some people have no idea
how beautiful the darkness is

Yet again, morning had arrived much too quickly. Still plagued by nightmares, the pregnant general had found little sanctuary in the dead of night, and her lack of sleep was beginning to weigh heavy on her. Heavy lids attempted to blink away the last remnants of restless sleep as she wound through the pines. Her pace was slow and easy, as the heaviness of her pregnancy kept her from opening her strides and burying her turmoil beneath sore muscles and a dampened hide. She couldn't even spar, for concern about damaging the life that was blossoming within her womb.

Concern for what her union with Mesec had created worsened her nightmares. He had wings. What if her child was born with wings? What if her child wore no crown, and they were banished from the Basin, sent to live as outcasts on the Steppe? She had lived beneath the rule of her father, whose intolerance of those different was extreme, and she had her own reservations. It was how she was raised, and was taught to her as soon as she learned to speak. What would happen if her child was everything she had been raised to hate?

She shook her head, trying to loosen the fears from their hold. She was exhausted, and the pain of insomnia had leeched deep into her muscles to settle into her bones. Her eyes lazily scanned back and forth through the trees as she paced beneath a sky that was considering becoming day. A sigh left her lips, and she cast a look back at her steeply curved flank. "No sleep now, and I'm sure no sleep when you finally arrive."

She came to a stop as she happened upon another. Still hidden within the shadows, though her hoof steps would have probably already betrayed her location, she watched for a moment. It was easy for the girl to recognize the old stallion. She considered walking away, but the longer she stood and watched him sway, she seemed to become mesmerized. Pregnancy had certainly softened her, as she was careful in everything she did to protect what she harbored.

Her head tipped to the side as she watched, unsure if he was awake, or if the way he was wavering was caused by his dreaming. "Albrecht," she spoke, voice slipping easily through the quiet of newborn day. She spoke before she could think. What would she say if he answered? There had never been anything other than animosity between them. How was he going to react by her disrupting him in the early hours of the morning?

Her own hard feelings had been forged based on first impressions. She had allowed her distaste for him to fester. Maybe she had wrongly accused him? She was as stubborn as she was vindictive, and despite how she didn't mind having enemies, she didn't like having enemies at home. Her herd was her family. Though she didn't expect everyone to like each other, she wasn't comfortable knowing she was going to bring a child into a herd where someone hated her. Especially with her fears of having a winged child, she needed to at least attempt to smooth over any issues present.

But still, was first thing in the morning really the time to do anything productive?

Speech
OOC// Not the best post, but I wanted to get something up for you! It'll get better, I promise. <3