"And now I wish to God that The earth would turn cold
And my heart would forget it's made of glass"

It took a while before the arrival of a third person managed to catch her attention. The approaching footfalls were far less interesting than the wall and the creeping mist, and it wasn't until a familiar voice reached her ears that Erthë turned her head, the chubby ears pricked in pleasant surprise.

She knew that person. The big body, the rumbling voice, those peculiar markings... there really was no mistaking that stallion for anyone else. Tembovu was one of a kind, and she was glad to see him. So, it seemed, was he upon recognizing her. He sidestepped her father like he was nothing more than an afterthought, and with mingled amusement and trepidation the filly eyed Vadim for a reaction.

A sideways glance, and the forest appeared to flicker and fade away, replaced by a dusty plain, empty and barren and deserted... only to suddenly reappear again, before her widening eyes. One of the amulets in her necklace flashed and felt burning hot for a second; Erthë barely registered it, too busy gaping at her dad.  

Did he do that? Really? Plain, quiet old dad who had been totally unremarkable all her life... Did he really have the ability to re-shape the world?

It was food for thought, something she definitely would have to think more about once she was on her own.

Right now, however, it seemed more prudent to pacify her irate father. On quiet feet the girl limped up to Vlasi and reached out a soothing nose to touch the growling cerberus' shoulder, then slipped up beside the father to press herself against his side in an attempt to pacify whatever anger that remained.

"It's okay, dad" she mumbled, managing a smile at her big-boned friend. It was little more than a twitch of the lips, far from the radiant, mischievous smile she had produced before, but it was the best she could manage right now. "I know him, he's nice."

Sniffling slightly Erthë looked past her remaining parent towards Tembovu, voice soft and quiet as she replied to his playful greeting.

"No trouble today, Tembu" she said, shrugging slightly. "I did get help, from Miykael... Guess it's not completely gone yet, is all."

She did feel much better; the lungs were pretty much clear by now, and the color of the slime was much lighter now. The peculiar colors about things had disappeared; what remained was something akin to a common chest cold, with the same dry cough that she'd had all her life.

Apparently, she was not the only one who hadn't been taking proper care of herself. Scrutinizing the stallion she spotted streaks of dried blood from his ears, and though it might just be her imagination the young hybrid thought he moved his head rather carefully.

"Maybe you should have someone look at you too..."


Leaning against her father's side she quieted as he spoke up. The mention of her mother sent a stab of pain through her, so physical it made her flinch visibly. The grief had in no way lessened as the days dragged by. Instead they only enhanced the absence of the raven mare, making their loss all the more apparent. Maybe it would have helped to cry, but Erthë had cried so much that her eyes felt hot and dry and her voice like a hard lump in the throat.

Closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see Tembovu's reaction to the announcement she buried the face against Vadim's shoulder; clinging, like she never had before, now that he was all she had left.

"And all the pretty tulips would disappear
And never disturb me again"