She's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire.

The first thing she saw was red.

For a half heartbeat the Sunspear’s throat seized with horror at the thought of enough blood being spilt so as to coat the entire landscape. She was a warrior, true enough, but that thought made her stomach turn. No, not blood… not all of it. The light that filtered through the red leaves and onto red water was haunting to be sure, but it was not as bas as she had first feared, As the seconds passed her dark eyes darted everywhere, scanning the landscape to build a story in her mind. There was  blood, dark and dried on the ground and the forrest floor itself was torn from the hooves and claws of the battle that must have ended hours ago.

Of course she was too late… It had taken long enough to fly here and it must have taken Cathun even longer to reach the Throat on foot. The battle was over. She couldn’t fight. She couldn’t help. “Argh!” She beat the ground in frustration, one solid stamp in the red dirt as if that would help. She’d flown trough the night, clad in her leathers, ready to fight, to defend the family the grey warrior had abandoned. She’d deal with Cathun when she got back to the throat, but she had to find out what had happened to Ranjiri, to Aithniel. If they had perished she would hold the coward personally responsible. And who else had been here? Who else could have left this blood upon the ground?

“Gwaihir!” she called aloud to her soulmate who still soared above the canopy, “Circle wide, find our own, or anyone if you can!” She head his screeching call in return and knew he would return when and if he found something. They hadn't seen any of their herd on their way north and it gave her hope to not have found their cold bodies on what looked to be the battlefield, but the Sultana would not rest until she learned the fates of her family members. She moved through the red place and towards the edge of the water, searching for some clue, listening for someone, anyone to tell her what had happened here.

Then she saw the feathers; a spread of of blood-stained gold on the ground and the Sun Sultana stopped in her tracks. She had seen those feathers gleam and shine only days ago on the borders of her home but then they had been solidly attached to a member of her family.

Ranjiri

The scream left her before she could pull it back. Deep and angry and dripping with fear and frustration it ripped itself out of her throat. Her family had been here...her family had been here, fighting and she had been hundreds of miles away. Useless. Ranjiri and Aithniel and who else had been here? They had been hurt, they could be lying dead somewhere. "RANJIRI!" she lifted her head again and yelled for the golden girl. "AITHNIEL!" The second name left her lips, the brave ashen filly, a great warrior in the making. "Please be alright." The last words a prayer whispered as the strained her ears to hear their voices coming back to her. Cathun left them. That thought popped into her mind and her rage doubled over itself. No warrior worthy of the name would leave his family like that; he would have to answer for that. With extreme care the Sunspear reached her head down to gather the golden feathers. Every. Single. One. She tucked the collection between the dark brown feathers of her own wing and the old battleleathers she wore and moved off to find her girls, her Dragon's Throat women, the Sun's own golden jewels.

[notes: Set the morning after the battle, looking for Jiji and Aith specifically cause she knew they were here but any are welcome :D]

"RANJIRI!"

I could hear Megaera's voice coming from the direction of the battlefield and I turned and looked back in that direction. I really had no desire to go back to where we had laid waste to a god from another land, but my Sultana called for me and I needed to heed her call. I had turned back to Thantos, the dragon stallion I had followed once the battle had finally ended. "I have to go." I said and it occurred to me that I should probably explain a little. "That voice was my Sultana." And I looked back toward the battlefield again. "She sounds upset..." Obviously Cathun had made it and told her about the battle, so I was sure that she was upset because she hadn't made it in time to fight with us.

I turned and started to walk away then paused and looked back at the dragon stallion "You're welcome to come with me if you like." Then I was walking, slowly, back toward the battlefield, my wing dragging the ground beside me because I couldn't lift it. It was like dead weight attached to my shoulder and there was this fear that made me blood feel like ice in my veins because what if I couldn't fly anymore? What if my wing was completely ruined and there was nothing to be done to fix it?

What would I do?

My whole body ached, though, and I couldn't help the grimace that my face was locked in every time my wing bumped against rocks on the ground, or when what was left of my feathers would get snagged on sticks and twigs. It made me slow getting back to Meg, but when I got there I was surprised to see that I was the first one. "Meg..." My voice trailed because tucked there in her leather armor I could see the glint of my golden feathers. "...my feathers."

ooc://
timeline wise, this thread is before jiji was infected with boils.
post bear, pre-infection setting in

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She's mad, but she's magic. There's no lie in her fire.

Later she might thank the gods that her family did not make her wait long before they answered her call. When the gold-tipped mare came into sight dragging her injured wing, Megaera ran to meet her. “Ranjiri! Thank the Sun God you’re alive. But hurt? Tell me where.” Without waiting for an answer the sultana bent her head to inspect the mare’s wing. “We’ll have to get you to the Sun Physician, or someone close if we can.” Meg was muttering, almost babbling, such was her worry. It was Ranjiri’s words that snapped her out of it and she glanced at the golden feathers before her eye found her their way back to her herd-sister. “I’ll take them back, the coward will answer for them.” There was something dark in her voice as the anger bubbled inside her but the black mood was subdued by relief when more familiar faces.

A young stallion she knew by sight and his desert small approached and meg nodded in approval as he immediately went to Ranjiri’s aid. She smiled slightly when he turned to her not entirely soothed but appreciative of his concern for the family. “Do not trouble yourself on that count, I would be more concerned if you’d waited on pleasantries first, but it is good to meet you properly.” Her face fell back to its serious, anxious cast but before she could speak again the blue thunder mare descended. “Ampere!” Meg called, thankful to have the power and support of the Gladiator in this uncertain hour. It was the Apostle, though, who helped satisfy the Sultana and Gladiator’s thirst for answers and Meg listened attentively to each bit of news that she imparted. She glanced at Ranjiri when her attacker was mentioned. “Someone from Helovia? Who?!”

The words Amani spoke were outstanding, confusing but Meg picked out what she needed and immediately interjected to find out what she desperately wanted to know. “Cathun said Aithniel was there…Is there any word of her? Were any more of our family injured?” She glanced around the circle, searching their eyes for answers.

When Megaera’s black gaze fell on the dragon steed’s approach, the expression beneath her steel faceplate turned severe once more. His strange red form declared himself one of these strange newcomers and if this beast meant harm to any of hers for helping take down his god, the Sultana would stand against him, size difference be damned. But he nodded to her, of all things and as he spoke of Ranjiri and Amani and all that had happened her ears losses their pinned position to come forward to listen though here eyes remained wary. She stood tall as she might, and when she addressed him she was every inch The Sunspear. She gave the stallion a curt nod and glanced at Ranjiri and Amani. “Dragon’s Throat is proud to have them. Are you from this ‘sick’ land then? This Rift?”

"My wing." I said when my Sultana asked where I was hurt. I stood still while she inspected it and nodded when she said that the Sun Physician should look at it. "Of course..." I mentioned my feathers and was confused about Meg's comment about the coward paying for them, but before I could question her about it others had arrived.

Ilios was the first to come to my side and he asked if I wanted him to support my wing, but Amani beat him to it. I winced as she ducked under my limp wing so it could rest across her back, but once she finished I smiled at her. "Thanks." I murmured and I bumped my muzzle against her cheek then looked at Ampere, whom I knew by sight alone. I shook my head when she asked if I could fly. "I can't even lift it..." I admitted and that frightened me because what if I could never lift it again? What if I was never able to fly again? What would I do?

"I don't know who Aithniel is..." I said when Megaera asked if the girl was okay. "I don't know who all from the Throat fought. I just remember Amani because she was there with me."

"Ssssultana should be proud of Ranjiri. And Amani. They are brave and strong."

I found myself smiling as I turned my head toward Thantos. Honestly, I hadn't expected him to follow me and Amani back toward the battle ground. I stayed quiet for the longest time while he explained what had happened, but when Meg questioned him I decided to speak up. "He's Thantos." I said. "He helped us fight against the bear god that came across with the Time God." I turned my head back to Meg. "I invited him to come along with us when we heard your call..." Can we bring him home? Please?

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