope to not have found their cold bodies on what looked to be the battlefield, but the Sultana would not rest until she learned the fates of her family members. She moved through the red place and towards the edge of the water, searching for some clue, listening for someone, anyone to tell her what had happened here.

Then she saw the feathers; a spread of of blood-stained gold on the ground and the Sun Sultana stopped in her tracks. She had seen those feathers gleam and shine only days ago on the borders of her home but then they had been solidly attached to a member of her family.

Ranjiri

The scream left her before she could pull it back. Deep and angry and dripping with fear and frustration it ripped itself out of her throat. Her family had been here...her family had been here, fighting and she had been hundreds of miles away. Useless. Ranjiri and Aithniel and who else had been here? They had been hurt, they could be lying dead somewhere. "RANJIRI!" she lifted her head again and yelled for the golden girl. "AITHNIEL!" The second name left her lips, the brave ashen filly, a great warrior in the making. "Please be alright." The last words a prayer whispered as the strained her ears to hear their voices coming back to her. Cathun left them. That thought popped into her mind and her rage doubled over itself. No warrior worthy of the name would leave his family like that; he would have to answer for that. With extreme care the Sunspear reached her head down to gather the golden feathers. Every. Single. One. She tucked the collection between the dark brown feathers of her own wing and the old battleleathers she wore and moved off to find her girls, her Dragon's Throat women, the Sun's own golden jewels.

[notes: Set the morning after the battle, looking for Jiji and Aith specifically cause she knew they were here but any are welcome :D]