▶ This was what herdlife was like, Lourdes supposed – answering the call of a King and Queen she’d yet to lay eyes on (though it’d only been a few days since she’d arrived). She couldn’t say that Mauja hadn’t warned her. It was hot now, the thickly woven forests of the Edge acting like a blanket to hold in the heat. This had never been Lourdes’s favorite season. Still, it was nothing compared to the crowd she imagined she’d be enduring in a few moments’ time. The order of a King didn’t seem very optional and although she’d made a point to stay on her own, she knew the forests were teeming with life.

▶The trees began to dwindle, giving way to a small patch of clearing that preceded a glittering lake. There was a structure erected near the water’s edge and the young witch could see a small gathering formed beneath it. That was enough to bring her ghoulish grin into a downward scowl. Lourdes didn’t like crowds and she didn’t like close quarters. Still, her legs were dutiful in carrying her forward. She had enough good sense to keep her attitude to herself. For a second, the mare loitered at the mouth of the awning, casting a dubious glance toward the poles that held it up, though the promise of shade won out in the end and she stepped beneath the lavender cloth.

▶To the ghoulfaced mare’s dismay, she’d managed to be one of the first to arrive and thus it was nearly impossible for her to sneak in and hide in the back. Still, unabashedly, she chose to inhabit the empty corner, shoving herself up against the edges of the awning and pulling her wings tightly around her as if to ward off the presence of others. Her gaze shifted forward then. The King was massive and Lourdes found her eyes lingering on him thoughtfully. The Queen was just as majestic, though she contrasted sharply with the large stallion. She was shimmering with frost and Lourdes couldn’t help but be envious of her in this heat.

▶As an afterthought, she offered the King and Queen a nod, her gaze then finding an interesting patch of ground to focus on, hoping all the while that she looked unassuming and uninviting to any stranger that might be tempted to make neighborly small talk.

a note | ---