She does not have long to stew in her own dismay. The girl is accustomed to falling into herself with no sight of escape, being caught within the chasms of her mind until time lends her the strength to claw her way out- but she is shocked, stunned, electrified out of her own despairing memories and convoluted past by the hideous expression which rises upon Kahlua's face. Why...? she questions silently, trying to discover what had changed. Was there someone there? Were they in danger?

But the girl sees nothing when she looks around, black eyes tracing the rocky outcrops and faded paths, head swinging wildly to find the source of the Queen's distress. Her brother, meanwhile, peers from Kahlua to his friend, seeking an answer in the blue dragon's eyes. He knows that it's him, some crime committed by the innocuous fox- but what has he done? Why does she fear him? The dragon offers no answer to the unspoken question, and for one of the few times in his life Natraj is at a loss for how to proceed, utterly bewildered and miserably sad.

He takes a careful step closer to the painted mare, the snake still clutched between his teeth, all but forgotten in this change of events. Both boy and his sister watch Kahlua scramble for her basket, frozen, unable to comprehend- "Wait!" cries the copper child as Kahlua bolts, darting after the queen on gold-splashed legs, scrambling over rock and slate, down the path and out of sight, vanishing from the boy's view.

Natraj does not move from his place upon the glowing rock. He does not know where he would go.

The girl winces as jagged stone tears into her hooves, stumbling and slowing in her pursuit. How frightened must the mare have been, to endure a haphazard run across this terrain? Why? "Kahlua!" she cries, but it feels futile, and her voice burns with desperation as she blinks away her tears. They had been getting along so well, and she had felt appreciated, worthy... fire dancer tries to understand, but can't, and she shakes her head to clear the cobwebs of emotion strung by spidery doubt.

One thing she does know is that she must fix it, must find the mare and understand, fight the demon which plagues Kahlua, who she thinks may be the kindest creature she has ever met. Tandavi's view of the world is clean: Kahlua has been kind to her, has been nothing but delight, yet lacks the strength to face the fear which stalks her hooves and burns her heart. The Fire Dancer is a Templar, a Knight; she is sullied, too damaged to ever be good- and thus she must save a beautiful soul from a similar fate, must be champion to a mare she barely knows, but knows where to find.

The Edge.

She swallows, a sinking fear rising in her throat. She'll be a champion, just... maybe not yet.

Tandavi