She had known there was a meeting, but she could not will herself to move and go to it. She owed it to Tembovu to answer when he called, he did after all save her. Her thinner than usual legs carried her very malnourished bulk to where he stood, calling. What season was it now? How much time had gone by? She had lost herself in the darkness of the woods, picking at just enough to survive. She had no will to continue, not at this point in time. So where had the draft Pegasus been for months? Sulking. She had drifted outside the boundary of the herd and the unthinkable had happened. It was so fast, so god damn fast. She was standing there, she had turned her back for a few mere seconds to take a drink of the cool liquid and then she was gone. Astra never really spoke, she never really had to. Her inquisitive nature and innocent eyes spoke for her, but she was screaming in pain. Screaming and crying and then silence.

The draft let her ungroomed wings drag the ground as her feet hit like lead weights on the earth. There he stood, in all his demanding glory and a small half hearted smile tried to tug at the corners of her mouth, but she couldn't muster the energy. Her tears lasted for weeks, they flowed without stopping but now- none could come. There were no more left. She had spent hours and hours flying and searching to no avail. Astra was gone. The only evidence she had even been there was the smallest amount of blood and a tuff of her mane which was woven into the thin drafts own mane now. She knew the great elephant would notice the change in her, the absence immediately. She couldn't stand him to ask out loud, as as she stopped away from all the strangers she did not know, only looking at him her mouth parted and the words fell dryly from her lips. "She is gone." the tones were cold, emotionless and dead, just as her heart.

She closed her eyes and tried to remember the smell, but it was lost among the others. The last time she stood before the great man the filly had played with an owl and butterfly. A few weeks afterwards, she was taken. By what and who, she did not know. She assumed wolves? The worst part was not knowing where she was, or if she had given up too soon. A part of her wished she could have seen a body, to know that her young filly was indeed safe in death and not being tortured. She opened her optics, the thought was too much to handle as she swayed her dial slowly trying to erase the thoughts. The motion made her light headed, stumbling she quickly righted herself and stood there before him. Her plan? She had none. She didn't even want to live but not knowing for sure her daughters demise, if she may indeed be alive - kept her from free falling to the earth from 200 feet up.



"<3"