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Snö was grazing, cropping grass tidily with her teeth, her head moving back and forth, clipping the grass down to its root. Every once and a while she would lift her head, inhale the wintry air of autumn, and return to her grazing, the grass swiftly turning more yellow by the day. For now, however, it was green, just as emerald as the summer's embrace, but for a glint of amber and honey on the edge. Today, she was tired, resting after the long, sleepness nights of traveling home with Valentine. Every muscle seemed to throb and ache, and every move, no matter how small, sent squealing protests shrieking through the tender flesh. While the white mare would have preferred to allow herself a beauty sleep, Snö believed herself quite a bit tougher than that. If she let herself go soft and weak, she was no better than the others. Snö needed to be strong, and so, even with the aches in her muscles, she rose without complaint as the very first beam of light lit the world.
But her grazing was interrupted, almost instantly, by two things. First, a rich, familiar scent, a scent she despised and still had not come to terms with. Second, Aviya's voice shrieking out the name she so desired to blot out from her memory. "Tamlin!"
Tamlin, the royal runt, was back.
For a moment, the sultry mare faltered, caught by indecision and distrust. Where had he been for so long? Why did he have to come back? Why hadn't some predator snatched him up and eaten him? Yet there was some small seed of hope blossoming in her. If Tamlin was back, would the others return to their new- temporary- home? Horses like Lucius and Lloyd, the black twins, Lotus, Giselle... Thais? Were they all with him? No. She could not scent them, could not stop the hopelessness threatening to engulf her once more. Surely they wanted to see Mauja again, even if not Psyche. Snö lifted her creamy head, ears twitching, but then her mouth tightened and her face was set, chiseled in ice.
The voluptuous mare began to trot, long legs striking out, head carried high, as if hoping to see him sooner rather than later. The grass was heady under her, maybe that was what made her head swirl, or maybe it was him, him being back, and the jealousy that swamped her once more, of him being ready to steal Mauja's affections from her, the little twit half-brother. Was it wrong of her to dislike him for it? It was... part of her. There was nothing wrong with her.
Besides, if she should really dislike anyone for it, she should dislike Mauja for it, for he had sired the child. It wasn't fair to condemn her half-brother to her anger when it wasn't his fault he was born to a slut and Mauja's wheedling. Or maybe it was the other way around. Who knew and who cared- not her.
All too soon she was standing in front of them- Aviya, who had somehow broken that fragile horn of hers, and Tamlin, her little brother.
"Tamlin," Snö sighs, staring at him with her eyes blank. Sometimes it is better to rule by love than fear. "Um... where have you been? Do you know where Th- Monster is? Was he with you? Are you okay?" Almost cautiously the tall mare steps forward, and reaches out to nudge at his cheek, before withdrawing quickly, suddenly seeming to turn shy.
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