Coming home always felt safe and secure. It felt like coming up for air after too long beneath the ocean’s waves. It was like nothing else.

When Essetia first came to call the Throat home, she didn’t imagine it would ever become so dear to her heart, especially after her misfortune in the Falls. Yet, as she led another lost soul into the devouring heat of the south, she knew that the fire would eventually wash her clean. The sand would rub her raw before it caressed her and the ocean would roar until it whispered. This was becoming a place that offered sanctuary if one allowed it—everything took time to fall together after it had fallen apart. Somehow, the spy believed that Sabia was in need of a sanctuary, and her suspicions were only confirmed when the steely grey mare finally sought comfort in the only word Essetia now trusted of her southern borders. Instead of acknowledging the changes Sabia was about to face, Essetia allowed her a moment to sink and fall into that which she would one day inhabit and fly.

Even as her companion listened to the spy’s prelude of welcome, Essetia imagined that Sabia was more enchanted by everything that the Dragon’s Throat now represented. Sabia had become a sister, a friend, and an ally to the bay and her family. She had also become a warrior, a healer, a scholar, and everything that she ever wanted to be. However, she had also learned quite a lot about Helovia in the past day and half than she probably would have liked. To Essetia, magic and companions were natural… She’d been born to Helovia, a child, and none of the land’s wonders felt especially fantastical to a native. “I’m sorry, sometimes I forget myself,” she told Sabia from ahead. “These keys allow those without wings to cross into the Throat. I call it a safeguard… it keeps ill-intentioned fools out.”

”Excuse me!”

When Essetia had nearly reached the opposing side of the bridge, she turned, believing to find another in her wake, but saw nothing over the soft slope of the fluttering magic. Shaking her head, the spy returned her attention to Sabia as she conceded to becoming a healer, which in turn made Essetia smile. She’d been right about the Pegasus. “That’s a fantastic choice,” she affirmed with fervor, “and it is a beautiful place.”

However, just when Essetia was about to leave the cliff face behind, she became aware of an impending dark figure upon the bridge behind she and the new apprentice healer. Without any knowledge of whom the stranger was or what she intended, Essetia stepped forward with her ears pressed flat against her skull. Internally she called to her missing wolf since she’d arrived safely back within the Throat, and he replied eagerly. It would only be a matter of time before her bonded appeared to assist her in her endeavors to ward off the foreigner brave enough to follow her and Sabia into the south. “You better have a good reason for entering without permission,” she called from afar.

The stranger was a dark colored mare with electric blue eyes, but she didn’t appear to be a part of the Throat (at least not yet) and that put Essetia on edge. it had been quite some time since she'd been put to battle, but it wasn't above her when it came to protecting her newborn family inside.