My thoughts are the cold kind,
I've got storm clouds brewing behind my eyes

Oh, so it was a game. That would explain the gathering, if perhaps not the presence of testosterone pumping brutes. Her gaze linger on Volterra for a moment, curious about the young colts by his side - was he heading some kind of outcast band all of a sudden? - but not so much in the mood for chatting that she could be bothered to land. Not that it was needed, really. Barely had she ventured a guess as to whom the boys could be when the stallion made an announcement that nearly had her drop out of the sky.

Sons? But, wait, how... Well of course she knew how, but why, and when, and did he mean sons as in plural? There were two of them? Or even more? And here she had thought he was about her own age, too young to even think about building families. It was shocking, rattling, and for some reason she even felt a bit... sad? No, not sad. Disappointed, yes, that was it. Disappointed that he had found someone to care for, and not told her about it. They were friends, weren't they? At least she had thought so, but.... Suddenly Erthë wasn't so sure.

She was of half a mind to dart over there and question the overfed, clay-brained... man about everything and anything that came to mind, but with some effort the cygnet managed to restrain herself.

Instead, the flighted young valkyrie bit her tongue, decided to mind her own business and returned her attention to the darting lights and the colored dust that swirled over the surface of the water, to the images the tiny voices claimed to see within it. Erthë pursed her lips as she circled around the gathering, trying with all her might to see what the others saw as they called out one by one, but whatever shapes and pictures they perceived really did not strike home with her. To be honest, she did not see much at all except the colors of the dust, the rippling river beneath and the blinding glitter as light hit the smallest of waves.

Was it just that she lacked imagination, or was there really nothing to see?

Despite herself, the filly was becoming absorbed with the challenge. Squinting and angling her head this way and that, she actually touched down in an awkward landing and limped closer to the spectacle, just in case the difference in perspective would aid her. And what do you know, just as the orbs added another layer of glittering matter she too noticed shapes within it, and what she saw made her laugh out loud, surprised and delighted.

"I see butterflies, they're dancing with the moon and the stars! Now I know why you thought this was fun!"

Suddenly elated the girl shot a broad grin towards the others present, and despite her recent lack of enthusiasm - or warm feelings - for the equine, she sidled off towards Volterra and company and offered a familiar nudge of the nose towards a shoulder in greeting.

"You really should play too, you know" she chided him in a lilting manner. "Don't be so focused on if or what you might get out of it. So, what's this then? I had no idea you have kids Vol, introduce me!" Never mind the slight bite of accusation and... something else in her voice, she was over it, everything was fine.

Pale eyes darted between the colts as she settled the wings in at her shoulders and made herself comfortable. They were handsome in the same roughish way as their father, dyed in shades of charcoal and ink with similar facial markings... Really, now that she knew what to look for it was quite obvious that these three were related, even if certain characteristics differed. Her gaze lingered a heartbeat longer on the dark wings and curling horns of the youngest brother - he promised to grow into a handsome beast one day, sinister colors or not.

Erthë

And my heart will be blacker than your eyes
when I'm through with you