"Alright…"

Her body stood ridged; a soul cast in the marble case of her wrongdoings, unable to break from the gruesome grip it maintained around her life. Neck slouched dismally as though pressed low by the very weight of it all, but the muscles within were taut, wrought with the stress emanating through pale, nervous eyes. She had never feared this stallion; never thought him so truly intimidating that he could not be approached- it was his unhappiness now though, and that she had clutched this secret close now for so long, which made the process so grave and terrifying; so difficult to begin. Africa had never been well known for her timeliness; but still plagued by guilt, the young grey could not fulfil the role impressed upon her while the burden was still carried- especially the privileges of a friend.

“I feared the Resolute terribly.” She began towards the beginning- round about the time of the meeting two Orangemoons ago in which had Kri conveyed to them all an ominous warning. News about the racist Unicorns of the north had been brought with the return of one of their brother’s (unbeknownst to the freshest face in the herd, Africa), and directions had been issued to travel always in pairs and not stray far north; to be on guard constantly and report missing family immediately. A crushed grimace wrinkled the velvet soft snip between her nostrils- so many failures, so early on.

“She held a meeting a long, long time ago now to tell us of planned domination, genocide and racism- that we should be wary of the Aurora Basin Unicorns.” A long breath was taken, though it helped little to clear the thoughts strangling her clarity. “Strict instructions were given, and I remember them still. Honestly, I had every intention of obeying; I had barely been a part of the herd a week, and the last thing I wanted to do was sour my reputation.” Above every detail of her life; the great experiences, the gravity of lessons learnt and even the silly moments which had caused her heart to flutter, every minute second of that Orangemoon was chillingly fresh upon her memory. Each step which had paved the path towards the mightiest of falls, was as perfectly clear as those scorching summer nights so loved, back home in the desert.

Through gritted teeth, she continued, and cautiously her feeble eyes rose to find the progress of Midas’ view, should that be written across his features as obviously as the pain caused by the loss of Ktulu and his children. “That very night I met another of our kin; her name was Sinuhe… (Africa had no clue that the eerily white mare had been among them less time than herself- family was family, and the inexperienced grey wanted only to please) … and she wanted me to go with her, north I mean; she told me of a plan to trick the very Unicorns we had been warned to avoid. I promise, Midas, I tried to tell her that we shouldn’t but she wouldn’t leave the idea alone and I couldn’t let her go off alone- we had to travel in pairs!

We left in the middle of the night. I didn’t know what else to do.”

That journey had been the longest she had ever made; filled with worry and fault, Africa remembered how lead-like her legs had felt.

“We made it into the mountains by the following evening, and night had fallen already as we’d made our way along a narrow cliff path into the forbidden territory. It was alright for Sinuhe… she was a Unicorn and figured dressing herself in the snow of that region might secure a cunning disguise. I stood out like a desert’s wildflower. Her theory was wasted anyway; I should have known their doorstep…” She shook her slender skull, resenting the oversight; the ridiculousness of it all. “They were waiting for us- four Unicorns from the Basin. I circled above for a long while, while our sister goaded them on the ground. I wanted to leave, but to abandon family seemed the ultimate crime. I had no idea the extent of what was about to happen.

It was terrible…”

The dappled Oracle’s eyes could hold back the flood of tears no longer, and heavy troughs soon formed down the length of her bony face. Although these events constantly haunted her, Silas had never been offered insight; he had never been allowed to know what had happened during that time before he found her. A comforting croon rumbled inside his chest, and the swarthy Roc huddled close against her warmth. He understood not the language of her tongue, but those flashing fragments of vision were ample for him to piece together the scenario as it was told to the painted stallion.

“My hoof tangled in vine, or canopy, I’m not sure which- but two of our foes, a stallion as black-hearted as the night of that trespass, and a bay mare, came forward and challenged us.

I fought so hard; for my life, for Sinuhe’s safety. But I am no warrior… and our struggle was futile. Some wickedness crept up from the Basin’s ice-slick earth and pulled me down as I tried to escape into the air. It was horrendous. The strength left my body, my lungs could find no oxygen, and I passed out- I think. Everything went black. When I woke, she was dead; her body just slumped lifelessly where she had fallen- should not I have perished also? Why would my life have been spared when I committed the same treason?” Her tone had risen, panicked as she relived those morbid moments when Deimos had unleashed his death magic to claim the life of their herd-sibling, and very nearly that of her own as well. Africa trembled horribly, unable to climb free of the pain which struck her now- again. It replayed so vividly in her mind, stinging her conscience and gnawing away her flailing composure.

There was so much more to tell. But she needed to break; had to find breath to fill gasping lungs.

Africa