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

Continued from here.



Erthë smiled in the direction of each of the boys in turn and inclined her head, feeling suddenly very old and careworn. She had not even lived for two winters yet here she stood, being introduced to the grown - or nearly grown - children of a friend she hadn't thought to be more than a year or two older than herself. Suddenly she had to wonder, because how on earth did a mare manage to pop out two kids in less than a year - it wasn't possible, was it? Maybe Evangeline knew, she would have to ask the Doctor once she got home. Either way, it left her with a feeling of discomfort, anger almost. Time was rushing by at such an incredible pace that she could barely keep up with it. Her mother had been dead barely a year and already the image of her face was fading in Erthë's mind, her father was a ghost who came and went and barely said a word while he was home. And she? Nearly grown now, but inside she felt more like a child than she ever had.

Old and childish... Not a very flattering combination.

"Congratulations, they are handsome boys" she offered, her voice betraying nothing of the turmoil that went on beneath the snow-dyed facade. "I would love to meet their mother some time, she must be a remarkable mare, to put up with you."

Humor danced in her eyes as she delivered the barb, and as she was in a good mood she merely watched and listened as another mare - familiar in appearance and form yet without a name for Erthë to recall - came up, she too initiating conversation with the big stallion. It was something she had noticed before; mares often seemed to flock around Volterra, as though drawn to his presence by some mysterious force. This was not the first time, and as the slender young mare observed Volterra's interaction with the painted mare she suddenly realized why.

Oh, she had always known him to be handsome, but whereas before his big body and quiet mannerism had only been something to mark him as him, Erthë was struck by this fact in a whole different way. And it made her reaction upon hearing about his family all the more disturbing, Why would she be jealous, it made no sense at all. They were friends, nothing more. Definitely nothing more, because that would be... well... weird. Yes.

Deep in thought, the little mare only realized that Volterra had began to pull away when the sounds of conversation faded around her. The dancing lights were gone, their colorful dust had faded and the crowd was thinning out, marking the end of the game. An unknown mare followed by a wolf - Erthë felt her insides clench at the sight of it, unease holding her in a vice like grip until the pair was well out of sight - had been blessed with a prize and by rights, she ought to continue on her way home.

Instead she hurried after the black equine, offering the blue-striped mare a faint smile in passing and fell in beside her friend, reluctant to part with his company so soon.

"So, what have you been up to since I saw you last? Joined a herd yet? There's plenty of room at the Edge, you know, we could really use someone like you in the troops."

On reflex she began to gaze about to see if she could spot the two dragons somewhere, yet even as she did a delicate ear was trained at the stallion, ready to catch his words should he reply.

Erthë

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