You think I'll be the dark sky

It was hot. A radiating heat that billowed down on the spotted buckskin hide of the filly. She had been growing, still only a season old, but taller from when she was born, stronger than before, and smarter. This time, her intelligence came into play as the filly found out about Lena’s plans to fill the little glass capsule that was the greenhouse. The filly had asked her mother if she could go with the Time Mender, curious to know what the plants were that were good and which were not, and of course to escape the clutches of her mother’s talons, knowing well enough that if she were to traverse with one of the Basin’s finest, she wouldn’t have to deal with Marembo constantly keeping an eye on her like a hawk. She didn’t need someone to watch her like that. Despite her size and her age, she refused to believe she was weak. She was going to be a leader one day, ruling over all with an iron fist. Children that grew up to do that, didn’t get babied. And she was done with being treated as such. It was a foolish thing, more than likely, but this adventure would be worth it for her.

Khairi, her companion was growing and his fluff was molting out, being replaced by a beautiful sheen of black feathers. The little beard on his beak was beginning to grow, and he had been doing his best to teach himself to fly. It was hard for Kiada to try and help him learn. She didn’t have wings to help teach him how they worked – so she relied on his instinct to help him. For now, he could only flutter. Running alongside her and flapping his wings like a maniac, gliding ever so slightly on them to feel the wind beneath his plumes and the way it flickered and pushed the feathers in unique ways that only the wind and flying could do. She was proud of him, and in turn, he was proud of himself. The two carried themselves highly now. Khairi was able to care for himself, learning to sneak up on his prey to eat, pouncing on unsuspecting rabbits and mice. Kiada didn’t mind, for the sight of blood and the breaking of bones that Khairi mostly fed on were simply just another day. The filly, for being a princess, was all too comfortable around gore.

Even still, they followed the mare. Khairi gliding upon occasion, as Kiada’s ebony daggers drug her across the hot earth. But then, their adventure came to a stop in a place familiar to the filly. This was the place they found Thranduil, her brother and her, and how he had used his magic on them more than once. Bewilderment billowed through the filly at the memory, unsure of how he did it still. Yet, she did her best to pay attention to the Time Mender as she spoke, pink splotched lips staying in a tight line as she looked up at the mare with interest. The flames along her back flickered and billowed with rabbits as they jumped along her back, while her mind tried to contemplate what kind of herbs would be ones that they needed back home. “Miss Lena?” She began, shifting uncomfortably in the question she was about to ask. “I want to learn about healing. I’m not sure what herbs we’re supposed to be picking.” She admitted, glancing down at Khairi as she looked up at his bonded, almost urging her to push through her shame. She was too young to know what she was looking for, so help would be needed. And he would rather her learn what she was supposed to do once and never forget it, than by trial and error. Looking back up at the mare, she lifted her ebony dipped face to look upon her with a small smile - given confidence in her question from Khairi. "Can you help me?"

"Talk."

so you can be the star? —

I'll swallow you whole.

Kiada