A wide rift had been formed within her soul, one that had been born of the chains that still fettered the girl to her mother and father. The metal carried a distinct taste that, if rubbed across the tongue, reminded one of blood and loss. Essetia was compelled to swallow it now because her pride and her heedlessness had condemned her… and in the presence of her Czar no less!

Essetia attempted to remove the iron that coated her teeth but it was not easily influenced despite the pressing of bruised lips to the yellowed bone. It is nice to put a name to the face, she murmured quietly. The child was certainly mortified that had acted so foolishly, but it did bring her closer to understanding- whatever that meant for a filly birthed into a life founded on utter confusion.


But Midas allowed her no such luxury; or perhaps it was Fina who thought to rob the mare of momentary self-inflicted ridicule.

The Phoenix could be heard before she was seen which did arouse a certain suspicion in Essetia’s own heart. Just where had Romul gone off to? The mare could not yet find him close to mind and began to shift about nervously when a second Phoenix appeared from beyond the trees. Midas called the second one Neve, but Essetia nearly missed the introduction for worry had made place in her chest and quickened her pulse. Romul?

“I’m Essetia,-” she offered distractedly as her eyes slicked from the stallion to his companions and then to the quiet tree line in turn- each image forcing a new wave of panic into her rattled bones.
I’m here, came a deep, hostile response.

The wolf did not come snarling or ugly, but there was a soft rage blooming across the invisible tie that weaved from his soul to Essetia’s. I could not look, he warned on guttural breath. He… not friend Ess. However, the canine’s admonition did little to deter his companion from suffering the weight of guilt at having struck her Czar without reason.

Her mind had simply acted before her tongue…

At long last Romul appeared from the West, his shoulders hunched and his golden eyes shrouded in the shadows of night. “-and this is Romul” the mare added sheepishly. Though the wolf was a virile image, a perfect example of his species, he looked quite odd at Essetia’s flank. He had always been quite her opposite but their differences had grown more noticeable with age. When the mare’s pale eyes were turned upon him, the wolf grunted sharply with hackles raised. His fire never seemed to burn low regarding his genial companion and at times he sought to ravage the forests at her hooves if only to see her appeased.

However, other times he was quite unpredictable as his freedom of choice had been the one thing Essetia had not wanted to see chained.

“I’m glad to have met all of you… and hope to find a day when I can laugh at all of this.