Mother and daughter moved toward the the base of the bridge that would carry them out of Dragon’s Throat. Meg had tried to keep her twins to the safety of home for the short few weeks since they'd been born--though she had discovered that her elder daughter had figured out a way to smuggle Nizho out for adventures already--and Asavvi at least had yet to venture out of the Throat.  The night had already closed around them but Meg thought the darkness would make the magic of the Sun God's bridge that much more vibrant and exciting for the filly who would see it for the first time."Almost there, my darling girl. Can you hear the waves yet?" Meg spoke gently and in response the girl gave and excited giggle. Through the quiet evening the rhythmic rush or water over sand was carried to them on the air. The girl stopped in her tracks, silent and still, and strained her long ears forward to listen. When the sound came to her she listened for a moment before breaking into a laugh again and scooting forward again to catch her mother. "S'that the zhifven eveth, Mai? It's really salty? For true?" "for true?" seemed to be becoming the little filly's most repeated phrase as her parents taught her about the world and it made Megaera smile. "For true."

They reached the base of the bridge and the mare let her daughter investigate the wonder of the undrinkable water for several long minutes before the girl declared that she much preferred the water in the lake and they could resume their nighttime walk. Meg's great feathered wing reached out to scoot the girl close to her side. "Stay close now, and don't be nervous." The wings of fire blazed into being around them, activated by the key Meg kept tucked in her feathers, and the magic of the Sun lifted the pair and spirited them towards Helovia. Asavvi, her little head poking out from under her mother's wing, made no sound but only gazed about in delighted wonder.

They had not yet touched down on the other side when the sound of Gaucho's roar had Megaera's head whipping around. The bright flames of the Sultan drew the eye easily on the shore below and illuminated the scene. Gaucho was charging an equine and to the side his two daughters and another colt stood. "Asavvi, stay behind me!" She whispered harshly to her daughter and took stock of the scene. 

Seconds later the bridge let them down on the sand and the Sunspear moved into action. She moved at a canter, the filly scampering close behind and swung wide to corral the smallest of the three. The colt wandered like he didn't see the fight starting in front of him so Megaera reached out to try and drape her right wing protectively across his back and aim him to where Zenobia and Aelin stood. "Come child, don't stray." Like she had been taught, Asavvi also tucked herself under the mare's broad wing as they moved. 

When Meg reached Gaucho's daughters, her eyes moved quickly over each to check for injuries and at least found nothing life-threatening. "Stay put, until I tell you to move." The words were firm and aimed mostly at the three little ones. Zenobia was old enough to help in a situation like this, but it seemed she might have been a little dazed by whatever had happened. The bay mare moved to place herself between the little cluster and the two combatants, broadside to the action so as to be in a position to block any stray blows or bursts of fire and turned her attention to the fight. Behind her mother, Asavvi trembled and gravitated towards the dun filly, unsure of why her wonderful adventure had suddenly turned so tense.

Megaera would stand guard just in case but it simply did not occur to her to interfere. Not once had Gaucho ever given her a reason to doubt his actions and so whatever had sparked this charge of his made no matter. He would handle it and if he needed her assistance or her input, he would say so. From the looks of it, he wouldn't have much trouble subduing this dirty-looking stranger--she was smaller even than Meg--but all the same her body was tense and ready to move as she watched to see what would happen.

"Megaera"
"Asavvi"
Translations:
zhifven eveth - salty water
mai - mother

"You may be as different as the sun and the moon


but the same blood flows through both your


hearts. You need her, as she needs you...”