Sohalia's smile, almost always at least faintly present on her face, widened as Nyx admitted to her excitement. The dove understood perfectly, having borne quite a few children herself. Each of them was unique, each of them loved unconditionally, none of them favored over the others (she thought guiltily of Aleta, of whom she had seen little and less as time went on), but with each new addition, a bubble of excitement had always swollen in her breast as she contemplated who they would be, what they would look like, where they would go in their lives. She was pleased to see that Nyx was as excited about motherhood as she herself had been not too long before - after all, Vinati was only newly born.

"Quite a few, actually," Sohalia admitted with a warm chuckle. "My youngest was born quite recently, actually. My oldest... they would have been five, this season." A touch of sadness colored her voice as she remembered Diniel, stillborn, unable to even begin to live her life, and Skysong, murdered several years before by Gaucho's hoof. A twinge of guilt speared her as she thought of how she had thrown that at him angrily during their fight. It had never been his fault, but she had been so eager to blame him when it suited her...

Nyx spoke again, revealing her concern about giving birth in a foreign herd. Sohalia shook the ghosts from her mind, offering what she hoped was an inviting smile to the unicorn. "It would be very unlikely for any of my herd to turn away a mare in labor," she assured the other mare. "Though, if it worries you, perhaps a visit to introduce yourself before birthing? You would be more quickly recognized that way." Indeed, if the mare was interested, it would be no trouble at all for Sohalia to arrange such introductions. If nothing else, she was well-known to many members of her herd. Though she doubted that she still commanded their respect, she knew them well enough to know that they would accept Nyx without hesitation.

The dove inquired as to the father and was intrigued as Nyx leaned closer, as though about to spill a particularly juicy secret. Sohalia was not one to seek out gossip, but she had to admit, she was curious to see which of her herd's stallions had managed to seduce this mare. "His name is..." The Transcended leaned in, her eyes twinkling with conspiratorial mirth. Would it be Misael, perhaps, the Sleuth who protected them? Or maybe even Cera, her former pupil - he was more than old enough now to sire his own offspring, though she could not quite imagine him as anything but the lanky child that she had taught all those years ago. She quickly dismissed Einarr, who seemed to be quite happily taken by Megaera, though she had no doubt that a stallion of his strength would have an easier time seducing someone with such a strong personality as Nyx.

"Gaucho."

For a moment, the dove thought that perhaps she had misheard. Her smile faltered ever-so-slightly, an almost imperceptible look of horror creeping its way into her gaze. She could hear the blood rushing to her head, could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Nyx was describing him then, the king of the Throat, and the mare knew that there was no mistake. The unicorn had been impregnated by her Sultan, her lover, her shekh ma shieraki anni. Suddenly, she felt as though her heart was being cleaved in two, torn out of her chest. This was not like before, when he had sired other children - she had been gone then, and he had no doubt thought her dead.

This was vengeance.

This was a hate-fuck meant to get back at her.

This was war.

"I - I'm sorry," she stammered, her head reeling as she stepped away from the unicorn mare. She couldn't breath. She needed air. "I'm afraid I have to... I need to..." She wanted to run, to fling herself into the air and fly until she found her asshole ex-mate; at the same time, she wanted to disappear, to hide away in shame, for as she had been pining for him, he had very clearly not been wanting her. "I have to go," she finally choked out, her words cool and distant, sounding strange even to her own ears. "Good luck with the birthing. Find the oasis, remember." And then she was moving, out of the shade, into the open, away from the bitch mare (it wasn't her fault, she couldn't have known, this was his doing, the stupid Sultan).

And then she was flying. Tears streamed down her face. She didn't know where she was going, and she no longer cared.

It was time to get away.

"Talk talk talk."
Astraeus.

subtlepatterns.com | foxyfirewings & larfsalot @ deviantart.com