[Note: Please remember d'Arcy got aged up a bit! xD ]

The sound of her mother’s voice had brought her running. For one shining moment she had felt an overwhelming sense relief; she wasn’t alone anymore, and maybe now that mother was home her brother would come back to her as well. d’Arcy had been transported back in time by the familiar sound to a time when that voice and meant safety and trust but the grey mare had not even come into the red shadow’s view before the girl stopped dead and all the bitter anger seemed back into her heart. In the past weeks d’Arcy had clung to the cold anger; it was so much more palatable to her that the hurt she felt. They had left her! Mother and Libertad both had left her to face the depths of winter on her own and in someways she would never forgive them that.

The red girl moved forward again, slipping through the late winter woods until she saw her mother. Tembovu was already there and….

Something twisted in her gut. Was it jealousy?

There were two little dark things: one that clung to Nyx’s side and another that stood boldly in front of the King. She caught the end of the Ironheart’s story, picking up at the part that hinted that the two little things might be relations of her grandsire. The possible familial connection did nothing to soften the adolescent’s heart, these things meant nothing to her.

She emerged from the trees behind Tembovu and moved to stand with a clearly delineated no-mans-land between her and everyone else. Tambov received a nod from her, as was his due as King of the Edge(mother had taught her that much, at least) but for the first time she failed to give her mother the same honor. d’Arcy’s face was cold, and she worked hard to keep it that way. Where other adolescents might have yelled and wailed at an adult so merely fixed her gaze on Nyx to stare her mother down. The frigid wells of cobalt spared not another glance at the king or the younger children but stared. It was defiance, a red flag planted in the ground that said “Mom, you fucked up.” and it was as much a slap as she dared. “Libertad is gone. I haven't seen him since you left.” She could not let her voice betray how much that fact hurt her, would not give up that sign of weakness. As far as d’Arcy was concerned, no one was allowed to know that she even knew what hurt was.

ain't no mercy in my smiling
only fangs and sweet beguiling