Hold on to me because I'm a little unsteady

Mother had left with her fellow Moon Doctor in tow - the chestnut mare that Naerys still couldn't bring herself to like or even trust. (But then, should she try? Mother didn't like or trust each and every one of Naerys' friends, so to expect something different from her daughter seems rather hypocritical.) They left and Naerys followed. She doesn't precisely know or understand why she follows or what she expects them to do but she settles in behind them, trailing yet keeping her distance. It had been a rather quiet and uneventful outing - the mares gathered herbs and she watched, carefully storing any and all information she could glean from where she quietly followed behind.

And despite the ache of boredom coursing through her veins, she welcomes the momentary peace - taking those moments to gather her own thoughts and figure out her own future. Just where did she see herself within the herd by the time her second birthday finally graced her youthful body and thrust her into adulthood. Every day the moment drew nearer and her desire to taste it, to experience that freedom, the heightened sense of responsibility grew stronger. And she longs for it. She doesn't shun the opportunity, doesn't hide from it and cling to the remnants of her childhood. No. As surely and easily as she thrusts herself from the edges of the cliffs to soar over the ocean does she throw herself towards adulthood.

Time ticks ever forward, slow and agonizing to the girl that is so close yet still so far from achieving her desires. So when darkness settles in around them while they still linger in the depths of the deep forest, her teal eyes shift to the form of her mother; a bit surprised they'd stayed away from the Edge as long as they had. Mother seems to be mostly at ease, given their current situation, until something catches her attention and her voice breaks the silence. The question wasn't directed to Naerys, not even remotely, but the girl still attempted to listen. Her ears forward and alert but she couldn't quite hear due to the distance and the quietness of her mother's voice. Just as she begins to move forward, to inch herself closer to the two mares, something changes in her mother - a subtle shift that sent a small feeling of dread coursing through her veins, chilling her blood and speeding her heart. Caution (or is it fear?) prickles down her spine but she doesn't fully understand why.

Her gaze catches the small blur of Hemlock flying through the trees towards the strange glow somewhere through the trees and she almost moves closer. Almost. But her hooves are frozen in place, clinging to the comfort of the purple blooms blossoming around her hooves. For several moments there is nothing but silence. Silence and the thumping of her heart in her chest and the uneven, stuttering of her own breathing. Little does she know that her mother (and likely Evangeline) has already left their little area. Little does she know just how alone she is in that moment. But then she is moving, her slender legs taking on a mind of their own as they carry her with caution and curiosity through the woods - moving towards the strange glow. The air is pungent with a smell not so familiar to the yearling, one of burned flesh and hair mixed with the smell of charred wood.

Mindlessly the girl moves closer, her own pace increasing as the scene begins to unfold before her eyes. Mother is already there when she comes upon them and she struggles to see past the glaring brightness of the flames and the haze of smoke. Her teal gaze shifts, examining the scene and trying (though failing) to make sense out of everything she could see. There was her mother, of course, an orange mare that she didn't remember ever seeing before, and her King. The girl is riddled with confusion and curiosity until her gaze falls to the fallen form at the center of everyone else's attention. Mauja. Fear might have glued her to the spot had it been anyone else but instead dread sinks her delicate heart and moves her closer - ignoring the burning tree, ignoring the smell of smoke and other burning things. Once again, the girl practically flew to his side. Once more she wanted to simply hold him close - to keep him safe. Racing to place herself between her mother and the king, she gazes down at Mauja (the white queen) and somehow manages to choke back a sob. A single tear escapes, sliding down her cheek before she manages to hold back the rest - though the act merely leaves her eyes moistened and glistening.

"Please." she almost croaks, her voice strained as she pulls her gaze away from Mauja to pin Tembovu with her watery, tear-filled eyes. "Please tell me that you didn't do this." she begs, her words - strangled and pleading - sliding from her dark lips. There is a glimmer of hope in her eyes and in her heart but that's all it is - a glimmer; faint and easier to snuff out than the burning tree not far away. Mauja she loved and trusted; the Mauja she knew wouldn't have done anything to deserve an attack from Tembovu. But in that moment, the way she saw it, there were two possibilities. Either she'd been wrong about Mauja (entirely possible, though it would completely break her heart), or Tembovu is not to be trusted (also possible, though terrifying given the fact that he is her king).

NAERYS